Faith Alone - Eyes to Trust in Christ Crucified and Resurrected - Sermon for Quinquagesima

Quinquagesima, the Fiftieth Day 
before the Resurrection
February 15^th, A+D 2020
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s 
Lutheran Churches
Custer and Hill City, SD
Faith Alone – 
Eyes to Trust in Christ 
Crucified and Resurrected
Luke 18:31-43

Audio of the sermon available HERE.

   You gotta believe.  It is absolutely necessary to have faith.  But, it is difficult to believe, at least, it is difficult to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.

   For three weeks, during these oddly named “Gesima” Sundays, we have been considering the three instrumental “Solas” of Christian faith, the three “Alones.”  Salvation is in Christ Alone, as we sang in our opening hymn.  The three Solas, the three truths that bring us to Christ Alone are these: salvation is given to us by God’s Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, based on and empowered by Scripture, or God’s Word, Alone.

   We have considered Grace Alone, that we are saved because God is gracious to us, He favors us.  Salvation comes to us as a Gift, worked entirely by God, because His nature, His character, is generous and loving, even towards sinners like us.  Last Sunday we explored Scripture Alone, that God’s Word is both the authority from which all the teaching of Christ is received, and also the means, the chosen instrument through which God works salvation.  By His Word Alone, the Holy Spirit recreates hearts, changing sinners from rebellion and opposition to God to thankful agreement and obedience to Him. 

   Today we come to Faith Alone, which rejects the lie that by our own good works we can and must earn, in whole or in part, our own salvation.  No, only faith in Christ saves, not our works.  Faith Alone also teaches us that saving faith is a very particular faith, faith in just one Man who lived an entirely unique life, in order to gain salvation, for us.  We are saved from eternal rejection by God and punishment for our sins not by anything we do, but when we trust in who Jesus of Nazareth is, and what He has done to forgive our sins and restore our relationship with God.    

   Everyone believes something, about life and death, about our relationship to God, or some higher power, be it Mother Earth, or Reason, or Allah.  But to be saved, you gotta believe in the suffering, death and rising of God’s eternal Son, Jesus.  There are as many variations of false faith as there are souls who do not trust in Christ Alone.  But, just about all of these have in common the same lie, the lie that says, to some degree, a good life and a positive destiny after we die depend on us humans, on our efforts, on us doing enough good things.  Faith alone rejects all of that, and points people to Jesus of Nazareth, who has done all things well, for us.    

   Salvation is in Christ Alone.  Nevertheless, despite traveling and living and learning from Jesus for years, at the beginning of today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ twelve chosen disciples, His most intimate followers, could not believe. Even though these future Apostles, the foundation stones of the Christian Church, had heard the Gospel directly from the mouth of God made man, the incarnate Christ, they could not believe it.

   Jesus declares Good News to them: "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be finished.   “For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. ^[33] And after whipping him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." ^[34] But they understood none of these things.”   The good news of the Resurrection was hidden from their eyes.  They were blinded by the horror that Jesus declared would come first, and so the Twelve could not comprehend the Good News on the other side of the Cross.  They certainly could not place their hope and trust in this strange prediction.  They could not see their own salvation.

   On the other hand, blind Bartimaeus believes in Jesus without reservation. We know this man’s name from St. Mark's version of the same encounter, and we learn to sing and pray the Kyrie, "Lord have mercy on me!” from this blind beggar’s relentless plea to Jesus.  Bartimaeus did not follow Jesus; following an itinerant preacher was impossible for him.  No, instead, six days a week, he either walked, by memory, or was led, by a friend, on the route from his home to his begging spot.  Still, by God’s grace, Bartimaeus believed Jesus of Nazareth was the Savior. 

   Faith comes by hearing, so somehow Bartimaeus had heard and believed that this wandering teacher, this man, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary and, supposedly, of Joseph the carpenter, was truly the Son of David, the anointed Savior the Lord God had been promising for thousands of years.  Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was the Messiah, or the Christ, that One special Descendant of the great King David, the Servant whom the Lord God had promised would restore Israel, and rule over all the nations, forever.  The Holy Spirit had sent His Word about Jesus to Bartimaeus, opening his eyes to the fact that the Messiah, the Savior of Israel, was Jesus of Nazareth.  So, when Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, no one could stop him from crying out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

   Thus, we begin to learn the particular content of salvation by Faith Alone, which God in His grace has revealed to us through the Word of Scripture. You gotta have faith, but not just any faith.  Certainly not a faith that is merely a self-generated emotion with which we try to motivate ourselves, like the faith in victory ginned up at a High School pep rally.  No, Christian faith is received, it is a gift, and it has an object: saving faith trusts in a particular story of a particular Man, Jesus of Nazareth.  The soul that trusts in this Man, who is also God, receives countless blessings from its object, from the One in whom it believes.  For Jesus Christ is the Source of all good things. 

   The faith of Bartimaeus still needs to grow.  Like the Apostles and all of us, he needs to see Jesus suffer, die, and rise again.  But, even though he is blind, that day in Jericho, Bartimaeus was looking in the perfect direction: the eyes of his heart were fixed on Jesus, who was only days away from His suffering. 

   The Spirit’s work of conversion in Bartimaeus reminds me a bit of cataract surgery.  My brother James and several members of our congregations have had cataract surgery recently, in which a surgeon removes the cloudy, damaged lenses that block the eyes’ ability to see, and replaces them with new ones, which allow the patient to see more clearly.  Our fallen nature is like a lens that distorts our faith.  We may be led to see God as a taskmaster, who only and ever demands more and more from us.  Or perhaps our bad faith lenses lead us to believe in a made-up God, or to deny Him altogether.  But then, by His powerful Word, the surgeon Spirit cuts out our bad lenses, and gives the eyes of our hearts new ones, lenses of true faith that allow us to see in Christ Jesus the grace, mercy and love of God, and to trust in Him alone.   

   The Twelve should have believed Jesus' prediction about His Cross and Resurrection.  They had seen and heard so much in their time with Jesus, astounding miracles, teaching with authority, remarkable compassion displayed again and again.  They should have recognized that everything their Master said was right and good, even if it seemed strange, or horrible.  They should have believed.  But they just couldn't see it.

