Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Easter Sunday morning. The text was Mark 16:1-8 . Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Today, we conclude our series, Altered by the Spirit. Today’s theme is “Life Altered” and indeed it was for Jesus and the disciples. We love Easter, don’t we? Perhaps we got some new clothes. I’m wearing a new clergy blouse. When I saw the color, I couldn’t resist. It’s called rose. I was thrilled when it arrived in time for Easter. But is that all there is to Easter? As children, we went to Easter egg hunts. Or our parents hid eggs in the yard for us to find. I remember, my father always taped a penny to every egg. Is this what Easter is about? We enjoy our own children, nieces and nephews and grandchildren enjoying this annual ritual. But is that all there is to Easter? We love getting together with family for a wonderful meal. Is it ham or turkey in your family? Growing up, it was ham. With Ray, it is turkey. Next weekend will be ou...

  This is the sermon I preached Sunday, March 24, Passion/Palm Sunday at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was the Processional Gospel, Mark 11:1-11 . Passion/Palm Sunday brings us to Holy Week. A significant shift occurs in Jesus’ words and actions as he moves from Galilee into Jerusalem, ultimately to the cross. On this day, we are looking at Mark 11:1-11, the Processional Gospel, detailing the Palm Sunday aspects of this day. We’re using the lens of being Altered by the Spirit, with today’s theme “Victory Altered.” Let’s think about these words, “Victory Altered.” Jesus was at the peak of his popularity with the people. His followers loved him. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus is being hailed as the messianic king of the Jewish people. He rode into town, on a colt that hadn't been ridden. This animal was “consecrated to the special task of bearing 'he who comes in the name of the Lord' to the very place consecrated to that Lord” (Bruce J. Malina & Richard L. Rohrb...

  This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text is John 12:20-33.     Our series on being Altered by the Spirit continues with being Altered Alongside Our Enemies. This passage highlights the confrontation between Jesus and the world. This is how it looks: The world (represented by the Greeks) hungers for Jesus, meets him in community. There is the call to discipleship—which is service. There is the call to suffering—which is glory.  Finally, there is a call to judgment—which is resurrection (Rob Myallis, lectionarygreek.blogspot.com). The twelfth chapter of John concludes the gospel’s “book of signs,” prevalent throughout the first section of the gospel. The second part, called the “book of glory,” provides a sensual feast. John employs the senses of sight and hearing as he encourages us to follow Jesus.  First, the Greeks want to see Jesus, meaning more than getting a simple glimpse of him from afar. They want to meet Jesus and to sp...

  This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, 3/10 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was John 3:14-21. We know these verses so well. Today, how might it look to hear this story through the lens of God's creativity? This week’s emphasis is being Altered through God’s Creativity. God’s plan has always been that the overarching arc of God’s work in the world has always been love shown in a particular way to all of God’s creation (Lent in a Box). The Spirit's creativity is at work in the beginning, recorded in Genesis. “ In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, …a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:1-2). In scripture, wind, and spirit are the same word. God’s Spirit was involved in creation. From the beginning, we see God’s Spirit creatively at work. God takes the stories of the lives of Bible heroes, creatively altering what is possible. Remember when Joseph’s brothers dumped him into a pit, and he was sold to the Egyptians? God used...

 Here are some thoughts on this coming Sunday's gospel: Gospel: John 3:14-21 [ Jesus said: ] 14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.   16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.   17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that i...