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5th Sunday After Pentecost; Year A Isaiah 44.6-8; Psalm 86.11-17; Romans 8.12-25; Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43 Pastor Renee Splichal Larson   Grace and peace to you from the One who has defeated evil in his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. On Thursday this past week Paul Brandels Raushenbush, a writer with Huffington Post wrote: What a horrible day. Israel has begun a ground offensive in Gaza, the White House is on lockdown, and a plane has been shot down in Ukraine.... more»

4th Sunday after Pentecost, July 6, 2014; Year A Zechariah 9.9-12; Psalm 145.8-14; Romans 7.15-25a; Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30 Pastor Renee Splichal Larson   Grace to you and peace from the One who invites us to come to him, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me and rest; lay down, O weary one, lay down your head upon my breast.” I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, worn, and sad; I found in him a resting-place, and he has made me glad. This... more»

We ought to pay close attention to Peter in today’s Gospel lesson, because he is all of us.  Like Peter, we all belong to God.  We all have known shame and failure in our lives.  And we all have been and always will be called forward by God’s Spirit to new life.  The beautiful words of this passage are not for Peter alone.  They are for all of us.  From “I do not know him” to “Feed my sheep.”  From a life of failure and shame to a life of love and service, that is the... more»

2nd Sunday after Pentecost; June 22, 2014; Year A Jeremiah 20.7-13; Psalm 69.7-10 [11-15] 16-18; Romans 6.1b-11; Matthew 10.24-39 Pastor Renee Splichal Larson   Grace and peace to you from the One who knows and loves us, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. I have spent time very afraid this week.  On Wednesday joy quickly turned into uncertainty, grief, and fear when my nephew, Jaxon, was born to my brother, Eric, and sister-in-law, Janessa, in Fergus Falls, MN.  My sister, Jessie, and I were... more»