St. Philip Lutheran Church26 June 2022 + Pride SundayRev. Josh Evans Dear church, As I write this on Pride weekend in Chicago, I can’t help but remember my first Pride parade – also in Chicago – now 11 years ago. At 21 years old, after just graduating from college that spring, I was newly out …
Continue reading A Love Letter to the Church for Pride Sunday
I wrote this liturgy for the congregation I serve, St. Philip Lutheran Church in Glenview, Illinois, for Pride Sunday 2022. I offer it here for use by anyone who finds it helpful or enriching for their own community's worship. The base liturgy is drawn from the Affirmation of Baptism rite found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, …
St. Philip Lutheran Church12 June 2022 + The Holy TrinityJohn 16.12-15; Exodus 3Rev. Josh Evans After four years of seminary, including two years of field education placements, and now nearly four years into ordained ministry, I’ve reached the stage of my preaching career where my sermon prep usually begins with a quick search through my …
Continue reading A God Who Cannot Be Explained (But Has to Be Experienced)
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square27 February 2022 + Transfiguration of Our LordLuke 9.28-43aRev. Josh Evans This morning, Pastor Erin Coleman Branchaud (St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square in Chicago) and I did a "pulpit swap." Pastor Erin preached at St. Philip, which you can read/watch/listen to on St. Philip's sermon blog. My …
St. Philip Lutheran Church30 January 2022 + Lect. 4c (Epiphany 4)Luke 4.21-30Rev. Josh Evans Just in case you haven’t picked up on my obsession with Encanto over the past week, including references in Bible Study and in GLOW Exploration – and of course the children’s message just moments ago… Let’s talk about Bruno. Outcast, shamed, …
St. Philip Lutheran Church16 August 2020 + Lectionary 20AMatthew 15.21-28Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Maybe you’ve seen the popular meme online: A man casually sits behind a table, a cup of coffee in his hand, and a sign on the table that reads: [fill in the blank - some provocative statement] … Change my mind. I’ve …
Unity Lutheran Church + Christ the King Campus28 June 2020 + Lectionary 13AMatthew 10.40-42Rev. Josh Evans, preaching There’s always a catch. Or at least that’s the message I had come to expect growing up in the church as someone who happens to be gay. I didn’t come out until my senior year of college, but …
Continue reading A Sermon about What It Means to Be Welcoming
Earlier this month, I attended the annual Proclaim Gathering, a conference for Lutheran pastors, deacons, seminarians, and first call candidates who publicly identify as LGBTQIA+. Proclaim is a part of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, an organization that believes the public witness of gender and sexual minority ministers transforms the church and enriches the world. Learn more …
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hinsdale 16 September 2018 + Lectionary 24B (Pentecost 17) Mark 8.27-38 “Who do you say that I am?” It’s a deceptively simple question: “Who do you say that I am?” For as long as the Christian church has been in existence, questions about the identity of Jesus have enticed the minds of …
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Northbrook 28 January 2018 + Reconciling in Christ Sunday Matthew 19.10-15 (NRSV); Acts 8.26-40 (Inclusive Bible) So there I was, sitting in the chapel at St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista, California. It was opening worship, and the liturgy continued with a litany, naming significant events and ordinations in …
Continue reading A Sermon for Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday
Pastor Josh Evans 