 

   Bartimaeus, the blind man, completely dependent on the generosity of others, reduced to begging to survive, unable to physically see the great works of the Lord, was blessed in his humility.  The Spirit opened the eyes of his heart to see, to trust, to believe in Jesus, and to rejoice that his Savior was passing by. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus granted his request: "Recover your sight; your faith has saved you."

   The crowd was rightly astonished by this visible miracle, praising God that Jesus restored the blind beggar’s sight.  Still, as impressive as this was, the crowd missed the greater miracle, the miracle that saves:  Bartimaeus believed that the man Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of David and the Son of God, who came down from heaven, to save sinners.

   So… what about us?  Are we like Bartimaeus, or are we more like the Twelve, or the crowd?  We, who in our sinful nature still believe the apple seems good to eat, despite the Lord's warning that it is poisonous, how do we see things?  We would certainly be amazed to see a blind man suddenly regain 20/20 vision!  Something so spectacular would greatly strengthen our faith, or so we think.  But what about hearing our friend and teacher describe the horrific and shameful details of His imminent death?  Even now, 2,000 years after the Resurrection, words about the Cross make us uncomfortable.  Even worse, hearing about Jesus’ suffering reminds us of our sin, our guilt.  Please, we so often say, let's change the subject.  Let’s not talk about the crucifixion.  Please.

   Jesus of Nazareth can work miracles today, wherever and whenever He wills.  But miracles that move physical mountains will cease; they are not eternal.  More importantly, such miracles cannot save.  Instead of focusing on the hope of seeing an amazing, visible miracle, the Bible instructs us to focus on love, which is to say, first of all, to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Fix your eyes on Jesus, who endured the Cross, despising the shame, because there on Calvary we see the greatest display of love, ever.  For this reason, Sacred Scripture teaches us to proclaim the Lord's death, until He comes, for the sake of our own souls, and for the life of the world.

   The Cross must be our center.  But, it is hard to focus on the Cross, for the Cross of Jesus reveals our guilt.  Very few people claim to be perfect, but by our nature we like to think we are pretty good people.  The Cross reveals a different reality: the seriousness of human sin, our sin, is so great that the Cross was necessary to pay the debt we owe.  This is hard for us to take, and so we naturally tend to minimize it.  We avoid talking about it.  But to ignore the Cross creates a big problem: apart from Christ, crucified and resurrected, we cannot receive the love of God.  Without the Cross, we have no eternal hope.  The joy of the Resurrection can only come after the darkness of Good Friday.

   True, enduring, saving faith knows that the greatest miracle of all is the love poured out from the Body of Jesus, hanging in shame on a Roman cross.  We are fools if we ignore or distort this strange but good news.  When we make comfort and pleasure in this life our highest good, we begin to lose connection to the only Savior.  When we seek visible and spectacular miracles instead of focusing our eyes on the Suffering Servant, we hurt ourselves.  When we trust in human institutions or political leaders, when anything takes our eyes off of Jesus, our faith loses its Object, the Power from which it lives.  Starved of Christ crucified and resurrected, our faith will begin to wither.  Lord have mercy, do not let this happen to us!

   It is necessary for us to wrestle with the truth of the Crucifixion of Jesus.  But, as you wrestle, never forget this: hidden under the guilt and shame, the main message of the Cross is God's eternal love for sinners, love which sets you free from guilt and shame.  Your sins are forgiven, in Christ Alone. 

   Jesus willingly suffered all, out of love for His Father, and out of love for you.  Separated from this mystery of God's love, a cross is only a sign of death, and nothing more.  But when we proclaim with confidence that the death of Jesus is the revelation of God's love, and the source of eternal life, then a cross, even a crucifix, reminds us that Calvary Hill was the true place of mercy, the true throne of God, where our salvation was guaranteed, once and for all.

   Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, should be our guide, because he cried out to the man Jesus, desperately, perhaps, but also with confidence.  “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” is a phrase that the Lord always loves to hear, because He has mercy.  Jesus has mercy, forgiveness and love, more than enough, for every sinner, no matter how long or how far from God we may have wandered.

   The Holy Spirit has preserved and brought this message to us, so that the eyes of our faith may be focused where true joy and real life are found.  This bloody victory is delivered to us today through simple and outwardly unimpressive means: Word, water, wheat, and wine.  God has promised to come to us, today, through these humble things.  Although invisible to our physical eyes, Jesus comes to us today just as much as He came to Bartimaeus in Jericho, so long ago.  For Jesus has promised to always be with the Church of His Apostles, unto the end of the age. 

   We are not better than our neighbors; apart from Jesus, we are all guilty sinners.  In and of ourselves, we are no more worthy of God’s kingdom that anyone else.  And, we all struggle with the same temptation to remove the Cross from its rightful place in the center of our lives.  But, by divine mercy, we cling to the love and forgiveness of Christ, which make us alive in Him.  God’s love also encourages us, and moves us to love our neighbors, as God in Christ has loved us, even though we didn’t deserve it. 

   God through His Word will even move us to humbly seek opportunities to share the strange Good News of the Cross.  Like Bartimaeus, when our eyes are made to see that we have been healed and restored by Jesus, we are then set free to shout His praises.  As we sing the praises of Christ, we are also pointing others to Him, our family, friends and neighbors.  Everyone needs to look to Jesus, because in Him, and only in Him, is there forgiveness and life for all of us sinners.  Jesus of Nazareth is the infinite, inexhaustible source of God’s forgiving love, which creates and sustains our saving faith.  Thanks be to God for His gracious gift. 

   I urge each of you to focus intently on Jesus and His suffering and death.  Come and commune with Him in the places where He has promised to be present to bless you with the victory of His Cross and the Empty Tomb.  Jesus will then go with you and work through you as you serve your neighbors, always ready to give the reason for the hope that is within you. 

   Let us give thanks to God who has gathered us here today to nourish our faith in Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David, who has perfect mercy for sinners.  In Him you have forgiveness, life, salvation, and you have peace - the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, which will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting, Amen.

