Podcast appearances and mentions of david lose

Stephen Fletcher leads our Sunday Prayer for today, Sunday the 3rd Aughust 2025, the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time and the 7th Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel is read by Kathleen and the Reflection is written by David Lose.

This week, Tom blows his load all over the motorway, David gets obsessed about the little things, and Chloe shares her tips about holding in her turtle head. So let's strap down, strap in, and let's do this!!http://patreon.com/JATP to support our channel.Check out Salmonslap.com to buy murchIf you are new to our Trucking Podcast, our hosts all have their own YouTube channels; Tom from Expect For Access, Chloe from Skip ChickDavid from My Trucking Skills.Nessa the Mother TruckerTom, Chloe, and Nessa have their class 1 licenses and drive their HGV in the UK. David, being an Irishman has only driven trucks in America (20 years). Chloe drives a skip truck, hence her name SkipChick, and Tom is a Tipper Truck Driver. We chat with other truckers, mainly drivers who have a social media presence, but all are welcome. It is a great fun time for all!!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/just-another-trucking-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY, Sermon Brainwave! Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, Joy J. Moore, and Matt Skinner for a conversation on the Revised Common Lectionary texts for the Day of Pentecost on May 28, 2023. Watch the video version on Youtube. This episode also marks 15 years since Working Preacher published Sermon Brainwave episode 1 on texts for June 1, 2008. It's amazing to think back on that first recording session with Karoline, Matt and David Lose huddled around a Snowball mic. It's a great opportunity to give thanks for the people who have made this podcast (this ministry!) possible: Co-hosts: Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Joy J. Moore, and Matt Skinner Special guests: Walter Brueggemann, Tom Long, Anna Carter Florence, Will Willimon, to name a few… Behind-the-scenes staff: Dozens of staff and student workers who scheduled, recorded, edited, posted, promoted, etc. And of course, we're grateful for you, Sermon Brainwave listeners!

. Try researching on your own. Use some of the following resources to learn more.Making Sense of the Cross (2011) by David LoseWalk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices (2018) by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe (especially chapters 11, 12, and 22).The Scriptures, the Cross, and the Power of God (2006) by Tom WrightSeven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus (2016) by Jame MartinCross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words (2011) by Stanley Hauerwas You might be interested in other ChurchNext classes on the cross and the resurrection.Consider the following courses:Making Sense of the Cross, Part 1 with David Lose.Making Sense of the Cross, Part 2 with David Lose.Making Sense of the Cross, Part 3 with David Lose.Finding the Resurrected Jesus with Susan Goff.Walk in Love, Part 2: Marking Time with Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe.Walk in Love, Part 5: The Trinitarian Life with Scott Gunn And Melody Wilson Shobe.

