Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I preached Sunday at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The scripture text is John 20:19-31 . Each of the Sundays during the Easter season focuses on the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. This week, he appears to Thomas and the others. Rather than focusing on Thomas, let’s focus on Jesus and his promises for his followers. This reminds me of a song written by Burt Bacharach, recorded in the ‘60s by Dionne Warwick entitled “Promises, Promises.” The chorus contrasts two different kinds of promises: Oh, promises, their kind of promises, can just destroy a life Oh, promises, those kind of promises, take all the joy from life Oh, promises, promises, my kind of promises Can lead to joy and hope and love Yes, love!!  The disciples behind closed, locked doors are scared to death and mourning the loss of their friend, leader and master, Jesus. Those that follow God had gotten killed by the authorities—first John the Baptist and now ...

Here are a few thoughts I have on this Sunday, Pentecost Sunday's gospel. What are yours? Gospel: John 20:19-23 19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”  I love the gospel of John. One of my Greek professors in seminary warned all of us who chose this gospel to study and translate that we would regret it. I still am in love with John! John sets the stage for us in this way: following Jesus’ resurrection, the d...

Here are some thoughts on the gospel for Ascension, which we'll be using at St.Timothy Lutheran Church this Sunday. Gospel: Luke 24:44-53 44[Jesus said to the eleven and those with them,] “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”   50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up int...

These are some of my thoughts on Sunday's epistle sent to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. First Reading: Acts 2:1-21 1 When the day of Pentecost had come, [the apostles] were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.   5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea...

This is the reflection on this Sunday's gospel reading that was sent out to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church.    Gospel: Mark 4:35-41 35 When evening had come,  [ Jesus said to the disciples, ] “ Let us go across to the other side. ”  36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.  37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.  38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him,  “ Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? ”  39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea,  “ Peace! Be still! ”  Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.  40 He said to them,  “ Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith? ”  41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another,  “ Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea o...

This is the sermon I preached this past Sunday, which was Pentecost Sunday, 5/15/16 at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran Churche s. The text was Acts 2:1-21 . Did you hear that wind yesterday? Do you think that's what the apostles heard when the Spirit appeared or do you think it was bigger and stronger than the wind that blew yesterday? In the book of Acts, Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of wind and fire. We often describe the Holy Spirit as being like the wind. You can't see the wind, but you can see the effects of the wind when it blows through.   The same can be said for the Holy Spirit. You can't see him, but you know when he's made his presence known. What comes to mind when you hear the word Pentecost? Do you think the apostles were   bewildered by the sound of the wind? Do you picture all the apostles with little tongues of flame dancing on their heads? Do you think of the apostles addressing the crowd and each person hearing them ...

This is the emessage that was sent to God's people at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The scripture text is Acts 2:1-21 . I used only part of the passage. I know I am not alone in thinking this way, but have you ever been awestruck by the manifestation of the works of God in the book of Acts? Miracles were happening all over the place. It's no wonder the church grew exponentially! There are well meaning Christians of other denominations who would tell us that the age of miracles was completed when the canon of scripture was put together, but is really? Neal D. Presa takes on this scripture text from Acts in the blog, The Hardest Question, http://thq.wearesparkhouse.org/yearb/pentecostnt-2/. Here are but a few things he mentioned. 1. This is Pentecost in God's world. The Holy Spirit is on the move. Everything is shaken. We should not be surprised that the "tectonic plates of our fixed expectations and calcified thoughts need to be shaken up and stirred....

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy' s and St. Mark's . The text is John 20:19-31 .            Have you ever been afraid? I mean have you ever really been afraid? I’m talking about quaking in your boots, perspiration dripping down your forehead, shortness of breath, hair standing up on the back of your neck, fear. The kind of fear you experience in a nightmare, where you are being chased by a tarantasaurus rex.           Fear is powerful. It affects us emotionally and physically. Fear can immobilize us, preventing us from living the abundant life God has in mind for us.           During holy week, Jesus’ disciples had experienced an emotionally draining week. Their master had been killed. He was buried in a tomb and now three days later, they heard from some women that he was alive. They had no proof of it for themselves, however. ...