This sermon is for the 4th Sunday in Advent, which is also Christmas Eve Day, December 24, 2023, based on the Gospel reading from Luke 1:26-38. In this passage the gospel writer sets the stage—and the stakes—for the miraculous, prophetic, improbable birth of the Son of God, King of Kings, and Savior of the Nations. And it all begins with the courageous faith of a young, poor, unwed girl named Mary.

We’ll take a closer look at Mary, the angel Gabriel, the names of Jesus, and why these details were so important then and now. We’ll conclude with some ideas about what Spirit might be saying to us now, including some practical ways to apply God’s word this Christmas. So, now would be a great time to dust off your Bible, and open to the first chapter of the gospel of Luke and find verse 26. Let’s pray, then dive in. This prayer is verse four of a Christmas Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem.

O, Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray: Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; Oh, come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel! Amen.

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 

34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Hello, welcome to the Will Preach for Food podcast. I’m Doug, a pastor here at Faith Lutheran Church, based out of Shelton, Washington, a congregation of the ELCA. I took the summer off from recording this podcast, but it feels good to be back. Thank you so much for tuning in. You can learn more about Faith at our website, www.faithshelton.org. I am recording this for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, September 17, 2023.

Today we’re going to talk about marriage and divorce, reading from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, beginning with the first verse. Here Jesus tells us a little bit about how to relate well as humans, but also points us to the love of God who created us just as we are. God who is both Husband and Helper, Lover and Beloved. Let’s get started by reading Matthew 19:1-12. After a few notes about what the text is saying, we will dig into the Living Word, and what it means for us today. And I’ll leave you with a few takeaways for the week ahead. Ready? Let’s listen.

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

This is the final podcast in my sermon series through the book of Romans. I'll be taking a couple months off from recording this summer, but will be back with more this fall.
--Doug

...And it brings me to this final chapter 16. I’ll warn you, that it is a lengthy list of weird sounding names. But I want to read it, and as I do, see if you notice anything surprising or unusual. 

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.

15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

We begin, therefore, by reciting a single verse, Romans 15:7.

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. This is the word of God. Amen.

Hospitality is kind of a big deal around here. We begin every worship service with a call and response. I stand up in front of the congregation and say “Welcome Home!” And the congregation responds “It’s good to be home!” But here’s the thing. It’s not “OUR” house. It’s GOD’s house. God welcomes each one of us as strangers and sinners, guests and travelers. We are welcome because of who God is, revealed in Christ Jesus. And because each of us has been welcomed by God’s grace, we seek to extend that same welcome to one another. Welcome home. It’s GOOD to be home.

I want to look as well at the passage from Romans 14. In some ways, Paul is answering the same question: what do we need to do, what do we need to know? In particular, there are questions in Rome about worship practices and dietary restrictions. How often do we need to go to church? Is it okay to eat bacon? Can I eat bacon AT church? As you can imagine, there were, in Paul’s day—as in ours—differences of opinion, differences of practice in some of these matters. Listen again to what Paul says. This is from “The Message” translation.

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

2-4 For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.

5 Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.

6-9 What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

Drop kick me, Jesus, through the goalposts of life, end over end, neither left nor the right. Straight through the heart of them righteous uprights: Drop kick me, Jesus, through the goalposts of life. Amen.

Hello, welcome to the Will Preach for Food podcast. I’m Doug, a pastor here at Faith Lutheran Church, based out of Shelton, Washington, a congregation of the ELCA. You can learn more about Faith at our website, www.faithshelton.org. This podcast is being recorded for Sunday, April 30, 2023. We’re continuing a series through Paul’s letter to the Romans. But I’ve also got football on my brain this weekend. I’ve been following the NFL draft with my son. We’ve been tracking who the Seahawks will pick to be the newest members of the team.

It turns out that the NFL draft might be a helpful analogy for understanding God’s word for us today. After all, we’re talking about how Jesus calls each of us by name. How sometimes we play offense, sometimes we’re on defense, and sometimes we play special teams. And we’re talking about putting on the jersey, showing up for practice, and representing the team. 

So please open your Bible to the tenth chapter of the gospel of John, beginning with verse 1.

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Here ends the reading. Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, grace to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Romans 12 Paul begins to describe how God has designed Christian community to be like a single body with many members—body parts—each with a distinct function and purpose, but all belonging to and working together as one body. So today we’ll be talking about stewardship, spiritual gifts, and Christian vocation. Takeaways will include a “time and talents” form for volunteering at Faith, and a larger call to share the gifts of God, to “be” the body of Christ “out there,” beyond the church walls, in the everyday matters of work, home, school, and neighborhood.

We start with a story about how Jesus likes to show up among his followers post-resurrection: on the road, in the Scriptures, with the bread.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

CLICK HERE for link to Gifts insert.

We’re continuing a series through Paul’s letter to the Romans. “By Grace Through Faith” is my ongoing title, as it summarizes, not only the book of Romans, but really the message of the whole Bible. It’s always been about God’s grace, from Genesis to Revelation and everything in between.

One of the most pressing concerns in the first century church was the simple but profound question: “What about the Jews?” Had God given up on them? This was a very personal issue for the writer of Romans, the apostle Paul. These were “his people.” His family, friends, loved ones, his heritage. “What about the Jews?”

So today you’ll get a brief overview of Romans 9-11, which can be summarized into three sections: Grace, not Race; Power Goes Sour; and Shoots, not Roots. We’re going to begin with today’s gospel reading for the Sunday after Easter, though, so open your Bibles to John 20:19-31, and we’ll dive in.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.