I am conscious that many within my small circle are experiencing heaviness and deep discouragement. Life, of course, is full of ups and downs, but the downs tend to accumulate, and the weight of unresolved … Read More

The former tenant of our new apartment left behind plastic planter boxes, which run along the top of the balcony railing. When we moved here in July, the boxes had only a few weeds and … Read More

I am often inclined to ask why my relationship with God is not what it ought to be or even what it used to be. Emmanuel seems to be anywhere but “with me” some days. … Read More

Do you ever pray for the Lord’s return? Do you long for His coming? I must confess, I generally entertain the ridiculous notion that I have too much to get done first–that the Lord’s return … Read More

This Sunday we start over with the church calendar and we light the first candle of Advent to mark the first step in our annual liturgical journey through the life of Christ, the long-promised and … Read More

Last year I came across a tiny scrap of paper with a few sparsely written lines—notes I had taken 25 years ago during a Sunday Reformation Day sermon preached by the late Rev. Dr. Milton … Read More

On Sunday, our Epistle reading will be the fairly well-known text from Ephesians 6, entitled: “The Armor of God.” It has always been a favorite passage. I suppose, even as a boy, I was intrigued … Read More

The collect (prayer) of the day (Tagesgebet) for this past Sunday is one of my favorites. Lord, we pray that your grace may always both precede and follow us, and make us continually be given … Read More

We have considered the priestly function of the church—bringing our neighbors and their needs to God and bringing God and His blessings to our neighbors. The priestly function is a mediatorial role of standing in … Read More

A number of years ago, I came across the following from William Malcom MacGregor on the priestly function of the pastor.  “When a man awakens to his task there stirs in him a pitying sense … Read More