November 23, 2024

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 27 - Psalm 39:4-5a, 7-8, 12a; antiphon: 2 Peter 3:13b

Daily Lectionary: Daniel 3:1-30; Revelation 20:1-15

“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! (Psalm 39:4)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When my wife and I had our first child, we received all sorts of advice. Some advice we asked for, some we didn’t. People are funny that way. They like to give advice as if to bring meaning to their experiences, but I realize something now as my first child turns five and is preparing for kindergarten: they were right. The advice we often received was, “Don’t blink; they grow up fast,” and they were right. I wonder now if their desire to give advice came from a place of regret or grief. They blinked, and their children were grown, just like I blinked and my oldest prepares for Kindergarten. The psalmist gives words to this. God shows us in many ways how short our lives are, how quickly time passes, and how soon death approaches. One thing is certain: regardless of how old you are, dear reader, life is fleeting.

While it seems like this is simply a reality you must face, it can serve a greater purpose in the life of the Christian. Allow it to be a call to you, a call to repent and to turn back to the Father who loves you. Why? Because all sinners have the propensity to get distracted and caught up in trivial things. Time is wasted on reading news articles about Fantasy Football, hours slip by while you scroll on your phone to look into people's lives whom you do not know, and days drift away while you attend your children’s tournaments that consume their entire childhood. The list goes on. We waste a lot of time on trivial things. There is this sense that there is time for the important things, but right now isn’t that time. There is time to hear God’s word, but it can wait for now. There is time to receive His Gifts, but it isn’t today. There is time to confess Jesus as Lord, but not until you're older and death is more real.

Don’t be a fool. Life is truly fleeting. Life is short. God is near. Do not waste time on trivial things. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying: it is okay to play some sports, enjoy some entertainment, and even play some Fantasy Football, but don’t let it consume you. Don’t let it become your god. Carve out time in your life for the more pressing things. Do not put God in the “to be done later” pile of things on your schedule. Honor the Sabbath by going to church to rest in His care and receive the Good News of Jesus dead, resurrected, and ascended for you. Rest in the presence of God and His mercy. Feed on his word day after day. A day will come (if it hasn’t already) when God will remind you that your life is truly fleeting, and on that day, you will cry out to the Lord, and He will answer. His answer is in Christ, the crucified one. He will hear you. And He will speak words of comfort and life to you. For in Him, life is not fleeting; it is everlasting.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Death's power holds us still in thrall And bears us toward the tomb. Death’s darkening cloud hangs like a pall That threatens earth with doom. But You have broken death’s embrace And torn away its sting. Restore to life our mortal race! Raise us, O Risen King! (LSB 552:4)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 22, 2024

Today's Reading: Daniel 2:24-49

Daily Lectionary: Daniel 2:24-49; Revelation 19:1-21

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever (Daniel 2:44)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

History reveals that even the mightiest nations, no matter how long they reign, no matter how much they prosper, rise and fall like waves raging in a sea. It seems that no kingdom is immune to one day crumbling. The great nations of history are proof of this. The Mongols, Romans, Ottomans, and Persians are all examples of this. There was a time when it was said that the sun didn’t set on the Roman empire, but eventually, it would. The once mighty Rome would crumble and become simply a footnote in the annals of history. This is how it goes with kingdoms made by the hands of men. Just like everything, sin infects and causes even the firmest of foundations to decay. Leaders become corrupt, those who serve to keep order abuse their authority, and greed gets a stranglehold on the best of us. Eventually, the infection kills.

Daniel speaks of such things in this dream that he interprets. While it talks about a specific group of nations, nothing has changed. But with this word of law comes a promise that in a world where nations rise and fall, where sinners rule and reign, there will come a kingdom that will conquer all. There will come a kingdom that is holy and righteous, and this kingdom will have no end but instead will endure forever. This kingdom is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom that Christ will bring with Him, the one that He begins to usher in at His incarnation, the kingdom which He fights for in His death, the kingdom He secures in His resurrection, and the kingdom He rules since His ascension.

