Sermons @ TLCS: Recent Episodes
Trinity Lutheran Church & Schools
Join Pastor Hector and Pastor Jenna, along with occasional guest preachers, as they guide exploration of the Good News of Great Joy throughout the year. Sermon podcasts are released weekly, typically on Mondays.
Trinity Lutheran Church & Schools is an ELCA congregation located in Lynnwood, Washington. Learn more at tlcs.church/about.
January 7, 2024 Pastor Jenna Bergeson T
Pastor Jenna reflects on the transformative power of epiphanies in our lives. Drawing from personal experiences, she explores how moments of revelation, both dark and illuminating, can reshape our understanding of self and faith, ultimately bringing us closer to God's unwavering truth.
++++++++++++++ Baptism of Our Lord
Our re-creation in baptism is an image of the Genesis creation, where the Spirit of God moved over the waters. Both Mark’s gospel and the story in Acts make clear that it is the Spirit’s movement that distinguishes Jesus’ baptism from John’s. The Spirit has come upon us as upon Jesus and the Ephesians, calling us God’s beloved children and setting us on Jesus’ mission to re-create the world in the image of God’s vision of justice and peace.
- MOBILE BULLETIN + trinitylutheranchurch.com/bulletin
Sermon for December 17, 2023 Pastor Jenna Bergeson
Pastor Jenna explores the history and symbolism of the ❤️ shape, emphasizing that true love goes beyond superficial depictions. She shares the story of Margaret Mary and the devotion to the Sacred Heart, highlighting the profound love it represents. Connecting this with the biblical narrative of Mary and Elizabeth, Pastor Jenna encourages a deep reflection on the abiding nature of love, challenging us to embrace a more profound understanding of love rooted in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ Fourth Sunday of Advent: Being Present with Love
The faith narrative is careful to show us a lineage from King David to Jesus. It is no ordinary lineage; it is one that began in the shepherding of sheep, of leading and delivering the people in search of a home. Mary’s womb becomes part of that lineage of love, offering the world the gift of God’s presence “in the flesh.” As we enter the story of the birth of Love Among Us, we are invited to be present with love. We may think the perfect gift is outside our reach to give, but in reality we have all that we need… the heart’s love and presence.
Sermon for December 10, 2023 Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
BEING PRESENT WITH JOY
On this third Sunday of Advent, Pastor Hector explores the interconnectedness of hope, peace, and joy, emphasizing that true joy arises from communal understanding and shared presence amidst life's struggles. He highlights the significance of acknowledging the difference between happiness and genuine joy: we must embody God's grace by being channels of joy and compassion in the community.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ Third Sunday of Advent: Being Present with Joy
Today we will read the words of Isaiah offering a prophetic vision that Jesus then claims for his ministry. Likewise, we are called to claim the gift of being fully present with all people — those who mourn, those who grieve, those who have suffered indignity and oppression. Mary’s Magnificat is prophetic as well. She claims the overturning of injustice even before it has come to pass. In the difficulty of her situation, she “sings” with joy about the very real presence of God growing within her.
Sermon for December 3, 2023 Pastor Jenna Bergeson
Pastor Jenna brings in the voices from a recent webinar from the ELCA's "Peace, Not Walls" campaign, which is working for peace with justice in Palestine and Israel. She challenges the conventional, passive notion of peace, advocating for a more active and engaged approach to addressing systemic injustice. Pastor Jenna encourages the church to embrace prophetic peacemaking, aligning with the calls for truth-telling, activism, and a reevaluation of language and action toward achieving genuine justice and peace in the world.
+++++++++++++++++++ Second Sunday of Advent Being Present with Hope
In our Advent series, we are celebrating the gift of being truly present — to each other and to the call of God to make this world a better place. We can be the gift of presence with those who are experiencing life as less-than-peaceful. But this might also be true of how we are personally feeling in this moment. Our lives can feel a bit chaotic or in need of a makeover. The Good News is that God is continually making a way for do-overs. In this we can find peace, even when life doesn’t feel so peaceful. This week we focus on what it means to be a gift of non-anxious presence for those who need it most.
Sermon for November 26, 2023 Pastor Hector Garfias Toledo
Pastor Hector's sermon for the First Sunday of Advent centers on the significance of staying awake amidst adversity, as he draws parallels between the struggles of the Israelites and our own yearnings for hope and liberation. Emphasizing that hope is an active force, he challenges us to reject societal pressures, embody the promise of God's love, and actively engage in bringing forth real change and healing for all.
