This is a price tag used for a sermon called, “Live Free or Die” based on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. It looks like an embroidered patch because of a graphic motif used for all the slides in the sermon.

A basic denim background, originally designed for the sermon, “Live Free or Die” as a PowerPoint background for its “patches on denim” graphic motif.

English: Baptism of Christ Русский: Крещение Господне (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s a Communion hymn for the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord (1st Sunday after the Epiphany). While it’s mainly based on John’s account, it should work for the festival regardless. Also consider on days with a Baptism in the service.

Come O Sinners to the Waters

Tune: Hyfrydol (e.g. Love Divine, All Love Excelling)

Come O sinners to the waters

Come prepare the way of the Lord

Let the path of life be straightened

Open now our hearts to His Word

Trim the blight of pride and arrogance

Drown our idols in the sea

Raise us out of self-indulgence

That good fruit be born for Thee.

Come O sinners to the waters

Come behold the Lamb of God

Voice of God Who made the mountains

Walks upon our groaning sod

See the Lamb, no spot or blemish

Washed for evil not His own

That the deluge bury transgression

Earning us an eternal throne

Come O sinners to the waters

See the Dove on Jesus alight

Spirit wafting where He wishes

Comes through Christ with loving might

Come O Spirit! Rest upon us!

Raise us from the tomb of sin

Bring us to sincere confession

Purify us all within.

Come O sinners to the waters

Hear the Father’s voice approve

“You, My Son, are all my pleasure.

Sole begotten Whom I love.”

Hear the Father speak to sinners

Righteousness fulfilled by One

New creation of the Almighty

You are now my beloved son!

Come O sinners to the table

Here the Lamb comes once again

Granting all His peace and pardon

Taking from the world our sin

Take and eat remembered covenant

Drink remission from the Slain

Come receive the Lamb’s own righteousness

Come be cleansed of every stain.

Holy Father, by Your mercy,

You have made us Your delight

Lamb of God, by Your redemption,

Freed us from eternal plight

Holy Spirit, by Your cleansing,

You renew us day by day

Let Your mercy as we go forth

For the lost prepare the way.

LSBX file for Lutheran Service Builder

An image from a sermon based on Mark 1:1-8 signifying that preparing for Christmas is done through repentance as John the Baptist called us to do.

Ever notice that pride is always sin in the Bible? And the biggest one at that? There’s no exceptions. Pride is self-centered aggrandisement, the opposite of shame, and just as harmful, because it determines a person’s value based on their accomplishments instead of the seal of their Creator and Redeemer. Honor and respect, which are more honest, are encouraged, but not pride.

Parents, are you proud of your kids, because they make you look good? I’m guilty of that. But how much better to be impressed and thankful, which removes you from the equation? (And how much moreso with team or national pride?)

Are you proud of your accomplishments? What happens when you fail or find someone who’s so much better at it than you? Find your value instead in the Name given to you in your Baptism. That can never be taken from you and doesn’t depend on you to retain.

We also hear about pride in sexual identity. Gay or straight, both place a person’s worthiness on something beyond their control. I understand how someone could cling to pride as a reaction to the shame they’ve experienced, but that’s overcorrecting. Rather, if a person’s value is given to them by Christ, they’re SO MUCH more valuable, and given that it’s Christians who often try to shame the people in question (Srsly, what’s up with that? Oh yeah — pride.), they can’t argue with your God-given value.

And straight pride? Like you can take credit for that? St. Paul had something to say about that kind of pride. He compared it with used menstrual rags. Yeah, that’s the banner you want to wave around….

The only appropriate pride & boasting is in our weakness and what Christ has done for us and through us, not because we deserve it, but because we don’t.

What if we focused on communicating and demonstrating grace instead of pride? What if we saw Christ in our neighbors and responded with honor and respect accordingly?

From a sermon based on Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 entitled, “Rest for the Stressed”

It all makes sense now!

From a sermon on Psalm 26 entitled, “Pride & Prejudice & Jesus.”

