The Word at Shalom

February 25, 2024, Lent 2B: "Saying No"

Since the beginning of civilization, people have sacrificed for something bigger than themselves. Sometimes that sacrifice isn’t voluntary but compelled by the powers that be. Roman soldiers, for example, could impress civilians into service. In addition, soldiers themselves were asked to sacrifice themselves for the greater glory of Rome. So, when Jesus says that we must deny ourselves and carry our cross to follow him, what makes him different from imperial systems of compulsion? As people called to be reconciled with God and our neighbors, what do we need to leave behind to live a full life in Christ? Pastor David preaches “Saying No” based on Genesis 9:8-17 and Mark 8:31-9:1. This is the third in a seven-part series for Lent, “Reconciling Hearts”. 

February 18, 2024, Lent 1B: "Remembrance, Resilience, Reconciliation"

After the flood, Noah and his family may have wondered, “What’s to prevent God from doing this again?” After all, God had permitted chaos to overwhelm creation once. In response, God gives the sign of the rainbow. How is the rainbow a symbol, not just of reconciliation between God and humanity, but also of a radical reorientation within Godself? How does Jesus live out this reorientation in his own life and ministry? And how does remembrance of this story build resilience when chaos threatens to overwhelm our own lives? Pastor David preaches “Remembrance, Reconciliation, Resilience” based on Genesis 9:8-17 and Mark 1:9-15. This is the second in a seven-part series for Lent, “Reconciling Hearts”.

February 14, 2024, Ash Wednesday: "Reconciling Hearts"

Preaching text: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:13
Sermon title: "Reconciling Hearts"

February 11, 2024, Transfiguration: "Party Time?"

It’s easy to blame Peter for his inept response to the Transfiguration. But from his perspective, it must have seemed like the end had finally come. Finally, the promised party without end was here! However, Jesus has another path to follow. How does the church act like Peter when it gets a taste of glory? And what does Jesus remind us to do instead? Pastor David preaches “Party Time?” based on Mark 9:1-10.

February 4, 2024, Epiphany 5B: "Unfevered Service"

Contemporary Christians might take offense at the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. After all, as soon as Jesus heals her from a fever, she starts making them dinner! However, she understands something about Jesus and his mission that eludes her son-in-law and the other disciples. What does she understand? And how does Jesus invite us to serve as she did? Pastor David preaches “Unfevered Service” based on Mark 1:29-39.

January 28, 2024, Epiphany 4B: "By What Authority?"

Our age suffers from a crisis of authority. Traditional institutions—the branches of American government, the university, and the church, among others—no longer have the authority they once did. So many authorities are challenged that it seems like we’re left only with the plywood authority of the sovereign self. But when Jesus speaks and heals, we see another authority at work. What is this authority? How is it distinct from every other authority we know? And how can Christians hope in this authority when all other authorities fail? Pastor David preaches “By What Authority?” based on Mark 1:21-28.

January 21, 2024, Epiphany 3B: "What Good News?"

In our anxious, cynical age, it can be tough to believe any kind of good news. Our attention is so saturated with the bad that we can scarcely notice the good. Yet, on the heels of bad news, Jesus proclaims the good news of the Kingdom’s arrival. What might that have meant for people of Jesus’s time, and what might that mean for us? What makes Jesus’s good news compelling? Pastor David preaches “What Good News?” based on Mark 1:14-20.

January 14, 2024: ”Who Am I?”

“Who am I?” is not just a question for young people determining their path in life. We ask it throughout our lives. We wonder if we are the kind of person who gets married to a particular person, has children, works at a particular job, or worships in a particular congregation. We also may wonder if there is more to us than what we do. How does Jesus see us for who we really are, and how do we see each other for who they really are? Pastor David preaches, “Who Am I?” based on 1 Samuel 3:1-20, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, and John 1:43-51.

January 7, 2024, Baptism of Our Lord: ”Who Is the Spirit?”

In a world where evil spirits seem to be running amok in the forms of war, disease, and hate, we might echo the words of the Ephesians to Paul: “We have not heard there is a Holy Spirit”. Who or what is the Spirit? What difference does the Spirit make in our lives and world? And what difference does it make that Jesus receives the Spirit in his baptism? Pastor David preaches, “Who Is the Spirit?” based on Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, and Mark 1:4-11.

December 24, 2023, Christmas Eve: ”Savior, Messiah, and Lord”

Pastor David preaches "Savior, Messiah, and Lord" based on Isaiah 9:2-7 and Luke 2:1-20.