Author: admin

May 26, 2026

Broadcast

                             Pentecost - Part 1
                              Acts 2:1-4
                              05/26/2026


        1    When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all
             together in one place.
        2    And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a
             mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire
             house where they were sitting.
        3    And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them
             and rested on each one of them.
        4    And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
             began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave
             them utterance.  (ESV)

        Last Sunday, the fiftieth day after Easter, the Church
   celebrated the Feast of Pentecost.  This Feast dates back to the
   time of Moses and commemorates the children of Israel receiving
   the Law at Mount Sinai.  Some people consider Pentecost to be the
   birthday of the Christian Church.  However, all who are saved
   from sin and death are redeemed because of Christ Jesus.  The
   faithful people in the Old Testament looked to the fulfillment of
   the promise that the Seed of the Woman would crush the serpent's
   head.  The faithful people in the New Testament saw first hand
   the defeat of sin and death as Christ Jesus arose from the dead.

        When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all
        together in one place.  And suddenly there came from
        heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it
        filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And
        divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested
        on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the
        Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the
        Spirit gave them utterance.


        The message of salvation by grace through faith for the sake
   of Christ is for all people of all times and places.  Whereas we
   are divided by language, customs, race, and nationalities, yet we
   are one in our Lord and Savior.  There is one message of hope in
   this world, Christ Jesus died and rose again to pay the price of
   your sins and mine.

        This week will will look at the work of the Holy Spirit who
   calls us to faith in Christ Jesus, who makes us holy in God's
   sight, and who continues to bring us the truth of God's Word.

        May our Lord grant us hearts to hear His Word and to trust
   in Him.  Amen.

May 25, 2026

Broadcast

                             Memorial Day
                            Hebrews 12:1-2
                              05/25/2026


        1    Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a
             cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every
             weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let
             us run with endurance the race that is set before
             us,
        2    looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our
             faith, who for the joy that was set before him
             endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
             seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
             (ESV)

        The author of Hebrews reminds us:
        Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud
        of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and
        sin which clings so closely, and let us run with
        endurance the race that is set before us, looking to
        Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for
        the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
        despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of
        the throne of God.


        On this Memoral Day, we pray for our nation and give glory
   to God for all His blessings even as we remember those who gave
   their lives to preserve our freedoms.
        Gracious Lord, heavenly Father, on this day we pause to
        remember the sacrifices made for freedom throughout the
        past centuries. We do indeed owe a debt of gratitude to
        those who have paid dearly for the liberty we enjoy.
        Yet, O Lord, we know that good government, peace, and
        freedom are really gifts granted from Your fatherly
        hand, as we confess in the Creed. As we remember those
        who have served our nation, help us to remember that
        civic duty, no matter how well done, does not grant
        entrance to Your kingdom. We are saved by grace,
        through faith in Christ, apart from our works. Freed
        from the Law's demands, we know that we are now free to
        serve our neighbors for our neighbor's sake. May the
        sacrifices of those who have gone before us serve as
        examples.  When we meet those who have served, remind
        us to thank them. Almighty God, guide the leaders of
        our nation. Watch over those who serve in our armed
        forces, especially those far from home. And above all,
        grant that we, Your children by faith in Christ, may
        find a field of service in which we, as salt and
        leaven, may uphold righteousness, order, and peace in
        Jesus' name.  Amen.[1]
   ____________________

   1. Lutheran Book of Prayer, p. 174.

May 22, 2026

Broadcast

                        While We Wait - Part 5
                              John 16:1-4
                              05/22/2026


        1    I have said all these things to you to keep you
             from falling away.
        2    They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed,
             the hour is coming when whoever kills you will
             think he is offering service to God.
        3    And they will do these things because they have
             not known the Father, nor me.
        4    But I have said these things to you, that when
             their hour comes you may remember that I told them
             to you.  I did not say these things to you from
             the beginning, because I was with you.  (ESV)

        On the night He was betrayed, Jesus told His disciples:
        I have said all these things to you to keep you from
        falling away.  They will put you out of the synagogues.
        Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will
        think he is offering service to God.  And they will do
        these things because they have not known the Father,
        nor me.  But I have said these things to you, that when
        their hour comes you may remember that I told them to
        you.  I did not say these things to you from the
        beginning, because I was with you.


