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…
This Sunday not only Pastor Beth shared a message, but so did Lisha M. age 12. While Pastor Beth shared the sermon, artist Lisha created her sermon on a canvas. The theme for worship this morning was “God’s work. Our hands.” In other words, what does it mean to take up your cross and follow Jesus? Pastor…
Pastor Norm Arnold, from the Living Stones Prison Congregation in Shelton, spoke of being Blessed with hearing many different stories in his ministry. In today’s gospel reading, Mark 7:24-37, Jesus wants to get away from the crowds yet people, some non Jews, still seek Him out. Jesus doesn’t care what society thinks of us because…
Pastor Beth is a potter, and in one of her attempts at making a bowl it collapsed and she thought it was a total failure. With help she was able to resurrect it and the “scars” from the collapse ended up making it a beautiful and unique piece. She likened our lives to this bowl.…
This was the 13th Sunday after Pentecost and John 6:56-69 tells us the rest of the story of those who did not understand Jesus’s invitation to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Pastor Eric compared today’s gospel to Paul Harvey’s radio comments always having many parts to them and in today’s text, there is…
When standing in the redwood forest, one is reminded that the world is a big place. And that in this world, there are things much bigger than us. In today’s sermon, Pastor Eric reminds us that death happens and that it is bigger than us. But love is greater than death. The gift the Lord…
In John 6:35, 41-51 Jesus said to the people He had fed that He was the bread of life. What does that mean? Retired Pastor David Nelson reminded us that we at St Mark seldom experience hunger. We may diet and try to avoid eating carbs, but we do not experience hunger. Bread is a central theme…