The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Matthew 22:34-46 For many Lutherans and other Protestant Christians October 31st — or the Sunday closest to it — is marked as Reformation Day, as that day is considered to have been the official start of Martin Luther’s public activity in calling for reforms within the Church. Anglicanism […]

The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Matthew 22:15-22 I came across a very helpful article the other day: “35 ways to avoid answering questions.” Ignore the question; (my wife will tell you:) miss the question because of bad hearing; question the questioner (“you tell me!”); attack the question or the asker; start to answer and then… […]

The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 32:1-14 Matthew 22:1-14 Several years ago I showed the old black and white science fiction movie The Day the Earth Stood Still to a church group. I said something like “this is a story about a mysterious other-worldly stranger named ‘Mr. Carpenter’ who comes to earth and warns people […]

The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 17:1-7 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32 “[Moses] called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, ‘Is the LORD among us or not?’” “Massah,” it’s said, means ‘testing.’ And “Meribah,” likewise means ‘contention.’ Good descriptions of what’s going on out in the desert. Last […]