5 June 2011

This morning's "sermon in song" Alles, was ihr tut mit Worten order mit Werken, BuxWV4 by Dieterrich Buxtehude,

a cantata with strings and the Saint Paul Choir featuring soprano Chelsea de la Quardra and bass Antoine Hodge.

29 May 2011

Acts 17:22-31
Psalm 66:8-20
1 Peter 3:13-22
John 14:15-21

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Some of you have heard me relate this vignette before – but given today’s First Reading, I can’t resist repeating it. As often as not, whenever someone I meet hears that I’m a Lutheran Pastor, there is . . . . . . an uncomfortable silence – followed by, what is usually said with an apologetic tone, “Oh – um, well, actually, I’m not really very religious . . . but I am spiritual.” To which, invariably, I reply, “That’s OK. I’m not religious or spiritual.” Get’s ‘em every time. And besides, it’s great way to talk about the Gospel.

22 May 2011

Acts 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14

Well, it’s nice to see you all in your places, with bright shining faces. And it’s gratifying to hear that there were no earthquakes that spanned the globe yesterday – and that there was not, to anyone’s knowledge, anyone raptured into wherever it was that people were supposed to be raptured. And, as far as is known, Harold Camping is also still on the planet. Told you so! But I am quite eager to hear the explanation for this, his second miscalculation of the world’s end. Well . . . enough attention has been paid to this whole bizarre phenomenon – so let’s move on to something else bizarre – this morning’s First Reading.