Romans 8:6-11

A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

In Romans 8:1-11 we have the whole of the Christian faith. Well, at least two-thirds of the heart of it. The text for today begins at verse 6; it’s useful, however, to see verses 6-11 in light of what comes before.

The first verse 8:1 announces: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” To put it in our terms today: “There is therefore no death sentence for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Death is dead. That’s the whole ball game.

Select here to read more or here for a pdf version.

Read More

John 9:1-41

A sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent

“I see,” said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

We see that kind of contradiction at the end of the text from John for today: “For judgment I came into the world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind” (John 9:39).

What is it to see? To be blind? Three examples:

Select here to read more or here for a pdf version.

Read More

Romans 5:1-11

A Sermon for the Third Sunday of Lent

How big is God? We talk about how God is infinite, and yet how he came in Jesus Christ, and he comes to us in his promises and little bits of bread and wine. How can that be? Then we remember that God created infinity itself; suddenly that changes everything. We have these limits. We think we have some kind of God in a box.

To get at this, let’s remember Luther’s journey. He was there in Upper Germany, a bright young man, preparing to be a lawyer. And then one day on his way to Wittenburg he was caught in a storm. Branches were blowing off trees. There was lightning all around, and he was he was going to die. He prayed to St. Anne: “Save me, if you save me, I’ll become a monk.” Then he was saved, and much to his father’s dismay, he turned around and became a monk, and he was determined to do it right.

Select here to read more or here for a pdf version.

Read More

Romans 4:1-5, 13-18

A Sermon for the Second Sunday in Lent

There are two opposing views of reality today. The first view, the scientific view, functions like a religion for many today and we can understand why. Science is even altering what it is to be human as humans and machines are merging through AI, neurotechnology, and digital dependence. Some robots have emotional intelligence. The scientific view of reality promises that the future can be managed through science and technology.

Over against this view is the view of reality found in Abraham and in the texts for today, Genesis 12 and also in Romans 4, which says of Abraham: “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, ‘So shall your descendants be’” (Romans 4:18).

Select here to read more or here for a pdf version.

Read More

Matthew 4:1-11; Romans 5:12-19

A Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent

What is the problem? That’s what the texts for today are asking.

Paul Tillich said that Luther’s question: “How can I find a gracious God?” may have been true in Luther’s time, but that’s no longer true today. Rather the question today is: Is there a God at all? Does God exist?

There have been a number of public intellectuals, atheists, who have taken up the question: Does God exist? And they have answered: No. Most well-known are those called the New Atheists (Harris, Dawkins, Dennett, and others). Each of them in their own way makes what’s called a category error. They judge religion by the rules of a certain kind of logic and science. It’s like judging the Mona Lisa by analyzing the chemistry of the paint Leonardo Da Vinci used. That’s a category error.

Select here to read more or here for a pdf version.

Read More