Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the message I'm preaching tomorrow at Grace Lutheran Church.  John 14:15-21 is the text. I received the church newsletter this week from my home church in Rochester, NY where I’m still an associate member. In this newsletter I learned of the death of my friend Ellen’s husband Harry. As Ellen and I talked together on the phone, she told me she’d lost her best friend. She feels like there’s a big hole in her heart that will never go away. Ellen thinks she’ll learn to navigate around that hole, that she will rebuild her life and go on, but that the hole will remain. We cried together. Ellen is a woman of faith who loves the Lord Jesus with all her heart. Because Jesus lives, she can continue to get up every morning and try to create a new life for herself without the human love of her life, Harry. Harry left her through death, but Jesus, will never leave her. Because Jesus lives, Ellen can face tomorrow and all its uncertainty. In today’s gospel, as i...

When I hear this, I think of all those who have suffered so much from weather driven disasters, both overseas and in our own country. And then along with that, we have the gospel text for tomorrow: 15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.   16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you anothe r Advocate, to be with you forever.   17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.   18 "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.   19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.   20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.   21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."   (John 14:15...

Thanks to "Living Lutheran" for this video. My heart was moved as I watched it.When I lived in the Holy Land, not far from Rachel's Tomb, there was no separation wall. Life was difficult, filled with oppression for the local people. But now on top of that, there is greater oppression with this ugly wall. Please pray for all God's people in the land.

A Place for Prayer: a prayer for those in devastation and grief and overwhelming loss

I talked with my internship supervisor this morning. He said I might be preaching this Sunday. The gospel text is for this Sunday is: John 14:15-21 ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. ”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” This passage is rich and as some fellow bloggers have already pointed out, there's probably about a dozen different sermons and direct...

Thank you to Pastor Dave Westphal for today's devotion. Devotion for Monday

Thank you Clint. Lutheran Confessions: Brief Comments on Heaven is for Real