Lutheran Church of the Holy SpiritAlbany, New York2 March 2025 + Transfiguration of Our LordLuke 9:28-43aRev. Josh Evans Now about eight days after these sayings… What sayings? “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked Peter, just eight days ago. “The Messiah of God,” Peter responds, only to be met with Jesus’ stern warning …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York23 February 2025 + Lectionary 7cGenesis 45:3-11, 15; Luke 6:27-38Rev. Josh Evans “Probably no admonition of Jesus has been more difficult to follow than the command to ‘love your enemies.’ Some [people] have sincerely felt that its actual practice is not possible. It is easy, they say, to love those …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York9 February 2025 + Lectionary 5cIsaiah 6:1-13; Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11Rev. Josh Evans It’s been over a decade now,but I remember it like it was yesterday: I was at a small group leaders’ retreat for Urban Village Church in Chicago, where I had been attending during the …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York2 February 2025 + Presentation of Our LordLuke 2:22-40; Malachi 3:1-4Rev. Josh Evans They came, as called, according to the Law.Though they were poor and had to keep things simple,They moved in grace, in quietness, in awe,For God was coming with them to his temple.Amidst the outer court’s commercial bustleThey’d …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York26 January 2025 + Lectionary 3cLuke 4:14-21, [22-30]; Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19Rev. Josh Evans Words have power. For the community returning from exile,people of every gender and age, of every status and ability,hearing the words of the Torah read by Ezra the priestelicits a variety of responses. This …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York12 January 2025 + Baptism of Our LordLuke 3:15-17, [18-20], 21-22Rev. Josh Evans “Verify you are human.” Nothing quite brings you to the brink of an existential crisis quite so quickly as a tiny dialogue box, prompting you to check a box to confirm that you are indeed a human …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York24 December 2024 + Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Eve)Luke 2:1-20Rev. Josh Evans This is no time for a child to be born,With the earth betrayed by war & hateAnd a comet slashing the sky to warnThat time runs out & the sun burns late. That was no time for …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York15 December 2024 + Advent 6 (Advent 3c)Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18Rev. Josh Evans Rejoice in the Lord always!Again, I say: Rejoice!Don’t be anxious about anything … just… pray. With all due respect to St. Paul,that’s a lot easier said than done. If peace sometimes feels like the hardest candle to …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York8 December 2024 + Advent 5 (Advent 2c)Luke 3:1-6Rev. Josh Evans Over the past four weeks of our extended Advent observance,we have lit our candles… The candle of care –reminding us of our calling to extend to othersthe care of a God who cares for us. The candle of faith …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York1 December 2024 + Advent 4 (Advent 1c)Luke 21:25-36Rev. Josh Evans Hope. We throw that word around a lot, don’t we?“I hope it snows!” (“I hope it doesn’t!”)“I hope we have pizza for dinner!”“I hope the Bills win!” That kind of hope, while indeed expressing a real desire for something, …
Pastor Josh Evans 