Sermons

As we gather today in the Season of Creation, we are reminded that the first testament of God’s love wasn’t written in ink on parchment, but spoken into being through light, soil, water, and breath. All around us, the natural world—from the towering tree canopy to the ground beneath our feet—is continuously offering its own prayer…

Caesarea Philippi was a Roman town in Northern Israel right on the Syrian border. There were many religions in the area. The pagan people worshiped in fourteen different temples. Herod the Great built a large temple for the Romans to worship Caesar. This place is a display of human power and might. It is here that…

We know Jesus as God’s love in the flesh. We enjoy knowing that Jesus is from God and can perform miracles. We enjoy knowing that Jesus is our guiding star that shows us the way of God’s ministry. We enjoy knowing that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer—God’s grace in the flesh as well. Sometimes we…

I realize frozen lake stories may not resonate the same with this crowd, who are a bit more used to icy adventures… However, when I was on internship in Missoula, Montana, my campus ministry supervisor, Pastor John Lund, led our students through adventure and real-life experiences. One morning, we got a call telling us to gear…

In seminary, we learn a lot about the ancient languages of Hebrew and Greek. One of the words I became so fascinated by and attached to is the Greek word for “compassion.” And honestly, translating some parts of the Bible into English does a disservice to the beauty behind those ancient languages. Today, when we say…

Our church year began months ago in Advent, with John the Baptist standing in the wilderness and proclaiming that the Kingdom of God has come near. Since then, we have been winding our way through the life and ministry of Jesus, watching closely to see exactly how that Kingdom breaks in through Christ’s love and ministry.…

Were I to title this sermon, I’d call it “The Problem with Gardening.”  If you were an astute listener last Sunday, you may have deduced that I’m not much of a gardener.  Well, let’s make no bones about it – I dislike gardening and yard work of all kinds. Now to clarify – I love flowers. …

Does it have any hard words?  I’m thinking Karen Danielson may have heard this question in her career of scheduling lectors here at Holy Trinity.   On the day of Pentecost, for example, I bet many of us sit comfortably in the pew thinking, “Glad it isn’t me,” as the lector goes on about the “‘Parthians, Medes,…

Aren’t there times in your life when you have asked the question, “What’s the point?” A long time ago, I played the clarinet.  One year in college I played in an orchestra; I sat one seat below a fellow who was quite a good musician.  He played in the orchestra as an extracurricular activity; he was…

“To all God’s beloved . . . who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 1:7) Well, here we are! I guess you might call the next five week period a “mini-interim.” Different people preaching. Congregation members taking on additional responsibilities. Others doing…

There’s no doubt about it – God has big plans for the people that God so dearly loves; for the people who listen to God’s voice and keep God’s covenant. In the reading from Exodus, we hear God speaking to Moses, telling Moses of the plans God has for the Israelites whom Moses had only recently…

I wonder if this has ever happened to you – Have you ever had the experience of doing something over and over again, so many times, that after awhile you do it all by rote memory and you miss half the experience? Maybe it’s driving a route that’s so familiar that you don’t even pay attention…

Today we celebrate another feast day in the Christian liturgical year – it is The Holy Trinity Sunday. We observe this day in recognition of the foundational doctrine of the Church that teaches that God is “the eternal Three-in-One” and “the majestic One-in Three”, as we prayed at the beginning of this service. This Sunday of…

Today we celebrate the Day of Pentecost. It is the third major festival day in the liturgical calendar, alongside Christmas (celebrating the birth of Jesus) and Easter (celebrating the resurrection of Christ). The word ‘Pentecost’ comes from the Greek word pentekoste which means ‘fiftieth (day)’. The Day of Pentecost marks the 50th day after Christ’s resurrection…

Ascension Sunday is one of those holy days that we can breeze right over. It ends the Easter Season and sets us up for Pentecost, that fun fire burning holy spirit day. However, the Ascension of Christ is a pivotal point in our faith. It is a day that invites us into a deeper, more personal,…