Baptism: Fresh Water in the Valley
Friends, we live in difficult times. The last time we were together was March 1st. Spring was finally here. When I setup everything at Memorial Lutheran, many people were out on their bicycles. The neighborhood was full of noise from lawn mowers, children, and birds. A ladybug visited me in the narthex. Winter was over and the world was full of hope. The tornado came two days later. The power of God’s creation was clearly seen. Read more...
Easter Peace be With You
Readings for Easter II, Year C Sermon Audio Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” There are many sermons that could be preached from today’s readings. St. John’s account of Jesus' appearance to the disciples and his interactions with Thomas gives us pause to reflect on the many times and ways our faith in Christ has fallen short. Read more...
The Good Shepherd
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter, often called “Good Shepherd” because of the gospel reading. Though each Sunday is a sort of mini-Easter, the Sundays from Easter until Pentecost are especially so. The question to answer today, is what does a good shepherd have to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus? Read more...
The Lie of Absence
To be a Christian often means living in the undefined spaces of tension between things that together cannot be true and yet are. Take today for an example. In the Christian calendar, today is the seventh Sunday of Easter and the first Sunday after Ascension. Also today, many Christians in the United States will reflect upon the lives lost over the centuries by the United States Armed Forces as a church prelude to Memorial Day on tomorrow. Read more...
Luke 24:1-12; Unspoken Expectations
Whether we realize it or not we all have expectations. When a football player enters the end-zone after a game-changing interception we expect a big team celebration. Presidential candidates are expected to kiss babies. When an application gets updated on your phone you expect new features and a new look. These and so many of the expectations of our daily lives are unspoken. No one really notices they even exist until they are not met. Read more...
Exegesis on Luke 24:1-12
Mary Magdalene and the other women disciples with her had followed the dead body of their Rabbi from the foot of the cross to the tomb on that Friday. On the Sabbath they mourned the loss of their great friend and teacher and prepared for the task of making Jesus' body ready for burial at the new week. Early the first Sunday morning after the death of Jesus Mary expected to find the tortured body of her great mentor. Read more...
Oster Predigt, 2014
Wir glauben an die Gemeinschaft der Heiligen und heute Morgen muss ich Dank geben zu einer die mit den Heiligen jetzt ist. Frau Phillips war meine Deutsch Lehrerin. Von ihr hab ich meine Liebe für die deutsche Sprache gelernt. Meine Familie ist nicht Deutsch aber wegen Frau Phillips fühle ich mich immer zuhause mit Deutsch. Ich hab vor fünfzehn Jahren mein erstes deutsches Wort gelernt. Ich kann nicht glauben dass ich jetzt hier stehe. Read more...