        Because the Church is made up of redeemed sinners, the
   Church needs to guard against false teaching and practice.
   Entire church bodies and congregations may reject the clear Word
   of God.  Those who call on congregations to repent may be
   rejected for their message.  Yet, we are called upon to witness
   the truth, even if we are cast out of the congregation because
   people do not wish to repent.

        As witnesses of the truth, we continually read, learn, and
   study God's Word so to better understand the gift of love given
   to us for the sake of Christ Jesus.  Therefore the Church prays:
        O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far
        above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but
        send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the
        Father.


        Please join us this coming Sunday at 9:00 a.m. to receive
   the blessings of God given through the Word and sacraments.  Stay
   to learn more of God's Word as we study the Bible, asking and
   answering questions so to increase our faith and knowledge.

        May our Lord grant the desire to learn more of His mercy as
   shown in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

May 21, 2026

Broadcast

                        While We Wait - Part 4
                              John 16:1-4
                              05/21/2026


        1    I have said all these things to you to keep you
             from falling away.
        2    They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed,
             the hour is coming when whoever kills you will
             think he is offering service to God.
        3    And they will do these things because they have
             not known the Father, nor me.
        4    But I have said these things to you, that when
             their hour comes you may remember that I told them
             to you.  I did not say these things to you from
             the beginning, because I was with you.  (ESV)

        There is a cost of discipleship, a cost for trusting in
   Christ Jesus for our salvation from sin, death, and the power of
   the devil.  Jesus warned His disciples:
        I have said all these things to you to keep you from
        falling away.  They will put you out of the synagogues.
        Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will
        think he is offering service to God.  And they will do
        these things because they have not known the Father,
        nor me.  But I have said these things to you, that when
        their hour comes you may remember that I told them to
        you.  I did not say these things to you from the
        beginning, because I was with you.


        Those who are faithful to God, who trust in His Word, in His
   promises above all things, can certainly expect to be rejected by
   the world.  God's Word clearly says we have all sinned and fallen
   short of the glory of God, which is a message that we do not want
   to hear.  We like to be in charge, we like to rely on our own
   abilities.  God's Word takes that ability from us.

        Although God's Word also tells us of His grace and mercy,
   that in Him we have the forgiveness of our sins and the promise
   of live everlasting, our sinful flesh does not desire to listen
   to the Gospel.  Therefore, those who proclaim the truth of God's
   Word are often shunned or marginalized.  Those who trust in God's
   grace and mercy need to be strengthened to withstand the attacks
   of the world.  Therefore the Church prays:
        O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far
        above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but
        send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the
        Father.


        May our Lord grant us faith to witness the truth, even if
   that witness comes with persecution and rejection.  Amen.

May 20, 2026

Broadcast

                        While We Wait - Part 3
                             John 15:26-27
                              05/20/2026


        26   But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you
             from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds
             from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
        27   And you also will bear witness, because you have
             been with me from the beginning.  (ESV)

        Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, told His disciples:
        But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from
        the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the
        Father, he will bear witness about me.  And you also
        will bear witness, because you have been with me from
        the beginning.


        The disciples were unique witnesses of Jesus Christ.  They
   were with Him from the time He was baptized in the Jordan River
   to the crucifixion and resurrection.  Because they were
   eyewitnesses, they told others of God's grace and mercy, both as
   they taught and as they wrote.

        Today the Church also witnesses the truth of salvation by
   grace through faith for the sake of Christ.  However, our witness
   is based on the truth of the Word of God, given to the Church as
   the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, inspired men to record that which
   the prophets foretold, that which Jesus taught.

