Prepare Ye

From Rabbi  Jonah Pesner : We share that common text in our tradition. The most often repeated command in our tradition, for Jews, but shared with you, our Christian family. ‘You were slaves in Egypt, and therefore you are to love stranger.’ Thirty-six different times it is repeated in the Torah. Thirty-six, which is the Jewish number for life. One time, it says, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Thirty-six times it says love the stranger because it is thirty-six times harder, but thirty-six times more important. Together, Lutherans and Jews, and Christians and Muslims, and people of all faiths, and people of no faith must at this moment in history do justice to that phrase that the most sacred act is to love the person who is not like us.  at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Milwaukee, WI; August 8, 2019.

This is an outline of my sermon text for the Third Sunday after Pentecost , on June 30, 2019 . This was a Fifth Friday Combined Service, where members from Ascension, Redeemer, and St. Mark all gathered for one service, this time at St. Mark.   I used the Gospel lesson; Luke 9:51-62   as my inspiration for my message, presenting Jake and Elwood Blues as models for focused discipleship .   + pBRC Be with us God as we open our hearts and minds to your Holy Word. Move our hearts and souls and bodies to share your love and do your will. We pray in the name of the Creator & of the (+) Son & of the Holy Spirit. AMEN. ·       I thought I had dodged this lesson. o    In planning the vacation I was going to take and head back to Michigan, I looked at the Gospel lessons for the Sundays. o    Initially, I thought the lesson for this Combined Service was the lesson about the man p...

This is a version of my sermon text for the Fourth Sunday in Advent , December 23, 2018 . The text for my message was Luke 1:39-55 .   The references to hymns being sung were completely applicable at St. Mark, for Ascension and Redeemer, your mileage may vary.  The audio recording of this message from St. Mark is here, as is a video recording of the message from Ascension. The audio isn't great on the video, but not horrible for the first attempt. + pBRC May you always know how much God loves & treasures you .   AMEN. If you believe that you have never heard of the Virgin Mary’s revolutionary song of praise known as the Magnificat and have attended any of our Sunday or Wednesday Advent services this year, I hope you enjoyed your collective naps. Each Sunday during Advent, our Call to Worship and Greeting, as well as parts of our prayers and communion liturgy have quoted or alluded to the Magnificat . Each Wednesday, the ...