Pentecost 6: 5 July 2026 (Year A)

28 Jun 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

Theodore Parker and the American Idea

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this week, Theodore Parker (1810–1860) offers a fascinating voice from our past. A Unitarian minister and abolitionist, Parker was one of the most outspoken reformers of his time. Along with others associated with Transcendentalism in New England (think Emerson, Thoreau, and Fuller), he believed deeply in human equality and used his pulpit to challenge slavery, racism, and injustice long before the Civil War, including the dispossession of Indigenous people.

In an 1850 speech echoing paragraph two of the Declaration, Parker described what he called “the American Idea” — the belief that every person has God‑given rights, and that a true democracy must protect those rights for all people. He defined democracy as, “A government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people” (sound familiar?). He argued that America succeeds when it follows justice, equality, and freedom, and fails when it betrays those principles. Because of this, Parker insisted that slavery violated the nation’s core ideals. Parker taught that America is always a work in progress — a country that must keep striving to live up to its own promises. His ideas later influenced major leaders, including Abraham Lincoln, who directly used Parker’s phrasing in the Gettysburg Address of November 1863.

Navigate Two Worlds Here

Welcome and Thanks for your Visit!

Two Worlds is a digital ministry space featuring the weekly Revised Common Lectionary readings and a brief homily, supported by images, music, and the ELCA’s weekly commemorations. Visuals come primarily from Wikimedia Commons, and I utilize Copilot (Microsoft A.I. assistant) for both research and editing. The blog reflects ongoing dialogue with Pastor Jen Hatleli of ELC in Black River Falls and was first prompted by a 2023 Bible Study that set this work in motion.

Pentecost 6 Readings

GIVE THIS A TRY!

The Four-Question Approach

What is something NEW you learned?

What is something that made you REFLECT?

What is something you can connect to PRIOR KNOWEDGE?

What is something you would like to FURTHER DISCUSS?

Common Themes This Week

The readings for Pentecost 6 circle around God’s gracious character and the human struggle to live faithfully within that grace. Zechariah and the psalmist both proclaim a God who comes in compassion, lifting up those who are bowed down and offering prisoners a return to hope. Paul names the inner conflict that keeps people from doing the good they desire, pointing to God as the only source of rescue. Jesus then invites the weary and burdened into his rest, revealing that divine gentleness is the true path to renewal and life.

Pentecost 6 (Year A)

First Reading:
Zechariah 9: 9-12

Psalm 145: 8-14

Second Reading (Epistle)
Romans 7: 15-25a

Gospel:
Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30

Readings are Linked

Four-Minute Homily

The Battle of Lexington
William Barnes Wollen (1857-1936)

My fascination with history started with the American Revolution — it grabbed my imagination early in life and never really let go. As we mark 250 years since our founding, I’ve been thinking again about what it means to belong to a democratic republic. I grew up loving our country in an honest way—grateful for its promise, clear‑eyed about its failures, proud yet humbled by the work still unfinished. For nearly five decades I’ve tried to help young people see their own lives inside that larger American story. The Declaration’s claim that all people are created equal still stands as a challenge before us, and the work of “liberty and justice for all” remains a calling worth pursuing.

Patriotism’s unruly sibling — politics — has also been on my mind this week, stirred in part by the ancient poetry of Zechariah, the first reading. The prophets lived through seismic political upheaval, speaking warnings and hope into the trauma of the Babylonian Exile. Zechariah wrote after the Persian king Cyrus allowed the Jewish people to return home, though many stayed behind because Jerusalem lay in ruins and the future looked bleak. To those who did return, his vision of a renewed nation and a humble Messiah riding into Jerusalem on a donkey must have sounded absurd — nothing like the power politics they knew. They longed for strength; Zechariah pointed to humility. Jesus later fulfilled that vision and overturned every assumption about power (Matthew 21:2–7; John 12:14–15).

*Protestant Theologian Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)*

That ancient and frustrating tension between power and humility echoes in modern political thought as well, especially in the work of Reinhold Niebuhr. I first encountered Niebuhr in college, and his articulation of Christian Realism has shaped my politics ever since. Niebuhr’s clear-eyed view of human nature offers a bracing critique of political life — one that feels especially relevant as we approach the nation’s Semi‑quincentennial. His reminder that “the sad duty of politics is to establish justice in a sinful world” exposes both our limits and the danger of chasing power. It also punctures the absolutism and hubris that so often dominate our political climate, especially in campaign seasons. Niebuhr’s other insight — that “democracy is finding proximate solutions to insoluble problems” — keeps me grounded. It calls us back to humility, patience, and the slow, necessary work of the common good. Easy answers rarely exist, and Niebuhr never pretended they did. His realism continues to steady my political instincts and remind me what democratic citizenship requires.

Politics frustrated Jesus too. He moved within the shadow of the Roman Empire and navigated the demands of both imperial officials and religious authorities. In this week’s Gospel, you can hear his exasperation as he critiques the Pharisees for dismissing both John the Baptist and him — each for opposite reasons (Matthew 11:16–19). He thanks God for revealing truth not to the self‑assured “wise and intelligent,” but to those open enough to receive it (verses 25–26). And then come those beautiful, restorative words in verses 27–29 — worth lingering over. Jesus continues to reveal himself, sometimes boldly, sometimes quietly, offering rest for our souls amid the turmoil of this life. May we stay the course.

Soli Deo Gloria.

If you want to take a deeper dive into the basics of Christian Realism, here is a good summary.

Image of the Week

*Christ Enters Jerusalem (c. 1632) by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)*

Rubens’ Christ Enters Jerusalem feels almost cinematic. He pulls you right into the swirl of Palm Sunday — Jesus riding a humble donkey while the crowd surges around him with energy and expectation. Christ stays calm at the center, a steady presence in the middle of all that motion, which sharpens the contrast between his quiet authority and the crowd’s excitement. The city rises behind him like a backdrop, hinting at the political tension waiting inside those walls. Rubens’ bold color and muscular figures make the moment feel alive, but they also underline the point: this “king” enters without force, choosing humility in a world obsessed with power.

Musical Reflection

The Battle Hymn of the Republic has long held a singular place in American civic life, rising from its Civil War origins to become one of the nation’s most recognizable patriotic songs. Julia Ward Howe (1819–1910) wrote the text in late 1861 after hearing Union troops sing the rough soldiers’ chorus John Brown’s Body. A committed Unitarian with strong abolitionist convictions, Howe carried a moral vision shaped by liberal Protestant theology and by the reform movements that animated her adult life. That night, she awoke with lines “singing” in her head—a moment she later described as a kind of divine prompting. Out of that experience came a new text, steeped in biblical imagery and ethical urgency, framing the Union cause as a struggle for justice rather than mere military victory.

Published in early 1862, Howe’s hymn quickly became a cultural touchstone, sung in camps, churches, and public gatherings as a statement of national purpose. Nearly a century later, Joan Baez revived and reshaped it during the civil rights movement, slowing its tempo and softening its martial edge to foreground its moral vision. In her hands, The Battle Hymn became less a call to arms and more a plea for righteousness and nonviolent social change—proof that a familiar national song can be reinterpreted to meet the conscience of a new era.

The hymn appears in the ELW (890) and includes verses 1, 4, and 5 of Howe’s original poem.

Lyrics

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightnings of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps:
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps:
His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
“As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on.”

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat:
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgement seat:
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant my feet!
Our God is marching on!

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
Chorus—Glory, glory, hallelujah,
While God is marching on.

ELCA Commemorations

Note: The ELCA commemorates a wide range of Christians throughout the year as a way of remembering that God has worked through ordinary people in every age. These commemorations — drawn from Scripture, the early church, the Reformation, and more recent history — invite us to see faith lived out in many different vocations and cultures. They aren’t about elevating “heroes,” but about widening our sense of the communion of saints and letting their witness encourage our own. In marking these days, the church pauses to give thanks, to learn, and to be reminded that the Holy Spirit continues to shape faithful lives in every generation.

You will find the full listing of them in the front of the ELW. Explore any via the links provided.

Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church,
St. Paul Island, Alaska

Monday 29 June
PETER and PAUL, APOSTLES

Wednesday 1 July
Catherine Winkworth (d. 1878), John Mason Neale (d. 1866); hymn translators

Friday 3 July
THOMAS, APOSTLE

Going Beyond

Explore Living Lutheran

Living Lutheran is the flagship magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, offering stories, reflections, and reporting that explore how faith is lived out in daily life. It highlights the people, ministries, and global connections of the ELCA while engaging readers with thoughtful articles on theology, discipleship, justice, and contemporary issues. Designed to inform and inspire, the magazine serves as a gathering place for the diverse voices and experiences that shape Lutheran life today.

Visit the Living Lutheran Magazine Website

If you are seeking a church home or want to participate in our weekly on-line worship, subscribe to our YouTube Channel. All are welcome!

ELCA Witness in Society

The ELCA’s Witness in Society work helps us live our faith out in the public square. It connects what we believe with what we do—showing up for neighbors, speaking for dignity, and working for justice where it’s most needed. Through advocacy networks, state policy offices, corporate responsibility efforts, and our presence at the United Nations, the church leans into issues that shape people’s daily lives. At its heart, this work simply invites us to engage our communities with compassion, courage, and a steady commitment to the common good.

Visit the Website Here

Pentecost 5: 28 June 2026 (Year A)

21 Jun 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

Navigate Two Worlds Here

From Tish Harrison Warren
(Anglican priest and author)

“The world-renowned cellist Pablo Casals was asked why he continued to practice his instrument four or five hours a day at eighty-three years old. ‘Because I think I am making progress,’ he replied. To devote oneself fully to any craft requires the effort of a lifetime. As long as there is breath in you, my husband reminds me when I’m most discouraged, God is not finished with you — his work continues in and through you.”

This quote is from Warren’s 2026 book, What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience. It’s a marvelous book and I highly recommend it!

RCL Calendar and Sunday’s Readings

Luther and the Psalms

“Luther loved the Psalms, first lecturing on them in 1513–1516. His immersion in the Psalms certainly impacted the events of 1517. After the Ninety-Five Theses, Luther returned to the Psalms again and again. He started a practice of reading the Psalms through the day at seven designated times. This enabled him to read through the Psalter in two weeks. He kept disciplined at that practice throughout most of his life. He read the Psalms hundreds of times.“

Stephen J. Nichols

Tabletalk Magazine
(September 2024)

Common Themes This Week

The readings for 5 Pentecost lean hard into the theme of true allegiance — what it looks like to stand with God when competing voices promise easier paths. Jeremiah exposes the tension between comforting falsehoods and the costly truth, while Psalm 89 anchors the community in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness as the only reliable ground. Paul pushes this further by insisting that real freedom comes not from doing whatever we want but from offering ourselves to God in a way that reshapes our desires and our actions. Jesus then brings it home by teaching that receiving his messengers — and offering even the smallest act of mercy — reveals a life aligned with God’s kingdom, where faithfulness is measured in both loyalty and hospitality.