 

Scripture Alone - In Memory of Rollie - Sermon for Sexagesima Sunday

Sexagesima Sunday, February 8^th, Year of Our + Lord 2026
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s Lutheran Churches
Custer and Hill City, SD
Scripture Alone: 
God’s Living Word, the Authority 
and the Instrument of Salvation
In Memory of Rollie Anfinson

 Audio of the sermon is available HERE.  

     A Sower went out to sow His Seed, and He came upon a patch of soil named Rollie. 

     We continue through the three “Gesima” Sundays, leading us into Ash Wednesday.  Last Sunday we meditated on “Grace Alone,” the Good News that salvation flows from the generous, loving character of God.  God is the only Source of salvation: by Grace Alone. 

     Today, our appointed readings drive home the truth that Salvation is by Scripture Alone.  God’s written Word Alone is the final authority, the Source from which we receive the teaching of Christ, the Authority which judges all other teaching about God and man and salvation.  Holy Scripture is also the means, the tool or instrument which the Lord uses to effect salvation.  I am not ashamed of the Gospel, the Good News message of Christ Jesus, for it is the power of God unto salvation, for all who believe. (Romans 1:16) Through His Holy Word, preached, sung, prayed, explained, discussed, and translated into visual arts, through His Word Alone the Holy Spirit converts unbelievers into children of God, by faith in Christ. 

     Our three readings today drive home this truth of Scripture Alone.  And, as the Holy Spirit so often arranges, events in the life our congregations neatly connect with this Good News, giving us a contemporary, flesh and blood example that will, Lord willing, plant the truth of Scripture Alone deep into our hearts and minds. 

     A Sower went out to sow His Seed, and He came upon a patch of soil named Rollie, who was a bit of a hard patch of ground.  There were some thorns.  There were some dry spells in Rollie’s life.  His seven-plus decades of walking, and lately hobbling around this planet illustrate just about all of the parable Jesus tells us today.  In Rollie’s life we can see the struggle of faith, and how God’s living and active Word keeps on working.  How the Holy Spirit keeps on calling, how the Good Shepherd keeps on seeking His own, until He can finally carry them home rejoicing, to the heavenly fold of His Father. 

     The Parable of the Sower and the Soil presents us with a problem.  Jesus talks about different types of soil, problematic soil, hardpacked, rocky, or thorn infested, and also the good, seed-receptive, fruitful soil.  Only the good soil gives a good result.  Which immediately makes us ask, “Which kind of soil are we?”  If we feel thorn-infested, distracted by the cares and pleasures of life, if our hearts feel dry, or if, God forbid, we are tempted to harden ourselves against God, then are we lost?  How do we become good, receptive soil?  How does the hardpacked ground get broken up?  Who shoos away the birds, or prunes back the thorns? 

     Grace Alone, and Scripture Alone.  God’s Word is living and active.  When it goes out from the LORD’s mouth, it goes with a God-given purpose, and it always achieves that purpose.  Among the highest of the Word’s purpose is to make good, receptive soil out of sinners like you, and me, and Rollie.  God through His Word prepares the soil of our hearts to receive His Word, which takes us back to Grace Alone.  We have not earned God’s favor; He is under no obligation to make us into good soil.  But He loves to do it.  He is the heavenly Farmer, Who  loves to give this gift, to till and renew the soil of our hearts.  All of this activity of God’s living and active Word was plainly visible in Rollie’s life.  

     As is true for all of us, there were regrettable things in Rollie’s life.  Rollie didn’t communicate to his family his renewed connection to Our Redeemer, and so we were not contacted when he died.  They are holding a family memorial service in Sioux Falls, so there will be no brisket from Steve Peters to help us celebrate the Lord bringing Rollie’s baptism to its eternal completion.  But brisket or no, this is a day to celebrate.    

     Rollie died alone.  He really did not want to go into a nursing home, despite the efforts of doctors, friends and his pastor to convince him that it was a way better option than he thought.  He refused, always fighting to return to his house in Pringle, until finally his body gave out.  That’s not the best way to go.  But it did not put Rollie beyond God’s reach. 

     Speaking of God’s reach, one of the other regrettable things in Rollie’s life was that he went long stretches away from the fellowship of Christ’s Church.  I don’t know the full story, but Rollie had an on-again/off-again relationship with the Church.  He and Rita were received into membership at Our Redeemer, Custer by adult confirmation in 2001, the same year that they were married.  They formed a strong relationship with Pastor Bob Anderson and his wife Liz, which God would put to important use, decades later. 

     At some point, I don’t know if it was driven by COVID, or if it began earlier, the Anfinsons’ attendance at Our Redeemer slackened.  Rollie later told me this was mostly his fault, that Rita always wanted to go to Church, but he began to increasingly resist.  Which made Rollie hard to care for.  God’s ‘Plan A’ for sustaining the faith of His children is to have them gather together around His Word every Sunday.  When Christians stay in close contact with God’s living and active Word, faith thrives.  When Christians stay away, faith struggles, is starved, and can die. 

     When I arrived to serve in Custer and Hill City, Rita and Rollie were receiving our weekly mailings of the bulletin, readings insert and sermon.  I spoke to Rita on the phone several times, setting up visits, but again and again she would cancel our appointments.  Rita finally had to suffer a stroke in order to reconnect Rollie to God’s Word.  Yes, the Spirit made good use of a stroke, and a yard sale. 

     Bob and Liz Anderson happened to hold a yard sale out in Boot Hill after Rita had been hospitalized.  On his way to or from Rapid, Rollie saw the signs and stopped by.  I think Rollie really loved finding a bargain.  Through this, the Holy Spirit arranged a renewal of contact, and we found out Rita had suffered a stroke.   Bob told me about Rita, and I then had the privilege of visiting her at Monument Hospital in Rapid several times. 

     Now, some may say is it is sad to only get to meet face to face and minister to a member when they are gravely ill in the hospital.  There is some truth in that.  But, at the same time, how wonderful.  Visiting Rita in the hospital was full of wonders, as the power of God’s living and active Word was revealed.  Despite their long absence from Sunday services, Rita’s faith was alive.  She received the Gospel from me with joy, the Word, full of Baptismal promises, and also the Lord’s Supper.  I met Rollie at the hospital.  He expressed his thanks for my visits, to which I replied, as is often the case, “Thank Pastor Anderson.”  