+++++++++++++++ First Sunday of Advent Being Present with Hope
Advent can be filled with worry about finding the perfect Christmas gifts. Deep down, we want people in our lives to know they are special and that we love them. But sometimes, we overlook the greatest gift of all…our very presence. As we sing, we are reminded that even if we are feeling poor — in resources, in body or spirit — we can simply be a gift of presence and give our hearts.
Sermon for November 5, 2023 Pastor Hector Garfais-Toledo
Embracing God's Presence
Pastor Hector discusses the challenging words of the Prophet Amos and how they can be interpreted as a reflection of God's lament for humanity's departure from the Covenant of Love. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing God's presence in the pursuit of justice and righteousness. Kasey, a high school junior, then shares her faith journey as part of the Affirmation of Baptism (aka. confirmation) process, highlighting how conversations with a friend helped her rediscover her faith and see God's light even in a secular world. The sermon encourages the congregation to be ready, open, and willing to be agents of justice, following Kasey's example of spreading faith through small interactions and finding God in unexpected places.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 24th Sunday after Pentecost | Lectionary 23
Today the prophet Amos calls for justice to roll down like waters. Paul urges us to encourage one another with the promised coming of the Lord. Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids. Surrounded by the faithful of every time and place, we celebrate Christ’s coming in our midst in the word of life and the feast of victory—the marriage feast of the lamb.
Sermon for November 5, 2023 Pastor Jenna Bergeson
Big Questions
On this All Saints Sunday, where we feel the lines between the living and the dead blur, where we gather to grieve and mourn those loved ones who have joined God in everlasting life, Pastor Jenna dances with the big questions of life and death and what it means to be a living disciple, set free from the bonds of death, washed in the waters of baptism.
+++++++++++++++++++ All Saints Sunday
All Saints celebrates the baptized people of God, living and dead, who are the body of Christ. As November heralds the dying of the landscape in many northern regions, the readings and liturgy call us to remember all who have died in Christ and whose baptism is complete. At the Lord’s table we gather with the faithful of every time and place, trusting that the promises of God will be fulfilled and that all tears will be wiped away in the new Jerusalem.
Sermon for October 28, 2023 Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
"Yes, but...."
On Reformation Sunday, Pastor Hector reflects on the enduring legacy of Martin Luther and the various perceptions and interpretations of his legacy. In the book of Jeremiah, we draw parallels between the Israelites' covenant violations and contemporary societal issues. Pastor Hector emphasizes the message of "yes, but..." – acknowledging humanity's brokenness while highlighting the graciousness of God and the potential for a new covenant. He encourages prayer, scriptural study, and viewing the world through God's eyes as ways to know God by heart and trust in divine forgiveness and blessings.
++++++++++++++++++++++ Reformation Sunday
Rooted in the past and growing into the future, the church must always be reformed in order to live out the love of Christ in an ever-changing world. We celebrate the good news of God’s grace, that Jesus Christ sets us free every day to do this life-transforming work. Trusting in the freedom given to us in baptism, we pray for the church, that Christians will unite more fully in worship and mission.
Sermon for October 22, 2023 Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
I AM GOD
God, not rulers, determines who we are. God stands above and behind our history.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 21st Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary 29
In today’s first reading God uses the Gentile ruler Cyrus to accomplish divine purposes. When the Pharisees try to trap Jesus, he tells them to give the emperor what belongs to him and to God what belongs to God. To gather for worship reminds us that our ultimate allegiance is to God rather than to any earthly authority. Created in the image of God, we offer our entire selves in the service of God and for the sake of the world. + MOBILE BULLETIN + trinitylutheranchurch.com/bulletin
Sermon for October 15, 2023 Pastor Jenna Bergeson
The Kin-Dom of God
Pastor Jenna unpacks a difficult and at times violent gospel passage with the eternal reminder of the Gospel promise of hope in the face of violence, and the unconditional invitation into the Kin-Dom of God.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 20th Sunday after Pentecost -- Lectionary 28
In Isaiah we are given a vision of the great feast to come, when God will wipe away death forever. In Jesus’ parable about a great banquet, those invited do not come, so the invitation is extended to others. In our liturgy God spreads a table before us. Even amid anxiety and hardship we rejoice in the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. With great joy we feast at the table of the Lord, and we go forth to share the wonderful invitation with others hungering and thirsting for the abundant life of God.
Sermon for October 8 2023 Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo Trinity Lutheran Church & Schools
We are the vineyard, and yet we tend God's vineyard. We play a dual role in which we are transformed: we are neither owners nor creators, but co-workers with God in the ongoing work of creation.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 19th Sunday after Pentecost Lectionary 27
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells a vineyard parable, which serves as an image of Israel, the prophets’ mission, and Christ’s death. For Christians, the vineyard also speaks of God’s love poured out in the blood of Christ, given to us for the forgiveness of sin. Grafted onto Christ the vine at baptism, we are nourished with wine and bread so that we may share Christ’s sufferings and know the power of his resurrection.