This kingdom has yet to be fulfilled. It will come to completion when Christ returns on the Last Day. This kingdom will be a kingdom where there is no more death, pain, or tears. It will be glorious. Until that day, though, the kingdom of God is established through Christ’s church. It rules with the Gospel, the preaching and teaching of Jesus, who died and was resurrected. It wars against sin, death, and the devil through Word and Sacrament. Christ’s church brings about this kingdom one Baptism at a time. One day, Christ will return, and all who believe will dwell in His kingdom forever.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O sweet and blessed country, The home of God’s elect! O sweet and blessed country That faithful hearts expect! In mercy, Jesus, bring us To that eternal rest With You and God the Father And Spirit, ever blest. (LSB 672:4)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 21, 2024

Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of duties: To Youth

Daily Lectionary: Daniel 2:1-23; Revelation 18:1-24

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you (1 Peter 5:6)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When you are a “youth,” it can be a difficult time of life. There is a lot going on in your world. You strive to navigate the ever-changing world. You go through changes emotionally and physically. You try to navigate the halls of schools, the social scene, and then, of course, the sort of coming of age in finding yourself, whatever that means. The world will heap expectations on you and upon your shoulders. You will carry the weight of the future with you every step of the way, and it can be a heavy load to bear. There are a lot of expectations for the youth of every generation. There can also be a lot of arrogance.

Generational conversations often look like this: the older generations tell the younger generations how wrong and lazy they are, and the younger generations tell the older generations how they screwed up the world they are entering into. It is easy to think that as a youth, you know better than your elders; after all, you understand the latest trends, you understand technology and its advances, and you understand the new lingo that is being used in conversation. You feel like you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, and once you are in charge when you’re older, the world will finally be the way it ought to be.

This isn’t everyone's experience, but there is a warning. It can be easy to fall into arrogance when you are young. You may not think you need the words of those who are older than you and who have lived life longer than you. You might not think you need God’s word, that you will be just fine on your own. My dear brothers and sisters who read this do not believe this lie. Instead, humble yourselves before God, to His Word of law and instruction, and the word of his freeing Gospel. Find yourselves in Him, in who He has declared you to be, His child. Walk in His ways and learn the scriptures. Instead of following your heart, follow Jesus because when you follow Jesus, it leads to eternal life and eternal joy. When you follow the ways of the world, it leads to death and torment. So, humble yourselves before God, and he will lift you up.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Law of God is good and wise And sets His will before our eyes, Shows us the way of righteousness, And dooms to death when we transgress. (LSB 579:1)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 20, 2024

Today's Reading: Matthew 28:1-20

Daily Lectionary: Daniel 1:1-21; Matthew 28:1-20

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

It’s only been a few weeks since the election. This is being written months before it ever takes place, but that doesn’t change the message. Elections always end up the same way: there is a winner and a loser. There will be people who rejoice and people who are angry, sad, and maybe even afraid. There will be people who will think their savior has come and those who think doom has come. Maybe you don’t pay too close attention to elections, maybe you do, maybe they bring you anxiety and fear, or maybe you feel uncertain about the future. Well, if so, Jesus brings you Good News. Regardless of which nations rise and which nations fall, Jesus Christ is the King on the throne.

Christ has all authority not only in heaven but on earth as well. Christ has made the world his footstool, and He is the Lord over all things. But unlike the leaders of this world, elected or not, He is not a greedy ruler. He is not cruel, He is not selfish, He is not corrupt, and He does not fall in any other way to sin that affects those who hold the office or those who rule. Instead, Jesus is gracious. He is merciful, He is just, He is gentle, He is perfect, He is eternal. To confess that Christ is king is a confession of confidence and hope. Jesus is the Lord over your life, and He is a good and gracious Lord.

