St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York5 April 2026 + The Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter DayMatthew 28:1-10The Rev. Josh Evans Why bother? Why bother with all of this?Not just today.Not just Easter.But all of this. Why bothertelling the storyof the triumphal entry into Jerusalem,waving our palm branches with acclamation? Why bothergoing to Last Supperwhen we …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York22 February 2026 + The First Sunday in LentGenesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11The Rev. Josh Evans Since its inception in 1947,the so-called Doomsday Clock,an initiative of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists,has served as a clever, if not ominous, visual,warning the public about how close we areto destroying our planetwith …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York15 February 2026 + The Transfiguration of Our LordMatthew 17:1-9The Rev. Josh Evans It begins with a question: “Who do you say that I am?”Which prompts Peter’s bold confession: “You are the Messiah.”Well done, Peter! But when Jesus starts explaining what exactly it meansfor him to be the Messiah –that …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York8 February 2026 + The Fifth Sunday after the EpiphanyLectionary 5aMatthew 5:13-20The Rev. Josh Evans Light is a powerful image. Just about a decade ago, I was on internship –the nearly year-long period of full-time field educationrequired as a part of my seminary formation –at Augustana Lutheran Church in Omaha, …
Continue reading A Sermon for ICE Agents (and the Ordinary People Who Protest Them)
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York11 January 2026 + The Baptism of Our LordMatthew 3:13-17The Rev. Josh Evans Baptism: what’s the point? To do the thing because it’s what we’re “supposed” to do?To check the “salvation” box and make sure we get into heaven?Or to check the “ELCA” box and make sure we get another …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York7 December 2025 + The Fifth Sunday of Advent(Advent 2a)Matthew 3:1-12; Isaiah 11:1-10The Rev. Josh Evans In the midst of all the holiday preparations this time of year,it’s not difficult to get lost in all the things to be done.So, to make at least one thing easier to prepare,might I …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York30 November 2025 + The Fourth Sunday of Advent(Advent 1a)Matthew 24:36-44The Rev. Josh Evans For the second year in a row,we at St. John’s, along with an array of other churches across denominations,have been observing an extended Advent seasonof not just the traditional four weeksbut also the three weeks prior.After …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York5 January 2025 + Epiphany of Our LordMatthew 2:1-12 [13-23]Rev. Josh Evans Nestled in between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Dayis a trio of often overlooked holy days on the church’s calendar: December 26 commemorates the church’s first martyr, St. Stephen the Deacon, whose monologue in the book of Acts …
St. John’s Lutheran Church26 November 2023 + Christ the KingLast Sunday before AdventMatthew 25:31-46Rev. Josh Evans INTRODUCTION: Keeping Time We keep time in different ways. Most of us keep time according to the calendar year, January through December. Anyone connected to academia keeps time according to the school year, roughly Labor Day through Memorial Day. …
Continue reading (Church) Year in Review: A Sermon-Hymn Sing for Christ the King
St. John’s Lutheran Church19 November 2023 + Lect. 33a (25 Pentecost)Second Sunday before AdventMatthew 25:14-30Rev. Josh Evans There’s no doubt that this parable, like the one before it, is challenging. In the first place, we’re confronted with the language of slavery – which, while different from the history of slavery in this country, is still …
Pastor Josh Evans 