Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I preached on 6/9/24 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The gospel text was Mark 3:20-35. Have you ever felt like an outsider? You are with a group of people who may be friends, classmates or co-workers, or even family. You just don’t feel like you fit in. Furthermore, you’re different; on the outside. I have often felt like that. My nuclear family was more dysfunctional than my friends’. Both my parents were alcoholics. My home life was different from that of my peers. There were only a couple of close friendships that developed during my early years. I was longing for a family. I found family in Jesus and his church. Over the years, it is those relationships that supported me through the ups and downs of life. In Christ, I had found a family that loved and accepted me just as I am.  Jesus struggled as well with being an outsider. In today’s gospel, he experienced family opposition as well as religious opposition from the scribes. Finally, Jesus explains wh...

This is the sermon that was sent out this week to the people of S t. Timothy Lutheran Church. We are honoring our bishop's request to not physically worship together. However, we are endeavoring to stay connected in other ways. The text was John 4:5-42. We all have different paths that have brought us to faith in Jesus. Some have dramatic conversion experiences from a life of sin and unbelief to a life of faith. Others have a relationship with God from childhood and cannot remember a time when God was not real to them. God meets us wherever we are. Jesus engaged Nicodemus differently than he engaged the Samaritan woman in today’s gospel. He tailored the encounter to the needs of the hearer. Nicodemus was Jewish. We are told his name. He came to Jesus in Jerusalem. The Samaritan woman is a Gentile. We never find out her name. Jesus came to her. Nicodemus could not wrap his mind around a new, spiritual birth, while the woman struggled to understand what it meant to have living ...

Here are some thoughts about this coming Sunday's gospel. I'd love to know what strikes you. What message is God speaking to your heart. This was shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and p...