grace Archives - Page 2 of 5 - St. Peter's Lutheran Church

Different Hatchings One Brood

Today’s readings once again contrast the realm of humans with the realm of God. They contrast our perspective with God’s, help us see God in everyday circumstances and to discover the many ways that Grace shows up.

Receiving Mercy

OK, so who remembers hearing this phrase (or some form of it) … when you were a kid growing up as a kid. “Treat others the way you want them to treat you.” Go ahead, raise your hands … if you have heard this phrase or some variant of it growing up. Yuppers. Me, too. …

God’s Humble Pie

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14, NRSV) A couple of weeks ago I was visiting one of our homebound members in a nursing facility that is not very high on my list of “good” homes.” We have had members who have been residents there for…

This Is My Body

I’m a bit mortified. We’re taking communion out of Dixie cups. Dixie cups with sea creatures on them, to boot. (When I headed over to my morning home communion visit I forgot to refresh my stock of plastic communion cups in my communion kit.) So … as take out the elements to prepare Holy Communion…

Snowmen of Grace

I’m a little cranky. I know, you can’t believe it, can you? (Evidently, you don’t spend enough time with me away from church.) On this particular day that I am referencing, I’m cranky because while I love to shovel snow, what I love about it is seeing the results of my labor. On this day…

Stewardship of Life

New Day Sermon Pentecost 25 A modest glitch in our recording software lost two minutes of the sermon introduction. The introduction simply set the table for why this pastor loves when the story of the Widow of Zarepheth shows up as one of the assigned lessons for a Sunday service in stewardship. The sermon picks…

What if Luther Dropped in for a Visit

As Lutherans celebrate the 501st anniversary of what we consider the seminal moment of the Protestant Reformation, the question begs to be asked …. Is this whole gig still relevant? Are Lutherans still relevant? Does the pulse still beat in whatever spirit it was that drove Martin Luther to nail almost one hundred statements of…

Much More Than a Club

New Day Sermon PEntecost 22 We snicker at James and John for wanting to sit to the right and left of Jesus’ in the Kingdom of God. It seems immature and selfish … like children who form a secret club, so that they can exercise authority over others. The community into which Jesus invites us…

Mushroom Grace

It seemed to show up in my lawn overnight and got very comfortable … very quickly. It wasn’t a miraculous arrival, but it seemed like it. It enjoyed a couple of days of hospitality, but was then banished to salad-bar fodder for the squirrels and other denizens of our unruly lawn, after I cut the…

A Cup of Water

pentecost 19 New Day Sermon Jesus challenges our desire to be surrounded by people who think like we do, by pointing to the simple gift of a glass of water. But there is so much more to Jesus’ teaching about community and the wide net of followers that God sees as his children, than we…