Devotions https://www.kingofkingskc.org Weekly devotions from King of Kings pastors Sat, 06 Jun 2026 05:10:18 -0500 http://churchplantmedia.com/ The Feast of St. Michael and All Angel https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/the-feast-of-st-michael-and-all-angel https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/the-feast-of-st-michael-and-all-angel#comments Sat, 28 Sep 2024 23:00:00 -0500 https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/the-feast-of-st-michael-and-all-angel For centuries the church has celebrated St. Michael day, giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ for the service of Michael the archangel. According to Scripture, he is the chief angel who led the heavenly armies in the battle to defeat Satan and the rebel angels (Revelation 12).

In the past couple of centuries, the commemoration was expanded to include “All Angels”—we recognize the service all angels render to the children of God (Psalm 91:11-12, Matthew 18:10). Martin Luther concluded his morning and evening prayers: “…let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.”

The Scriptures teach us that angels serve many other purposes. Of course they, like us, praise and glorify God their Creator (Psalm 103:20). The angel Gabriel delivered divine good news to Mary (Luke 1:26ff). Another angel appeared to Joseph to reassure him of God’s good plan (Matthew 1) and then warn him of Herod’s evil plan (Matthew 2). Jesus teaches us that the angels in heaven rejoice when sinners repent (Luke 15:8-10).

All of these vocational duties—protecting God’s children, delivering divine messages, praising, rejoicing…they all point us back to Jesus. After all, he is Lord and God even of the angels (Hebrews 1:3-14). They do his bidding and so bring him glory.

So we give thanks to God through our Lord Jesus Christ for the ministry of his angels. But we also praise him with the angels. In our Communion liturgy, we pray: “…therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and saying: Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth!” Yes, our voices blend with the praises of the angels as we welcome Jesus in this special way. And then we receive the very body and blood that conquered Satan once and for all (Revelation 12:11).

]]> For centuries the church has celebrated St. Michael day, giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ for the service of Michael the archangel. According to Scripture, he is the chief angel who led the heavenly armies in the battle to defeat Satan and the rebel angels (Revelation 12).

In the past couple of centuries, the commemoration was expanded to include “All Angels”—we recognize the service all angels render to the children of God (Psalm 91:11-12, Matthew 18:10). Martin Luther concluded his morning and evening prayers: “…let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.”

The Scriptures teach us that angels serve many other purposes. Of course they, like us, praise and glorify God their Creator (Psalm 103:20). The angel Gabriel delivered divine good news to Mary (Luke 1:26ff). Another angel appeared to Joseph to reassure him of God’s good plan (Matthew 1) and then warn him of Herod’s evil plan (Matthew 2). Jesus teaches us that the angels in heaven rejoice when sinners repent (Luke 15:8-10).

All of these vocational duties—protecting God’s children, delivering divine messages, praising, rejoicing…they all point us back to Jesus. After all, he is Lord and God even of the angels (Hebrews 1:3-14). They do his bidding and so bring him glory.

So we give thanks to God through our Lord Jesus Christ for the ministry of his angels. But we also praise him with the angels. In our Communion liturgy, we pray: “…therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and saying: Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth!” Yes, our voices blend with the praises of the angels as we welcome Jesus in this special way. And then we receive the very body and blood that conquered Satan once and for all (Revelation 12:11).

]]> Lost and Found https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/lost-and-found https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/lost-and-found#comments Sun, 12 Jun 2022 06:00:00 -0500 https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/lost-and-found Last Saturday, I took our dog, Rory, out for her morning walk at about 6:00. As we came to the front of our apartment complex, I saw an old SUV slowly pull in, pause for a few moments, and then park near the leasing office. The SUV was unfamiliar and in disrepair, so I decided to wait and see who got out. It was a middle-aged couple, looking kind of unkempt, whom I had never seen before. They began walking around somewhat aimlessly, their eyes scanning the address numbers of the buildings. I thought this was slightly suspicious, so I waited even longer. Suddenly their pace increased, and they made a beeline for the central commons. I followed nonchalantly from a distance. Finally, they made a sharp right turn and approached the patio of a first-floor apartment. At this point I couldn’t see what they were doing. About a minute later, they came back around the corner with a young man who was very obviously under the influence of some substance—he was their son. The father was supporting him, helping him walk, and the mother had her left arm wrapped tightly around his waist and her right hand on his chest. The three slowly made their way back to the SUV. The parents carefully lifted their son into the back seat and drove away. 

