Sermon Audio 9/25/2016, 19th Sunday after Pentecost C

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo 

19th Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Matthew 6:25-33 

Our season of stewardship begins with thankfulness for what we have, rather than with worry about what we lack. 

To hear this podcast: listen here, use this link, or use iTunes or Google Play Music to subscribe or listen by searching "Tengwall."

Sermon Audio 9/18/2016, Guest Preacher Rev. Louis Tillman, Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost C

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo 

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 16:1-13

Our guest preacher today, Rev. Louis Tillman, is a candidate for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, currently completing his theological studies at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He brings a powerful Word reminding us that two is not better than one. Have you ever been to Jackson, MI? 

To hear this podcast: listen here, use this link, or use iTunes or Google Play Music to subscribe or listen by searching "Tengwall."

Sermon Audio 9/11/2016, Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost C

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo 

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 15:1-10 

Jesus tells his parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin in the midst of two audiences: the tax collectors and sinners with whom he eats, and the grumbling Pharisees and scribes. With which of these audiences do you identify, and how does that change how you hear the parables? 

As a bonus I talk about how "All lives matter" in response to "Black lives matter" is merely the grumbling of jealous Pharisees. 

Sermon Audio 9/4/2016, Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost C

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo 

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 14:25-33 

What does it mean to carry your cross? Why does Jesus have such harsh words for the crowds of people who want to follow him? 

To hear this podcast: listen here, use this link, or use iTunes or Google Play Music to subscribe or listen by searching "Tengwall."

Why Stewardship is the Way I Follow Jesus

This week my family has much to celebrate. Today is our fifth wedding anniversary, and the tenth anniversary of our first date (give or take a day). Monday is my 38th birthday. Our son had his first day of preschool. We announced a new pregnancy, to the joy of apparently all our Facebook friends.

In fact, so many people have shared in our joy that we wanted to give an opportunity to celebrate with us. Instead of hosting a party, we created a Facebook event and offered our loved ones an opportunity to support a cause we believe in.

What? Why in the world do we think asking our friends to give money to something they may never have heard of counts as celebrating with us?

If you are reading this, you probably know how much I love generosity, fundraising, and giving money. It brings me joy to live out my values by giving material support to things I say I believe in. Ever since we paid off all our debt last year, we have had the opportunity to give more and think more about what giving means in our lives.


Last September I introduced our annual stewardship campaign with a newsletter article that does a good job of explaining why stewardship is my basic framework for following Jesus.