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Lutheran Spokesman

The Longest Name

DEVOTION – EASTER

We each bear a name that tells a lengthy story.

The longest name in recorded history belonged to a man who went by “Hubert B. Wolfe + 988 Sr.” This was merely a shortening of his full name which included twenty-six ordinary names followed by a 988-letter surname. I would guess that most of us go by three names, although perhaps some have four; certainly, none come near to the length of Hubert’s name. But, in a way, we can all claim to have a name that is much longer than even his. In the book The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien, a tree-like creature says about his name, “I am not going to tell you my name, not yet at any rate. . . . For one thing, it would take a long while: my name is growing all the time, and I’ve lived a very long, long time; so my name is like a story.” Similarly, we each bear a name that tells a lengthy story. It’s the name Christian.Read More »The Longest Name

TLH 162 Ride On, Ride On, in Majesty

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING

Paradox and perspective are two elements which, along with the lofty melody of “Winchester New” (http://lutherantacoma.com/hymns/012.mp3), stand out in Henry H. Milman’s Palm Sunday hymn, “Ride On, Ride On, in Majesty.”
Paradox
A paradox is a statement that seems self-contradictory but which may, in fact, express a profound truth. The Spirit-inspired writers of the Bible often used paradoxical statements to express divine truth in a memorable way (see Matthew 5:4 and 10:39, and 2 Corinthians 12:10 for just three of many possible examples). So also, in verse 2 of this hymn, Milman uses the paradoxical term lowly pomp to perfectly characterize the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week. “Ride on, ride on, in majesty! / In lowly pomp ride on to die. / O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin / O’er captive death and conquered sin.” (v. 2)Read More »TLH 162 Ride On, Ride On, in Majesty

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS March 2020

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Mar 2 TLH 411 Ruth 1 Ruth wasn’t simply attached to her mother-in-law. She had come to faith in the God of Israel and was determined to remain among others who believed in Him.
Mar 3 TLH 281 Ruth 2 Boaz took notice of Ruth, and noticed too that she had come on account of the Lord, the God of Israel (v. 12).
Mar 4 WS 757 Psalm 47 God is the great King over all the earth. The good news is that He is our God!
Mar 5 TLH 421 (LSB 688) Luke 9:18-27 God’s Messiah wasn’t what most people were expecting. He would be rejected and killed, and those who followed Him would also suffer much.
Mar 6 WS 719 (LSB 415) Luke 9:28-62 While many did not see Jesus as the Messiah, He showed three of His disciples that He truly was from heaven—without a doubt.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS March 2020