Sermon for October 1 2023 Rick Steves
Travel as a Spiritual Act
Special guest Rick Steves closes out our 4-week worship series, Quest: Travel as a Spiritual Act, by posing the question: do we want to travel as a tourist (vacation, consumption), a traveler (education, learn about others), or a pilgrim (transformational experience, learn about ourselves)? We can travel (near or far) in a way that gets us closer to God.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Quest: Travel as a Spiritual Act Week 4 - Returning Home
We reflect on what it means to return. No matter how far or near we've traveled, we've practiced a pilgrim heart, and now everything is different. We've been transformed, we hold priceless memory-souvenirs, we've made new friends and developed unique perspectives. As we unpack and soothe our weary feet, we notice the new convictions to be more radically involved and loving citizens of humanity right where we reside. We reflect on Jesus' commandment, first echoed throughout Hebrew Scripture, to love one another as he has loved us. What brings us beyond this quest and beckons us into God's extraordinary diversity?
Sermon for September 24, 2023
The Reflection
Pastor Jenna has a conversation with Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee and Pastor Jenny Sung, reflecting on travel to the Holy Land and the experience of otherness, and how we can use travel (near and far) as a way to help alleviate fear and oppression.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Quest: Travel as a Spiritual Act Week 3 - The Reflection
When we venture out of our comfort zones, we are given the opportunity to broaden our experience of God's creation and people. Even when we travel within our own towns and cities, we are exposed to a plurality of religious thought and practice, feeling like a foreigner in our own land. And yet, if we reflect and remain open to the Spirit, what feels so different may not be as far from us. We all pray. We all seek peace, food, shelter, love, and mercy for the suffering and oppressed. How can deeper reflection on our hesitation to connect to the broader human family allow us to explore more possibilities for a better world, living in the kingdom of God?
Sermon for September 17, 2023
The Encounter
Pastor Hector and David Greenlee talk with several of the participants of this past summer's youth mission trip to Spokane about their experiences encountering others.
+++++++++++++++++++ Quest: Travel as a Spiritual Act Week 2 - The Encounter
Jesus often crossed paths with others not from his “tribe.” He did not shy away. Actually, he most often sought out these opportunities. He met people in their daily lives and locales, such as the Samaritan woman at the well and her community, and engaged with them at the point of their deepest yearning. When we seek out and open to new encounters, new people, new relationships, we allow ourselves a spiritual rendezvous with humanity. And in this act, we discover more depth within us than we previously imagined. How can we shift our perception, redefining “strangers” as “friends we have not yet met?”
Sermon for September 10, 2023
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
"Leaving Home"
Pastor Hector helps us take our first steps on the Quest journey, exploring the differences between leaving home voluntarily (vacation, travel, etc...) and being forced to leave home (refugees, natural disasters, persecution, etc...).
+++++++++++++++++++
Quest: Travel as a Spiritual Act
Week 1 - Leaving Home
Today we will hear the scripture from Exodus when the Hebrew people left Egypt on a very long journey. Leaving Egypt was not a pleasure excursion for them. But the story of their pilgrimage in the desert in the Book of Exodus reminds us that traveling, moving, leaving home, is part of our Judeo-Christian tradition. Each of us finds ourselves sometime in life needing to leave the familiar in order to grow and to thrive. Beginning a journey involves leaving “home”–whether that is a physical place in order to explore another part of the world, or changing a mindset that is keeping us from expanding our spiritual capacity. Our question for today is this: “What must we do to embark into the unknown?”
Sermon for September 3, 2023 Pastor Jenna Bergeson
"Embracing the Divine Struggle Within"
Pastor Jenna delves into the theme of evil, urging us to recognize and overcome the internal struggles we all face. Biblical figures like Satan and Lucifer have a complicated and multifaceted history, but through baptism, God has given us the power to acknowledge and conquer the "little devils" within ourselves by surrendering to God's transformative love.
++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lectionary 22, Year A 14th Sunday after Pentecost
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the incurable wound of his suffering yet finds in God’s words the delight of his heart. When Peter doesn’t grasp Jesus’ words about suffering, Jesus tells the disciples they will find their lives in losing them. Such sacrificial love is described by Paul when he urges us to associate with the lowly and not repay evil with evil. In worship we gather as a community that we might offer ourselves for the sake of our suffering world.
