Singing a new song!

Advent 4

At Christmas we are told we have to “believe” in all sorts of things, including miracles and even biblical miracles.  Pastor Rob reflects that the most challenging miracle of all to believe in:  That God still loves the world and that God still loves you!  Pastor Rob reflects on how God puts a new song of faith, hope and joy in our hearts through the birth of Jesus Christ.

Includes a reference to Home Alone 🙂

The Bible passage may be found here:  Luke 1:56-79

Joy in all Seasons!

Advent 3
This week we hear about the joyful encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, both pregnant women.  Pastor Rob reflects on the joy of Christmas.  This joy changes as we age; but is not necessarily diminished.  This joy is also threatened by many things going on in our lives.  Pastor Rob proposed the Magnificat Test to determine how to discover the joy God intends for you in the birth of Jesus!
The Bible passage may be found here:  Luke 1:39-55
The image is from:  https://www.shcj.org/reflection-on-the-visitation-of-mary/

Like Dominos

December 8, 2019
Second Sunday of Advent

In Dominos, the cause and effect is clear; life is far less clear!  We don’t always see the impact of our actions.  In fact, it is impossible to see how the good (or bad) we do will impact future generations.  Pastor Rob reflects on the interaction between Mary and the angel Gabriel in Luke 1 as well as the story of the real St. Nicolas.  In each case, God issues a call to action.  Through their faithful obedience they impact countless others.  Our job is not to figure how we can make a difference, but to be faithful to God’s call on our lives.

What if we don't have our act together?

December 1, 2019
First Sunday of Advent 
​
​Sometimes we believe the myth that God acts once we have our acts together; that once our life is picture perfect, there is room for God.

As the angel's visit to Zachariah shows in Luke 1, God doesn't wait for us to have a picture perfect life!  God acts in our lives here and now.  And God calls us to act before we've got it all right.

Pastor Rob also addresses how Advent prayer time, including around an Advent wreath, can help us sense how God is acting in our lives and calling us to act. 

How often should we have Holy Communion?

How often should we have Holy Communion? 

This is a frequent question about Communion.  Underneath is lies a deeper question about why we worship, repentance and praise.  In this sermon, Pastor Rob reflects on this significant changes in worship over the past 70 years as worship has moved from repentance to praise, including in how most mainline Protestant and Catholic Christians understand Holy Communion.  Something was gained in this; something was lost.  Can we understand Holy Communion as both a moment of repentance and praise?

Pastor Rob reflects on Luke 23 and the penitent thief, as well as brief mention of Colossians 3.

Old vs Good News

November 17, 2019
The last Sunday in ordinary time/Pentecost Season

Whatever time of day, whatever form of media, we hear a similar story:  violence, political turmoil, climate change, unrest and natural disaster.  The planet and civilization seem to be cracking up.  Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus predicted as much! 

Actually, what Jesus predicted is the persistence of a old news, the story that violence, greed, pride and despair -- collectively sin -- would win.  Jesus warns us against believing that old news, and instead proclaimed a good news, that God has not nor will ever give up on this world

Why Series, Part 5: Why Heaven

November 3, 2019
All Saints Sunday

Pastor Rob continues with the fifth in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.  

Why Heaven?  Well, first, Pastor Rob unpacks what heaven looks like in the Bible.  Turns out that it is pretty different than we imagine it in pop culture!  Heaven is typically thought of as a place where we go when we die.  Heaven in the Bible is wherever Jesus shows up! 

A reflection on Luke 19 and the salvation, the heaven, the "good place" we experience here and now through Jesus Christ.

Why Series, Part 4: Why Lutheran

Pastor Rob continues with the fourth in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.  

Why Lutheran?  Just like there lots of flavors of Ice Cream, there are lots of "flavors" of Christian churches.  Given all of these "options", why go for the whole "Lutheran" thing.  Pastor Rob's answer:  Because we all need spaces of grace!

Unpacked a bit more -- we all hunger to be accepted in an incredibly judgmental world.  Pastor Rob offers that the only way to finally get rid of judgement is not through ignoring or trivializing sin, but rather giving it to Jesus Christ.

A reflection on Luke 18 and the power of a community of confessing our sins.

Why Series, Part 3: The Church

October 20, 2019
Season of Pentecost

Pastor Rob continues with the third in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.  

