Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the reflection that was sent out to the people of God at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. This is the text I'll be preaching on Sunday.  First Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24                                                  22 Thus says the Lord God:  I myself will take a sprig   from the lofty top of a cedar;   I will set it out.  I will break off a tender one   from the topmost of its young twigs;  I myself will plant it   on a high and lofty mountain.   23 On the mountain height of Israel   I will plant it,  in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,   and become a noble cedar.  Under it every kind of bird will live;   in the shade of its branches will nest   winged creatures of every kind.   24 All the trees of the field shall know   that I am the Lord.  I bring low the high tree,   I make high the low tree;  I dry up the green tre...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, 6/10/18 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . It is sprinkled throughout with family pictures. The text was Mark 3:20-35. It is nearly officially summer and we look forward to all those activities in which we participate at this time of year. For you it may be boating, bicycling or traveling. Among the various summer ventures, you may find yourself at a family reunion. And often at such events, we find quite a variety of lovely and loving family members that we may know well or perhaps never met. Then there’s always a character or two who you may try to escape throughout the reunion. l to r: Nick and Sarah Van Staalduinen, Hugh & Kathy Van Staalduinen Grace Alessi (in middle) Prior to today’s gospel reading from Mark, Jesus had been quite busy teaching, healing and setting people free by exorcising demons. His popularity was on the rise. Jesus had to be exhausted, so he went home. One would expect a nice family reunion. We would exp...

This is the reflection on this Sunday's gospel that was sent out to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Mark 3:20-35 [Jesus went home;]  20 and the crowd came together again, so that [Jesus and the disciples]could not even eat.  21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”  22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”  23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?  24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.  26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come.  27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed th...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on 6/3/18. I had the privilege of confirming three young people in their faith. The scripture text was 1 Samuel 3:1-10. In the chapters that precede this lesson, we learn about a promise Samuel’s mother, Hannah, made to God. Unable to have children, Hannah vowed that if God gave her a male child, she would give him to the Lord. God answered that prayer and that’s how Samuel came to be with Eli as a surrogate son and apprentice.    Even before Samuel knew God, God knew him before he was born. Allie, Lucy and Alex, God knew and loved each of you before you were born as well.    Your parents too, brought you to God’s house to be baptized, dedicating you to God as you became part of the family of God. As a parent, I know the thrill of a child coming into the life of a family. I’m sure your folks were thrilled when you came into their lives.    We’re told that Samuel did not yet know the Lord ...

This is my reflection that went out electronically in St. Timothy's e-ministry. First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10  1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.    2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room;  3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.  4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!”  5 and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.  6 The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”  7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, 5/27/2018 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was Romans 8:12-17 .  The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is something we will never fully understand in this life because it is a mystery. So, I’m not going to try to explain it. However, I love how the mystic, Hildegard of Bingen, who lived from 1099-1179, described the Trinity as “sound and life…wondrous splendor…and which is life in all things.” How does that “sound and life” infuse us and infuse the church? It all starts with the work of the Holy Spirit. That is how God’s people become so intimate with God. By the Spirit, the deeds of the body are put to death .  Here “death” points us beyond mere physical death. We will all die someday. However, Paul is talking about the life-destroying power of death that in partnership with sin and the law, keeps life from being what God created it to be (Boring & Craddock). Paul contrasts two ways of life with two different resul...

This is the reflection I shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church.  Second Reading: Romans 8:12-17 12 Brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!”  16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. This Sunday we celebrate the Holy Trinity, the only feast concerning a doctrine of the church. I must admit that at first glance, I didn’t exactly see the connection between the T...