St. Philip Lutheran Church24 December 2020 + Nativity of Our LordLuke 2.1-20Rev. Josh Evans, preaching It’s not Christmas until… how would you fill in the blank? Here’s what a very scientific Facebook poll among my friends this week found out: It’s not Christmas until… the lights and tree are up… we get to sing carols …
St. Philip Lutheran Church25 October 2020 + Reformation SundayJeremiah 31.31-34; Psalm 46; John 8.31-36Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Reformation Sunday strikes me a bit differently this year. Every year, we get the same texts for this day, and every year, I’m drawn to this beautiful passage from Jeremiah - a new covenant, a God who lovingly …
Continue reading A Sermon for Reformation Sunday in Times of Uncertainty
Preacher's Note: This sermon was written and pre-recorded as the protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis were still developing. As such, this sermon fails to address the realities of racism and white supremacy that once again occupy the national stage. For a pastoral message addressing this, please see this statement from Friday, …
Unity Lutheran Church + Cross of Life Campus26 April 2020 + Easter 3ALuke 24.13-35Rev. Josh Evans, preaching https://vimeo.com/411859638 Video of the entire liturgy. The gospel reading and sermon begin at 15:17. https://soundcloud.com/cross-of-life/04-26-2020-we-had-hoped Audio of gospel reading and sermon only. Can you feel the disappointment, the despair, the grief? As they walk along, thinking out loud, …
Unity Lutheran Church11 April 2020 + Great Vigil of EasterJohn 20.1-18Rev. Josh Evans, preaching https://vimeo.com/406644897 Video of the entire liturgy. The homily begins at 36:00. Before I started seminary, I knew I needed to join an ELCA congregation if I wanted to pursue ordination in the ELCA. I had grown up in another Lutheran church …
Unity Lutheran Church + Facebook Live Stream4 April 2020 + Palm / Passion SundayMatthew 21.1-11, 26.14-27.66Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Look for the helpers. That was the advice Fred Rogers - aka “Mr. Rogers” - recalled from his mother when he was growing up. Whenever catastrophe or disaster would strike, she would always try to divert …
Originally written for the April 2020 issue of the UNITY Lutheran Church newsletter Recently I had the opportunity to gather virtually with some members of my home congregation in Chicago for a Lenten mini-retreat. We centered our time on the theme of journeys - always a good retreat topic. The language of journey and journeying is fitting …
Unity Lutheran Church + Christ the King Campus22 March 2020 + Lent 4AJohn 9.1-41; Psalm 23Rev. Josh Evans, preaching This week at Unity, we live-streamed our Saturday liturgy at the Cross of Life Campus and our Sunday liturgy at the Christ the King Campus. The CTK recording (or at least the majority of it, [no] …
Unity Lutheran Church + Cross of Life Campus15 March 2020 + Lent 3AJohn 4.5-42; Exodus 17.1-7Rev. Josh Evans, preaching This week at Unity, we live-streamed our Saturday liturgy at the Cross of Life Campus and our Sunday liturgy at the Christ the King Campus. The COL recording is linked here, and the gospel reading and …
Continue reading A Sermon for a Time of Wilderness, Isolation, and Crisis
Pastor Josh Evans 