Sermons

Once again today we get to listen to Jesus speaking with his disciples; his friends; on the night in which he is sharing one last meal with them. This is the night in which he will be betrayed by one of his followers, handed over to the authorities, questioned, mocked, tortured, condemned, and finally, on the…

For many of us, this morning’s gospel reading is quite familiar – do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me…In my father’s house there are many dwelling places…I go to prepare a place for you. This passage of scripture is frequently read at funeral services. These words provide comfort at…

By this point in our worship service this morning I’m sure you have noted the many times we have heard the word “shepherd” spoken – we heard it in the opening prayer, in each of the 3 scripture readings, and in the psalm that we said responsively. In a few minutes we’ll sing a variation of…

Last weekend I had the great joy of being away on retreat for several days. I went to Eastern Point Retreat House, a Jesuit ministry located along the rocky shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Gloucester. The retreat began with dinner on Thursday evening. I sat at a table with 4 other people who – like…

Fifteen years ago this August, my spouse, John, and I were on the train, traveling south toward Washington DC. As we were passing by Philadelphia (we could see the city off to our left), we felt a slight tremor and heard a rumbling sound and the train abruptly stopped. We soon found out that there had…

Today we confront the reality of death with all our senses. We hear a certain man, Lazarus, is ill. We see that he has died. We weep with his siblings as they mourn their loss. We touch the body as we place it in the tomb. We endure the stench that rises from the body that…

Once again today our gospel reading tells the story of an unexpected encounter with Jesus. It is another story that reveals to us and to the world Jesus’ identity as Christ, the Messiah; the one sent by God into this world to do God’s work; to share God’s love and grace with all people; the one…

In last week’s gospel reading, Nicodemus, a leader of the Jewish people, went to see Jesus in the night, seeking to have a conversation with him; to find out if Jesus was, indeed, from God. For in Nicodemus’ mind, no one could do the signs that Jesus was doing unless they were from God. During this…

Yesterday we again woke up to news that our country has attacked another sovereign nation. Early in the morning, the United States and Israel engaged in preemptive strikes against Iran – bombing Tehran and targeting the government and military sites. These strikes occurred even as the United States and Iran have been having ongoing negotiations around…

Now, here we are – on the first Sunday of Lent. We are in the first week of the 40 day season of Lent, this journey we take each year with Jesus; this journey of preparing our hearts and minds and bodies as we walk with Jesus toward Jerusalem with our faces set like flint (Luke…

I have some distinct memories of spending time with my parents as they aged. In particular, I remember sitting and talking with them for hours on their “porch” (a space which originally had been an outdoor porch that they had enclosed over time and made into a comfortable sitting room; where, incidentally, they could keep a…

Once again this Sunday, our gospel reading comes from the section of Matthew’s gospel (chapters 5, 6, 7) known as the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is the first of 5 discourses – conversations – that Jesus has with his disciples – his followers – throughout Matthew. Through these conversation, Jesus teaches…

Today we are celebrating Reconciling in Christ Sunday. We set aside this Sunday each year to recall the commitment that the people of this faith community overwhelmingly voted to adopt in 2016 (and expanded a few years ago), after a process of mutual conversation and discernment: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation…

It has been another heavy week in this country that we love. I expect you have seen the images and heard the reports in the news. On Friday two faith based organizing groups in Minnesota – Isaiah and Faith in Action Minnesota – organized an interfaith and multi-faith day of Prayer and Fasting for Truth and…

These past few weeks have been particularly challenging for our country. Two weeks ago, when last I spoke with you from this pulpit, our country had just illegally attacked Venezuela, at the instigation of the current occupant of the White House, who seems to believe he is above all laws. Last week a woman, Renee Nicole…