We are children of our heavenly Father. Even so, we are prone to wander from his kingdom. We do harm to ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually in the name of pleasure and personal autonomy. We fall into danger and become too desensitized to realize it. 

But God has sent his Son to seek and save the lost. Jesus pursues us wherever we have strayed. He rescues us from the dangers we have foolishly entertained. He finds us, binds up our wounds, and carries us home. I am grateful that Jesus continues to do this even for me. 

The posture of those parents carrying their son home reminded me of this stanza from the hymn “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”: 

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, 

But yet in love He sought me; 

And on His shoulders gently laid 

And home rejoicing brought me. 

]]> Last Saturday, I took our dog, Rory, out for her morning walk at about 6:00. As we came to the front of our apartment complex, I saw an old SUV slowly pull in, pause for a few moments, and then park near the leasing office. The SUV was unfamiliar and in disrepair, so I decided to wait and see who got out. It was a middle-aged couple, looking kind of unkempt, whom I had never seen before. They began walking around somewhat aimlessly, their eyes scanning the address numbers of the buildings. I thought this was slightly suspicious, so I waited even longer. Suddenly their pace increased, and they made a beeline for the central commons. I followed nonchalantly from a distance. Finally, they made a sharp right turn and approached the patio of a first-floor apartment. At this point I couldn’t see what they were doing. About a minute later, they came back around the corner with a young man who was very obviously under the influence of some substance—he was their son. The father was supporting him, helping him walk, and the mother had her left arm wrapped tightly around his waist and her right hand on his chest. The three slowly made their way back to the SUV. The parents carefully lifted their son into the back seat and drove away. 

We are children of our heavenly Father. Even so, we are prone to wander from his kingdom. We do harm to ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually in the name of pleasure and personal autonomy. We fall into danger and become too desensitized to realize it. 

But God has sent his Son to seek and save the lost. Jesus pursues us wherever we have strayed. He rescues us from the dangers we have foolishly entertained. He finds us, binds up our wounds, and carries us home. I am grateful that Jesus continues to do this even for me. 

The posture of those parents carrying their son home reminded me of this stanza from the hymn “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”: 

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, 

But yet in love He sought me; 

And on His shoulders gently laid 

And home rejoicing brought me. 

