Pastor Scamman

During the seven weeks of Easter, our focus on the completed work of Christ and His Resurrection gives way to a focus on the Holy Spirit and His ongoing work in the Church. Of course we can’t completely isolate the things that God does to one Person of the Trinity only, yet it is proper to ascribe the…

Seven times in our text, we find the words “a little while.” Jesus says, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me” ( Jn 16:16 ). The disciples, as usual, don’t understand what Jesus is saying. “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know…

Jesus says, “I, myself, am the Good Shepherd” ( Jn 10:11 ). He is speaking in contrast to the other shepherds—to all other shepherds. There are many shepherds, but there is only one Good Shepherd. In fact, the others are not true shepherds at all. Jesus says they are hirelings. They may look and act…

The events in our Gospel text begin on the evening of Easter day. The women found the tomb empty. They saw the angel who said, “Jesus is not here. He is risen. Go tell the disciples and Peter that he goes before you to Galilee, just as he said” ( Mk 16:7 ). But the women were afraid. They fled from the…

“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” ( Ps 90:10 ). By the Bible’s own accounting, Alice was granted a life beyond the normal measure, ten years in addition to what Moses calls “the years…

Today is an Easter unlike any other in the history of Christianity. Never before have the churches across the world closed their doors on this day. Never before, and I hope never again, have the faithful not gathered on Easter morning to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord. If you had told me that…

Jesus asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one” ( John 18:7–9 ). When the mob of soldiers came…

First Lutheran Church

In the midst of life we are in death. What Helper do we seek but you, oh Lord? These words from this ancient Latin hymn, Media vita in morte sumus , remind us of the reality of the human condition. We are surrounded by death. We are born into sin and sinners must die. No one can cheat death. It comes…

Today we read of the children of Israel, who came to Moses complaining that they had no bread. For forty years they wandered in the wilderness, grumbling every step of the way about what they would eat and drink. And yet during all that time not one of them starved or died of thirst. God himself fed…