Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I am preaching Sunday at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . We will continue our drive-in service and simultaneously have our first indoor, in-person worship since early March. The text is Romans 14:1-12. We are finally back inside our sanctuary and yet...worship is different. Not only do the COVID rules alter our worship, but we are physically separated. Many of us are still worshipping outdoors in our cars or listening on the radio. In a real, tangible way we are divided, physically that is, which brings us to the churches in Rome to whom Paul wrote.   The churches had trouble: division, quarreling, looking down upon others for what they did/did not eat and the holy days some observed/did not observe. Meat consumed in urban areas had been sacrificially offered to the Roman gods. Regarding various days being observed, several calendars included the keeping of Jewish holy days and Roman pagan festivals. Paul does not dictate solutions to these debates, but rather pr

This is the reflection of Sunday's second lesson that I shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. What are your thoughts? Please share them in the comment section.   Second Reading: Romans 14:1-12 1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.   5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, a

This is the sermon I'll be preaching Sunday morning at St. Timothy Lutheran Church's Drive-In Worship . The text is Matthew 16:21-28 . Today we have part two of the story of Peter and Jesus, where Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus praises him for it and says he will build his church on this confession. Jesus called Peter a rock. Peter got it right! That was part one. On to part two here, Jesus spells out what life will look like following him as Messiah. For the first time, Jesus mentions his suffering, death, and resurrection explicitly. Oh my, and if that happens to Jesus, it could happen to Peter too! Today, we see how that worked out for Peter as he went from rock to Satan and a stumbling block. Peter took Jesus aside to speak privately with him. For a Jew of that time, the Messiah was a victorious figure who would deliver them from Roman domination. This talk of Jesus' death didn't jive with that, so of course, Peter tried to talk Jesus out of

This is the reflection that will be sent out to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. What are your thoughts on this gospel passage?   Gospel: Matthew 16:21-28 21 From that time on, [after Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah,] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”   24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit

This is the YouTube of the sermon I'm preaching live tomorrow at St. Timothy Lutheran Church's Drive-In Worship. Join us if you're in the area. The gospel text is Matthew 16:13-20. Here is the YouTube of the sermon.

This is the sermon I'll be preaching tomorrow at St. Timothy Lutheran Church's Drive-In Worship. If you live in the area, please join us. The text is the gospel, Matthew 16:13-20 . Caesarea Philippi is beautiful. It is lush and green with a spring that is a source for the Jordan River. Situated at the foot of Mt. Hermon, which is the only place in the land where you will find snow, in which my then young children played. The Arab people call it Banyas, going back to the time when it was named for the Greek god, Pan. There is no "p" in Arabic. It has a long history of polytheism—from the god Baal of the Old Testament to the Greek god Pan, to Caesar, who was worshiped as a "son of a god." In this pantheon of gods, Jesus asks who people are saying that he is. Jesus has a question. “Who are people saying that I am?” The Greek language, in which the New Testament was written, indicates the action was continual, not once and done. As I hear Jesus’ wo

This is the reflection I shared with the people of St.Timothy. What are your thoughts? Just put them in the comments section. Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he sternly ordered the