Holy Trinity is not the most popular festival among preachers who, for all the other seasons and special days of the church year, normally get to dig into interesting gospel narratives. Most other festivals of the church celebrate an event. We commemorate happenings in the life of Christ: Mary’s visit from Gabriel announcing the miraculous child she was to bear into the world, God’s own word made flesh. We celebrate also the light bearing nature of the season of Epiphany,... Read more
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5Now there were devout Jews from... Read more
Sermon 5-13-2012 <———Click here to listen along. Sermons are a spoken art form! 9As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 12This is my commandment, that you love one... Read more
I like to hold “office hours” every week at a local coffee house. It gives my parishioners an opportunity to connect with me and to meet each other. This morning Jim came in and sat down with the small House for All Sinners and Saints crowd already around the table. I’m just so angry and so sad that people can put to a vote whether I’m worthy of the same rights as them. Jim has been, for over 5 years,... Read more
3 years ago I preached a sermon on Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch that became seminal to the identity of House for All Sinners and Saints. This text came up in the lectionary again this week and I was asked to preach it again. What follows is my adaptation. The audio is not available due to a technical glitch. Acts 8:26-40 The 1980s pop star Tiffany has a hermaphrodite[1] stalker who helped me write this sermon 3 years ago. Kelli,... Read more
sermon on Snacking <——-Click here to listen along. Sermons are a spoken art form! 36b“Peace be with you.” 37They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said... Read more
I can’t lift my arms. They scream in muscle soreness after 3 weeks of Crossfit workouts. At the age 43 I’ve found myself in poor physical condition; my career having taken over my usually fit body. But a block behind our house in a slightly ghetto strip of businesses along a sidewalk dotted with empty gin bottles and crushed packs of generic cigarettes is a little white building with red trim. Inside this vintage garage which 2 years ago... Read more
Maundy Thursday begins the Triduum, the Great 3 Days of Jesus death and resurrection. The liturgy is a remembrance of the night before Jesus died when he gathered with his faltering friends for a meal that tasted of freedom. He washed their feet, told them to love one another and instituted the Eucharist. “This is my body given for you, my blood shed for you for the forgiveness of sin. Do this in remembrance of me.” We gathered outside in... Read more
Here’s the mural of the Last Supper House for All Sinners and Saints made out of images that represent people we don’t like, or categories of people we wish weren’t also invited to Christ’s table, but are. The table is made of images of bread. Read more
(On Palm Sunday I had the honor of preaching at Highland’s Church in denver. Highlands is an open and affirming Evangelical church and I’m good friends with their incredible pastors) Palm Sunday Sermon at Highlands Church <——- Click here to listen along! Well, here we go. It’s Palm Sunday. And so Holy Week begins. Palm Sunday used to be just Palm Sunday in Lutheran churches. But now it’s Palm slash Passion Sunday. We felt we had to do that because... Read more
Nadia Bolz-Weber
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