The idea is that we’re sinners but sometimes accused of things we didn’t do. That doesn’t make us innocent, and let’s face it, past actions may be the reason we’re assumed guilty.

An image of the Bible under a microscope for sermons and articles on examining Scripture.

Originally created for a sermon based on Jeremiah 28:5-9: “You Can Falsify the Bible”.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the Christian faith cannot be practiced alone. It’s impossible. In our “personal relationship with Jesus” individualistic culture, that seems anathema, but you just won’t find that kind of individualism in the Bible.

The First Problem

The problems begin in Eden when Adam & Eve decide to go their own way, which isolates them and is expressed in trying to hide from God. They should’ve known. Of all people, they should’ve known! The first lesson taught to a human being is, “It’s not good for man to be alone.” That should clue us into the importance of the community of faith. When David is alone instead of out with his soldiers, he gets into trouble. Peter and Judas fail when by themselves. Time and again, those who try to live out their faith alone run into trouble.

On the other hand, God emphasizes that we’re not alone. His message to Elijah isn’t so much, “I’m with you,” but, “Thousands are with you.” Even Elisha finds companionship during a famine serving in a widow’s house in Zarephath. Paul reminds us repeatedly that we are the body of Christ, that we need each other. And there’s nothing alive or beautiful about a bunch of disconnected body parts.

Good or Essential?

But that just means that community is good, right? Not that it’s necessary for faith to function, right?

The commandments are given to us to show us how to live out our faith, how faith happens in real life, not just in theory. And what are the most important commandments, and actually the summary of the commandments? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” We know why we do that. We love because God first loved us. But how do we do that? What does this mean? “Whenever you do this for the least of My brothers, you did it for Me.” Loving God is expressed by loving our neighbors. As Luther said, “God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.” Of course, that’s why “The second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.” Because that’s how we love God, but that’s also how we experience God’s love first hand. Jesus was alone (forsaken by God and abandoned by His disciples) for us on the cross so we’d never have to be alone, so why would we choose that from which He set us free?!

What about private worship?

But don’t we live out our faith through worship? Gathered (AKA “Corporate” from “corpus” = “body”) worship expresses love for God, but it loves God by the act of gathering together in His forgiveness and love. The love happens when others are strengthened by our presence, and we are strengthened by theirs. The Word and Sacraments provide the context, the love that God gives to us that we gather around and in. Private worship is primarily self-benefiting unless we’re praying for others, but that’s an inherent connection with others. That’s not to say private worship (singing, praying, devotional reading, etc.) aren’t good—they’re just for our benefit until the benefits we receive are used to bless others (like offering an insight gained to someone else or being strong for others because your faith has already been strengthened).

The Christian faith is centered in love. Faith, hope, and love are 3 sides of the same coin (sic). And the greatest of these is love, because faith and hope are centered in love, God’s love for us, but are expressed in our acts of love for God through our acts of love for our neighbor.

If I’m alone, does that mean I’m not a Christian?

Does this mean that a sole Christian cannot have faith in the absence of other Christians? Of course not! That faith is practiced by acts of love for others, Christian or not. That faith originates from God’s love for us, so never confuse source and practice. Even a Christian alone on a deserted island is in community by praying for others even in a hopeless situation. By faith, we’re able to look outside of our circumstances, no matter how dire, trusting God for both our needs and the needs of others. Even the Christian alone on her deathbed inherently expresses her faith to those around her by her peace and longing for God’s presence, whereas the Christian alone on his deathbed with nobody around can still have faith, but can’t practice it besides what evidence of that faith will be left for others to find afterward.

The implications of this go beyond a simple blog post, but they flow into every aspect of life. Worship in all its forms is beneficial alone but finds its fulfillment in gathering. Interactions with others are acts of worship as we show love to them. It’s not good to be alone (even us introverts), so seek connections as you live out your callings, thus strengthening each other. Love God with all you are—visibly and sacrificially—because that’s how He loved and loves you.