Reflections

January 21, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11Daily Lectionary: Joel 1:1-20; Romans 10:1-21“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in every one.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Paul is laying out

January 20, 2025 Today's Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 47:1-14, 21-23; Romans 9:19-33“You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight I in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.” (Isaiah 62:4)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Come to think of

January 19, 2025 Today's Reading: John 2:1-11Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 44:1-16, 23-29; Romans 9:1-18The master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people had drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:9b-10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This whole darn account is a weird one

January 18, 2025 Today's Reading: Mark 8:27-35 (36-9:1) Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 40:1-4; 43:1-12; Ezekiel 40:5-42:20; 43:13-27; Romans 8:18-39“And He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’” (Mark 8:29)In the Name of Jesus. Amen.Jesus is concerned about what His disciples think about Him. Therefore, the Church should be con

January 17, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 2 - Psalm 36:5-9; antiphon: Song of Solomon 2:4Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 39:1-10, 17-29; Romans 7:21-8:17“His banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon, 2:4)In the Name of Jesus. Amen.Banners make statements. Schools have them, as do churches, whose banners may boast passages from Holy Scripture. Parades are never shy of ba

January 16, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Fourth CommandmentDaily Lectionary: Ezekiel 38:1-23; Romans 7:1-20“Honor your father and your mother.”In the Name of Jesus. Amen.Luther’s Small Catechism says, “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.” Paren

January 15, 2025 Today's Reading: Ezekiel 37:15-28Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 37:15-28; Romans 6:1-23“My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes” (Ezekiel 37:24)In the Name of Jesus. Amen. A united nation under Solomon was ripped apart following his death. A carousel of kings would

January 14, 2025 Today's Reading: Romans 6:1-11Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 36:33-37:14; Romans 5:1-21“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (John 6:4)In the Name of Jesus. Amen.It’s easy to make snap judgments on what we see. We’ve heard

January 13, 2025 Today's Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 36:13-28; Romans 4:1-25“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1)In the Name of Jesus. Amen. With Scripture, context is important. This glorious passage in Isaiah is on the heels of God’s rebuke of His people for their failure to hear and see. Isaiah, like

January 12, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 3:15-22Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 34:1-24; Romans 3:19-31“His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17)In the Name of Jesus. Amen.John testifies to Jesus, the “mightier One” Who holds the keys to life and death and the