Luther Center of North Texas

11/01/2025

10/31/2025

10/20/2025

LUTHERAN HYMN FEST AT THE MEYERSON

10/10/2025

THE LUTHER CENTER OF NORTH TEXAS INVITES YOU TO THE 13TH ANNUAL HERBENER LECTURE

Johann Sebastian Bach Reads the Bible: Insights from the Calov Bible Facsimile at Bridwell Library

First United Lutheran Church
6202 E Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, TX 75214

October 30, 2025 at 7:00PM

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Christopher S. Anderson
Associate Professor of Sacred Music
Perkins School of Theology and Meadows School of the Arts, SMU

J. S. Bach (1685–1750) is undeniably one of the most consequential figures in the history of western music. Largely due to his role as Cantor of the St. Thomas School, Leipzig, between 1723 and 1750, Bach’s work is rarely absent from any discussion of musical Lutheranism. Whereas his music has long been subject to lively analytical and performance traditions, what we know about Bach’s personal habits of mind has always been based on more meager evidence. On that front, one of the most consequential developments of the last century was the reemergence of the composer’s personal copy of Abraham Calovius’ three-volume Bible commentary (Wittenberg, 1681–1692). This lecture will explore the significance of this source for tendencies in Bach’s theological thinking, gleaned from the many marginalia in his hand. An exacting facsimile of the Bible, published in 2017 and housed in the Special Collections of Bridwell Library/SMU, will be on hand to illustrate the points developed here.

Dr. Christopher Anderson is a scholar and organist with particular interests in early musical modernism, German history and philosophy, the organ’s position in Western culture, and the composer Max Reger. He is Associate Professor of Sacred Music at Southern Methodist University, Dallas (TX), where he teaches courses in history and analysis in the Perkins School of Theology and the Meadows School of the Arts. He has taught adjunctively at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester (NY), and chairs the Publications Advisory Committee for the Organ Historical Society’s publishing program. Christopher Anderson holds the PhD in Performance Practices from Duke University.

08/04/2025

CALLING ALL LUTHERANS! Attend the Lutheran Hymn Festival or participate in the Lutheran choir...The Festival is October 19th at the Meyerson!

04/22/2025

YOU ARE INVITED!
I teach the Adult Faith Formation Class on Acts 27 and 28!
IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED, YOU CAN ATTEND IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY!

Sunday, April 27, 2025 @ 9:00am

IN PERSON -
King of Glory Lutheran Church - 6411 LBJ Freeway - Dallas, TX - Lower Level - Room 10

VIRTUALLY - Zoom Meeting Information
Meeting ID: 831 3313 3526
Passcode: 063177

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83133133526?pwd=eGDBRg3srRvNQEMUgUWbtJKtaF9cUV.1

Get ready, because this week we’re diving into one of the most dramatic, action-packed stories in the Book of Acts — Paul’s journey to Rome! We’re talkin’ ancient shipwreck drama, complete with raging storms, angelic messages, ship splinters, poisonous snakes, and a surprising revival on a remote island. So…

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip...
Oh wait — wrong shipwreck. That was Gilligan’s Isle! Oops!

But Paul’s journey? It’s the real deal.
Acts 27–28 tells a true story of survival, trust, and God’s unshakable purpose — a story where storms rage, ships fall apart, and yet God's promises hold firm. Through it all, the gospel moves forward, unstoppable.
Join us as we trace Paul’s route from a prison cell to a Roman audience chamber, and discover what it means to trust God when everything around you is breaking apart.

Here’s our voyage plan:
Paul’s Journey Begins (Acts 27:1–12)
• The Storm (Acts 27:13–26)
• The Shipwreck (Acts 27:27–44)
• Ministry on Malta (Acts 28:1–10)
• Paul in Rome (Acts 28:11–31)
• AFTER Acts

Grab your compass, maybe a life vest, and come aboard! Let’s discover how Paul’s stormy path to Rome still speaks to our storms today.

04/20/2025

Easter Sunday Devotion: “He Is Risen!”

Scripture Readings:
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
—Matthew 28:6

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
—Luke 24:5–6

“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).”
—John 20:16
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Devotion:
The sun rose on that first Easter morning, but for Jesus’ disciples, the world still felt dark. Their hopes were shattered. Their friend and teacher was buried behind a stone. Grief hung heavy in the air.
But then — an earthquake. An angel. An empty tomb. And a message that changed everything: "He is not here. He has risen!"

The Resurrection is not just a happy ending to a tragic story. It is the dawning of new creation. It is the declaration that death does not get the last word — not in Jesus’ story, and not in ours.
When Mary Magdalene came face to face with her risen Lord, her tears turned to joy. The same Jesus who had been crucified now called her by name.

And He calls us, too. Easter Sunday is a holy disruption. It shatters the power of fear and hopelessness. It declares that God's love is stronger than death. That forgiveness is real. That new life is possible. That Jesus keeps His promises — even the impossible ones.

