St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York26 July 2026 + The Ninth Sunday after PentecostProper 12 / Lectionary 17aMatthew 13:31-33, 44-52The Rev. Josh Evans So far,“the kingdom of heaven” has been like: A sower who went out to sow.And as they sowed, some seeds fell on the path,others on rocky ground,still others among thorns,and, finally, others …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York12 July 2026 + The Seventh Sunday after PentecostProper 10 / Lectionary 15aMatthew 13:1-9, 18-23The Rev. Josh Evans As modern readers of scripture,we have this urge to assign neatly defined rolesto the cast of characters – human or otherwise – in a given parable,to find out what it means –as …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York5 July 2026 + The Sixth Sunday after PentecostProper 9 / Lectionary 14aMatthew 11:16-19, 25-30The Rev. Josh Evans “Fellow citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask,why am I called upon to speak here today?What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence?Are the great principles of …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York7 June 2026 + The Second Sunday after PentecostProper 5 / Lectionary 10aMatthew 9:9-13, 18-26The Rev. Josh Evans There’s a song I’ve been hearing on repeat for the past few weeks: All the colors of the rainbow,all the voices of the wind,every dream that reaches out,that reaches out to find …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York31 May 2026 + The First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity SundayGenesis 1:1—2:4aThe Rev. Josh Evans When Glendale Community College’s commencement ceremonies“hit a snag” earlier this month,with some graduates’ names being read incorrectlyand others not at all,college president Tiffany Hernandez explained,“We’re using a new AI system as our reader.” Speakers at …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York24 May 2026 + The Day of PentecostJohn 20:19-23; Acts 2:1-21The Rev. Josh Evans When I say “Pentecost,”what do you think of?The apostles huddled togetherin the midst of the hustle and bustleof the urban metropolis of Jerusalem.The sudden rush of a violent wind.Tongues of fire.The bewildering cacophony of languages,leading some …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York17 May 2026 + The Seventh Sunday of EasterJohn 17:1-11The Rev. Josh Evans Just about 45 or so minutes ago,the gates opened at the National Mallin Washington, DC.And by the time our liturgy ends,the full program –spanning the afternoon until 6:00 p.m. this evening –will begin with an array of …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York3 May 2026 + The Fifth Sunday of EasterJohn 14:1-14The Rev. Josh Evans “Oh! The places you’ll go!You’ll be on your way up!You’ll be seeing great sights!You’ll join the high flierswho soar to high heights… “Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.Wherever you go, you will top all …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York26 April 2026 + The Fourth Sunday of EasterJohn 10:1-10The Rev. Josh Evans Once again,it’s the Fourth Sunday of Easter –Good Shepherd Sunday –except…there’s no Good Shepherd to be found.That’s next year. This year,we get…a gate –a rather unremarkableand perhaps a little confusingpassage on its own,but one with depths of …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York19 April 2026 + The Third Sunday of EasterLuke 24:13-35The Rev. Josh Evans “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalemwho does not know the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?” Probably not.Probably not even close. Crucifixion happened. A lot.It wasn’t exactly a remarkable or noteworthy occurrence.Even if word …