Why the church?  Given all of the crazy and brutal history of organized religion, why the church?  Pastor Rob's short answer:  Because we can't do it alone!  Just like the world marathon record was broken by an amazing team, we are called into the race of faith with others.

A reflection on Isaiah 2 and the power of a community of faith.

Why Series, Part 2: Why the Bible

October 13, 2019
Season of Pentecost

Pastor Rob continues with the second in a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith. 

Reflecting on the healing of Naaman (2 Kings 5), Pastor Rob looks at the question of "Why" the Bible.  Acknowledging the incredible cultural gap between the world of the Bible and our own, Pastor Rob reflects on how can still discover real people with real problems in the Bible; they in turn encounter a real God with real love and real power.  In our life and world with real problems, we can learn from Scripture how we encounter the love and power of God. 

The conclusion of the sermon is a reflection on the core problem in the Bible story: The division between two tribes of people.  We still struggle with this problem today.  Pastor Rob proclaims how God challenges, inspires and ultimately deals with the tribal instinct of humans.

Why Series, Part 1: Why Jesus?

October 6, 2019
Season of Pentecost

Pastor Rob launches a five week series on the some of the biggest "Why" questions in Christian faith.  We started on Sunday with "Why Jesus?"  Reflecting on John 6 and Acts 16, we look at how God's love for the world in poured out in the cross and resurrection of Jesus.  We then looked at some current events, both Brandt Jean's forgiveness of his brother's killer and his mothers' words of challenge and lament, to consider how the cross and resurrection show up in our world today.

Hardness of Heart

September 29, 2019
Season of Pentecost

The story of the rich man and Lazarus (from Luke 16) is perhaps one of Jesus most haunting parables.  It paints a vivid picture of what hardness of heart looks like...and intends to scare of us of its consequences.   Pastor Rob reflects on how our hearts can grow hard and what God intends to do about this problem.  Unfortunately, it is not as easy problem to fix!

In but not Of the world

September 22, 2019
Season of Pentecost

The three parables of Luke 15 (lost sheep, lost coin, lost son) portray a beautiful image of God's economy, where there is always enough and mercy is the currency.  Luke 16...well...not such much!  In Luke 16 the shrewd get praised and the corrupt move ahead.

Pastor Rob reflects on how Jesus calls us to be disciples "in" this world, a world in which the shrewd are rewarded and money seems to be speak the loudest.  Yet we are called to be "of" a different kingdom, a different economy, a place in which God's love provides enough for each person. 

Being "in" but not "of" this world is not at all an easy thing!  A special shout out to Stephen and Jodi Swanson for their work being "in" but not "of" this world!

Grace with no Asterisk

September 15, 2019
Season of Pentecost

We spend a great deal of time carefully selecting which photos we put on social media and which we delete, crop or filter.  In this sermon, Pastor Rob talks about our discomfort with the parts of life that don't look great.  We sometimes assume that if we just took enough spiritual vitamins and absorbed enough grace, that these "need to be cropped and edited" parts would go away.  In this case, grace comes with an asterisk, a whole lot of conditions and restrictions.  Instead, Pastor Rob reflects on the grace proclaimed by Saint Paul, which comes without an asterisk - no ifs, ors, or buts.  It comes from the cross and speaks of God's love for us even in the brokenness, the messiness and sin of our lives.

​A handful of Scripture is cited in the sermon:  Exodus 32, Psalm 51, 1 Timothy 1 and Luke 15.  

Jesus Trees

September 8, 2019
Season of Pentecost and Rally Day

In Psalm 1, the followers of God are compared to trees.  After unpacking this beautiful metaphor, Pastor Rob talks about how the mission of the church is to produce Jesus-Trees.  (Actually, he connects Psalm 1 with the church's logo, tagline "rooted and growing" and the new mission statement.)  From there, Pastor Rob returns to Psalm 1, reflecting on how we are called to "meditate on the law day and night."

Inviting folks on the outside

September 1, 2019
Season of Pentecost

Even pagans love their friends and family!  Jesus drives home the point, once again, that we are called to love not just our friends and family, but to care for those on the outside, those on the margins, those who are not liked!  In Luke 14, Jesus goes a step further and challenges us to eat with people who are on the margins.  For when we eat with people, relationships form, joys and trials are shared and something holy happens.  Pastor Rob reflects about the power of God's transforming love through a simply earthly meal, even things like Peanut Butter sandwiches.

