Sermon Brainwave from Working Preacher

Working Preacher from Luther Seminary
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Sermon Brainwave from Working Preacher is a weekly conversation on upcoming Revised Common Lectionary readings. The conversations (featuring Luther Seminary faculty) are fun, informative, and creative—and just may give you the spark that ignites your own sermon brainwave!

  1. -3 J

    Sermon Brainwave 1082: Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 3, 2026

    What does Jesus actually mean when he says "I am the way, the truth, and the life"? And what about those troubling words: "no one comes to the Father except through me"? In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner explore the Fifth Sunday of Easter texts: John 14:1–14, Acts 7:55–60, Psalm 31, and 1 Peter 2:1–10. Together, they unpack the farewell discourse as a post-Easter text, the meaning of "dwelling places" and the Greek root meno (abide), the mysticism of John's Gospel, and what it means to hear Jesus' "I am" statements as a promise rather than an act of exclusion. They also discuss Stephen's martyrdom in Acts 7, its striking parallels to the death of Jesus in Luke's Gospel, and how Psalm 31 bridges the two texts. They close with 1 Peter 2 and how a letter written to exiles can speak to communities facing questions of identity, belonging, and solidarity, without tipping into Christian exceptionalism or nationalism. Mentioned in this episode: Support Working Preacher

    25 min

  2. -3 J

    Sermon Brainwave 1081: Fourth Sunday of Easter - April 26, 2026

    The Fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday, but in Year A, the primary image isn't the shepherd. It's the door. In John 10:1–10, Jesus describes himself as the gate that protects the vulnerable and invites the imperiled into safety. Hosts Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner explore what that image means for preaching today: Who are the thieves and bandits? What does it look like to imitate Jesus' open-door posture in our communities right now? The conversation moves through all four lectionary texts for the day. Psalm 23 gets a fresh look, not as a sentimental comfort, but as a bold, radical claim of faith in the darkest valleys. The hosts examine the complex preaching challenges of 1 Peter 2:19–25, including how to handle a text that has historically been used to keep people in abusive situations, and how reading it as crisis survival literature changes everything. Acts 2:42–47 rounds out the discussion with a vision of the early church as a counter-community of mutual aid, awe, and wonder, and what that means for congregations engaged in healing ministries today. Mentioned in this episode: Support Working Preacher

    30 min

  3. 23 MARS

    Sermon Brainwave 1080: Third Sunday of Easter - April 19, 2026

    What does it mean to recognize the risen Christ? And why is resurrection faith never automatic? In this episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast, Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into the Third Sunday of Easter texts: the Emmaus road story in Luke 24, Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts 2, Psalm 116, and 1 Peter 1. The disciples on the road to Emmaus don't recognize Jesus, and the hosts explore why that matters for preaching today. Resurrection reveals itself slowly, through long walks, honest grief, and the intimacy of a shared meal. The table becomes the place of recognition, connecting Emmaus to the Feeding of the 5,000 and the Lord's Supper. The conversation also surfaces a provocative question from Margaret Ami's commentary: what does it mean that the risen Christ appears as a migrant or resident foreigner? From Acts, the hosts ask what "repentance" really means in response to the resurrection, and how Peter's audience models the question preachers still face: What should we do? Psalm 116 and 1 Peter 1 deepen that question, pointing toward holy living, genuine mutual love, and a faith grounded in the living word of God. Mentioned in this episode: Support Working Preacher

    22 min

  4. 20 MARS

    Sermon Brainwave 1079: Second Sunday of Easter - April 12, 2026

    What does Thomas really want in John 20? It's not proof. It's what every disciple already had: a direct encounter with the risen Christ. In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner reframe Thomas as a figure of courage rather than doubt, explore the layered meaning of "Peace be with you," and trace the Spirit's arrival in John 20 all the way back through the farewell discourse. The hosts also dig into Acts 2 and Peter's first resurrection sermon, including a striking reread of how God "breaks people out of prisons," and consider how 1 Peter's vision of "living hope" speaks to those still waiting, still longing, still not seeing it all tied up neatly. This is a rich episode for preachers navigating a congregation full of people at very different places in their Easter faith. Mentioned in this episode: Support Working Preacher

    19 min

  5. 16 MARS

    Sermon Brainwave 1078: Resurrection of Our Lord - April 5, 2026

    In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, hosts Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner dig into the lectionary texts for Easter Sunday and explore what it means to preach resurrection to a congregation carrying both fear and joy.

    25 min

  6. 13 MARS

    Sermon Brainwave 1077: Good Friday - April 3, 2026

    Good Friday arrives with some of the heaviest texts of the liturgical year — and Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders are here to help you preach them well. This episode covers all four lectionary readings for Good Friday (April 2, 2026): Isaiah 52:13–53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16–25, and John 18–19. The hosts explore where preachers might "drop into" the long Johannine passion narrative, discuss Jesus' three last words in John ("I thirst," "Woman, here is your son," and "It is finished"), and reflect on what they reveal about Jesus' full humanity and divinity. The conversation also takes up Pilate's conflicted role as a study in the corrupting logic of power, René Girard's scapegoat theory as a lens on Jesus' innocence, the underrepresentation of lament in the lectionary (30 of 45 omitted psalms are lament psalms), and how Hebrews 10 speaks both to the meaning of the cross and to the life of the community gathered around it. Whether you're preaching a full sermon, leading a Seven Last Words service, or simply holding space for grief this Good Friday, this episode offers rich theological grounding and pastoral encouragement.

    23 min

  7. 9 MARS

    Sermon Brainwave 1076: Maundy Thursday - April 2, 2026

    Love, Feet, and the Table. What if Maundy Thursday isn't just somber — but also joyful? In this episode, Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner explore the rich intimacy of John 13 and its foot washing scene, unpacking why embodiment matters in preaching, how Judas's betrayal is really an act of walking away from intimacy, and why the farewell discourse (chapters 14–17) is essential context for understanding the night's meaning. They also dig into Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 11, reading the Lord's Supper not as liturgical formula, but as a communal act of resistance against social fracture — and a source of strength in the face of coming trauma. Plus: how Mary's anointing of Jesus connects to his washing of the disciples' feet, and why a jail chapel hymn sing brings it all home.

    17 min

  8. 5 MARS

    Sermon Brainwave 1075: Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) - March 29, 2026

    "The Passion story is a story about us." This episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast explores the significance of Palm Sunday and Passion narratives, emphasizing the earth's role in biblical stories, the political and theological implications of Jesus' trial, and how these texts challenge our understanding of power, trust, and God's presence.

    23 min
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À propos

Sermon Brainwave from Working Preacher is a weekly conversation on upcoming Revised Common Lectionary readings. The conversations (featuring Luther Seminary faculty) are fun, informative, and creative—and just may give you the spark that ignites your own sermon brainwave!

Informations

  • Création
    Working Preacher from Luther Seminary
  • Années d’activité
    2020 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    1,1 k
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Working Preacher podcast episodes are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.
  • Site web de l’émission
    Sermon Brainwave from Working Preacher

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