Pentecost 5 (Year A)

First Reading:
Jeremiah 28: 5-9

Psalm 89: 1-4, 15-18

Second Reading (Epistle)
Romans 6: 12-23

Gospel:
Matthew 10: 40-42

Readings are Linked

Four-Minute Homily: “The Courage to Discern”

When the Lectionary drops us into the prophets, I often feel like I’m back in college, pounding on the glass while my basketball teammates carried on conversations I couldn’t follow. “Let me in!” was our running joke, and honestly, I still feel that way when I hit certain Old Testament passages. This week’s reading from Jeremiah — his clash with the false prophet Hananiah — had me tapping the glass again.

First, some background. The prophetic books are dense with history and mystery. Prophets weren’t fortune‑tellers; they were God’s messengers, calling out idolatry, summoning people to repentance, and insisting on justice. Their writings stretch across three centuries (roughly 760 – 460 BCE), framed by Israel’s exile and eventual restoration. Jeremiah stands among the four Major Prophets (Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel are the other three), while twelve others form the Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malach). Together they form a chorus of warning, lament, and hope.

*“Cry of prophet Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem” by Ilya Repin (1870)*

Jeremiah himself lived through seismic upheaval: the fall of Assyria, the rise of Babylon, and the brutal deportations known as the Babylonian Captivity. Nebuchadrezzar destroyed Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem (586 BCE), the heart of Israel’s spiritual life. Jeremiah, called by God before birth, interpreted these events as the consequence of Israel’s unfaithfulness. His message isolated him, yet he stayed faithful to the call. That’s the backdrop for this week’s tense exchange. In Jeremiah 28, the year is 593 BCE. King Zedekiah sits on a shaky throne. Hananiah steps forward with a message everyone wants to hear: the exile will end in two years, Babylon’s power will crumble, and all will be well. Jeremiah responds with what sounds like dry, prophetic sarcasm — “Amen… may the Lord do so” — but he doesn’t buy it. Then comes the dramatic moment: Hananiah grabs the wooden yoke Jeremiah is wearing, breaks it, and declares that God will shatter Babylon the same way. Jeremiah walks away, but God sends him back with a hard truth: Hananiah has spoken rebellion, not revelation — his words were comforting, but false. Within months, Hananiah is dead.

So what do we do with this strange, ancient confrontation? What does it say to us now? First, Jeremiah’s message still resonates. He calls us to keep God first, to reject the idols we craft — status, certainty, political identity, even religious performance. He calls us to repentance. He calls us to love our neighbors, pursue justice, and refuse the easy path of self‑deception. Jesus himself echoes Jeremiah when he overturns the moneychangers’ tables, quoting Jeremiah 7:11. Second, the story warns us about false prophets — those who tell people exactly what they want to hear. Hananiah offered comfort without truth, reassurance without repentance. We swim in a digital world thick with misinformation, half‑truths, and voices claiming moral or spiritual authority. Some even blend religious language with political ambition, a modern form of idolatry. Discernment isn’t optional; it’s a spiritual discipline. And finally, Jeremiah reminds us that the prophets were always pointing forward. They glimpsed the coming Messiah long before Bethlehem. That thread runs straight into this week’s Gospel, where Jesus speaks across time: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” The same God who breathed through Jeremiah breathes through Christ — and still breathes through us 2,600 years later.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Image: “Jews Mourning the Babylonian Exile“

*“Jews Mourning the Babylonian Exile” by Bendemann, 1832*

Eduard Bendemann’s Jews Mourning the Babylonian Exile (1832) captures a sad moment in history — a group of Judean exiles slumped along the banks of the Euphrates, their harps hanging unused — an unmistakable nod to Psalm 137’s “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land.” Bendemann was in his early twenties when he painted it, a German artist of Jewish heritage working in the Romantic era, drawn to big emotional themes and stories of a people pushed to the edge. You can see that sensibility here: the muted colors, the stillness, the way every figure seems caught between despair and stubborn hope. The painting helped launch his career, and it also reflects a 19th‑century fascination with the Hebrew Scriptures as a mirror for national identity, suffering, and resilience. It’s a deeply human scene — ancient grief rendered by a young artist who understood something about longing and loss.

Musical Reflection: “Before You, Lord, We Bow“

*Francis Scott Key (1779-1843)*
*by Joseph Wood*

The backstory of hymns is often fascinating and offers context that enlivens our hearing or singing. Francis Scott Key’s legacy is a complicated one. A devout Christian best known for The Star‑Spangled Banner, he also wrote hymns, including Before You, Lord, We Bow, composed in 1812 amid a young nation’s turmoil. The hymn reveals a different side of Key — less patriotic triumph, more humility and repentance — yet, like many of his generation, his life held deep contradictions: he enslaved people and defended slavery in court even as he spoke of moral responsibility and national accountability before God.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s birth and hear this hymn from the ELW’s “National Songs” section (893), it helps to remember that Key wasn’t offering a victory song but a prayer. Its sturdy DARWALL tune carries a simple truth: a nation stands healthiest when it bows before God, not when it exalts itself. (Note: DARWALL’S 148th refers to a jubilant hymn tune written in 1770 by the English composer John Darwall. He originally composed it for the metrical setting of Psalm 148). In our fractured public moment of 2026, the hymn invites us to hold our love of country with open hands, seeking God’s guidance, correction, and renewal for the sake of our neighbors and the common good.

Lyrics

1. Before You, Lord, we bow,
Our God who reigns above
And rules the world below,
Boundless in pow’r and love.
Our thanks we bring
In joy and praise,
Our hearts we raise
To You, our King!

**2. The nation You have blest
May well Your love declare,
From foes and fears at rest,
Protected by Your care.
For this bright day,
For this fair land–
Gifts of Your hand–
Our thanks we pay.

3. May ev’ry mountain height,
Each vale and forest green,
Shine in Your Word’s pure light,
And its rich fruits be seen!
May ev’ry tongue
Be tuned to praise
And join to raise
A grateful song.

4. Earth, hear your Maker’s voice;
Your great Redeemer own;
Believe, obey, rejoice,
And worship Him alone.
Cast down your pride,
Your sin deplore,
And bow before
The Crucified.

5. And when in pow’r He comes,
Oh, may our native land
From all its rending tombs
Send forth a glorious band,
A countless throng,
With joy to sing
To heav’n’s high King
Salvation’s song!

** Verse 2 is not included in the ELW version of the hymn.

Posted simply by “Ben” on YouTube, I cannot identify this exceptional organist. I searched for various versions of this hymn and this one stood out to me, in part, because of the variations offered within the performance.

Enjoy singing along, although you may want to warn others in your midst, if necessary!

The first naval battle of the War of 1812 (23 June) as depicted by the artist William James Huggins. The HMS Belvidera encountered the USS President and USS United States, along with the sloops Hornet and Argos. The engagement occurred off the northeast coach near New York.

ELCA Commemorations This Week

Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) by Hans Cranach

Wednesday 24 June
JOHN THE BAPTIST

Thursday 25 June
Presentation of the Augsburg Confession (1530)

Philipp Melanchthon,renewer of the church (d. 1560)

Saturday 27 June
Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria (d. 444)

Sunday 28 June
Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons (d. 202)

Going Beyond: In Person and Digital Resources

Explore Living Lutheran

If you are seeking a church home or want to participate in our weekly on-line worship, subscribe to our YouTube Channel. All are welcome!

Global Refuge and World Refugee Day

Global Refuge — formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service — carries forward an 85‑year legacy of welcome that resonates powerfully on World Refugee Day, honoring those forced to fell conflict or persecution (observed each year on 20 June). Since 1939, the organization has walked alongside more than 800,000 newcomers, offering resources, guidance, and a soft place to land as they rebuild their lives in the United States. Their work unfolds against the backdrop of a world in which at least 41.6 million people are refugees and more than 117 million are forcibly displaced worldwide, a reminder of the immense human need that persists (hard to wrap my brain around those numbers). The mission of Global Refuge stands as a testament to compassion in action — helping new neighbors reimagine what’s possible and ensuring that welcome remains a lived, daily commitment.

Visit the Global Refuge Website

Pentecost 4: 21 June 2026 (Year A)

14 Jun 202615 Jun 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

Navigate the Two Worlds Blog Here

From Tish Harrison Warren
(Anglican priest and author)

“There was a time when, in my imagination, the story of Christianity went something like this: Jesus died on the cross for my sins. And now, jumping over two thousand years, I believe in him and ‘ask him into my heart.’ It was almost an entirely individual story. There was no need for anything other than simply me and Jesus. No need for a church. But this story makes smaller what Christ has done. Those who brace the wall of our faith are not only those we personally know. We learn the craft of faith from countless other Christians who have walked this way ahead of us.“

What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience (2026)

RCL Calendar and Sunday’s Readings

Pentecost 4 (Year A)

First Reading:
Jeremiah 20: 7-13

Psalm 69: 7-10 (11-15) 16-18

Second Reading (Epistle)
Romans 6: 1b-11

Gospel:
Matthew 10: 24-39

Readings are Linked

Common Themes This Week

Pentecost 4 (Year A) gathers around the tension between God’s call and the cost of faithful witness. Jeremiah’s lament and the psalmist’s cry show how obedience can draw misunderstanding, rejection, and even danger, yet both voices cling fiercely to God’s saving help. Paul reframes this struggle by insisting that those baptized into Christ already share his death and resurrection, which means they can live with a new, unshakable freedom from sin’s power. Jesus then names the hard edge of discipleship in Matthew—loyalties are reordered, risks are real, but the life found in him is worth everything.

The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) is a three‑year, ecumenical cycle of Scripture readings designed to guide Christian worship through the seasons of the church year. It assigns an Old Testament reading, a psalm, an epistle, and a Gospel text for every Sunday and festival, following a pattern that highlights Matthew in Year A, Mark in Year B, and Luke in Year C, with John interwoven at key moments. Developed by the Consultation on Common Texts and released in 1994 after extensive trial use, it draws from earlier Protestant and Roman Catholic lectionary reforms. Its aim is to give congregations a balanced, shared immersion in the breadth of Scripture across time.

Four-Minute Homily: “Losing the Old Life, Finding the New”

Jesus Teaching in Galilee
(A.I. Generated)

One of my favorite lines about history comes from Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man” (more on Heraclitus below). Change is the constant in human experience. After several read-throughs of this week’s Gospel from Matthew, the words of the philosopher rose to the surface and reminded me how faith works in us. In Matthew 4-9, we walk beside Jesus as he calls disciples, teaches on the mountain, and heals with authority. Then chapter 10 shifts the scene. Jesus now coaches his apostles as they prepare to carry his message into the surrounding towns. He gives them clear instructions (5-15) and then, in stark language, warns them about the opposition they will face (16-23). Their fears were real; they were stepping into a world where religious tensions could turn deadly — much like the risks many Christians still face in parts of the world today.

