Claimed, gathered and sent

This is my reflection on the second reading for this Sunday, Pentecost. This was sent out in our weekly e-ministry to the congregants of St. Timothy Lutheran Church.   Second Reading: Romans 8:22-27 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;  23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?  25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.   26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.  27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Pentecost is the 50 th day of Easter when we celebrate the outpouring

This is the message I shared with God's people at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday, 5/13. We celebrated Jesus' Ascension. The text was Luke 24:44-53 . Memories are powerful things. Because of this, I grow sentimental when Ascension Day, which was Thursday comes around. It is one of those feast days that can be moved to the Sunday after. When my family lived in Bethlehem, we worshipped at Redeemer Lutheran Church in the Old City of Jerusalem. On Ascension Day afternoon, when the kids were out of school, the various congregations of Redeemer (Arab, Danish, German and English) would meet on the Mount of Olives, behind Augusta Victoria Hospital for a picnic and a multi-lingual service. The hymns we sang all had very familiar tunes, so each of us sang in our own language. It was like an aural symphony. Throughout this post, you'll see pictures of the grounds of Augusta Victoria Hospital. To the left is  a picture of the area all the kids liked to play on. By the way,

This is the reflection I shared with the people of St. Timothy for our weekly e-ministry.  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.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,  46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,  47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  48 You are witnesses of these things.  49 And 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.”    50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.  51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.  52

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, May 6 at  St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was John 15:9-17 . Ask any child who has moved to a new place and they will probably tell you that their biggest worry was if they’d make new friends. As parents, we worry if our teenager, young adult or older adult has friends that will be kind and generous, if our son or daughter will find mutually beneficial relationships when they move far from us.  When my son Christian and his wife, Marisa moved from Syracuse to Kansas City, Kansas, we were concerned about them. They had wonderful neighbors and great friendships in Syracuse. Would they make friends in Kansas? Well...they have and we are thankful for that.  We are not immune either from our own relationship trials. Busy lives, competing priorities, transitions, and death can mean the end of a sustaining relationship. Bullying, fear-tactics, and misuse of others are common problems, so friendship is precious. We treasure new frien

This is what I preached on Sunday, April 22 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was the second lesson, 1 John 3:16-24 .  Last week we talked about being witnesses by verbally sharing our faith. This week, we celebrate Jesus the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. The reading from 1 John can be summed up in one word: click here . Yes, that's right--love. Today’s emphasis is on the importance of actions over words.  In today’s reading from 1 John, we see love exemplified, love enacted and love rewarded. Concerning love exemplified, John writes, “This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love…” (v. 16). What is the “this?” It is the love that was demonstrated by and has its model in Jesus, who sacrificed his life for us. He loved others to “completion” or “perfection” in his decision to sacrifice himself on behalf of others. Jesus is the One held up as the great exemplifier of love. In the gospel reading, Jesus speaks of laying down his life f

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, April 15 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text is  Luke 24:36b-48 . Today ’ s gospel reading is the third resurrection appearance and yet, the disciples are still afraid and doubtful. How in the world can God use these people to spread His word throughout the world? The good news is that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Jesus did not reproach his doubtful disciples, but empowered them to witness to all God had done.    No matter how bright and learned one may be, it does not mean that he or she is ready to share the faith. We see that Jesus here commissioned his disciples and that ’ s really exciting. However, they still needed more preparation. You would think the three years they had spent with Jesus would have been more than enough to make them ready.    Before Jesus sends his followers into all the world, he proves that he is risen from the dead, he opens the disciples ’  minds to understand scripture an