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Today, April 25, the Church celebrates the Feast Day of St. Mark, Apostle, and Evangelist. He is the second of the four writers of the Gospels (Matthew, Luke and John) and associated with the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Luke). Most of what we know about St. Mark we learn from Scripture generally and his Gospel in particular. There is general agreement that the Mark of the second Gospel is the John Mark of Acts 12:12. He was part of the early missionary efforts of Apostles. He left his home in Jerusalem to accompany Barnabas and Paul as a...
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. Psalm 107:8 NRSV "Don't forget to say thank you." "Did you say thank you?" "Say thank you." How often did we hear an adult, usually mom or dad, remind us about giving thanks? If we have children or grandchildren, how often did we do the same? I taught for 16 years in a School of Management. Who would have thought that those who say "thank you" gain a competitive advantage! Why? Because saying "thank you in...
"After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself this way" John 21:1. We are in the time between Easter and Pentecost (Acts 2). Jesus is, as it were, making his rounds. For 40 days, Jesus will appear, interact with individuals and then be on his way. One of the most famous post resurrection appearances is his appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32). Often it is difficult for those who encounter the...
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany, was a staunch critic of Hitler and a resistor of Hitler's euthanasia program and genocidal persecution of the Jews. In April 1943, he was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned at Tegel prison in Berlin for a year and a half. He was then transferred to the Flossenburg concentration camp. On April 4, 1945, the diaries of Admiral William Canaris, head of the Abwehr, were discovered. In a rage after reading them, Hitler ordered that the Abwehr...
On a blue gray day in 1517, a German Augustinian monk, pastor and university professor nailed a document on the castle church door in Wittenberg, Saxony. The day was Oct. 31. The occasion was the eve of All Saint's. The Nov. 1 celebration was a community event. Town's people would gather at St. Mary's church, where the pastor preached, to remember and celebrate the lives of the Christian martyrs who died confessing their faith. University professors and students would gather to celebrate at the...
"For they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous." Psalm 14:5 ESV Sadly, we live in a time of terror. For a generation, the defining event is 9/11. For my generation, flying will never be the same. I wonder if in some ways, we have become accustomed to the threat of terrorism. With the Olympics beginning, I remember the events of Munich in 1972 when terror struck the games. No doubt the Olympic organizers have planned for such an event. Terror is a most unpleasant...
I grew up in the 50's and one of my favorite TV programs was the Lone Ranger. One of the benefits of cable TV is that I can watch the Lone Ranger again. As a boy I would straddle my stick horse, six-shooter strapped to my side and cowboy hat slighted tilted. I watched the TV screen intensely as the Masked Man and his faithful companion Tonto righted wrongs and brought justice to the land. At the end of every program, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, having done justice (Micah 6:8), would bid farewell...
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land," 2 Chronicles 7:14. Repentance is a nasty business. An election has brought us a new president and a new administration. The last four years have been quite unsettling. Some of it the result of the former president's behavior and some of it the behavior of his opposition. The Wall Street Journal, while...
We are having quite a week. Tuesday the election, last Saturday Halloween. In both cases COVID has again proven quite disruptive. But then disruption is becoming the norm. But Halloween wasn't the only event of October 31st. Another quite disruptive event took place. On that date in 1517, Martin Luther a mendicant Augustinian monk and university professor posted on the Wittenberg Castle Door 95 thesis for debate. The church door was where you posted public announcements so as those citizens who...
When I was in graduate school at Gonzaga University a few years ago, I was asked to read a book by sociologist Zugmunt Bauman called "Liquid Times: Living in an Age of Uncertainty." He wrote a series of books over 10 years using the term "liquid" to describe the risk, fear and uncertainty of current global actions and confrontations. As I re-read the small book, I was struck with his observation of how institutions and social forms are decomposing faster than it takes to cast them. This...
“Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 Fear is dangerous. On the one hand, it can get us to act and bypass our thought process. On the other hand, it can get us to act and bypass our thought process. Sometimes that is good, sometimes that is not so good. How do we know? Should I be afraid? Shouldn’t I be afraid? Fear and reason don’t play well together. They make for a very difficult emotional experie...
Have you been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras? I have not but I am, like most of us, certainly aware of the annual event. Mardi Gras Day is Feb. 25. This day is also called Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is that last day of the Carnival season and it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent which, this year, is Feb. 26. You can learn more about this year's Mardi Gras 2020 at its official website www.mardigrasneworleans.com. People party hardy on Fat Tuesday because Ash Wednesday,...
Have you picked up your new 2020 calendar? Can you believe it? 2020! Our favorite venders have calendars waiting for us to pick up. In our home we have calendars all over the place - on the kitchen refrigerator, in the car, in the office. Calendars give us useful information. Mostly however, we really like the pictures. Nevertheless, one calendar on the refrigerator is the "Advent" calendar. Our family tradition is to read the passage of scripture which lies behind a little door for each of the...
