Immanuel Lutheran Church - LCMS

01/19/2026

01/04/2026

+SERVICE OF THE WORD+
Second Sunday after Christmas
Jan. 4, 2026

OLD TESTAMENT
1 Kings 3:4–15

The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

EPISTLE
Ephesians 1:3–14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

GOSPEL
Luke 2:40–52

The child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

12/25/2025

+SERVICE OF THE WORD+
The Nativity of Our Lord
Dec. 25, 2025

OLD TESTAMENT
Isaiah 52:7–10

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.

EPISTLE
Hebrews 1:1–12

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”

But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”

GOSPEL
John 1:1–18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

12/25/2025

Jesus is the Reason for the Season! Merry Christmas!

12/20/2025

HYMN OF THE DAY
Fourth Sunday in Advent
Dec. 21, 2025

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (LSB 357)

1. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear. Refrain

Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

2. O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ord’rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain

3. O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

4. O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain

5. O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery. Refrain

6. O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain

7. O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace. Refrain

04/25/2025

Celebrate the Easter season. Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

04/20/2025

04/18/2025

"It is finished," and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. John 19:30
Good Friday Bible reading:
John 18:1-19:42

04/17/2025

Maundy Thursday is a day to remember Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Focus on the Lord's Supper where He gives us His body and blood as a memorial of his death.

04/13/2025

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

01/14/2025

Date: 1-12-25 Baptism of Our Lord (Clayton & Silver Creek)
Text: Isaiah 43:3 (Series C)
Theme: An Act of God

Isaiah 43:1: 1But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
​Dear friends in Christ: The story is told of a congregation that was gathered at the river on a cold winter’s day for the baptism of a young man. The preacher began by reminding those gathered that with baptism comes adoption as God’s child, the washing away of sin and the change that this brings to everyday life. After the man had been standing in the water for a while and the preacher had completely drenched him with the icy river water, he noticed the man turning blue and said to him, "Are you feeling cold?" "Noo!" the man bravely replied not wanting to be disrespectful or spoil the moment. Then a loud voice was heard from the back of the crowd, "Dunk him again preacher, he’s still lying."

​We know that a voice was heard the day that Jesus was baptized but not from the crowd gathered at the River Jordan. It was the voice of God that came from the heavens saying, "You are my Son whom I love. With you I am well pleased". The Gospel writers leave no doubt that Jesus was baptized by a man known as John the Baptist in the Jordan River. This happened as Jesus was about to begin his public ministry of teaching about the Kingdom of God, and doing acts of love and mercy including suffering and dying on a cross.

​Today focuses on the baptism of Jesus and gives us an excellent opportunity to center our attention on the meaning of baptism. It’s a real shame that the sacrament of baptism, like Holy Communion, has created division among Christians over the centuries. What constitutes a "valid" baptism has long been a point of contention. Fortunately a number of the churches do agreed on what baptism is but there are still disagreements among certain sections of the Christian community.
​The disagreement sometimes focuses on whether the Bible allows infants to be baptized. The argument might go something like this, "Show me solid evidence in the New Testament that the early Christians baptized infants. When whole households of adults were baptized, children are not specifically mentioned".
​The counter reply to this goes like this, "Show me undeniable proof that the people of the New Testament didn’t baptize infants. Are there any passages that specifically forbid the baptism of infants or state that children must reach a certain age in order to be baptized? And why wouldn’t “whole households” have included children? Aren’t they a part of the “all nations" of Matthew 28?” So you see, we Lutheran’s can argue over this issue using the Bible and what it says while others argue from what the Bible doesn’t say to deny infant baptism and we never come to agreement on this important doctrinal issue. Another disagreement focuses on the way the water is applied. Some argue that baptism must be by immersion. And there’s nothing wrong with immersion. In fact, there is great symbolism in baptism by immersion.
​It visibly demonstrates the drowning of sin, Satan and death as the person is immersed under the water, and the rising of the new person, the new creation, the new child of God as the person emerges from the water. Luther draws on this image in his catechism when he says that baptism is a drowning of the old nature in us, everything that is sinful and selfish dies and a new nature arises that seeks to do what is right and good .
​On the other hand there are those, like us Lutherans, who say quite correctly that baptism simply means to apply water, like washing dishes, washing our bodies, the washing of a baby, and the ritual washing of hands before performing sacred rites where only a very small amount of water is used. There is plenty of evidence in the Bible and in ancient writings that supports this ‘applying water’ aspect of baptism. When a baby has water poured over him or her in baptism, this is a visible sign of the power of God's grace. The baby has nothing to offer God, no self-righteousness, no vows of commitment, or promises of loyalty and yet God is there for that child giving His grace and bountiful love.
​You can see whether we talk about the age a person can be baptized or whether baptism has to be by immersion or sprinkling that we can get all uptight and say that one form is more "valid" than another. We can argue about words and their meaning but in actual fact we don’t get any closer to agreeing and understanding what baptism really is.
​