]]> Signs of Spring https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/signs-of-spring https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/signs-of-spring#comments Wed, 18 May 2022 12:00:00 -0500 https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/signs-of-spring The signs of spring are upon us.
The flowers are in bloom!  So are the weeds.  The baby birds nesting above my porch light have hatched and are now learning to fly! And they've left a mess for me to clean up.  Outside it is warm and sunny! And the air is filled with allergens.  Dignified guests have delivered thoughtful speeches! And their words have been promptly forgotten.  Our neighbors are enjoying the outdoors! And filling the air with the sound of chain saws.  The Royals have begun their season! And the Royals have begun their season.
The glass is always half-empty, isn't it?
And yet, isn't it amazing how the good things of this world often fill our memories, and crowd out the unpleasantness that comes along with them?  We look back fondly on the celebrations, adulations, and graduations, while the spoil, toil, and turmoil somehow recede into the background.  The struggles were real.  But, for the most part, they are stuck firmly in the past where they cannot harm us.  And we are free to enjoy that which is good.
I think about this sometimes when I read the Bible's descriptions of heaven.  Thanks to the grace of God in Christ, we are headed to a future where God "will wipe away every tear from our eyes."  A day is coming, a blessed eternal spring, when all the sorrows of this life will fade into the background.  Out of sight, out of mind, and out of range.  They will not be able to harm us any longer.  And we will be free to enjoy that which is good, forever.
]]> The signs of spring are upon us.
The flowers are in bloom!  So are the weeds.  The baby birds nesting above my porch light have hatched and are now learning to fly! And they've left a mess for me to clean up.  Outside it is warm and sunny! And the air is filled with allergens.  Dignified guests have delivered thoughtful speeches! And their words have been promptly forgotten.  Our neighbors are enjoying the outdoors! And filling the air with the sound of chain saws.  The Royals have begun their season! And the Royals have begun their season.
The glass is always half-empty, isn't it?
And yet, isn't it amazing how the good things of this world often fill our memories, and crowd out the unpleasantness that comes along with them?  We look back fondly on the celebrations, adulations, and graduations, while the spoil, toil, and turmoil somehow recede into the background.  The struggles were real.  But, for the most part, they are stuck firmly in the past where they cannot harm us.  And we are free to enjoy that which is good.
I think about this sometimes when I read the Bible's descriptions of heaven.  Thanks to the grace of God in Christ, we are headed to a future where God "will wipe away every tear from our eyes."  A day is coming, a blessed eternal spring, when all the sorrows of this life will fade into the background.  Out of sight, out of mind, and out of range.  They will not be able to harm us any longer.  And we will be free to enjoy that which is good, forever.
]]> Feast of St. Philip and St. James, Apostles https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/st-philip-and-st-james-apostles https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/st-philip-and-st-james-apostles#comments Mon, 16 May 2022 13:00:00 -0500 https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/st-philip-and-st-james-apostles St. Philip was minding his own business in his hometown of Bethsaida when Jesus found him and called him: “Follow me!” (John 1:43). Philip, in turn, found Nathanael and invited him to meet Jesus: “Come and see!” (1:46). This account gives us a beautiful picture of the church’s activity throughout her history: Jesus calls us by his Word, and then we invite others to come and hear him and see him. According to church tradition, St. Philip evangelized in Scythia and Phrygia (modern-day Turkey) after the great dispersion recorded in Acts 8:1-2. It was there that he died a martyr’s death by crucifixion. May we always be echoing the invitation of St. Philip to others, that they might “come and see” and know Jesus as Lord. 

The St. James we remember today is not James the brother of John and son of Zebedee (Mark 1:16-20), nor is this James the James who presided over the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. Rather, the James we honor today is James the Son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3). It is believed that this James’s mother was present at our Lord’s tomb (Luke 24:10). While the Scriptures don’t reveal much about this St. James, we do know that our Lord Jesus called him and sent him to do the work of witnessing (Acts 1:8). Church tradition holds that St. James traveled to southern Egypt, where he was martyred by being beaten to death. Now, martyrdom may never find us like it found St. James. But even so, Christ calls us to lose our lives for his sake—often in seemingly small and mundane ways. It is as Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die.”

]]> St. Philip was minding his own business in his hometown of Bethsaida when Jesus found him and called him: “Follow me!” (John 1:43). Philip, in turn, found Nathanael and invited him to meet Jesus: “Come and see!” (1:46). This account gives us a beautiful picture of the church’s activity throughout her history: Jesus calls us by his Word, and then we invite others to come and hear him and see him. According to church tradition, St. Philip evangelized in Scythia and Phrygia (modern-day Turkey) after the great dispersion recorded in Acts 8:1-2. It was there that he died a martyr’s death by crucifixion. May we always be echoing the invitation of St. Philip to others, that they might “come and see” and know Jesus as Lord. 

The St. James we remember today is not James the brother of John and son of Zebedee (Mark 1:16-20), nor is this James the James who presided over the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. Rather, the James we honor today is James the Son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3). It is believed that this James’s mother was present at our Lord’s tomb (Luke 24:10). While the Scriptures don’t reveal much about this St. James, we do know that our Lord Jesus called him and sent him to do the work of witnessing (Acts 1:8). Church tradition holds that St. James traveled to southern Egypt, where he was martyred by being beaten to death. Now, martyrdom may never find us like it found St. James. But even so, Christ calls us to lose our lives for his sake—often in seemingly small and mundane ways. It is as Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die.”

]]> The Meaning of Catechism https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/catechis https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/catechis#comments Mon, 16 May 2022 13:00:00 -0500 https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/catechis Today, fifteen eighth graders stand before the congregation and profess the faith Jesus gifted them in their Holy Baptism. Today, they confess their trust in Jesus and the promises he has made to each of them. What a blessed day it is!

For the past three years, these eighth graders have undergone an intensified period of instruction from the Scriptures. Besides the Bible, their primary text was Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. 

