– A Devotional From Pastor Ilagan (Matt. 5:1-12; Luke 6:20-23) I have a pastor-friend who tells me that whenever someone greets him with the usual “How are you?” his response is: “I am blessed! Thank you!” The response sounds “too religious” to me. I would not Read More …
(SERMON Easter 7C 2019) If you will forgive me, I’d like to use a $2 word to talk about our scripture lessons this morning; (this is what you get for calling a pastor with an expensive education). The word is denouement. Your ear will probably Read More …
SERMON Easter 5C 2019 Nobody hates church meetings more than I do, and in years past I have managed to find an excuse to skip our synod’s annual assembly. For one thing – an important thing to me – we always meet in a big Read More …
John 21 This is the last scene in John’s gospel, and a very precious and poignant scene it is. John’s stories are always rich and revealing, full of feeling and ringing true in a way that most Bible stories don’t. If Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ Read More …
SERMON Easter 2c 2019 I was surprised looking through my sermon files this week. After 30 years of preaching, I have as many as ten sermons for some Sundays, but almost nothing at all for this one. Well, silly me: of course not! I’m usually Read More …
Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas! What a beautiful season …(Pastor! It’s not Christmas, it’s Easter!) Oh, right. Rats. It’s not Christmas? Well, let’s take a vote; who likes Christmas better than Easter? It’s the presents, right? Who cares about a chocolate bunny, we want the Read More …
Well, at least they saved the crown of thorns. By now everybody in the world knows that the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris burned on Monday. The footage of billowing smoke rising between the twin towers of the façade reminded me of 9/11. So Read More …
I’m guessing nobody knows the name Carla Faye Tucker … she died on February 3, 1998, executed by lethal injection by the State of Texas. She was on death row for 14 years. Carla Faye’s case was much in the news as her execution approached. Read More …
SERMON Lent 5c 2019 Mary of Bethany Anoints the Feet of Jesus I might call this sermon: Senseless suffering meets senseless love. Sitting on the edge of her hospital bed, struggling with one of those beautiful gowns they make us all wear, hooked up to Read More …
SERMON Lent 1c 2019 The Temptation We really should call this “Nothingburger Sunday.” The devil invites Jesus to lunch and doesn’t even offer him an anchovy. From first to last it’s BYOB, bring your own bread. And there’s even less to it than that: this Read More …