Mother Teresa once said, “The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”  I believe Mother Teresa's words are very insightful.  I, too, believe there is a deep yearning and spiritual hunger for God in our country and in our world, a hunger that simply seems to increase with the passing of time. Today's gospel reading tells the story of a man who has such a deep hunger for God.  In this story, Nicodemus comes to Jesus under the cover of darkness, and he is hungry.  He comes to Jesus during the night, and he has a spiritual hunger that is gnawing away at his very soul.  He has a hunger deep within, a hunger he cannot fully identify. Now, Nicodemus is a Pharisee, so he comes during the night when he will not be seen.  Yet, he comes wanting to find out more about Jesus and what Jesus is teaching.  Spiritually hungry Nicodemus does not understand the things Jesus has been telling him, so Jesus references a strange Old Testament story to make his point.  This old story by the way would have been very familiar to Nicodemus, good Pharisee that he was.  Jesus reminds him of the Israelites who, during their forty-year wilderness wanderings, had sinned.  They had grumbled about Moses and had grumbled about God, and they faced punishment.  In part, the punishment was being bitten by snakes.  The Israelites then cried out to God for deliverance and God used the strangest thing to save them.  Moses formed a bronze serpent, mounted it on a pole, and hoisted it upward.  When the Israelites looked at it, they were healed, they were saved from death from poisonous snakebites.  Strange as it seems to us, the Israelites were instructed to look upon this bizarre symbol of redemption to be relieved of the suffering they had brought upon themselves by their rebellion against God.  Anyway, Jesus then connects this bizarre story to himself as he continues to teach Nicodemus.  He draws an analogy between the “lifting up” of the Son of Man and Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the wilderness.  Jesus says that, in like manner, the Son of Man must be “lifted up” so that “whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”  And, as he attempts to feed the gnawing hunger within the heart of Nicodemus, Jesus speaks words that have become some of the best-known, best-loved verses in all of scripture – John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  “For God so loved the world….”   For God so loved the world?  Just think about that.  When I think of the world, I see a small planet in the vastness of space.  And this miniscule dot of an insignificant planet that is barely even a speck in the vastness of space is our world, and it is so deeply, tragically broken.  On this planet, people are daily being shot on our streets. Mass shootings abound as guns have become idols. There is war in Ukraine and unrest in so many parts of this world. The United Nations estimates that 795 million people in the world literally go hungry and suffer from chronic undernourishment.  Economic injustice just continues to grow. There is no longer a day that goes by when we do not see some new manifestation of climate change, something we have brought upon ourselves. Hate and division seem prevalent in so many places within our culture. Dysfunction seems to rule in government, in our own communities, in our own families, and within our very selves!  The world is so very, very broken!  Yet, God so loved the world? Yes.  God so loves this world!  And, in the gospel of John the Greek word for “world” refers to the cosmos – to everything!  God so loves everything – the entire cosmos, the entire creation, this little, miniscule planet that is hardly a speck in the vastness of space, all the people, the land, the animals, the bugs, the world's goodness, and the world's deep brokenness.  David Lose, when blogging about this verse writes, the Greek word kosmos “designates throughout the rest of John's Gospel an entity that is hostile to God.  This means that we might actually translate these verses this way, ‘For God so loved the God-hating world, that God gave God's only Son…' and ‘God did not send the Son into the world to condemn even this world that despises God but instead so that the world that rejects God might still be saved through him.' Really – God's love is just that audacious and unexpected. Which is why, according to Paul, it probably seems both scandalous and a little crazy.  And that audacious, unexpected, even crazy character of God's love is probably why it saves!” When Jesus appears on the scene, Jesus brings us a whole new understanding of the world God loves. God loves broken people. You see, God sent the Son to show us just how much, and to what lengths, God would go to tell us the world is loved with an audacious, transforming love.  Yes, the gospel of John tells us God so loves the entire God-hating world so much that the entire creation can find its home in God.  God loves this broken world with an immense, immeasurable, redeeming love. This is a love that disturbs us, gnaws at our hearts, creates a hunger for God, unsettles us, grasps us, and draws us into the very arms of God's love where we become forever changed and transformed.  And, once we have been grasped by this love, we find it is a love that will never ever let us go.  We then discover that our true home, the home of all creation, is in God.  Yes, God so loves the world, and it is in turning one's face toward Jesus and looking to the cross where we finally find the love that fills the gnawing hunger in our hearts.  There we discover the beloved one whom God gave to the world out of love for the cosmos.   There we begin to know the breadth and depth of God's redeeming love for God's people.  That is the way of Jesus and that is the message of the cross. And it is God's redeeming love that changes us and causes us to respond to the needs of the world. We, too, then see the world in a different light. When God's redeeming love fills our hungry souls, we are then compelled to work for peace and justice in this broken world.  As we hear Jesus' words today, we so often get stuck on verse 16. However, we really need to hear the words of verse 17 when Jesus says, “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  Here Jesus affirms and repeats that the Son was not sent to condemn this God-hating world. Jesus' message is not about who's in and who's out, as far too many want to claim when quoting these verses. Rather, it is about God's consistent intent to love, save, and bless this whole world…..If God's love is for all, then we who have experienced that love in Christ are called to see persons of other faiths and persons of no faith through the lens of that profound, surprising, unsettling, audacious love. That means embracing not just those who are like us, but also embracing all those we consider other! In the early days of Jesus' ministry, Nicodemus came by night and had a gnawing hunger within himself.  He came to Jesus, seeking to fill a hunger he did not really understand.  Nicodemus was invited into the way of Jesus, invited into the love God has for the whole world, the cosmos, and he did not initially get or understand what Jesus was saying.  And, quite frankly, far too often we don't get what Jesus is saying.  However, it is likely Nicodemus grew in understanding and was transformed because when we get to the end of John's gospel, we find out Nicodemus did not abandon Jesus.  It was Nicodemus along with Joseph of Arimathea, who cared for Jesus' body after the crucifixion.  He was ultimately captured by the love God has for this world because this is a love he could not escape.  I agree with Mother Teresa, there is a deep, gnawing hunger for love and there is a hunger for God in our culture and in the world.  And the good news is that, in the person of Jesus, we discover a God who loves this broken, God-hating world and our very broken selves so deeply that no one, absolutely no one, can escape God's all-encompassing, unconditional love.

