The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s 2025 Southern Illinois District Convention is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20, to Saturday, Feb. 22, in O’Fallon, Ill., at the Regency Conference Center.
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Feb. 21-22, 2025, in St. Louis.
The 2025 LCMS Minnesota North District Convention is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 23, to Tuesday, May 25, in Grand Rapids, Minn., at Timberlake Lodge.
In the Three-Year Lectionary, the Feast of the Transfiguration is observed on the last Sunday in Epiphany and is only three days before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent and, if Sundays are omitted, is 40 days before Easter.
The 2025 LCMS Northern Illinois District Convention is scheduled for Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8, at Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Ill.
The 2025 LCMS Southern District Convention is scheduled for Monday, March 24, and Tuesday, March 25, in Slidell, La., at The Harbor Center.
The Annunciation commemorates the visit of the angel Gabriel to the blessed Virgin Mary, announcing that the eternal Son of God would take up human flesh in her womb and, in accordance with Isaiah’s prophecy, be born of a virgin.
The Son of David comes in gentle humility, “sitting on a donkey’s colt,” yet as the King of Israel “in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13–15). He comes to be lifted up in glory on the cross in order to cast out “the ruler of this world” and draw all people to Himself (John 12:23–32).
As disciples of Jesus, we recline at the table with Him to eat and drink in peace (Mark 14:18). In Him, we see “the God of Israel” (Ex. 24:10), and yet He does not lay His hand on us to punish us.
Good Friday calls for sober reflection on the cost of our redemption. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is led to the slaughter of His cross as the Sacrifice of Atonement for the sin of the world.
By the shed blood of Christ, eternal death has passed over us, and now we pass with Christ through death into life everlasting. For Christ the crucified One is risen!