The Supper of the Lord is not simply a continuation of the festival of Passover. It was instituted at that festival, and certain features of that feast are still incorporated in what we do here. For example, this cup is called by St. Paul the cup of blessing, which was the third cup in the …
Continuing Kindness
Our Father and great God, we thank You for Your continuing kindness to us. We thank You for the work behind us, the work before us, and the salvation rest You have provided in the death and resurrection of Your Son and our Lord. We thank You also for the food and wine You have …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XVIII
INTRODUCTION: Being a married Christian is a function of being a Christian. In other words, we should not expect to find a set of marital “techniques” that are unrelated to the task of living as a Christian generally. For the unmarried, the best preparation for future duties is a pleasant embrace of current duties. For …
Marriage as Manifest Glory XVII
INTRODUCTION: In the Scriptures, jealousy is a virtue. Like all good things, it can be bent and distorted into sin, but for some reason, we have come to think that jealousy is necessarily sinful. This is not the case at all. In the modern world, we are not nearly jealous enough. THE TEXT: “Take heed …
A Savior in History
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Great God , Majestic Father, Creator of all that has life and breath, we use the breath You have bestowed on us in order to return thanks to You. You are the God of great deliverance. You are the Savior God. You …
No Buttercup
You are the people of God, and as Christians you bear the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord God is jealous for His name, and so we know from His Word that He will deliver His people from the troubles that confront them. He does not always deliver us on the …
Not Taking It For Granted
We considered last week the problem posed by repetition, as well as the great blessing that flows from repetition. Some, seeing the very real problem of getting into a liturgical groove, have sought to address the problem by changing the liturgy constantly. But this approach seeks to address a spiritual problem through mere physical means—which …
All Fatherhood
Our Father in heaven, You are the Father from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth derives its name. We worship You now in the name of Jesus Christ, Your eternal Son, and we ask You to receive us for His sake. We look to You, wanting Your Holy Spirit to bind us together …
Marriage From the Ground Up
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! God of glory, we come before You now in the majesty of Jesus Christ, and are glad to present ourselves to You in His name. You have spoken the universe into existence. You fashioned the earth and the sun and the moon. …
John Paul II
Yesterday marked the passing of Pope John Paul II. As we gather this morning for worship, we do so as convinced, practicing and confessional Protestants, who do not believe that the Reformation was a tragic mistake. We are mindful of the chasm that still separates us from our neighbors in the Roman Catholic communion. Nevertheless, …