Then we reach this week’s Gospel. At first glance, Jesus’ words in 24-39 sound harsh, even jarring. Division? A sword? Loss of life? It’s the last thing any of us want to hear in a fractured world. And how do we reconcile verse 34 with the seventh Beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”? What do we do with talk of families splitting apart and losing our lives for his sake? Before we take Jesus literally, we should ask what he’s actually doing. As he sends his disciples into unfamiliar territory, he presses a hard truth on them: they must separate themselves from their former lives and their former ways of thinking. That separation will sting. People will misunderstand them. Some will reject them outright. But this break from the old self is essential if they are to carry the Gospel with integrity. The mission matters that much.

Now return to that river. Our faith journey keeps moving. Sometimes it meanders. At other times, the current rages and we’re hanging on for dear life. But it always moves. And this is where Heraclitus comes back into view. Our faith journey is not static. Like the “coming‑of‑age” moments that shaped us — often through painful separations — our Christian life calls us to grow, to shed what holds us back, to become the person God intends us to be. The river changes us as we move through it, and we are not the same people who first stepped into its waters.

The message we carry is radical and life‑altering, and not everyone wants to hear it. Paul captures this in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.” Like any healthy relationship, our walk with Jesus is dynamic. He keeps nudging us toward courage, toward deeper trust, toward a willingness to speak the Gospel with clarity and love (note 26–31). He keeps shaping us into our truer selves. And that work — thankfully — takes a lifetime.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Image of the Week: Hericlitus

First‑generation Christians lived in a world shaped by Greek philosophy. Its language and ideas filled the air of the first‑century Mediterranean, and Paul, for example, knew how to move in that world. We don’t know that he read directly from those ancient texts, but it seems likely. For example, when he writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that we “see in a mirror, dimly,” he’s drawing on imagery that echoes long‑standing Platonic themes about limited vision and partial understanding –not because he’s quoting Plato, but because those ideas were already part of the culture. Paul speaks the language of his world, but he turns it toward something new: the revelation of Christ.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus by Abraham Janssens c. 1601

Musical Reflection: America the Beautiful

As we are nearing the 250th Anniversary of the issuing of the Declaration of Independence, here’s another hymn from the section of National Songs in the ELW (#888).

America the Beautiful began as a poem Katharine Lee Bates wrote in 1893 while she was teaching English at Wellesley College. That summer she traveled west for a lecture assignment, and the trip — from the Kansas wheat fields to the breathtaking view atop Pikes Peak — left her so moved that the words poured out soon after. The tune we now know, Materna, had been written earlier by Samuel A. Ward for a different hymn, but after his death it was paired with Bates’s text, and the two fit together as if they’d been meant for each other all along. Over time, the song has become something like a national prayer, holding together gratitude for the country’s beauty and a hope that we might grow into the virtues Bates imagined — a reminder of the aspirational aspect of our story.

I hope you enjoy this great interpretation of the song by the Canadian Brass.

The Canadian Brass has this uncanny ability to make brass music feel both playful and downright irresistible. Ever since they started back in 1970, they’ve mixed top‑tier musicianship with a light touch—cracking a smile, telling a story, and pulling the audience right into the fun. Their playlist is all over the map in the best way: Bach one minute, the Beatles the next, with jazz, gospel, and Renaissance tunes sprinkled in for good measure. Their rendition of this magnificent song captures the hymn in full.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

O beautiful for spacious skies,
   For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
   Above the fruited plain!
      America! America!
   God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
   Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
   Across the wilderness!
      America! America!
   God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
   Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
   In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
   And mercy more than life!
      America! America!
   May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
   And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
   That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
   Undimmed by human tears!
      America! America!
   God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea!

ELCA Commemoration This Week

Note: The ELCA commemorates a wide range of Christians throughout the year as a way of remembering that God has worked through ordinary people in every age. These commemorations — drawn from Scripture, the early church, the Reformation, and more recent history — invite us to see faith lived out in many different vocations and cultures. They aren’t about elevating “heroes,” but about widening our sense of the communion of saints and letting their witness encourage our own. In marking these days, the church pauses to give thanks, to learn, and to be reminded that the Holy Spirit continues to shape faithful lives in every generation. You will find the full listing of them in the front of the ELW. Explore any via the links provide

Sunday 21 June

Onesimos Nesib, translator, evangelist
(d. 1931)

Onesimos Nesib (c. 1856–1931) was an Oromo boy enslaved as a child, freed by Swedish missionaries in Massawa, and educated in their school. He became one of the most influential translators in East Africa, rendering the entire Bible into Oromo—a landmark achievement that helped preserve and elevate the language. Ordained in the Evangelical Missionary Society of Sweden, he returned to his homeland to teach, preach, and establish schools despite political suspicion and repeated exile. His life stands as a remarkable story of resilience, scholarship, and a deep commitment to bringing Scripture to his own people.

Going Beyond: In Person and Digital Resources

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT THIS WEEK!

Two Worlds is a digital ministry space where I share the weekly Revised Common Lectionary readings and a brief homily with supporting images and music. As a nod to our history, I also include the ELCA’s commemorations for the week. Most images come from Wikimedia Commons, and I utilize Copilot for some aspects of the research and writing.

The project grows out of ongoing conversation with Pastor Jen Hatleli of ELC in Black River Falls — a dialogue first sparked by a 2023 Bible Study that set this whole thing in motion.

Friday (19 June) is “Juneteenth.” The day invites us to remember a hard truth: freedom didn’t arrive all at once, and it didn’t arrive for everyone at the same time. The ELCA marks this day with worship and witness—lifting up the stories, songs, and ancestors who carried the long struggle toward liberation. It’s a celebration rooted in honesty, holding joy and lament in the same breath, and reminding us that God’s work of justice is still unfolding. As we honor Juneteenth, we commit ourselves again to walking that road of freedom with courage, clarity, and hope.

Explore the History of Juneteenth Here!

Pentecost 3: 14 June 2026

7 Jun 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

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Two Worlds

Something to think about this week . . . .

“Many claim to have been born again, but the evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.” (Eugene H. Peterson)

Source: I drew this quote from Tish Harrison Warren’s book, What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience, (2026).

RCL Calendar and Sunday’s Readings

Pentecost 3

First Reading:
Exodus 19: 2-8a

Psalm 100

Second Reading:
Romans 5: 1-8

Gospel: Matthew
9:35-10:8 (9-23)

Readings are Linked

Common Themes This Week

God gathers a people, forms them, and sends them—this thread runs through all four readings. At Sinai, Israel is called to be a treasured possession and a priestly kingdom, a vocation echoed in Psalm 100’s joyful summons to serve the Lord with gladness. Paul grounds that calling in grace, reminding us that God’s love meets us “while we were still sinners,” creating a people shaped not by merit but by mercy. Jesus then embodies that mercy by sending disciples into the world to heal, proclaim, and restore, turning God’s gathered people into God’s sent people for the sake of others.

The Lectionary Journey

We are currently in Ordinary Time (the Time after Pentecost) within the ELCA. Following the major festivals of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, the church has entered this long, “green” season focused on the steady rhythm of discipleship in everyday life. Because we are in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary, our Sunday readings are anchored primarily in Matthew’s Gospel, highlighting themes of call and mission.

Three-Minute Homily: “The Antidote to Despair”

*The Evangelist Matthew Inspired by an Angel* (Rembrandt)

“Harassed and helpless.” Matthew’s phrase catches my attention this week — and, like so many of these episodes in the story of those first Christians, is remarkably timely. You can hear it in our public conversations, in the brittle tone of our politics, in the fatigue that hangs over so many people. Scroll social media for five minutes and you’ll see it: a culture running on fumes, anxious, cynical, and often despairing. Harassed and helpless.

As a Christian, I feel two things at once. First, a kind of shame. We live with abundance, freedom, and opportunity that most of the world can only imagine. My parents’ generation knew real deprivation; they carried that memory with them throughout their lives. They understood how fortunate we are. Our complaints, by comparison, are small. May God give us the humility to see that clearly. But second, I’m not surprised by the despair and much of it is entirely warranted. These currents run deep. They’re ancient. What we’re witnessing now is not just political exhaustion — it’s spiritual emptiness. A hollowing out. Many have stepped away from the practices and communities that once gave them meaning. They’re adrift, and the result is exactly what Matthew describes: harassed and helpless.

That’s why today’s reading from Exodus matters. Israel stands at the foot of Sinai, newly freed but not yet formed. God reminds them who they are and what they’re for: “You shall be my treasured possession… a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Before they receive a single commandment, they receive a calling. Their identity comes first. Their mission flows from it. And that’s our story too. In a moment when the world feels frayed, God gathers us again — like those Israelites at the mountain — and reminds us who we are. Not spectators. Not cynics. Not consumers of outrage. A people set apart for mercy, justice, and hope.

Jesus sent his disciples into a world every bit as troubled as ours. He tells them to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. He equips them with compassion, not contempt. He sends them not to win arguments but to heal wounds, to announce good news, to make God credible in the world. Will it be easy? Of course not. But Paul offers that marvelous roadmap: affliction produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope — real hope, not the thin optimism of the moment — is the antidote to despair. That’s our gift. That’s our calling. In a culture that feels harassed and helpless, we carry a hope that does not disappoint. So let’s share it — boldly, humbly, and with the compassion of the One who sends us. The world needs our voice.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Image of the Week: “Head of Christ”

This small portrait of Christ, painted around 1650 by an anonymous Dutch artist, reflects the era’s shift toward intimate, humanized images of Jesus. Instead of a grand, dramatic scene, we get a quiet, contemplative face — soft light, gentle modeling, and a realism that feels almost like someone you could meet on the street in 17th‑century Amsterdam. (We tend to picture Christ using our own time and place).

Dutch painters of this period often used live models for studies of Christ, hoping to capture both his humanity and his inner calm. You can sense that here: the steady gaze, the understated dignity, the warmth in the eyes. It’s a simple image, but it carries a surprising emotional weight, as if inviting the viewer into a moment of stillness.

Musical Reflection: Hymn to the Eternal Flame (Stephen Paulus)

Every so often I stumble on a piece of music that stops me in my tracks, and that happened this week when I revisited Stephen Paulus’ Hymn to the Eternal Flame. The timing felt uncanny, because we just observed the 82nd anniversary of the D‑Day landings — 6 June 1944 — a day when the world pivoted toward liberation and the long, brutal work of stopping the Nazi war machine. Paulus’ piece, written for To Be Certain of the Dawn, sits right inside that moral landscape, carrying the memory of the millions of Jewish people (and others) who were annihilated in the Holocaust. Its quiet opening feels like a single candle being lit in a dark room, and the repeated line “Each small candle lights a corner of the dark” becomes a kind of vow. By the time the voices swell together, the music feels like an act of remembrance and resistance — an echo of the same courage that pushed ashore at Normandy.