I still vividly remember the time fifty plus years ago when I first came to Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos. I was in High School, and I came with my mother to Faith Lutheran Church for a gathering of the Michigan District ALCW (the American Lutheran Church Women).  I clearly remember that day because Evelyn Frost was the speaker. I am sure some of you who are long time members remember her.  Evelyn's remarks on that day made a huge impression on my young, formidable mind.  The gospel passage on which she spoke was the gospel reading we have today.  I remember being fascinated as she talked about salt, the many properties and varieties of salt, and the multiple ways in which salt is used.  As I studied today's gospel reading, that experience of roughly fifty years ago came to mind. Salt and light.  Today, Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth, and we bring light to the world.  Last week we heard Jesus launch his ministry by beginning his inaugural address, the message we now call the Sermon on the Mount.  Last week we heard him begin with The Beatitudes, that wonderful vision that lifts up the most unlikely people – the poor in spirit, the meek and the merciful, those who mourn and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted.  Last week we heard Jesus call these most unlikely of people “blessed.”  Today, Jesus continues his sermon by addressing the crowd as “you,” and offering them words of both reassurance and challenge.  The “you” he addresses is plural.  It is to be heard by us not as privately pious Christians but as the Body of Christ active in the world God so deeply loves, even if that activity is at times risky business.  As Jesus continues, he uses the metaphors of salt and light.  And, like that second generation of Christians to whom Matthew was writing, we listen with the crowd to hear that we, too, are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.”   One of the fascinating things I remember Evelyn Frost so eloquently talking about was the existence of multiple types of salt.  If we were to go out shopping for salt we would find pink, black, gray, flaky, rock, crystals, iodized, and un-iodized just to name a few. Some salts are better used when cooking, while others are best as a finishing touch. Some salts are not edible but are used for chemical purposes, like melting ice on winter roads.  Salt is something that is necessary for human life.  And, when we hear Matthew's gospel today and remember that it was written for early Jewish Christians, it is thought-provoking to note that some early Christian communities placed salt on the tongue of the newly baptized.  Given the wide varieties of salt around the world, its culinary and chemical significance and its many uses, Jesus' comparison of believers to salt is even more meaningful.   As Christians, one might say we are chemically the same through the work of the Spirit.  However, we are called to different uses and work. And, when we think about Jesus calling his followers light, we must remember light is not just the opposite of dark. The word “light” is also the opposite of heavy.  In today's Old Testament reading, Isaiah calls Israel to a fast that is about reducing a certain kind of heaviness – the heaviness others carry. The fast that God has chosen should lessen the burden and heaviness of those who are oppressed.  The fast that God has chosen should lessen the heaviness and struggles of the poor, the widows, the orphans, the resident aliens among us, the most vulnerable, and all those on the margins. Lighting the world as children of God should also involve lightening the weight of war, poverty, destruction, oppression, and division. Today's gospel reading epitomizes Matthew's understanding that the Christian movement built upon and perfected the righteousness prescribed in the Jewish commandments and the call of prophets like Isaiah.  When talking about Jesus' words to us today, Lutheran theologian and professor, Barbara Lundblad, connects his message to the words of the prophets before him when she writes: For Jesus, salt and light came out of a long tradition of biblical teaching: salt and light were images for the law of God. Salt and light must take us back to the fullness of the law and the prophets, and the fullness of Jesus' radical teaching in this Sermon on the Mount. The prophets plead for fullness of life: freedom from oppression, bread for the hungry, homes for those who have none, clothing for the naked. Is this not what it means to be the salt of the earth, to keep this prophetic word alive in the midst of our world? If we lose this vision, if we give in to other values, if we forget God's longing for justice, our salt has lost its taste. If you think Jesus' call is impossible, remember that the One who is our bread is with us and within us, empowering us to be salt and light in this world. Yes, this is the righteousness prescribed in the Jewish commandments and the call of the prophets, and it is the righteousness called forth in the kingdom of heaven, the in-breaking reign of God.  This is the righteousness Jesus proclaims as already here when transformation is taking place through him.  The Christian community receives the call to be salt and light and this gospel message is about bringing transformation not only to our individual selves or the members of a specific church or faith community, but transformation to the entire world.  Now, it is important to look again at Jesus' words to us.  He says, “You are the salt of the earth….you are the light of the world.”  As Lutheran pastor and theologian David Lose says: Jesus isn't saying, “You should be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” Or, “You have to be,…” let alone “You better be,….” Rather, he is saying, you are. As in already are. Even if you don't know it. Even if you once knew it and forgot. Even if you have a hard time believing it.  Jesus is making to his disciples a promise about their very being, he is not commanding, let alone threatening them about what they should be doing. And that's worth tarrying over, as so many in our congregations and world experience God more like a divine law-maker and rule-enforcer than generous gift-giver…..In today's reading, Jesus is making promises and giving out gifts. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world, and this is, like Jesus' words we heard last week, sheer blessing.  And, it is about identity, about our very being, which in turn leads to doing.  It is all about living into the God-given identity we already have.  Listen again to Jesus' words to us today as I read them from Eugene Peterson's translation, The Message.  Listen as Jesus speaks to you: Let me tell you why you are here.  You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.  If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?  You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.  Here's another way to put it:  You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.  God is not a secret to be kept.  We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.  If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you?  I'm putting you on a light stand.  Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine!  Keep open house; be generous with your lives.  By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.  As I think back to that time in the early ‘70's when I came here to Faith Lutheran Church and heard Evelyn Frost speak, I realize she truly was salt-seasoning bringing out God-flavors to all who listened.  She was God's light-bearer whose words brought transformation in my life. And as I think about my past eight years with you, while preparing for retirement, you have been God's light-bearers and you have brought transformation to so many lives. I give thanks that you truly are a shining light in this community.  As I prepare to leave, my prayer for you is that you will continue to keep open house; and continue to be generous with your lives.  I pray you will continue to faithfully open up to others and, by doing this, prompt people to open up to God, the One who is so very generous to all and showers us with overwhelming love.  I pray you will continue to shine the light of God's overwhelming, unconditional love for all people!

