Sermon Audio 12/1/2019, First Sunday of Advent A

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Matthew 24:36-44

Today's sermon comes from guest preacher Deanna Bassett, a recent graduate of Luther Seminary and a candidate for ordination in the ELCA. This recording contains a retelling of the Gospel lesson for children, as well as the NRSV Gospel reading and the sermon.

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Sermon Audio 11/24/2019, Reign of Christ C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Luke 23:33-43

Jesus is not the kind of king people were expecting.

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Sermon Audio 11/17/2019, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Luke 21:5-19

In today's Gospel lesson Jesus says even the Temple will not last forever. Then what will?

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Sermon Audio 11/10/2019, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

22nd Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 20:27-38

Jesus doesn't have time for your cleverness. He's busy with the actual lives of actual people.

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Sermon Audio 11/3/2019, All Saints C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

All Saints Sunday, Lectionary Year C

Luke 6:20-31

Expectations shape our relationships. What happens when expectations are broken? 

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Sermon Audio 10/27/2019, Reformation Sunday

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Reformation Sunday

John 8:31-36

What does Jesus mean when he talks about freedom? 

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Sermon Audio 10/20/2019, 19th Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Genesis 32:22-31

When Jacob wrestles with God, an entire people gain a new identity. What biblical stories teach us who we are, and show us where God wants us to go?

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Sermon Audio 10/13/2019, 18th Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

God miraculously heals Naaman of his leprosy, and it gives us a lot to talk about.

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Sermon Audio 9/22/2019, 15th Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 16:1-13

Jesus follows his confusing parable about the "dishonest manager" with the much simpler declaration, "You cannot serve God and wealth." How can this clear instruction help us see the manager as a model for our own relationship with money?

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Sermon Audio 9/8/2019, 13th Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 14:25-33

How do we count the cost when following Jesus? 

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Sermon Audio 8/11/2019, 9th Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Genesis 15:1-6

God's promise to Abraham is such good news. In our church, locally and nationally, we also heard some good news this week. What is God telling us? 

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Sermon Audio 8/4/2019, 8th Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 12:13-21

Gun violence. White supremacy. My sermon preparation on money as idolatry did a surprisingly good job of preparing me for the new sermon I had to write on Sunday morning.

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Sermon Audio 7/14/2019, 5th Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 10:25-37

How do you think we talked about the Good Samaritan story in the context of current news about separated families, ICE raids, and concentration camps?

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Sermon Audio 7/7/2019, 4th Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Jesus sent his seventy disciples ahead of him, to prepare his way and proclaim the Realm of God, equipping them only with trust in God and in people.

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Sermon Audio 6/23/2019, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 8:26-39

The United States government is keeping children in cages at our Southern border, tearing families apart and inflicting untold horror on children as a coercive deterrent to convince other Central American families not to seek asylum here. The gospel of Jesus Christ stands in opposition to this normalized, rationalized cruelty and evil.

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Sermon Audio 6/16/2019, Holy Trinity C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Holy Trinity Sunday, Lectionary Year C

Psalm 8

What do we know about God? What does God know about us? 

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Sermon Audio 6/9/2019, Pentecost C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Acts 2:1-21

The Holy Spirit is doing things, right now, today. Pentecost is still happening, if we have eyes to see it.

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Sermon Audio 6/2/2019, 7th Sunday of Easter C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Seventh Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year C 

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Today's lesson from Revelation includes the last words of the last book in the Bible. What can this ending teach us about the Bible's overarching story?

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Sermon Audio 5/26/2019, 6th Sunday of Easter C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Sixth Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year C

Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5

Revelation! Last week's sermon promised that this week's sermon would help dig us out of the mess of being people trying to follow Jesus in a world of violence and cruelty. No better place to find God's good news for us than these final chapters of Revelation.

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Sermon Audio 5/19/2019, 5th Sunday of Easter C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Fifth Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year C

John 13:31-35

Love one another. Jesus' new commandment on his last night with his disciples sounds simple, but our experience tells us it's anything but simple. 

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Sermon Audio 5/12/2019, 4th Sunday of Easter C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Fourth Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year C

Acts 9:36-43

Tabitha, disciple of Jesus, inspired the faith of many in her community. Today we talked about the faithful women who have shaped this community. 

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Sermon Audio 5/5/2019, 3rd Sunday of Easter C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Third Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year C

Acts 9:1-20

John 21:1-19

Paul was Saul, and Peter was Simon. What does it mean to have a new identity in light of the resurrection of Jesus?

