Wicker Park Lutheran Church Sermons
105 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsThese are sermons preached at Wicker Park Lutheran Church in Chicago, IL. WPLC is a diverse, ELCA Christian community in Chicago focused on expansive theology. Sunday service at 10 a.m. www.wickerparklutheran.org
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Episodes
The Feast of Saint Francis
October 03, 2021 19:37 - 20.6 MBIn today’s gospel, Jesus said, “do not worry about tomorrow.” For some of us, that’s easier said than done. After all, there is so much to worry about: Climate change. COVID. Where our career path or family life might take us. We wonder if we’ll ever meet the partner we yearn for. If we’ll have enough money for retirement. If the treatment will work. Or, what the test results might say... The post The Feast of Saint Francis appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 20, 2021 17:51When Jesus put a child among the disciples in today’s gospel reading, I could not help but think of the stain glass window here in our space. What that window depicts is not today’s story. But, the window and the story both emphasize a theme we see throughout Mark’s gospel. You see, in Jesus’s time, children were the most subservient humans in ancient society... The post Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Feast of Mary Mother of our Lord
August 15, 2021 17:38 - 22.3 MBGod’s plan. At the cross, John’s gospel said that she needed to be cared for by the disciple whom Jesus loved. Yet, today’s gospel paints a different picture of Mary... The post Feast of Mary Mother of our Lord appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 01, 2021 18:48 - 19.2 MBI imagine the crowd at Galilee that we read about today like those of us who wanted to bake in those early days of the pandemic. But when I had this urge , I couldn’t find the main ingredient- flour- anywhere... The post Tenth Sunday after Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
The Feast of Mary Magdalene
July 25, 2021 19:04 - 23.6 MBI think it’s safe to say that the name “Mary” was a top ten baby name during Jesus’s childhood. After all, the name Mary occurs 54 times in the Christian Scriptures, it’s found in 49 verses, and it’s likely that these instances denote 7-12 unique people. Because of this, scholars often need to figure out which particular Mary the author is talking about... The post The Feast of Mary Magdalene appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 18, 2021 19:10 - 16.8 MBToday’s passage doesn’t appear in many commentaries. It’s not a well-known passage like the beheading of John the Baptist from last week or the feeding of the 5000 which actually happens in the middle of this passage. Rather, this is a transition passage to describe a transition in the ministry of the disciples and Jesus’ ministry... The post Eighth Sunday after Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 11, 2021 18:57 - 22.4 MBI could not help but wince when I found out I’d be preaching on this passage this week. It’s hard to read, much less preach on. First, it doesn’t sit right with me that John the Baptist was imprisoned simply for pointing out a hard truth. It doesn’t sit right with me that Herod would rather kill an innocent person than be embarrassed in front of his guests. It doesn’t sit right with me that somehow his child gets caught in the middle of the grudge that he and his wife have with John the Bapt...
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 04, 2021 18:45 - 24.2 MB"Today’s portion of Mark picks up where we ended last week. Up to this point in Mark’s gospel, Jesus was baptized and tempted; he called the disciples, preached, and healed (sometimes on the Sabbath); he told a few parables to speak about God’s truth; and last week, he healed an unnamed woman and brought a child back from death. This week, we had two parts in our reading– first, Jesus’ rejection and second, the sending of the disciples..." The post Sixth Sunday after Pentecost appeared firs...
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
June 27, 2021 18:33 - 22.2 MBIn today’s gospel we get a “twofer” - two stories in one. At first, it seems like today’s passage is about Jairus’ sick daughter but then suddenly, the story takes a turn as an unnamed woman tugs on Jesus’ garment. The story of this woman is sandwiched in between the beginning and the ending of the recounting of Jesus’ healing of Jairus’ daughter... The post Fifth Sunday after Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 20, 2021 20:03 - 19.1 MBToday’s passage is a action packed snapshot into one boat trip that took a scary turn. What started out as perhaps a simple crossing of the sea- a lazy Sunday afternoon at the lake- turned into the disciples almost losing their lives... The post Fourth Sunday after Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Third Sunday After Pentecost
June 14, 2021 20:47 - 20.1 MBWritten sermon coming soon. Listen to the sermon here! The post Third Sunday After Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 06, 2021 19:04 - 26.3 MB"Today’s gospel reading is a little odd. We heard of Beelzebul, Satan, plundering of a strong man’s house, and Jesus’s confusion about his family. At first pass, it comes across worse than if we dig into what Jesus was trying to communicate. So, let’s sort this out..." The post Second Sunday after Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Holy Trinity Sunday
May 30, 2021 19:21 - 24.2 MBAs we read from the Scriptures each Sunday, it’s usually the gospel reading that grabs my attention. Today, however, it was Isaiah’s vision. If you don’t know much about Isaiah, here’s what you need to know for today: First, he was rooted in the Zion tradition, which celebrated God as the great king, and second, Isaiah saw Jerusalem (a.k.a. Zion) as the place that God founded and decided to live... The post Holy Trinity Sunday appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Pentecost Sunday
May 23, 2021 19:04 - 18.4 MBLanguage. It’s important. It facilitates communication, understanding. Relationship. And when we don’t understand the language, we can feel misunderstood and completely lost! The post Pentecost Sunday appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 16, 2021 19:19 - 19.6 MBAn impending loss or separation from our loved ones can make us do and say unusual things. Things we wouldn’t do or say otherwise... The post Seventh Sunday of Easter appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Sixth Sunday Of Easter
May 09, 2021 19:00 - 22.2 MB“I have loved you.” “Abide in my love.” “Love one another.” The post Sixth Sunday Of Easter appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 02, 2021 19:18 - 19.7 MBI had just been dating my, now, spouse for a few months when he invited me to dinner with his family at their house. This seemed odd to me, because in other relationships that I had been a part of and knew of- I thought meeting parents and family was for when you had been dating for a really long time and were really, really serious. But we had just been dating for a few months...Now, I understand that meeting his family, was for him, meeting a part of him... The post Fifth Sunday of Easter...