Did you know that catechism is a biblical word? You won’t find it in any English translations, but catechism/catechize/catechumen/catechesis all come from the Greek word katecheo. It means something like “to teach by means of repetition or echo.” 

In the Scriptures, St. Luke writes his orderly account of Jesus’ life and ministry so that Theopilus “may have certainty concerning the things [he has] been catechized,” (Luke 1:4). In Acts 18:25, Luke tells us that Apollos “had been catechized in the way of the Lord. He spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus…” (but there was more for Apollos to learn). St. Paul writes to the Galatians: “Let the one who is catechized in the Word [of God] share in all good things with the one who catechizes.” 

What is the point of this Greek lesson? Catechesis is a lifelong activity. This is why at King of Kings we take part in Catechetical Instruction. It is simply the perpetual pattern of teaching and learning the faith—speaking and echoing the faith, reading and repeating God’s Word back to him and to one another. As our eighth graders confess their faith today, they are doing precisely this, and everyone present benefits from it. 

May this day's Rite of Holy Confirmation and the catechesis we hear inspire us all to be lifelong learners—continuing catechumens—of God’s Holy Word.

]]> Today, fifteen eighth graders stand before the congregation and profess the faith Jesus gifted them in their Holy Baptism. Today, they confess their trust in Jesus and the promises he has made to each of them. What a blessed day it is!

For the past three years, these eighth graders have undergone an intensified period of instruction from the Scriptures. Besides the Bible, their primary text was Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. 

Did you know that catechism is a biblical word? You won’t find it in any English translations, but catechism/catechize/catechumen/catechesis all come from the Greek word katecheo. It means something like “to teach by means of repetition or echo.” 

In the Scriptures, St. Luke writes his orderly account of Jesus’ life and ministry so that Theopilus “may have certainty concerning the things [he has] been catechized,” (Luke 1:4). In Acts 18:25, Luke tells us that Apollos “had been catechized in the way of the Lord. He spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus…” (but there was more for Apollos to learn). St. Paul writes to the Galatians: “Let the one who is catechized in the Word [of God] share in all good things with the one who catechizes.” 

What is the point of this Greek lesson? Catechesis is a lifelong activity. This is why at King of Kings we take part in Catechetical Instruction. It is simply the perpetual pattern of teaching and learning the faith—speaking and echoing the faith, reading and repeating God’s Word back to him and to one another. As our eighth graders confess their faith today, they are doing precisely this, and everyone present benefits from it. 

May this day's Rite of Holy Confirmation and the catechesis we hear inspire us all to be lifelong learners—continuing catechumens—of God’s Holy Word.

]]> Encouragement https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/encouragement https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/encouragement#comments Mon, 16 May 2022 13:00:00 -0500 https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/encouragement It was good to see so many people at church at Easter. After two years of half-empty pews, I was energized by so many faces in the sanctuary. It was particularly good seeing so many children again.

I’ve been thinking about why it is so different to worship in a full church. Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not talking about being in a *large* church. I would much prefer a full, small church to a large, empty one. I suspect most people feel the same.

Thinking about this experience has brought me to a familiar passage of scripture,

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25

Encouragement. That’s a good word for how I feel when so many of us are together. Encouraged. Certainly, we are called by the Spirit to come to worship and receive the gifts of Word and Sacrament that He has prepared for us. But the Spirit also calls us to be in fellowship with one another. To encourage each other. To remind each other that we are all part of a Communion of Saints.

And, I think, that’s why it is so helpful to have the children among us in worship. They help us to envision the future of the Church. They help us to see, in a world drifting away from Christ, that He has not given up on us. He seeks to call generation after generation to His kingdom.

]]> It was good to see so many people at church at Easter. After two years of half-empty pews, I was energized by so many faces in the sanctuary. It was particularly good seeing so many children again.

I’ve been thinking about why it is so different to worship in a full church. Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not talking about being in a *large* church. I would much prefer a full, small church to a large, empty one. I suspect most people feel the same.

Thinking about this experience has brought me to a familiar passage of scripture,

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25

Encouragement. That’s a good word for how I feel when so many of us are together. Encouraged. Certainly, we are called by the Spirit to come to worship and receive the gifts of Word and Sacrament that He has prepared for us. But the Spirit also calls us to be in fellowship with one another. To encourage each other. To remind each other that we are all part of a Communion of Saints.

