Baptized, Present, and Longing

 
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Based on Matthew 3:13-17, this sermon, preached on The Baptism of Our Lord, speaks about the Christian’s need to be both available in the present as well as participating in the coming Kingdom of God. In it, I mention my beginning preparations for the Pastoral Mission to Tanzania that I will be taking at the end of the month with a group of rostered-leaders (pastors and a deacon) from the St. Paul Area Synod to Iringa, Tanzania.

Picking Up the Sidewalk Chalk

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I preached this sermon on Sunday, October 6. It is based on an expanded lectionary reading of Luke 17: [1-4] 5- and centers on Jesus’s teaching about forgiveness. We are invited by our Lord to participate in acts of forgiveness on a regular basis. It is not always easy and can often be messy. But, this effort is part of God’s larger work of restoration that includes justice, hospitality, inclusion, and grace.

Beyond Our Tribe

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I preached this sermon on Rally Day, which is the start of the ministry year in September. It is based on Luke 14:25-33, which is one of Jesus’s hardest teachings. Jesus invites his disciples to push away from or reject tribal connections that separate and get in the way of the expanding nature of the gospel. Carrying the cross is to embrace an outward stance towards life.