        Because the Church still is a witness of Christ Jesus, of
   His death for our redemption from sin and death, of His
   resurrection which is a foretaste of our resurrection, and of His
   ascension where He has gone to prepare a place for us, we
   continue to pray:
        O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far
        above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but
        send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the
        Father.


        May our Lord grant us faith in His grace, and the courage to
   witness that faith to others.  Amen.

May 19, 2026

Broadcast

                        While We Wait - Part 2
                             John 15:26-27
                              05/19/2026


        26   But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you
             from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds
             from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
        27   And you also will bear witness, because you have
             been with me from the beginning.  (ESV)

        Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, told His disciples:
        But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from
        the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the
        Father, he will bear witness about me.  And you also
        will bear witness, because you have been with me from
        the beginning.


        Certainly the disciples knew of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit
   is mentioned in the first verses of Genesis, and is featured
   prominently in Kind David's penitential Psalm.  ``Cast me not
   away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from
   me.''[1] They knew that the Holy Spirit creates the faith which
   trusts fully in God's grace, love, and mercy.  After all, didn't
   Jesus tell Nicodemus, ``That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
   and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit''?

        Jesus called the Spirit the ``Paraclete,'' a title which
   often is translated as ``helper'' or ``advocate.''  The Paraclete
   is somewhat like a defense attorney, speaking for the accused,
   advising the accused, and teaching the accused.

        During this week after the Ascension, we wait for the coming
   of the Paraclete.  While waiting, we prepare for our task of
   witnessing the truth of God's love to this sin-sickened world.
   Therefore the Church prays:
        O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far
        above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but
        send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the
        Father.


        May our Lord grant us the comfort of knowing the Paraclete,
   the Helper, comes to us for our eternal blessing.  Amen.

   ____________________

   1. Psalm 51:11 (ESV)

May 18, 2026

Broadcast

                        While We Wait - Part 1
                             John 15:26-27
                              05/18/2026


        26   But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you
             from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds
             from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
        27   And you also will bear witness, because you have
             been with me from the beginning.  (ESV)

        This past Sunday is often called the ``Sunday of Waiting.''
   Christ Jesus has ascended into heaven, yet the Holy Spirit has
   not yet visibly descended on the disciples.  The Collect, or
   prayer for Sunday, reflects the Church longing for the presence
   of God.
        O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far
        above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but
        send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the
        Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy
        Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        There is a reason the disciples, and the Church, can ask
   Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to be our guide, advocate, and
   comforter.  On the night Jesus was betrayed, He told His
   disciples:
        But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from
        the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the
        Father, he will bear witness about me.  And you also
        will bear witness, because you have been with me from
        the beginning.


        Therefore the Church waits, knowing that the Holy Spirit
   comes to create and sustain the faith of each Christian.  As with
   many aspects of Christianity, there is the tension of the promise
   which is not yet fulfilled.

        May our Lord grant us patience as we await His coming, even
   as the disciples waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

May 15, 2026

Broadcast

                        The Ascension - Part 2
                             Luke 24:48-49
                              05/15/2026


        48   You are witnesses of these things.
        49   And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father
             upon you. But stay in the city until you are
             clothed with power from on high.  (ESV)

        Yesterday, the fortieth day after Easter, the Church
   celebrated Christ Jesus' ascension into heaven where He sits at
   the right hand of the Father.  Because the Father is present
   everywhere, Jesus is also present with His Church.  Although we
   cannot see Him, we know He is with us in Word and Sacrament, even
   as He has promised to hear our prayers.

        Therefore the Church prays:
        Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus
        Christ, ascended into the heavens, so may we also
        ascend in heart and mind and continually dwell there
        with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
        Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        Jesus gave His disciples a very simple commission and the
   promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  ``You are witnesses of
   these things.  And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father
   upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power
   from on high.''