Sermon for August 27, 2023 + 10 AM
Trinity Lutheran Church & Schools
Today's message comes from Elise Foot Puchalski, one of Trinity's youth. She shares her faith story as part of the Affirmation of Baptism process.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 21, Year A 13th Sunday after Pentecost
In Isaiah the people are advised to look to their spiritual ancestors as the rock from which they were hewn. Jesus declares that the church will be built on the rock of Peter’s bold confession of faith. God’s word of reconciliation and God’s mercy are keys to the church’s mission. Paul urges us to not be conformed to this world but to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, using our individual gifts to build up the body of Christ. From the table we go forth to offer our spiritual worship through word and deed.
Sermon for August 20, 2023
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
(DO) Justice
Pastor Hector invites everyone to take a more active role in living out God's justice in and for the world. We must jump into the never-ending stream of justice flowing from God.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 20, Year A 12th Sunday after Pentecost
In Isaiah we hear that God’s house shall be a house of prayer for all people and that God will gather the outcasts of Israel. The Canaanite woman in today’s gospel is a Gentile, an outsider, who is unflinching in her request that Jesus heal her daughter. As Jesus commends her bold faith, how might our church extend its mission to those on the margins of society? In our gathering around word and meal we receive strength to be signs of comfort, healing, and justice for those in need.
Sermon for August 13, 2023
Pastor Jenna Bergeson
"Where is Your Wilderness?"
Where does God call you to go? We ask this question, but must remember that God is always at our side. God is with us through our wildernesses.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 19, Year A 11th Sunday after Pentecost
Elijah finds the presence of God not in earthquake, wind, or fire, but in the sound of sheer silence. When the disciples face a great storm on the sea, they cry out with fear. Jesus says: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Amid the storms of life, we gather to seek the calm presence of Christ that soothes our fears. In comforting words of scripture and in the refreshing bread and cup of the eucharist, God grants us peace and sends us forth to be a sign of God’s presence to others.
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
Trinity Lutheran Church & Schools
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 18, Year A 10th Sunday after Pentecost
++++++++++++++++++++++++
In today’s first reading God invites all who are hungry or thirsty to receive food and drink without cost. Jesus feeds the hungry multitude and reveals the abundance of God. At the eucharistic table we remember all who are hungry or poor in our world today. As we share the bread of life, we are sent forth to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry.
Sermon for July 30, 2023 + 10 AM
Pastor Jenna Bergeson
"The Kin-dom of God is Gonna Grow"
It won't always be pretty, it won't always be easy, and there may be some bad fish along the way, but get ready: the Kin-dom of God is gonna grow!
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 17, Year A 9th Sunday after Pentecost
As Solomon prays for wisdom, we seek to more deeply know the treasures of faith. In today’s gospel Jesus offers everyday images that reveal to us the reign of God: a tree that becomes a sheltering home, yeast that penetrates and expands, a treasured pearl, a net that gains a great catch. Even as we seek the riches of God’s reign, the great surprise is that God’s grace finds us first!
Sermon for July 23, 2023 + 10 AM
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
"Growing Together"
Evil and good grow together, and God’s work is to separate the two so that we are free from trying to "fix" everything. Our desire to fix others only creates more pain and suffering. God’s final word is that evil has an end: God’s love will break evil.
++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 16, Year A
8th Sunday after Pentecost
++++++++++++++++++
It is an age-old question: why is there evil in the world? In the parable of the wheat and the weeds Jesus suggests that both grow together until the harvest. With Paul, we long for the day that all creation will be set free from bondage and suffering. Having both weeds and wheat within us, we humbly place our hope in the promises of God, and from the Lord’s table we go forth to bear the fruit of justice and mercy.
Sermon for July 9, 2023 + 10 AM
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
"The Unforced Rhythms of Grace"
Jesus invites us into the reality that, in the midst of a world that forces so much division and weariness on each and every one of us, God calls us into the boundless, free and unforced rhythms of grace.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 14, Year A 6th Sunday after Pentecost
The mystery of God’s ways is sometimes hidden from the wise and intelligent. Jesus associates with those often excluded from the religious community. Like Paul, we struggle with our own selfish desires and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. We gather to be refreshed by Christ’s invitation: “Come to me, all you that are weary.” Gathered around word, water, and meal, we find rest for our souls.
Sermon for July 2, 2023 + 10 AM
Pastor Jenna Bergeson
"The Gift of Water"
Water gives us life. Not only do we physically need water to survive, but the waters of baptism are a sign of God's promise of everlasting life, and an invitation into the family of Christ.
Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/caNsWxLy5lQ
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 13, Year A
5th Sunday after Pentecost
The welcome of baptism is for all God’s children. This baptismal gift sets us free from the power of sin and death. In today’s gospel, Christ promises that the disciple who gives a cup of cold water to the little ones serves Christ himself. From worship we are sent on our baptismal mission: to serve the little ones of this world and to be a sign of God’s merciful welcome.
Sermon for June 25, 2023 + 10 AM
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
"Cutting Through the Cozy"
Jesus comes with a sword to cut off all that separate us from God and from one another. He brings the sword not us. Good News: We are not to live held hostage by fear.
Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/K8UXha158M0
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 12, Year A 4nd Sunday after Pentecost
God does not promise that the path of the disciple will be easy. Jeremiah feels the pain of rejection from those who do not want to hear what he has to say. Jesus declares that his words may bring stark division. Even so, we need not be afraid for God accounts for each hair on our heads. Though we may experience rejection, frustration, division, and death, God’s grace and love make us a new creation each day. Marked with the cross and filled with holy food, we are sent from worship to witness to Christ in the world.
Sermon for June 18, 2023 + 10 AM
Pastor Jenna Bergeson
What does it mean to be an 'Evangelical' in today's charged political and religious landscape? To share the Good News of Jesus Christ: we are saved by grace through faith.
++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 11, Year A
3nd Sunday after Pentecost
++++++++++++++++++
Moses tells the Israelites that they are called to be a priestly kingdom and a holy people. Jesus sends out the disciples as laborers into the harvest. In baptism we too are anointed for ministry, sharing God’s compassion with our needy world. From the Lord’s table we go forth to proclaim the good news, to heal the sick, and to share our bread with the hungry.
Sermon for June 4, 2023 + 10 AM
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
"Crossing the Line"
When we draw lines between people, we can be sure that Jesus will stand on the other side of the line we draw.
+++++++++++++++++++
Lectionary 10, Year A
2nd Sunday after Pentecost
+++++++++++++++++++
Though Jesus was a devout Jew who practiced his faith, he was criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners—the religiously nonobservant. Jesus criticizes the self-righteous and reminds us that mercy is to be at the heart of our religious practices. God continues to be made known in those on the margins of society, like Matthew the tax collector and the hemorrhaging woman. As we gather each Lord’s day we receive the healing that makes us well and sends us forth to be signs of God’s mercy for the world.
Sermon for June 4, 2023 + 10 AM David Horton
"And It Was Good"
Minister of Music David Horton takes a close look at the Trinity through the lens of Queer theology, grounded in the story of creation. God is love. God is fully inclusive. God is mystery.
++++++++++ The Holy Trinity ++++++++++
Though the word trinity is not found in the scriptures, today’s second reading includes the apostolic greeting that begins the liturgy: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. In the gospel Jesus sends his disciples forth to baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. More than a doctrine, the Trinity expresses the heart of our faith: we have experienced the God of creation made known in Jesus Christ and with us always through the Holy Spirit. We celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity in word and sacrament, as we profess the creed, and as we are sent into the world to bear witness to our faith.
Sermon for May 28, 2023 + 10 AM
Pastor Jenna Bergeson
"Just Breathe"
Jesus reminds us to receive the Holy Spirit, but in order to do that, we must remember to "Just Breathe." That act of breathing, however, has two components. Even as we breathe in the Holy Spirit, we must soon after breathe back out, and are encouraged to do so with Jesus' great commission in mind.
++++++++++++
Day of Pentecost
++++++++++++
Pentecost derives its name from the Jewish festival celebrating the harvest and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai fifty days after Passover. Fifty days after Easter, we celebrate the Holy Spirit as God’s presence within and among us. In Acts the Spirit arrives in rushing wind and flame, bringing God’s presence to all people. Paul reminds us that though we each have different capacities, we are unified in the Spirit that equips us with these gifts. Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on his disciples, empowering them to forgive sin. We celebrate that we too are given the breath of the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim God’s redeeming love to all the world.
Sermon for May 21, 2023 + 10 AM Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
"Commissioned to be a Movement"
Jesus' commission implies a movement rooted in his teaching but forward-focused. We cannot remain immovable steering to the past. Pastor Hector exhorts us to refocus in our commission to be a movement of Jesus.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Seventh Sunday of Easter In these days between Ascension and Pentecost, we gather with the disciples in the upper room, waiting for the Spirit to transform the church around the world. In today’s gospel Jesus prays for his followers and for their mission in his name. Amid religious, social, and economic divisions, we seek the unity that Jesus had with his Father. Made one in baptism, we go forth to live our faith in the world, eager for the unity that God intends for the whole human family.
