Simply the Sermon for October 12, 2025: Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Our texts to Sunday, October 12, 2025 are 2 Kings 5:1-15c, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, and Luke 17:11-19.

It’s a miracle! Multiple miracles! The waters of holy baptism have healed us. The body and blood of Jesus in holy communion have made us whole. We have died with Christ and been raised with him. For all this we have returned to offer thanks. From this place, wherever we are in our wanderings between the borders and boundaries of life, we are sent on our way rejoicing to share the good news.

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Simply the Sermon for October 5, 2025: Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Our readings for Sunday, October 5 are Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10.

Our sermon today takes the 2 Timothy reading as a jumping off point for the introduction of our new presiding bishop, Yehiel Curry on the day following his installation. We are nurtured and fed by the faith of Jesus and of those stalwart saints in our own lives. A little faith goes a long way is Jesus’ point in the gospel. A mustard seed’s-worth of faith has miraculous potential. The patience, tenacity, and endurance required for the life of faith are the blessings received in holy baptism, holy communion, and the word read and proclaimed in this assembly. Anticipate them. Receive them with thanksgiving.

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Simply the Sermon for September 28, 2025: Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Our readings for Sunday, September 28 are Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; and Luke 16:19-31. 

Consideration of and care for those in need (especially those “at our gate,” visible to us, of whom we are aware) is an essential component of good stewardship. It is in the sharing of wealth that we avoid the snare of wealth. It is the one whom death could not hold—who comes to us risen from the dead—who can free us from the death grip of greed. We are not haunted but helped by the love and presence of a God who returned to us from the dead to welcome us into love and forgiveness for the sake of all humanity and creation.

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Simply the Sermon for September 21, 2025: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Our Bible readings for Sunday, September 21, 2025 are from: Amos 8:4-7;1 Timothy 2:1-7; and Luke 16:1-13.

Our text from the gospel of Luke is considered to be one of the odder sayings of Jesus. It seems to come down to the grace of our Savior who finds us, celebrates us, and welcomes us into a new relationship with God and with each other. Apart from the generosity of God we have nothing. By God's gracious favor we have everything we need and more than enough to share. 

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Simply the Sermon for September 14, 2025: Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Our readings for Sunday, September 14 are: Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 51:1-10; Luke 15:1-10 

The grumbling of the religious leaders in today’s gospel is actually our holy hope: This Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them. That our God seeks and saves the lost is not only a holy hope, it is our only hope. Thanks be to God.

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Simply the Sermon for September 7, 2025: Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Our texts for Sunday, September 7, 2025 are: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Philemon 1-21; and Luke 14:25-33.

Called to contemplate the cost of discipleship, we might be helped by translating Paul’s request to Philemon into our prayer of the day: Refresh my heart in Christ. Strengthened by the company and forgiveness of Christ in holy communion and recalling God’s grace in remembrance of baptism, we can be strengthened in this hour to “choose life”—to choose life in God as our own. We can also take this opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of our current practices; are they serving the community and the mission of God in this place? How can we release what no longer serves that mission and commence with new avenues of worship and service?

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Simply the Sermon for August 31, 2025: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Our readings for Sunday, August 31, 2025 are Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; and Luke 14:1, 7-14. 

Invited and inviting—that is the nature of God's call to the church. By God’s grace in holy baptism we have a place at Christ’s banquet table. When, by the power of that same Spirit, humility and mutual love continue among us, the church can be more inviting still. In God's kin-dom the rules of the world are turned upside down; like Mary sang out, the proud are scattered in their conceit, the mighty are brought down from their thrones, etc. This is shocking, even angering for some folks, but for those in need (financially, emotionally, spiritually) it is what saves us all.

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Simply the Sermon for August 24, 2025: Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Our texts for Sunday, August 24 are: Isaiah 58:9b-14; Hebrews 12:18-29; and Luke 13:10-21.

Remember the sabbath day. Call the sabbath a delight. This is the Lord’s day, and the Lord will do for us what the Lord does: feed us, forgive us, help and heal us. Rejoice at all the wonderful things God is doing.  These are fabulous reminders to recognize God in all God's blessings . Remember that you are never lost from God and healing comes through both God and community. Even in those days that you are most weary, God sees you and knows you and loves you.

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Simply the Sermon for August 17, 2025: Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Our readings for Sunday, August 17 are: Jeremiah 23:23-29; Hebrews 11:29—12:2 and Luke 12:49-56. 

The word of God is a refining fire, purifying and preparing us for the work that we are called to do in caring for our neighbor. Jesus is the great divide in human history. He invites our undivided attention and devotion. Today in worship we are surrounded by a great “cloud of witnesses.” In the word and in holy communion we are invited yet again to look to Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”

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Simply the Sermon for August 10, 2025: Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Our readings for Sunday, August 10 are Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; and Luke 12:32-40.

Where is your treasure? What do you use those treasures for? In whom do you trust? Jesus says, I am the thief who sneaks into your house, your heart, when you least expect it. I come to remove the lust for those treasures that do not serve the neighbor so that you may find hope and joy and grace in servanthood.

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Simply the Sermon for August 3, 2025: Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Our Bible readings for Sunday August 3, 2025 are Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21. 

Today’s texts offer instruction and encouragement for all who are occasionally overwhelmed by the “unhappy business” of life. Jesus urges us to take care and be on guard against all kinds of greed. We who have died with Christ in holy baptism have also been raised with him and are encouraged to elevate our thinking, seeking the “things that are above.” To that end we seek the sustenance of the Lord’s supper and the encouragement of God’s word. We are gifted for the care of neighbor and community rather than for the satisfaction of the self. We are called to look beyond our own navel.

