St. Paul & St. Andrew's Sermon and Prayercast

Then Rachel and Leah spoke up: “We no longer have an inheritance in our father’s house. Aren’t we regarded as foreigners, now that he has effectively sold us and used up the purchase price? […] Now while Laban was out among the herds shearing, Rachel stole his household idols” -Genesis 31:14-15, 19 In this week’s scripture reading, Rachel and Leah are dragged through a drama between their father a...

"They shall be like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots by the stream."  - Jeremiah 17:7 Friends, How do we continue to stand firm, in the face of so much that is coming at us? Jeremiah 17 reminds us to stay rooted, drink deeply, stay green and supple, don't give in to anxiety, and, always, continue to bear fruit. That's asking a lot, given what is going on in ou...

Join join Rev. Lea Matthews in a moment of prayer, from the February 16, 2025 service. 

"When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything behind and followed him." - Luke 5:11 Friends, That is maybe the most frightening phrase in the Bible.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it like this in The Cost of Discipleship: "Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus... It is costly because it compels a person to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow...

"But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way." Luke 4:30 Friends, Jesus almost didn't make it through his first sermon! He started out fine, but then he began saying what some didn't want to hear. They stood up, got in his way, and tried to kill him.  But Jesus walked through the midst of those who wished him harm. How? Did others stand up for him, and get be...

"Jesus replied to his mother, 'Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?'" John 2:4 I don't know about you, but some days lately, I feel pretty drained. It's hard to deal with one more piece of news. It's a challenge to summon the energy to respond to one more problem or situation. At the wedding Jesus attends in the village of Cana, the wine runs out. I can...

Friends, Over the last several days, the power of words has been on full display. Proclamations, addresses, orders, organizational memos, statements, and lots and lots of emails, tweets, texts, and posts are swirling around us, each claiming to convey messages of import. So many words, so little time.  Have you been listening?   Have you been avoiding the noise?  On Sunday in worship, we'll t...

Friends, Very few things grab our attention as quickly as the simple phrase, "Once upon a time."  Storytime is the best.  Kids and adults both love the cozy, cuddle up time over a picture book.  And there is nothing as sweet or tender as a heart-to-heart between loved ones, when somebody takes a tiny leap of faith to share with another a bit of their life's story.  This Advent, we&a...

Pilate asked Jesus, “So you are a king?” - John 18:37 Friends, On the last Sunday of the Christian year, right before the beginning of Advent, we celebrate "The Reign of Christ", also known as Christ the King Sunday. It has an interesting history. In 1920s Italy, Pope Pius XI was concerned about the rise of a narrow nationalism and fascism at home and abroad, and he wanted to mark a day...

"This is but the beginning of the birth pangs." - Mark 13:8 Friends, Birth pangs are a frequently used motif in the apocalyptic imagery that was common in Jesus's Jewish tradition. As someone who physically birthed two humans from my womb, I know a thing or two about birth pangs. One of the things I learned through my labor and delivery experiences is that fear-based resistance inte...

Jesus said to them, “Truly, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury..."  Mark 12:43 Friends, The gospel story of the woman giving her last two coins to the temple treasury leaves me with some questions. Jesus notices the woman's generosity, but does he actually approve of her contributing so sacrificially? And why does this widow, offered so li...

Please join us for a moment of prayer, offered by Pastor Andrea Steinkamp (from the November 10, 2024 service).

"You shall love God with all your heart... and your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:30-31 Friends, Jesus is clear. These are the greatest commandments, and they work together. You can't love God without loving your neighbor, and that requires loving yourself as well. But how many of us are good at all three? As we approach a challenging election, let's work on this triple-threat...

Please join Pastor Ekama Eni in a moment of prayer (from the October 27, 2024 service).

We know that from the beginning until now, all of creation has been groaning in one great act of giving birth. – Romans 8:22 Friends, This week we’re continuing our pre-election sermon series, The Uncommon Good, which is inspired by the work of Yale University professor of Theology and director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture, Miroslav Volf, and his book, A Public Faith . During these w...

"Whoever wishes to become great among you must be a servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be servant of all." Mark 10:43 Why are we here? That's a question I ask myself every now and then. Maybe more now than then, given the strange and troubling political climate of this moment.  Jesus is troubled when his disciples were arguing about who among them was the greates...

Please join seminary intern Aurora Celestin in a moment of prayer (from the October 20, 2024 service).

Friends, "Who are you?," is one of those big existential questions that I think faces all of us. On the most basic level, our names are the first ever introduction we get to most relationships. From emails, to texts, to perhaps even being yelled at in a crowded spaces, our names and what we call ourselves shapes deeply how other people interact with us.  For the most part, we as a commun...

Please join Pastor Lea Matthews for a moment of prayer (from the October 13, 2024 service).

God said to Noah, “This rainbow is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all the animals that are on the earth.” Genesis 9:17 This Sunday, in honor of the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, we will celebrate a Blessing of the Animals during our 11am service. It's a rare Sunday when we are not joined by a furry friend or two, but we hope this week to have many! On the Sun...

"Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of prayer and praise." James 5:13  We have reached the fifth and last part of our sermon series on the Joy of James, and find, in this final chapter of James, that the answer to everything is - wait for it - prayer!!  Are you sick or suffering? Pray!  Are you happy, full of joy? Pray!  This might str...