Advent 1B2023 Isaiah 64:1-9, Mark 13:24-37 Here they are, the people of Israel, after the Babylonian Exile, towards the end of Old Testament history. They are back in Jerusalem after decades of slavery, religious and cultural desolation, and despair. All …
Pentecost 24A2023 Matthew 25:1-13 Today, Jesus tells the disciples a parable, describing the kingdom of heaven. Because upon first glance it appears to be a terrifying parable, I invite us to consider it in 3D. I need 10 bridesmaids, one …
All Saints Sunday A2023 Matthew 5:1-9 Every Sunday and most weekdays as I made my way from the church parking lot to my office at Grace Lutheran Church, I would encounter people waiting for programs to start, people waiting to …
Reformation A 2023 Joint Sermon: Pastor Sarah Stadler & Judi Wold, Seminary Student Sarah: Judi, thanks so much for preaching with me today on this Reformation Sunday. Judi: It’s great to be here on such an important day in the …
Pentecost 21A2023 Matthew 22:15-22 Today, the Pharisees and Herodians, with syrupy sweetness, say to Jesus: We know you are sincere and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, …
Grace and peace to you from God who is Creator, Christ, and Spirit. The lectionary texts this week consist of three passages that are comforting (the 23rd psalm, the peace that passes understanding passage from Philippians, an Isaiah passage about …
Pentecost 19A2023 Isaiah 5:1-7 If, in hearing the first lesson from Isaiah, you scratched your head and wondered: Is this the God I know in Jesus? you aren’t alone. When Isaiah prophecies about a vineyard yielding wild grapes, the resulting …
Pentecost 16A2023 Matthew 18:21-35 We might have gotten distracted during the reading of the gospel by the latter portion of Jesus’ parable. Where a king hears that a person the king has generously forgiven is now violently assaulting someone who …
Pentecost 15A2023 Matthew 18:15-20 At the beginning of Matthew 18, the disciples come to Jesus and ask him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Imagine Jesus receiving this question. He knows each of the disciples are wondering: …
Pentecost 14A2023 Matthew 16:21-28 These days, we quite often ask the question: Why is the church rapidly declining as an institution? And maybe more importantly: What will bring new life to it? We might look to our neighbors who lead …
Pentecost 13A2023 Matthew 16:13-20 Today, Jesus turns to his disciples and asks: Who do people say that the son of man is? After they share a litany of prophetic figures from the Jewish tradition, Jesus then asks: But who do …
Pentecost 10A2023 Matthew 14:13-21 What is enough? What is enough food for a household? What is enough money for security? What is enough talent to be “talented”? What is enough responsibility or prestige to make a job a good job? …