The Church Year

As we mourn the Holy Innocents today, we read a comforting devotion from the book Heaven.

As we remember the apostle John today, we read a devotion taken from a sermon in Sermons for Feasts, Festivals, and Occasions: Selections from Concordia Pulpit Resources.

When I was a child, my church always sang “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” on Christmas Day as the Communion elements were processed into the sanctuary. The congregation would start...

Toward the end of December, there are several feast days that tend to get overlooked as we celebrate Advent and Christmas. Let’s take a few minutes to draw our attention to these...

Through certain seasons in the Church Year, church workers often find themselves burning the (Advent) candle at both ends. Coming in early, working through meals, staying late — they’re...

As a prophet familiar with patience, Micah’s words are especially pertinent during our wait for Christmas during Advent. 

David Maxwell has crafted nine extensive organ settings for Advent and Christmas in this collection. Maxwell uses a variety of styles ranging from introspective (W ZLOBIE LEZY) to...

The first time I heard the hymn “Thy Strong Word” (LSB 578), I was at a friend’s church choir concert. The beautiful architecture and stained glass windows combined with the multiple...

Advent is upon us! It is a time of waiting, a time of hope, a time of preparation, a time of prayer. The prayer of the Church throughout each and every Advent season is this: “Come,...

Is your Christmas shopping done yet? Yes? Congratulations, you win Christmas this year! No? Good luck. Haven’t you heard about all the shipping delays, inventory shortages, and lack of...

It’s the time of year when we’ve generally settled into the fall rhythm of life and begin anticipating the next big things coming down the line, namely the Advent and Christmas seasons....

Every year as Christmas approaches, I find myself making wish lists—clothing, makeup, housewares, you name it. My Instagram feed is filled with ads for products that would make great...

There are forty-one days until Thanksgiving, forty-four days until the start of Advent, seventy-one days until Christmas morning, and seventy-eight days until the beginning of the new...

This year, the Church celebrates the Day of Pentecost on May 23, marking the end of the season of Easter. The word “Pentecost” literally means “fifty,” as it falls fifty days after...

The Epistle readings through much of the Easter season in the Three-Year Lectionary for Year B are from 1 John, a timeless letter of great encouragement for God’s children to love each...

Last year, our church celebrated Easter with a drive-in Easter service. In-person gatherings were not an option, but not gathering at all was not an option either. After weeks of...

Psalm 22 has one of the most memorable opening lines, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” These words are instilled into our memories as the words Jesus spoke from the cross....

As Lent is underway, many Christians throughout the world are participating in various spiritual disciplines. Some are fasting from a particular food, drink, or activity. Some are...