Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I preached Sunday, March 24, Passion/Palm Sunday at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was the Processional Gospel, Mark 11:1-11 . Passion/Palm Sunday brings us to Holy Week. A significant shift occurs in Jesus’ words and actions as he moves from Galilee into Jerusalem, ultimately to the cross. On this day, we are looking at Mark 11:1-11, the Processional Gospel, detailing the Palm Sunday aspects of this day. We’re using the lens of being Altered by the Spirit, with today’s theme “Victory Altered.” Let’s think about these words, “Victory Altered.” Jesus was at the peak of his popularity with the people. His followers loved him. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus is being hailed as the messianic king of the Jewish people. He rode into town, on a colt that hadn't been ridden. This animal was “consecrated to the special task of bearing 'he who comes in the name of the Lord' to the very place consecrated to that Lord” (Bruce J. Malina & Richard L. Rohrb...

  This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text is John 12:20-33.     Our series on being Altered by the Spirit continues with being Altered Alongside Our Enemies. This passage highlights the confrontation between Jesus and the world. This is how it looks: The world (represented by the Greeks) hungers for Jesus, meets him in community. There is the call to discipleship—which is service. There is the call to suffering—which is glory.  Finally, there is a call to judgment—which is resurrection (Rob Myallis, lectionarygreek.blogspot.com). The twelfth chapter of John concludes the gospel’s “book of signs,” prevalent throughout the first section of the gospel. The second part, called the “book of glory,” provides a sensual feast. John employs the senses of sight and hearing as he encourages us to follow Jesus.  First, the Greeks want to see Jesus, meaning more than getting a simple glimpse of him from afar. They want to meet Jesus and to sp...

  This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, 3/10 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was John 3:14-21. We know these verses so well. Today, how might it look to hear this story through the lens of God's creativity? This week’s emphasis is being Altered through God’s Creativity. God’s plan has always been that the overarching arc of God’s work in the world has always been love shown in a particular way to all of God’s creation (Lent in a Box). The Spirit's creativity is at work in the beginning, recorded in Genesis. “ In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, …a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:1-2). In scripture, wind, and spirit are the same word. God’s Spirit was involved in creation. From the beginning, we see God’s Spirit creatively at work. God takes the stories of the lives of Bible heroes, creatively altering what is possible. Remember when Joseph’s brothers dumped him into a pit, and he was sold to the Egyptians? God used...