St. Mark Lutheran Church — Snydertown

“The crowds that went ahead of [Jesus] and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ ” — Matthew 21:9 (NRSVUE) When I was a child growing up in the church, the week before Easter was always Palm Sunday . There was no Palm/Passion Sunday, as many churches now have where the worship begins with remembering and reflecting on Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” — Luke 2:10–11 (NRSVUE) If you have attended a sporting event lately, you may notice that when there is a play that is being reviewed and the officials have to look at replays to see what the correct call is, usually the home arena or stadium will play the song, “Tell Me Some

“That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace — a new life in a new land! “ That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can

Note: A version of this piece by Pastor David was originally published in the Holiday Edition of The Lutheran Letter. “Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” — Mark 6:31–32 When I was a child, I, obviously, loved Christmas. I hardly slept the night before as I counte

“They ate until they were full. They collected seven baskets full of leftovers.” Mark 8:8 (Common English Bible)   Grace and peace to you friends.   That verse from the Gospel of Mark isn’t from Jesus’s famous feeding five thousand people that is recorded in all four gospels. Instead, it is from the lesser known feeding of four thousand that Jesus presided over. The story made me think of the Thanksgiving meals many of us will enjoy this month. I know at my family Thanksgivin

“And serve each other according to the gift each person has received …” 1 Peter 4:10 (Common English Bible)   Grace and peace to you...

Grace and peace to you friends.   This month, St. Mark hosts one of its biggest community events — the Free Book Fair and Costless...