     I finally was able to visit the house in Pringle after Rita went home to her Savior.  I was greeted loudly by Maggie, Rita’s very round labrador.  Then Rollie and I sat at his dining room table, and planned Rita’s funeral.  Pastoral home visitation is always interesting, and this visit ranks way up there for me.  Now, I’m comfortable around firearms, which is a good thing, given that I’m called to serve in South Dakota.  But I think that not since my days in the Marine Corps have I been surrounded by so many loaded weapons, right close at hand, as I was that day in Rollie’s dining room.  But it was fine.   

     Rollie wanted to begin with a story.  He told me a big part of his lack of enthusiasm for Church was an experience he had had decades ago, back in the Sioux Falls area.  The pastor of his church ran off with the church secretary.  In fact, Rollie said, “it happened to me twice.”  Two times he was in congregations where the pastor left in a cloud of disgrace, for having an affair with his secretary.  Rollie concluded his story with a question.  “You’re not going do that, are you?” 

     I may have made a slight involuntarily glance at the weapons stacked around the room.  But I controlled my reaction and said, “No, Rollie, by God’s grace I am very much in love with the wife the Lord has given me.”  I remember clearly how Rollie said “it happened to me.”  Those pastors didn’t run off with Rollie’s wife.  But, grave public sin of pastors is a terrible thing, a betrayal of Christ and His Church, a denial of the Gospel.  Such sin wounds, not just to the principal people involved, but the whole congregation and community. 

     A public sin that ends a ministry and wounds an entire congregation is a powerful evil.  But, it is not stronger than the Word of God.  Pastors ought to set good moral examples.  But, the Good News of Christ’s victory doesn’t depend on the holiness of the men called to proclaim and share Christ’s gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation.  The Gospel depends on Christ Alone. 

    Rollie accepted my answer, and my ministry, and we celebrated Christ’s work in Rita’s life at Our Redeemer.  Through Rita’s funeral, Rollie and I made a good connection.      

     I wish we were having a funeral for Rollie, for many reasons, but most especially because funerals are important evangelistic opportunities.  The consequences of sin are clear for all to see at the time of death.  And the crowd at a funeral is among the most mixed congregations we ever get to preach to.  So, in my funeral preaching, I try to be especially direct and clear, easy to understand.   I wrapped up the sermon for Rita reflecting about her faith at the last, which enabled us to celebrate and rejoice over Rita, even though she had died.  The sermon concluded with these words.      

   You see, Jesus laid down His life for Rita, and took it up again.  For Rita, and for you, Jesus, God’s eternal Son, came and faced the death that frightens us all, and defeated it.  Jesus, to save His precious lambs, faced the sin, the envy, the greed, the selfishness, the hurt, the sickness, everything bad that ruins our lives.  Jesus took all these evils into His own body and carried them to the Cross, the Old Rugged Cross, “where the Dearest and Best, for a world of lost sinners, was slain.” 

   Now, risen from the dead and reigning at the Father’s right hand, Jesus continues to tend His sheep.  Through thick and thin, on good days and bad, right to the end, Jesus by His Spirit kept Rita’s faith in His promises alive, by speaking those promises to her, again and again.  The Baptism by which the Father adopted Rita and made her a member of His Son was brought to its completion on September 1^st, 2022.  And so we celebrate, even in the midst of sadness and tears. 

   So, yes, remember and celebrate Rita, and also listen to the Voice that she heard, the Voice of Jesus, her Good Shepherd and yours.  This is why God has gathered you here today for this funeral, because He wants to speak to you.  This is why He has given you His Word.  This is why He makes sure His Word of grace and forgiveness is proclaimed Sunday after Sunday.  Your Good Shepherd wants to care for you, as He cared for Rita.  Come and hear His Voice.  Because He is speaking words of peace and joy, words of forgiveness and life, to you, today, and forever and ever, Amen.                

     It worked.  The Holy Spirit worked through the Word proclaimed at Rita’s funeral.  Rollie and I connected.  I tried to stay in contact with him, which was not easy, because Rollie and mobile phones were not friends.  But he always stayed in contact with me, calling me from time to time, to check in.  I made more visits to the gun safe that doubled as his dining room.  And, even though his body was failing him, or maybe because of this, last year Rollie started to attend services at Our Redeemer again.  He had serious back problems, but he would park his car next to the tree on the west end of the church, and hobble in with a walker.  He came on Sundays, and many Wednesday evenings, as that shorter service was better for his back.  Rollie brought his own seat cushion.  It took him about ten minutes to get from his car to the back pew.  But there he was, gathered with God’s people to hear His living and active Word, which is sharp to divide bone from marrow, to separate sinners from their love for their sin, and give them a love for Jesus, a love that flows from the love He first poured out for us. 

     These last couple years Rollie was in and out of various hospitals.  He successfully avoided moving to an Assisted Living or Nursing Home.  (Don’t be like that.  If and when that time comes for you, go and let people care for you.  Go, and be a blessing to the staff and other residents.)  Rollie was out to Sioux Falls, and back, several times, doctoring.  Through it all we maintained the connection.  The Holy Spirit kept working on us, strengthening our faith.  Various members at ORLC sought to help Rollie.  (That was not always easy.  If and when the time comes for you to need help from your fellow members, try to make it easy for them.) 

       In December, Rollie was back in the hospital in Custer.  He called me to let me know, and I was able to visit him several times.  As is often the case, facing the end of his life, Rollie had some sins he needed to get off his back.  We did private Confession and Absolution there in his hospital room; it was wonderful.  (By the way, you don’t have to wait till death draws near to seek out specific forgiveness for sins that particularly trouble you.  Individual Confession and Absolution is a gift God has ready for you, right now.  It is authorized and empowered by Scripture alone, and it is my privilege to administer.  It is also my vow is never to divulge sins confessed to God through me.) 

     I last served Rollie the Lord’s Supper on December 10^th.  It took a long time for Rollie to be ready to commune after he reconnected with the Church.  Rollie understood the seriousness of the Supper, for it is, after all, the Body and Blood of the Crucified and Resurrected Christ, given to us Christians to eat and to drink.  He struggled to believe it could be for him; he doubted that he was worthy.  Which of course, in one sense, is true.  Based on our personal goodness, none of us are worthy to feed on Christ’s Body and Blood. 