I hope you enjoy this powerful interpretation from “The Singers,” a Minnesota based group under the direction of Matthew Culloton (who now directs the Concordia Choir in Moorhead).

Lyrics

Every face is in you, every voice,
Every sorrow in you.
Every pity, every love,
Every memory, woven into fire.
Every breath is in you, every cry,
Every longing in you.
Every singing, every hope,
Every healing, woven into fire.
Every heart is in you, every tongue,
Every trembling in you,
Every blessing, every soul,
Every shining, woven into fire.

ELCA Commemorations This Week

Note: The ELCA commemorates a wide range of Christians throughout the year as a way of remembering that God has worked through ordinary people in every age. These commemorations — drawn from Scripture, the early church, the Reformation, and more recent history — invite us to see faith lived out in many different vocations and cultures. They aren’t about elevating “heroes,” but about widening our sense of the communion of saints and letting their witness encourage our own. In marking these days, the church pauses to give thanks, to learn, and to be reminded that the Holy Spirit continues to shape faithful lives in every generation. You will find the full listing of them in the front of the ELW. Explore any via the links provided.

Tuesday 9 June
Columba (d. 597), Aidan (d. 651), Bede (d. 735)

Thursday 11 June
Barnabas, APOSTLE

Sunday 14 June
Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea (d. 379)
Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa (d. 385)
Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople (d. 389)
Macrina, teacher (d. 379)

Information Linked for Background

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra by Nicolaes Pietersz
(c. 1650)

Going Beyond: In Person and Digital Resources

Indigenous Ministries

The ELCA’s Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations initiative exists to walk alongside Indigenous peoples in truth, healing, and genuine partnership. It lifts up Indigenous leadership, confronts the church’s own colonial history, and supports reconciliation through the Truth and Healing Movement. At its heart, the initiative encourages relationships rooted in respect, justice, and shared commitment so that Indigenous communities and the wider church can flourish together.

More Information Available Here!

Are You Looking for a Church Home?

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Black River Falls, is part of the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin (ELCA). We stream our Sunday worship at 9:30 each week. Please feel free to join us!
All are welcome!

Access our YouTube Channel here.

New and Improved Web Site!

The ELCA’s refreshed website (ELCA.org) feels a lot more welcoming, like someone finally cleared off the cluttered desk and laid out what you need right where you’d look for it. It’s easier to move around, easier to find stories and resources, and the whole thing just feels more grounded in the church’s real-life ministry. The new guided search is a nice touch too—it pulls everything together so you’re not hunting in four different places anymore.

Check it out here!

Pentecost 2: 7 June 2026

31 May 20261 Jun 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

Use These Tabs to Navigate Two Worlds

Thanks for your visit!

Two Worlds is a digital ministry space where I share the weekly Revised Common Lectionary readings and a brief homily with supporting images and music. As a nod to our history, I also include the ELCA’s commemorations for the week. Most images come from Wikimedia Commons, and I utilize Copilot for some aspects of the research and writing.

The project grows out of ongoing conversation with Pastor Jen Hatleli of ELC in Black River Falls — a dialogue first sparked by a 2023 Bible Study that set this whole thing in motion.

RCL Calendar and Sunday’s Readings

The Bible Project is a nonprofit, crowdfunded organization that creates free videos, podcasts, articles, and classes to help people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus. It uses visual storytelling and deep biblical scholarship to explain literary design, key themes, and the historical context of Scripture in an accessible way. Founded by Tim Mackie and Jon Collins in 2014, it has since produced hundreds of resources in more than 50 languages to help people become lifelong students of the Bible.

BibleProject Website

Where Are We in the Lectionary Calendar?

We are at the threshold of Ordinary Time in Year A, where the long green season opens and the church settles into the steady rhythm of discipleship. Year A is anchored in Matthew’s Gospel — practical, grounded, and always asking what it means to live the teachings of Jesus. Across the season, Matthew keeps circling the essentials: call, mission, parable, conflict, and the slow formation of a community learning to trust God’s reign in ordinary life. The supporting readings echo that arc, tracing promise, identity, and faithful response. It’s a year that invites us to pay attention to the long game of spiritual growth.

As an introduction to Matthew, take time to watch the video on the left — this is part two (part 1 was posted last week). If you are not familiar with The Bible Project, Mackie and Collins do an excellent job!

Pentecost 2

First Reading: Genesis 12: 1-9

Psalm: Psalm 50: 7-15

Second Reading: Romans 4: 13-25

Gospel: Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26

The four readings for Pentecost 2 trace a single arc of call, trust, and God’s life‑giving mercy. In Genesis, Abram steps into an unknown future on the strength of God’s promise, and the psalm echoes that posture by urging God’s people to offer thanksgiving and rely on God in the day of trouble. Paul then lifts up Abraham’s trust as the model of faith—confidence not in human effort but in the God who brings life out of what looks dead. Matthew completes the picture with Jesus calling unlikely disciples and restoring life where hope has collapsed, showing that God’s mercy keeps breaking in through invitation, healing, and new beginnings.

“A Christian is never in a state of completion but always in a process of becoming.”

Martin Luther

Three-Minute Homily: “Imagining the Call“

Are we called by God to do certain things in our lives — certain acts of courage, certain steps of trust, certain movements toward a future we cannot yet see? That’s a great question for us to ponder as we take on the Pentecost 2 readings. One of my favorite lines about history comes from David Blight at Yale: “History must first be imagined to be understood.” Kerry Hasler‑Brooks does exactly that in her recent Christian Century reflection on the call of Abram in Genesis 12. She imagines her way into the silences of the story — the interior lives of those who traveled with Abram, the hopes and fears of people whose voices the text never records. And this week we also hear the call of Matthew, another life interrupted by God’s summons. Like Abram, I’m struck by how Matthew simply leaves his life behind and follows Jesus.

There are many stories of people being called in scripture. Are they offered to us as a metaphor of what it means to be a Christian — to leave our prior lives behind and simply move forward? The very word “call” comes from the Latin vocare, the root of our word vocation, a concept central to Lutheran theology: God calls ordinary people into God’s work in the world. (Sidebar: I recall discussing the notion of “the call” with my father in my formative years — asking him about his sense of call for the ministry — an interesting chat). What I love in Hasler‑Brooks’s interpretation is how she refuses to let the call be a simple, heroic moment. She imagines its impact on the whole community around Abram, especially those without power or choice. That imaginative work doesn’t weaken the story — it makes it more human, more truthful, and more like the calls we know: mixed with courage and fear, trust and trembling, yet still somehow moving us toward God’s future.

Solid Deo Gloria!

Hasler-Brooks article is from June edition of The Christian Century (p. 24). I am indebted to her for this fresh interpretation of the Genesis text! She is an Associate Professor of English, Chair of the Department of Language, Literature, and Writing at Messiah University in Pennsylvania.

Image of the Week: “The Calling of St. Matthew“

“The Calling of Saint Matthew” by Caravaggio
(1599-1600)

Caravaggio’s The Calling of Saint Matthew captures the exact moment grace interrupts ordinary life, with Christ’s quiet gesture cutting through the dim, dusty room of tax collectors. The beam of light that falls across the table works like a second invitation, spotlighting Matthew’s stunned expression as he realizes the call is meant for him. Caravaggio anchors the scene in everyday clothing and gritty realism, making the Gospel feel like it’s happening in the back room of any city street. The painting’s power lies in that tension — the holy stepping straight into the mundane, and a man caught between who he has been and who he is being summoned to become.

Musical Reflection: I’ll Be On My Way

I will return to songs reflecting our nation’s heritage next week, but felt compelled to share this wonderful song this week. We’ve walked through a season of loss lately as a faith community, and it naturally turns our thoughts toward our own mortality — that quiet awareness that our days are gifts, not guarantees. Shawn Kirchner’s wrote this song after witnessing the aftermath of a tragic bus accident, suddenly struck by the truth that any one of us could “be on our way” at any moment. Yet the song doesn’t brood; it lifts. It names the Christian journey for what it is: a long walk with burdens, beauty, sorrow, and grace — all carried toward a home where, as the lyric says, “what pain there might have been will now be past.” In a time when we’re feeling the weight of goodbyes, the song becomes a gentle reminder that our story doesn’t end here, and that the One who walks beside us also leads us safely beyond the horizon. I hope you enjoy this uplifting song about our Christian journey!

Lyrics

When I am gone
Don’t you cry for me
Don’t you pity my sorry soul
What pain there might have been
Will now be passed
And my spirit will be home

I’ll be on my way, I’ll be on my way
I’ll have left my feet of clay upon the ground
I will glory bound
I’ll be on my way

When I am gone
Don’t you cry for me
Don’t my pity my sorry soul
What pain there might have been
Will now be past and my spirit will be home

I’ll be on my way, I’ll be on my way
I’ll have left my feet of clay upon the ground
I will be glory bound
I’ll be on my way

When I am gone
Please forgive the wrong that I might have done to you
There’ll be no room for regrets up there high above
Way beyond the blue

I’ll be on my way, I’ll be on way
I’ll have laid my frown and all my burdens down
I’ll be putting on my crown
I’ll be in my way

When I am gone, don’t you look for me in the places I have been
I’ll be alive but somewhere else I’ll be on my way again
I’ll be on my way, I’ll be on my way
I’ll lift my wings and soar into the air
There’ll be glory everywhere
I’ll be on way
I’ll be on my way, I’ll be on my way
I’ll have laid my from and all my burdens down
I’ll be putting on my crown
I’ll be on my way
I’ll have left my feet of clay upon the ground
I will be glory bound
I’ll be on my way

The Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir is simply a great singing group — warm sound, tight blend, and a real sense of joy in the music. Students from all kinds of majors come together, and you can hear that mix of energy and heart in their performances. They sing everything from early choral music to brand‑new pieces, and whether they’re on campus or out on tour, they’re known for singing with honesty, expression, and a strong sense of community.

Visit Their Website Here

ELCA Commemorations This Week

Note: The ELCA commemorates a wide range of Christians throughout the year as a way of remembering that God has worked through ordinary people in every age. These commemorations—drawn from Scripture, the early church, the Reformation, and more recent history—invite us to see faith lived out in many different vocations and cultures. They aren’t about elevating “heroes,” but about widening our sense of the communion of saints and letting their witness encourage our own. In marking these days, the church pauses to give thanks, to learn, and to be reminded that the Holy Spirit continues to shape faithful lives in every generation. You will find the full listing of them in the front of the ELW. Explore any via the links provided.

