Category: Sermons
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Christmas Day
Some years ago, a friend invited me to join him and a few other mutual friends, on a trip to the Holy Land. We were part of a tour group visiting notable sites – old Jerusalem, the Western Wall, Nazareth, the Dead Sea, Temple Mount, Church of the Sepulcher and much more. Our first stop…
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The Second Sunday of Advent
St. Luke is a masterful storyteller. One feature of the way Luke presents the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is attention to detail. Luke locates the story of Jesus in real time. In the Gospel of Luke, “once upon a time” gets very specific. The appearance of John the Baptist preparing the way…
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Christ the King Sunday
Growing up in the church, the image of Christ the King was one that was familiar and over time was lodged in my head and imprinted on my heart. Why? Well, the name of the congregation where our family were members is Christ the King. Christ the King Lutheran Church. At the pinnacle of the…
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Funeral for Andrew King
Larraine, Elizabeth, David, Dean, sisters and brothers in Christ at First Lutheran, and dear friends: Grace to you and peace from God who is among us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. How do we live with wisdom? We pray that we may do so. In Psalm 90 we pray, “Lord, teach us to…
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Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
What should I do to inherit life? What should I do? The rich man wants to know what he should do to live a godly life. Jesus speaks to him directly. “You lack one thing – go sell all that you have and give your money to the poor.” Before he can do a new…
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St. Michael & All Angels
Today we celebrate Michael, to my knowledge the only non-human named saint. More than Michael, this day has become a day to honor all angels. Who or what are these angels? The word angel in Hebrew and Greek means “Messenger.” In scripture, angels are messengers of God. They bring messages from God. An angel of…
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The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
This past winter I read a wonderful book called How to Know a Person by the New York Times columnist David Brooks. In his book, David Brooks contends that one of the essential elements in getting to know another person is to listen and to listen well. He calls it “loud listening.” Brooks contends that…
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The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
If you’ve seen the musical, Fiddler on the Roof, you are likely familiar with the protagonist in the story, Tevye. Tevye is a Jewish man living with his family in a village of Jewish people inside imperial Russia and he is keen on tradition and keeping tradition. In fact, Tradition is one of many wonderful…
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The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The late congressman John Lewis devoted his life to non-violent resistance. He was among those who walked across the Edmund Petit Bridge in Selma, Alabama on what became known as “Bloody Sunday” when the demonstrators were attacked by state troopers with clubs and tear gas. Lewis and other protestors involved in the Southern Christian Leadership…
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Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
When my wife Britt and I moved from Northern California to the Pacific Northwest it felt like a homecoming. Moving back here was a good move for many reasons, not the least of which is that the PNW is our hearts home. Moving to Seattle meant Britt would be closer to her family in Portland…