What do you get...

...when you cross a bona fide sinner with a pastor who knows his Bible and teaches it with gusto with a president of a church body, namely the LCMS?

Watch and find out! It's only about 30 minutes, but well worth every second. Enjoy and be edified as President Matt Harrison speaks to the LCEF Fall Leadership Conference on the emphasis of "Witness, Mercy, and Life Together."

Homily for the Transfiguration of Our Lord

For those of us who use the One-Year Lectionary according to Lutheran Service Book, today marked the Transfiguration of Our Lord and the conclusion of the Epiphany season. (Three-Year Lectionary folks in the Lutheran Church will celebrate this great feast in three weeks, and others in Christendom will celebrate it on August 6.) The Gospel reading from Matthew 17:1-9 gives so much on which to preach--the Lord's transfigured appearance; the "exodus" of Jesus' imminent suffering, death, and resurrection (cf. Luke 9); Peter's response; and the Father's voice from the cloud proclaiming Jesus His "beloved Son" with whom He is well please (a nice bookend to our Lord's Baptism in Matthew 3).

Today's homily focused on the "Glimpse of Glory" that our Lord gives us when He Himself is transfigured in brilliant, radiant glory. When we "see" Him transfigured in this Gospel account, we do get a foretaste - a glimpse - of the glory which He bestows on us purely by His grace and favor. Focusing on this "glimpse of glory" flows from the Collect of the Day in which we prayed, "Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven."

Listen to the audio file of today's homily - "A Glimpse of Glory" - by clicking on this link and then downloading the audio file.

A Must View!

Especially if you text while driving, or - I'll be bold and add it - if you like to chat on your phone while driving. This 11 minute documentary is a good, sobering wake up call!



Thank you, AT&T for making this available!

Homily for Epiphany 5

On this very rare occasion when we have a full compliment of Sundays after Epiphany, it was actually delightful to preach on the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (tares) from Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. In keeping with Article VIII of the Augsburg Confession, our Lord does prepare us for and comfort us, as Church and in the spiritual realm, to deal with the very real presence of evil in the world and in the Church. With our Lord, the Sower, completely in control of His field (the world) and His crop of wheat (His Christians), it really is "Time to Do Nothing" - that is, we need not seek to eradicate evil but can learn to suffer hypocrites and the ungodly in the ranks of the Church. Oh, and be sure to listen for the "Gospel handle" on how "forgiveness" fits in with this parable! (An idea not original with me, but I'm glad I came across it.)

To listen, click on this link for "Time to Do Nothing," download the audio file, and listen away.

Homily for the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord

Wednesday, 2 February 2011, saw not only the fruits of a severe winter storm complete with freezing rain, sleet, and snow (affectionately called "snowmaggedon" or "snowpocalypse"), but it also gave us the privilege of celebrating the feast of The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord. Nine of us, including the Kantor and the Pastor, braved the elements and gathered to celebrate our Lord's presentation in the temple forty days after His nativity. The homily, "Great Promises in a Small Package," focused on Simeon holding the Infant Savior, his now immortal song, and what it all means for us in the Lord's Church.

Click this link (or the title link), download the audio file, and listen to "Great Promises in a Small Package."

Homily for Epiphany 4

One of the great themes of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not only the forgiveness of our sins, but also the restoration of all creation. That focus comes out in the readings for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, especially Romans 8:18-23. When Jesus calms the storm, He reveals Himself as the Lord of creation and promises to restore it, along with us, on the Last Day.

This homily for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, on Gospel reading from Matthew 8:23-27, was delivered on 30 January 2011 with the title "Even the Winds and Sea Obey Him!"

Click on this link (or the title link), download the audio file, and hear the homily.

Homily for Epiphany 3

This homily for the Third Sunday after Epiphany was delivered on 23 January 2011, along with a focus on Pro-Life Sunday. The Lord Jesus reveals Himself as the Lord of Life when He touches the leper and speaks healing for the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:1-13). He is "Lord of Life in Deed and Word." What a great text to connect with the sanctity of human life in our day!

To hear the homily, click on this link, download the audio file listen.

Now that's a "slam dunk"!

Check this out from some timeout entertainment at a Phoenix Suns basketball game:



"Wow!" and "Ouch!" are about the only ways I can think of to describe that.

Homilies-Long Overdue

I must apologize to all followers and regular readers for not posting in such a long time. I especially apologize to any and all who may listen to my homilies as posted here on this blog. But now, at long last, I'm finally getting caught up. So here are links to several homilies spanning from Advent through Christmas and now into the Epiphany season.

As usual, just click on the title (the link) for each homily listed below, download the audio file, and listen away.