Sermon for May 14, 2023 + 10 AM Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
"Sharing the Good News"
Although God in Jesus is ahead of us and present among us, the commission is for us to introduce others to God as a sign of love to God in Jesus.
++++++++++++++++++++
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Jesus does not abandon his followers. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus comes to abide with his disciples of every generation. As Pentecost draws near, we are reminded that the risen Christ dwells in us as the Spirit of truth. We receive this Spirit in baptism and pray that in our gathering around the Lord’s table the Spirit will transform us to be the body of the risen Christ in the world.
Sermon for May 7, 2023 + 10 AM Pastor Jenna Bergeson
"Stand Before the Rocks" Pastor Jenna reflects on martyrdom, justice and the challenge we all face to pay attention and stand up to injustice and advocate for those facing oppression, violence and persecution.
++++++++++++++++++++
Fifth Sunday of Easter
As we continue to celebrate the fifty days of Easter, today’s gospel includes Jesus’ promise that he goes to prepare a place for his followers in his Father’s house. Our baptism commissions us to share Jesus’ mission in the world. As 1 Peter reminds us, we are a holy people, called to proclaim the one who called us out of darkness into light. In words and deeds we bear witness to the risen Christ—our way, our truth, our life.
Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo + Shepherds of Healing & Transformation
The risen Jesus is a shepherd who guides us to live lives that impact the community, bringing healing and transformation.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Today is sometimes called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Jesus is called the “gate” of the sheep in today’s gospel. The risen Christ opens the way to abundant life. He anoints our heads with oil and guides us beside the still waters of our baptism. Each Sunday he spreads a feast before us amid the world’s violence and war. We go forth to be signs of the resurrection and extend God’s tender care to all creation.
Pastor Hector challenges the self-centric mindset in today's society by pointing to Peter's call in Acts to 'change your life." In light of Earth Day, we care for the earth not because it makes us feel good, but because we are charged to care for creations as stewards of the gift of resurrection life.
Third Sunday of Easter
Today’s gospel begins with two disciples walking to Emmaus, overcome with sadness, loss, and disappointment. They had hoped Jesus, who was crucified, would be the one to redeem Israel! Yet the risen Christ walks with them and then opens their eyes in the breaking of the bread. Each Sunday our hearts burn within us as the scriptures are proclaimed and Christ appears to us as bread is broken and wine is poured. The story of Emmaus becomes the pattern of our worship each Lord’s day.
Sermon for April 16, 2023 + 10 AM Pastor Jenna Bergeson
The disciples and followers of Jesus had a tendency to doubt Jesus, something that continues today for each and every one of us.
Second Sunday of Easter
In today’s gospel the risen Christ appears to the disciples and offers them the gift of peace. Even amid doubts and questions, we experience the resurrection in our Sunday gathering around word and meal, and in our everyday lives. Throughout the coming Sundays of Easter the first two readings will be from the Acts of the Apostles and the first letter of Peter. Even as the early Christians proclaimed the resurrection, we rejoice in the new birth and living hope we receive in baptism.
Sermon for April 9, 2023 + 10 AM + Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo
Pastor Hector proclaims the Good News that Jesus' resurrection on Easter day is indeed something that affects each and every one one of us. Indeed, we are Resurrection People.
The Resurrection of Our Lord Easter Day
This is the day the Lord has made! Christ is risen, and through him all creation is made new! Indeed, “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34): Christ’s resurrection truly brings life to everyone. We sing hymns of praise, gather around sacred words, and proclaim God’s faithfulness, power, and love in the feast of holy communion. With the women at the tomb, we are astonished, elated, and grateful. We depart with joy to proclaim the good news of God’s endless love.
The thing about "The Almost-Last-Step" is that it isn't anything we can see. Pastor Jenna delves into the liminal spaces found in the moment of transition from death to life in the penultimate worship of Holy Week.
Easter Vigil
This is the night of salvation! At the Vigil of Easter, we gather around fire, word, water, bread, and wine, proclaiming through story and song that ours is a God who continuously brings life out of death. On this night we experience again the heart of God’s baptismal promise and the center of our faith: we are claimed and cleansed, renewed in the death and resurrection of Christ. We gather with all the saints of every time and place to celebrate the good news: Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
"Holy Trauma"
Why do we call this day Good Friday, if it commemorates trauma? Pastor Jenna unpacks how our lives today are informed by trauma, and yet the promise of Jesus' death and resurrection overcomes and persists.
