* a sermon preached at Wicker Park Lutheran Church on February 28, 2016 * Text: Luke 13:1-9 *************** Trust is crucial in any relationship. One of the ways that we establish trust in relationships is consistency. We do what we say we’re going to do. We make promises. And by keeping those promises, we build trust in our relationships. I’m … Continue reading Keeping Promises
* a sermon preached in Chapel at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago on October 22, 2015 * Since sermons are primarily intended to be heard, you can listen along here. Text: Mark 10:35-45 *************** I feel it. It never fails. Every time. As the excitement starts to build, I become wrapped up in it. It’s all so…attractive. The … Continue reading Power Trip
"It could have been me..." "It could have been been me in that club. You could be posting about me right now." "It could have been me." These very same words were posted by at least 5 of my friends yesterday after learning about the horrific massacre at an Orlando gay nightclub … Continue reading “It Could Have Been Me.”
* a sermon preached at my home congregation Calvary Lutheran Church on August 23, 2015 * ** you may also want to watch and hear this sermon preached. Here is that video. And here is the audio if you prefer to just listen. ** Text: John 6:56-69 *************** Please pray with me: Holy One, Speak truth to us today. Even … Continue reading Hard Truths
* the final sermon I preached on Internship at Luther Memorial Church of Chicago on August 16, 2015 * Since sermons are primarily intended to be heard, you can listen along here. Text: Hebrews 4:14-5:10 *************** Please pray with me: Holy One, We come to you in our weakness. We come to your seat of mercy desperately desiring … Continue reading Open Floorplans
* a sermon preached at Luther Memorial Church of Chicago on August 9, 2015 * Since sermons are primarily intended to be heard, you can listen along here. Text: Hebrews 2:10-18 *************** Please pray with me: Make us holy, as you are holy, God. Make us whole. Make us complete, in you. Amen. *************** Church, I have a … Continue reading Wholly Holy
"3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of … Continue reading How Much More…?
I don't say and post what I do because I think you should feel guilty or bad. I don't hate police officers or soldiers. I hate war and our country's love of and seeming addiction to violence. I hate that our judicial system incarcerates people of black and brown skin color at rates disproportionate to … Continue reading I Believe That We Are Better
* a sermon preached at Luther Memorial Church of Chicago on July 26, 2015 * Since sermons are primarily intended to be heard, you can listen along here. Text: Ephesians 6:10-20 *************** Please pray with me: Holy God, There are many things that bind and tether us. Free us today, and every day, So that we may … Continue reading Chains and Chainmail
* a sermon preached at Luther Memorial Church of Chicago on July 5, 2015 * Text: Ephesians 1:1-14 *************** Please pray with me: Holy One, Reveal in us the mystery of your will. Through Christ, redeem us, And reconcile us to each other, And to you. Amen. *************** I like families. I do. I’ve preached about families before. … Continue reading In(ter)dependence
the narrow way 