One of the “occupational hazards” of being a pastor is that the preparations and leading of worship during Lent and Holy Week can become an obstacle to worship of the LORD during Lent and Holy ...
Jesus gave sight to the blind (John 9), providing evidence that he is who he claimed to be: the Light of the world that gives life to all people. It is good and right, then, ...
Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 are the swinging doors that invite and usher us into all the psalms. These two short songs signal what the psalms (and the Bible and life and ministry) are all ...
The readings this coming Sunday point to the glory of the Word made flesh: Jesus is the Servant of the LORD in whom we see the splendor of the LORD (Isaiah 49). Jesus is the ...
Psalm 89 is the third longest psalm, after Psalm 119 and Psalm 78. Its length and its contemplative pondering of the promise to David are reminders that the world had to wait a long time ...
This past weekend my wife and I drove to New Ulm for homecoming at Martin Luther College. In the span of a few days, we experienced one blessing after another. One of those blessings was ...
On Sunday morning, do you ever watch your members as they arrive for worship? Do they come by car? By bicycle? On foot? When I served as a pastor in Japan, people came by all ...
As pastors we serve the people entrusted to our care. We also serve each other, in various ways, including these: word-and-deed encouragement to each other and prayers for each other. Psalm 112 is a beautiful ...
Let’s begin with a riddle: Which part of the Old Testament has seven verses in a row beginning with a Hiphil imperative and then one verse beginning with a Hebrew word often translated “behold”? Hinneh, ...
Psalm 66 has a step-like structure with three parts (strophes), but the order of them is unique. While most psalms begin with the individual and then broaden to include others, Psalm 66 starts with the ...
