Sermons

Gospel Mark’s gospel presents the transfiguration as a preview of what would become apparent to Jesus’ followers after he rose from the dead. Confused disciples are given a vision of God’s glory manifest in the beloved Son. The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 9th chapter. Glory to you, O Lord. 2Six days later, Jesus…

The gospel reading on which the sermon is based: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 1st chapter. Glory to you, O Lord. 21[Jesus and his disciples] went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.22They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not…

(The gospel reading can be found scrolling down to the end of the sermons.) Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit. Amen. There is a scene from the epic, three-and-a-half hour movie; “Killers of the Flower Moon” that I…

(The gospel reading on which the sermon is based can be found by scrolling down to the end of the sermon.) Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit. Amen.  Can anything good come out of a Taylor Swift concert?  Seriously! …

(Scroll down to read scripture on which the sermon is based.) Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit.  Amen There was a man and a doctor. The doctor says, “I have some good news and some bad news.” The…

Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit.  Amen. A Poem by Madeleine Mysko* “Swaddling” Advent, and I’m down on my knees under the rafters, dragging out  the manager scene my mother  mailed to me in 1969, all the way…

Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit. Amen. What would you do if you knew the world was going to end tomorrow?  For the disciples, the gospel writer Mark is setting the stage for the end of the world,…

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ! I often find myself reflecting how people keep going through situations of great adversity.  How, for instance, does someone manage to live in a totalitarian culture, say, like North Korea?   How do you carry on when people routinely…

Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit.  Amen. The parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids.  Oh boy!  In my preparations this week, I came across a sermon by a Lutheran colleague by the name of Reverend Nadia Bolz…

Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit.  Amen. “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” Where would Jesus find the poor in spirit today?  “Blessed are those who mourn.” Where would Jesus find those in mourning today?  “Blessed are the…

(Sermon preached at the unveiling of “Gun Tragedies : Memorial Stones : 2023“) It’s a crisis, but it’s being managed. It’s a crisis but it’s being controlled.  It’s a crisis, but people are taking action in a deliberate, out-come oriented way.  I am not referring to the gun violence tragedy in our country but rather the…

Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit. Amen. Forgiveness   Act I The scene. The curtain comes up. You see a driveway in front of an open garage.  A boy is standing behind a table filled with stuff.  The year…

Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit. Who is to blame?  Who will be held accountable?  Who or what caused the deadly inferno that wiped out the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  Already…

Grace to you and peace from God our Creator, from our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and from our Sustainer, the Holy Spirit. Amen. I was so scared.  I was about nine years old and did not want to go to bed. Night after night, I did not want the light to go off in…