Today’s Luke 15 passage has been known as the “Parable of the Prodigal Son”. But throughout history it also has been given another name: “The Parable of the Prodigal Father.” Prodigal means “spending recklessly, extravagantly, wastefully, lavishly...

All three readings in today’s worship offer some blunt warnings from the Lord and an invitation to attentiveness. “Listen up or perish! Cut it out or be cut down!” But balanced with these harsh words, there are also assurances of the Lord’s patience...

As we gather for worship today, we are reminded that our God is all about people. He sent his son into the world to be a person, to save people. There is joy in heaven over every lost person that is found. Our God loves us and calls us to also be...

During this penitential season of the church’s year our prayer and praise are shaped more by “Lord, have mercy” and “Lamb of God”. However, Sundays are always “little Easters” and, while we restrain our praise a bit in these Lenten weeks, we still...

We continue our midweek series “Living Lent as People of the Resurrection”. Today our focus is on “purpose”. What does Scripture say about the will of God? How did Jesus’ life of obedience, suffering, death on a cross, and resurrection serve his...

“And lead us not into temptation”, Jesus teaches us to pray. Martin Luther reminds us that in the Lord’s Prayer “we ask that God would guard against the devil, the world, and our sinful nature.” So confident is Satan of his own power that he confronts...

Just days ago we experienced the transfigured Christ, shining in all his glory. Like his disciples we would prefer lingering in mountaintop experiences. But our Savior leads us down from the mountain to the valleys where we encounter the trials, the...

With Jesus’ disciples, we are invited to stand in the presence of the holy and merciful God and behold his glory. That glory is revealed in Jesus, and his presence remains with us as we gather around Word and sacrament. Like the disciples we may wish...

The glory of God is often revealed when and where it is least expected. God uses our lips to declare that glory, inexperienced and hesitant though they may be. God uses our love to demonstrate that glory and so urges us to exercise it. God uses Jesus...

Our Lord speaks and we listen. God’s Word delivers what it promises. Our life together begins with the life-giving Word of God. Faith is born from that Word, a faith that is shared in time and space by those gathered and redeemed by the living Word...