Northwoods Table Talk

Judica Saturday 2020 – Devotion in Exile Mark 16:1-20 My devotion for today is not mine. What I mean is that it was written by someone other than myself. It was written by The Rev’d. David E. Ukpong, Tutor at J.E.M. Lutheran Seminary—Obot Idim, Nigeria, and an STM Student at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne—IN.  Rev'd. Ukpong, and two fellow pastors from Nigeria (Rev'd. Elijah Essang and Rev'd. Kufre-Abasi Etim) whom I met when I was there to teach last fall, came to our home for spring break from their classes at CTS-FW. COVID-19 has kept them here, and they are now constrained to take classes online. It is a joy to have them in our home. This devotion is an adaptation of a paper Rev'd Ukpong wrote for one of his classes this semester. As  you read it, it will be come clearly evident why I asked his permission to use it in this space, and in this time. Thank you Pastor Ukpong! The Lutheran Service Book has in its Companion to the Hymns, but not in t...

Judica Friday 2020 – Devotion in Exile Our reading from the lectionary for this Friday of the week of Judica, the 5th week of Lent, is from Mark’s Gospel. (Mark 15:33-47) Mark 15:33-47 For today, I depart from the Scripture lesson. I do so on purpose. Read on! Dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, our home is often filled with the sound of the singing of hymns. Sometimes, those hymns are intentionally connected with the devotional time we are having as a family unit (Pauline & I – or – Pauline & I and whoever else is residing in our home). Oftentimes time of “Family Altar” is accompanied by Scripture reading, a meditation read from some book of meditations, and in all probability this is done in conjunction with one of the prayer offices found in Lutheran Service Book (Matins, Morning Prayer, Vespers, Evening Prayer, Compline, Responsive Prayer, Daily Prayer---for individuals and family). At other times, especially with our brothers in Christ abiding i...

Judica Thursday 2020 – Devotion in Exile Our text from the lectionary for this Thursday of the week of Judica, the 5th week of Lent is from Mark’s Gospel. (Mark 15:16-32) Mark 15:16-32 After putting a crown of thorns upon Jesus’ head, Roman soldiers saluted, “Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spit upon Him, struck Him with something akin to a whippy piece of bamboo, and mockingly knelt before Him. Was this respectful? Not in the least! Weakened from the loss of blood, the beating and scourging, and the burden that He bore – the weight of the sins of the world – He carried His cross out of town. Along the way, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help carry His cross. After being nailed to it, the people mocked and made fun of Him, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” Others said, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see...

Judica Wednesday 2020 – Devotion in Exile Our text from the lectionary for this Wednesday of the week of Judica, the 5th week of Lent is from Mark’s Gospel. (Mark 15:1-15) Mark 15:1-15 Did you read what Pilate did when the chief priest stirred up the crowd demanding that Barabbas be released and the Jesus be crucified? He, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. (vs. 15) Pilate wished to satisfy the crowd. Wow! He knew Jesus was innocent, that the charges against Him were bogus, that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up , but he acquiesced to the rabble before him anyway. We could talk about his spineless nature. We could mention that Pilate did not want his name connected with the events of this day (to the point of even symbolically washing his hands), but he has been remembered for centuries in both Creeds (Apostles’ & Nicene) as the one under whom Jesus “s...

Judica Tuesday 2020 – Devotion from Exile Our text from the lectionary for this Tuesday of the week of Judica, the 5th week of Lent is from Mark’s Gospel. (Mark 14:53-72) Mark 14:53-72 I don't know if you noticed it or not, but when people lie their testimonies do not agree. This is what happened when they brought forth witnesses against Jesus in the court of the high priest. They so badly wanted to find Jesus guilty so that they could get rid of him, that they brought forth witnesses who lied in order to find the favor of the court. In the face of this false testimony, Jesus remained silent. His silence angered the high priest. "Have you no answer to make? What is this that men testify against you?" But Jesus remained silent. So, again the high priest asked Him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" It is at this point that Jesus finally replies. He is God who cannot lie. He must tell the truth, and must give testimony to the salv...

I had stated that I was going to try and do a daily devotion during this time of trial. I failed till this point. Forgive me! This is the first of what I will be entitling a "Devotion from Exile." Yes, we are all exiled so to speak abiding by "safer-at-home" and need to "devote" ourselves to the Scripture and prayer. With that in mind, I will be writing and passing on these devotions as regularly as possible.  Judica Monday, 2020 - Devotion from Exile Our text from the lectionary for this Monday of the week of Judica, the 5 th week of Lent is from Mark’s Gospel. (Mark 14:32-52) Mark 14:32-52      After washing the disciples’ feet and instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to Gethsemane. He explains that his soul is “sorrowful even to death,” and tells them to remain and watch while He goes further to pray. We know this account. We know the anguish He endures in His time of prayer, falling on the ground praying th...