Monday 1 June
Justin, martry at Rome (died c. 165)

Wednesday 3 June
The martyrs of Uganda (d. 1886)
John XXIII, Bishop of Rome (d. 1963)

Friday 5 June
Boniface, Bishop of Mainz, missionary to Germany, martyr (d. 754)

Sunday 7 June
Seattle, Chief of the Duwamish Confederacy (d. 1866)

Information Linked for Background

“*The Martyrs of Uganda,” Kampala, Uganda*

Going Beyond: In Person and Digital Resources

Magnifica Humanitas

Pope Leo XIV released a new encyclical this week on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas, and it’s a timely read. An encyclical is basically a formal teaching letter from the pope — a way of speaking to the whole Church about something that matters right now. In this one, Leo takes a steady, pastoral look at AI: not panicking about it, not hyping it, but reminding us that any technology we build has to protect human dignity and serve real people. He points out that AI can deepen our compassion or our harm, depending on the values behind it, and he urges Christians to stay rooted in the gospel as we navigate this new terrain. I’ll link to the full text for anyone who wants to explore it further — reading the introduction will give you a sense of the full document.

Explore the Encyclical Here

The Holy Trinity: 31 May 2026

24 May 202624 May 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

Where Are We in the Lectionary Calendar?

Next Sunday we celebrate The Holy Trinity. Beyond that, we have entered the Season of Pentecost, or Ordinary Time, which stretches across the entire second half of the Lectionary year until Advent begins Year B. This long green season focuses on growth, mission, and the Spirit‑shaped life of the church.

Matthew is highlighted in Year A, so nearly all the Gospel readings between now and the end of November come from the first of the Gospels. As an introduction to Matthew, take time to watch the video here — this is part one and I will post part two next week. If you are not familiar with The Bible Project, Mackie and Collins do an excellent job!

Thanks for your visit!

Two Worlds is a digital ministry space where I share the weekly Revised Common Lectionary readings and a brief homily with supporting images and music. As a nod to our history, I also include the ELCA’s commemorations for the week. Most images come from Wikimedia Commons, and I utilize Copilot for some aspects of the research and writing.

The project grows out of ongoing conversation with Pastor Jen Hatleli of ELC in Black River Falls — a dialogue first sparked by a 2023 Bible Study that set this whole thing in motion.

Navigate the Blog Here

This Week’s Readings (Linked) and Themes

The Holy Trinity

Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a

Psalm 8

2 Corinthians 13: 11-13

Matthew 28: 16-20

The Trinity readings trace a single arc: God creates, crowns humanity with dignity, and then sends the Church into the world wrapped in divine presence. Genesis 1 reveals the relational God whose Word and Spirit bring creation to life, while Psalm 8 marvels that this majestic Creator entrusts such glory to human beings. 2 Corinthians 13 turns that wonder into a blessing, naming the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Spirit as the Church’s shared life. And in Matthew 28, Jesus commissions his followers to baptize into the name—singular—of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, completing the picture of a God who creates, redeems, and accompanies his people.

Luther Commenting on the Trinity

“Therefore, we should not dispute about how it can be that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One God, for it is by its very nature beyond all reason, but it should be enough for us that God speaks thus about Himself and reveals Himself thus in His Word. This is a strengthening message, and it should make our hearts joyful towards God. For we see that all three Persons, the whole Godhead, turns Himself to us in order that we poor wretched people should be helped against sin, death, and the devil, that we may be brought to justification, the Kingdom of God, and eternal life.”

(From Luther’s sermon on John 3)

Three-Minute Homily: “Living Inside the Mystery”

“God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time you are the triune God: Author of creation, eternal Word of salvation, life-giving Spirit of wisdom. Guide us to all truth by your Spirit, that we may proclaim all that Christ has revealed and rejoice in the glory he shares with us. Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.” (ELW, p. 37)

Holy Trinity Sunday drops us right into the deep end. One God. Three persons. A mystery we name every week but never quite pin down. The prayer offered above, rooted in the old Anglican Collects and carried into our ELW, reminds us that when we speak of the Trinity, we’re stepping into a centuries‑long conversation. Working with these texts this week took me back to my Concordia College religion classes in the mid‑70s, where early church debates swirled far above my teenage understanding. One of the fiercest was Arianism — the claim that Jesus was created by God and not fully one with God. For those of us raised in Lutheran pews, the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can feel like background music. But it wasn’t. It was contested, defended, and eventually confessed as the heart of Christian faith.

That’s why the creeds matter. In the ELCA, we adhere to the three ecumenical creeds. The Apostles’ Creed gives us the basic frame. The Nicene Creed, hammered out in 325, sharpens it: the Son is “of one being with the Father,” the Spirit “the giver of life.” And the Athanasian Creed — our most detailed and demanding — insists that the Three are not blended, not divided, but one God in perfect unity. I’m grateful we don’t recite that one every Sunday, but its very intensity shows how central the Trinity is to Christian identity. Still, doctrine alone can’t carry the whole weight. Martin Marty puts it simply: the Trinity teaches us about relationship.** God is not solitary. God is communion — Creator, Redeemer, Advocate — love shared and overflowing. And when we invoke the Trinity, we’re drawn into that divine life so we can live it out with one another. And this isn’t just ancient history. Our own Lutheran World Federation continues dialogues with Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches — conversations that have already borne fruit, like the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. These dialogues still take up Trinitarian questions: the Holy Spirit, the nature of the Church. In other words, the Trinity still shapes the Church’s life today.

So on this Holy Trinity Sunday, we don’t try to solve the mystery. We let it shape us. We let the creeds, the prayer, and the long witness of the Church remind us that God’s very being is relationship — endless joy and love shared among Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and poured out for the life of the world. One God. Three persons. And a love big enough to hold us all.

Soli Deo Gloria!

**My reference to Martin Marty (1928-2025) comes from his terrific book, Lutheran Questions, Lutheran Answers (Augsburg Fortress, 2007). Marty, pictured here, was a remarkable theologian and writer. His son, Peter Marty, is the editor The Christian Century.

Image of the Week: Medieval Depiction of the Trinity

This window from the church in Courgenard — a small village in the Sarthe region of northwestern France — shows a classic medieval way of picturing the Trinity known as the “Throne of Grace.” Beginning in the 1100s, Western artists used this image of God the Father holding the crucified Christ with the Holy Spirit as a dove to help ordinary worshipers visualize the mystery of God’s self‑giving love. It grew out of a period when the Church was working hard to express the unity of the Trinity while still honoring the distinct roles of Father, Son, and Spirit. The fact that this window survives in a rural parish reminds us how even small communities were shaped by the major theological currents of the Middle Ages.

Musical Meditation: The Battle Hymn of the Republic

In the lead-up to July 4th, I plan to feature music drawn, in part, from the National Songs section of Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Hymns 887–893), or other songs that have that flavor.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this feels like a fitting season to pause, listen, and reflect on our nation’s story—its beauty, its complexity, and the ongoing work of shaping a more just and generous common life. These hymns give us a way to hold together gratitude for our homeland with a wider, prayerful awareness of the world God loves.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic was born in the early days of the Civil War, when Julia Ward Howe heard Union soldiers belting out the rough‑and‑ready marching tune John Brown’s Body. She loved the energy but thought the lyrics could use an upgrade, so later that night she woke up with lines “singing” in her head and wrote a new text that wrapped the Union cause in bold, biblical language. When her version appeared in The Atlantic Monthly in 1862, it instantly reframed the war as a moral crusade, pairing a revival‑style melody with a sense of divine purpose. That mix of faith, fire, and patriotism helped the song take on a life of its own — echoing through rallies, churches, and even state funerals for generations. I hope you will appreciate this beautiful piano interpretation by Sangah Noona.

Sangah Noona is a South Korean–born pianist (born 1987) whose blend of classical training and wide‑ranging musical taste has made her a standout presence on YouTube. She built her early career in Seoul as a session musician and hotel pianist before moving to the United States, where her livestreams and genre‑spanning performances drew a large, loyal following. Known for her expressive touch and easy rapport with listeners, she moves comfortably from Chopin to jazz standards to rock requests without losing her signature warmth.

Visit Noona’s Website Here

ELCA Commemorations This Week

Note: The ELCA commemorates a wide range of Christians throughout the year as a way of remembering that God has worked through ordinary people in every age. These commemorations—drawn from Scripture, the early church, the Reformation, and more recent history—invite us to see faith lived out in many different vocations and cultures. They aren’t about elevating “heroes,” but about widening our sense of the communion of saints and letting their witness encourage our own. In marking these days, the church pauses to give thanks, to learn, and to be reminded that the Holy Spirit continues to shape faithful lives in every generation. You will find the full listing of them in the front of the ELW.

Wednesday 27 May
John Calvin, renewer of the church (d. 1564)

Friday 29 May
Jiri Tranovsky, hymnwriter (d. 1637)

Sunday 31 May
Visit of Mary to Elizabeth

Explore each by following the link!

Mary Visits Elizabeth
(A.I. Generated Image, 2026)

Going Beyond: Digital Ministry and Beyond

From Henri Nouwen

“Celebrating means the affirmation of the present, which becomes fully possible only by remembering the past and expecting more to come in the future. But celebrating in this sense very seldom takes place. Nothing is as difficult as really accepting one’s own life. More often than not the present is denied, the past becomes a source of complaints, and the future is looked upon as a reason for despair or apathy. When Jesus came to redeem mankind, he came to free us from the boundaries of time. Through him it became clear not only that God is with us wherever our presence is in time or space, but also that our past does not have to be denied but can be remembered and forgiven, and that we are still waiting for him to come back and reveal to us what remains unseen.“

Visit the Henri Nouwen Society Website

Our in-person Lectionary Discussion Group at ELC will be taking a pause from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

We will use this time to formulate adult education experiences for the fall of 2026 and beyond. Look for further adult education announcements throughout the summer.

Day of Pentecost: 24 May 2026

17 May 202618 May 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

Where Are We in the Lectionary Calendar?

The Easter season now gives way to Pentecost, a moment rooted in our shared Judeo‑Christian story. In Judaism, Pentecost marked the Festival of Weeks — fifty days after Passover — celebrating the wheat harvest and God’s gift of the Torah. For Christians, Acts 2 turns that same fiftieth day into the Spirit’s arrival, when Jesus’ followers stepped into public witness and the Church took shape. That history still matters as we enter the Season of Pentecost, or Ordinary Time, which stretches across the entire second half of the Lectionary year until Advent begins Year B. This long green season focuses on growth, mission, and the Spirit‑shaped life of the church, and nearly every Sunday will draw us into Matthew’s Gospel, sharpening how we hear Jesus’ teaching and how we imagine discipleship in the world.

Navigate the Blog Here

This Week’s Readings (Linked) and Themes

The Day of Pentecost

Acts 2: 1-21

Psalm 104: 24-34, 35b

1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13

John 20: 19-23

The readings for Pentecost all point to the Spirit breaking in and creating new life. Acts shows the Spirit empowering ordinary people to speak with courage, while Psalm 104 celebrates the Spirit as the breath that renews all creation. Paul reminds the Corinthians that this same Spirit binds diverse people into one body and equips them with gifts for the common good. In John’s Gospel, the risen Jesus breathes peace on his disciples and sends them into the world with Spirit‑given purpose. Together, these texts paint a picture of a church born in power, united in diversity, and sent out to embody God’s renewing work.