The Cost of Discipleship is the title of a book by German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  In it, Bonhoeffer spells out what he believes it means to follow Christ, what discipleship really is all about.    Bonhoeffer understood that following Jesus is not always easy.  He wanted to honestly communicate the message that, if you live into a life of discipleship, there will be costs to living such a life.  And, ultimately, toward the end of World War II, Bonhoeffer was killed because of the choices he made and his commitment to faithfully follow Jesus. In our gospel reading for today, we find Jesus bluntly teaching about discipleship and what it means to follow him.  And, I have to say, his words regarding discipleship are daunting and uncomfortable to hear.  Today, we find Jesus speaking to a large crowd of people.  Among the throng, there were some who were contemplating the possibility of becoming disciples.  Jesus' response to them communicates the seriousness of discipleship and his words make it clear that faithful discipleship is not for the faint of heart.  The stakes have been rising throughout this chapter in Luke, and it is becoming ever more clear just what lies ahead as Jesus faces the future. So, Jesus spells out the high cost of discipleship. To better understand the blunt nature of what he is saying, think about this. Just imagine inviting someone to come and be part of our community of faith and saying to them, “Come and check us out this Sunday and we'll tell you how hard it is to join our church.  First, you've got to hate your family.  Then, you must carry a cross like a condemned criminal.  Along with that, we expect you to give up everything you have worked so hard to possess.  Do these things and you can call yourself a member of our community of Faith.”  Now, that sounds like a sure and certain way to grow a church!  Right? Well, I think we need to unpack what Jesus is saying and take a deep dive into exploring the meaning of this passage.  First, Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.”  Now, most of us, when we think of Jesus, usually connect his message to themes of love and not hate.  “Hate” is such a strong word and it seems contradictory to our understanding of the Christian life.  And, in our nation, a culture that often elevates “family values” by placing them higher than almost anything else, the idea of hating family is offensive.   When unpacking this word, pastor and theologian, John Petty, writes: The word "hate" is laden with emotion in our cultural context.  It suggests repulsion at a visceral level.  In this case, in the context of first century middle eastern culture, to "hate" [one's family or] one's own self means that the person disconnects from everything that has heretofore defined that person.  To put it another way, one's past no longer defines who they are.  One's identity is no longer formed by one's former allegiances, nor one's experiences in life, nor even one's genetics.  These are part of the old world which is giving way to the new world of God.  Followers of Jesus are not defined by the past, but by their work in the present and their future hope. Jesus uses hyperbole to get across the seriousness of what it means to follow him.  Jesus understands the transformation that takes place in the life of a disciple.  Once a person decides to follow Jesus, then life, relationships, time, and possessions are all viewed through the lens of Jesus.  Even family relationships pale in comparison to our relationship with God.  Our relationship to God is our first priority and our ultimate concern. Yes, Jesus' words are surprising and daunting.  But he is not yet finished.  He continues saying, “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”  Well, this demand had to hit some of the people like a ton of bricks and take their breath away.  It is likely some of them had witnessed the public shame and humiliation of a condemned criminal carrying his cross through the city streets to the place of execution, just as Jesus himself would eventually do.  Quite honestly, we hear so much about the cross and cross bearing that I don't think we are able to always grasp what Jesus is saying.  In fact, the language of cross bearing has been corrupted by overuse.  Bearing a cross has nothing to do with things we often reference like living with chronic illness, painful physical conditions, or trying family relationships. It is instead what we do voluntarily, because of our commitment to Jesus Christ. Cross bearing requires deliberate sacrifice and exposure to risk and ridicule in order to follow Jesus. And, this commitment is not just a way of life, it is a commitment to a person. A disciple follows another person and learns a new way of life. [Luke, New Interpreter's Bible, p. 293]   It is interesting to note that the term for “cost” appears only once in the New Testament, and it is in this passage.  When Jesus talks about the cross and the cost of discipleship, he gets down to the meat and potatoes of what following him really is about.  The cost inevitably has to do with what you give up, what you sacrifice, what you deny, and the choices you make.   Life is always full of choices.  Life is about counting and weighing the cost of the many things, events and opportunities that vie for our attention.  Sporting events, family events, work events, the list is endless.  But, to carry your cross is to carry the choices and burdens and realities of a life that has made a certain commitment to living into and bringing forth the Kingdom of God right here and right now. That's certainly what it meant for Jesus.  When commenting on this, theologian, David Lose, writes: Jesus isn't inviting meaningless sacrifice. He isn't inviting door-mat discipleship or a whiney Christianity (“that's just my cross to bear”). Rather, he's inviting us to a full-bodied Christian faith that stands over and against all those things that are often presented to us as life by the culture. Jesus invites us, that is, to the kind of abundant life that is discovered only as you give yourself away. The kingdom of God Jesus proclaims is about life and love. And just as love is one thing that only grows when it's given away, so also is genuine and abundant life…. The choices we make, the relationships we decide to pursue, the way we spend this life we've been given, may cause not just puzzlement but dissatisfaction, even upset, among those we care about. But the question before us, as put so fiercely by Moses in the first reading, is whether we will choose life or death. Well, after Jesus says these things, and being the consummate teacher that he is, he then uses two parables to emphasize his point.  First, he describes building a tower and the process used to build it.  Using a form of cost-benefit analysis, he says, “A wise person estimates the cost.  Is it worth it?  Can I complete it?  In the same manner, a wise ruler calculates the cost of the war before going into battle.  Is it worth it?  Can I complete the war?”  Our vocation and call as disciples is always played out in our daily lives by the choices we make.  The decision-making process often requires an aspect of cost-benefit analysis, and sometimes choosing life – life that truly matters – is very costly.  As my dear friend Bill Uetricht says, “To follow Jesus, you have to count the cost.  It isn't going to be easy.  It's going to take you to some uncomfortable places.  It is going to challenge some basic assumptions you have about life.  It is going to unsettle all your little pet projects.”  Yes, it will unsettle you and unsettle all your pet projects! However, we weigh our choices in light of the gift of love and grace God has given us.  And, for those who hear a call to discipleship, Jesus himself becomes the sorting principle – Jesus, the embodiment of self-giving love, of mercy and compassion, the one who is our “true north.”  We follow the one who loved this world so much he went to the cross.  Following Jesus is not easy, but His word is still the best news this world has ever heard for bad times or good, and that is what you and I are called to remember together. Discipleship is demanding. Discipleship is very rewarding, and it is a joy-filled experience. Discipleship is also an intentional, determined thing – an intentional choice. If you would follow Jesus, come with all that you are and with all you have.  The promise of life, abundant life, life that truly matters, is always in front of us. And, the promise of God's unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace far outweigh whatever the cost discipleship might bring.  May God's love free us to choose life and daily center our lives in Christ, beginning right here and right now.

