Sermon Audio 12/5/2021, Second Sunday of Advent C

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul (in person and live on Zoom)

Second Sunday of Advent, Revised Common Lectionary Year C

 

Luke 1:68-79

Zechariah's song at the birth of his son John casts a vision for how we can join in the journey of God's work in our world.  

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Sermon Audio 4/19/2020, 2nd Sunday of Easter A

Hope Lutheran Church, Saint Paul

Second Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year A

John 20:19-31

In Jesus' appearance to the disciples in the upper room, he uses very few words to say an enormous amount about what it will mean to follow him after he has gone.

To hear this podcast: listen here, use this link, or use iTunes or Google Play Music to subscribe or listen by searching "Tengwall," or find it on Spotify by searching "Reverend Killjoy."

Sermon Audio 12/24/2017 Christmas Eve

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo 

Nativity of Our Lord: Christmas Eve

Isaiah 9:2-7

Luke 2:1-20

At Christmas we hear about the Prince of Peace, and attribute that title to Jesus. What is peace? Where do we find it? How does peace fit into God's incarnation in Jesus?

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

If you want to support this podcast and the ministry of Lutheran Church of the Savior, you can do so here. Thanks. 

Sermon Audio 5/21/2017 Sixth Sunday of Easter A

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo 

Sixth Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year A

John 14:15-21 

On the night he washed his disciples' feet, Jesus comforted them with the promise that God would always be with them. In doing so he offered an unexpected model for their future ministry. 

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 for Sunday 5/1/2016, Sixth Sunday of Easter C

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo 

John 14:23-29

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." Special guest preacher Rev. Sarah Friesen-Carper, Assistant the the Bishop for Congregational and Leadership Excellence of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is ideally suited to bring us  Good News from Jesus' declaration in today's reading from John's Gospel. And as ever, she does bring it.

Sermon Audio 4/24/2016, Fifth Sunday of Easter

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo 

Fifth Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year C

Revelation 21:1-6 

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." Faithful and confounding and enormously talented, Prince has a lot to teach us about my very favorite thing in the Bible, the vision of the Holy City in Revelation. 

As always, listen here, use this link, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by searching "Tengwall."

Sermon Audio 2/21/2016, Lent 2C

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo  

Second Sunday of Lent, Lectionary Year C 

Acts 2:1-21 [Link to Oremus]

Luke 13:31-35

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Last night there was a mass shooting here in Kalamazoo. It began less than a mile up the road from our church building. To paraphrase Jesus: “America, America, the country that shoots its own people and shouts down those who ask why so many are shot!”

As always, listen here, use this link, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by searching "Tengwall."

Sermon Audio 12/1/2013

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo

First Sunday of Advent, Lectionary Year A

Romans 13:8-14

The new church year starts off with a bang, as we wait for Jesus to return by acting as if he's already here. I talk a lot about the reign of Christ, but it occurs to me that people might just as reasonably think I'm saying "rain of Christ." R-E-I-G-N, reign. Got that? OK, good.

Sermon Audio 8/18/2013

Lutheran Church of the Savior, Kalamazoo

13th Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Year C

Luke 12:49-56

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America held our biennial (becoming triennial) Churchwide Assembly last week, in which 1000 voting members from all over the country came together in Pittsburgh, PA to do the work of the church. Today I provided a summary of the work we did at CWA (as it is known to insiders), including electing a new Presiding Bishop, approving a new Social Statement on Criminal Justice, resolutions on various public issues, and an effort to increase the church's commitment to youth and young adults. The Gospel lesson for today is a frightening one, Jesus bringing fire and division instead of the oft-expected hugs and kumbayas. It's still the Good News for us, if you know what to listen for.

Below the sermon audio I'll include a summary and links to the major work done at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, much of which I described in this sermon.

Monday Links

I haven't been writing as much as I'd like lately, especially since I became a dad. At least this blog has been useful of late in linking to my new sermon podcast, but I'd like to get back to actual writing at some point. Today I just want to link to a few articles / stories / resources about which I'd like to say more, but don't have the time to dive in as much as I'd like.