Fire, Judgement and New Life

August 18, 2019
Season of Pentecost

Jesus declares that he has come to bring fire to the earth; in the Bible, fire is a symbol of God's judgement.  What gives that Jesus is bringing judgement into the world!?  I thought Jesus was only about love and peace!!

Pastor Rob reflects on the relationship between God's judgement and God's love in our world and in our lives.  Fire brings destruction, but fire can also create space for new life, as is the case with forest fires.  So to in our lives, God's judgement may humble, unsettle and even unbind, but it does so to create space for new life.  Based on Luke 12 with references to the prophet Jeremiah.  

Middle Aged Hero of Faith

August 11, 2018
Season of Pentecost

In Genesis 15, Abraham and God have a heart to heart.  Abraham confesses his frustrations with the parts of life that aren't going according to plan.  In fact, Abraham isn't quite sure of how life will unfold in the future and he is quite unsettled.  God responds to this prayer, not with a plan, but with the night sky and promise of millions of descendants.

Pastor Rob suggests that in this story, Abraham reveals himself to be a Middle Aged Hero of faith!   

Psalm 8 and Apollo 11

August 4, 2019
Season of Pentecost

50 years ago humans landed on the moon.  At that time, humans saw the earth in space for the first time; it was breathtaking!  People around the world cried out, in the words of the ancient Psalm, "O Lord, how majestic is your name in all of the earth!"  The beauty of the heavens bring us to confess the belief in a creator.


Yet how do we know that God cares for us, especially as we become increasingly aware of how small the earth is relative to the cosmos.  We find ourselves, once again, speaking the words of the ancient psalms, "When I consider your heavens...the stars and the moon, what are human beings that you are mindful of them?" Pastor Rob reflects on the words of Psalm 8 and how we might answer the question posed in this ancient prayer.

Praying with the body

July 28, 2019
Season of Pentecost

"How do we pray?" the disciples asked Jesus.   Even the most faithful have questions about prayer; we know we should do it, but we often feel like we do not have the skill set...or the words!  In this sermon, Pastor Rob reflects on how we could benefit from focusing more on our body and less on our words when we pray.  In Scripture, people and even Jesus are often praying with their full body. 

Listening is an act of Love

July 21, 2019
Season of Pentecost

When Pastor Rob was in Tanzania, he realized how many hours it takes to prepare food for guests in a world without grocery stores, fridges and gas stoves.  (These do exist in Africa, just not universally!)  This helped him see that in this story of Mary and Martha, Martha would have been working for hours; Mary would have been listening for hours. Indeed, the meal prepared for the American guests (shown to the right) probably took 3-4 hours for a team of 5-6 women to make.

When was the last time you listened to someone for more than 15 minutes?  Pastor Rob considers how listening is an act of love.  Based on Luke 10:38-42

Who is my neighbor?

July 14, 2019
Pentecost Season

​Pastor Rob reflects on the question posed to Jesus:  "Who is my neighbor?"  (Luke's Gospel, Good Samaritan Parable, Chapter 10) based on his travels to Tanzania.  This includes his time visiting our companion congregation, Kanga Lutheran.

Exorcising a Demon

June 23, 2019
2nd Sunday after Pentecost (aka Ordinary Time)

Saint Luke tells a powerful story of Jesus exorcising a demon.  Because it initially seems so much unlike our world today, we might miss the main points of Luke:  Evil is real and powerful; Jesus is divine and therefore more powerful than the forces of evil.  Working with this story of healing, Pastor Rob focuses on how we can see Jesus overcoming evil forces in our lives.   Based on Luke 8:26-39.

Hope and Suffering

June 16, 2019
Holy Trinity Sunday
Saint Paul writes, "Suffering leads to endurance; endurance character; character hope; and hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit."  Pastor Rob reflects on how it is that some people become more hopeful through suffering, while others become more bitter.  Based on Romans 5:1-5.

Witnessing, part II

June 9, 2019
Pentecost
Last week Pastor Rob preached about Jesus command to "You are my witnesses."  In this sermon, one of the youth gives his witness.   The youth is one of the six 8th graders being confirmed.  Confirmation is a rite in which a person confirms their Baptism, saying yes to the gifts of God and living as a disciple of Jesus.  Based on Acts 2:1-11.

You will be my witnesses 2019

June 2, 2019
Ascension/7th Sunday of the Easter Season: 

You will be my witnesses.  These are Jesus last words to his disciples.  They kind of terrify most of us, though, because we've seen so many bad examples of witnessing.  Does Jesus really mean this?  Pastor Rob offers some examples of what witnessing to Jesus might actually look like.  Based on Acts 1:1-11.

