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 York19 January 2025 + Lectionary 2cJohn 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11Rev. Josh Evans Here’s something you might not know about me:I play Dungeons & Dragons. And by “play” I mean:“stumble my way through every campaign session like I know what I’m doing.” While I’m far from a Dungeons & Dragons expert, …
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 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 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, …
St. John’s Lutheran ChurchAlbany, New York17 November 2024 + Advent 2 (Lectionary 33b)Mark 13:1-8Rev. Josh Evans “There is one sin which I have come to fear above all others.Certainty.Certainty is the great enemy of unity.Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance.Even Christ was not certain at the end.[‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken …
Pastor Josh Evans 