And, I think, that’s why it is so helpful to have the children among us in worship. They help us to envision the future of the Church. They help us to see, in a world drifting away from Christ, that He has not given up on us. He seeks to call generation after generation to His kingdom.

]]> Gold and Silver, White and Red https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/goldsilverwhitered https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/goldsilverwhitered#comments Mon, 16 May 2022 13:00:00 -0500 https://www.kingofkingskc.org/blog/post/goldsilverwhitered A few years ago I walked into The Friendly Bean down at North Oak and Barry Road to order a coffee and do some sermon preparation. There were a few people in line ahead of me, so I let my eyes wander around the café. Of course I scoped out and silently admired the coffee grinding and brewing equipment. But I also noticed the various pieces of abstract art that filled the very limited wall space. Some were small and intricately sponge-painted, some were large and elegantly brushed. 

One painting in particular caught my attention. It was a snow-white canvas, about 12”x14”. And the acrylic paint was not sponged or brushed—it looked like it had been spilled and then left to run and drip across the canvas. 

But it wasn’t just the medium or the technique of this piece that caught my attention. It was the colors. I first noticed the deep red that bled across the canvas. And as I moved closer to the painting to admire it, I realized that beneath the red was a layer of silver. And beneath the silver, if you looked closely, you could make out the slightest notes of gold. 

It was my turn to order coffee. So I walked away from the painting and over to the counter. After I ordered, I looked over my shoulder at the painting, and all I could see was the rich red paint on the snow-white canvas; the silver and gold paints only reflected the light and so made the red stand out more boldly on the white. Beautiful. 

I decided to ask the barista if I could buy the painting. She said yes and told me the price, and I bought it. That painting is now hanging in my office at church (feel free to come by sometime and admire it!). This painting is small and quite simple, but it illustrates beautifully Luther’s explanation of the Second Article of the Creed where he paraphrases 1 Peter 1:18-19: 

“[Jesus] has purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death.” 

Like the colors of the painting, any riches of gold or silver are lackluster compared to the precious blood of Jesus; his blood makes our robes dazzling white. In fact, the relative worthlessness of our gold and silver only serves to magnify the redemptive power of the holy blood of Jesus. By this blood we are his own. Thanks be to God. 

]]> A few years ago I walked into The Friendly Bean down at North Oak and Barry Road to order a coffee and do some sermon preparation. There were a few people in line ahead of me, so I let my eyes wander around the café. Of course I scoped out and silently admired the coffee grinding and brewing equipment. But I also noticed the various pieces of abstract art that filled the very limited wall space. Some were small and intricately sponge-painted, some were large and elegantly brushed. 

One painting in particular caught my attention. It was a snow-white canvas, about 12”x14”. And the acrylic paint was not sponged or brushed—it looked like it had been spilled and then left to run and drip across the canvas. 

But it wasn’t just the medium or the technique of this piece that caught my attention. It was the colors. I first noticed the deep red that bled across the canvas. And as I moved closer to the painting to admire it, I realized that beneath the red was a layer of silver. And beneath the silver, if you looked closely, you could make out the slightest notes of gold. 

It was my turn to order coffee. So I walked away from the painting and over to the counter. After I ordered, I looked over my shoulder at the painting, and all I could see was the rich red paint on the snow-white canvas; the silver and gold paints only reflected the light and so made the red stand out more boldly on the white. Beautiful. 

I decided to ask the barista if I could buy the painting. She said yes and told me the price, and I bought it. That painting is now hanging in my office at church (feel free to come by sometime and admire it!). This painting is small and quite simple, but it illustrates beautifully Luther’s explanation of the Second Article of the Creed where he paraphrases 1 Peter 1:18-19: 

“[Jesus] has purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death.” 

Like the colors of the painting, any riches of gold or silver are lackluster compared to the precious blood of Jesus; his blood makes our robes dazzling white. In fact, the relative worthlessness of our gold and silver only serves to magnify the redemptive power of the holy blood of Jesus. By this blood we are his own. Thanks be to God. 

]]>