Grace Lutheran Church 3 April 2016 + Second Sunday of Easter (Year C) John 20.(1-18), 19-31 Alleluia! Christ is risen! A reading from Craigslist: “Wednesday afternoon blue line (towards O’Hare)—We made eye contact a few times during the ride. Would love to get to know you better. Let me know what you were wearing/where you …
Continue reading Missed Connections: A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter
Grace Lutheran Church 7 February 2016 + Transfiguration of Our Lord Luke 9.28-43 After about a month and a half of vacation time, I am very pleased to be back among you this morning and preaching no less on this feast day of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. I spent most of the holiday season …
Continue reading A Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday in Which I Quote Doctor Who
Every year, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College in Cambridge features a new carol commissioned for the Christmas Eve service. This year, Hungarian poet George Szirtes's poem "The Flight," inspired by the plight of refugees trying to make their way to Europe, was set to music by Richard Causton. (Lyrics and link …
On this second day of Christmas, I offer the following reflection on St. Stephen's Day, originally written for Fling Wide the Doors, the 2014-2015 Advent and Christmastide devotional by the community of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Chicago. Stephen's story is recorded in the book of Acts. He was appointed as one of the first deacons of …
[Essentially a rehash of my second sermon for preaching lab, found here. But listen to this one first. It's better, I promise.] Grace Lutheran Church 13 December 2015 + Advent 3C Philippians 4.4-7 I hate to break it to you, but you realize that we’re now less than two weeks away from Christmas, right? If …
Sermon for ML 403 Preaching Lab Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 1 December 2015 Jeremiah 31.31-34 (Reformation Day) [With thanks to fellow ML 403 student Analyse Triolo for the recording!] When I was handed the little slip of paper for my final preaching text, I honestly anticipated what feast or festival I would be …
Continue reading That time I preached about the Reformation during Advent…
Grace Lutheran Church 15 November 2015 + Pentecost 25B Mark 13.1-8 As part of their Military Voices Initiative to commemorate Veterans Day this past week, the popular NPR podcast StoryCorps featured a video about Marine Lance Corporal Travis Williams and his squad. Travis tells the story of when he and his team were sent on …
Sermon for ML 403 Preaching Lab Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 3 November 2015 Philippians 4.4-7 (Advent 3C) [Click here to listen along!] I hate to break it to you, but you realize that we’re now just a mere five weeks and three days away from the end of the semester, right? That’s only …
Continue reading A Sermon About Rejoicing and Not Worrying (Really?!)
Grace Lutheran Church 11 October 2015 + Pentecost 20B Mark 10.17-31 What’s the catch? It’s the question we ask when things just seem too good to be true. After four years of college and almost two years of seminary, I know that the surest way to attract poor students to your event is to offer …
Sermon for ML 403 Preaching Lab Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 6 October 2015 Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30 (Pentecost 5A) Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see. You know the words. And you could probably sing …
Continue reading A Sermon About Rest for the Weary, with #KellyOnMyMind
Pastor Josh Evans 