Say the word “corona” these days and it is about as negative as it gets. That’s no great surprise, I’m sure. I’ve heard the coronavirus called the evil murderous enemy. Given all that the world has endured for the past three months or more, the mounting number of deaths and...
“After three days I will rise again” (Matthew 27:63) Unprecedented! Life changing! Strange and surreal! Normalcy upended! These words are being used to describe the times and circumstances we are presently experiencing. People are seized in the grip of fear and hiding from the enemy, COVID-19, in their homes. All...
A Blessed Lenten Season to all! That may sound a little strange, I suppose, almost like “Merry Christmas” at Christmas time. Lent is often considered to be a somber time of self-denial, contrition and confession. And, actually, it is! But it is also a time of forgiveness, prayer preparation and...
Quite a few years ago, I attended a Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) conference and was impressed by their theme: “The Figure Behind the Figures.” It beautifully describes their ministry. They are not all about figures, balance sheets and financial statements. Their mission was (is) about “The Figure,” Jesus and...
Merry Christmas! Joyous New Year! And a blessed Epiphany! As the Advent season comes to the end, we joyfully celebrate the gift of the Christ child born in Bethlehem as foretold by the prophets of old. God’s Word of hope and redemption was fulfilled in the “Immanuel” (God with us),...
How do you envision Christmas this year? A beautiful Christmas tree glowing with lights and ornaments? Colorfully wrapped Christmas presents stacked under the tree? The Advent wreathe, candles and Christmas tree glowing in the front of the church at Trinity? Singing the beloved Christmas carols by candlelight at the Christmas...
“Christian Stewardship is the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God’s family, the church, in managing all of life and life’s resources for God’s purpose.” [Definition of Christian Stewardship from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.] Last month I wrote to you about “Reformation Bridge-Building Vision.” This...
I doubt many (if any) of you have heard of the Choluteca Bridge in Honduras. I hadn’t heard of it until recently. It is a suspension bridge built in 1996. It is a state-of-the-art bridge engineered and built to withstand hurricane winds that plague the region. It was very well...
This morning I saw a familiar yellow school bus on the road and it reminded me that a brand new school year is just around the corner. It’s a familiar and routine time of the year, I suppose, when classes begin and school bells ring out – and the wheels...
Brothers and sisters in Christ and fellow members of Trinity Lutheran Church, West Seneca. I am writing this article from the LCMS Convention in Tampa, Florida. While I am many miles away from you, my heart, my thoughts and my prayers are with you – especially one of you! (Can...