Wicker Park Lutheran Church Sermons

This is the day of Pentecost – my very favorite day of the church year. But the story of Pentecost is bigger than just one day. This story has been unfolding for a very long time... The post Pentecost Sunday appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.

This week Jesus says, “As my father has loved me, so I have loved you. And this is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you..." The post Sixth Sunday of Easter appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.

Today’s gospel reading is from John. As a gospel, John is deceptively difficult to read. It’s complex, filled with deep theology, and possesses a high Christology. It’s a gospel where the shorter readings in our lectionary often make it more confusing. In today’s gospel, we heard the circularity in the text that is emblematic of John... The post Fifth Sunday of Easter appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.

In the summer of 2020 I was a hospital chaplain. I was in my first year of seminary and I was nervous about it, and I would have been nervous anyway, but the global pandemic happening didn’t make anything easier. The chaplain supervisor at the hospital said, “I know you’re scared, but it doesn’t matter.” She said she needed all hands on deck because almost everyone else in my program had dropped out. So… I showed up. And I got to work... The post Fifth Sunday of Easter appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.

As we move through the Easter season, we’re invited into explore new life and resurrection in the texts. So too, as we continue the “A Place” sermon series that reflects our A Place for All campaign, we’re looking at these readings with a lens toward how we are called to create “a place” to best live out God’s vision. Holding all of that, three central verbs struck me in today’s reading. They are meet, teach, and send... The post Third Sunday of Easter appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away. At first she didn’t know where Jesus’s body had gone – and she was desperately sad, because she wanted a proper burial... The post Second Sunday of Easter appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.

Today’s gospel reading jumped the gun in terms of the chronology leading up to Holy Week. You see, next week we’ll gather outside to process with palms as we recall Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem before his betrayal, sham trial, and execution. But today’s reading falls after Jesus’ triumphal entry and before his betrayal. Today we focus on Jesus’ final public discourse. The content of this discourse (and arguably the entire gospel of John) is summarized by a short, one sentence metaphor. Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit... The post Fifth Sunday in Lent appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.

It is wonderful being here this third Sunday in Lent. To be back in this sanctuary leading worship with you is such a gift. Yet, knowing Wicker Park is an ever-changing community, there are many of you who don’t know me. My name is Pastor Paisley and I had the gift of serving as vicar here in 2019-2020. I accompanied Pastor Jason and the rest of the church staff through the abrupt transition to COVID worship four years ago during this Lenten Season... The post Fourth Sunday in Lent appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.

The passage we just read is from Mark chapter 8. This is the last time we’re going to hear from Mark until Holy Week, so I think we should take stock of where we are and where we’ve been in this gospel, so that we can locate ourselves in our story today... The post Second Sunday in lent appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.