On this holiday weekend as we celebrate the formation and founding of our country and our independence as a nation, we frequently find ourselves thinking about certain characteristics associated with American identity. Characteristics like individualism, invulnerability, and self-sufficiency are often celebrated. Today, in our present time and culture, we are also seeing the growing disease of extreme individualism and Christian nationalism. These malignant ideologies are not at all representative of Christianity, and they do not at all represent the Christian message or connect in any way to the teachings of Jesus. Frankly, perceptions of American individualism and self-sufficiency infuse almost every aspect of our lives, including religion.  We, as a people, preserve and perpetuate the myth that we are a nation defined by the idea that people should set their own course through life.  This is reflected in so many aspects of culture.  Think of Frank Sinatra singing “My Way.”  Think of movies in which famous actors like John Wayne render a rugged brand of individualism and self-imposed justice.   As Americans, we have fallen in love with the idea of the self-made person, the rags to riches story.  We have created the myth that if you make it to the top of your profession, you deserve a huge salary because you are the one responsible for getting to the top.   We have this sense in which we are to live as invulnerable human beings.  This rugged individual ethos permeates virtually every aspect of the way in which we think about achievement, education, work, and vocation. It infuses our understanding of how we are to live, how we should raise our children, and even the way in which we understand religion and faith.  As a matter of fact, the concept of decision theology – the belief that a person must accept Jesus as one's personal Lord and Savior and the idea that each individual must accept God's gift of salvation – developed in and grew out of the 19th and 20th century American focus on individualism.  When writing about the challenge of individualism in our present culture, theologian, David Lose, suggests, “this individualism we celebrate is as much a myth of the culture as is our invulnerability.  The pilgrims and pioneers who settled this land were incredibly aware that their survival depended on each other.  The colonies they eventually established, after all, we called ‘commonwealths,' places where the good of any individual was inextricably linked to the good of the whole.  And as Benjamin Franklin said at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, ‘We must hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately.'”  The truth of the matter is, the people who founded this country needed each other and needed community in order to survive.  It is striking to me that, on this holiday weekend as we celebrate our nation and our identity as people, we have a Bible reading that teaches us not about individualism and invulnerability. No, it teaches us about vulnerability and community.  When it comes to a life of faith the reality is that the Bible paints a picture of life that rarely coincides with our culture's most commonly held assumptions.  Today, we hear the antithesis of an individualistic, self-sufficient, invulnerable way of thinking and being as we learn about Jesus sending his disciples on a mission.   Jesus sends seventy disciples out and he does not send them to be self-sufficient.  No, he sends them out completely unprepared!  They are not permitted to have anything that might enable them any level of self-sufficiency.  As a result, they go forth into this mission as vulnerable disciples; their well-being is utterly dependent on the people to whom they have been sent, some of whom will respond with hostility rather than hospitality.  And you can never tell which you're going to get until it's too late. I love the way this story is told in The Message translation of the Bible.  We hear Jesus say the following: “What a huge harvest!  And how few the harvest hands.  So, on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.  On your way!  But be careful – this is hazardous work.  You're like lambs in a wolf pack.  Travel light.  Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.  Don't loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.  When you enter a home, greet the family, ‘Peace.'  If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay.  But if it's not received, take it back and get out.  Don't impose yourself.  Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals.  Don't move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.  When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God's kingdom is right on your doorstep!'  When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, ‘The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we're giving it back.  Did you have any idea that God's kingdom was right on your doorstep?'” Inescapable vulnerability is implicit in the mission to which Jesus calls and sends his disciples.  He sends them out in pairs, and he instructs them to rely entirely upon the hospitality of others.  He sends them out two by two – this is not something they do alone as individuals. He is blunt about how difficult and dangerous this mission might be.  The seventy will be going into a hostile world, yet Jesus does not arm them for battle; rather, they will go out like lambs – lambs among wolves.  Jesus sends them seemingly very unprepared, very vulnerable, and quite uncertain of what they will encounter.  And, no matter how hard they try, they cannot control the outcome.  The outcome depends totally on God.  Some of the people they visit will not share in the message and peace they offer; sometimes whole towns will reject them.  But the gift Jesus gives them as he sends them out two by two is the gift of his presence – the promise that he goes with them – and the gift of solidarity they find as they work together while trusting his promise.  In their working together, their hope and welfare are inextricably linked to that of those around them and those they meet.  Jesus commands vulnerable dependence from his disciples as he sends them to proclaim the good news that God's kingdom has drawn near.  And, they are told to do this through relational, grateful, gracious presence and conversation.   Today's reading is instructional for us on this holiday weekend.  As we live in a world that seems to become increasingly individualistic, more “I” and “me” centered with progressively harsh edges that divide, we follow in the footsteps of the seventy messengers.  We have been called as a community of people, not individuals, a community of people to share with those around us in the greater community the good news of God's forgiveness, love, grace, healing, and peace.  And, we do not work alone.  Our mission is a shared mission.  We work together as the community of Christ and our hope and welfare is inextricably linked to that of those around us.  Together, we have been appointed to go out into the world and announce that God's kingdom has drawn near. In fact, it is right on people's doorstep!   And we go together, remembering Jesus' promise that he is with us, as we too invite others into this mission of which we are a part.  This Jesus' mission is one of compassion, grace, forgiveness, love, meaning, and purpose.  Participating in this Jesus mission means working and living together in intimate community, becoming vulnerable, and giving up our need to control.  And, quite frankly, that kind of vulnerability makes this work a lot more fun because it is then all about what God is doing and has done, and it is not about us.  All we need to do is tend to the harvest God has already planted!  This Jesus mission has to do with the very life of life itself because it is all about God, the One who gives life, the One who sustains life, the One who exists and is present to us as life-giving community, and the One who will ultimately bring all life to a glorious conclusion.  And, I am so grateful that we get to do this Jesus mission together.  Quite frankly, I find it makes this mission deeply meaningful and makes it a mission that is filled with joy.

