St. Philip Lutheran Church26 September 2021 + Lectionary 26b (Pent. 18)Numbers 11.4-6, 10-16, 24-29; James 5.13-20Rev. Josh Evans “I’m not really that kind of Christian,” admits Episcopal priest Winnie Varghese. “I like a chanted service, incense, and a script.” But asking someone to pray for her and giving her concerns over to someone else to …
St. Philip Lutheran Church19 September 2021 + Lectionary 25b (Pent. 17)Mark 9.30-37Rev. Josh Evans If ever there was an early affirmation of my calling to pastoral ministry, it happened in the pews at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Shelby Township, MI. Growing up bi-denominational as I did, that particular weekend I was attending mass …
St. Philip Lutheran Church12 September 2021 + Lectionary 24b (Pent. 16)James 3.1-12Rev. Josh Evans My recent road trip brought me safely from Chicago, through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania. Next stop: New York. As I made my way through New Jersey - about to cross the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan - traffic that had been steadily …
St. Philip Lutheran Church5 September 2021 + Lectionary 23b (Pent. 15)Mark 7.24-37Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Think back for a moment to a childhood role model - maybe it’s a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, or even a pastor or religious leader. When was the first time you realized that your role model wasn’t perfect? There …
St. Philip Lutheran Church29 August 2021 + Lectionary 22b (Pent. 14)Mark 7.1-8, 14-15, 21-23Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Most mornings, when I first open Facebook, at the top of my newsfeed is a section called “Memories.” On this day, 1 year ago… 3 years ago… 7 years ago… and it shows me what I posted or …
St. Philip Lutheran Church22 August 2021 + Lectionary 21b (Pent. 13)John 6.56-69Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Enough! Usually a cry uttered in exasperation: I’ve had enough! Haven’t we had enough of this bread of life stuff? Thank goodness for Mary Sunday last week to give us a break! But here we are again: one last teaching …
St. Philip Lutheran Church15 August 2021 + Mary, Mother of Our LordLuke 1.46-55Rev. Josh Evans, preaching Hail, Mary, full of grace,the Lord is with thee.Blessed art thou amongst womenand blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.Holy Mary, Mother of God,pray for us sinners,now and at the hour of our death. Amen. You could say …
St. Philip Lutheran Church1 August 2021 + Lectionary 18B (Pent. 10)John 6.24-35Rev. Josh Evans, preaching What are you hungry for? I’ve lived a fairly comfortable and privileged life, and the answer to that question has never gone unfulfilled. I’ve never had to question where my next meal is coming from. Usually I’m more paralyzed by …
St. Philip Lutheran Church25 July 2021 + Lectionary 17B (Pent. 9)John 6.1-21Rev. Josh Evans, preaching One of my earliest memories of my call at St. Philip - now nearly a year ago (hard as that is to believe!) - was our Lunch Bunch gathering last August. I hardly knew any of you, after only a …
St. Philip Lutheran Church18 July 2021 + Lectionary 16B (Pent. 8)Mark 6.30-34, 53-56Rev. Josh Evans, preaching How are you? “I’m doing fine.” “I’m good.” Or for the grammatically astute among us: “I’m well.” But imagine if we answered: “Honestly, I’m languishing.” Languishing. It’s the “blah” feeling that psychologist Adam Grant suggests many of us might …
Pastor Josh Evans 