1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

A Sermon for the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

In this season of Epiphany, we celebrate the coming of the light: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

In Epiphany we look at Lutheran basics as to how the light comes to us. Today we’re going to consider the “church” and what it’s about.

Those who study church history know darkness and evil has shadowed the church from the beginning. It is said that God writes straight with crooked lines. This is true both in our lives and also for the church throughout history

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Luke 6:17-26

A Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

The season of Epiphany is the season of the coming of the light. Today we look at how the Lord’s Supper gives light and life. It is important for us Lutherans to hear know what this means.

Luther has remarkable things to say about this, but first, I want to tell you about what one Lutheran pastor did to help his people see the light.

It was a regular Sunday morning worship service. He had preached the sermon. The offering had been taken. It was time to begin the liturgy for communion. Before starting that, he called the ushers to come forward again and handed them each a pile of $20 bills. Then he asked them to give a $20 bill to each person there that day.

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1 Corinthians 15:1-11

A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Every week it’s getting brighter. The light is increasing. The coming of the light is what this season of Epiphany is all about. As it says in John 1:5: “The light came into the world and the darkness does not overcome it.”

In this season we ask: Where is the true light and how do we sort it out?

We find the true light, the light of Christ, in the church. There is some kind of authority in the church and the way it works. Some churches have bishops, popes, and councils. Those persons because they have been ordained, have a particular grace; they are said to the Holy Spirit in a special way so that what they decide what is this light.

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Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Happy Ground Hog Day. We are here on 2nd of February, half way between the 21st of December and the 20th of March. Roughly half way through winter. Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? Will there be six more weeks of winter or not?

In the Roman Catholic tradition this Sunday is also the Festival of Candlemas. It started back in 496 A.D. and marks the time when one celebrates putting out the candles because there is now enough light. The light is growing. There is a rhyme for the Festival of Candlemas, and it goes like this: “If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won’t come again.” Very much like Ground Hog Day.

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1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

A Sermon for the Third Sunday after Epiphany

In this season of Epiphany, we are looking at how God is light, and then he is the word which produces light and life. The 1 Corinthians text for today describes the church. Paul writes here that the church is the body of Christ. What is astonishing about this text is that it doesn’t say the church is like a body. It says the church is Christ’s body. It’s not an analogy, not a metaphor, and it’s not a sociological construct of some sort. It says the church is Christ’s body.

One way to see what’s at stake here is to look at the problem of Christian unity.

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