The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Real Strength in Community of Faith What makes something strong? Is steel strong because of its ability to withstand stress from many directions? Is wood strong because of its ability to absorb impact while remaining intact? Is the material…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Be Not Afraid How would you live if you were not afraid? Fear is used by politicians to gain our votes, by the media to get our attention, by advertising firms to sell us what we don’t need, and…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Unbinding the Living On All Saints Sunday we remember loved ones who have been laid in the tomb. We know the acute grief of Mary, Martha, and Jesus. We know the reality of death that lies so close. We…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Not Ashamed In many congregations, Reformation Sunday is treated as a sort of “Lutheran heritage” day, a time for singing chorales and remembering the theological reforms of the sixteenth century that gave birth to Lutheranism. In other parishes, a…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Sharing in Your Glory: Success or Service? “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Like James and John, we too are quick to assume that following Christ leads to…
Who Would Jesus Bless Today? Many Bibles include a heading before the latter part of today’s gospel reading (Mark 10:13-16) that says something like “Blessing the Children” or “Jesus Welcomes the Children.” In reading such a heading, we might begin to imagine a sentimental scene in which Jesus is surrounded by cute, adorable children. When we…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. Don’t Try to Stop God In Mark 9:38-50 the disciples—at least John—are upset because they saw somebody, not a disciple, “casting out demons” in Jesus’ name. Here John sounds strikingly similar to the Pharisees, who became upset when someone out…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. The Most Challenging Spiritual Practice The writers of today’s readings express to God their fears about death and those who do evil. They rage against the cravings, coveting, envy, and selfish ambition that lead to disorder and war, within and around us. They describe one caught…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. An Unexpected Kind of Messiah Today we hear from three teachers. The prophet Isaiah calls himself a teacher, one whose words sustain weary people. James warns about foolish and hurtful use of our tongues, which should be used to…
The sermon will be a post on our Facebook page. Please click on link to view sermon. God Is Partial Again and again throughout biblical history, God is partial to caring for the poor, the weak, and the outcast. Which is why, perhaps, Jesus’ response to the Syrophoenician woman takes us by surprise: “Let the children…