The two things necessary

 I feel there are especially necessary for me in this life without which its miseries would be unbearable.  Confined here in this prison of the body I confess I need these two, food and light.  Therefore, You (O Jesus) have given me in my weakness Your sacred Flesh to refresh my soul and body, and You have set Your Word as the guiding light for my feet.  Without them I could not live aright, for the Word of God is the light of my soul and Your Sacrament is the Bread of Life.

Thomas Kempis, in "Treasury of Daily Prayer," page 243

Worry is...

Worry is dealing with tomorrow's problems on today's pasture.

Anon.

A Prayer of Confession

Back in 1948, Concordia Publishing House printed what they called "The Devotional Bible," a two volume set of devotional readings of the Gospels.  The devotions included a prayer and this particular one seemed to be meaningful for me on the day I read it because I wrote in down in my journal.  The prayer went like this:

O Lord, for Jesus' sake, remake me day after day, creating in me a clean heart.  I confess my sins to You.  They have bruised and wounded my soul.  You alone can blot all these wrongs and transgressions through Christ.  Make me acceptable to You and grant that every word and act of mine may please You.  Then You shall be the praise in Christ Jesus forevermore.  Amen. 

"And if we tire, you'll carry us"

May Your good Word be fulfilled in us so we hurry on our way without giving up and travel on without being tired.  And if we tire, you'll carry us.  Take us by the hand and lead us forward.  You're loyal, and your loyalty is our hope and our strength.

From To Live With Christ, page 618 

Luther on the 8th Commandment

For there is nothing on or in a person that can do both greater and more extensive good or harm in spiritual and in temporal matters than the tongue.  This is true even though it is the least and weakest part of a person (James 3:5).

From The Large Catechism 

Before the Lord death is not death at all

 (Regarding the story of the Widow of Nain in Luke, chapter 7)

For here we have the example.  The son of the widow is dead; he has lost the gift of hearing and all other senses.  

But when Christ speaks to him, he hears.  This is certainly a strange and wonderful incident.  He that does not hear, hears; and he that does not live, lives.  Nothing is done but that Christ opens His mouth and bids him arise.  The single word is so powerful that death has to vanish and life returns.

Before the Lord death is not death at all.  For us it is called and is death when we die.  But before God it is a light sleep which could not be any lighter.

Martin Luther, quoted in "Treasury of Daily Prayer," page 228

You might be a preacher if...

You'd rather negotiate with terrorist than the organist

A church picnic is no picnic 

You've ever wanted to fire the church and form a congregational search committee

You've ever wanted to give the sound tech some feedback of your own

You've ever wanted to lay hands on a deacon and you weren't thinking about praying for him

You often feel like you're herding mules rather than shepherding sheep

You've wanted to use the children's message to send a message to the congregation

You've wanted to announce your vacation with the words "Hasta la Vista, Baby!"

You've love a shock device to use to wake sleeping ushers

You've wanted to impeach the congregational president

From Adventures in Preaching