If you’re feeling stuck in a Good Friday moment — if you're carrying burdens or walking in grief — Easter speaks directly to your heart: There is life on the other side of loss. There is hope beyond the grave.

The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. And because He lives, we will live also.
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Prayer:
Risen Lord,
You defeated death and rose victorious from the grave. Thank You for the gift of new life and the promise of resurrection. Help us to live as Easter people — filled with joy, hope, and the power of Your Spirit. Let Your victory be seen in our lives today and every day. Alleluia! Amen.
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Challenge for the Week:
As you go about this week, look for signs of resurrection — in relationships restored, in burdens lifted, in unexpected joy. Share the good news: Jesus is alive — and nothing will ever be the same.

04/19/2025

Holy Saturday Devotion: "He Descended to the Dead"

Scripture Readings:
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits…”
—1 Peter 3:18–19

“…They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.”
—John 19:40
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Devotion:
Holy Saturday is a day of waiting. The stone is sealed. The tomb is silent. Jesus' followers are scattered, numb with grief and fear. To them, it feels like the end. And yet, something mysterious and powerful is taking place beyond human eyes.

The Apostles’ Creed says: "He descended to the dead." Some translations say “hell,” not as a place of torment, but the realm of the dead — Sheol or Hades — where souls awaited God's final deliverance. According to 1 Peter 3:18–19, Jesus, made alive in the spirit, descended and proclaimed victory to those long held captive by death.

On this day, Jesus does not rest idly in the grave. Instead, He invades death itself. He enters the depths to liberate the dead, to defeat the powers of sin and darkness from within. While the earth is still, heaven and hell are trembling. As one ancient Christian sermon puts it: “Today a great silence reigns on earth… A great King sleeps, but He is awakening the dead.”

So often, we live through our own Holy Saturdays — times when hope seems buried, and the future uncertain. But the promise of this day is that Jesus meets us even in the darkest, most silent places. He doesn’t avoid death; He breaks its grip from the inside.
In your own waiting, in your griefs, in the silence that seems unbearable — know this: Christ has already walked that path. And He walks it with you now.

Tomorrow the tomb will be empty. But today, He is at work in the shadows.
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Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
On this holy and quiet day, we remember the silence of the tomb.
You went where we fear to go — into death itself — to bring life and victory.
Help us trust You when the answers are hidden and hope seems far away.
Let us rest in the sure promise that even in death, You are Lord.
Amen.

04/18/2025

Good Friday Devotions: The Seven Last Words of Jesus
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1. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” — Luke 23:34

At the very beginning of His suffering, Jesus speaks not a word of accusation or complaint—but of forgiveness. As the nails are driven into His hands, as the crowd mocks Him, and as the soldiers cast lots for His clothing, Jesus prays for mercy on their behalf.
This is more than compassion. It is the radical grace of God in action. Jesus sees humanity’s ignorance—not just of what they are doing, but of who they are doing it to. His first word from the cross sets the tone for the whole event: this is not vengeance. This is salvation.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your mercy that meets us even in our blindness and rebellion. Teach us to forgive as You forgave, and to receive the fullness of Your grace. Amen.
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2. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” — Luke 23:43

One of the criminals crucified beside Jesus mocks Him. The other defends Him and pleads, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” This man had no time to change his ways or prove his worth. He only had time to believe—and that was enough.
Jesus promises him paradise, showing us that His grace reaches even to the last breath. There is no one too far gone, no moment too late for redemption when faith meets mercy.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the hope You offered to the thief—and to us. Help us trust not in our own goodness, but in Your promise to bring us home. Amen.
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3. “Woman, here is your son… Here is your mother.” — John 19:26–27

Even in His agony, Jesus sees the needs of those He loves. Looking down, He entrusts His mother Mary to His disciple John, creating a new kind of family bound not by blood but by faith and love.
This moment reminds us that Jesus came not only to save our souls, but to bind us together in community and care. In the midst of suffering, He calls us to look after one another.

Prayer: Lord, teach us to see others as You do. Help us care for those around us with the same tenderness You showed to Mary and John. Amen.
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4. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” — Matthew 27:46

This cry pierces the sky with anguish. Jesus quotes Psalm 22, expressing the depth of His suffering—not just physical, but spiritual. In bearing the weight of our sin, He experiences the full separation from God that sin causes.
But even in His abandonment, He still cries out to “My God.” This is not a loss of faith—it is the deepest expression of it. When we feel abandoned, we can still call out to the One who hears.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for entering into the darkness for us. When we feel lost, remind us that You understand, and You are never far. Amen.
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5. “I am thirsty.” — John 19:28

This simple statement reminds us of Jesus’ full humanity. The One who turned water into wine, who walked on water, and who is the Living Water, now cries out in thirst.
His physical suffering is real. He feels the pain of the body He took on for us. This is the cost of love incarnate—He suffers, not only as a divine Savior, but as one of us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for becoming fully human—for feeling hunger, thirst, and pain. May we never take lightly the cost of our salvation. Amen.
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6. “It is finished.” — John 19:30

