One time the Pharisees came to Jesus in order to test Him, and they made that attempt in a question about marriage and divorce. Is it lawful, they asked, for a man to put away his wife “for every cause”? Christ replied in the negative, as we know, but I would like to draw your …
Jess and Natali
The Scriptures are full of metaphors that describe the glory of fulfilled longing. That longing, the kind of thing that is frequently no fun at all, is nevertheless the basis for one of the deepest kinds of joy. One illustration used for fulfilled longing is the imagery of “return from exile.” Psalm 126 puts it …
Pastor Clarence Langhans, R.I.P.
Anyone who knows the history of Protestant theology at all knows that the Lutherans have certain key emphases, and that one of them is the distinction they make between the law and the gospel. Pastor Langhans was a faithful Lutheran pastor for many years, and this distinction of law and gospel was one that was …
Joel and Christine
As we should all know, we are now, right his minute, in the middle of a ritual. In one sense, everyone here knows and understands what it all means, and that’s why we came, but in another important sense, no one here understands the full ramifications of this. Rituals are amazing in their depth, and …
Michael and Kathryn
In the psalm just read we have a description of a royal wedding. And of course a royal wedding would be quite the affair—impressive any way you might consider it. But we have to learn to see this as a covenant psalm, meaning that it encompasses more than just the royal couple described. We can …
Keith and Nellie
In Psalm 45, the psalmist declares that he will write down a good thing. Scripture tells us that he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and in this passage of Scripture we find that marriage itself, marriage generally, is considered a good thing. But too often conservative Christians have assumed that a good …
Cory and Katie
Cory and Katie, I am giving this exhortation to both of you as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am doing so in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May our triune God seal these words in your hearts as He knits you together throughout the course of your …
Taylor and Beth
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, welcome. In the kind name of the Lord Jesus Christ, welcome. In the communion of all the saints who love the Lord Jesus, welcome. As befits a Christian wedding, we have begun in the name of our triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But this …
A Lifetime of Rehearsal
This wedding today is a small foretaste of the great consummation of all things, which will occur at the wedding supper of the Lord Jesus with His bride, the Christian Church. Human history began with a wedding in a Garden, and it will come to its ultimate fulfillment in a great wedding at the center …
Seth and Naphtali
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, welcome. In the kind name of the Lord Jesus Christ, welcome. In the communion of all the saints who love the Lord Jesus, welcome. This is a great mystery, the apostle Paul tells us. The ultimate bridegroom is the Lord Jesus, and the bride is …