Luther’s Explanation of the Third Article

“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way, He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church, He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day, He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.”

Three-Minute Homily: “Wind, Fire, and a Faith That Moves”

Dutch Theologian
Henri Nouwen
(1932-1996)

“Without Pentecost, the Christ‑event—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—remains imprisoned in history as something to remember, think about, and reflect on. The Spirit of Jesus comes to dwell within us, so that we can become living Christs here and now.” (Henri Nouwen)

Nouwen’s words set the tone for this week’s readings and raise a fair question: do we give Pentecost the attention it deserves? Its roots reach back to the Jewish Festival of Weeks, fifty days after Passover, when pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem to give thanks for the wheat harvest. Coming ten days after the Ascension, Acts 2 places the disciples right in the middle of that festival — fearful, waiting, and then suddenly swept up in wind and fire as the Spirit pushes them into public witness. Their unexpected chorus of languages amazes and confuses the crowd until Peter steps forward with Joel’s promise and calls his listeners into a new life shaped by the risen Christ.

Pentecost matters because it fulfills Jesus’ promise of the Spirit — the One who calls, enlightens, and sustains us in faith. Every time we confess the Third Article of the Creed, we’re naming that dependence, and Luther reminds us that even faith itself is Spirit‑given, not self‑generated (note the Third Article reference above). Pentecost also announces that the Spirit breaks down the barriers we build — barriers of race, gender, culture, religion, and politics. The multilingual moment in Acts 2 makes that truth unmistakable: God pours out the Spirit on all flesh. The Spirit equips us to meet the world’s pain with courage, compassion, and hope.

Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians add one more layer: the Spirit shows up in countless ways, often quietly, often where we least expect it. Our task is to stay open, to look for those nudges, especially when they lead us beyond our comfort zones. God’s love holds us through every season, stronger than anything life can send our way. And in Nouwen’s language, Pentecost invites us to become “living Christs” here and now. Happy Pentecost, fellow travelers!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Image of the Week: St. Peter Preaching at Pentecost

“St. Peter Preaching at Pentecost,” painted by Benjamin West in 1785, captures the moment in Acts 2 when Peter steps forward to address the crowd after the coming of the Holy Spirit. West — raised in a devout Quaker family and later a central figure in British art and a founder of the Royal Academy — uses dramatic lighting and classical architecture to heighten the scene’s spiritual intensity. He places Peter at the center, raised above a diverse gathering whose faces register awe, curiosity, and conviction. The balanced, orderly composition reflects West’s Neoclassical style and his gift for turning biblical narratives into grand historical drama. The painting underscores Pentecost as the Church’s first public proclamation, a moment of Spirit‑driven clarity and courage.

Musical Meditation: “This Is My Song”

For the next several weeks, I plan to feature music drawn, in part, from the National Songs section of Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Hymns 887–893). As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this feels like a fitting season to pause, listen, and reflect on our nation’s story—its beauty, its complexity, and the ongoing work of shaping a more just and generous common life. These hymns give us a way to hold together gratitude for our homeland with a wider, prayerful awareness of the world God loves.

This Is My Song is a perfect place to begin. It weaves together the work of two writers separated by a generation but united in their longing for peace. The first two stanzas were written in 1934 by Lloyd Stone, who set his gentle, interwar poem to Jean Sibelius’s Finlandia melody as a reminder that love for one’s homeland can stand alongside respect for the hopes and dreams of people in every nation. Several decades later, in the early 1960s, theologian Georgia Harkness contributed a third stanza that broadened the hymn into a prayer for global justice, freedom, and reconciliation. Together, these verses form a moving affirmation that the desire for peace is shared across borders and that God’s care embraces every land and every people.

Voices of Concinnity is a professional chamber ensemble based in Connecticut and known for its luminous blend, expressive clarity, and imaginative programming. Founded in 2018 under the direction of Sarah Kaufold, the ensemble is part of the Consonare Choral Community, an organization committed to expanding access to high‑quality choral artistry. Concinnity’s work spans early music to contemporary compositions, with a particular dedication to living composers and historically underrepresented voices. Their performances have earned national recognition for both musical excellence and artistic vision, offering audiences choral singing that is intimate, finely crafted, and deeply human.

Find Out More Here!

Lyrics

This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating.
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.

May truth and freedom come to every nation
May peace abound where strife as raged so long
That each may seek to love and build together
A world united, righting every wrong.
A world united in its love for freedom,
Proclaiming peace together in one song

ELCA Commemorations This Week

Note: The ELCA commemorates a wide range of Christians throughout the year as a way of remembering that God has worked through ordinary people in every age. These commemorations—drawn from Scripture, the early church, the Reformation, and more recent history—invite us to see faith lived out in many different vocations and cultures. They aren’t about elevating “heroes,” but about widening our sense of the communion of saints and letting their witness encourage our own. In marking these days, the church pauses to give thanks, to learn, and to be reminded that the Holy Spirit continues to shape faithful lives in every generation. You will find the full listing of them in the front of the ELW.

Monday 18 May
Erik, King of Sweden, martryr (d. 1160)

Thursday 21 May
Helena, mother of Constantine (c. 330)

Sunday 24 May
Nicolaus Copernicus (d.1543), Leonhard Euler (d. 1783); scientists

Explore each by following the link!

Going Beyond: Digital Ministry and Recommendation

Book Recommendation

Tish Harrison Warren’s newest book, What Grows in Weary Lands: on Christian Resilience, reflects on how Christian hope takes root precisely in seasons of exhaustion, disorientation, and cultural fracture. The book ultimately invites readers to trust that even in weary lands, grace is quietly at work, preparing the soil for new growth.

Warren is an Anglican Priest who lives in Austin, Texas.

14 and 17 May 2026: Ascension of Our Lord and 7 Easter

8 May 202631 May 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

Where Are We in the Lectionary Calendar?

Even though the Lectionary highlights Ascension Day, it often slips by quietly. We’re deep into Eastertide now — the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost — that keep drawing us back to resurrection, renewal, and the church’s first steps into mission. As Thursday approaches, the Ascension stands before us as that hinge moment when Jesus, after forty days with his followers, entrusts his work to the church and returns to the Father. Luke and Acts hold this mystery with both clarity and awe. Christians have honored this day since the earliest centuries; by the fourth century it was widely observed in the East, and by the sixth it was firmly rooted in the Western church. Traditionally kept forty days after Easter, Ascension Day has become a feast of prayer and worship, proclaiming Christ’s exalted reign and the hope of his coming again.

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This Week’s Readings (Linked) and Themes

The Ascension of Our Lord (Thursday)

Acts 1: 1-11

Psalm 47

Ephesians 1: 15-23

Luke 24: 44-53

The Ascension readings hold together around the conviction that Christ’s exaltation reshapes the mission and hope of his people. Acts and Luke present the Ascension not as Jesus’ departure but as the moment he entrusts his witnesses with Spirit‑empowered purpose, sending them into the world with opened minds and burning joy. Psalm 47 lifts this event into cosmic scale, celebrating the risen Christ as the enthroned King whose reign calls all nations to praise. Ephesians then draws the lens even wider, proclaiming that the ascended Christ now fills all things with resurrection power, ruling over every authority for the sake of the Church, his body. Together, the readings declare that Christ’s reign is already active, his presence is not diminished but transformed, and his people now live between promise and commission—anchored in hope, empowered for witness, and lifted into the life of the risen Lord.

7 Easter (Sunday)

Acts 1: 6-14

Psalm 68: 1-10, 32-35

1 Peter 4: 12-14; 5: 6-11

John 17: 1-11

The readings for 7 Easter gather around the tension and promise of a community learning to live in the space between Christ’s Ascension and Pentecost. Acts shows the disciples waiting in obedient hope, trusting Jesus’ promise even as they cannot yet see its fulfillment. Psalm 68 lifts that waiting into a vision of God as the victorious, mountain‑riding defender who scatters enemies, shelters the vulnerable, and reigns with unmatched strength. 1 Peter speaks directly into this in‑between time, urging believers to endure trials with humility and courage, confident that God will restore and strengthen them. In John 17, Jesus’ prayer anchors all of this: he entrusts his followers to the Father, asking that they be protected, unified, and sustained in the world. Together, the readings portray a people held by God’s power, shaped by Christ’s intercession, and prepared for the Spirit’s coming as they wait with trust, humility, and expectant hope.

Five-Minute Homily: He Opened Their Minds

Ho‑Chunk elder Gordon Thunder visited my classroom many times during my years at BRFHS. On his first visit in the 1990s, he said something that lodged itself in me and never left: “Education is much more a matter of the heart than of the head.” As he spoke, he tapped his chest and told a story from his childhood. He remembered walking in the woods with his Cooka—his grandfather—who would stop along the trail to teach him things. Nothing formal. Nothing scripted. Just a grandfather, a child, and the quiet wisdom of the woods. That memory still reminds me that real learning begins with inspiration, not information. Gordon’s words came back to me again this week as I sat with the readings from Ephesians and Luke. In Ephesians, Paul prays that believers receive a spirit of wisdom and that “the eyes of their heart” be enlightened. I love that phrase. One commentator suggests that the heart, in Paul’s world, meant the core of who we are — mind, will, emotions, maybe even what we would call the soul. So when Paul prays for the eyes of our heart to open, he’s asking God to help us see fully, to perceive truth in a way that goes deeper than intellect. It strikes me that this is a prayer worth whispering every time we open scripture. Jesus gives what Paul prays for. After the resurrection — after the Emmaus conversation and the breaking of bread — Jesus appears again to the disciples in Jerusalem. He reminds them that everything written about him in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms has come to life in him. Then Luke offers that luminous line: “He opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” It mirrors the Emmaus moment when their eyes were opened at the table. Jesus is doing for them what Paul later longs for in the church: awakening the heart, clearing the fog, helping them see. From there, Jesus gives them a kind of summary of the Christian story — his suffering, his rising, the forgiveness he brings, and the mission they will carry into the world. He names them as witnesses. He promises the Holy Spirit. And then Luke gives us that dramatic scene of the ascension—so striking that he repeats it again at the start of Acts. None of the other Gospel writers tell it quite this way.

*“Jesus Ascending into Heaven”* by
John Singleton Copley, 1775

How do we make sense of that moment? Artists like John Singleton Copley and Albertino Piazza (below) tried to capture it on canvas, but even the best paintings can only gesture toward mystery. As one thoughtful Christian philosopher has suggested, the ascension is not about Jesus rocketing through the sky to some far‑off “heaven.” It is not a change of location at all, but a change of state — Jesus stepping from the realm of time into the realm of eternity. That way of seeing it rings true. The disciples weren’t watching a departure; they were witnessing a transformation. Something real happened — something beyond their categories — something that told them Jesus was not gone but glorified, not absent but now present in a new and deeper way.

