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Transfiguration of Our Lord—February 26, 2017
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Exodus 24:12–18 | Psalm 2 | 2 Peter 1:16–21 | Matthew 17:1–9
Summary: In the Transfiguration recounted in today’s Gospel, Jesus turns from teaching and preaching and begins his journey to Jerusalem. Peter wants to make the story about them and suggesting making dwellings to stay there, but this story is about God’s glory. Jesus tells the disciples not to be afraid and to get up and to go forward. Many of us are afraid about the state of the world, but God is at work and will not be boxed in, so we should not be afraid to show forth God’s glory in our lives and our actions. Jesus told the disciples not to tell anyone until he had been raised. Christ has been raised from the dead, so get up and tell the world of God’s love.
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany—February 19, 2017
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18 | Psalm 119:33–40 | 1 Corinthians 3:10–11, 16–23 | Matthew 5:38–48
Summary: In today’s Gospel—a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount—Jesus expands on the law of vengeance and other accepted laws of the past and tells us to turn the other cheek, give to all who beg, and love our enemies. This all seems impossible, and to top it off, at the end Jesus tells us to be perfect as God is perfect. “Perfect” means persistence towards bringing the kingdom of God. Persistence in welcoming, in loving, and in love is not a spectator sport. It requires our hearts and souls, and it requires us to persist in loving in a way that reflects God’s love.
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany—February 12, 2017
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Deuteronomy 30:15–20 | Psalm 119:1–8 | 1 Corinthians 3:1–9 | Matthew 5:21–37
Summary: A recent Pew survey tells us that people are not drawn to the church or to God because they see them as judgmental and hypercritical. Today’s lessons focusing on God’s laws can seem the same way, but there is more in them than meets the eye. Our Gospel lesson follows the Beatitudes—a great gift of God’s love—and these lessons are also a gift. More than punishment fir wrongdoing, the law is an invitation for us to choose life and let our lives become gifts given away for the life of the world. When we do that, we can change people’s image of God and of the church.
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany—February 5, 2017
Preacher: Pastor Phyllis Hormann
Lessons: Isaiah 58:1–12 | Psalm 112:1–10 | 1 Corinthians 2:1–16 | Matthew 5:13–20
Summary: What does it mean for us to be, as Jesus says in today’s Gospel, salt and light for the world? Many people long to be seen as respected persons, to be safe, to be fed. We are light when we bring God’s light to their lives, and we are salt when we share God’s love. When our fasting is true, as Isaiah tells the people, we become salt and light for the world. Let’s not miss opportunities to be bold and shine with God’s light.
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany / Welcoming Sunday—January 29, 2017
Preacher: Pastor Steve Jensen
Lessons: Micah 6:1–8 | Psalm 15 | 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 | Matthew 5:1–12
Summary: The Beatitudes, contained in today’s Gospel, are as challenging now as when Jesus first spoke them. Those who are poor in spirit have lost all hope, often because of what they have done, and they often feel the church has cut them off. We are called to love them so they can begin to feel God’s love. This is the same love that Jesus showed to all people. On this Welcoming Sunday, we testify that there are no entrance requirements for the Kingdom of God. We are blessed, and we are called to be blessings for this world.
Third Sunday after Epiphany—January 22, 2017
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 9:1–4 | Psalm 27:1, 4–9 | 1 Corinthians 1:10–18 | Matthew 4:12–23
Summary: The disciples in today’s Gospel probably never imagined they would become teachers and preachers. Many of our own jobs have changed over the years, but our primary calling has not. Jesus shows the disciples and others that they are children of God, set free and beloved. Our primary calling is a children of God, set free to live our lives for the world.
Second Sunday after Epiphany—January 15, 2017
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 49:1–7 | Psalm 40:1–11 | 1 Corinthians 1:1–9 | John 1:29–42
Summary: In today’s Gospel, John points to Jesus as the Lamb of God, and some of John’s disciples approach him. Jesus asks what they are looking for, and they ask where Jesus is staying. The church will only grow when members know what they are looking for and are willing to articulate those desires to other. Martin Luther King, Jr., also knew that people have to do the same for justice to take root. Let us invite people into the joy and passion we experience.
Baptism of Jesus—January 8, 2017
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 42:1–9 | Psalm 29 | Acts 10:34–43 | Matthew 3:13–17
Summary: Today we remember the baptism of Jesus and our own baptisms. Luther understood the importance of baptism and urged everyone to give thanks for our baptism each morning when we wake up. In our world full of terror, it’s hard for us to be thankful everyday. God has taken us by the hand and called us to remember of baptism and live it out each day.
This sermon was not recorded for technical reasons.
First Sunday of Christmas—January 1, 2017
Lessons and Carols—no sermon.
Christmas Eve—December 24, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 9:2–7 | Psalm 96 | Titus 2:11–14 | Luke 2:1–20
Summary: While teaching sewing to Syrian refugees, my friend Ann brought an old Singer sewing machine to class. One of the old women, who had not spoken to anyone, saw it and began telling her whole life story. That familiar object brought her out of hopelessness. In the same way, God’s gift of a simple child brings hope to the world and helps us find ourselves. Unto us a child is born, and that changes everything.
Advent IV—December 18, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 7:10–16 | Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19 | Romans 1:1–7 | Matthew 1:18–25
Summary: In our reading from Isaiah, King Ahaz is given a sign: A virgin will bear a son and call him Immanuel, “God with us. “The same sign of hope came to Joseph and to use through the birth of Jesus, which means “God saves.” A lot of us worry how God will save us, but the original and amazing promise is that God is with us. We don’t know how it works, but we are confident that Jesus is God with us.
Advent III—December 11, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 35:1–10 | Luke 1:46b–55 | James 5:7–10 | Matthew 11:2–11
Summary: Our reading from Isaiah paints a picture of redemption: the barren land blooming, the weak made strong, waters streaming in the desert, and a holy way for all. This must have seemed impossible to the people of that time who were surrounded by destruction, just like our world seems to be filled with hatred and injustice. In the Gospel, John asks Jesus if he is the Messiah, and Jesus tells John to look at the works he has done. When we see works of healing, mercy, and justice being done by the followers of Jesus, we gain strength of purpose to become part of what God is up to in this world.
Advent II—December 4, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 11:1–10 | Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19 | Romans 15:4–13 | Matthew 3:1–12
Summary: Just before our lesson from Isaiah talking about the new shoot to come from the root of Jesse, the prophet talks about trees being cut down because the people had not followed God. The new growth coming from the old stump will be filled with God’s spirit of righteousness and equity. Our Advent journey calls us to live out that righteousness and equity.
Advent I—November 27, 2016
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Isaiah 2:1–5 | Psalm 122 | Romans 13:11–14 | Matthew 24:36–44
Summary: Much of Isaiah contains criticism of the people for falling away from God, but this passage paints a wonderful picture of the mountain of God being raised high and people streaming up the mountain to be instructed by God. The real power of this vision is that they will come down from the mountain and beat their swords into plowshares. It is good to go up the mountain and be restored, and the we come down to do the work God has given us.