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 …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York3 May 2026 + The Fifth Sunday of EasterJohn 14:1-14The Rev. Josh Evans “Oh! The places you’ll go!You’ll be on your way up!You’ll be seeing great sights!You’ll join the high flierswho soar to high heights… “Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.Wherever you go, you will top all …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York26 April 2026 + The Fourth Sunday of EasterJohn 10:1-10The Rev. Josh Evans Once again,it’s the Fourth Sunday of Easter –Good Shepherd Sunday –except…there’s no Good Shepherd to be found.That’s next year. This year,we get…a gate –a rather unremarkableand perhaps a little confusingpassage on its own,but one with depths of …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York19 April 2026 + The Third Sunday of EasterLuke 24:13-35The Rev. Josh Evans “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalemwho does not know the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?” Probably not.Probably not even close. Crucifixion happened. A lot.It wasn’t exactly a remarkable or noteworthy occurrence.Even if word …
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 March 2026 + The Fifth Sunday in LentJohn 11:1-45The Rev. Josh Evans Lazarus was dead:to begin with.There is no doubt whatever about that.Lazarus was, in a Dickensian turn of phrase, as dead as a door-nail. Lazarus is dead,Jesus says plainly.Dead for four days,John tells us –a not insignificant detail,perhaps …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York15 March 2026 + The Fourth Sunday in LentJohn 9:1-41The Rev. Josh Evans Video unavailable this week. “Hold on…let me overthink this”might as well be my daily motto.It’s also an apt description for the story in John 9. What begins as a simple healing storyturns into a lengthy debate.Instead of …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York8 March 2026 + The Third Sunday in LentJohn 4:5-42; Exodus 17:1-7The Rev. Josh Evans No one could have imagined:back when they were getting ready to leave Egypt,hurriedly cooking, eating,packing up what little they had and could carry with them;on the bank of the Red Sea,the excitement swelling up inside …
Pastor Josh Evans 