In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Like last week, today’s Gospel Reading comes from John chapter 16. Once again, our Lord speaks with His disciples on Holy Thursday. He is preparing them for His impending departure from this world via His death on the cross. But He…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. On Sunday, we spoke about true Christian joy. And we said that Christian joy is not primarily a feeling, nor is it found in our own efforts of focusing on the right things. True Christian joy comes from Christ alone—it is founded…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today is the Sunday traditionally known as Jubilate, or the Sunday of jubilation. Therefore, we continue our celebration of Easter by being encouraged to rejoice. And yet, so often our lives are not as filled with joy as we would…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today we hear the Easter account for the final time in the church year. Throughout the early part of the Easter season, the historic lectionary uses not only the Sundays but also the midweek days to work through each section of the…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today is commonly known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” And so, today we have opportunity to meditate on one of the most beloved and fundamental metaphors in all of Scripture: Christ as the Good Shepherd of the sheep. This metaphor is…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In the reading from 2 Corinthians that Jeanette selected to be read today, the Apostle Paul offers us profoundly comforting words. He points us to the resurrection of Jesus as our hope as we experience afflictions and pain in this…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In our Gospel text for today, St. Mark continues his anticlimactic telling of the events of the first Easter. The resurrection of our Lord is the singular most important event in history. It grants us the glorious hope of life after…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. When a visitor experiences a Lutheran Divine Service for the first time, they are often surprised not primarily by our reverence for the Sacrament nor by our liturgy or hymns. When someone experiences a Lutheran Divine Service for…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Alleluia. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia. The appointed Gospel text for today records for us our resurrected Lord’s third appearance to the apostles as a group. As we know, our Lord made other appearances after His…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Dear friends in Christ, this morning we gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. While many of our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even family members are focused on the Easter Bunny, egg hunts, and candy,…