This is not a cry of defeat—it is a shout of victory. “It is finished” means that the debt of sin is paid in full. The mission for which Jesus came—to seek and save the lost, to open the way to God—is now complete.
Nothing more needs to be added. The cross is enough. We rest in the finished work of Christ, trusting that salvation is not earned, but received.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for finishing the work of redemption. Help us to live in the freedom and assurance of Your completed sacrifice. Amen.
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7. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” — Luke 23:46

Jesus' final words are not of despair, but of trust. He willingly surrenders His life into the Father's care. This is the ultimate act of obedience and faith—entrusting everything, even death itself, to God.
May we learn to live with the same trust—that our lives, our future, our very breath, are safest in God's hands.

Prayer: Father, we commit our hearts to You. Help us trust You with every part of our lives, as Jesus did. Amen.

04/17/2025

Devotion for Maundy Thursday – “Love in the Shadows”
Neighborhood Connection Group Devotional – Holy Week
Scripture Readings:
John 13:1–17, 31b–35
Luke 22:14–23
Matthew 26:36–46
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"Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end."
—John 13:1

Today we walk into the shadows of Maundy Thursday—a day filled with intimacy, mystery, heartbreak, and love. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning “commandment.” It points us to Jesus’ new commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) It’s a night like no other.
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The Table

Jesus gathers with His friends for one final meal—the Passover transformed. He blesses the bread and the cup, saying,
“This is my body… This is my blood… Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19–20)

Imagine how quiet the room grew. In a few words, Jesus gave us a gift that would carry the Church through every age: the Lord’s Supper. A meal of remembrance and presence. A taste of forgiveness and hope. At that same table, He washed their feet—even Judas’s. The Son of God knelt before dust-covered disciples and gently, lovingly made them clean.
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The Betrayal

Jesus was not surprised by betrayal. He felt its sting anyway.
“One of you will betray me.” (Matthew 26:21)

Still, He loved. Still, He served. Even knowing what Judas would do, Jesus shared a meal with him. We may never fully grasp that kind of love—but we are called to live it.
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The Garden

And then, Gethsemane. Jesus went with His closest friends into the garden, and He began to pray: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours be done.”(Luke 22:42)

This is the moment where Jesus wrestled, wept, and surrendered. His agony in the garden shows us that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s faithfulness in the face of it.
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A Thought to Ponder
On Maundy Thursday, Jesus loved His people to the end.
He washed.
He fed.
He wept.
He surrendered.
He loved.
And He gave us a commandment—to love as He loved.
What might it look like this week to wash someone’s feet—not literally, but through service, humility, or forgiveness?
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A Prayer for Thursday

Gracious Lord,
On this holy night, we remember Your command to love. We remember Your hands—wet with water, breaking bread, lifted in prayer. We remember how You stayed with us, even knowing the cross was near. Teach us to love with courage, to serve with joy, and to trust that no darkness can put out the light of Your love.
Amen.

04/16/2025

I know it's not EASTER...(yet), but I couldn't wait!

04/16/2025

🌿 Holy Wednesday Devotion: The Quiet Before the Storm
Scripture:

“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
— Matthew 26:14–16 (see also Mark 14:10–11, Luke 22:3–6)
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Reflection:

Holy Wednesday is sometimes called “Spy Wednesday” because it’s the day Judas secretly conspired to betray Jesus. There are no big miracles, no public teaching, no massive crowds on this day—just the gathering shadows of betrayal and a growing sense of tension.
It’s the calm before the storm.

Jesus is in Bethany, in the home of Simon the l***r (Matthew 26:6–13), where a woman anoints him with costly perfume—an act of extravagant love. At the same time, Judas is meeting with the religious leaders, quietly asking, “What will you give me?” Two wildly different responses to Jesus—devotion and betrayal—both happening in the background.

Wednesday reminds us that sin and holiness can exist uncomfortably close to each other. That even in quiet moments, important things are happening. That hearts are being revealed.
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Questions for Reflection:
• What might Jesus be trying to reveal to you in the quiet, in-between spaces of life?
• When have you felt tempted to "bargain" with your faith like Judas did?
• What does it look like to be fully devoted to Jesus—like the woman who poured out her perfume—especially in a world full of distractions?
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Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
In the stillness of this Holy Wednesday, help us pause and reflect.
Search our hearts. Reveal what is hidden.
Help us to choose love over betrayal, devotion over distraction.
May we walk with you—not only in the big moments—but in the quiet, everyday choices too.
Amen.
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Encouragement for the Day:
Even when it feels like nothing is happening, God is at work.
Even when things are quietly unraveling, Jesus is still moving toward the cross—for you.
This Holy Week, stay close. The story is about to break wide open.