Simply the Sermon for April 20, 2025: Easter Sunday

Our readings for Sunday, April 20, 2025 are Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 and John 20:1-18
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death,” Paul writes. Today Christ is risen, and we gather together with astonishment and joy. Christ is risen, and we have been set free from the bonds of death. Christ is risen, and we are forgiven. Christ is risen, and with Mary at the tomb as she meets her Lord, we are honored and overjoyed! Let us rejoice: Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Blessings on this Holy Week,
Pastor Diana

Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for April 13, 2025: Palm Sunday

Today we follow Christ from triumphal entry to the cross, each waypoint of the journey marked by Jesus’ compassion for those who would betray, mock, accuse, or do violence to him. Though persecuted and beaten, Jesus the Son of God is not disgraced; instead, he asks forgiveness for those who put him to death. We have walked the Lenten pathway these forty days, each of us invited through baptism to “let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” We enter this holy week accompanying Jesus to the cross with both grief and thanksgiving in our hearts, trusting in God’s redeeming love.

Our Bible readings for today are Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, and Luke 22:14-23:56. During worship we read short segments of the Gospel and then sang a verse of Were You There before reading the next installment. The verses are:

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
4. Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
5. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Take a moment to reflect on these readings before listening to the sermon. The season of Lent ends on Maundy Thursday. Join us for worship at Bethel Thursday night and at Hope Lutheran, Atascadero on Friday night and then join us for Easter Sunday service this coming Sunday.

Blessings on this Holy Week,
Pastor Diana

Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for April 6, 2025: Fifth Sunday in Lent

Our readings for Sunday, April 6, 2025 are Psalm 126, Philippians 3:4b-14, and John 12:1-8. 

Our God makes all things new. In the Psalm, God's people celebrate it. In the gospel Mary anticipates it, intimately anointing Jesus’ feet with costly perfume in preparation for the day of his burial. In the second reading Paul recalls his transformation from the persecutor Saul into an apostle. In baptism, God’s new person (you!) rises daily from the deadly mire of trespasses and sins. Likewise we celebrate, we prepare our hearts, and we rise daily to the joy of experiencing the gifts of a loving God.

Live in love, my siblings in Christ,
Pastor Diana

Photo by Elena Rabkina on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for March 30, 2025: Fourth Sunday in Lent

Our texts for Sunday, March 30, 2025 are Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, and Luke 15:1-3,11b-32. 

As the old hymn says, Our Father, we have wandered and hidden from your face, in foolishness have squandered your legacy of grace. We read today of a prodigal parent, so in love with their child that no matter the situation they wait with baited breath to welcome their child home. This grace seems foolish and extravagant but we so welcome it when we recognize the gifts of God, freely offered.

Live in love, my siblings in Christ,
Pastor Diana

Photo by Harika G on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for March 23, 2025: Third Sunday in Lent

Our Bible texts for Sunday, March 23, 2025 are: Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, and Luke 13:1-9.  

The warnings are plentiful and blunt on the third Sunday in Lent. Cut it out or get cut down! The warnings are accompanied by God’s invitation to attentiveness: “Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.” The landowner’s ultimatum is forestalled by the gardener’s readiness to till the ground one more year. That is good news for all of us. Thanks be to God!

Live in love, my siblings in Christ,
Pastor Diana

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for March 16, 2025: Second Sunday in Lent

Our texts for Sunday, March 16 are Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Psalm 27, and Luke 13:31-35.

Though we sometimes doubt and often resist God’s desire to protect and save us, our God persists. In holy baptism, God’s people have been called and gathered into a God-initiated relationship that will endure. Lent provides the church with a time and a tradition in which to seek God’s face again. Lent provides another occasion to behold the God of our salvation in the face of the Blessed One who “comes in the name of the Lord.”

Live in love, my siblings in Christ,

Pastor Diana

Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for March 9, 2025: First Sunday in Lent

Our readings for Sunday, March 9 are from Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, and Luke 4:1-13. Sundays and Seasons introduces worship with these words:

These forty days called Lent are like no other. It is our opportune time to return to the God who rescues, to receive the gifts of God’s grace, to believe with the heart and confess with the mouth the wonder of God’s love in Jesus, and to resist temptation at every turn. This is no small pilgrimage on which we have just embarked. It is a struggle Jesus knew. It is a struggle Jesus shares. The nearness of the Lord, in bread and wine, water and word, will uphold and sustain us.

Live in love, my siblings in Christ,

Pastor Diana

Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for March 5, 2025: Ash Wednesday

Our readings for Ash Wednesday are Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Live in love, my siblings in Christ,

Pastor Diana

Photo by Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for March 2, 2025: Transfiguration Sunday

Our readings for Transfiguration Sunday, March 2, are Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2, and Luke 9:28-43a. 

On this Sunday, we remember and experience the liberating power of our Lord and Savior as his kinship with both God's promises of the Hebrew Scriptures and with God's self are revealed. As we revel in this liberation, who will we invite into this incredible relationship?

