Pastor Kory’s Page for Sunday, February 1, 2026

“Meditation” is a practice that is often associated with Eastern religions, such as Hinduism or Buddhism. In Eastern spirituality, meditation is usually understood to be a quiet, introspective practice. Meditation in this sense seeks for truth, enlightenment, emptiness, awareness, and so on by attuning to one’s own thoughts and surroundings. 

Being attentive (rather than constantly distracted) is certainly a worthwhile goal, but what is most deserving of our attention? Our own thoughts and observations, the collective wisdom of man, or the Lord’s revealed will in Scripture? As Christians, we know that our answer is the latter. God wants us to meditate upon His Holy Word, but what does it mean to do this?

The Bible speaks about meditation in several places. The Lord said to Joshua, “The Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it” (Joshua 1:8a). The Psalms begin by saying, “Blessed is the man … [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). And at the other end of the Psalter we read, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare you mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness.” (Psalm 145:4-6)

What makes the biblical practice of meditation different from Eastern meditation is that it refers to more than just internal reflection upon the Bible. We should reflect upon and remember Scripture in our hearts, but the Hebrew concept of meditation focuses on oral repetition, speaking God’s Word audibly, even if just to oneself. 

Why is speaking God’s Word out loud so important? For one thing, speaking engages more of our brain and our senses. It aids in memorization. Modern neuroscience shows that the words you hear most often – even from your own lips – will “rewire” your brain. But long before brain scans could show such a thing, the Lord already revealed in His Word that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

In other words, hearing God’s Word from outside ourselves is critical to forming and maintaining our Christian faith. In a preface to his writings, Martin Luther wrote, “You should meditate, that is, not only in your heart, but also externally by actually repeating and comparing oral speech and literal words of the book, reading and rereading them with diligent attention and reflection, so that you may see what the Holy Spirit means by them. And take care that you do not grow weary or think that you have done enough when you have read, heard and spoken them once or twice, and that you then have complete understanding.”

Luther then goes on to reference Psalm 119 and how the author “constantly boasts that he will talk, meditate, speak, sing, hear, read, by day and night and always, about nothing except God’s Word and commandments. For God will not give you His Spirit without the external Word; so take your cue from that. His command to write, preach, read, hear, sing, speak, etc., outwardly was not given in vain.” (Luther’s Works, American Edition, Vol. 34, pp. 285-286).

Do you ever feel like your mind gets stuck thinking the same negative thoughts over and over again? Over time, those thoughts literally shape our brains and keep that cycle going, whether those repeated thoughts are fearful, depressive, resentful, etc. But the Lord has given us an antidote! Just as He said to Joshua and the Israelites more than 3,000 years ago, His Word ought to not depart from out mouths! If we want to think faithfully (and we should want that!), then we need to listen and speak faithfully, beginning with God’s own powerful Word. 

Here are a few recommendations: first, prioritize hearing God’s spoken Word through the Sunday liturgy and sermon and also by joining in Bible studies where His Word is spoken and discussed among believers. In doing personal Bible study or devotions at home, rather than just quietly reading the Bible, speak it aloud to yourself and your loved ones. Alternatively, you can also use an audio Bible along with your personal Bible reading. (There are many free audio Bibles available now online or as applications. Bible Hub is one that I have personally used.)

Memorization is also not just an exercise for children preparing for Christmas programs or youth participating in catechism classes. The Lord intends for His people of all ages to commit His Word to heart, but in order to “save” it on the inside we need to hear it and speak it on the outside. Here are five Bible verses as a starting place for memorization:

A Word for our fear: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

A Word for our anger: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

A Word for our loneliness: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

A Word for our faith: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

A Word for our future: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

These are just a few examples. Speaking and memorizing whole Psalms or hymn verses is also a great way to get God’s Word into our hearts and minds and to practice meditation – in the biblical sense. May the Psalmist’s words about God’s Word be true of you and me: “Your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:99b).

In Christ,

                        Pastor Kory Janneke

Pastor Kory’s Page - January 2026

A New Year is a great time to start some new habits, especially when it comes to your life in Christ. On that note I want to invite you to participate in one or both of our new weekly Bible studies. Here is a little preview of both Bible studies:

Beginning on Sunday, January 18th, our new topic will be “Man and Woman in Christ.” I invite you to join us for this study in the sanctuary at 9:00 AM each Sunday. This study will run through Sunday, February 22nd. Over the course of those six Sundays, we’ll discuss both Old and New Testament Scripture passages which speak about marriage, singleness, sexuality, chastity, homosexuality, and more.

This is a very relevant topic at any time but even more so in our current culture. Going back to Genesis chapter three, we see that Satan’s first attacks on God’s creation centered on the relationship between our first parents, Adam and Eve. However, Satan sought to destroy more than just the connection between this couple. He attacked God’s creation of man and woman, made to “image” Him to one another and the surrounding creation. Satan went after the very culmination of God’s creation: the first marriage and family, and with it, all subsequent marriages and families on earth. 

You don’t need me to tell you that marriage and family life is still under attack. Satan isn’t very creative. He continues to undermine the relationships between men and women, husbands and wives, parents and children, and more. The distortions we see of God’s design for man and woman are nothing new. As far back as the time of Abraham, we hear about the city of Sodom, known for its public practice of homosexuality (Genesis 19). Today, Christians are confronted with transgenderism, pornography, and societal disdain for getting married and having children. Our new Bible study will offer a respectful setting in which we can discuss challenging issues like these.

Also, beginning on Wednesday, January 21st, our new midweek Bible study will look at each of the 27 books of the New Testament. I invite you to join us each Wednesday at 10:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. I also make a recording of most of our Wednesday Bible studies. If you miss a week or would like to view the recording to keep up with what we’re studying, please let me know.

On January 21st, we’ll begin with an introduction to the New Testament and an overview of the Gospel of Matthew. Each week, we’ll look at the basic setting of each book, answering the “Who, What, When, and Where” questions surrounding it. We’ll also discuss the structure of each book and its major themes. Time will also be allotted for reading some key passages in the longer books, and, in the case of shorter books, reading most or all of them together in class.

If you’d like to gain a better understanding of the New Testament and how it all fits together – and shouldn’t we all want that? – then, please join us on Wednesdays this year as we walk through Matthew through Revelation!

In Christ,

                   Pastor Kory Janneke

In Bible study on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, we discussed the care of God's creation. We looked at Psalm 24:1 and were reminded that the earth, along with everything and everyone in it, belongs to the Lord. This means that God is the Owner and we are stewards of His blessings in this world.

We listened to a presentation on the stewardship of the Buffalo National River from St. Matthew member and Ozark Society representative, Dr. David Peterson. 

I shared about a document produced by our church body's Commission on Theology and Church Relations entitled Together with All Creatures: Caring for God's Living Earth. This document describes a Lutheran understanding of the surrounding environment and our role as caretakers of it. Click here to view the full document or click here to read an abbreviated version. You can also contact the church office if you'd like for us to print a copy for you.  

- Pastor Kory