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Sermon Audio 4/28/2019, Second Sunday of Easter C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Second Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year C

John 20:19-31

Anti-Semitism has a long history among white Christians, as white Christians we must do more to stop anti-Semitism long before it leads to violence and death, as it did near San Diego on Saturday. What can our Gospel story of Jesus' appearances to the disciples tell us about how to face this situation?

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Sermon Audio 4/21/2019, Easter Sunday

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day, Lectionary Year C

Luke 24:1-12

Jesus is risen! The women and other disciples who first heard this good news did not react with the same enthusiasm we express today. What can we learn from their response on that first Easter morning?

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Sermon Audio 4/18/2019, Maundy Thursday

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Maundy Thursday

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

What does foot washing have to do with Jesus' new commandment to his disciples on that last night? 

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Sermon Audio 4/14/2019, Passion / Palm Sunday C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 23

We read Luke's version of Jesus' passion story in parts, with voices split among the assembly. This is our story because Jesus has made his story our story.

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Sermon Audio 4/7/2019, Lent 5C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Lectionary Year C 

John 12:1-8

Mary uses her hair to wash Jesus' feet with an unreasonable amount of expensive perfume. Why did she do this? Was it as strange to them as it sounds to us?

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Sermon Audio 3/31/2019, Fourth Sunday of Lent C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Fourth Sunday of Lent, Lectionary Year C

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

In Jesus, God makes all things new. What does this look like in our lives? What does this mean for the church?

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Sermon Audio 3/17/2019, 2nd Sunday of Lent C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Second Sunday of Lent, Lectionary Year C

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Luke 12:31-35

God's promise to Abram in Genesis 15 is one of the great moments in the history of God's people. This week we could not talk about God's promise without reference to the mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, and about the American-born white supremacy that inspired those attacks. How do we hear God's promise alongside such race- and religion-based violence?

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Sermon Audio 3/6/2019, Ash Wednesday

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Ash Wednesday

Isaiah 58:1-12

Repent; turn back to Jesus. Remember what God can do with a broken vessel.

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Sermon Audio 3/3/2019, Transfiguration C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Transfiguration of Our Lord, Lectionary Year C

Luke 9:28-43a

How do we see God's glory in the Transfiguration? How do we see God's glory in Jesus' healing of a child? How do we see God's glory today?

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Sermon Audio 2/24/2019, 7th Sunday after Epiphany C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Seventh Sunday after Epiphany, Lectionary Year C

Luke 6:27-38

Some of Jesus' most famous words - "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you... Do not judge, and you will not be judged," make for one of his most challenging lessons in Luke's Gospel.

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Sermon Audio 2/17/2019, 6th Sunday after Epiphany C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, Lectionary Year C

Luke 6:17-26

Jesus' blessings and woes in Luke's Gospel catch us by surprise, just as they did Jesus' original audience. 

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Sermon Audio 2/10/2019, 5th Sunday after Epiphany C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, Lectionary Year C

Luke 5:1-11

Who does God call to share the good news? Today's lectionary gives us three stories of unlikely candidates for this work, but God made it work for Peter, Paul, and Isaiah. What if God calls us to do the same?

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Sermon Audio 1/27/2019, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Third Sunday after Epiphany, Lectionary Year C

Luke 4:14-21

Jesus announces his mission at the start of his public ministry in Luke's Gospel using the words of the prophet Isaiah. What can we learn from Jesus about our own public ministry?

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Sermon Audio 1/20/2019, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Second Sunday after Epiphany, Lectionary Year C

John 2:1-11

In which we talk about the abundant grace of God, in Jesus' miracle of wine at Cana and in our practice of the Eucharist. This sermon also features a shoutout to the Minnesota Rollergirls, and to the group from Hope Church who had attended the MNRG bout the night before. 

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Sermon Audio 1/13/2019, Baptism of Our Lord C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Baptism of Our Lord, Lectionary Year C

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Jesus' baptism teaches us about the grace of God in our own baptisms and throughout our lives.

This sermon features a baptismal song by Paul Friesen-Carper. 

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Sermon Audio 1/6/2019, Epiphany of Our Lord

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Epiphany of Our Lord

Matthew 2:1-15

The magi came to worship Jesus under the most unexpected circumstances. Their search for a true king, and the political backlash it inspired, had life-or-death consequences. What God experienced in Jesus during and after this time can have profound meaning for our faith. 

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Sermon Audio from Christmas Eve 2018

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Nativity of Our Lord I: Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-20

Better late than never? On a bustling Christmas Eve, we heard how the birth of Jesus shows us that God is truly with us.

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