    But Scripture teaches us that our worthiness for the Supper depends on faith, not works.  The soul truly worthy of the Supper is the soul that trusts God’s promise of forgiveness, given through the Body and Blood of Christ, in, with and under the bread and wine.  God’s Word finally overcame Rollie’s doubt, and so several times last year, and one last time on December 10^th, Rollie received the Word combined with the Bread and Wine, the medicine of immortality, that delivers forgiveness and strengthens our unity with Christ Jesus

     I was sad when I heard that Rollie had died alone.  It was not unusual for me to go for many weeks without hearing from Rollie.  None of us knew how serious his decline was.  Christmas time is really busy.  So, he died alone. 

     Except that he didn’t.  The truth is, Rollie was not alone when he breathed his last.  The Lord God in Holy Baptism had given Rollie the Holy Spirit.  Christ through the Water and the Word had joined Himself to Rollie.  By the washing of rebirth and renewal, God the Father publicly declared that Rollie was His beloved son, well pleasing in His sight, for Jesus’ sake.  And to the end, by His powerful Word, the Lord strengthened Rollie’s faith, until he died.  Heavenly angels bore Rollie’s soul to his new eternal home, where he rests, with Rita and all those who, by the power of Scripture Alone, died in faith. 

     So, we give thanks to God for making Rollie good soil, and for planting the seed of His Word in Rollie’s heart, unto life everlasting, Amen.  

Grace Alone - Sermon for Septuagesima Sunday

Septuagesima Sunday, February 1st, A+D 2026
Our Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Hill City, South Dakota
By Grace Alone, St. Matthew 20:1-16

   It's not about you ... it's for you. Salvation is not about you, it is about Christ, for you, in His perfect grace. 

   The three Sundays before Ash Wednesday, which are named with those strange Latin words Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima, are Sundays whose readings offer us an opportunity to review the three Solas of the Reformation, Grace Alone, Faith Alone and Scripture Alone.  Today, we focus on the Good News that salvation is by God’s grace alone.

   The salvation of sinners comes only by the grace of God. It is an act and a gift that flows from God’s generous character.  A pure gift, simply because God loves to give.  He desires to bless and save.  It is not about us, it is for us.  Salvation comes from the Lord, from outside of us.  It is not related to how good we are, or what we deserve.  God in Christ has done all that is necessary to rescue us from the punishment and suffering we deserve for being sinners, and for committing sins.  The Gospel, the message of this Good News, is God’s tool for delivering that blood bought forgiveness.  Your sins are forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. 

   How do we react to the message of salvation by grace alone?  Grace alone should give us joy and happiness, it should lift our spirits, set our minds free from worry, make us look to the future with confidence.  Rejoice!  The salvation of God is not about you, it is for you, pure grace.

   By Grace alone, Christ for you, is good news, the very best. But, as we see in the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard…, and in all our readings today…, and in many stories of the Bible ..., and in our daily lives..., sinners like you and me are not always eager to receive the pure grace of God with joy.

      Rescued by God from slavery in Egypt through great miracles, delivered from the most powerful empire of their day, the Israelites, following Moses toward the Promised Land, all too quickly began to complain in the desert, about the food, the heat, the dust…

      The combination of the Renaissance and the Reformation has, over the last five centuries, led us into a remarkable world.  The plain and pure teaching of the Bible, the spread of literacy, the rediscovery of ancient wisdom that led to great technical advances, and the expansion of the rule of law have combined to enable us to live better than any medieval king could even imagine. 

    All these blessings notwithstanding, Western culture soon became too smart for God, and has been turning its back on the Lord ever since.  The richer and more comfortable we get, the less faithful we have become.        Today digital technology improves our lives in countless ways.  But, it has become like a drug to us, a mindless addiction which leads us to ignore and neglect our friends and families, and sometimes leads us to fall into terrible depravity.

     Today, we have faithful translations of the Bible in almost every language.  Bibles are available at very low or no cost at all.  Do we take advantage of this blessing?  Or, do we treat the Word of God as a trifle?  Do we instead give our attention to sensational news and cheap titillation?  Are our eyes filled with Christ and His Word, or are they glued to screens full of false images and frivolous videos?

     We receive so many magnificent gifts, freely, by God’s grace alone.  Nevertheless, we are all too prone to reject the Giver of all good things.  Invited to work in the vineyard of the Lord, we complain about our salary, and look around for better offers.

   In this we see that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man, the master of a household, a father who ran a family vineyard.  He went out in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.  In our parable, being hired as a worker in the vineyard is to be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven, equivalent to being received into the family of God.  That is, in this parable, being hired is the gift of salvation, a rock-solid promise of a present and future home with God, a promise spoken and backed up by the generous Master. 

     These workers are not sent into the vineyard to earn their place.  The Master’s invitation guarantees they now belong to the family.  They have work to do, yes, because that’s what the Master has prepared for them.  Just as Adam was placed into the Garden of Eden and told to tend it, the workers’ place under the Master’s care is secure. 

     So also for us; when we were baptized and brought into God’s family, we received every gracious gift from God our Father.  He held nothing back, not even His only begotten Son.  Certainly there is still work for us Christians to do in this world, and we do not yet fully perceive all the glory of God’s kingdom.  Nevertheless, the watery promises of God guarantee our status as His beloved children, today, and forever and ever.

     The Scriptures present and explain God’s act of salvation in various ways: as resurrection from the dead,… as rebirth,… as a cleansing,… as a cure for illness,… and as being declared righteous, not guilty, fully pardoned by the Judge in His courtroom. 