Good Friday
Life and death stand side by side as we enter into Good Friday. In John’s passion account, Jesus reveals the power and glory of God, even as he is put on trial and sentenced to death. Standing with the disciples at the foot of the cross, we pray for the whole world in the ancient bidding prayer, as Christ’s death offers life to all. We gather in solemn devotion, but always with the promise that the tree around which we assemble is indeed a tree of life. We depart silently, and we anticipate the culmination of the Three Days in the Easter Vigil.
Pastor Hector reflects on the temptation to give up or to project our despair on others when we sink into a pit of suffocating darkness. However, at just that moment, Jesus shows us the way of the reign of God. Where have you felt you are at Gethsemane? In or with whom have you found the support to endure the temptation to violence and despair?
Palm Sunday The Garden: Risking Temptation
The Garden at Gethsemane is the moment when a chain of events begins that cannot be halted. Once Jesus is taken into custody, there is no going back. So we pause a moment with him in the garden just before his arrest, and we feel with him the temptations that arise when facing difficult circumstances—to run, hide, use whatever power we have to change things, fight it, perhaps even bargain with God. We walk among the sleepy disciples who just can’t grasp what is about to happen.
Pastor Jenna explores what it means to be vulnerable, uncomfortable, and intimate in response to God's calling to serve our neighbors.
Fifth Sunday in Lent The Last Supper: Risking The Loss of Friends
Jesus’ words at the Last Supper were shocking to those in attendance. His words can seem familiar, even comforting to us because we hear these words every time we have communion,. But at the moment of their utterance, they were anything but “usual.” This week we enter the scene of that last supper long enough to get a grasp of the shock that would have rippled through Jesus’ friends. Partaking of body and blood? Not kosher! A “Lord” washing feet like a servant? Unbelievable! Breaking bread with the enemy? What?! But Jesus knew his time was up. And it was time for the disciples to get the message, even if it came in a shocking way: love one another as I have loved you—by serving, forgiving, freeing, communing—becoming one with—God.
Pastor Hector speaks about how showing extravagant devotion to Jesus can be frightening because it can come with rejection and judgment, reflecting on the theme for this Sunday: Risking Rejection.
Fourth Sunday in Lent The First Dinner: Risking Rejection
Besides the Last Supper, Holy Week contains another important story that happens at dinner. Earlier in the week, Jesus and his followers gather for a meal, and a woman shows up unexpectedly to anoint Jesus in an extravagant show of devotion. To say she caused quite a “stir” might be understating it a bit. We imagine ourselves in the room and we see the looks of judgment and even outrage on the faces around us. Are we ourselves moved by her generosity and outpouring of emotion? Or are we uncomfortable as Jesus refers to his own death? Does our complaining or anger really serve to hide our own fear? Jesus invites us to tell this story “in remembrance of her.” What uncomfortable stories are we called to tell in our time?
Sermon for March 12, 2023 + Pastor Jenna Bergeson
Pastor Jenna unpacks what it means to risk relationship for one's beliefs by lifting up the story of the woman at the well.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Third Sunday in Lent The Teaching: Risking Challenge
That last week, Jesus didn't “lay low.” He puts himself out there, susceptible to those who want to trap him, twist his words, get him to say something damning. He cannot turn from his vocation—he is not only a master teacher, but also a prophet and voice of the Divine. It is his ability to draw the people to his teachings that pose a threat, a challenge, to the authorities. We place ourselves in the crowd this week, to be moved and motivated by Jesus for our lives—to get a faithful perspective. What would we have seen, heard and felt? What do we do now?
-
SEASONAL LENT BULLETIN + https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o...
-
LENT 3 INSERT + https://docs.google.com/document/d/12...
-
GET CONNECTED TO TRINITY + https://trinitylutheranchurch.com/new...
-
GIVE TO TRINITY + https://give.tlcs.church
-
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS + https://trinitylutheranchurch.com/news
Texts and music reprinted and streamed under the following licenses: Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS002250 . CCLI License #1295571; OneLicense #A706801.
Sermon for March 5, 2023 + 6:30 PM Pastor Hector Garfias-Toledo Trinity Lutheran Church & Schools
Second Sunday in Lent - The Temple: Risking Righteous Anger
SERMON OVERVIEW
A prophetic church and a prophetic disciple cannot remain indifferent to the human tendency to make God's reign a tool for control, power, and submission of others.
SUNDAY OVERVIEW
Jesus’ response to a visit to the Temple in the midst of the busy, noisy, Passover “tourist season” is utter frustration turned to anger. With so much at stake, “business-as-usual” seems obscene. This can be true for us today. The routine nature of our everyday lives sometimes seems ludicrous in the face of such suffering around the world. But taking a moment inside the scene where Jesus is overturning tables in this “house of prayer for all nations” can offer us a way to see what we actually might do to reassess our own actions and make our own corner of the world (our “temples”) a more welcoming place for all people.
