St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York16 November 2025 + The Second Sunday of Advent(Proper 28c / Lectionary 33c)Luke 21:5-19The Rev. Josh Evans In biblical studies,when approaching any passage of scripture,we can speak of the three “worlds” of the text. There is the world of the text –the story on the page,what is happening,who is involved,what …
Continue reading A Sermon for When It Feels Like the World Is Ending
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York3 November 2024 + All SaintsJohn 11:32-44Rev. Josh Evans It’s a well-known story,often summarized with the title “The Raising of Lazarus”without a second thought. Start reading the actual story,and you’ll quickly realize: This isn’t so much about the raising of Lazarus –which only takes up two short verses at the …
St. John’s Lutheran Church5 November 2023 + All Saints SundayMatthew 5:1-12Rev. Josh Evans I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t feel very ‘blessed’ to mourn. When your whole world is ripped out from under you, when an unfathomable loss leaves a gaping hole in your heart, when all you can do is sob and …
St. Philip Lutheran Church16 October 2022 + Lect. 29c (Pentecost 19)Genesis 32.22-31Rev. Josh Evans When I sat down at the table in our gathering space on Tuesday morning, just as the two-day retreat was about to begin, I was … something. Exhausted. Wound up. Worn out. It was one of those times when you can …
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 …
St. Philip Lutheran Church24 October 2021 + Lectionary 30b (Pent. 22)Jeremiah 31.7-9Rev. Josh Evans I don’t think anyone enjoys moving. Sure, you might be excited to start your new job, or move to a new city, or finally have a place of your own, your “dream house” with the backyard or breakfast nook you fell …
St. Philip Lutheran Church1 November 2020 + All Saints DayMatthew 5.1-12Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Eric Garner.Mike Brown.Tamir Rice.Freddie Gray.George Floyd. Most of us have probably heard those names before. You might even be able to link them to a particular city. These are the names of just a few of the black men who have …
Continue reading Saying Their Names – A Sermon for All Saints
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 Church + Christ the King Campus8 December 2019 + Blue ChristmasMatthew 3.1-12, 11.2-11; Isaiah 35.1-10Rev. Josh Evans, preaching In this morning’s gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Advent, we heard the voice in the wilderness crying: John the Baptist’s bold call to repentance, to prepare the way of the Lord, to make …
Pastor Josh Evans 