      Today, we see salvation presented as the hiring of a worker.  And so it isn’t hard to see how we might be tempted, with this particular metaphor, to mix in our works as part of the cause of salvation.  But, as the rest of the Bible teaches, the good works of the Christian are the product of receiving salvation, not a cause of salvation.  Indeed, the Prophet Isaiah declares in chapter 26 that even our works are a gift from God: Lord, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works.   And St. Paul writes to the Ephesians: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 

      Our salvation flows from God’s grace, it is His accomplishment, for us.  Neither the quantity nor the quality of our works causes our salvation.  Look at our parable today:  It’s obvious that the Master is not at all concerned with how much or how well his new workers perform, he just wants them in His vineyard.  “Twelve hours, six hours, one hour, it doesn’t matter, just stop standing idly around, and come in to my vineyard, where I promise to treat you well, forever.” 

    Yes, once we are made members of the Kingdom of Heaven, we still have good works to do. But these works flow from being a member of the family; they don’t bring us into or keep us in the family. The first workers hired in the parable misunderstood this, and demanded more salary for having worked more hours.  Like them, when we focus on our works, we are imagining again that salvation is about us. 

   Salvation is not about us; it's about God, for us. The Master is not concerned about receiving enough work from his workers to justify their wages.  No, he is only concerned with having more and more workers.  The Master doesn’t need your productivity, He simply wants to include you in His family business.  The Father is full of grace and generosity, and wants to share His wealth, His goods, His fruit, even His own life, with as many people as possible.  By grace alone, without any merit or worthiness in me.  Notice that the Master didn’t interview the workers, there was no skills evaluation, no probationary period.  Being hired, being brought into the vineyard by the Father of the Family, this is salvation.  And, it is a free gift. 

      We are surprised, I think, that working more or less hours in the vineyard does not raise or lower a worker’s salary or status.  In the Master’s generosity, he wants to pay the last ones hired the same as the first ones.  He wants to be more than generous and bless everyone equally.  How good and kind!

   What do you think of this business model?  Doesn’t this seem like a crazy way to run a vineyard?  Won’t this business fail if the boss continues to pay the same for one hour’s work as he does for 6, 9 or 12 hours?  Yes, of course this is true, in this world.  If the vineyard in our parable were simply an earthly business, it would be headed to failure.  But the parable is not about an earthly business.  Jesus is teaching us about the Kingdom of Heaven.

   You might protest that the Master’s business model is unfair, that those who work more, deserve more.  This is the way of the world, and it is true; without this principle of fairness, life in this world does not work very well.  And so the early workers grumble and ask: "Why do we not receive more, when we have worked all day, and these last ones have done almost nothing?"

   Our fallen, sin-stained minds tend to think this way.  Be careful with this attitude.  Because you really do not want to receive your just reward, do you?  Do you really want God to deal with you based on the true value of your works, every thought, word and deed measured by His Law?  If everything were laid bare, how faithful and good would our work appear?   

   The privilege of working in the vineyard of the Lord belongs to every Christian, within our various vocations, within our different roles, as parents, children, teachers, students, workers, employers, government officials, you name it.  As we go about our regular lives, God is preparing good works, for us to walk in. 

   May the Holy Spirit remind us every day that working in God’s vineyard is a privilege, that we by our own strength and goodness have never earned the grace and love of God.  If we believe that it is by our works that we have rights in God’s family, or that the Father is unfair to share his love with other sinners, then our faith is wrong, false, ungrateful.  Such an attitude reflects a faith in ourselves, not true faith in God.  Heavenly Father protect us, so this false idea never enters our hearts and minds!

   Unfortunately, more often than we care to confess, this is how we are. The sinner that remains in each of us does not want to be saved by grace alone, because we want our own prestige, honor and validity.   Even worse, from time to time we get angry when we see other sinners graciously receiving undeserved and unearned blessings from the Lord.  In these moments, the questions of the Master of the vineyard are also for us: Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?  Take what belongs to you, and go.  The thought of being cast out of the vineyard because of ingratitude and selfishness is terrifying.  Lord, protect us from such folly!

   It is a sin leading to unbelief for us to deny God’s grace and demand to be rewarded according to our works.  And so, Jesus teaches us this parable.  Even more, Jesus went on to bear the guilt of all our sins, including the sin of grumbling ungratefulness, burying them all in the suffering of His Cross.  From the divine love poured out on the world at Calvary there flows a remedy for all sin, even our ingratitude and selfishness.

   We should work cheerfully and not grumble that others seemingly do less in God’s kingdom than we do.  We should rejoice when the Lord’s radical grace draws another sinner into the vineyard at the last hour.  Christian life is meant to be a continual celebration of God’s generosity, so that we rejoice when grace comes to others, just as God has delivered it to us. 

     If you find yourself thinking like the early workers, repent.  Stop grumbling, and confess your sins of ingratitude and self-righteousness.  Repent, and hear this Good News:  Your sin of ingratitude is also covered by the blood of Jesus.  Even when we grumble and complain against God, even if we sin seventy times seven times per day, we can still return to Him, repenting, confessing our sins, trusting in the promise that He is faithful and just, and will forgive us, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.. This is the character of God the Father, revealed in Jesus Christ.  This is the Good News that we are truly saved by Grace Alone.

     This radical “by Grace Alone” salvation message is at the heart of everything in the Christian Church.  Or at least, it should be.  We see, through 2,000 years of Christian history, that the astonishing Good News of salvation by grace alone can all too quickly and easily be buried under teaching that sounds Biblical, but in reality is false, a lie of Satan.  

     This morning, we rejoice in the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, which corrects our error, and reminds us of the pure joy we receive, simply by being invited to work in the Lord’s great salvation project, for the good of our family, friends and neighbors. 

     Speaking of our family, friends and neighbors, how many of us know at least one person who is standing around idle in the marketplace of life, without God?  Do we all know someone who has not heard, or has forgotten, the Master’s invitation to come and rejoice with all the other “workers” that God has chosen?  Of course we do.  Could we be part of God’s hiring initiative?  Yes.

    There are many ways for God’s people to be involved in His Mission.  Parents teaching Bible stories to their children, helping out a neighbor in need, supporting overseas missions, deepening our Biblical knowledge so we are actually ready to give the reason for the hope that we have, all of these and more.  Another simple thing we can do is just invite.  We shouldn’t be pushy, we don’t need to answer every question.  We can invite, to a Sunday service, to a Bible Study, or to meet your pastor for coffee.  Pray to the Holy Spirit to show you how to invite, and then, with humility and peace, invite.  Simply invite, and leave the results in the Holy Spirit’s hands.  When God hires another worker for His vineyard, the angels in heaven will rejoice, and so will we. 

