Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 I recently got poison ivy for the first time in years.  I spent the past two weeks scratching my skin, pouring...

Written by: Dan Smolnik

It's hard to believe that the summer is almost over. Children are returning to school & churches are gearing up for the start of their year.

The big question I’ve been grappling with as we catapult toward the educational year is: What does God want us to know this year? 

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.   “Too Tough To Swallow” is the title of this section of scripture in...

This transcript was presented to the St. Matthew Congregation on Sunday, August 18, 2024 as part of an ELCA Youth Gathering Reflection.

John 6:35, 41-51 Like many of you I’ve been following the Olympics lately.  I love sports in general and I always find it amazing to...

John 6:25-35 Bread is a staple of civilization.  Every culture has it in some form: some type of grain that’s the basis of every...

Empowered by the Holy Spirit and Christ’s promise of love and grace and freedom—let us follow our call to be prophetic disciples. 

Mark 6:1-13 There’s 1997 movie called Gattaca that’s set in the not so distant future of our world where people have started using...

Mark 5:21-43 I recently read the story of a therapy dog named Elsa. Elsa and her owner Sharon would visit hospitals and nursing homes to...

Mark 4:35-41 When I was growing up a thunderstorm was always an adventure. I have fond childhood memories of sitting with my dad and my...

Mark 4:26-34 and Ezekiel 17:22-24 Grace and Peace to you on this wonderful day from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Growing up in...

Mark 2:23-3:6 There’s a story about an aging woodsman and his young apprentice who have an all-day wood chopping contest. The apprentice...

Luke 20:27-40 In the reading we just heard from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is having a conversation with the Sadducees. There’s a lot of...

John 3:1-17 The year was 381 AD. Emperor Theodosius had just called the second ecumenical council for Christian theologians to debate...

Acts 2, Romans 8, John 15 The movie “The Karate Kid” is about a teenage boy named Daniel who has recently moved to a new school. Daniel...

Luke 24:44-53 Home Alone is a 1990 Christmas movie about a boy named Kevin McCallister who gets accidently left home alone when his...

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Ever since Easter Sunday, our Biblical texts have kept us in what...

John 15:1-8 Imagine with me for a minute: if you were a tree or a flower or a plant what kind would you be?  Would you be a sweet...