St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York31 August 2025 + Twelfth Sunday after PentecostProper 17 / Lectionary 22cLuke 14:1, 7-14The Rev. Josh Evans A place for everything,and everything in its place. It’s so simple,so proverb-like,so beautiful of a sentiment.Words to live by. It’s no secret that I like things neatly organized.If we had projection screens in …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York29 June 2025 + Third Sunday after PentecostProper 8 / Lectionary 13c1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14The Rev. Josh Evans Remember last week?Elijah was afraid, fleeing for his life.Elijah was tired, taking refuge in a cave in the wilderness by himself.Elijah was burnt out, asking that he might …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York19 January 2025 + Lectionary 2cJohn 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11Rev. Josh Evans Here’s something you might not know about me:I play Dungeons & Dragons. And by “play” I mean:“stumble my way through every campaign session like I know what I’m doing.” While I’m far from a Dungeons & Dragons expert, …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York20 October 2024 + Lectionary 29bMark 10:35-45Rev. Josh Evans “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” What could go wrong? Even so, Jesus entertains their request:“What is it you want me to do for you?” And without skipping a beat, they name it outright:“Appoint …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York6 October 2024 + Lectionary 27bGenesis 2:18-24; Mark 10:2-16Rev. Josh Evans We almost know the story by heart:When God began to create the heavens and the earth… Over the course of the six days of creation,God speaks something into existence,and so it appears:Let there be light.And there was light. Let …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York21 April 2024 + Fourth Sunday of EasterJohn 10:11-18Rev. Josh Evans Here are two words I never thought I’d hear together: “Swift scholar.” As in: a scholar – not of 18th century Anglo-Irish priest and satire author Jonathan Swift – but of 21st century singer-songwriter Taylor Swift … … who, …
St. John’s Lutheran Church22 October 2023 + Lect. 29a (21 Pentecost)Matthew 22.15-22Rev. Josh Evans You could have asked me literally anything: about God, about the Bible, about ministry. Instead, when it came time for the congregation meeting to call me as your pastor, only one question was raised: Are you a Bills fan? You might …
St. Philip Lutheran Church6 February 2022 + Lect. 5c (Epiphany 5)Luke 5.1-11Rev. Josh Evans It was a risky venture. Sure, they had always done things together in the past. They collaborated on summer projects and even sat in on each other’s regular weekly gatherings. But something as big and ambitious as this … a merger? …
St. Philip Lutheran Church16 January 2022 + Lect. 2c (Epiphany 2)John 2.1-11; 1 Cor. 12.1-11Rev. Josh Evans If you tuned in for my sermon on the Third Sunday of Advent, you already know I’m quickly becoming a self-identified Dungeons and Dragons nerd. Not only have I gotten myself involved in two different campaigns, but I’ve …
St. Philip Lutheran Church7 November 2021 + All SaintsJohn 11.32-44Rev. Josh Evans I’m not sure what it says about me that two of my favorite days on the church calendar have to do with death. First, there’s Ash Wednesday, where we are honest about our human condition, our sin, our brokenness, our frailty … marking …
Pastor Josh Evans 