Live in love, my siblings in Christ,

Pastor Diana

Photo by Mediamodifier on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for February 23, 2025: Epiphany 7C

Our Bible texts for this Sunday are Genesis 45:3-15, Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40, and Luke 6:27-38. 

Mercy. Mercy. Mercy. Joseph eventually lives it out in Egypt. Jesus preaches it in the gospel. The Spirit guides us into merciful lives with the power of forgiveness to reconcile what is fractured and divided. Such merciful living is the baptismal blessing of having put on Christ. It is the gift of the life-giving Spirit. It is a reflection of God’s glory revealed in Christ.

Live in love, my siblings in Christ,
Pastor Diana

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for February 16, 2025: Epiphany 6C

Our readings for worship today, Feb. 16, 2025 are Jeremiah 17:5-10, Psalm 1, and Luke 6:17-31. We hear today about the sermon on the plain, where Jesus comes to the regular people, both Jewish and non-Jewish. To heal and to strengthen, to teach and to love. And he goes on to teach the disciples how to live among God's beloved people, blessing them and calling them to an awareness of God's plan to upend cultural power dynamics so that everyone is on this level plain. 

Photo by Minh on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for February 9, 2025: "Called Despite Our Imperfections"

The fifth Sunday after Epiphany continues to highlight unlikely people being used and odd circumstances surrounding how God's glory will be revealed. Our texts are Isaiah 6:1-13, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, and Luke 5:1-11.

“Who will go for us?” God asks. The ones who answer God's call are a person of unclean lips, a person who used to threaten and abuse the members of the church of God, and three fishermen who couldn’t catch a thing. More surprising still, perhaps, is that we are also called.

Photo by Annie Le on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for February 2, 2025: "Embracing God's Call"

Our readings today are from Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, and our gospel is from Luke 4:21-30. But actually we pick up the Lukan story that began last week at 4:14. We talk about the challenges of living up to God’s call to be helpers as God turns the world upside down, granting gifts and favors in unexpected places. 

Photo by Mihály Köles on Unsplash

Installation Service for Pastor Diana: January 26, 2025

We were blessed to have our Bishop Brenda Bos preach for Pastor Diana's installation as well as welcoming Pastor and George into membership here at Bethel and, of course, installing Pastor as our minister. 

Her sermon takes the three readings selected for the day, Numbers 6:22-27, 1 Cor, 12:12-31a, and John 20:19-23, and weaves them into a beautiful story of God's peace in our lives.

Photo by Jan McKee

Simply the Sermon for January 26, 2025

The sermon today takes the reading from 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a as it's jumping off point. The apostle and pastor Paul uses the metaphor of the human body to describe how intimately connected we are in the church. Unfortunately, we sometimes lose sight of this connectedness, this inter-reliance, and we fail to recognize God in the faces we see around us. God uses prophets and pesterers to bring us back the love of God and gift of our siblings around the world. 

Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for January 19, 2025: "Keep Your Eyes Open"

On this Second Sunday of Epiphany Pastor Diana preaches. This weeks reading are Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and John 2:1-11. Pastor Diana preaches about Jesus turning water to wine and to keep your eyes open to the signs we have in life!

Photo by RedTigerK on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for January 12, 2025: "Wet Walk"

On this Baptism of Our Lord's Day, Pastor Russ shares two stories from the Bible about the Jordan River and how it becomes symbolic of life's challenges and call to commitment.  God rarely has us stay in one place for very long...in our personal lives, our relationships, our careers, our congregation.  We are "here" and we come to understand God is calling us to be "there"...a new place.  How does our baptism into Christ help us with these challenges?  Pastor Russ' sermon is entitled "Walk Wet."

Photo by Jonathan Crews on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for January 5, 2025: "More Than A Visit"

John 1:1-18 shares the most pivotal event in all of human history...when God became one of us in Jesus.  What does that mean for us?  How should we respond to such an event?  Pastor Russ' last sermon as interim pastor is entitled, "More Than A Visit."

Daniel Seßler on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for December 29, 2024: "It Takes a Family"

Luke is the only one of the 4 Gospels to include a story from Jesus' childhood.  This insightful story from Luke 2:41-52 tells of the time when Mary and Joseph "lose" Jesus for a few days...but later find him in the temple in Jerusalem.  What can we learn about the meaning and purpose of family from this story?  Pastor Russ shares his thoughts in his sermon entitled:  "It Takes a Family".

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

Simply the Sermon for December 24, 2024: "God's Gift Has Come"

The familiar Christmas story evokes many wonderful memories for us as we gather with family and friends.  This is the story that has changed the world and the lives of millions throughout the ages.  And even though the birth of Jesus was over 2,000 years ago, we have to ask the question:  had we been there...what would we have done?  Pastor Russ shares his Christmas Eve homily entitled:  "God's Gift Has Come".

Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash