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A Congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

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RevMerle: Musings and Mutterings on what I see God up to in this world.: RevMerle

“Covenant and Correction” Genesis 17:1-16, Mark 8:31-38

I know this may come as a surprise to some of you, but I am in need of correction from time to time. I know this need for correction by the look that my spouse gives me when I have crossed that line with a comment made in jest in a public setting. […]

“Pronouncements” Genesis 9:8-17; Mark 1:9-14

The more you read the scriptures, the more you pay attention to the pronouncements made by God. God has something to say to this world. That is the overarching message of the scriptures. When God speaks, (in whatever form that may be) God is also in the habit of making the pronouncement in a […]

“And She Began to Serve.” Mark 1:29-39

I think we understand this gospel better in the midst of a pandemic, but not in the way you might be thinking. I must confess that every other time I’ve read this story from the synoptic gospels, it has both bothered me and intrigued me. We have details here that are intriguing, missing […]

“The Unanswered Question” Mark 1:21-28

I am no longer as squeamish talking about demons and their various manifestations as I once was. I used to feel compelled to try to explain such things in the gospels because they seemed so foreign to our sophisticated sensibilities. “They were unaware of mental illness back then…” I would explain. “These […]

“The Time is Now” Mark 1:14-20

Nothing happens in a vacuum. The more one looks at the beginning of major events, critical moments, fateful decisions, and the beginnings of movements throughout history, the more one recognizes that there is usually a set of steps or “little things” that led up to the major event. Rosa Parks did not just decide […]

Sarah’s Sermons

Abundant Life

I read a story the other day about a person shopping at the grocery store, who overheard two unmasked men mocking people who were masked and talking about how they were too “tough” to wear masks. The person writing the story shared that when she got to the cashier, the cashier looked at her wearily […]

Where is God?

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” We often read these words as an indictment of Thomas. Thomas gets a bad rap: how many of us know him as “Doubting Thomas?” But I don’t think “doubting” is a fair descriptor of him. Sure, John’s Gospel records him saying that he would not believe unless […]

“Poised, Anxious Sorrow”

“This is a stillness, not of rest, but of poised, anxious sorrow.” N.T. Wright, an Anglican priest and New Testament theologian, wrote these words for an op-ed in Time Magazine this week, in which he thinks about many of the things we have been talking about these past few weeks:the way events in our world […]

Watch and Pray

I deleted the Facebook app on my phone this week. My account is still active; I just don’t have easy access at my fingertips to pull up Facebook any time I want. I’m trying to eliminate the mindless scrolling that just takes up time, occupies the top part of my brain, raises my stress level, […]

Sight and Faith

We are living in a strange time right now, aren’t we? A time when we are surrounded by suspicion and fear…and also a time when we are pulling together to care for and protect each other. A time when we doubt what our eyes and ears tell us…and also a time when we put our […]

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Recent Posts: St. James Lutheran Church

“Sparrows and Sparring” Matthew 10:24-39

I am a big fan of Chef Jacques Pepin. You may remember him from some memorable cooking shows on PBS with an elderly Julia Child, or from his cooking shows about “fast food my way” where he would show people how quickly and easily a really good meal could be prepared with just simple … Continue reading “Sparrows and Sparring” Matthew 10:24-39

Holy Trinity Sunday Matthew 28:16-20 “I can’t believe what I am seeing…”

“I don’t believe what I’m seeing…” There are a whole bunch of variations on that these days, aren’t there? Living now weeks into a pandemic and civil unrest, a point of conversation in nearly every interchange these days is some kind of comment on what we have seen. Partiers in the Ozarks over Memorial … Continue reading Holy Trinity Sunday Matthew 28:16-20 “I can’t believe what I am seeing…”

Stewardship Notes from the Pastor

Strategic Giving for Retirees Dana J. Holt People have been tithing for millennia. In Christian tradition, the aim of many is to give 10% of their household income to the church as offering to God. But how much should we give after we retire and don’t have a regular income from work anymore? And where … Continue reading Stewardship Notes from the Pastor

Study Opportunities

St. James offers a variety of options for adult learning and interaction, so take advantage of these that fit your schedule or interest. “Coffee with Jesus” Wednesdays at 7 a.m. at Perkins on North Oak, or Saturdays at 9 a.m. at Green Acres Market in Briarcliff. It’s a little comic, a little scripture, and a … Continue reading Study Opportunities

Church in the World Notes

The Clay County Clothes Closet is the charity chosen by Church in the World Committee for the month of April April 7th and 14th have been designated “Undie Sundays”. Besides gifts of gently used clothing we’re asking for donations of NEW underwear and NEW Socks, all sizes from children’s to adult. Or, you can make … Continue reading Church in the World Notes

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