Light and Shelter

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? With these words, God tenderly invites us to trust in Him for hope and salvation, just as David did. Since the Lord is your light and salvation and your refuge, what have you to fear?

When you might be assailed by fear and temptation, remember these words, and then remember your Baptism. In Holy Baptism, you were marked with the sign of the holy cross upon your forehead and upon your heart. You were engraved with the Name of the Lord God Almighty, and your name was inscribed in the Book of Life. Your salvation is secure, therefore. Fear not; who can harm you now?

Remember what happens in the Rite of Baptism.

Forgiveness and the Example of St. Peter

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A great many articles of the Christian Faith are difficult to understand. We confess many of these things simply to be mysteries – concepts beyond the scope and privy of the human mind. One could make great lists of all the mysteries beyond reason, but let us consider briefly a few.

The two natures of Christ is a great and mysterious subject within the hallowed halls of theology. In one person coexists 100% God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and 100% Man, born of the Virgin Mary. The two are not mixed into some third peculiar substance, but neither are they completely untouched by each other, as though merely two boards glued to each other. How did God become Man? How does the divine nature relate to the human nature? These are questions which have sprouted some of the most despicable heresies in history, but to which there is no real answer – only confession of the reality revealed in Scripture.

"Pray, Then, Like This"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“God's own child, I gladly say it, I am baptized into Christ!” (LSB 594.1) Thus we sing out the glad news that each of us is a child of God. And what wonderful news that is! God has chosen you as His own, and has made you His beloved child.

You were conceived and born in sin, a product of the sinful will of flesh and blood. You were born as spiritual orphans, adrift in the great tide of darkness and death that washes over this world. No one was your father, no one was your provider or your protector. No one was there to hear your cries for help.

"A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

With a little coaching, animals will usually go easily if they can see where they are headed, but if they are unaware of what is coming. Pigs generally refuse to make right-angle turns, but are fairly willing to walk around a curve, as long as they don't know that they are heading into a truck or a new confinement. Jewish and Islamic law regarding the slaughter of meat recognizes this trait in animals, and therefore prohibits allowing subsequent animals to witness the slaughter of those before them in line. Herd animals will very often follow a lead animal, regardless of where that animal leads.