St. John’s Lutheran Church26 March 2023 + Lent 5aJohn 11.1-45; Ezekiel 37.1-14Rev. Josh Evans It’s probably the most famous prophecy in the book of Ezekiel: the valley of “dem dry bones.” Truthfully, it’s a bit of a terrifying vision: for these dry bones to suddenly shake and rattle and come together, with sinews and flesh …
St. Philip Lutheran Church26 February 2023 + Lent 1aMatthew 4.1-11Rev. Josh Evans It had to be one of the most difficult and dangerous journeys I ever made. In hindsight, I probably should’ve just canceled. In the winter of 2017, I was in the middle of my year-long seminary internship in Omaha, Nebraska. In February of …
St. Philip Lutheran Church19 February 2023 + Transfiguration of Our LordMatthew 17.1-9Rev. Josh Evans It’s tempting to want to stay in certain moments. No one wants to think about packing up on the last day of a dream vacation – the last poolside breakfast on the brightest, sunniest day before heading back home, probably to …
St. Philip Lutheran Church12 February 2023 + Lectionary 6a (Epiphany 6)1 Corinthians 3.1-9Rev. Josh Evans To what should be absolutely no one’s surprise, I wasn’t exactly one of the “popular” kids in high school. I was quiet and shy. I didn’t play sports or do theatre. During my senior year, I got to be a …
St. Philip Lutheran Church29 January 2023 + Lectionary 4a (Epiphany 4)Micah 6.1-8; 1 Cor. 1.18-31; Matt. 5.1-12Rev. Josh Evans It reminds me of Good Friday. “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!” Micah’s lament is leveled squarely at God’s people. Despite God’s clear instructions for …
St. Philip Lutheran Church22 January 2023 + Lectionary 3a (Epiphany 3)Matthew 4.12-23Rev. Josh Evans Dreams are fascinating. According to sleep experts, our dreams can serve a variety of purposes: everything from helping us to process our emotions or recent events … to incidental brain activity that has no real purpose or meaning. Most people dream …
St. Philip Lutheran Church15 January 2023 + Lectionary 2a (Epiphany 2)John 1.29-42Rev. Josh Evans Who is Jesus? That was the question recently posed to me by a colleague. I admit, for someone in my line of work who should have a ready-made answer to that question, it took me by surprise … and I began …
St. Philip Lutheran Church8 January 2023 + Baptism of Our LordMatthew 3.13-17Rev. Josh Evans It started off as an assignment from his therapist: a letter to himself. Dear Evan Hansen,Today is going to be an amazing day. Because today all you have to do is just be yourself. But for Evan, in the Broadway musical …
St. Philip Lutheran Church24 December 2022 + Nativity of Our LordLuke 2.1-20Rev. Josh Evans This is now my third Christmas at St. Philip. In 2020, our sanctuary had been transformed into a film studio, as we recorded our Christmas Eve service, piece-by-piece, on December 22, with only the liturgical “actors” and our production team for …
St. Philip Lutheran Church18 December 2022 + Advent 4aMatthew 1.18-25Rev. Josh Evans The new chapel was magnificent and nearly perfect in every way … except for one tiny problem: There was no way to access the choir loft. In 1850, when the Catholic bishop of the territory of New Mexico issued a plea for a …
Pastor Josh Evans 