Christianity is unique among world religions in that it presents peace and reconciliation with the Creator of mankind through grace, mercy, and sacrifice at God’s expense. This is in opposition  to meriting goodness from the higher power based on our natural goodness or abilities, earning it through obedience and good works, or merely praying that the Lord will be nice. The richness of our heritage includes presenting this Gospel message to the Lord’s people and allowing it to have the most prominent place in worship, preaching, Bible study, chapel, Sunday School lessons, and the like.

As we remember the godly man Noah, we read about the flood story in an excerpt from The Flood.

Our focus for today is on the Old Testament Reading, and our devotion comes from Concordia Commentary: Ezekiel 21–48.

Our devotional reading as we commemorate Clement of Rome comes from A Year with the Church Fathers.

On June 26, we welcomed our third baby into our family. On July 19, an empty moving truck arrived at our apartment. On July 21, the truck pulled away from our apartment filled with the things we wouldn’t need over the next couple of weeks. That same day, our remarkably full minivan pulled away from our life in St. Louis to begin a 3,800-mile road trip that took us across ten states and into Canada before we landed in Orchard Park, New York, where we would live the next year of our lives. If you are doing any sort of calculating right now, yes, that means we drove 3,800 miles with a baby who was not even one month old. Oh, and we camped. In a tent. We might be slightly crazy.

Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" followed the tradition of casting holiday-dreaders as Scrooge-like, sour-souled sad sacks who became downers and “buzz-kills” for every Cindy Lou and Tiny Tim with eager and innocent holiday aspirations.

But a quiet group of holiday-dreaders dwells quietly behind the scenes.  You may be one of them.  You try not to be noticed, but you wince as Thanksgiving and Christmas draw near. Your heart is not two sizes too small; your heart is broken.

The Book of Luke is commonly known for the story of Jesus’ birth that is recounted in chapter two. But this Gospel unfolds as a journey that Luke has recorded in chronological order. Luke, writing to a student named Theophilus, wrote the story of Jesus’ life based on interviews with eyewitnesses, and he set forth his Gospel in an orderly narrative. As you walk through the Book of Luke, you can rejoice in the central truth that is proclaimed—that Jesus Christ is Lord of all!

For today’s devotion, we focus on this Sunday's Gospel—the parable of the talents—and read an excerpt from Life of Jesus: Parables.

How many of us will sit around this Thanksgiving season and recite a small list of things we are thankful for?

In the past three and a half years, I have made seven moves. I have moved back and forth from home to school and back again. I’ve become a professional at somehow stuffing every single article of clothing, book, coffee mug, and knick-knack into my assortment of suitcases, duffle bags, and large plastic totes. Strategically packing my tiny car full of my belongings is basically a skill I could add to my resume, and I should probably get an award for being able to drive with such limited visibility out the back window of my car.