St. Philip Lutheran Church14 April 2022 + Maundy ThursdayJohn 13.1-17, 31b-35Rev. Josh Evans “Jesus went out with his disciples to a place where there was a garden… Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place… So he brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they …
St. Philip Lutheran Church2 April 2021 + Good FridayJohn 18.1--19.42Rev. Josh Evans, preaching It was a groundbreaking image, the first of its kind. An actual image - not just a simulation - of a black hole. The first image of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, captured in April 2019, came …
Continue reading Black Holes, the Cosmos, and the Passion According to John
St. Philip Lutheran Church28 March 2021 + Palm/Passion SundayMark 14.1--15.47Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Reflection/Introduction: “I don’t even know what time means anymore,” admits one pastor in a recent essay for the Christian Century magazine. It’s not just the fact that she’s writing a reflection for a Holy Week issue in the midst of Advent to …
Continue reading The Passion According to St. Mark + Palm Sunday 2021
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 Campus19 April 2019 + Good FridayJohn 18.1—19.42Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Video of the full liturgy available here. Homily begins around the 21:00 mark. You don’t quite know the magnitude of something — physically — until you’re standing right up against it. Two years ago, I visited a good …
Unity Lutheran Church + Christ the King Campus14 April 2019 + Palm / Passion SundayLuke 22.14—23.56Rev. Josh Evans, preaching What would you do if you knew when you were going to die? Would you change your perception of time and how you spend it? Or even your perception of your money and possessions? Would you …
Augustana Lutheran Church 13 April 2017 + Maundy Thursday John 13.1-17, 31b-35 Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. Jesus went out with his disciples to a place where there was a garden… Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place… So he brought a detachment of …
Continue reading He Loved Them to the End: A Homily for Maundy Thursday
Preacher's Note: I encourage you to watch the video below in its entirety, especially if "Sunday of the Passion" (instead of simply "Palm Sunday") is new to you. In the Lutheran tradition, as well as that of our many ecumenical partners, while we begin this day with a festive palm procession proclaiming "Hosanna! Blessed is …
Pastor Josh Evans 