Fourth Sunday in Advent (12/19/2010)
Text: Luke 1:39-56
Title: "Mercy Magnified"

The Nativity of our Lord, Christmas Eve (12/24/2010)
Text: Matthew 1:18-25
Title: "How to Receive the Infant Savior"

The Nativity of our Lord, Christmas Midnight (12/24/2010)
Text: Luke 2:1-20
Title: "Yes, Our God IS Small!"

St. Stephen, Martyr (12/26/2010)
Text: Acts 6:8-7:2a, 51-60
Title: "Merry Martyrdom!"








The Epiphany of our Lord (1/6/2011)
Text: Matthew 2:1-12
Title: "True Light Shining For You!"

Second Sunday after Epiphany (1/16/2011)
Text: John 2:1-11
Title: "God's Will for Empty Vessels"

Advent Message from a Genuine Pastor

Here's a great Advent message from President Matthew Harrison, President of the LCMS. How great to have a pastor with a pastoral heart at the helm of our church body!


Advent Blessing from President Harrison from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

Great Tribute to Veterans

Here's a great tribute to our nation's veterans as sung by some 3rd grade students:

Homily for Advent 1

It's hard to believe we've begun yet another new Church Year. But Advent has, well, come and I must say that it's nice to see a color other than green on the altar.

Today's homily borrowed from the Collect of the Day (in Lutheran Service Book) for its direction and outline. With the theme "Come, Lord Jesus!" we hear just how our humble, donkey-riding King stirs up His power and comes to rescue us from the threatening perils of our sins.

Click the link to download the audio file and listen to today's homily for Advent 1.

Homily for Thanksgiving Day

This year for our Thanksgiving Day Matins service I chose to use the readings for "Harvest Observance" in Lutheran Service Book. What a refreshing change for this national - not ecclesial - observance. (After all, preaching on the ten lepers in Luke 17 can get a bit repetitive after awhile, especially when the reading pops up in both the One-Year Lectionary and the Three-Year Lectionary not too long before Thanksgiving Day!) The readings for Harvest Observance are: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; and Luke 12:13-21. From these readings came the central thought that real thanksgiving cannot happen without giving that precedes it. Hence, the title of the day's homily: "Thanks Comes After Giving."

To listen to the audio file of this homily, just click this link and download the audio file.

Homily for Last Sunday of the Church Year

November brought a reprieve from the pulpit on Sunday mornings, though only to concentrate on preaching several funerals as well as the normal Wednesday routine of Morning Prayer (school chapel) and evening Divine Service.

However, on 21 November it was great to get back in the pulpit for the Last Sunday of the Church Year (a.k.a. Trinity 27) and preach on the Gospel from Matthew 25:1-13. It's amazing how many different angles a preacher can take on a single text over the years. This time it was a joy to focus on the theme, "Don't Miss Out!"

Just click on this link to download the audio file and then listen to the homily.

Robert Farrar Capon's treatment of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins was certainly compelling throughout. But this quote, which also concluded the homily, was hard to ignore:

“’Watch therefore,’ Jesus says at the end of the parable, ‘for you know neither the day nor the hour.’ When all is said and done—when we have scared ourselves silly with the now-or-never urgency of faith and the once-and-always finality of judgment—we need to take a deep breath and let it out with a laugh. Because what we are watching for is a party. And that party is not just down the street making up its mind when to come to us. It is already hiding in our basement, banging on our steam pipes, and laughing its way up our cellar stairs. The unknown day and hour of its finally bursting into the kitchen and roistering its way through the whole house is not dreadful; it is all part of the divine lark of grace. God is not our mother-in-law, coming to see whether her wedding-present china has been chipped. He is a funny Old Uncle with a salami under one arm and a bottle of wine under the other. We do indeed need to watch for him; but only because it would be such a pity to miss all the fun.” (Robert Farrar Capon, Parables of Judgment, 166)

Homily for Funeral of Nadine Macko

On 8 November 2010, I had the privilege of finally giving Christian burial to a long-time saint and member of my congregation. Nadine had been a shut-in just a little longer than the nine years that I've been back at Hope, St. Louis. When I served at Hope as Associate Pastor (1990-1994) I also had the privilege of visiting Nadine's sister Laura. Back then sister Laura really wanted to go home and be with the Lord, and for the past nine years Nadine has had the same sanctified desire. I often reminded her of St. Paul's words to the Philippians: "My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better" (1:23).

Well, finally, the Lord blessed Nadine with a peaceful rest as she awaits the Resurrection on the Last Day. My homily for Nadine's funeral focused on the three readings - Isaiah 25:6-9; Romans 8:31-39; and Luke 2:25-32 - and was titled simply and fittingly, "Finally!"

Just click on this link and download the audio file to listen.