Sermon for February 26, 2023 + 6:30 PM Trinity Lutheran Church & Schools Pastor Jenna Bergeson
First Sunday in Lent The Parade: Risking Reputation
Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week was full of risk. Rather than a nice impromptu celebration, it can be seen for the carefully planned and significantly symbolic event that would rub those in power the wrong way. In a moment already filled with tension, this “victory parade” had many implications, and as we know, many consequences. We will stop the action just at the beginning of the parade to take stock of all the players, including the role the city itself plays full of pilgrims for the Passover.
Pastor Hector discusses with both our Young Worshippers and the whole congregation about how we are called to be agents who open new futures for those whose present circumstance is skewed toward despair. We join God’s mission in the confidence of God’s covenant with us.
READINGS FOR THE DAY Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (The Message) Look at what I’ve done for you today: I’ve placed in front of you Life and Good Death and Evil.
And I command you today: Love God, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess.
But I warn you: If you have a change of heart, refuse to listen obediently, and willfully go off to serve and worship other gods, you will most certainly die. You won’t last long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Matthew 5:21-37 (The Inclusive Bible) You’ve heard that our ancestors were told, ‘No killing’ and, ‘Every murderer will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that everyone who is angry with sister or brother is subject to judgment; anyone who says to sister or brother, ‘I spit in your face!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin; and anyone who vilifies them with name-calling will be subject to the fires of Gehenna. “If you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your sister or brother has a grudge against you, leave your gift there at the altar. Go to be reconciled to them, and then come and offer your gift.
“Lose no time in settling with your opponents—do so while still on the way to the courthouse with them. Otherwise your opponents may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the bailiff, who will throw you into prison. I warn you, you won’t get out until you have paid the last penny.
“You’ve heard the commandment, ‘No committing adultery.’ But I tell you that those who look lustfully at others have already committed adultery with them in their hearts. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It’s better to lose part of your body than to have it all cast into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It’s better to lose part of your body than to have it all cast into Gehenna.
“It was also said, ‘Whenever a couple divorces, each partner must get a decree of divorce.’ But I tell you that everyone who divorces—except because of adultery—forces the spouse to commit adultery. Those who marry the divorced also commit adultery.
"Again, you have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘Don’t break your vow; fulfill all oaths made to our God.’ But I tell you not to swear oaths at all. Don’t swear by heaven, for it is God’s throne; don’t swear by the earth, for it is God’s footstool. Don’t swear by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great Ruler. And don’t swear by your own head, for you can’t make a single hair white or black. Say ‘Yes’ when you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ when you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond that is from the Evil One.
Life in the Emptiest of Places
Jesus has called us to use the gift that has been placed in each one of us so that we can be agents of life in emptiest of places. What are these emptiest of places in our lives? How are you able to go through these emptiest of places? What does full life mean in the emptiest of places?
READINGS FOR TODAY
Isaiah 58:1-12 (The Message)
1-3 “Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout! Tell my people what’s wrong with their lives, face my family Jacob with their sins! They’re busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me. To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people— law-abiding, God-honoring. They ask me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’ and love having me on their side. But they also complain, ‘Why do we fast and you don’t look our way? Why do we humble ourselves and you don’t even notice?’
3-5 “Well, here’s why: “The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit. You drive your employees much too hard. You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won’t get your prayers off the ground. Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, God, would like?
6-9 “This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’
9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins, If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
Matt 5:13-20 (NRSV)
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Pastor Jenna Bergeson discusses the 'supreme blessing' of the beatitudes, and how Jesus gives some of the old teachings of God new meaning for a new day.
Join Pastor Hector as he breaks down the cost of discipleship and what and who it is Jesus is calling do and be. How are we made new in the promise of everlasting life?
Join David Greenlee, TLCS Minister of Faith Formation, for an exploration of what it means to be called by God and the difference between 'carreer' and 'vocation.'
Readings for the Day:
- Isaiah 49:1-5
- 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
- John 1:35-42
Pastor Jenna Bergeson leads the Trinity Young Worshipper's on an exploration of the church year calendar, and introduces them to today's feast day: The Baptism of Our Lord.
An angel speaks to Joseph in a dream: "Get up and go!" Pastor Hector unpacks the Holy Family's flight into Egypt under the threat of death by King Herod, and how this and all stories fit into the greater story of God's story for the world.
An image referenced in the sermon:
The Rest on The Flight into Egypt, painting by Orazio Gentileschi