Sermons
Sermons are part of a conversation between the preacher and the congregation.
You can read most of the sermons preached at Faith in the past few years here. This archive is a blog, which is duplicated on Blogger. You may add comments here or in the blog if you wish.
If you would like to see the readings planned for the next few weeks, click here.
Wandering Brings Us Home
December 19, 2010
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Text: Matthew 1:1-25
We humans are built for wandering. It is no wonder that Moses wandered around in the desert for 40 years. I imagine that when Adam and Eve were ejected out of the garden of Eden, they said “wow! look at all that open space; we can go wandering about in it.” The good news about wandering is that you cover a lot of territory pretty thoroughly. It is good for finding new things
Waiting
December 12, 2010
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This sermon was preached by Craig SimensonIsaiah 35:1-10 and Matthew 11:2-11
Puddles this morning, but no snow and ice yet. Still, things are changing underneath our feet these days. Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight! This is more or less John the prophet’s refrain. We heard the words last Sunday: One who is more powerful than I is coming after me. The one who will baptize you
Letter to Faith
December 5, 2010
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This sermon was preached by Pastor SeitzText: Matthew 3:1–12
Dear Congregation of Faith Lutheran Church,It is under uncomfortable circumstances that I bring this message to you today. The discomfort stems from the fact that this is my last message to you as your Assistant Pastor.And although it is sad—it is also reason to rejoice. Because although discomfort is unpleasant, it is also a blessing.I
It Is Not What You Know
November 28, 2010
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Text: Romans 13:8-14
Other texts: Matthew 24:36-44Paul writes that we know what time it is. Matthew writes that we will never know when the time will come. Paul writes that we know it is the end of the long dark night and the glimpse of a new day. The time is now to gather up the lose ends, to make amends to those we have harmed—willfully or not. That in light of the coming light, it is time to attend
We Want a King
November 21, 2010
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Text: Jeremiah 23:1-6, Psalm 46
The people wanted a king.
Some time after the Israelites had settled into the promised land, they began to long for a king. You can read about this in the first book of Samuel. God sees this as an issue, and God says to the prophet Samuel, “they have rejected me [God], from being king over them.” Samuel speaks the word of God to the people and tells them all the
Working and Eating
November 14, 2010
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Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:6–13This sermon preached by Katie Wilson, vicar this year at FaithI would like to begin by thanking Pastor Stein and the community of Faith for the opportunity to stand before you all and share with you from my heart. The honor and the privilege of standing here, today, is an honor and privilege that I never expected to have; I am deeply grateful. Today I would like to speak
How Will I Look in Heaven
November 7, 2010
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Text: Luke 20:27-38
At the center of Christianity is renewal. Jesus brings renewal to the world and to each of us. Things that are bad will become good. What is broken will be fixed. Jesus teaches about living a good life, about being a good person. But those teachings guide us to change ourselves and thus the world for the better. Through Jesus, things will be different. That difference is a cause
It Starts with Thanks and Praise
October 10, 2010
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Text: Luke 17:11-19 and 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
In most Lutheran churches the readings for the day are listed in a lectionary. The first reading and the Gospel reading are supposed to be related in some way. Sometimes the connection is obvious. But sometimes it seems they are hardly related at all. And sometimes it seems like they are related by only trivially, by some common word. And sometimes, like
Being Faithful
October 3, 2010
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Text: Luke 17:5-10
Other texts: 2 Timothy 1:1-14You cannot plant a bush in the sea. Jesus does not suggest you can. Or that you should. This is a not a story about super powers and impossible feats. The disciples asked a silly question. Jesus gave them a silly answer in return. Disciples are students. Jesus is the teacher. This is a way he teaches. He is mocking them. Just a little. In a nice way.The
A Land of Two Stories
September 27, 2010
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Text: 1 Timothy 6:6-19
Other texts: Luke 16:19-31There is a struggle going on in our hearts. It is a struggle of beliefs, of convictions, of trust, of the source of our hope. It is a struggle of two stories fighting for our souls.On one side is the story of abundance. This is the story of the first chapter of Genesis, in which God gave us the world and all things in it. It is good, it is good, it is
Jesus, the one, and the many
September 12, 2010
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Text: Luke 15:1-10
As he often does in the Gospels, Jesus makes a little joke.The Pharisees are unhappy with Jesus because he eats with the riffraff. He also eats with the Pharisees, but we don’t hear from the people who don’t think Jesus should do that. I’m sure there were some. “How come you, Jesus, a man of the people, consort with those fancy snobs?” But the voices of the tax collectors
The Worth of It
September 7, 2010
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Text: Luke 14:25-33
Other texts: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Here is our story up to now. This is what Jesus has done so far in this one chapter—chapter 14—in Luke. First he tells some fancy dinner guests that the last will be first and the first—meaning them—will be last. Then he tells them that instead of inviting their family and friends to dinner, they should have invited poor and sick people.
