The following Collect (prayer) is appointed for this Sunday: "Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever."Growing up in an Italian family was a wonderf...

Towards the end of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote:"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you"(1 Corinthians 15:1-2).Our word "gospel" comes from a Greek term meaning "good news." It...

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Theref...

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed.This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles.The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to the...

The one constant in life is its unpredictability. Life comes at us quickly and often with intensity. No matter how life approaches us, God remains trustworthy, dependable, and faithful. Jesus promised that he would never leave us. We can trust God to meet all our needs, hear every prayer, and work everything together for our good. So, when life's unexpected twists and turn...

The Lord give you PeaceThe Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26, NKJV).More than thirty years ago, at a site just south of Jerusalem, archaeologists unearthed two rolled-up pieces of pliable silver, about the size of a credit card. Delicatel...

This Sunday, Psalm 1 is the assigned psalm. However, back in September, I wrote a devotional from it, so today's reflections come fromPsalm 42. As I reread it this week, I thought of the worship song inspired by Psalm 42: "As the Deer." While many of you have likely sung that song, here are the lyrics in case you need a reminder of what it says. As the deer panteth for the...

"The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle. They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his instructions. They forgot what he had done the great wonders he had shown them, the miracles he did for their ancestors on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt. For he divided the sea and led them through, making ...

Strength for Every TemptationThe Collect (prayer) for Sunday:O God, you know that we are set in the midst of many grave dangers, and because of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant that your strength and protection may support us in all dangers and carry us through every temptation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and...

When I preach, I often say, "Now, that's good news!" I say this because I believe it's essential to share good news whenever we encounter it. The good news of grace resonates through this week's collect. In it, we ask God for grace to respond to Christ's call of salvation, to understand the depths of God's immense love forus, and to share his good news with all people.As I...