Blog Archives - Epiphany Lutheran Church

God's Timing---1st Sunday in Christmas

12/29/2013

Readings: Isaiah 11:1-5; Galatians 4:1-7; Luke 2:22-40

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

In the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under Law, to redeem those under the Law (Galatians 4:4-5). God’s timing is perfect. It is true. It is an arrow that hit the bullseye from thousands of years out. All of time revolves around this moment. All eternity praises this moment and depends on this moment when in the fullness of time God sent forth His Son. Why did He do it? To redeem you. To buy you back from sin. To be the saviour of God’s fallen children and of all creation.

It's Bigger on the Inside---Christmas Day

12/25/2013

Readings: Exodus 40:17-21, 34-38; Titus 3:4-7; John 1:1-14

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We talk about camping a lot in Thunder Bay. By it we mostly mean what other folks in Canada would call cabins in a the woods, or cottages on a lake. Outsiders, foreigners to these parts, hear of people’s camps and envision ramshackle tent structures, no where near as glorious the hallowed halls of the 4077 MASH unit. Little do they know that camps around here can be anything from a humble trapper’s cabin to a multimillion dollar mansion.

But you see, camping brings to mind tents. Tents are small enclosures for people who are wandering around, taking a portable dwelling with them. They aren’t so very large. They can be large, but they lose something in the portability the larger they get.

Wouldn’t it be great if they could be bigger on the inside? Who would need an RV, or hotel. Just throw your magical Harry Potter, Doctor Who tent—that’s bigger on the inside—into the back of your car. Be sure of course to build into it all the amenities of home, pile in things you don’t have room for at your house or camp. Collapse it all down to a nice small portable package, because its bigger on the inside.

God the Lord, lived in a tent in the days of Moses. A tent where you could be guaranteed God would be. You could meet Him there. His prophet, Moses would bear witness to you there of all He had said.

Laid on a Stone Cold Slab---Christmas Eve

12/24/2013

Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

In Bethlehem, which means house of bread, our Saviour was born. It was an agriculturally rich area, which fed the surrounding regions. With His birth it became a spiritually rich spot which would feed the world. He was laid in a manger. A food trough. Such troughs in that area were made of stone. He was laid out on a slab. An infant teaming with life whose clothe wrapped body foreshadowed His life’s purpose. To be wrapped in cloth and laid on a stone cold slab for the sins of the world.

Know the Time: The Time of Fulfilment—4th Sunday in Advent

12/22/2013

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The 4th sermon in a series called "Know the Time":
1st Sunday in Advent: "KtTime: The Day of the Lord"
2nd Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Day of His Coming"
3rd Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Present Joy"
4th Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Time of Fulfillment"

Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Philippians 4:4-7
John 1:19-28

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

John the Baptizer came to prepare for something amazing: the coming of the Prophet. When the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt it was the Angel of the Lord, who is God in human form, who led them out. The Angel of the Lord led them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). The pillar opened a pathway through the Red Sea, blocked the Egyptians as the Israelites passed through the sea, and allowed the waters to close while the Egyptians chased down into the middle of the sea lusting after their Israelite slaves (Exodus 14:19-27).

That pillar of cloud by day and fire by night led them to Mt. Sinai where the Lord in the pillar rested on the mountain and gave Moses the Ten Commandments, written by the finger of God on stone tablets. God, the Lord, the second person of the Holy Trinity, spoke to Moses there. As the Lord descended on the mountain in His unveiled glory His unhidden perfection impacted this broken creation. His angelic armies proclaimed His coming with a constant blast of trumpets. The rocks cried out at His coming as the mountain shook, and was scorched by His glory. The smoke rose from that mountain, like the blasting heat of a kiln, blotting out the sky. That was unnerving enough. But it was hearing the voice of the Lord which undid them. The people trembled in fear and crept back from that mountain. They cried out, "Please Moses, do not let us hear the thundering voice of the Lord again. You speak to us! We will listen to you." For the fear of death was upon them at the sound of His voice. "You speak to us. You be His prophet. His mouthpiece."

Your King Comes to YOU in the Lord's Supper

12/19/2013

Advent Sermon Series: "Your King Comes to YOU"

1st Sermon: Your King Comes to You in Holy Baptism
2nd Sermon: Your King Comes to YOU in Holy Absolution
3rd Sermon: Your King Comes to YOU in the Lord's Supper

Hebrews 10:1-4, 12-14
Matthew 26:26-29

Luther's Small Catechism - The Sacrament of the Altar

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Our Lord says, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Rest from your sins. Rest in your soul. Rest that refreshes and pours forth energy into your body.