One can imagine the disciples were rather anxious about going out into the world after Jesus ascended into heaven. Their teacher, master, and Lord left them alone on that hilltop following the great commission. Yet, they would go into the world clinging to the promise He gave them. They would go on teaching and preaching the Good News of Jesus before hostile rulers, councils, emperors, and more. They would go on confessing Jesus Christ and Him crucified, holding to the promise that He made them. They would know that Christ the King would be with them always, to the end of the age, because He promised them. This is who Christ is: He is the Lord of all, the Lord who keeps his promises. To all people, and Christ keeps his promises to you.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Christ be my leader by night as by day; Safe through the darkness for He is the way. Gladly I follow, my future his care, Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there. (LSB 861:1)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 19, 2024

Today's Reading: Hebrews 10:11-25

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 38:1-28; Jeremiah 39:1-44:30; Matthew 27:57-66

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Being a Christian is not as easy as some may think. The world rejects the Gospel of Jesus. In some places, it is outlawed; in others, it is frowned upon; in our own nation, it is no longer the cultural force it used to be. The church in America faces new challenges as it loses some of the privileges it once had. Yet, there is no reason to fear. Christ will sustain His church no matter what it looks like. He is Lord over all. Yet, as you go through life following Jesus, there is no doubt that fear, anxiety, and struggle will greet you. Satan will poke at your wounds, whisper poisonous lies in your ears, and remind you of old sins that have been forgiven. He will assault you relentlessly, especially those who follow Christ. This is all the more reason to heed the words of Hebrews, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

Christ has conquered all things. He has conquered the sin Satan throws in your face, He has conquered death that awaits you, and He has conquered the devil himself. He has kept His promises, of that you can be sure. Yet, if you find yourself doubting, go to church and, along with your fellow brothers and sisters, hear the promises of Jesus spoken and proclaimed. This church spurs one another along in love and good works, prays and cares for one another, and rejoices and weeps with one another. Do not try to stand against sin, death, and the power of the devil alone, but instead stand with Christ and all the faithful.

So, do not forsake the gathering together of the church. Do not forsake attending the Divine Service on Sundays. The less you go, the more weak spots you have, the more lies you’ll believe, and you’ll forget the forgiveness Christ has won for you. Instead, run to the house of the Lord as often as possible. Go and have your sins forgiven by your Pastor in Christ’s stead, receive Christ’s true Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Altar, and rest assured in the promises of Jesus. This world is rough, life is difficult, and the burdens can be heavy, but Jesus will lead you on. He will carry the load, and He will invite you to rest.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We share our mutual woes, We pour our ardent prayers; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. (LSB 649:3)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 18, 2024

Today's Reading: Daniel 12:1-3

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 37:1-21; Revelation 17:1-18; Matthew 27:33-56

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Here, at the end of Daniel, we have yet another vision of what the end times will bring— something that tends to bring many people fear and trepidation. But for the Christian, there is a beautiful truth here in Daniel 12 of what awaits us. Now, I know there is a lot of preaching and teaching done proclaiming that the goal of the Christian life is to “die and go to heaven,” but this isn’t what Christ’s eventual return will bring. At least, not according to Daniel.

If we remember well enough, Daniel is filled with some of our favorite Bible stories. There is the account of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, who were thrown into the fiery furnace, only to be joined by a fourth person, and the fire left them miraculously unharmed. There is the account of Daniel praying, even though it was against the law and his punishment was to be thrown into a den filled with hungry lions, and God miraculously shut their mouths. But did you know that Daniel also has the account of Easter?