   In this life, despite our grumbling, we can always return to the Father, asking for the blessing of being sent once again into His vineyard. When we return home, the Father, full of grace and love, in the Name and for the sake of Jesus, gives us His best wine, the fruit of the Cross, the Cup of Salvation.  Drinking the fruit of God’s vineyard, our sins are erased, our status as members of the Family is sure, and we will also receive the will to work cheerfully in the Vineyard, announcing to all that the Lord wants to hire them also,

  in the Name of the Father and the + Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Glory to Share – God’s Glorious Love for Human Life - Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our + Lord

Transfiguration of Our + Lord
January 25^th, A+D 2026
Our Savior’s and Our Redeemer Lutheran Churches
Glory to Share – God’s Glorious Love for Human Life.   
Matthew 17:1-9, 2^nd Peter 1:16 – 21

Audio of the sermon available HERE.

    Glory!  Last Monday evening, Indiana University completed the greatest ever turnaround of a major college football program, going from a perennial doormat to an undefeated season and the national title in just two years. 

     As they celebrated, do you think the Indiana Hoosiers shared any of their glory with University of Miami, the team they beat for the title? 

   Glory.  There are just four NFL teams left, vying to win Super Bowl LX, the Seattle Seahawks, L.A. Rams, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.  Will the three teams who are not crowned champion in a couple weeks still get to glory in the fact they did better than almost all the other NFL teams?  Not really.  To the victor go the spoils, in sports for sure.  The champions usually say some nice words about the rivals they defeated, but all the focus is on their victory celebration, their storied place in history.  Scenes from the losers’ locker room are typically only shown on T.V. if there are outbursts of raw emotion, lockers being punched or grown men reduced to tears, which serve, by contrast, to heighten the glory of the victors.   

   Glory.  Earthly glory in our popular culture is very much a winner-take-all affair, or at least, that’s how we portray it in the media, and around the table or through our screens, when sports fans or political junkies gather to talk about their favorites.  And here’s the weird thing: our ideas about earthly glory are both in-line with the truth about heavenly glory, and they also contradict God’s glorious ways.  Understanding the complex truth about God, His glory, and how we relate to it is challenging.  Understanding God’s way of glory is both frightening, and comforting. 

   January 22^nd was last Thursday.  Christians in the United States continue to focus on the Sanctity of Human Life on the Sunday closest to this date of the now-reversed Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, which in 1973 legalized abortion throughout our land.  The fight for life is not over.  It will not be over until Jesus returns visibly, to end all injustice, wipe away all our tears, and usher His children into eternal life. 

   Glory.  On this combined Transfiguration and Life Sunday, we can consider glory, and grow in our understanding and commitment to God’s love for life.  Because an important feature of God’s love for life is His desire to share His glory with every human being.  Only God is truly glorious, and from eternity He has always wanted to share His glory, with you, and with every other person ever conceived.        

   Glory.  Heavenly glory is winner-take-all, and God is the winner.  Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone be glory, is true.  Anyone who, like Satan, proudly rejects this Truth will be cast into the outer darkness, forever.  God alone is glorious in Himself, and His unveiled glory is confusing and frightening.  At the Transfiguration, Jesus let a portion of His divine glory show through His human body, and Peter, James and John were scared witless.  Peter’s proposal, that he and the Sons of Thunder should make three tents, one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, reflects Peter’s frightened befuddlement.  The light of heaven is shining forth from Jesus’ physical body, and Peter thinks He needs a tent to hang out in?  The three disciples’ fear turned into terror when a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him. 

   Glory.  Why is even a limited revelation of God’s glory so frightening to behold?  Because in His glory, every aspect of the Lord’s being and character are fully visible.  God’s glory is not merely a brighter and more intense light than any of us have ever seen.  It is that, and much more.  God’s glory reveals the Almighty.  All power, all the energy of the entire universe, flows from God’s glory. 

   During the liberation of Kuwait, I had the opportunity to walk towards one of the burning oil wells the Iraqi’s lit off as they withdrew before the advancing Marines.  I estimated that I still about 100 yards away when I was forced to stop, because the heat was too intense to go closer.  It was really hot.  But, compared to the unveiled glory of God, that burning oil well would be like a single candle or a burning match. 

   Glory.  God’s glory also reveals His omniscience, His perfect knowledge of every thing and of every person.  The majesty of God sees right through you and me, and that is a problem, because God in His glory also reveals His purity, His sinlessness, His perfect holiness, which will destroy and cast out every being tainted with sin. 

    Every man and woman ever given a partial glimpse of God’s glory is rightly frightened, because our un-glory, our weakness and sin, make the Lord of Glory a threat to us.  For we in our foolishness again and again exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for an image, perhaps made like corruptible man - or a bird, or an animal or a bug, or we worship the image of bank account balances, or earthly prestige, or a thousand other good gifts, which we turn into idols. (Romans 1:18-23)  As Martin Luther said, “Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God.”  [LC , First Part: The Ten Commandments]

   Glory.  God’s glory is way too much for us sinners to handle.  And yet, we are created by God with an innate desire for His glory.  Even someone who has never heard that there is a God, if such a person exists, is still wired to seek glory.  Usually we substitute a pale, contrived version of glory, and pour our energy into pursuing these fake copies.  And yet, we are created with a desire, and a need, for true glory. 

   This is because all life flows from the Glory of God.  There is no life without God.  In mercy and hope, then, so that human life might continue, the Lord has put up protective barriers, clouds and curtains and other veils, to shield us from His glory, and so keep mankind alive until salvation is complete.  And so we see that God in His glory also reveals His mercy, His love.  Despite our rebellion against Him, the Lord still wants to share His glory with us.  With all people.  Because God loves human life.  We are, despite our sinfulness, His favorites.  

