A study was done on the frequency of Christian character traits taught in the New Testament. It probably won’t surprise you that love was number one, taught some fifty times. It may surprise you that a close second was humility with 40 instances.
Perhaps the parable that Jesus tells today hits a little close to home. Perhaps, like I have, you’ve struggled with this story.
It may be ambitious, but if you listen carefully, a study of our first reading today will answer a lot of burning questions that Christians have today. Questions like: How should we think about God’s wrath and judgment in the Bible?
It’s amazing how fast things become useless, that we once thought absolutely necessary. For instance, I remember a doctor who said he’d have a pager on his hip until the day he died.
I’m a huge believer in following the lectionary. To some of you this will come as no surprise. I’ve said it time and again. Perhaps some of you are wondering what in the world is “the lectionary.”
I’m guessing that at some point everyone in this room has either said or sung the words “God bless America.” In fact, it’d be interesting to have a count of the total number of times that short prayer will be spoken in the coming weeks as we approach the 4th of July.
It’s the seventh petition of the Lord’s Prayer. We pray it nearly every week in worship. Perhaps you pray it daily in your own personal prayers: “Deliver us from evil.”
It’s the couple signing on the dotted line while buying their first home. It’s the person who jumps off the dock and yells “Cannon Ball!” just before they crash into the lake.
The most-read online article of the year 2016 was written by a man named Alain de Botton called, “Why you will marry the wrong person.” It’s a great piece that blows up a lot of common expectations about love and relationships.
As Christians we all know the company line, so to speak: Easter gives us joy. But it seems like there is a disconnect between our head and our heart when it comes to this in practice.
Eastside Evangelical Lutheran Church and School
2310 Independence Lane
Madison, WI 53704
