St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York16 August 2026 + The Twelfth Sunday after PentecostProper 15 / Lectionary 20a (Mary, Mother of Our Lord)Matthew 15:[10-20], 21-28The Rev. Josh Evans Remember those ubiquitous bracelets: WWJD?What Would Jesus Do? Well, in this particular instance,Jesus done messed up. At worst, Jesus is a sexist, xenophobic jerkwho calls this foreigner …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York9 August 2026 + The Eleventh Sunday after PentecostProper 14 / Lectionary 19aMatthew 14:22-33The Rev. Josh Evans It would be easy to turn this storyinto a mere object lessonwith Peter at the center:Peter who sinks,Peter who doubts,Peter of “little faith,”too little faith,not enough faith. In summary:Don’t be like Peter.Have more …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York2 August 2026 + The Tenth Sunday after PentecostProper 13 / Lectionary 18aMatthew 14:[1-12], 13-21The Rev. Josh Evans Comfort foods –we all have them. Whether it’s splurging at your favorite restaurantor indulging in a pint of ice cream on your couch at home,there’s something, well, comforting about our favorite foods. …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York26 July 2026 + The Ninth Sunday after PentecostProper 12 / Lectionary 17aMatthew 13:31-33, 44-52The Rev. Josh Evans So far,“the kingdom of heaven” has been like: A sower who went out to sow.And as they sowed, some seeds fell on the path,others on rocky ground,still others among thorns,and, finally, others …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York12 July 2026 + The Seventh Sunday after PentecostProper 10 / Lectionary 15aMatthew 13:1-9, 18-23The Rev. Josh Evans As modern readers of scripture,we have this urge to assign neatly defined rolesto the cast of characters – human or otherwise – in a given parable,to find out what it means –as …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York5 July 2026 + The Sixth Sunday after PentecostProper 9 / Lectionary 14aMatthew 11:16-19, 25-30The Rev. Josh Evans “Fellow citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask,why am I called upon to speak here today?What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence?Are the great principles of …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York7 June 2026 + The Second Sunday after PentecostProper 5 / Lectionary 10aMatthew 9:9-13, 18-26The Rev. Josh Evans There’s a song I’ve been hearing on repeat for the past few weeks: All the colors of the rainbow,all the voices of the wind,every dream that reaches out,that reaches out to find …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York31 May 2026 + The First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity SundayGenesis 1:1—2:4aThe Rev. Josh Evans When Glendale Community College’s commencement ceremonies“hit a snag” earlier this month,with some graduates’ names being read incorrectlyand others not at all,college president Tiffany Hernandez explained,“We’re using a new AI system as our reader.” Speakers at …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York24 May 2026 + The Day of PentecostJohn 20:19-23; Acts 2:1-21The Rev. Josh Evans When I say “Pentecost,”what do you think of?The apostles huddled togetherin the midst of the hustle and bustleof the urban metropolis of Jerusalem.The sudden rush of a violent wind.Tongues of fire.The bewildering cacophony of languages,leading some …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York17 May 2026 + The Seventh Sunday of EasterJohn 17:1-11The Rev. Josh Evans Just about 45 or so minutes ago,the gates opened at the National Mallin Washington, DC.And by the time our liturgy ends,the full program –spanning the afternoon until 6:00 p.m. this evening –will begin with an array of …
Pastor Josh Evans 