And here we are, two thousand years later, still trying to see with the eyes of our hearts. We remain in that “between time” — still trying to understand scripture. Still trying to follow the risen Christ into a world that aches for hope. Like those first disciples, we are witnesses in our own time and place. Guided by the Spirit, we carry light into the corners around us. And yes — the world still desperately needs the message of Jesus Christ. May God open our hearts to see it, and our lives to live it.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Image of the Week: The Ascension of Christ

Albertino Piazza’s Ascension of Christ presents the apostles gathered around the empty tomb, their faces lifted in awe as Christ rises beyond the frame. The composition centers on the circle of disciples, each rendered with distinct gestures that convey wonder, confusion, and devotion. Piazza uses warm earth tones and soft modeling to ground the scene in human emotion while hinting at the divine action unfolding above. The empty tomb anchors the lower half of the painting, symbolizing both the Resurrection completed and the mission about to begin. The overall effect is a quiet but powerful meditation on the moment when earthly followers look upward toward a heavenly Christ.

Ascension of Christ
Albertino Piazza
(1490–1528)

Musical Meditation: Lord, You Give the Great Commission

In Luke–Acts, the Ascension and the church’s mission flow together as one moment. Jesus opens the Scriptures, promises the Spirit, names the disciples as His witnesses, and then ascends — handing the mission to them as He goes. That same sense of calling runs through “Lord, You Give the Great Commission,” which Jeffery Rowthorn wrote in 1978 for Yale and Berkeley Divinity School students who wanted a hymn that spoke honestly about ministry. Each verse lifts a direct saying of Jesus and turns it into a clear picture of the church’s work—teaching, healing, forgiving, serving, and staying hopeful—always grounded in the Spirit’s power rather than our own. Paired with Cyril Taylor’s confident tune ABBOT’S LEIGH, the hymn has become a favorite for ordinations, mission Sundays, and any moment when the church sends people out with purpose and heart.

This powerful version of the hymn is offered by the combined choirs of two Episcopal churches: Christ Church, Cambridge and Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill (Massachusetts).

Note: The ELCA shares full communion with six U.S. church bodies: the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Reformed Church in America, and the United Church of Christ (all since 1997); the Moravian Church in America and The Episcopal Church (both since 1999); and the United Methodist Church (since 2009).

Lyrics

Verse 1
Lord, you give the great commission:
“Heal the sick and preach the word.”
Lest the church neglect its mission
and the gospel go unheard,
help us witness to your purpose
with renewed integrity:
With the Spirit’s gifts empower
us for the work of ministry.

Verse 2
Lord, you call us to your service:
“In my name baptize and teach.”
That the world may trust your promise,
life abundant meant for each,
give us all new fervor, draw us
closer in community:
With the Spirit’s gifts empower
us for the work of ministry.

Verse 3
Lord, you make the common holy:
“This my body, this my blood.”
Let us all, for earth’s true glory,
daily lift life heavenward,
asking that the world around us
share your children’s liberty:
With the Spirit’s gifts empower
us for the work of ministry.

Verse 4
Lord, you show us love’s true measure:
“Father, what they do, forgive.”
Yet we hoard as private treasure
all that you so freely give.
May your care and mercy lead us
to a just society:
With the Spirit’s gifts empower
us for the work of ministry.

Verse 5
Lord, you bless with words assuring:
“I am with you to the end.”
Faith and hope and love restoring,
may we serve as you intend,
and, amid the cares that claim us,
hold in mind eternity:
With the Spirit’s gifts empower
us for the work of ministry.

ELCA Commemoration This Week

Thursday 14 May: Matthias, Apostle

Matthias is the man chosen to replace Judas after Judas’ betrayal and death, and his story shows up only in Acts 1. The early believers wanted to restore the symbolic number of twelve apostles, so Peter laid out the criteria: the replacement had to be someone who had been with Jesus from the beginning and had witnessed the resurrection. Two men fit the bill — Joseph Barsabbas (called Justus) and Matthias. The community prayed, cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias, which they understood as God’s choice. After that moment, Scripture doesn’t mention him again, and most of what people say about his later ministry comes from much later traditions, not the Bible itself. Matthias wasn’t a random pick; he was a long‑time follower of Jesus whose quiet faithfulness made him a natural fit. His story highlights how the early church trusted God’s guidance, valued faithful witness, and sought to continue Jesus’ mission even in a moment of uncertainty.

Source: GotQuestions.org, a website devoted to exploring questions regarding the Bible and Christianity.

*Saint Matthias* by Simone Martini (c. 1284 – July 1344)

Going Beyond: Digital Ministry

The Lectionary Study Group will meet Sunday (5.17) at 10:45 in the library. All are welcome!

Note: We will be taking a pause from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Look for further adult education announcements throughout the summer.

This cartoon from the pen of Charles Schulz is drawn from Robert L. Short’s 1968 classic, The Parables of Peanuts. As a history teacher, it reminded me of how tricky it can be to navigate the three time dimensions in our lives! As with many of Schulz’s cartoons, the message is timeless!

10 May 2026: 6 Easter

3 May 20264 May 2026 / Rykken / 1 Comment

Welcome to Two Worlds!

Two Worlds is a digital ministry space where I share the weekly Revised Common Lectionary readings and a brief homily with supporting images and music. As a nod to our history, I also include the ELCA’s commemorations for the week. Most images come from Wikimedia Commons, and I utilize Copilot for some aspects of the research and writing.

The project grows out of ongoing conversation with Pastor Jen Hatleli of ELC in Black River Falls — a dialogue first sparked by a 2023 Bible Study that set this whole thing in motion.

Feel free to offer your comments on the blog. And I welcome any feedback: pstrykken@gmail.com

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Thanks for Visiting This Space!

The 6 Easter Readings (Linked)

Acts 17: 22-31

Psalm 66: 8-20

1 Peter 3: 13-22

John 14: 15-21

Common Themes

The readings for 6 Easter hold together around the promise that God draws near, sustains, and empowers a people who witness with courage and hope. In Athens, Paul announces a God who is not distant but the One in whom “we live and move and have our being,” calling all people toward life in the risen Christ. Psalm 66 echoes that nearness with thanksgiving for a God who hears, delivers, and refuses to abandon those who cry out. First Peter urges believers to embody that same hope with gentleness and endurance, trusting that Christ has already gone ahead of them through suffering into new life. And in John 14, Jesus seals the promise with the gift of the Advocate, assuring the disciples that love, obedience, and the Spirit’s presence will bind them to him even after his departure. Together, the texts paint a picture of a God who refuses distance—choosing instead to dwell with, strengthen, and send a people shaped by resurrection.

Three-Minute Homily: “God in Us”

Think for a moment about the most enthusiastic person you know. A number of people come to mind for me — people who change the room with their presence. They remind me that enthusiasm comes from the Greek entheos, “God in us,” which is exactly what Jesus promises in this week’s Gospel. In John 14:15–21, Jesus is preparing the disciples for life after his departure. He promises “another Advocate” (v. 16), someone who will stand beside them and dwell within them—the Spirit of Truth the world can’t quite grasp (v. 17). He assures them they won’t be left orphaned (v. 18), and in verse 20 he gives a remarkable glimpse into the life of the Trinity. It’s worth lingering over that line.

And when we do, we realize the Church has been lingering over it for centuries. Every time we confess the faith in our three ecumenical creeds, we echo what Jesus is saying here. The Apostles’ Creed names Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with a kind of elegant simplicity. The Nicene Creed widens that frame, reminding us that the Son is “of one being with the Father” and the Spirit is “the Lord, the giver of life” — language that mirrors the unity Jesus describes in verse 20. And the Athanasian Creed, with its careful insistence on “one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity,” underscores that this isn’t abstract theology. It’s the very life of God — shared, relational, overflowing. Which means that when Jesus promises the Advocate, he’s not offering a spiritual accessory. He’s drawing us into that divine life itself. That is the heart of entheos — “God in us.”

That same theme —“God in us” — runs straight into the reading from Acts. Paul’s conversion took place around 34 CE, and roughly twelve years later he launched the first of several missionary journeys. Between 46–60 CE, he traveled more than 10,000 miles across the Mediterranean world, most of it on foot. In Acts 17, we meet him on his second journey (around 51 CE), standing on the Areios Pagos in Athens after being chased out of Thessalonica and Berea. Picture Paul surrounded by a mix of philosophers, poets, civic leaders, skeptics, and people who are simply curious about this “new teaching” he’s bringing to town. Athens was a city that loved ideas, so Paul meets them on their own ground. He begins with something familiar—their altar “to an unknown god”—and uses it as a bridge to proclaim the God “who gives to all mortals life and breath” (v. 25). Then he goes a step further. To show he’s not attacking their culture but building on it, he quotes two of their own poets, Epimenides and Aratus, to affirm that “we too are his offspring” (v. 28). It’s a brilliant move: he honors their intellectual world while gently redirecting it toward the God revealed in Christ. And as Acts tells us, the response is mixed. Some laugh him off, but others—like Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris—lean in and become part of the early Christian movement (vv. 32–34).

So what do we take from these readings? First, God’s love and the gift of the Spirit are not limited to insiders. They reach everyone — an unsettling truth in a world that thrives on division. Second, the Spirit doesn’t let us stay insulated. If we only talk to people who think like we do, we shrink. We freeze. We lose the story we’ve been given to share. The Spirit pushes us outward — into conversations, into community, into the messy, beautiful work of living what we proclaim. That’s where “God in us” becomes more than a word study. It becomes a way of life.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Images of the Week

***View of the Areios Pagos and the Acropolis (atop the hill)***

Leo von Klenze’s (1784-1864) painting (left) imagines the Acropolis and the Areios Pagos the way 19th‑century Europe wished classical Athens had looked—bright, orderly, and perfectly composed. Klenze wasn’t just guessing; he was one of the leading Neoclassical architects of his day and a major voice in the early archaeological debates about how ancient Greek buildings were actually painted and decorated. In this 1846 work, he gives us a sun‑washed Acropolis with temples and statues restored to their ideal form, while everyday Athenians gather on the Areios Pagos below. It’s less a literal reconstruction and more a love letter to the classical world — a blend of scholarship, imagination, and Klenze’s own vision for what a reborn Athens could be. Let’s imagine the Apostle Paul preaching there. James Thornhill’s (1675-1734) 1710 painting (right) captures that moment.

Musical Meditation: Mary Chapin Carpenter

In John 14:15–21, Jesus promises that we are not left orphaned — that the Spirit will come alongside us, lifting us into a life shaped by love. Though her music is not explicitly spiritual, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Why Walk When You Can Fly?” carries that same invitation. Her song urges us to rise above fear and step into the freedom already given to us. Both the Gospel and the song remind us that courage is not self-generated; it comes from knowing we are accompanied. When we trust that presence, we discover that walking is no longer enough. We were made to fly. Enjoy this artist!

In this world, there’s a whole lot of trouble, baby
In this world, there’s a whole lot of pain
In this world, there’s as whole lot of trouble but
A whole lot of ground to gain
Why take when you could be giving?
Why watch as the world goes by?
It’s a hard enough life to be living
Why walk when you can fly?