​What makes the matter even more complicated is when we look at some of the attitudes toward baptism. When it comes to baptism of an adult whether by immersion in a river or creek, or by pouring of water at a baptismal font, we Lutherans get really uncomfortable when the emphasis is placed on the repentance or the commitment or the discipleship or promises of loyalty and dedication of the person being baptized. It’s as if the person in some way has earned the right to be baptized and made a child of God through some kind of righteousness and holiness that has been achieved through the person’s own repentance and rightness before God.
​The grace of Christ which seeks us, calls us, heals us, claims us should always be the primary focus. The sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion celebrate God's free generous grace that loves us and accepts us even though we are stained through and through with sin and evil. We are accepted in baptism not because of some kind of "worthiness" on our part or a correct understanding of faith or because somehow we feel especially close to God.
​We can so easily focus on our worthiness or the commitment to discipleship of the person being baptized that we lose sight of what baptism is all about. Baptism is not a human act toward God but rather an act of God towards us and all that counts is the grace of God. Paul writes, 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—(Ephesians 2:4,8)

​When it comes to the baptism of an infant, it’s easy to get somewhat uncomfortable with some of the attitudes that many people have towards this sacrament. Lutheran pastors always get a bit sad when the phone rings and a mom or dad on the other end asks, “Does your church baptize babies?” Imagine asking a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor if he baptizes babies! They’re sad because they know that parent doesn’t have a church home and doesn’t have an understanding of what baptism is all about. What makes Lutheran pastors even sadder is when those same parents don’t want to meet with the pastor to discuss the realities of baptism and responsibilities the parents are assuming with their newly baptized child. It’s as if the parents just want the church to give their child a passport stamped for heaven without understanding the necessity of nurturing the new found faith in the life of their child. Lutherans don’t believe in the concept of once baptized, always saved. People can and do walk away from their baptismal faith by refusing to keep that faith strong by taking advantage of God’s all-important means of grace.
​Over the years members of congregations have expressed their concern that this wonderful sacrament has been degraded by the attitudes of parents and godparents to baptism. Some parents, including more than a few Lutheran parents, have considered the lack of understanding that a infant has about what is happening in baptism and so have decided to "let them decide for themselves when they are older" if they want to get baptized. This is a very real concern. Where does this thinking come from? What do we do with this kind of false understanding regarding baptism?
​
Some churches have laid down some rules like - parents need to attend worship four Sundays in a row before their child can be baptized. Others have decided that parents need to attend 6 weeks of preparation classes. Other churches have ruled that only people above a certain “age of accountability” can be baptized. Others have decided that only children of active members of the congregation can be baptized. The trouble with making rules is that there needs to be other rules to define the rule; like, what’s an active member of the congregation?
​I guess I can understand why this erroneous line of thinking is followed because I too sympathize with those who want to protect the sanctity of holy baptism. But all of this leads us into the trap of self-righteousness again. We focus on the lack of commitment and faith of the parents. We only see the flaws in the beliefs and the casual attitude of the parents to the Christian faith. And when we do that we fail to see the magnificent and complete grace of God that is being celebrated in baptism. We fail to see that the grace of God doesn’t need human assistance to be effective. We fail to see that sin doesn’t neutralize the grace of God – in fact, it’s the other way around!
​If the effectiveness of baptism dependent on the worthiness of the candidate or the parents or the pastor then than who indeed would have the right to claim the grace of God? The fact of the matter is that the grace of God is not claimed - it is given.
And let’s not sell God short on what he can do in the lives of people either in the immediate future or way down the road. In the Old Testament God made a covenant with his people. Yes, they were disobedient, proud, and self-righteous, yet God promised “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… you are precious and honored in my sight… 5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; (Isaiah 43:1,3-5,).
​That’s what we should focus on when we witness water being poured on a person’s head in holy baptism. This is an act of God who loves us dearly even though we are imperfect, blemished, disobedient and uncommitted when it comes to acknowledging God as the Lord of our lives. God knows all that and yet he calls us with his grace. In baptism, as in Holy Communion, the focus is on God and what he does for us. In the times when we despair about our own sinfulness, when we’re frustrated by the turn of events in our lives, we remember God's baptismal promise to us that remains firm and sure regardless of how unworthy we may feel. His promise is certain, "I have called you by name – you are mine". It’s in that great and precious promise of God that we live our lives – now and forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.