Of course, it isn’t the account of Jesus rising from the dead, but it points to the final Easter, the ultimate Resurrection when all who believe in Christ will be called out of their graves. This is the ultimate hope of the Christian life. To not only “die and go to heaven” but to be raised from the dead, body and soul reunited, being raised to new life wholly human. On Easter, Christ defeated death for all, and on the Last Day, death will be swallowed up forever. Only then will all creation be made new, and only then will every tongue confess, and every knee will bow. Daniel, so many years before Jesus is born, reveals to us the end, the goal. He reveals the Resurrection, your Resurrection. This is the end goal of the Christian life. In Baptism, we receive the Gift of heaven. When we die, we will rest in the arms of the Father, and on the Last Day, we will be raised from the dead in body and soul and will spend eternity in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

City of God, Easter forever, Golden Jerusalem, Jesus the Lamb, River of life, Saints and archangels, Sing with creation to God the I Am! Jesus is risen and we shall arise, Give God the glory! Alleluia! (LSB 474:5)

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 17, 2024

Today's Reading: Mark 13:1-13

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 33:1-22; Jeremiah 34:1-36:32; 45:1-51:64; Matthew 27:11-32

And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. (Mark 13:5)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

There is no shortage of people who have claimed to be the Messiah throughout history. A quick Wikipedia search will bring up over forty names of people who have claimed to be some kind of “messiah.” This is not a surprising thing. It is actually expected if we read the scriptures and take Jesus’ words seriously. He already has warned of this. People will come and they will make false claims, not only about being the messiah but about the end times as well.

Most recently, the Eclipse brought out all the conspiracy theories and doomsday preppers on places like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. It was flooded with calls to get right with God because the time is drawing near. Clearly, the signs tell us this. Maybe you rolled your eyes at the predictions. After all, Jesus makes it clear that no one knows the day or the hour of His return except for the Father. Or maybe you found yourself struck with fear. After all, wars, national disasters, persecution– all of those things sound scary. I, for one, can admit if I had the choice, I would rather not live through wars, natural disasters, and persecution. Yet, we ought not be afraid of the things to come. Instead, we stay vigilant, discerning against the voices proclaiming false truths and listening to the Voice of Truth. Listen to Jesus and what He has to say to you.

My mind goes to the Gospel of Saint John, where Jesus speaks to His disciples. Allow these words to speak to you who find yourself worried about what the future holds. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Christ continues to overcome the world, Christ continues to bring peace, Christ continues to give himself to you. So go where He promises to be, receive His Body and Blood, hear His Word preached, and be at peace; Jesus has overcome the world.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, by your bountiful goodness release us from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves, that we may stand firm until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

-Rev. Caleb Weight, associate pastor of Peace In Christ Lutheran Church in Hermantown, MN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

November 16, 2024

Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 26 - Ps. 48:11-14; antiphon: Mark 13:13b

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 31:1-17, 23-34; Revelation 16:1-21; Matthew 27:1-10

Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever. (Psalm 48:11-14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Zion is the city of David. It’s the city of promise. The Lord promised David that his throne would not end. The promise goes not just to David but to all Israelites, for from David’s lineage will come forth the Messiah, the Savior.

In this way, the Canaanite woman, pleading to Jesus to help her daughter, rightly addresses Jesus as Son of David: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon” (Matthew 15:22).

Psalm 48 gives us to rejoice, “Let Mount Zion be glad, let the daughters of Judah rejoice … consider her ramparts, go through her citadels … tell the next generation that this is God, our God, forever and ever.”

The promise to Zion is “forever and ever.” We don’t reduce the Zion promise to a political action of establishing a powerful government in Jerusalem. The promise is that Mt. Zion will be the everlasting throne of David’s greater Son, and He will be the everlasting King of Mercy for every sinner. The promise of a “forever and ever” Zion is the promise, then, of the cross. At the cross, Jesus establishes His Throne of Grace for all those who, like the Canaanite woman, turn to the Son of David for mercy.

Jesus is the Son of David. Those who belong to His cross are His “city of Zion,” the city of the Living God. When Jesus called you into his Church, He gathered you into the assembly of all those who belong to Him. That is the promise of Zion brought to you and me and our families.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new [testament], and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:22-24).

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Dear Jesus, Son of David, bless your holy Church on Earth. Let us be glad in the Gifts of your Church and rejoice in your judgments of salvation by which you justify us. According to your promise, keep us in the assembly of your people gathered to your Name to receive your blood of the new testament for the forgiveness of sins. Amen.

-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.