Sermons with Reverend Killjoy

Sermon audio at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN. Scripture: Revelation 21:10, 22-- 22:1-5. That's hard to read, but the parts it skips are descriptions of the Holy City and its gold and precious stones, rather than the stereotypical scary Revelation stuff. Anyway, I told the story of using Tree of Life imagery to reshape my old congregation in Kalamazoo, so shoutout to those fo...

Sermon audio at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN. Today we had the best scriptures - John 13:31-35 ("I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so also you should love one another." is 13:34), Revelation 21:1-6, Acts 11:1-18. Plus it was Synod Assembly for our Saint Paul Area Synod, so I gave a brief recap of the action there. John 13:34 a...

Sermon audio at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN. In which I get to talk about Revelation and Jesus the lamb as the shepherd who guides us. I included part of my standard Revelation introduction here and tied it into this congregation's interim status, so it was a fun one for me. 

Sermon audio at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN. In which I talk about college and Revelation and mention the other scriptures as well. Festive!

My third Sunday at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN. Today the church had moved out of their historic sanctuary space for a renovation, so we met for the first time in their recently-built Gathering Space, which worked pretty well. One wall is windows looking at trees, and overall it's somewhat crowded but nice high ceilings and good sound and a big visible screen. Anyway, it's...

Easter Sunday! I talked about my favorite Easter three years ago, and the parallels and differences between here and there. 

Maundy Thursday was First Communion for ten kids in third through fifth grades, so I invited them forward and sat with them and gave this sermon as a children's message to them and the whole congregation. It got festive as I struggled to keep their attention. I've been here an entire week already, so why not change it up?

I'll try to post my sermon audios from here regularly, trying a new thing in a new place!

My last Sunday in Lindstrom was probably fun but I don't remember at all because I took a month off and forgot all about work after that.

At Trinity Lutheran Church in Lindstrom, Minnesota, we talked about how true freedom is the freedom to trust other people.

Based on feedback from the congregation this morning, I decided to share this one. The Revised Common Lectionary is a gift that keeps on giving, especially when the news derails a perfectly good sermon.

Second Sunday of Easter Lectionary Year B April 7th, 2024 Trinity Lutheran Church, Lindstrom MN Acts 4:32-35

Easter Sunday Lectionary Year B March 31st, 2024 Trinity Lutheran Church, Lindstrom, Minnesota

Maundy Thursday Lectionary Year B Thursday March 28th, 2024 Trinity Lutheran Church, Lindstrom, Minnesota

Palm Sunday Lectionary Year B Sunday, March 24th, 2024 Trinity Lutheran Church, Lindstrom, Minnesota It's been too long since I shared sermons on here, so I thought I'd share my Holy Week sermons from this year, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Sunday. It was a good week. 

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Revised Common Lectionary Year A John 11:1-45 I haven't been posting audio recordings of my sermons at Trinity because I'm busy and they're already on YouTube somewhere. I wanted to make an exception for this week since I got to talk about a song I really like, Tomorrow, Wendy by Concrete Blonde. I think people want to hear it. 

Second Sunday of Advent Revised Common Lectionary Year A Matthew 3:1-12 On my first Sunday in my new gig as Interim Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lindstrom, MN, I got to compare myself favorably to John the Baptist and connect our interim time to the season of Advent. 

Reformation Sunday, Revised Common Lectionary Psalm 46 On this Reformation Sunday, Hope Lutheran Church held our final worship together. Joined by loved ones and friends old and new, we shared the good news together. Here is the sermon that was part of our celebration. 

Lectionary 30 / 20th Sunday after Pentecost, Revised Common Lectionary C Luke 18:9-14 The prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector can tell us a lot about ourselves and how we relate to God and one another. 

Lectionary 29 / 19th Sunday after Pentecost, Revised Common Lectionary Year C Luke 18:1-18 Jesus' reassurance to his followers to not lose heart can be as helpful to us today as it was when he first told them this parable about the persistent woman. 

Lectionary 28 / 18th Sunday after Pentecost, Revised Common Lectionary Year C Luke 17:11-19 In this sermon immediately prior to the special congregational meeting in which Hope Lutheran Church voted to close and dissolve our congregation and give away our remaining funds, the story of Jesus healing ten men with skin disease helps us remember how thankfulness stands at the heart of the choices we a...

Lectionary 25 / 15th Sunday after Pentecost, Revised Common Lectionary Year C Luke 16:1-13 Jesus' enigmatic parable about a manager, a rich man, and some debtors provides an unexpectedly helpful lens for making sense of the ongoing changes to our congregation. 

Lectionary 24 / 14th Sunday after Pentecost, Revised Common Lectionary Year C   Luke 15:1-10 Jesus' stories of the lost sheep and the lost coin remind us of the basics.  

13th Sunday after Pentecost / Lectionary 23, Revised Common Lectionary Year C Luke 14:25-33 When Jesus scares us with stark exhortations, we remember that the church moves forward by death and resurrection

Luke 14:1, 7-14 This week's lectionary readings spoke directly to our national conversation about debt. It's not easy to follow Jesus in an unfair world striving for fairness.