Sermons Out of Rural Ministry Pastor Josh Ehrler

On this Earth Day, we give thanks for God's creative energy bringing life with a word. In our reading from Isaiah, God is responding to the Israelites, who are struggling to believe. As we are encountered by God today through scripture, God may find us struggling to believe what God can do. Or, if God is even around. Seeing the difficulty and doubt of God's people, responds by calling them (us) to look to the natural world. God even notes how God's breath never leaves and returns without creating life. You are part of God's creative energy. #earthday #easter #Isaiah #happytrees

What might you be able to do to gain the grace of God? This is not an unusual question since we're told pretty much everywhere in our lives that we must earn to achieve, and achieve to earn. God says something different, speaking grace into the world through Christ.
Throughout October, we at Trinity are reflecting on ways that being "Lutheran" makes us unique in the diverse world of Christian faith. Each topic or idea is vital to our identity, even if we don't describe like that to others. Though, maybe it would be good to consider how we can speak of grace not in worldly, work related terms, but closer to gift given. You are loved, friend. You are enough.

Who is outside? Probably easier to define who is inside, with us. In our gospel its a group of outsiders who define the kingdom of God and adjust the trajectory of the story. As we are called to follow, we are also being called to walk beyond ourselves. #sermon #PalmSunday 

This is where our gospel begins, with an innocent question pointing to the deep divisions we create between ourselves and our neighbors. There is nothing inherently wrong with the man born blind, as Jesus proclaims, yet the entire community-and all of the disciples-can only define him by the sin they perceive. Even after Jesus demonstrates that there is no separation between the man and God, still, the people cannot see him. They see only their reaction to him. The man born blind can be a reflection of the countless we are willing to banish from our communities because we see them as "other" or separate from God. Though, Jesus reminds that he will continually leave the community to be with God's people. Whether racism, ageism, economic policies or LGBTQ+ youth and adults, we as God's people have a history of casting God's own off. Yet Jesus leads us out of ourselves and leads us to where mercy and grace are needed, on the margins outside of town.

Our gospel this week takes us to the troubled lands of Samaria, where Jesus crosses a few lines to hang out with a woman at a well. She does not receive him well, and her reasoning is sound. It is right for her to be skeptical. As she and Jesus dig into a conversation, our opinion of her begins to change and suddenly we realize we're the ones creating the skepticism, not her.  She is moved in faith as soon as she is seen by Christ. We are called by Christ to see our neighbors before we see what we expect of them. #lent #WordofGod #exvangelical #speakgrace #ReadtheBible