Chip Winter 12/6/21 Chip Winter 12/6/21

You shall have no other gods.

I found this helpful note during my devotions this morning. It’s from “Concordia the Lutheran Confessions: a Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord” second edition, Concordia Publishing House, 2006.

“Luther spends more time on the First Commandment than on any other portion of the Catechism, explaining how essential it is to know, trust, and believe in the true God and to let nothing take His place. He was convinced that where this commandment was being kept, all other commandments would follow. A right relationship with God produces right relationships with fellow human beings.”

Chip Winter 11/30/21 Chip Winter 11/30/21

Feast of St. Andrew

St. Andrew, born in the Galilean village of Bethsaida, was originally a disciple of John the Baptist. Andrew then became the first of Jesus’ disciples (John 1:35-40). That is the reason that his feast day is the first on the Church’s calendar. Indeed, St. Andrew’s Day determines the beginning of the Western Church Year, since the First Sunday in Advent is always the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew’s Day (November 30).

It was he who first introduced his brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:41-42). He was, in a real sense, the first home missionary, as well as the first foreign missionary (John 12:20-22).

Chip Winter 11/22/21 Chip Winter 11/22/21

Christ is King Now!

With advent approaching we will be thinking about the three-fold coming of Christ Jesus: first as a baby born to Mary in Bethlehem, now through the Word and Sacrament ministry of His church, and one day when He triumphantly ushers in the new heaven and the new earth.

As we worship in these intervening days we certainly do focus on Jesus’ ministry. We emphasize His sinless obedience which allowed Him to make the perfect sacrifice for us all on Calvary’s cross. Too, His victory over death in the resurrection points us forward to the day when eternal life is realized for us in Christ Jesus’ return.

But what can make us even more grateful in this week of Thanksgiving is to recognize that Jesus ascended to rule from on high. He is the King of Creation right now. He is the one Who hears our prayers and Who blesses us on our way, as the hymn puts it.

God grant you a blessed Day of National Thanksgiving in the assurance that you are deeply loved and cared for, here and now, by the eternal Lord of all.