There was a man who had two sons ... Luke 15:11 So begins one of the greatest stories ever told, the story that we call “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” It is a story told by Jesus, of course. It is his longest parable, and probably his best known. And thought by many, including…
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tested by the devil. Luke 4:1-2 In last Sunday's sermon, I posed a thought experiment: If you had to choose, I asked, just three stories from the gospels to tell…
"This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" Luke 9:35 Here is a thought experiment for you: If you had to choose just three stories from the gospels to tell someone about Jesus, and you couldn't use the stories of his death and resurrection, what would they be? And why? I asked myself that…
Jesus said: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27 There are a lot of great and important passages in the Bible about love, including the one found right at the beginning of today’s gospel reading: “But I say to you…
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 These words from God, through his prophet Isaiah, are really everything that I want to say to you today.…
The angel said to [the shepherds], “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 The angel’s greeting to the shepherds that first Christmas…
Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Luke 1:47 ‘Tis the Sunday before Christmas, and throughout the world, Christians are celebrating the birth of our Lord. Well, not quite. We are close to celebrating his birth, but we are not quite there yet. We’re concluding our observance…
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:4-5 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance. Luke…
The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord." Luke 3:4 I want you to think of a time in your life when something happened that threw your life out of kilter. You lost your job, for example, or you got a new one, or you retired. You moved to…
Jesus said: “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Luke 21:34-35 Today (December 1, 2024)…
My Pastoral Ponderings 