How sad it was on the Monday of Holy Week, April 15th, to see the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, engulfed in flames. Watching the television coverage of the fire unfold felt like Christ and the Christian church itself were being attacked! Many news commentators wondered if that...
Living in Western New York where it is chilly to freezing from Halloween thru a “late” Easter, we really appreciate a clear and sunny day. Life is always better when the sun is out! Even on a freezing cold day the sun can warm and lift one’s spirit. Likewise, as...
Time sure is ‘marching’ on! As we begin the third month of 2019, we move into the Lenten Season with Ash Wednesday on March 6th. Some years we might even celebrate Easter in March as we did in 2016, and will again in 2024. Certainly March is still considered to...
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Gal. 5:6 Valentine’s Day… where did the tradition of giving notes of love, gifts and affection every February 14th come from? While there are several different versions, St. Valentine was a physician and priest living in Rome during the...
In the December 2018 issue of The Lutheran Witness, an official publication of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, a title of one of the articles really grabbed my attention: “When Jesus Ruins Christmas.” It begins, “Up against the glorious reality of Christ’s incarnation, a ‘holly jolly Christmas’ loses all it’s...
I recently ran across two strange, but interesting, folk stories pertaining to some Christmas traditions. One of them was about a spider and the other about a pickle! How peculiar is that? There are many variations as to how and why these traditions got started. So, I’ll try to offer...
While I’m not totally sure, I think that Thanksgiving is at least “one of” my favorite holidays. It’s a great family gathering experience around a huge feast with some of my favorite foods – and there’s no pressure about sending cards and searching for “the right” gift for everyone. I...
I am writing this article on the day after some amazing wins! The Buffalo Bills defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 27 to 6. Sports announcers are saying that this was the biggest NFL upset since 1995. The Bills, 17 point underdogs, clobbered the Vikings in a stunning victory. But, that’s not...
On the night when Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples and instituted the New Covenant meal of Holy Communion, He also taught them with an object lesson of sorts. He wrapped a towel around His waist and washed the disciples’ feet. At first Peter ‘objected’ to this until he...
“For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them” 2 Peter 2:21 Have you ever uttered these regretful words: “I should have known better!”? On Wednesday, July 18th, when...