Know the Time: The Present Joy—3rd Sunday in Advent

12/15/2013

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The 3rd sermon in a series called "Know the Time":
1st Sunday in Advent: "KtTime: The Day of the Lord"
2nd Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Day of His Coming"
3rd Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Present Joy"
4th Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Time of Fulfillment"

Isaiah 40:1-8
1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Matthew 11:2-10

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The last two weeks we've been talking about the chairon of the Lord—the appointed times for His great and glorious things to happen. Specifically, we've been talking about two days both often referred to as the Day of Lord in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. The first Day was the Day of God's judging and smiting of sin. It was the Day when He became victor over sin. When sin's power was broken. Its force stopped. It was an awful day. A fearful day. A day of darkness and rumbling. The earth, the heavens, and God's temple in Jerusalem all reverberated with the judgement that occurred that Day. We call that Day Good Friday. The Day the Lord died for sin. Crushing it in Himself.

Your King Comes to YOU in Holy Absolution

12/12/2013

Advent Sermon Series: "Your King Comes to YOU"

1st Sermon: Your King Comes to You in Holy Baptism
2nd Sermon: Your King Comes to YOU in Holy Absolution
3rd Sermon: Your King Comes to YOU in the Lord's Supper

2 Samuel 12:1-13
Psalm 51:1-12
John 20:19-23

Luther's Small Catechism - Confession

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

King David tried to out sin God’s mercy. That happens to all of us. We get caught up in something we know we shouldn’t be doing, but the temptation was right there. We were weak. We did it. Now we have to cover it up. Pretend we aren’t that bad. And you get caught. Caught in the spiral of death. And before you know it its escalated beyond your wildest dreams. “I’m not that person,” you think. But you are. In your heart. And now in your actions.

Know the Time: The Day of His Coming—2nd Sunday in Advent

12/8/2013

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The 2nd sermon in a series called "Know the Time":
1st Sunday in Advent: "KtTime: The Day of the Lord"
2nd Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Day of His Coming"
3rd Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Present Joy"
4th Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Time of Fulfillment"

Today's Scripture readings:
Malachi 4:1-6
Romans 15:4-13
Luke 21:25-36

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Anyone who has eyes to see can tell when summer is around the corner. You can know it by seeing the leaves bud out. When that begins, summer is imminent. And gardeners, in particular, pay close attention to such things. When they see that they know the schedule of what is about to happen to plants in the gardens they tend. They also know, that when that happens, a certain number of jobs need to get done in a particular order. They know the time.

Your King Comes to YOU in Holy Baptism--Advent Midweek 1

12/3/2013

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Advent Sermon Series: "Your King Comes to YOU"

1st Sermon: Your King Comes to You in Holy Baptism
2nd Sermon: Your King Comes to YOU in Holy Absolution
3rd Sermon: Your King Comes to YOU in the Lord's Supper

                                    Acts 8:26-39
                                Matthew 28:16-20
     Luther's Small Catechism: The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Holy Ghost power! Philip had it. He was a baptized, believer in the risen Christ, the redeemer of Israel, whose overflowing power gushed forth like a mighty river. A river of redemption. A river of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit. Poured out on Philip in a cleansing flood that washed him away. He had died. Died to sin. Philip’s sins were no more. He had risen from the waters of his baptism a new man with an eternal life. He had been baptized into the name of Jesus, Jesus who is Lord. The Lord. The God of Israel. To be baptized into His name was to be baptized into the Triune name that Jesus had named—the true name of God, the Father the Son the Holy Spirit.

Know the Time: The Day of the Lord—1st Sunday in Advent

12/1/2013

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The 1st sermon in a series called "Know the Time":
1st Sunday in Advent: "KtTime: The Day of the Lord"
2nd Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Day of His Coming"
3rd Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Present Joy"
4th Sunday in Advent: "KtT: The Time of Fulfillment"

Jeremiah 23:5-8
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 21:1-9

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The Greek New Testament uses two words for time: chairon and chronos. Chronos is more about clock time, the passing of time, a period of time. Time like we usually think about it. Chairon is about an appointed time, a moment of destiny when God has ordained something to happen. There are a handful of chairons that God has appointed. First and foremost among them is the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. The day of His vengeance. “Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord. (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:18-20; Hebrews 10:30-31) There is an appointed Day for His wrath and fury against sin.