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- Written by: Pastor Tobias
- Category: Sermons
Today we ponder Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples, which is also our commissioning. We ponder what the legacy of God’s work through our hands might look like, and the difficult, yet potentially joy-filled and joy-producing journey of being called and sent as disciples for the world.
I heard a story this week of a young man named Lance, first diagnosed with cancer in college at the age of 19. As part of his healing work and treatment Lance worked with a music therapist. The therapist’s name was Brian, and Brian taught Lance to play the guitar over several years, with songs by The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.
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- Written by: Pastor Paul Walley
- Category: Sermons
Hold on to your theological seat belts, folks! Matthew’s taking us on a rocky ride. For today he presents us with the mysterious doctrine of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God in three persons ~ the Holy Trinity! How do we make sense of all this?
For starters, let’s take a look at Jesus in today’s gospel.
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- Written by: Pastor Tobias
- Category: Sermons
Even as Jesus reminds us, in today’s Gospel lesson, that the Holy Spirit has been breathed upon us so that we might go out into the world to make known the light and love of the Christ for all people, so Paul reminds us that we are one body in Christ reflected in the many different gifts of individuals, gifts that can be employed in service to God as individual people and as a community.
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- Written by: Pastor Tobias
- Category: Sermons
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.” (John 14:15, 16)
Hearing these sentences from Jesus in today’s gospel lesson I am reminded of the Small Catechism, that nifty little book written by Martin Luther in the 1500s to help families and pastors teach the basic tenants, or teachings of faith. In addition to discussing the Apostles Creed, Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and the Lord’s Prayer, the Small Catechism includes a discussion of the Ten Commandments.
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- Written by: Pastor Tobias
- Category: Sermons
The ELCA’s website for missionary work notes that, “As you read this, some 225 ELCA pastors, doctors, nurses, teachers, theological educators, communicators and community organizers are serving on every continent but Antarctica.” (ELCA.org) I wonder how many of those people, when they were 5, or 10 or 20 years old, thought or planned to be missionaries?
At some point these missionaries, like Abram and Sara in our first lesson, heard God’s call to go and carry God’s blessing into the world. And they went. And they seek with God’s help to serve as a sign of Christ’s living water, poured out for new birth.
When God in Christ reaches into our lives, we can expect great love and freely given mercy. And this calls us, like our ELCA missionaries, to be signs of God’s love and mercy through Christ for the world.