On this episode of Worship Matters, we're joined by Dr. David Lose, Senior Pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Lose is the former President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and previously held the Marbury E Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, where he also served as director of the Center for Biblical Preaching. His 2013 book, “Preaching at the Crossroads” (Fortress Press) forms the basis of this conversation, with reflections from his current role. Lose and Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching Ministries, discuss preaching that engages culture and provides a sense of Christian identity to worshipers, inviting them into the story that shapes their world. Join us for this crucial conversation.

Luke 9:28-43; Transfiguration C; 2/27/22              Pastor Ellen Schoepf I love this little story Rev. Dr. Robert Sims shares about a little boy and his wagon.  Sims writes: A little boy was riding his wagon along the sidewalk. Suddenly, one of the wheels fell off the wagon.  The little boy jumped out of the wagon and said, “I'll be damned!”  A minister happened to be walking by, and he said, “Son, you ought not use words like that!  That's a bad word.  When something happens, just say, ‘Praise the Lord,' and everything will be all right.”  So, the little boy grumbled, put the wheel back on the wagon and started on down the sidewalk. About ten yards farther, the wheel fell off again.  The little boy said, “Praise the Lord!”  Suddenly, the wheel jumped up off the ground and put itself right back on the wagon.  The minister saw it all and exclaimed, “I'll be damned.” Sims goes on to say, “We are a lot like that minister.  We believe in God's miraculous, glorious, transformative power; we just don't expect it to happen to us.”  I think Pastor Sims' assessment is quite accurate.  I think most of us are aware in the depth of our being that we need God.  At times, I think we often long for a sign of God's presence to us. Yet, we don't often recognize God's presence to us in the ordinary stuff of life, in our ordinary daily experiences.  We often do not trust God's presence to us as we face ambiguity and an uncertain future.  Quite frankly, it is hard to trust God's presence as the world faces an uncertain future, as we see Ukraine ruthlessly invaded by a corrupt, evil, authoritarian power.  It is hard to trust God's presence as we watch an unnecessary, shameful war of aggression and see innocent people needlessly bombed, facing death, and killed. Frankly, we know that life for anyone of us can change at any minute.  To use Sims' metaphor, the wheel of our wagon can fall of at any time.  Faced with life's uncertainty and our lack of control, I think most of us yearn to really feel a connection with the power and presence of God.  We hunger to feel God's presence to us as we face not only our present but also our tomorrows. In today's gospel reading, the writer of Luke is taking us to a deeper engagement with faith.  Written around 80 CE, Luke is writing to a Greek audience that, like us, yearns and hungers to understand more about God and God's presence in life.  So, as Luke tells the Jesus story, the gospel writer tells us that Jesus knows he is facing the last weeks of his life.  Jesus understands the crisis that looms before him as he makes his way to Jerusalem.  He knows that his future means facing impending crucifixion.  And so, what does he do?  He takes Peter, James, and John with him and climbs a mountain to retreat, to spend time in prayer, to worship.  As Jesus looks to the future that awaits, he intentionally moves to spend time in prayer and worship, to spend intentional time with God. Now, this mountain-high praying expedition comes eight days after Jesus has talked to the disciples and told them about his impending death. Theologian, David Lose, reminds us that “the eighth day, after a seven-day week, came very quickly in Christian tradition to refer to Sunday, the day of resurrection and worship, the first day of a new week and a whole new era.”  Consequently, Luke is very intentional when he tells us that Jesus chooses to climb this mountain to pray and be in communion with God on the eighth day.  In the early Christian church, the eighth day represented something totally new, God was about the business of doing a new thing. Anyway, in the face of death, Jesus is resolute in fulfilling his mission as he takes three of his disciples and climbs the mountain to commune with God.  And, after recently hearing all that talk about death, I am sure the disciples are really wondering just what Jesus is now up to as he drags them along on this mountain climbing mission. Once at the top, the disciples find themselves feeling more than a bit tired.  In fact, as Jesus' starts praying, Luke tells us Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep. Then, through the haze of heavy eyes, they see something astounding. Suddenly, Jesus stands in dazzling, radiant light and his ancestor friends, Moses and Elijah, join him appearing “in glory.”  It is a surreal, dazzling flashpoint that embodies the law (Moses), the prophets (Elijah), and grace (Jesus, himself), all in a single moment. Jesus' disciples who, up to this point, have been merely sleepy bystanders now witness what happens.  Jesus is discussing with Moses and Elijah his crucifixion, his departure, his exodus from this world. As he speaks, the conversation bears witness to the redemptive mission that lies before him, the cross.  Well, the ever-dim-witted disciples are awestruck, and they then hear a voice from heaven directed to them saying, “Listen to him.”  The disciples are called to LISTEN to Jesus, and then be faithful to this unique revelation of Jesus the Christ.  Suddenly, the disciples who had viewed Jesus as just a man, a great leader who would free them from Roman rule, saw Jesus differently.  In that moment of worship, they were able to see beneath Jesus' humanity and begin to discover the very presence, the holiness, and the glory of God.   Following this retreat to worship – strengthened and nourished by prayer, a time of hearing God's spoken Word and being immersed in words of the cross – they head down the mountain.  You see, they cannot stay in that place.  No one, not even Jesus can stay in that mountain-top experience.  No, they inevitably must return to the everyday world where human need is immediately present.  As they come down from the mountain, they are approached by an anguished father who wants healing for his only son.  Jesus moves from a time of worship to face a world of need that again rises before him, and he heals the boy.   The word “transfiguration” means change and emphasizes a dramatic change in appearance, one that glorifies or exalts somebody.  As we become open to Christ's presence, we become changed by the grace and love of Christ. I think this story has intentional, significant meaning for us as we think about worship, about what worship means for us, and the way worship changes and transforms us. Worship is that place where we hear God's voice.  Worship is that place where we meet each other in prayer and song.  Worship is that place where we focus on the nature of grace as we experience the cross.  Worship is that place where we experience the holiness of God as we feast on God's very life.  Worship is an experience that helps us to make sense of our lives as we connect with God while facing our own ambiguous and uncertain futures.  And then, we leave worship nourished and renewed for lives of meaning.  We leave worship equipped to face each day, even the uncertain future, with purpose as we live our lives in service to a needy, broken, deeply hurting world. God's transforming work in our lives is explicitly not supposed to be contained in worship, kept in a building, and hidden away. God's transforming work is about our very selves becoming changed, and then sent out into the world. When we become transformed, we then bear the transforming nature of God's grace and love to the broken world around us. That transformational nature we bear is a love and grace that should shine through us in the way we live, and in the places where we live out our lives. Today we come to the end of the season of Epiphany. This Wednesday we begin our journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem and follow him to the cross.  As we begin this Lenten journey, are we ready and willing to stand at the foot of the cross and be changed by the transforming power, grace, and love of Christ in the world?   As we leave worship, we leave empowered by the experience of God's very life and presence to us.  We leave this place equipped so that we can again enter the world of human need and make a difference in the lives of those around us. The metaphoric wheel of the wagon will again fall off at various times throughout our lives but, every time we gather to worship, we again become changed by the love of God in Jesus Christ.  Formed and transformed through worship, we become one with Christ and then live out Christ's mission as we work to make God's vision for this world a reality.  And, for that gift to us we say, “Praise the Lord.”

