Using our large media screen to vividly illustrate his words, Pastor Eric invited us to consider our next expression of generosity…our next “Everest Moment”! Pastor cited inspiring examples of generosity like Jeff Shinabarger (Ted Talk: “What If We Could Live A Life of Excessive Generosity?”) and Toby Ord, a Philosophy Professor from England (Ted Talk:…
A Place of Grace
Sermons (Page 57)
This was Christ the King Sunday and today’s Gospel Lesson, John 18:33-37, presented two different ways of exercising power. One with force and the other with love. We heard four St Mark members present their Faith Reflections. Arvis O. spoke of her experience with Toni, a special child of the King. Dan B. reflected on life…
Pastor Eric showed us one of his crosses in the sermon today. It says “Amazing Grace” on the front of it. He decided that it needed something on the back of the cross to complete it so he roped on the word HOPE. The Gospel today was from the Gospel of John and was Jesus…
The Gospel Lesson for today from Mark 12 describes a widow who is the poorest of the poor, having to beg to survive. Yet she gave everything she had to the church. Not a tithe, not a percentage, not a portion…but everything! Two copper coins. We are not told why. Was it out of respect? Religious…
This All Saints Sunday we celebrated the life of all saints. Pastor Eric reminded us that we are all saints (and sinners) – whether living or deceased. He took a picture of the children during their sermon and taped this to the front of the Candle Cross to signify the “living saints”. The names of…
Reformation Sunday! Wear RED! This was a Sunday with balloons, books on wheels and two pastor’s preaching God’s word. Pastor Eric and Pastor Beth explained to the congregation what SMART means and took turns illustrating each letter…. S-Stewardship; M-Music; A-Art; R-Relationships; T-Theology; and an extra letter…K-Kids ……because we are all kids of God. You’ll have…
In biblical times, wealth was seen as a blessing from God. But our Gospel for today turns this thinking upside down. Jesus says, “Sell what you own, give everything to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” For mortals, this is impossible; about as likely as a camel fitting…
We are all created in the image of God. But we have tendencies toward sin, tendencies towards what is not God-like, turning away from God and towards ourselves. We are like hooks; we bend over, and curve into ourselves. In today’s sermon, Pastor Eric suggested we need to be more like a bungee cord…signifying partnership,…
The 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering took place in Detroit, from July 15–19. Over 30,000 youth and chaperones attended this gathering. The theme for the 2015 gathering was “Rise Up”. Ford Field hosted a mass gathering each evening the 15th to the 18th, and a final morning service on July 19. Each of the three full days of the gathering…
This sermon starts with a Pastor Eric joke. He then tells us that today’s theme would be: “Embracing the Child”. Today’s gospel, Mark 9:30-37, speaks about “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me…”. Everyone is a child in God’s eye. People come together to be God’s children. In God’s Kingdom, there is…