Blog (Page 227)
Daily Devotions: December 13, 2017
Psalm 126 “Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vs. 6 The third Sunday in Advent arrives on the scene during the darkest time of the year, those days when the sun seems reluctant to show itself and the long nights can bring tearful thoughts of absent loved ones. By tradition, and probably not by accident, this is also the Sunday when we light the pink candle…
Daily Devotions: December 12, 2017
Isaiah 61:8-11 “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” vs. 10 The people of Judah didn’t have much when they came back to the Land of Promise…the years in exile had depleted their energy and resources…but…
Daily Devotions: December 11, 2017
Isaiah 61:1-4 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;” vs. 1 From Luke’s gospel we learn that Jesus chose this verse from Isaiah as his mission statement. We can infer from his choice that his followers are sent for the same purpose: “to bring good…
Daily Devotions: December 10, 2017
Mark 1:6-8 “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” vs. 8 These words from Mark’s gospel are familiar…we hear them every year during Advent…but they’ve been ever so confusing to followers of Jesus. Our different perspectives on water and spirit baptism have led to endless debates and occasional division. During the darkest periods of church history, believers have even been killed because of varying baptismal practices. All Mark is trying to say…
Daily Devotions: December 9, 2017
Mark 1:1-5 “And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” vs. 5 For Mark the beginning of the good news of Jesus begins, not with dreams and angel visitations, but with the wilderness ministry of a fiery prophet with a message of repentance. John the Baptist was a significant figure and he attracted major crowds–he even caught the…
Daily Devotions: December 8, 2017
2 Peter 3:8-15a “But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.” vs. 13 Peter’s vision of the future includes devastating fire and total destruction of the present world, very much like we might expect from a series of atomic explosions or what people have experienced recently in California. But after the fiery disaster he also sees a new beginning, a re-creation so to speak, in which there will…
Daily Devotions: December 7, 2017
2 Peter 3:8-10 “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” vs. 8 Like other New Testament writers Peter believed that Christ would be returning soon, and he too encourages his readers to be patient in their waiting. He tells them that time is mysterious and the Lord operates beyond its influence. It can crawl along so slowly that it seems…
Learning How to Lead Well
Matthew Short Eight years ago, Matthew Short was the pastor of a growing Lutheran congregation in Wisconsin. He said, “At the time, I didn’t know how to do strategic planning, manage staff, or conduct performance reviews. The congregation needed me to have those skills.” To increase his leadership abilities, Matt attended a four-day leadership retreat entitled Leading Well. This event is sponsored by Portico Benefits Services of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Vibrant Faith, an organization of ministry…
Spirit in the Desert is a Holy Place
Dr. David Tiede became acquainted with Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in the 1990’s while attending meetings at the center with the presidents of Lutheran seminaries when he was professor of New Testament studies and President of Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He said, “The retreat center was a great place for productive meetings. I saw huge potential for the retreat center as an anchor Lutheran institution in the Southwest, but that potential was just being discovered.” In…
Daily Devotions: December 6, 2017
Psalm 85:10-13 “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” vs. 10 So what is it that we’re looking forward to as we move through Advent toward Christmas? For some, it might be a holiday party or maybe a family gathering full of celebratory rituals. Or maybe it’s simply an indefinable “something more!” That’s what the psalmist was searching for in those days before Jesus–he was looking forward to the salvation of God, and not…
Daily Devotions: December 5, 2017
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-9 “Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.” vs. 9 As we move into Advent we see neighborhoods being transformed for the season. Most houses have at least some strings of lights along the eaves and some front yards are packed with every gaudy holiday display imaginable. It would appear that our land is deeply religious and that our citizens are totally committed to showing forth…
Daily Devotions: December 4, 2017
Isaiah 40:1-5 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” vs. 2 From a purely historical perspective we can’t help but be amazed at the dogged determination of the Jewish people to maintain their connection to the Lord. Even though they thought of themselves as the elect, as God’s chosen ones, they were certainly never pampered.…