Pastor Russ Gordon helps us see our way through Luke 24, where two sad disciples walk for miles with a stranger, but but “were kept” from recognizing him as the risen Jesus. (Spoiler: later their “eyes were opened.”) Could this passage be an example for us when we struggle to see God’s presence when we look around today?
The Gospel passage for this week is Luke 24:13-35 if you’d like to grab a Bible and read along. (Or click here to read it online).
Intern Monica Holman finds the John 20 passage a little weird. Why does Jesus’s resurrected body still have wounds? Turns out that scars (his, mine, and even yours) can bear pretty powerful witness to the risen Lord.
The Gospel passage for this week is John 20:19-31 if you’d like to grab a Bible and read it before listening. (Or click here to read it online). Monica reads the passage in the podcast, along with Psalm 16 and Acts 2:14a, 22-32.
On Easter Sunday we commemorate Jesus rising from the dead to “make good” for the sins of the world. Pastor Russ Gordon reminds us in his Easter sermon that there is more to celebrate than a miracle that occurred 2000 years ago. It is miraculous right now in our present time and in our future. Today is a time to celebrate what God has in store for everyone.
The Easter Gospel passage is John 20:1-18 if you’d like to grab a Bible and read it before listening. (Or click here to read it online).
On Palm Sunday we celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Then the day darkens as we listen to the telling of the story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and death on the cross. (Open your Bible to Matthew 26 if you’d like to follow along.) We remember what Jesus endured to save us from sin; and we anticipate what’s to come when he triumphs once again.
The raising of Lazarus and the valley of the dry bones in Ezekiel both tell stories of pain and loss. Before we can jump to the joy of resurrection, though, Intern Monica Holman explores God’s promises of hope even within the tomb.
Last Sunday we heard the well-known story of the woman at the well, and this week Interim Pastor Russ Gordon considers another memorable Bible passage, this time from the ninth chapter of John. Jesus heals a blind man, setting off an investigation seeking answers to many questions. What exactly happened? Who is the person that did it? And perhaps most importantly, does God punish us for our sins?
The Samaritan woman at the well and her meeting with Jesus in John 4 is one of the best-known stories in the gospel. But how much do you really know about it? Intern Monica Holman takes this old, old story and asks us to think in a new way about what assumptions we bring when we hear it.
There are all kinds of journeys – outward and inward. The stories of Abram and Sarai venturing out at God’s request, as well as Nicodemus’s nighttime visit to Jesus on his spiritual journey, remind us that faith is trust. We are called in our life’s journey to put our hand in Jesus’ as we go.
Why do we “celebrate” Lent? Does it have to be so depressing and dark? Intern Monica Holman explores the temptation to either turn Lent into some sort of suffering contest or to avoid the darkness altogether and shape it into something pretty and palatable. Does this ancient tradition still serve a purpose? Monica thinks so, especially today!
At the end of the sermon, Monica reads a blessing from the wonderful new book The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. Find it on Amazon here.
At times, there can be a rhythm to church life that can lead to feelings of complacency, as if our walk with God has entered a “same old, same old” pattern of sameness. In this week’s gospel reading (Matthew 17:1-9), Pastor Russ Gordon sees a few disciples of Jesus perhaps slipping into this kind of complacency. They seem to be getting a little bit too accustomed to the wonders occurring around them. What happens next?
There are a lot of changes happening around us! A lot of uncertainty, a lot of new things, and with that a lot of temptation to worry that we won’t be able to rise to the challenge, and that we just aren’t enough to handle it. Intern Monica Holman describes how God promises us that we are enough with God leading us, and how stepping into the sometimes-scary unknown is a step towards choosing an abundant life with God.
This week, Pastor Russ urges us to add season and spice to our Christian lives! How do we allow our faith to become diluted, and what can we do about it? Take a listen!
Reflecting on the prophecy from Micah and the Beatitudes of Jesus in Matthew, Pastor Russ helps us to discern the “what” of following Jesus. While our culture celebrates the strong and the mighty, God leads us to restore justice to the lowly.
This week Pastor Russ takes us on a fishing trip! Well, really it’s Jesus that calls us out to “fish for people.” Pastor Russ explores how the first disciples knew their trade well, understood how fish live, and were willing to go to any lengths to find them. What does this mean for Jesus’s calling to us today?
This week we return to the prophet John the Baptist and hear his introduction of Jesus, the Lamb of God. What exactly is the role of a prophet, and what does it mean that the Lamb of God “takes away the sin of the world?” Intern Monica Holman discusses how Jesus invites us to follow him and see what vision God has for us and for the world.
This week we’re celebrating “Baptism of Our Lord” Sunday, and it’s appropriate that it comes during a week when a river of rain is flowing across our skies. Imagine your baptism as more than a one-time event, but as a perpetual shower of God’s unconditional love.
We welcome back Interim Pastor Russ Gordon, an old friend of Bethel Lutheran Church. He reminds us of God’s never-ending and never-changing love.
Happy new year and a continued merry Christmas! As we stand on the doorstep of 2023, Intern Monica Holman walks us through the names that were given to Jesus before, during, and after his earthly ministry, and invites us to ask ourselves what names and labels we carry; which ones were given to us, and which ones fit who God created us to be. As we hear in the story of Simeon and Anna, the church is the perfect place to be welcomed and celebrated for who we are.
Dear Online Family: We are in a digital ministry transition. Thank you for your patience as we post Simply the Sermon during this time. We will keep you updated on upcoming developments. Thank you to all of you for gathering faithfully in this virtual space.
Merry Christmas! In this shortened Christmas Eve sermon reflection, Intern Monica Holman asks what story you expect to hear on Christmas Eve and invites you to ponder what story you tell about the birth of Jesus Christ.
Dear Online Family: We are in a digital ministry transition. Thank you for your patience as we post Simply the Sermon during this time. We will keep you updated on upcoming developments. Thank you to all of you for gathering faithfully in this virtual space.
For her final sermon at Bethel, Pastor Amy joins in dialogue with Intern Monica Holman about Mary and Elizabeth, what lies at the core of Christian worship, and what she hopes and dreams for Bethel going forward.
Dear Online Family: We are in a digital ministry transition. Thank you for your patience as we post Simply the Sermon during this time. We will keep you updated on upcoming developments. Thank you to all of you for gathering faithfully in this virtual space.
Image credits: Pastor Amy Beveridge, Pastor Marj Funk-Pihl, Monica Holman
Our Advent series From Generation to Generation continues with Pastor Amy's reflection on getting along with family during the holidays. Through the Joseph story, we consider....for better or worse...the things we carry from our families. Plus a short humorous list of the ways Jesus kept his boundaries with family.
Dear Online Family: We are in a digital ministry transition. Thank you for your patience as we post Simply the Sermon during this time. We will keep you updated on upcoming developments. Thank you to all of you for gathering faithfully in this virtual space.
