With the recent warm spell melting the snow in my yard, I find myself looking out at a mess of leaves, twigs, mud, and, being a dog owner... I have a choice at this point. I can either clean it up or just leave it and hope that strong winds will do all the cleaning for me. Unfortunately, that probably won't happen, so if I do not wish to inhibit the growth of my lawn and other plants, I'll have to clean things up.

During this weekend's worship services we'll hear the account of our Lord's Transfiguration when He took Peter, James, and John with Him up a mountain where His appearance was totally changed to reveal His divine nature. Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Him, as Luke puts it, "about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem." You may recall that Peter didn't want the moment to end, but suggested the construction of three shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah because it was good to be there.

This weekend's readings remind us of our responsibility as God's people to let our light shine. One of the ways we do that is by offering an alternative to what has become common in our world.

I have to admit that before one of our worship services begins I often sneak a peek over at the Crunch Fitness lot to see how the number of cars in that lot compares to ours.

Recently, I've been sharing a devotion during my visits that is titled, "Taking Christmas with Us." It's based on Mary pondering everything in her heart rather than just going on from one thing to the next and forgetting the lasting significance of what the Lord is doing.

John the Baptist once said of Jesus, "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:30) As a part of that, John would encourage his followers to start following Jesus. In this weekend's Gospel, we'll hear about two of them hearing John describe Jesus as "the Lamb of God" and then following Jesus. When John's disciples asked Jesus, "Where are You staying?" He invited them to come and see.

Have you ever had a life changing experience? Perhaps it was when you met the person who would become your spouse or the birth of a child. Maybe it was a job change that opened up new opportunities.

Have you ever spent time reading about Abraham, beginning in Genesis chapter 12? One thing Abraham does quite often is build an altar to the Lord. He doesn't just build one altar in one spot and then be done with it. He builds several altars in several locations. But why?

On the Church calendar, we are nearing the end of the Church Year, and the readings for the next few weeks will invite us to think about the End Times and being prepared for Jesus' return.

When you think about it, we each have our personal end time in the sense that, unless Jesus returns first, we will die. Are you prepared for that?

Sometimes, an account in the Bible skips over a lot of years in a few verses. Such is the case with the account of Moses.

Last Saturday, I enjoyed a family gathering hosted by my oldest daughter Marissa which coincided with Trick or Treat in her neighborhood. I always find it enjoyable to see the wide variety of costumes on display. Some obviously want to have a costume unlike anyone else is wearing. Others want to mimic their favorite character from a movie, a book, or sports. But when it's over, the costume comes off and it's back to being yourself.

It is customary not only in the Lutheran Church but in many Protestant denominations to observe the Reformation on the last Sunday of October. While many associate the Reformation with Martin Luther nailing the 95 theses (statements for debate) to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517 (the eve of All Saints' Day), that was perhaps the public start of a movement that had been brewing for some time and would continue for years to come.

As I am writing this, the Milwaukee Brewers are down two games to none in a best of seven playoff series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many have already given up, thinking that there is no way the Brewers can make a comeback. In fact, by the time you read this, they may be out of the playoffs.

My wife introduced me to a book series by Jeff High about the life of a young doctor in a town called Watervalley, TN. I am not that fast a reader, but I’ve had a hard time putting down More Things in Heaven and Earth, the first in the four-book series. I think it’s because I can relate to the main character, Dr. Luke Bradford, wrestling with fitting in with the people of the new town that has contracted him to be their community’s doctor.

We’ve entered October, and at the end of this month, October 31, we’ll celebrate Halloween (and Reformation Day). At least in my neighborhood, Halloween decorations (no Reformation Day displays) have been popping up for the past few weeks. I realize that some people do not like the whole concept of Halloween and tie it to some rather non-Christian practices; however, “Halloween” comes from “All Hallow’s Eve,” or “All Saint’s Eve,” All Saints’ Day being November 1. I prefer to look at it as an opportunity to celebrate God’s gift of life and Trick-or-Treat as an opportunity to meet and greet others in the neighborhood.

In the past few weeks we have seen senseless acts of violence and murder including the shooting at Annunciation Parish in Minneapolis and the assassination of Charlie Kirk. There have been hateful remarks made through social media and widely reported through other means. So who is going to fix this problem?