Posts from December 2019
A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE WISE MEN
Isaiah foretold it. “Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Isaiah 60:1-3 EHV). The first example of this, as we edge toward the Epiphany season, is found not in the Gospel of Luke from which our Christmas themes are taken this year. Rather, it is in the Gospel of Matthew that we learn about the Wise Men. The Wise Men arrive in Jerusalem asking: “Where is He who has been born King of…
ADVENT’S UNSCRUPULOUS INVITATION
First, some dictionary definitions: “Scruples” – doubts or hesitation about doing or allowing something because of conscience or principles. “Scrupulous” – having scruples; being principled, very conscientious and exacting, strictly honest or honorable.” “Unscrupulous” – you guessed it – without moral scruples or qualms of conscience.” C.S. Lewis once said that God’s grace was “unscrupulous.” At first that sounds like God has no scruples, no morals, no standards. God’s law has all kinds of morals, scruples, standards. They are holy…
IT’S ADVENT! EAT UP!
Advent is a season of preparation as we remember Christ’s first coming in lowliness and look forward to His second coming in glory. The preparation may take the form of reading a chapter or two in the Bible each day, perhaps the opening chapters of each of the four Gospels. But in the hurry and pressure of the season, we might see it as one more time-bandit on our to-do list. It can all become something we are doing…
A NEW SERMON SERIES – THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN
Today we begin a new sermon series – The Gospel According To St. John. During the week of Christmas & New Years, we will break from our series to consider the Christmas accounts from The Gospel According To St. Luke, and then we will return to John’s Gospel. God the Holy Spirit has chosen to record the life of our Savior in four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each of these accounts pursues a different angle. Even the…
TURN OUR HEARTS, O LORD!
Calling to mind the prophecy of Malachi, the angel Gabriel tells old Zechariah that his son, John the Baptist, will go before the Savior to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous” (Luke 1:17). Where this does not happen, said the prophet Malachi, then there is nothing left but “complete destruction” for those unprepared for the coming of Christ (Malachi 4:6). So just what does this mean? By…