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Simply the Sermon for July 27, 2025: Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Our Bible readings for Sunday, July 27, 2025 are Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:6-19; and Luke 11:1-13. Hospitality and prayer are our foci this week. Persistence in prayer is encouraged by Jesus and wins the attention of God when Abraham intercedes for Sodom. The life of the baptized—to be rooted and built up in Christ Jesus—is to be nurtured with prayer. God hears and answers prayer and so strengthens God’s own. “When I called, you answered me; you increased my strength within me.”

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Simply the Sermon for July 20, 2025: Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Our Bible texts for Sunday, July 20 are Genesis 18:1-15; Colossians 1:15-28; and Luke 10:38-42. We hear the story of Martha and Mary of Bethany as Jesus and his disciples drop in for a meal and a rest. 

Perhaps the church, at its best, is “all ears.” God urges the faithful, again and again, to “listen up!”—to heed the word that gives life. So it was with Abraham and Sarah, Mary and Martha, and the early church at Colossae. So it is today as we join the assembly to hear the word of God, the word of life.

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Simply the Sermon for July 13, 2025: Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Our texts for Sunday, July 13 are: Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Colossians 1:1-14; and Luke 10:25-37 (sometimes known as The Good Samaritan").

To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind is to reflect God’s mercy in both seeing and responding to one’s neighbor. That mercy found its most profound expression in the “gospel that has come to you”—namely the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That gospel mercy comes to us again today: at the font, at the table, and from the pulpit. It is very near to you. Who would be neighborly with you that you may not recognize?

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Simply the Sermon for July 6, 2025: Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Our texts for Sunday, July 6 are Isaiah 66:10-14; Galatians 6:1-16; and Luke 10:1-11, 16-20. 

How might our gospel reading about disciples being sent out to share the good news be not so much about us being the givers of good news but instead our being the receiver of the good news from sources that we might ordinarily discount? Who is sharing the gospel with us that we might not recognize? Who are we discounting who may leave our presence only to wipe our dust from their feet? Might God be opening you to a new revelation?

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Simply the Sermon for June 29, 2025: Third Sunday after Pentecost

Our readings today are 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; Galatians 5:1, 13-25, and Luke 9:51-62. We have no good apart from God. That makes Jesus’ call to follow him an invitation to freedom. This is freedom to revel in the Spirit’s fruit: love, joy, peace, and patience. This is freedom to not be imprisoned by anything or anyone that would keep us from the fullness of the life God has given us. This is the path of life.

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Simply the Sermon for June 22, 2025: Second Sunday after Pentecost

Our texts for this Sunday, June 22, 2025 are Isaiah 65:1-9; Galatians 3:23-29; and Luke 8:26-39. In our gospel reading we follow the journey of Jesus and his friends as they travel into other lands and meet folks who are in extreme need. But when we poke into the story a bit deeper we find nuance that we had never expected. Listen closely to the story and find a God who is willing and able to stand against chaos and the power of sin so that God's entire creation can flourish.

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Simply the Sermon for June 15, 2025: Holy Trinity Sunday

This is a special day, a day when we try to wrap our heads around how one God can be three persons. The good news is that we will never get it exactly right because God is so much bigger than our little brains can comprehend. If we had all knowledge and all wisdom and could explain in detail what God was, then what would we need a God for? I for one am grateful that God knows more, is more, and loves more than I can even comprehend. 

Our readings for this Sunday, June 15 are Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Romans 5:1-5; and John 16:12-15.

 “O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Paul writes that through Jesus we have peace with God, whose love pours into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, giving us lasting hope. We celebrate the gracious One-in-Three, eternal Three-in-One, as we worship in community; as we share water and word, bread and wine; and as we bring God’s love and hope to our neighbors.

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Simply the Sermon for June 8, 2025: Pentecost Sunday

On Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, our second advocate,  to people of varied languages, communities, and customs, people outside of the previous scope of the gospel story. This particular reading comes to us from Acts 2:1-21. We also heard Genesis 11:1-9 and our gospel reading was John 14:8-27.  This advocate, whom Jesus had promised, now comes to us in wind and fire, water, wine, and bread, the Holy Spirit abiding in and among us. We give thanks that God speaks to each of us, no matter our origins, language, or life path. Filled with the Spirit of truth, we go out from worship to proclaim the saving power of Christ’s love and the freedom of God’s grace with all the world.

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Simply the Sermon for June 1, 2025: Seventh Sunday of Easter

Our readings for Sunday, June 1 are: Acts 16:16-34; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21; John 17:20-26. Today is not a normal day. Five of us are just returned from our Synod Assembly where we gathered with hundreds of Lutherans from across the Southwestern California Synod to sing, pray, discern, vote, listen, and worship. It was a thrilling time! Please ask Julie H., Grace S., Autumn B., Cherie D., or myself about our experience. I'll also try to type up something for the Friday Collective.

That being said, our Bishop, Brenda Bos, provided a sermon for use this Sunday, since most of us preacher types were preparing for and then at the Assembly during our normal sermon prep hours. What a gift! So what you will hear preached on this Simply the Sermon is me, preaching the sermon written and prepared by Bishop Bos.

It is possible to hear in Jesus’ high priestly prayer, a prayer he offered shortly before his death, the petitions of the ascended Christ for his own throughout history—to our day—and beyond. Bishop Bos uses Jesus' words here to remind us of who Jesus is and how we are called to follow his lead in giving and receiving love.

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