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.

For today’s devotion, we focus on the Epistle and read an excerpt from Concordia Pulpit Resources.

Our commemoration today is for the fourth-century bishop Martin of Tours, and we read about him in an excerpt from Celebrating the Saints.

On our commemoration today of the sixteenth-century theologian Martin Chemnitz, we read an excerpt from The Second Martin: The Life and Theology of Martin Chemnitz.

Today, we read about Staupitz’s influence on Martin Luther as discussed in The Real Luther: A Friar at Erfurt and Wittenberg.

We focus on the Gospel text today and read an excerpt from Luther’s Works, Volume 68 (Sermons on the Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapters 19–24).