Posts from October 2020
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:1-5 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” vs. 3 It’s likely that tonight’s Halloween observances will be curtailed or at least changed because of pandemic concerns. Still, we can be certain that creative parents will be promoting alternative celebrations in their neighborhoods, parades for costumed children perhaps, featuring sidewalk and driveway physical distancing, and a safe distribution of candy. Halloween is too big a deal in our culture–and ways will be found…
Daily Devotions
1 John 3:1-3 “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” vs. 1 There is a lot of talk about identity in these times. We’ve learned, sometimes painfully, that it’s possible to have our identity stolen, and that we need to have many layers of protection to be safe. But after the available safeguards have been put in place, many wonder about identity in a more…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 34:8-18, 22 “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” vs. 8 While we can’t be certain what the psalmist was referring to in this well-known verse, it does strike a chord with those who yearn for a deeper experience of the Divine Presence. It may even be one of the reasons that the Sacrament of Holy Communion has had such deep significance for so many believers through the years.…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 34:1-6 “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” vss. 1, 3 Sometimes we have so much on our minds and are so troubled by events in our country and in the world that we forget how wonderful it is to have life and be surrounded by the presence of God. All of the most precious things in…
Daily Devotions
Revelation 7:13-17 “They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” vss. 16-17 Humans have an insatiable curiosity about the afterlife, and would love to have a satisfactory definitive description of what that life might…
In-person Voting at Spirit
2020 Voting
Daily Devotions
Revelation 7:9-17 “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.” vs. 9 There is within the human heart a deep love for apocalyptic imagery, something we see regularly in the unending series of blockbuster movies with science fiction and end of the world themes. Audiences seem…
Daily Devotions
John 8:34-36 “Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin…So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’” vss. 34, 36 Martin Luther was deeply aware of his own sin! Every day he battled to get the upper hand and be free of this hideous slavery. He used every tool that the Church provided, praying regularly, daily confessing his sins, and even abusing his body with penitential acts.…
Daily Devotions
John 8:34-36 “Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin…So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’” vss. 34, 36 Martin Luther was deeply aware of his own sin! Every day he battled to get the upper hand and be free of this hideous slavery. He used every tool that the Church provided, praying regularly, daily confessing his sins, and even abusing his body with penitential acts.…
Daily Devotions
John 8:31-33 “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” vss. 31-32 Jesus was a Jew, his disciples were Jews, and nearly all the people with whom he had contact were Jews–initially, many of those persons were interested in what he had to say. Some believed in him–but it seems to have been…
Daily Devotions
Romans 3:24-28 … “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.” vs. 28 Martin Luther spent decades trying to gain assurance of salvation by bringing his stubborn, subversive flesh into line with the works of the law. Since he couldn’t do it he was forever wracked with guilt, and greatly damaged his health in the process. But when in the course of studying the book of Romans he realized that justification…
Daily Devotions
Romans 3:19-23 … “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” vss. 22b-23 Most of us have been raised with an individualistic notion of sin. So when Paul says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God we tend to agree. Yes, there have been many times in our lives when we have done the wrong thing–and our consolation is that everyone else has too. We’re all…