A peace the world does not give

May 26, 2019
6th Sunday of the Easter Season: 

Worldly success and spiritual fulfillment don't always go hand in hand.  To explore this relationship, we look at  Lydia, an early convert to Christianity.  The precious few facts we do have about her speak volumes:  She was a worshipper of God who dealt in purple cloth.  Pastor Rob explains she was both worldly successful but also spiritually hungry.  Where do we find our spiritual fulfillment, our connection to God, our sense of purpose, our security of affirmation?  Jesus offers us all of this as he confers on us our peace.  Based on Acts 16:9-16 and John 14:23-29​ 

The good, the gracious and the beautiful

May 19, 2019
5th Sunday of the Easter Season: 

"Love one another, as I have loved you."  The new commandment from Jesus.  Does Jesus actually expect us to do this?  Pastor Rob offers three answers:  A good one; a gracious one; and a hopefully beautiful one.  Based on John 13:31-35​  The picture shows volunteers at Wittle Farm this past Saturday.

Decisions, Decisions

May 12, 2019
4nd Sunday of the Easter Season: Good Shepherd Sunday
Life is filled with many decisions: Which flavor Oreo should I buy?  How should I respond to my co-workers "dumb" email?  Pastor Rob reflects on how we make decisions as disciples of Jesus.  Based on Jesus words "My sheep listen to my voice.  I know them.  They follow me."  From John 10:22-30

What is your story?

May 5, 2019
3nd Sunday of the Easter SeasonAnnual Meeting

Life can be a bit confusing - what should I be doing?  Why am I here?  Where is God in the mix of all this?   Again and again, God calls us out of our everyday life - our spiritual "fog" - and into worship; we encounter the Risen Christ, who feeds, forgives and then sends us back into the world.  This is the story of Peter.  This is the story of Ananias, Paul and just about every other person in the Bible.  On this Sunday of our annual meeting we consider -- what is your story?  In your walk of living as a disciple of Jesus, how have you been called out of the world into worship; and then out of worship, having met the crucified yet risen Christ, back into the world?

Resurrection overcomes but does not negate cruifixion

April 28, 2019
2nd Sunday of the Easter SeasonJesus comes back from the dead, restored and renewed...yet with holes where the nails pierced him during his crucifixion.  Why did God leave the wounds?  The power of Jesus' resurrection exists along side of the evidence of death.  As we go through life, we often see plenty of evidence of death and sin; yet the resurrection is still real and real in our lives.  Based on John 20:19-31

Pastor Rob also reflects on the recent diagnosis of Pastor Straw in light of Jesus death and resurrection, as evidenced in his wounded hands.

Easter: Jesus, Thanos and the enduring love of God

April 21, 2019
Easter SundayThe resurrection of Jesus was a total surprise to the disciples; people don't return from the dead!  It is clear that Jesus breaks the rules of how life, death, sin and justice all work.  This is because he follows only one rule:  God's love endures forever.  Based on Luke 24:1-11.
And yes, there is a special mention of my favorite arch-villain, Thanos.

Palm Sunday: Servant Leader

Who was or is the best boss you've ever had?  Most likely, they are a servant leader, someone who takes the power they have and uses it for the benefit of others.  In his telling of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Luke presents Jesus as the ultimate Servant Leader.  What might it look like for us to live as a servant leader?   Based on Luke 19:28-40.

Whose Scandal is it Now?

April 7, 2019Fifth Sunday in Lent

It is a scandal!!  A sinful woman -- uninvited -- comes to the house of Pharisee, for the Pharisee is hosting Jesus for a meal.  The woman begins to wash his feet, anoint his feet with perfume, kiss them and dry it with her hair.​​  At first it all seems clear; the woman is lost.  But as we reflect more on the scandal of the scene, we are forced to realize that it is not her who is truly lost.  Based on Luke 7:36-50.

Acceptance and Rejection

March 24, 2019Fourth Sunday in Lent

At first, the younger and elder son of the father seem so different.  Yet both have a tremendous need and yearning for the acceptance of the father.  In our lives we hunger for acceptance from our parents and from our children.  So often these loving relationships live with the reality of rejection.  And so we come, hungry for an acceptance that find only in our relationship with our heavenly parent, Our Father.  Based on Luke 15:11-32

Lost in our own home

March 24, 2019Second Sunday in Lent

The coin is lost in its own home.  Sometimes we can find ourselves lost, not in the wilderness, not far away from where we should be, but in our very own homes.  Pastor Rob explores what it means to be lost in our home and how God is at work in these seasons of life.