Lucas Mix is an Episcopal priest, author, and martial artist. He is  also a researcher at the intersection of biology, philosophy, and theology, focusing on theories of life. In the second half of 2021, he is serving as the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, Exploration, and Scientific Innovation researching the relationship between science and science fiction.If you're interested in reading more about resurrection, look into The Resurrection of the Son of God (2012) and Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Ministry of the Church (2008), both by N.T. Wright.If you are interested in learning more about Lucas' work, visit his blog at https://dacalu.wordpress.com/. In addition, check out Lucas' books, such as Life Concepts From Aristotle to Darwin: On Vegetable Souls (2018) and Thinking Fair: Rules for Reason in Science and Religion (2016).If you're interested in learning more about resurrection, check out our ChurchNext courses Don't Fear Death! with Tom Krell; What's Heaven Like? with John Price; Making Sense of the Cross with David Lose, Parts One, Two, and Three; and Exploring Hell with Seth Carey.

It is the first and the shortest of the four Gospels, as most experts believe, and if you like getting right to the point, no other writer does it quite as well as St. Mark.The Gospel of Mark is the account of Jesus' life and ministry that most influenced the other three gospels. In this episode we'll learn:Who was Mark?To whom was Mark writing?What are the main themes in Mark?How should Mark be read?This course offers an excellent overview of Mark's Gospel.

In our first episode in this series, author and pastor David Lose discussed looking at the cross and making sense of it through the context of our own experiences. In the second episode, he talked about the cross in the context of the four gospels and the different ways in which each of the evangelists presents the cross. In this final episode, David discusses three major theological views of the cross. His talks cover the following topics:The Ancient Theory ExplainedThe Ancient Theory EvaluatedThe Substitution Theory ExplainedThe Substitution Theory EvaluatedThe Love Theory ExplainedThe Love Theory Evaluated.