Pride was not made for humankind
August 29, 2010
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Text: Luke 14:1, 7-14
I’d like to talk today about quantum mechanics and Ramadan and how they help us think about discipline and humility. Which is what Jesus talks about in this parable today in Luke. These four things are both familiar and odd to us. And that’s how it is with parables, too. When Jesus tells a parable, he uses familiar situations to present what are, to his listeners at least,
Good Matters
August 1, 2010
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Text: Luke 12:13-21
Other texts: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23On the one hand: what is this guy’s problem? He has so much stuff that his barn is bursting. His garage is full of junk, power tools, and yard furniture. His house is full of art, books, and electronic gear. His barn is full of food from years of fortunate harvests. Rather than sending some to Goodwill, or putting it out on the street
Praying Shamelessly
July 25, 2010
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Text: Luke 11:1-13This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in.* So says Jesus in Luke, as he helps his disciples understand the prayer he just taught them. This is not a little formal dance we go through with God. Prayer is not a contrivance, some convoluted religious contraption designed to deliver effective requests to heaven. There is not a special way to pray. Just as there is no special
Distracted from Justice
July 18, 2010
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Text: Luke 10:38-42
Other texts: Amos 8:4-7
All of us get distracted from time to time. It is our human nature. People are designed to focus intently on one thing, but still let other things grab their attention. That mixture of single-mindedness and sensitivity to events is what makes us able to do complicated human things like drive a car or run a company or be a parent.Martha is distracted. The
Hard News
July 11, 2010
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Text: Luke 10:25-37
Purity rules, like taboos, exist for two reasons: for identity and for safety. People who obey the same cultural rules and agree on what is nice and what is disgusting are my people. My people are the ones who obey the law. The law they obey is the one that they established. Other people obey other laws. Those people are not my people. Their rules seem foolish or evil, sometimes.
Expecting Christian Virtues
July 4, 2010
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Text: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Scripture only. Sola scriptura as Martin Luther put it in Latin, his motto for the authority on which Christians should base their faith. Our authoritative guide is the Bible, not the church or preachers or talk show hosts. In Luther’s day this freed people from the onerous power of the church. In our day, it gives Christians common ground for a faithful life. A difficulty
Peter and Paul Sitting in a Tree
June 13, 2010
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Text: Galatians 2:15-21
On the city streets you overhear things you probably should not. The other day someone walked by the front of the house talking on her cell phone. She was explaining to her friend that she was planning to break up with her fiance. But it was secret. She didn’t want anyone to know. Just her best friend. Plus, it turns out, everyone who lives on Tremont Street between Hampshire
Giving Up
June 6, 2010
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Text: 1 Kings 17:8-24
Perhaps you see this story in Kings as a story about power. If so, you would not be alone. The Bible makes lots of people think about power. A lot of the stories in it talk plainly about power. God is powerful. God’s power helps people be powerful. The power of the righteous is greater than the power of the unrighteous. Good is more powerful than evil. Even when it seems that
Big, Nice, and Close
May 30, 2010
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Text: Psalm 8
Other texts: Proverbs 8
Today we celebrate the Trinity. A celebration, it seems, of a doctrine. Not a story, not a parable, not a teaching of Jesus. As I said earlier, for some the idea of the Trinity is what makes Christianity rich and meaningful. For others, the doctrine of the Trinity seems obscure, institutional, and a barrier—a stumbling block—to knowing and living a life of
Are You Taking to Me?
May 23, 2010
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Text: Genesis 11:1-9
Other texts: Acts 2:1-21It appears that many people like to talk about God. What God has done for them and the world. About their relationship and history with God. On the whole, that seems like a positive thing. If God is good and good for you, then telling other folks can be inspiring and helpful to them. Even life-giving. The Bible is the story of God. It tells God’s story
Feeling Left Alone
May 16, 2010
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Text: Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
Marriage is a covenant. Not a contract, usually, even though we speak casually of a marriage contract. If people have a pre-nuptial agreement, that agreement is a contract, but it does not make marriage itself a contract. A contract requires an offer, and acceptance, and a consideration.A covenant, though, is a promise. A covenant is sometimes described as an
Retirement Party
May 9, 2010
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Text: John 5:1-9For thirty-eight years the man had the same job. Thirty-eight years of sitting by the poolside. Thirty-eight years of hoping to get into the waters at the right time. Thirty-eight years of unrequited longing to be healed. Thirty-eight years of being pushed aside and passed by. Thirty-eight years is a long time.Outside of Jerusalem, there was a pool about the size of a football field.
Revelation Reformation Revolution
May 2, 2010
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Text: Revelation 21:1-6
Other texts: John 13:32-35Jesus was not a Christian. Luther was not a Lutheran.We know that Luther was dismayed that people were creating a new church in his name. Maybe Jesus feels the same way. I don’t know. The Bible doesn’t say.Both Jesus and Luther thought of and described themselves as reformers, not revolutionaries. But people were ready for a revolution. It happens
Psalm 23 and Eternal LIfe
April 25, 2010
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Test: Psalm 23
Note: This sermon preached by Vicar Craig SimensonPsalm 23 is a favorite psalm. It is a familiar psalm. So familiar and etched into our memories through its frequent repetition—(didn’t we just hear this a few months ago?)—that we may have stopped paying much attention to its nuances. When we do stop to take notice, the different translations that we might (or might not) be familiar
Acting Praisy
April 11, 2010
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Text: Psalm 150 and John 20:24-29Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise God all creatures here below. These words are no doubt familiar to you. We’ll sing them in a few minutes as we collect offerings. You may know this song as being called The Doxology. It is really just a doxology, a word that means “words of glory.” Doxologies praise God.Hallelujah! we sing around this Easter time.
The Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead
April 4, 2010
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Text: Luke 21:1-12
Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.
Having heard the story told by Mary, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, Peter ran to the tomb to see for himself. (Typical Peter: rushing in where others would not.) And having seen nothing in the tomb but a pile of body-wrapping linens, he went home amazed.If that were the end of the
Living the Fat Life
March 28, 2010
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Text: Luke 22:14-23:56Pastors are advised by the instruction manual to prepare no sermon for today, or at least keep it very short. So while I do not want to leave without commenting on this dual‑purposed Sunday, I’ll keep it short.We are tempted by beginnings and endings. The temptation is to forget or elide the middle. And instead to condense it into kind of historical concentrate, holding more
Rubbish, I Reckon, Compared to Jesus
March 21, 2010
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Text: Philippians 3:4b-14There are at least two ways to hear these words of Paul in his letter to the Philippians.Paul, who is in jail (it is hard to say where and when), writes to the church at Philippi, comforting them that he is all right. And, as usual, advising them about how to be a better community of people who follow Christ. In this passage we just heard, he writes to warn them of the teachings
Found Things Don't Have to Repent
March 14, 2010
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Text: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Unless you are perfect, you have sinned. You have sinned against God and against other people.We sin against God. Some people take this to mean that God is recording all our little mistakes (and big ones) in a large book (the one that St. Peter looks to at the pearly gates, I imagine). And that God is judging us daily, disapproving of things now and at the end of time.There
A Devotional
March 7, 2010
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Text: Psalm 63:1-8
Lutheran World Relief is an admirable organization that provides help for hungry, impoverished, or devastated people all over the world. They know that God calls them to help those who need help, and they are dedicated to do so effectively and efficiently. This church, Faith, and individuals in it have supported them by giving them money. I think they are great.In a recent issue
Forgetful Us
February 28, 2010
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Text: Luke 13:31-35
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18From time to time the relationship between God and people has been tumultuous and troubled. I can’t speak for how God views it, but people seem to have mixed feelings. We are often of two minds. The first mind welcomes—calls for—God’s involvement in our lives. We are grateful to God, and we bring to our relationship reverence, thanksgiving, and praise.
Down to the desert to pray
February 21, 2010
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Text: Luke 4:1-13
We are now 10% into the season of Lent. Lent is usually thought of mainly as the preface to Easter, much as Advent is thought of as the preface to Christmas. But like Advent, it is not just a prelude to something better. If the pleasure of the journey is its unfolding, then the worth of Lent is in the journey to which it invites us.
People have described Lent as a time of penitence
First Impressions
February 7, 2010
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Text: Luke 5:1-11
When you are introduced to a story in the Bible, it is a little like meeting someone for the first time. You wonder whether this person is going to be a life-long friend or more a friend-of-a-friend kind of person. In either case, first impressions are important. But in the case of life-long friends, first impressions often turn out to be wrong. Some of my best friends were idiots
As If We Loved One Another
January 31, 2010
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Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Other texts: Jeremiah 1:4-10You may be wondering why we are gathered here today. I myself often wonder that. Wonder less in the sense of being mystified as being amazed. Filled with wonder. It is a wonder that God has called us each to be here together. Perhaps you feel the same way. Or perhaps you are also mystified. Perhaps you wonder, how did you ever get involved with
Beyond Tragedy
January 25, 2010
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Text: Nehemiah 8:1-10
Comedy is when what never could have been, happens. The quarreling neighbors fall madly in love. The powerful CEO is displaced by the poor office boy. A queen falls in love with a donkey. In the end, every impediment is removed and every error undone, and all live happily forever.Tragedy is when what should have been, does not happen. The lovers pass by one another unknowing.
Seeing the Light
January 19, 2010
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Text: John 2:1–11
Other texts: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36
Note: This sermon prepared and preached by Craig Simenson, vicar at Faith this year.
Jesus did this—turned water into wine—the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory.
“Revealed,” from the Greek, efanerôsen, which might more literally be translated, “made manifest” or “made known.”
In
Jesus is not like John
January 10, 2010
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Text: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Other texts: Isaiah 43:1-7If you look on page 935 in the Bible in the pews, you’ll see in the right column a heading that says “The Baptism of Jesus.” There are headings like this all over the Bible. But those headings are not actually in the Bible. They are put in there by the editor of this particular edition of the Bible. They are editorial notes that are to guide
The King of Hope and The King of Fear
January 3, 2010
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Text: Matthew 2:1-12
Other texts: Psalm 71:1-7
Not so long ago people thought that science was objective. That is, researchers looked at something—data, the results of an experiment, a phenomenon—and observed something. It was objective because it was about the object—the thing observed. Not subjective, about the subject, the observer. The premise was that all observers would see the same event