That person did that?

March 17, 2019Second Sunday in Lent

"I can't believe that person did THAT!"  How often in life are we surprised and disappointed to learn of a moral failing of a friend (or even famous person).  Pastor Rob unpacks how easy it is for us, like sheep, to go astray, going on paths that lead us to terrible decisions.  The good news is that we have a shepherd who finds, forgiveness and enfolds us back into his flock.  Based on Luke 15:1-7

Every meal is worship

March 10, 2019First Sunday in Lent

"One does not live by bread alone" responds Jesus to the first temptation of the devil to turn stones into bread.  In our culture today, we often fall prey to the temptation to think that we only need physical and not spiritual nourishment!  Pastor Rob explores Scripture to show how every meal in the Bible is, in many ways, a mini-worship service.  How can our meals this lent become a time, not just of physical nourishment, but also of being renewed spiritually by God?  Based on Luke 4:1-13

The Stop Sign Sermon

March 3, 2019Transfiguration Sunday

Jesus offers his disciples the ultimate mountain top experience -- the in-breaking of God's love and light in this world.  The disciples wants to stay at the top of the mountain.

But Jesus commands them to come down the mountain.  We are called to live our lives in the real world, where God's presence is a bit more ambiguous.

So how can we see God's presence in the every-day?  Pastor Rob offers Baptism and the stop sign as a reminder for us of God's work in our lives.
Based on Luke 9:28-36

Love your enemies

February 24, 2019
Love your enemies.  Sounds wonderful -- but it is possible?  Reflecting on the story of Joseph forgiving his brothers (Genesis 45), Pastor Rob shares about how might actually be able to do this.  Bottom line is that loving enemies is act of profound strength, strength that can only come from God's mercy.

Can you do me a little favor?

February 10, 2019
"Can you do me a little favor?"  These are scary words because we know that favors are rarely little!  Jesus asks Peter to do a little favor...which leads to Jesus calling Peter to take an even bigger risk...which leads Jesus to transform Peter and Peter's friends into disciples!  A reflection on how it works when Jesus calls us to do a little favor (based on Luke 5.)  

Special thanks to Nancy Weiss and Hazel Nestleroth for their willingness to share a brief testimony during the sermon.

Gods' love is bigger than tribe

February 3, 2019
The crowd's response to Jesus first sermon:  Kick him out of town!   Jesus seems to have upset everyone by telling them good news, namely, that God's love is really, really big.  How can our heart  grow to be like Jesus, where we realize that God's love is bigger than our own tribe, nation and family?  Based on Luke 4.

Why the Bible

January 27, 2019
We live in a world of many religions and many sacred texts.  So why give 3rd graders Bibles?  Why do we use the Bible in our worship and in our devotion?  Pastor Rob takes up the question, "Why the Bible?" by looking at Jesus first sermon (Luke 4).

Jesus doesn't act alone

January 20, 2019
Mission and Outreach Sunday (sort of)
Jesus has the power to act alone, but instead chooses, again and again, to involve other people in his ministry of transforming love.  This miracle of turning water into wine is (John 2) is no different!  For our Mission and Outreach Sunday (partially postponed due to weather), Pastor Rob reflects on how Jesus brings us into participating in the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Pilgrims not tourists

January 13, 2019
Baptism of our Lord
Some trips are vacations...others are pilgrimages.  Pastor Rob reflects on the difference between being a tourist and a pilgrim; then challenges us to view our Baptism as an invitation to view our life as a pilgrimage, and not simply a tourist trip.  If our life in Christ is a pilgrimage then, this means there is a different cost...and a different discovery that we make!  Based on Jesus Baptism as recorded in Luke 3.

Those outside the church

January 6, 2018
Epiphany Sunday
Most Christians have people they love in their life who are not part of a church community.  This causes a great deal of grief and often in the case of parents, guilt.  Pastor Rob looks at the journey of the Magi, who began far outside the faith community but ultimately worship Jesus.  Their journey serves as a reflection of our own faith journey, but also offers us insight into how we accompany others on their journey from outside the church to worshipping Jesus.  Matthew 2.