Claimed, gathered and sent

Here are some thoughts on Sunday's Processional Gospel that were shared electronically with the people of St.Timothy Lutheran Church .  Processional Gospel: Luke 19:28-40 28 After he had said this, [Jesus] went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.   29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the roa...

This is the sermon I preached last Sunday, 4/7/19 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was Philippians 3:4b-14 .  Today’s second lesson exudes God’s overwhelming grace. That grace called the Apostle Paul and turned his world upside down. God’s grace is poured out upon us to that we may grow and go to proclaim the good news to all. The last paragraph is a picture of running a race. I can identify with this because my son, Christian, ran from middle school into college. I have watched innumerable races all over our state. Together, let’s look at Paul’s running strategy as he competes in the race of living a life in and for Christ and others. The entire section is directed at those who thought they were already perfect and could not expect anything new from the future. First of all, Paul writes that he has not yet made it to the finish line. The beginning of the first two verses of this section express this in parallelism: he hasn’t ...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Sunday 3/31/19. Sorry for the late posting. Had trouble with Blogger.  In this chapter of Luke, Jesus answers the Pharisees’ complaint about how he welcomes sinners and even eats with them. This could mean that Jesus was host to them as guests. It was an issue of table fellowship—breaking bread together being the sign and seal of full acceptance. How scandalous! Jesus uses three parables illustrating something lost and then found: the lost sheep, the lost coin and today’s parable, the lost son. Jesus begins the parable with these words, “There was a man who had two sons,” (v. 11b). The role of the father is primary. In the parable, the focus is on his relationship with his sons. The father is featured in both the return of the younger son and in the reaction of the older son. The brothers are referred to as “sons “of their father, but not as “brothers.” This focuses on their relationship to their fat...

Here are some thoughts on Sunday's gospel that were emailed to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.]  2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”   3 So he told them this parable:  11b “There was a man who had two sons.  12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them.  13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.  14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.  15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.  16 He wo...

This is the sermon I preached last Sunday, 3/24/19 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was Isaiah 55:1-9.  This reading from Isaiah is especially meaningful to me. It emanates God’s care and promise of provision. I shared in the e-ministry this week how I was effected one Sunday morning as I read the lesson for the congregation in Rochester when I was the scheduled lector. At that time, I was divorced and the kids were living with me. I didn’t have two cents to rub together as the saying goes. Some weeks I was working 80 or more hours. What came in went out to pay bills and buy food. I was always concerned about how I would make ends meet. Then along comes this scripture which blew me away, letting me know I really didn’t have to worry so much about money and food. I had the sense of God’s loving care for me. That is the overarching theme of this text: the extraordinary nature and dependability of God’s promises. Though we apply these promises to us, who was Isaiah wr...

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...