2 facts about House for All Sinners and Saints: 1. We are a cappella and love, love, love old hymns 2. We are a bit of a seminarian factory. Emily is #6 for us. Read more

Click here to listen along. (sermons are spoken events!)   You know what classes I really hated in seminary? Pastoral care. Oh my gosh – way too touchy-feely for me. Role-playing and talking about feelings and lots of mushy language. It was awful. Bible classes, Theology courses, preaching seminars I was fine with. But, Pastoral Care? No thank you. I was sure the problem was that I just didn’t have a warm, pastoral, slightly co-dependent, come-to-me-and-I’ll–agree-with-you-that–all-your-problems-are-other-people’s-fault kind of personality, so... Read more

  A week ago I was fortunate enough to be standing near a cliff in Cappadocia, Turkey taking in the view of hundreds of caves carved from volcanic rock in an alien looking valley. My friend Sara asked what I was thinking about. When I confessed that I was worrying about preaching at my Synod’s assembly next week, Sara didn’t hesitate to remind me sarcastically,  “Oh, you mean that little text on how Jesus tells us not to worry?” So,... Read more

2014 Maundy Thurs NBW Hfass Podcast – 41814, 8.06 AM<—-click here to listen along. In our Gospel reading for today, which, oddly, you will hear AFTER the sermon, Jesus had his final meal, his last supper with his friends, then he washed their feet and said Little children, I am with you only a little longer. I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I... Read more

2014-04-06 HFASS Podcast NBW Sermon(1) <—- click here to listen along Years ago, when I was faced with preaching this text about the raising of Lazarus, I was struggling with what to say about it, so instead of writing my sermon, I went that week and got this tattoo of Lazarus. And then, the next day, I finally came up with a sermon. It was like magic. Don’t know what to say about a Bible story? Easy. Go sit under a... Read more

  2014-03-16 NBW Sermon<—-click here to listen along. When I first re-entered the Christian faith as an adult, I took a catechumenate class (like an adult confirmation program) at the Lutheran church Matthew and I attended.  This is where I learned about and fell in love with Lutheran theology. It just made sense to me. Mostly. Pastor Ross grew quickly accustomed to my raised hand in the back row as I waited to ask clarifying, and at times, belligerent questions. ... Read more

Happy 80th birthday to you, Phyllis Tickle. You are simply one of the smartest, most beautiful women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  In you I have found inspiration to pray, to write, to love God, to cherish the sacraments, to think historically, to age gracefully and to, when necessary, swap clothing and die laughing. Yesterday when I spoke to you, the first thing you said was “kiddo, I pray for you every single day”.  I’m certain you... Read more

2014 Ash Weds NBW Sermon<— click here to listen along. People who think Ash Wednesday is depressing totally don’t get it.  I mean, I understand why confessing our sins, marking ourselves with ashes and reminding each other that we are all going to die isn’t exactly Disney on Ice, but it’s not depressing.  If anything it’s refreshing. It’s refreshing in a way that only the truth can be… because we know deep down that we live in a death-denying culture... Read more

2014-02-16 NBW Sermon<—–click here to listen along (sermons are spoken events. So much of the meaning comes from the hearing of it.) Years ago there was a project undertaken by Bible scholars whereby they were trying to ascertain what was really knowable about Jesus of Nazareth as a historical figure.  The scholars would take the Gospels, verse by verse and vote as to which things they thought Jesus actually said and which they thought were made up later. They wanted... Read more