Pastor Sullivan's Blog

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. When Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, the first petition He gives them is “Hallowed be Thy name.” Dr. Luther explains this in the Small Catechism like this: “God's name is indeed holy in itself; but we pray in this petition that it may become holy among us also.” Then he asks how is God’s name kept holy among us? He answers, “ When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we as the children of God also lead holy lives in accordance with it. To this end help us, dear Father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than God's Word teaches profanes the name of God among us. From this preserve us, Heavenly Father.” These two parts of hallowing God’s name, that the Word of God is taught in truth and purity, and that we lead holy lives according to that Word purely taught, is the subject of the appointed gospel lesson for today. Jesus commands us, “ Beware false prophets .” I...

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. In today’s Epistle lesson St. Paul summarizes the new life we have by faith in Christ. Through faith our sins are forgiven. God declares us righteous through faith apart from the works of the Law. Through faith in the promise of the Gospel God adopts us into His holy family, making us heirs of all His heavenly blessings. Because we are sons of God by adoption, we are brothers of Christ Jesus. Being brothers of Christ and co-heirs with Christ, we suffer in this life as He suffered in this life, knowing that if we suffer with Him, we will be glorified with Him at the consummation of all things. This new life of faith in Christ is beset by many challenges, one of which Christ warns us against in today’s Gospel lesson. There will be false prophets, preachers and interpreters of His Word, who intentionally, and most unintentionally, try to draw us away from the new life of faith. Paul begins by reminding us that ...