Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

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"The word of the Lord came to Jonah saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."

Of all of the prophets of the Old Testament, Jonah is definitely the bad boy in the group. Jeremiah may have complained that he wasn't the right man for the job, but at least he didn't try to skip town. But when the call came to Jonah, Jonah hopped a boat headed in the exact opposite direction as the Lord told him to go.

But as Jonah would learn, it's hard to hide from God. "The Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea and there was a mighty tempest on the sea so that the ship threatened to break up." The old saying that there are no atheists in foxholes applies to sailors too, but for sailors, instead of foxholes, its sinking ships. The sailors call out to their gods for help. Call it religion, call it superstition, but they conclude that God is hopping mad as someone onboard the ship. They cast lots to see who the problem passenger might be. And sure enough, the lot fell to Jonah who was in his cabin sleeping. (more…)

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"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness."

'Tis the season of Epiphany. 'Epiphany' literally means, 'bright light.' Epiphany begins every year on the 6th of January by recalling that time when the that star in the sky led the Magi from the east to the child in Bethlehem who was born King of the Jews. The light that that star shed was the light that God created by His Word on the 1st day of creation. He packaged that light He created on the 1st day in the stars He created on the 4th day.

Of all of the billions of stars in the sky, each one placed into its exact spot by the Word of God, no star has ever served a more glorious and holy purpose than that star that led the Magi to Jesus. For the light that it radiated shone upon the One who spoke it into existence in the beginning. The light that come into existence in the beginning and packaged in that star, shone upon the light that is eternal, without beginning and without end. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." (more…)

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It was during the pre-Christmas shopping rush in a busy department store. The Christmas music that was playing in the background was interrupted. "May I have your attention please!" the friendly voice said. "There are two lost parents in the store. Would the parents of Jamie and Susie, please come to the office so your children may find you. "

We may find this kind of story amusing because of the way its put, or because we know that it already has a happy ending to it. Maybe we've been there, done that and we totally sympathize with the parents because we now how easily it can happen. Yet, as we hear that Joseph and Mary lost their son, we are shocked. How could they? How could they have been so careless as to loose Jesus, the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel?

Luke begins his gospel by telling us that what he has written comes from what "those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning have told us." (Luke 1:2). Luke interviewed Mary and Mary told Luke how it all happened. (more…)