This Pentecost sermon emphasizes that the true miracle of Pentecost is not the dramatic signs like tongues of fire, but that the Holy Spirit enables the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached and heard “in your own language,” creating faith through Word and Sacrament....
When Jesus ascended into heaven, He didn't leave us empty-handed. In fact, Luke 24 reveals a beautiful detail: as Jesus was being taken up into the clouds, His hands were raised in the middle of blessing His disciples. Because His physical ascension was not the...
In the heart of Athens, the center of human philosophy and reason, St. Paul encountered a city filled with idols—including an altar to an "Unknown God." Despite their immense intellect, the Athenians were missing the one thing that truly matters: a...
In these verses from John chapter 14, Jesus follows up on the challenging words he had just spoken to his disciples—that he would be leaving them soon and that they would not immediately be able to follow him. After predicting Peter’s denial of Jesus, he says to them,...
In this week’s Gospel, we hear the comforting and definitive claim of our Lord: "I am the Good Shepherd." Jesus uses this familiar, pastoral imagery to describe the intimate, sacrificial relationship He maintains with His flock. He knows His sheep by name, and...
In a world of "soft targets," headlines of terror, and personal "kingdoms" that feel like they are crumbling, it is easy to find ourselves living as if Jesus were still in the grave. We call this "thinking inside the tomb"—a state of mind...
