Tonight we celebrate the events of the Last Supper in the upper room, where Christ gave his disciples instructions to be carried out in his name. The name Maundy came from the Latin word Maundatum, meaning commandment. The commandment we focus on today is the one Christ gave, “do this in remembrance of me.” St. Justin Martyr, who was born in about 100 AD, was one of the first Apologists
April 5th, 2020
Palm Sunday
Today is Palm Sunday, but you will notice in your bulletin it has two names. “The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday” This because there are two distinct parts to our celebration today. The first being a commemoration of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. We read from the Gospel according to St. Matthew about this event. “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass
March 29th, 2020
A Free Gift
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” From St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. St. Paul’s letter to the Romans is considered one of the greatest books in the Bible. Martin Luther described it as “the chief book in the New Testament and the purest gospel.” John Knox, a modern American professor, says that it is
March 22nd, 2020
Be Imitators of God
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. St. Paul’s letter that we heard today begins with this simple guidance for the Christian life. Be imitators of God, as beloved children. I’m sure you have heard the phrase, “Children learn what they
March 15th, 2020
The Woman at the Well
The adult human body contains about 60% water. Water is something we take for granted here. We turn the little handle and the water flows. In many parts of the world, water is a precious resource that is not easy to come by. Water is life. When I was in Malawi, I saw women carrying buckets of water on their heads. Each day they walk to the local well, fill
March 8th, 2020
For God so love the world… plus the rest of the story
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” from the Gospel according to St. John. These words from the Gospel according to St. John are among the most well known in the Bible. They are filled with hope and love, and reassurance that God loves us, and wants us to live eternally; however, these
March 1st, 2020
Temptation in the Wilderness
“After Jesus was baptized, he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” From the Gospel according to St. Matthew. On Wednesday, we began our annual Lenten season of prayer and fasting in which we participate in the 40 days journey in the wilderness with Jesus. I did not say that we will commemorate this event. Rather, we are called to participate in
February 23rd, 2020
Transfiguration Sunday
“Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.” The Gospel according to St. Matthew was written from the perspective of a Jew, who happened to be a Tax Collector, from Capernaum. Whenever Jesus wanted to teach his disciples, he went up on
February 16th, 2020
The Law of Moses
The Gospel reading this week is about Jesus teaching about the Law of Moses. The Pharisees were very strict about the Law, and they wanted everyone else to follow it, too. But Jesus saw something in the Pharisees that they couldn’t see. The Law that they loved so much had become more about legalism, and less about God’s purpose for his people. The Pharisees put the Law above our Lord
February 10th, 2020
What use is the Law of Moses?
Jesus said, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” from the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The Law of Moses is an important topic in the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Jesus made reference to the Law to assure the Pharisees and other leaders of the Jews that he respected the Law, and
