I'm *Not Tired Yet
I don’t know about y’all, but there’s a lot of noise in my world right now. Politics — almost always a bunch of clanging symbols — is in high gear. The pandemic, still running wild across the world, is — as almost all things seem to be — a divisive often partisan topic. Race is a topic. Police are a topic. Riots, looting, and vandalism are topics. Gender & sexuality didn’t stay in 2019, either, and decided to join 2020’s party. Read more...
Die Taufe: Frisches Wasser im finstern Tal
Freunde, wir leben in schwierige Zeiten. Das letztes mal, dass wir zusammen waren, war es 1. März. Der Frühling war endlich da. Als ich bei Memorial Lutheran alles aufgerüstet hat, kamen vielen vorbei an den Fahrrädern. Die Nachbarschaft war voller Lärm von Rasenmäher, Kinder, und Vögel. Ein Marienkäfer hat mir besucht im Narthex. Winter war vorbei und die Welt war voller Hoffnung. Zwei Tage später kam der Tornado. Die Macht Gottes Schöpfung war klar zu sehen. Read more...
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...
Angst vor den Tod
Während der Adventszeit haben wir „O Komm, O Komm Immanuel“ gesungen. In die Weihnachten sangen wir von eine „Stille Nacht“ ob sich Christus geboren war. Am 6. Januar fingen wir mit der Epiphanie — oder die Erscheinung des Herrn — an. Ein Retter wird kommen. Ein Retter ist gekommen. Gekommen, aber nicht wie wir gedacht haben. Wir stehen jetzt in die Mitte der Epiphaniezeit. Die drei Weisen aus dem Morgenland sind schon gekommen. Read more...
His Word has Made it So
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 (RSV) In this room alone, how many sermons have we heard on this passage? Dozens? Maybe even hundreds? And, yet, these words are impactful each time. Why? There are two main reasons, I think. The first is guilt. The second is hope. For many people, their hearts sink at hearing this passage. They remember times they were called by Christ, but did not listen. Read more...
Eine königliche Familie
Jesus war geboren in Bethlehem zur Zeit des Königs Herodes. In Judäa gab es nur ein König. Aus der Sicht die jüdische Bevölkerung, Herodes war ein Verräter. Herodes hat - in Name des Römisches Reich - sein eigenes Volk erobert. Der war Vasallenkönig unter Kaiser. Als Vasallenkönig, verlangt Herodes Steuer für Rom auf die Leute. Verräter, Steuereinnehmer, Knecht unter Kaiser. Herodes war kein David. Er wusste es und sein Volk wussten es auch. Read more...
Jederzeit Bereit Sein
In mein Haus ist es kein Geheimnis dass ich kein Fan von den säkularen Weihnachten bin. Ich bin außerhalb der Kirche erwachsen. Als ich ein Kind war, liebte ich die Weihnachten. Die Musik. Die schönen Farben. Nostalgie für eine „bessere Zeit.“ Die Ideen von Freude, Familie, und Frieden. Und, natürlich, die Geschenke. Aber dann, antwortete ich den Anruf Jesu. Die Weihnachten, kam ich zu verstehen, war nicht nur eine Erinnerung von einem netten Mann der schönen Sprüche ausgegeben hat und eine gute Lebensweise ausgeführt hat. Read more...
Allerheiligen: Geeignet mit Christi
Heute feiern wir das Fest, Allerheiligen. Heute pausen wir und nachdenken über unsere christlichen Voreltern; Muttern, Vätern, Omas, Opas, Brüdern, Schwestern, Freunde, usw. „Niemand ist eine Insel,“ sagte der Englischer Priester Pater John Donne. Keiner von uns ist selbstgemacht. Die Gemeinden unsere Erziehung haben uns stark beeinflusst. Heute, aber, reden wir nicht nur über die Vergangenheit. Wir reden um die Jetzt. Was für Leute sind wir? Was für eine Gemeinde bewohnen wir? Read more...
The Common Life of God's Friends — Luke 14:1; 7-14
Audio This week’s Gospel lesson finds us at a fancy Sunday dinner party with Jesus. In the verses omitted from our reading, Jesus meets a sick man on his way to dinner. In an interaction all too common in Jesus' ministry, Jesus heals the man only to find himself again debating whether that was an appropriate thing to do on the sabbath or not. Sitting down at dinner, the drama of healing a man on the sabbath is fresh on Jesus' mind. Read more...
Metaphysical Table of Communion with God and the Saints
The Book of Revelation — or more traditionally the Apocalypse of St. John (better highlighting the genre of apocalypse Fr. Justin spoke about last week) — is a brilliant book to be reading during the season of Easter. Moderns tend to read St. John’s Apocalypse primarily as a prophecy about the “end times.” They aren’t wrong, but to read Revelation and leave with only an urgency to be ready for Christ’s return is to miss the point. 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...
Stone: Downfall of the Wicked (Luke 20:9-19)
Luke 20:9-19 — 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. Days after cleansing the temple, the “chief priests and the scribes with the elders” approach Jesus to question him. In the last several days, especially, Jesus has made a direct and very public critique of how the temple is run. Read more...
God's Time: Lewis Bell's Funeral
Unexpected death is difficult to process. This time last week, Lewis was responding to a picture of my daughter’s birthday with an animated gif of Cinderella. Now, I stand here. I know I am not alone in this room. We share in the suddenness of it all. In the grand scheme of the world nothing has changed. And yet, in our little corner of things much has changed. For Charlotte, Vickie, Bettie and those closest to Lewis, everything has changed. Read more...
Jesus Revealing Himself in our Midst
Sermon Audio “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.” The season of Epiphany has been all about God revealing himself to his people. In Advent we await the coming King. At Christmastide we stand awestruck as God enters our filth. In Epiphany we see the perfect revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Read more...
The Bread of Life II (John 6:35, 41-51)
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. Last week we talked about Jesus being the bread of life. Jesus was trying to show those around him that they were working for the favor of others. The hole they felt — the sense of not belonging — could only be permanently filled by God’s love, the bread of life. Read more...