In this world, there’s a whole lot of sorrow
In this world, there’s a whole lot of shame
In this world, there’s a whole lot of sorrow
And a whole lot of ground to gain
When you spend your whole life wishing
Wanting and wondering why
It’s a long enough life to be living
Why walk when you can fly?

And in this world, there’s a whole lot of golden
In this world, there’s a whole lot of plain
In this world, you’ve a soul for a compass
And a heart for a pair of wings
There’s a star on the far horizon
Rising bright in an azure sky
For the rest of the time that you’re given
Why walk when you can fly high?

Mary Chapin Carpenter (b. 1958) is an American singer‑songwriter whose warm voice and thoughtful, poetic writing blend folk, country, and Americana into songs that explore love, loss, resilience, and the quiet spiritual textures of everyday life.

ELCA Commemorations This Week

Monday 4 May
Monica, Mother of Augustine (d. 387)

Friday 8 May
Julian of Norwich, church renewer (d. 1416)

Saturday 9 May
Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
church renewer and hymnwriter (d. 1760)

(Information on each is linked)

*Statue of Dame Julian,*
Norwich, England

Going Beyond: Digital Ministry

A Spiritual Profile

Pew’s 2025 report (linked below) shows that American religious life has stopped its long slide and settled into a period of stability. After decades of steady decline, rates of religious identity, prayer, and worship attendance have basically held their ground since 2020.

Some observers have talked about a spiritual comeback among young adults, especially young men, but the data doesn’t support a broad revival. Younger Americans are still far less religious than older generations, and most of their current engagement simply mirrors the habits of their parents. Instead of a rebound, Pew describes a pause — a moment when the religious landscape isn’t shrinking the way it once did, but isn’t growing either, giving us a clearer picture of where American spirituality now stands.

Check Out the Polling Results Here!

The Lectionary Study Group will meet Sunday (5.10) at 10:45 in the library. All are welcome!

3 May 2026: 5 Easter

26 Apr 20263 May 2026 / Rykken / Leave a comment

Introduction: “Many Mansions”

“When you look back on your life, what are the pivotal moments when you perceived the grace of an invitation to a different way of being, a way closer to God? How does it change your understanding of such moments if you think of them as the Lord at work, trying to ‘take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also’ — in other words, into deeper fullness of life and truth and communion with the Creator? Hearing anew this promise of Jesus as a way-maker to abundant life, not just once and for all through his death and resurrection but even and especially through the intimate details of your life, can be electrifying.” (Laurel Mathewson)

As I sat with this week’s readings — and especially John 14 — I kept returning to a recent article by Reverand Laurel Mathewson that reframed Jesus’ promise about “many dwelling places” (or “many mansions” in the King James version). As she suggests, we typically hear that line at funerals, but the author pushed me to hear it as a present invitation: the soul as an “interior castle,” full of rooms where Christ meets us now in the day to day of our earthly lives.

That image helped me rethink Jesus’ words, “I will take you to myself,” not as a distant hope but as something unfolding now in the daily rhythm of our lives. And when I set that beside Stephen’s story and Jesus’ exchange with Thomas and Philip — “I am the way, the truth, and the life” — the connection sharpened. Those first Christians were called “People of the Way” for a reason. Our gaze stays fixed on Christ because he is the one who draws us inward, builds us into a spiritual house, and leads us toward the Father.

In a world fractured by division and despair, this is the message we carry: a God who stands with us, restores us, and fills us with hope — not someday, but today. Later in this week’s blog, I am offering a hymn that follows the more traditional view of John 14. Consider both interpretations as you explore the readings this week!

Soli Deo Gloria!

My introduction this week was inspired by Laurel Mathewson’s May 3rd “In the Lectionary” commentary on John’s Gospel from The Christian Century magazine (May 2026 edition). Reverand Mathewson is co-vicar at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in San Diego and the author several books. Here is further information on St. Luke’s Episcopal, if interested.

TRY LUTHER’S METHOD OF READING
A Revision of the Lectio Divina (Augustinian)

Three Steps

Oratio (Prayer): This is the starting point, where one humbly prays for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to understand God’s Word. Luther emphasized that prayer prepares the heart and mind to receive divine wisdom.

Meditatio (Meditation): This involves deeply engaging with Scripture, not just reading it but reflecting on it repeatedly. Luther encouraged believers to “chew on” the Word, allowing its meaning to sink in and shape their thoughts and actions.

Tentatio (Struggle): Often translated as “trial” or “temptation,” this refers to the challenges and spiritual battles that arise as one seeks to live according to God’s Word. Luther saw these struggles as a way God refines faith, making it more resilient and authentic.

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Image of the Week: The Stoning of Stephen

**Rembrandt: *The Stoning of Stephen* (1625)**

There is a lot going on in Rembrandt’s 1625 painting! The scene is derived from this week’s first reading (Acts 7: 55-60) — a Biblical passage that is deeply personal to me because of my name. Unk — my father — told me later in life that he chose Paul Stephen because he wanted me to grow up knowing the power of conversion (such is the life of a PK). As I studied the piece more closely, a few details jumped out. Rembrandt gives Stephen and Saul the same face. Saul sits in the upper center of the painting, holding the cloaks of the executioners, just as Acts describes. Once I noticed the shared features, it felt intentional –almost like Rembrandt was hinting at the transformation that will unfold in Acts 9. Violence and grace sit in the same frame. And then there’s Rembrandt himself. He slips into the crowd, peeking out from behind the man about to strike Stephen. His expression looks pained, almost conflicted. I read that as a quiet admission of our human tendency to stand by when injustice erupts around us. But the detail that keeps pulling me back is Stephen’s gaze. He doesn’t look at the men with stones in their hands. He looks up. Scripture says he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God — a posture one commentator described as Christ choosing to stand with us rather than sit in judgment. Rembrandt paints that truth into Stephen’s face. It’s calm, illuminated, anchored somewhere beyond the chaos. That upward gaze still challenges me. It asks where I’m looking when pressure closes in—and whether I trust the God who stands with us.

Easter 4 Readings and Connecting Themes

3 May: 5 Easter

Acts 7: 55-60

Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16

1 Peter 2: 2-10

John 14: 2-14

The readings for 5 Easter unite around the call to entrust our lives to Christ, who forms us into a people grounded in God’s steadfast care and drawn into the life of the Father through him. Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 7:55–60 shows a disciple who entrusts himself fully to the risen Christ, even in the face of violence, and whose final words echo Jesus’ own mercy. Psalm 31 reinforces this posture of trust, declaring that our times rest securely in God’s hands. 1 Peter 2:2–10 expands the vision by naming believers as “living stones” built into a spiritual house, chosen and called to reflect God’s light in the world. In John 14:2–14, Jesus promises that he prepares a place for his followers and reveals himself as the way to the Father, inviting them into a life shaped by faith, intimacy, and purposeful action. Together, these texts emphasize that God forms a people who rely on Christ’s presence, embody his mercy, and live with confidence in the future he secures.

Note: I utilize the Bible Gateway website for the readings (NRSVUE) and also receive as assist from Co-Pilot (A.I.) for summarizing the themes each week.

ELCA Commemorations This Week

The ELCA’s Lesser Festivals and Commemorations grow from an old Christian practice—shared with Roman Catholicism—of remembering saints as fellow believers. Early Christians honored martyrs, apostles, and teachers whose lives made the gospel visible. Lutherans kept the practice but shifted the focus: we remember these people to point to the God who worked through them. Today, these commemorations root us in the church’s broad story and remind us that the same Spirit who inspired earlier believers is still shaping our witness. They appear on pages 15–17 of the ELW.

Explore Catherine’s Story Here

Wednesday 29 April
Catherine of Siena, theologian (d. 1380)

Friday 1 May
Philip and James, APOSTLES

Saturday 2 May
Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria (c. 373)

Music and Meditation: Mansions of the Lord

“Mansions of the Lord,” written by Randall Wallace and Nick Glennie‑Smith for the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, takes its title directly from Jesus’ promise in John 14:2 (KJV): “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” The hymn embraces the traditional, future‑tense reading of that passage—Christ preparing a place of rest, peace, and welcome beyond death. Its language of “no more weeping, no more fear” naturally resonates in military contexts, honoring those who have fallen in battle. Yet the imagery also extends to anyone who has “fought the good fight” of faith, offering comfort to all who long for God’s promised home. This stands in contrast to Laurel Mathewson’s reading in The Christian Century, where she shifts the focus from a future heavenly dwelling to the present, interior rooms where Christ meets us now. If Mathewson invites us to explore the soul’s inner chambers in this life, “Mansions of the Lord” points us toward the home Christ prepares in the next.

The West Point Glee Club’s interpretation of the song is offered here — they are accompanied by the West Point band. It raises some nostalgia for me due to our son’s experience at USMA in the early 2000s — we visited there a half dozen times and it is a remarkable school.

The West Point Glee Club is the premier choral ensemble of the U.S. Military Academy, known for its clear, disciplined sound and its role as a musical ambassador for West Point. The group performs at major national events, memorial services, and public ceremonies, often singing music that honors service and sacrifice—including their well‑known rendition of “Mansions of the Lord.” Their repertoire ranges from patriotic pieces to classical and contemporary works, all shaped by the Academy’s values of duty, honor, and country.

To learn more, you can visit the official West Point Glee Club page on the U.S. Military Academy’s website.

Lyrics

To fallen soldiers, let us sing
Where no rockets fly, nor bullets ring
Our broken brothers, let us bring
To the mansions of the lord.

No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Justfied embrace, eternal light
In the mansions of the lord

Where no fathers cry, and no children weep
We will stand and guard o’er the angels sleepw
All through the ages, safely keep
The mansions of the lord

Going Beyond: Digital Ministry: The Bible Project

If you’re not familiar with The Bible Project, I heartily recommend this incredible resource to you. This devotional (below) is an example of the kind of work they are doing in helping millions of people explore scriptures more richly!

Explore their Website Here!

The Lectionary Study Group will meet Sunday (5.3) at 10:45 in the library. All are welcome!

Are You Looking for a Church Home?

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Black River Falls, is part of the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin (ELCA). We stream our Sunday worship at 9:30 each week. Please feel free to join us!

Access our YouTube Channel here.

Reminder: Blog Purpose and Format

Thanks for stopping by again this week. Two Worlds is a digital ministry space where I post the weekly Revised Common Lectionary readings (NRSVU) and offer a brief, historically grounded reflection with music, visual art, and other creative resources. I also include the ELCA’s weekly commemorations and link to additional materials, with a Table of Contents that lets you jump to what you need. Most images come from Wikimedia Commons, and Copilot supports some of the writing and research. Among other things, the blog grows out of ongoing conversation with Pastor Jen Hatleli of ELC in Black River Falls.

I welcome any feedback. Comment on the blog, or email me: pstrykken@gmail.com