Allen Lunneberg

 

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Text: Psalm 37:4
Date: 8/13/10
Concordia University – St. Paul, MN
55^th Anniversary as a Commissioned Teacher and
16^th Anniversary of Ordained Ministry of
Rev. Dr. David William Krause, Ph.D.

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

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4).

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow alumni of “CSP,” fellow servants in the various forms of the ministry of the church, respected professors and doctors, fellow musicians, brother Pastor Martin, children (Vivian, Stephen, Rachel), grandchildren and the “great” ones, too, and especially you, David and Kathleen “Katy:” Peace be to you, and grace, from Him who freed us from our sins. (more…)

Alice worked on these roses for years.

And then these “popped up” in the front yard!

Beautiful!

I could have titled this note “No Gospel?” (question mark), or “No Gospel!” (exclamation point), or, to be more post-modern, “No Gospel ?!) (question mark / exclamation point – otherwise known in times past as an “interropang”).

No Gospel? Where? When? Why?

Is not that what we are to be all about? Yes. But the fact is that we – I – many – are hearing so-called sermons all around synod congregations that are not about the Gospel, but about all sorts of other “interesting” things, but not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you do not know what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, then you will argue with me that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not being preached in many of our parishes. Sorry. But I have heard enough complaints and have experienced enough “experiences” to know that this is true. Hard to believe that a so-called Lutheran pastor could preach much less put up with a sermon or a service not totally dedicated to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But it is true. I have heard it.

Please. the proper distinction of Law and Gospel is so fundamental as to disqualifiy anyone that does not know or understand it.

enough said.

Al Lunneberg

Received this picture today with the note, “Not sure who he looks like.” I think he’s the spitting image of his dad, David!

 

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Text: John 2:1-11
Date: Epiphany II + 1/17/10
Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word, Rochester Hills, MI

The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation” or the revealing of something that is hidden. The liturgical season of Epiphany does just that, especially with its three traditional Gospel events, the Magi following the star to find the infant Jesus, then Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River accompanied by the Holy Spirit in bodily form as a dove and the Voice from heaven, “You are my beloved Son,” and finally Jesus’ first mighty sign of changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana. In all of these events what will remain hidden until you, like Jesus’ disciples at the end of today’s reading, “believe in him,” is His identity as the Son of God, come in the flesh, in order to fulfill God’s Law perfectly for us and yet to go into death for us, taking all our sins with Him. All of that is in these three events. The gifts of the Magi make these things obvious to the eyes of faith—gold for a heavenly king, frankincense for the worship of God, and myrrh for his coming death. So at His baptism, the Holy Spirit is given because, in His state of humiliation, Jesus will not use any power beyond what you and I have been given to live perfectly according to God’s Law, and yet the Voice from heaven identifies Him as the unique Son of God. And now here at a wedding these themes of revealing who Jesus is and what He came to do are the important points. The rest of the Sundays after the Epiphany, then, are a thumbnail sketch of His life on the road to His holy death as the Savior of the world. (more…)