SERMONS
A Lot of Nothing
You see, so many of us know how to be afraid. We know how to say, well, we better keep what we have, because you never know. And God invites us, over and over, to imagine a world that is so radically different from the one that we know that it can only be described as divine.
Hidden
For Lutherans, the great treasure is the gospel. The good news that in Christ, we are set free from our addictions, our obsessions, our fears. We are free to be more than we thought we could be. And free to signs of hope for others struggling to find their place in our complicated world.
For the Sake of Honesty
As we receive that grace, we can offer it to others with the same kind of abundant generosity that God has offered to us. Our job is to bless the field, not curse it. The field is not ours, it is God’s.
Absurd Generosity
We are called to treat God’s love, God’s justice, and God’s blessing, precious as these gifts are, as if they were absolutely limitless in supply. Because they are.
Lighter Burden
Notice that the offer of a lighter burden is not extended to the powerful and the seemingly self-sufficient. It is offered to the weary and the burdened. It is offered to those who recognize that they just can’t make it on their own, no matter how hard they try.
Know Who You Are
The mission of the church may seem hohum to many of us. But what if we saw it as transformational? What if we saw our identity and calling as a source of exhilaration and joy?
Annoying
I have not come to call the righteous, is Jesus’ response. This is a clinic. If you’re well, if you’re together, I’ve got nothing for you. But just maybe you have something to learn about genuine wholeness. If just being good and just being pious is more important than mercy for others, you may actually be the sick one, in need of help.
God: The Original They/Them
We are created in the image of God, and God is, well…they are relational. They are always in a co-equal relationship with each other, they are in a constant love relationship with us. They love us beyond measure. They love us unconditionally. They have named us and claimed us in baptism as their very own beloved child and they send us out from this place ready to be in relationship with their creation to the end of the age.
Windy City
Violent winds can be destructive. Think cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, dust storms. What is the violent wind that ushers in the Holy Spirit?
Look Up. Look Out.
For the reign of God is here, now. Not up there. Not up in the sky, not some other time and place in the future. But right now the spirit of Christ is among us, empowering us to open our hearts in joy and our hands in service. We are not called to crank our heads up toward the sky looking for Jesus to return, but we are called to joyfully bless God in our service to others who are among us now.
The Ache that Binds Us
Surprisingly, one of the greats aches of our times is loneliness. Who would have thought after the explosion of social media over a decade ago, we feel more alienated and disconnected to each other.
If These Walls Could Speak
We are now living stones built into a spiritual house. Not to dwell—to live— within these holy walls but sent out with a mission: to declare the mighty acts of God. To share our faith in word and deed. To work for justice and peace in all the earth.
The Joy of Abundant Life
Holy Trinity (in this time of transition, as you continue your call process of finding a new pastor for this congregation) as you continue to grow and reimagine what the future holds for you and God’s mission here in this community and space, know that the Good Shepherd will help guide you there….will lead you to abundant life.
A Brush with Fame
You wouldn’t expect to see the Queen of England hiking on the same foothills as other travelers. It’s highly unlikely that anyone would come that close to royalty without being vetted and invited to stand in her presence. No wonder they didn’t recognize her.
Beyond Belief
Certainly, God treasures and loves us. Christ is risen, indeed. This is the good news that even in doubt and despair, new life springs forth. This is the faith into which we are baptized. This is the hope gives meaning and purpose to our days.
Where are you from?
Holy God, holy and beautiful,
you are despised, rejected,
scorned, you hold us fast,
and we behold your beauty.
Holy God, holy and living one,
you show your love by dying for your friends,
and we behold you living.
Take Off Your Shoes
And then: have your shoes on, ready to walk to liberation, as the Israelites were told to do as they awaited their deliverance from slavery. For freedom is coming. New life is coming. Easter is coming!
Why Have You Abandoned Me?
On this Sunday of the Passion, we behold a crucified God.
Hanging on the gallows.
Sharing our suffering.
Bearing our wounds.
God-with-us in our godforsaken moments.
God-with-us when there are no words.
God-with-us when there are no answers.
God-with-us when we wonder if we can make it through the night.
God-with-us when we question whether life is worth living or has any meaning.
God-with-us when we doubt the very existence of God.
The Colors of a Resurrected Life
We serve a God who calls us to live an abundant, unbound life. Our journey is not to the grave, but through it. The Lord who weeps is also the One who resurrects. So we grieve in hope; opening ourselves to all the colors of a resurrected life.
Are You Wooed?
Jesus woos her. But more than that: Jesus woos Samaritans. The gift of God is now for everyone. In that time: women, Samaritans, Gentiles, outcasts. Today? Minorities. People of other faiths or no faith. Those on the margins. Those with strange, questionable backgrounds.