Claimed, gathered and sent

Here are some thoughts on this coming Sunday's First Lesson. See what you think about the text and let me know your thoughts. This was sent electronically to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church.  First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-9   1 Ho, everyone who thirsts,   come to the waters;  and you that have no money,   come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk   without money and without price.   2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,   and your labor for that which does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,   and delight yourselves in rich food.   3 Incline your ear, and come to me;   listen, so that you may live.  I will make with you an everlasting covenant,   my steadfast, sure love for David.   4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,   a leader and commander for the peoples.   5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,   and nations that do not know you shall run to you,  because of the Lord your God, the Holy...

This is the sermon I preached last Sunday, 3/17/19, at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The gospel text is Luke 13:31-35 .                            Our gospel lesson from Luke is soap opera- esque with all the conflicting wants and desires it portrays. In the midst of the clashing cravings, Jesus grounds his ministry in the divine necessity, God’s desire for Jesus. The first want we come across is Herod’s desire to kill Jesus. This information is brought to Jesus by  some  Pharisees. They were not all lumped together. There were those who were sympathetic to Jesus’ mission. However, in essence, they were still encouraging Jesus to abandon that mission and save himself.  Herod’s was no idle threat. After all, Herod had beheaded John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin. You’d think Jesus would be scared, literally to death. Jesus doesn’t even mention Herod’s threat because he was so consumed with his mis...

Here are some ideas about this coming Sunday's gospel lessons. This was sent out to the people of St. Timothy.  Gospel: Luke 13:31-35 31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus,] “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”  32 He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.  33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’  34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!  35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Is it hard to imagin...

This is the message I preached on Sunday, March 10 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was Romans 10:8b-13 .  In the reading from Romans, God is the ultimate, enamored lover-who draws us to God’s self with grace before we were ever aware of God. Love and grace are lavished upon us, God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves—that is, making us right with God. Jesus restores broken relationships with the Father.  Today the Apostle Paul invites us to engage our entire being—body and soul in response to God’s action. God’s word is on our lips and in our hearts. This word is not for us alone, but for everyone.  On top of that, God’s word is chock full of promises: the word is near you, you will be saved, no one who believes on Christ will be disappointed, there is no distinction, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Everyone. Israel is reassured that God’s covenant was not remote in Deuteronomy 30:14. In Christ, God is faithf...

Here are some thoughts for this Sunday's second lesson from Romans that were shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church . Let me know what other thoughts you may have.  Second Reading: Romans 10:8b-13   8b “The word is near you,   on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);  9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.  11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”  12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.  13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”   Can it really be that easy? Don’t we have to do this and this and that and be good enough to be saved, to become God’s...

This is the homily I shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church for Ash Wednesday. The gospel text was Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 .  The first time I heard the expression, “Go big or go home,” was my senior year of seminary. A dear friend mentioned how during a children’s sermon at her internship site, when she was talking with the kids about how God wants all of us, this young man explained it as “Go big or go home!” It really struck all of us who heard my classmate relate this story. Today’s gospel lesson is like two bookends with a bunch of information between them. The first verse is the first bookend. Then Jesus talks specifically about different faith practices and how they should and should not be practiced. Finally, the second bookend surround the words in between with the final verse regarding the treasure of our hearts. Before Jesus gets into the nuts and bolts of various aspects of piety, in the first verse he spells out the gist of the entire teaching, ...

This is the message I preached on Transfiguration Sunday, March 3 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church.  The text was Luke 9:28-36 .  Lancaster, PA is home to a theater extravaganza featuring biblical stories presented in a very dramatic fashion. According to people who have gone to see a performance, it is quite an experience. Today we read of God’s own sound and sight production, featuring heroes of the faith from the Old Testament as well as Jesus and a few of his chosen disciples. And oh…what we see and hear.  God’s show of Jesus’ transfiguration is in three acts—the first revolving around what was seen, the second revolving around what was heard and the third act concerns how this effects us.  Jesus took Peter, James and John with him up a mountain. Mountains were considered places close to the spiritual realm, a place for sacred encounters. Throughout scripture, God’s self-disclosure happens on mountains. The disciples’ curiosity must certainly have been ...