The most profound event of human history is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.Far more people are puzzled about the Cross than would claim to understand it. In this second of our 3-part series on making sense of the cross, author, theologian, and pastor David Lose helps us unpack the most helpful information we need to make sense of this life-changing event.In this episode, Dr. Lose talks about:A Man Hanging on a TreeWhy Four Gospels?Matthew and the CrossMark and the CrossLuke and the CrossJohn and the Cross 

The most profound event of human history is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.Far more people are puzzled about the cross than would claim to understand it. In this episode, author, theologian, and pastor David Lose inspires us to think deeply about what Jesus' cross might mean to you and me. David says that the best way to make sense of the cross is not through theories but through experience. This episode includes three lectures in which David talks about:The Cross and ExperienceThe Cross and ForgivenessThe Cross and Atonement

The Rev Dr. David Lose, joined us for the annual Stern Lecture, and preached on Sunday morning for both services. Dr. Lose is the Senior Pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN.

Discussion on texts for Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 21) (Aug. 24, 2014): (Gospel) Matthew 16:13-20; (1st Reading) Isaiah 51:1-6; (Semicontinuous 1st Reading) Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 138:1-8; (2nd Reading) Romans 12:1-8. The end of this podcast contains a farewell to David Lose as he leaves read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 28): Luke 17:11-19; 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 (Semicontinuous); Psalm 111; and 2 Timothy 2:8-15 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Rolf Jacobson, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Twentienth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 27): Luke 17:5-10; Habakkuk 1:1-4 and 2:1-4; Lamentations 1:1-6 (Semicontinuous); Psalm 37:1-9; and 2 Timothy 1:1-14 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Rolf Jacobson, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 26): Luke 16:19-31; Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 (Semicontinuous); Psalm 146; and 1 Timothy 6:6-19 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Rolf Jacobson, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 25): Luke 16:1-13; Amos 8:4-7; Jeremiah 8:18--9:1 (Semicontinuous); Psalm 113; and 1 Timothy 2:1-7 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and David Lose for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 20): Luke 12:49-56; Jeremiah 23:23-29; Isaiah 5:1-7 (Semicontinuous); Psalm 82; Hebrews 11:29-12:2 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and David Lose for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 19): Luke 12:32-40; Genesis 15:1-6; Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 (semicontinuous); Psalm 33:12-22; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and David Lose for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 18): Luke 12:13-21; Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23; Hosea 11:1-11 (semicontinuous); Psalm 49:1-12; and Colossians 3:1-11 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and David Lose for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 17): Luke 11:1-13; Genesis 18:20-32; Hosea 1:2-10 (semicontinuous); Psalm 138; Colossians 2:6-15(16-19) read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 15): Gospel: Luke 10:25-37; Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Amos 7:7-17 (semi-continuous 1st Reading) Psalm 25:1-10; and Colossians 1:1-14 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 14): Gospel: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20; Isaiah 66:10-14; 2 Kings 5:1-14 (semicontinuous); Psalm 66:1-9; and Galatians 6:[1-6]7-16 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 13): Gospel: Luke 9:51-62 ; 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 (semicontinuous); Psalm 16; and Galatians 5:1, 13-25 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 12): Gospel: Luke 8:26-39 ; Isaiah 65:1-9; 1 Kings 19:1-4[5-7]8-15a (semicontinuous); Psalm 22:19-28; and Galatians 3:23-29 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary 11): Gospel: Luke 7:36--8:3 ; 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10,13-15; 1 Kings 21:1-10[11-14]15-21a (semicontinuous); Psalm 32; and Galatians read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Third Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel: Luke 7:11–17; 1 Kings 17:17–24; 1 Kings 17:8–16 [17–24] (semicontinuous); Psalm 30; and Galatians 1:11–24 read more...

Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, David Lose, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Second Sunday after Pentecost: Luke 7:1-10; 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43; 1 Kings 18:20-21[22-29],30-39 (semicontinuous); Psalm 96:1-9; and Galatians 1:1-12 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Holy Trinity: John 16:12-15; Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; and Romans 5:1-5 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Day of Pentecost: John 14:8-17[25-27]; Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; and Romans 8:14-17 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Easter 7: John 17:20-26; Acts 16:16-34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21. read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Ascension Sunday: Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:15-23 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Easter 2: John 20:19-31; Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 150 (6); Revelation 1:4-8 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Easter Sunday: Luke 24:1-12; Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 (24); 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Good Friday: John 18:1-19:42; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22(1); Hebrews 10:16-25 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Maundy Thursday: John 13:1-17, 31b-35; Exodus 12:1-4(5-10) 11-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 (13); 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday: Luke 22:14-23:56; Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16 (5); Philippians 2:5-11 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Lent 5: John 12:1-8; Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126 (5); Philippians 3:4b-14 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Lent 4: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32; Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32 (11); 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Lent 3: Luke 13:1-9; Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8 (1); 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Lent 2: Luke 13:31-35; Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17--4:1 read more...

Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Fourth Sunday after Epiphany: Luke 4:21-30; Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6(6); 1 Corinthians 13:1-1 read more...

Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Third Sunday after Epiphany: Luke 4:14-21; Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19(7); 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 read more...

Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Second Sunday after Epiphany: John 2:1-11; Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10 (8); 1 Corinthians 12:1-1 read more...

Join Profs. David Lose, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for a conversation around preaching the lectionary texts for Baptism of Our Lord: Luke 3:15-17,21-22; Psalm 29(3); Isaiah 43:1-7; Acts 8:14-1 read more...