   Glory.  The whole arc of God’s Word to us is a narrative of this mystery, this tension, that God in His glorious holiness hates sin, and yet still seeks to have people with Him in the fullness of His glory, forever.  The man and the woman in the Garden, before the Fall into sin, basked in a glorious paradise, and were growing toward the fullness of glory the LORD had planned for them.  But they made the first cursed exchange, trading the glory of God for the serpent’s lie, who said there was greater glory to be found in knowing good and evil, greater than trusting in the LORD of Glory.  The rest of the Bible, indeed, the rest of history reveals God’s plan and work to bring us sinners safely back into His glory. 

   Glory.  The life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth is the high point of the arc of God’s Word, and also its low point.  The mercy and mystery of God’s glory-restoration plan is revealed in the humble Teacher from Nazareth who visibly walked the dusty paths of Judea 2,000 years ago. 

   Powerful, wise and holy, God’s eternal Son revealed to Peter, James and John that the glory of heaven was hidden inside His physical body.  Amazing, frightening, awesome Good News!  And yet, Jesus strictly charges these three not to share this Good News “until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 

   Glory.  As we discussed last week from Matthew chapter 16, the understanding and presuppositions of Peter and the Twelve had already been dealt a blow when Jesus predicted His suffering and death at the hands of the Jewish priests and scribes.  Just before, Peter had been enjoying the high praise he received after he confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God.  Glorious! 

    But, when Peter then rejected the Word of the Cross, “this will never happen to you. Lord,” Jesus then rebuked Peter, calling him ‘Satan.’  Jesus warned that anyone who denied the Cross, anyone who refused to pick up their own cross and follow Him, would be cut off from God. 

   Glory.  Now, in chapter 17, up on the mountaintop, fully convinced that all the glory of heaven dwelled withing the flesh of Jesus, Peter, James and John are again forced to balance this wonderful knowledge with the promise of Jesus that He was going to be killed.  For, “as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."”

   Jesus’ command helps us see that the purpose of bringing these three up on the Mount of Transfiguration was to make sure that they would rightly understand Who would be hanging on that Roman cross outside Jerusalem.  Because, contrary to appearances and despite what we naturally expect, the greatest glory ever revealed in this sin-stained creation was the death of the Man who is also God. 

   Glory.  The true glory of God is revealed in the scandalous, heart-breaking death of Jesus.  You see, God’s glory, His great desire, is to show mercy.  God is love, and so the highest act of love is His majesty, is His greatest glory.  And this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and gave His life as a ransom for many.  Whoever loves his life in this world will lose it, but whoever loses his life for the sake of this Gospel will preserve his life forever.  

   Glory.  Jesus hated His life in this world, even allowing it to be taken from Him.  Jesus was willing to die, in love and obedience to His Father, and in love and mercy toward you.  He has laid down His life, and taken it up again, so that, by His forgiveness, He can share His glorious resurrected life with sinners, like you and me.  This is the Glory of the Cross.  This is the glory that the Father wants to share with all people, no matter where they are in life. 

   An infant, developing in the womb?  A target for God’s merciful glory.  A baby, being washed with water and the Word?  The highest public display of heavenly glory in this world, glory hidden under a simple and common rite.  A family, doing their best to look like they have it all together, but in reality wrestling with all kinds of challenges?  Our imperfect families are God’s plan-A location for sharing His glory with sinners.  An old man, a poor man, a scruffy guy who might make you cross the street or hold tight to your possessions?  He may frighten you and me.  But he is no less a soul that God wants to bless, by uniting him with His glorious Son. 

   Glory.  What does God’s Cross-shaped glory mean for us?  For our lives?  Everything, really, but for this morning, let’s just talk about a few things.  First of all, even though our Synod is named Missouri, we know that “show me” is not the way for Christians to live.  St. Peter in his second letter wrote about that glorious moment, when, with James and John, he saw Jesus transfigured, shining bright like the sun, Moses and Elijah by His side.  Glorious.  Nevertheless, Peter is clear: Marveling about what Peter saw is not the best way to stay connected to God. 

   The world works that way: talk is cheap, seeing is believing.  But, in the glorious plan of God for our salvation, heavenly power and glory are often hidden under humble things, like mere words.  Peter recalls the Transfiguration, but then proclaims that we have something even better, more sure, “the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ^[20] knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.  ^[21] For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.  

    Glory.  In the Word of the Holy Scriptures, in the Old and New Testaments, we have the very voice of God, and not just one time on a mountaintop, that we can never get to.  No we have God’s living Word whenever and wherever we want to read it or hear it.  We have in our Bibles the powerful, creative, world-sustaining, always-pointing-to-Jesus, faith-creating, wisdom-teaching voice of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, the unstoppable engine that gives life to the Church.    

   Glory.  From God’s Word we learn that in this life we will always desire glory.  We have two desires for glory, actually.  We have the righteous desire to bask in God’s merciful glory.  And, sadly, the unrighteous, sinful desire to find glory in ourselves and our accomplishments still clings to us.  Both of these desires for glory will be a part of who we are as Christians, as sinner-saints, as long as we live in this fallen world. 

   So, when glorious good things come your way, put God’s Wisdom to work.  Remember from Whom and how God’s true glory comes to us: from Christ Jesus and through the proclamation of His Truth.  Be wise as you deal with the glorious things of this world, like wealth, beauty, success, intelligence, or popularity.  Receive them and share them as good gifts from God.  But do not let them infatuate you; do not make them into idols.  Do not let them get between you and the Source of all glory, which is Christ, crucified and resurrected, for you. 

   Glory.  If earthly glory leads you astray, repent.  Turn from the ways of men and see the Way of God, revealed in the face of Christ.  Repent, and remember, God’s glory is hidden under seemingly unglorious things, like a Cross, and an old book.   

   Glory.  God wants to share the glory of Christ Jesus with everyone.  This is another way to say, God believes in the sanctity of every human life.  And so, we too love life.  We, as redeemed children of God, love babies, and families, (warts and all).  We love the elderly, and the down and out.  No one is outside God’s desire to share His glory, and so we seek to extend His sharing, through acts of mercy, and most of all, through speaking the Good News of Jesus.   

   Glory.  True glory only comes one way, the Way of Jesus, who came down from the shining mountaintop to enter the dark valley of death that would lead Him to Calvary.  And because He was glorified on that Cross, we, in and through Christ, look forward to the glory of heaven, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.