Sermons

MATTHEW 20=GOD’S ECONOMY Bible Background: Parables (stories from life, often with an unusual twist) are one of Jesus’ main teaching methods in the Gospels. Often we’re tempted to allegorize them (as in: the Landowner=God, the all-day workers are the Jewish people), but

GENESIS 50=JOSEPH+BROTHERS+FORGIVENESS! Bible Background: The story of Jacob’s family (and then Joseph and his brothers) occupies half of Genesis! This gives us background on the ’12 tribes of Israel’. It’s a story of dysfunction, treachery, and redemption. At the end of

Genesis 1=The First Story of Creation Bible Background: The 1st story of the Bible is fittingly, the 1st creation story! Genesis 2 offers another account, which is quite different! That tells us the writers/editors of Genesis weren’t trying to solve all the mysteries of creation, and left

HOLY COMMUNION IN THE ELCA Holy Communion and Holy Baptism are the two sacraments Lutherans observe. A sacrament is: 1) Commanded by Christ, 2) is a way we experience God’s grace, and 3) combines a physical element (i.e. bread/wine) with God’s promises. Lutherans believe that Christ