        Today, through the working of the Holy Spirit, the Church
   still is a witness of the truth of salvation by grace through
   faith for the sake of Christ.  Those who hear the message of the
   Gospel respond in word and deed to God's grace and mercy.

        Trinity Lutheran Church is humbled that her Savior, Jesus
   Christ, has entrusted us to bring you this message of hope and
   comfort.  Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. as we are
   gathered at God's invitation to receive His gifts of grace and
   mercy.

        May our Lord keep us steadfast in faith towards Him and in
   fervent love for one another for the sake of Christ Jesus.  Amen.

May 14, 2026

Broadcast

                        The Ascension - Part 1
                             Luke 24:44-47
                              05/14/2026


        44   Then he said to them, ``These are my words that I
             spoke to you while I was still with you, that
             everything written about me in the Law of Moses
             and the Prophets and the Psalms must be
             fulfilled.''
        45   Then he opened their minds to understand the
             Scriptures,
        46   and said to them, ``Thus it is written, that the
             Christ should suffer and on the third day rise
             from the dead,
        47   and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should
             be proclaimed in his name to all nations,
             beginning from Jerusalem.''  (ESV)

        Today the Church celebrates Jesus' ascension to the Father.
   Please join us this evening at 7:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran
   Church as we gather with the members of Saint Paul, Fulda, to
   rejoice that our Lord Jesus the Christ is sitting at the right
   hand of the Father, and will return to judge the living and the
   dead.

        Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He led His disciples to
   the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem.
        Then he said to them, ``These are my words that I spoke
        to you while I was still with you, that everything
        written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets
        and the Psalms must be fulfilled.''  Then he opened
        their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to
        them, ``Thus it is written, that the Christ should
        suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and
        that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be
        proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from
        Jerusalem.''


        Therefore today the Church prays:
        Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus
        Christ, ascended into the heavens, so may we also
        ascend in heart and mind and continually dwell there
        with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
        Spirit, one God, now and forever.


        The message of the Church, the reason the Church exists, is
   to bring you this good news of salvation by grace through faith
   for the sake of Christ.  From that fortieth day after He rose
   from the dead until now, the Church has proclaimed the truth of
   the Word of God concerning your redemption from sin and death.

        May our Lord grant us faith to hear His Word, and to trust
   in Christ Jesus alone.  Amen.

May 13, 2026

Broadcast

                             Pray - Part 3
                             John 16:28,33
                              05/13/2026


        28   I came from the Father and have come into the
             world, and now I am leaving the world and going to
             the Father. ...
        33   I have said these things to you, that in me you
             may have peace. In the world you will have
             tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the
             world.  (ESV)

        On the night Jesus was betrayed told His disciples:
        I came from the Father and have come into the world,
        and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.
        ...  I have said these things to you, that in me you
        may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.
        But take heart; I have overcome the world.


        We believe, teach, and confess that God is present in all
   places.  As we pray, as we speak in faith to God, we know He is
   beside us, hearing our petitions, accepting our praise and
   thanksgiving.  Thus we pray at all times, both in word and
   action, for both words and actions are a response of faith.  This
   last Sunday's prayer of the Church is a reflection of this truth,
   even as we ask God to guide and direct us in all things.
        O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy
        inspiration grant that we may think those things that
        are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them.


        On the night He was betrayed, Jesus prepared His disciples
   both for His coming death, but also for His ascension.  Because
   Jesus was returning to His Father, the disciples came to know
   that He stands for us as our own High Priest, our advocate.

        Jesus prepared His disciples for the final days, the days
   when the Church proclaims the message of salvation by grace
   through faith for Christ's sake to a world which does not desire
   to listen to God's Word.  Yet the Church remains faithful,
   bringing hope to those who do not reject God's love.

        May our Lord grant us faith which holds to God's promises of
   forgiveness for the sake of Christ, of life everlasting in His
   mansions.  Amen.