Claimed, gathered and sent

How did you spend Feb. 14th, Valentine's Day? Our morning was spent in worship with God's people at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran Churches. The scripture text was Romans 10:8b-13. In the reading from Romans, God is the ultimate enamored lover--who draws us to himself with grace before we were ever aware of Him. God not only lavishes his love and grace upon us, but God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves--that is making us right with God. Jesus restores our broken relationships with God the Father. The revelation of God’s great love was made clear to Martin Luther in the Book of Romans. It’s words opened Luther’s eyes to God’s wondrous grace. Concerning Romans, Luther wrote: This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or ...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, Feb. 7 at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran Churches. The text is Luke 9:28-36.  Some of you may be familiar with the Sound and Light Theater in Lancaster, PA. Through sound and light, biblical stories are dramatized bringing them to life. More of you are likely familiar with the Grain Elevator Light Display which can be seen from the inner and outer harbors in Buffalo. The grain elevators are ugly structures, that are transformed into something  beautiful by the dazzling, colorful light shows. As amazing and inspiring as these two examples are, God puts on the greatest sound and light show imaginable in today's gospel reading. The transfiguration occurs immediately after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah and the the passion is introduced into Jesus’ teaching (vv. 18-27). Luke is the only gospel that names prayer as the reason for going to the mountain. Once on the mountaintop, Jesus seems to be the one doing all th...