St. Philip Lutheran Church28 February 2021 + Lent 2BMark 8.31-38; Genesis 17.1-7, 15-16; Romans 4.13-25Rev. Josh Evans, preaching https://www.youtube.com/embed/-bx8gwMjlQs You can imagine my surprise when I came home one day to the sound of rushing water. Did a pipe burst? Had there been a break-in? Was the toilet overflowing? No. The cats had discovered how …
St. Philip Lutheran Church17 February 2021 + Ash WednesdayMatthew 6.1-6, 16-21; Joel 2.1-2, 12-17Rev. Josh Evans, preaching “Ashes and anguish” - reads part of the headline of a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, chronicling the impact of the pandemic on local crematoriums. While the practice of cremation has gained increasing popularity and wider …
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 + 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
Unity Lutheran Church4 March 2020 + Midweek Lent 1Esther 7.1-6, 9-10; 9.20-22Rev. Josh Evans, preaching The story of Esther is a fascinating and complicated one. It’s not a story we get to hear very often, appearing only once in the entire three-year cycle of readings -- and even then only a few verses cobbled together, …
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 …
Unity Lutheran Church + Cross of Life Campus7 April 2019 + Fifth Sunday in LentJohn 12.1-8Rev. Josh Evans, preaching This is a tale of two women. First: She’s at this big party, a wedding feast to be exact. Everything’s going great, and everyone’s having a great time… until: They run out of wine. With an …
Unity Lutheran Church + Christ the King Campus24 March 2019 + Third Sunday in LentIsaiah 55.1-9Rev. Josh Evans, preaching So there we were: hiking through the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. This was one of many summer vacation trips my dad and I took when I was growing up. One year took us all …
Unity Lutheran Church + Christ the King Campus17 March 2019 + Second Sunday in LentLuke 13.31-35; Genesis 15.1-12, 17-18Rev. Josh Evans, preaching We trust in many things: Just this morning, all of us trusted in our cars — and the driving of those around us — to get us safely to church.I’m 100% not a …
Unity Lutheran Church13 March 2019 + Midweek Lent 1Ezekiel 36.24-28Rev. Josh Evans, preaching There is nothing quite so satisfying as that unusual but strangely familiar sensation of stepping outside, bundled up in your winter jacket, hat, and gloves… only to realize, all of a sudden: Huh, it’s actually not that cold today. I had that …
Pastor Josh Evans 