Time Magazine’s cover this past week is about the tensions between nations due to what is happening in Crimea. The question posed is whether we are starting another Cold War – whether it is again going to be “Us” versus “Them”. In the Gospel reading this week Jesus is a member of the Jewish…
A Place of Grace
Sermons (Page 60)
MAN BORN BLIND – Tonight we listened to a reflection by the mother of the man born blind (written by Pastor Beth and recited by Karen and Don). We hear how this mother loved her son and how his blindness caused her to struggle with her faith and with how her son was treated by…
SAMARITAN WOMAN AT THE WELL–John 4:5-23 Tonight, Pastor Beth introduced us to the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus as she drew water from the well. Jesus asked her for a drink of water, yet offers her so much more. He offers her himself. He is the Messiah, the Living Water. She can’t help but bubble…
In today’s Gospel from the third chapter of John, Jesus says no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above, born from water and from the spirit. We are reminded in this Gospel that we enter the kingdom because God sent his son to die for us…and all we need to…
NICODEMUS–John 3:1-17 Each Wednesday during the season of Lent, we will meet a different character in the Gospel of John. As an introduction to these characters, Pastor Beth has prepared monologues which are presented by members of the congregation. Tonight, we heard from Nicodemus (read by Darrin Labensky). Nicodemus was a Pharisee who came to…
Today’s gospel, Matthew 4:1-11, tells of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. His forty-day fast becomes the basis of our Lenten pilgrimage. Temptation comes to us every day in our thoughts, words and actions. We become less than what God created us to be. Inside us, our soul becomes emptiness which we try to fill with…
Ashes are a rich symbol rooted in ancient customs and practices. On Ash Wednesday, the ritual of making the sign of the cross on our forehead with ashes, is a symbol of our mortality, repentance, cleansing and renewal that reminds us of our dependence upon God. Pastor Eric shared with us a story that talked…
Today is the Transfiguration of our Lord and it is a bridge between the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle that comes to a close today and the Lent-Easter cycle which begins in several days. According to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John up a high mountain on which he underwent some mighty big changes.…
Not only was Sunday, Feb. 23, the 7th Sunday after Epiphany, it was PLU Sunday! PLU is Pacific Lutheran University, located in Tacoma, WA. We hear a discussion between Pastor Beth and our own Dr. David O about why being a PLU Partner Congregation is beneficial to St Mark and our congregation. Dr. David also shared…
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts his followers to embrace standards of righteousness that exceed legal requirements and traditional expectations. The Sermon on the Mount is all about relationships. Murder and adultery being expressions of anger and lust. Anger is an expression of passion which should lead to compassion. Lust is a yearning…