(I preached the following sermon on Sunday, January 24, 2021 in response to the following readings, Jonah 3:1-5, 10, and Mark 1:14-20. You can find the entire service on our church website – www.stephenlc.org). “And immediately they left their nets and followed him.”  “Immediately he called them; and they left...

Please take one minute (yes, that’s literally how long this will take) to answer my five question survey. You don’t even have to click away from the blog – just check the answers within the block below and keep scrolling in the block. I’m thinking of sending out a...

Prayer for January 20, 2021: Please pray with me. God who inaugurates a new way of being, a new way of life, you call on us to participate in your ways, and in your kingdom. Today we inaugurate a new president and administration in this nation. We pray that...

Today is Inauguration Day – A day we inaugurate a new president in this country. This year is a bit different than previous inaugurations. There’s a raging pandemic that has killed over 400,000 of our fellow citizens and has caused significant changes in our lives, and hence what will...

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(Here is my sermon from yesterday in response to Genesis 1:1-5 and Mark 1:4-11. You can find the entire service at www.stephenlc.org). Martin Luther is quoted as saying that you are not only responsible for what you say, but also what you do not say.  Important words on a day...

I’m processing what happened on Epiphany, January 6. I’ve gone from shock to anger. That will change to sadness and then something else after that. Time will move me along in my processing of this. The hardest part for me is thinking back to my days working on Capitol...

Thursday, January 7, 2021 A Pastoral letter in response to the events at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 by the Rev. Matthew Best Dear members, friends, and faithful disciples at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Psalm 6:2-3 states: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;...

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Prayer for January 6, 2021: Please pray with me. Lord of all creation, Lord of all the nations, hear us. In Psalm 120, it is written “In my distress I cry to the Lord, that he may answer me.” We cry out to you Holy One. Answer us. We...