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 25, 2021 18:29 - 17.8 MBMy preaching professors taught me to preach from scars and avoid preaching from open wounds so, I won’t go into the details of my the tragic death that touched my family quite close this week, but I’ll just say that If I thought last week was hard to find glimpses of easter and the resurrection, this week has been ten times more difficult... The post Fourth Sunday of Easter appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Easter Sunday
April 04, 2021 18:22 - 25.3 MBIt’s Easter Sunday! Alleluia! Christ is risen! That’s an A+ for those of you who just responded, “Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!” Regardless of your response, I still have a question after today’s gospel: Where is Jesus? I mean, Mark’s gospel doesn’t tell of a resurrection appearance like John’s account, and that’s a little odd, right? Like, isn’t this Jesus’s big day, and now he’s nowhere to be found? The post Easter Sunday appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Easter Vigil
April 04, 2021 18:13It is early morning, still dark, before anyone else has arisen. Mary arrives at the tomb- Christ is not there. Mary starts weeping because the body of Jesus is not where she thought it was. Not only did he die a death of a criminal on the cross, but now it seems his dead body won’t even have the dignity to be left in peace... The post Easter Vigil appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Good Friday
April 03, 2021 01:59 - 50.6 MBEvery time we read the Passion narrative, something different catches my attention. This year, it was the scene where Peter cut off Malchus’s ear. Now, it wasn’t the severed appendage that stood out. Rather, it was my shock that I had never realized how important those four sentences were to understanding Jesus’s life and ministry... The post Good Friday appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Passion/Palm Sunday
March 28, 2021 18:38 - 48.3 MBListen to Pastor Jason's introduction to the Passion Reading and follow along with the Passion Story. The post Passion/Palm Sunday appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Third Sunday in Lent
March 07, 2021 18:00 - 29 MBWicker Park Lutheran Church Rev. Jason S. Glombicki March 7, 2021 Today we step into John’s gospel. Between now and Pentecost, we’ll hear a lot from this fourth gospel. As we make this transition, I’m reminded that John’s gospel is markedly different from the others. John stresses Jesus’s divinity. John is more spiritual, more theological, and, well (what’s a nice way to put this), historical accuracy is not the emphasis. That’s all because John is written to inspire the community […] The p...
Second Sunday in Lent
February 28, 2021 20:32 - 16.6 MBWe’ve all heard it a million times: “Oh, it’s just my cross to bear.” This phrase repeated often and used to express a kind of powerlessness in our suffering completely misses the point of the original context, which comes in our gospel text today. Yes, Jesus urges his followers to take up their cross, but the complete phrase spoken by Jesus in Mark is: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” When we look at the whole phrase, we...
Ash Wednesday
February 18, 2021 20:59 - 19 MBWicker Park Lutheran Church Rev. Jason S. Glombicki February 17, 2021 Today begins the season of Lent. And Lent is about re-alignment. It’s about adjusting our form. It’s about shifting our perspectives. We began this season with Matthew’s gospel. In this reading, we heard a similar formula given three times that illuminated what this shift in perspective looks like. The formula was: “Whenever you __(action)___, do not __(do it like this)__. But when you _(action)_, do it __(this way)__.” ...
Transfiguration of Our Lord
February 14, 2021 19:51 - 16.2 MB"Perhaps you have a teacher or (God forbid!) a preacher that as much as you listen to them you just don’t understand? Well, you are not alone. In our gospel passage today, the disciples hear a booming voice from above and it is not the first time. You may remember back to Jesus’ baptism, there is also a booming voice from above declaring “You are my son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” The voices connect these passages, connect these moments of revelation and epiphany about who Jes...
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
February 07, 2021 20:23 - 27 MB"Today’s story picks up where last Sunday’s left off. And Jesus is up to the same old thing again–that is, healing. Last week, it was a man with an unclean spirit. This week, we hear about a woman with a fever and many people who were sick or possessed being healed. Yet, Mark isn’t the only gospel to speak of Jesus’s healings. In fact, every single gospel talks about these acts. Jesus heals women and men, young and old, rich and poor, Jewish and Samaritan. The gospels show the breath and the...
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
January 31, 2021 19:50 - 14.6 MBOur passage this morning tells us of one of the first public acts of Jesus’ ministry, in the Gospel of Mark. This scene in the synagogue may be the first time many people were hearing his teachings about love and were wondering: can this guy be trusted? Will he practice what he preaches?... The post Fourth Sunday After Epiphany appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Third Sunday After Epiphany
January 24, 2021 20:23 - 20.3 MBOne of the things I love most about Mark’s gospel is how it’s written. It’s short and to the point. It’s very matter of fact. It’s like a quick tweet or burst of information. And we see that in today’s reading because we get two nuggets of information paired together in a short reading... The post Third Sunday After Epiphany appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
The Baptism of Our Lord
January 17, 2021 20:53 - 16.3 MB"Violent insurrection. Deep divisions. Widespread unrest. This is the world in 70 AD that Mark is writing his gospel in. He was writing during the Jewish-Roman war, when a group of Judeans rose up against the Roman empire, and tried to take back control of their towns..." The post The Baptism of Our Lord appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Second Sunday of Christmas
January 03, 2021 20:29 - 15 MBWith today’s gospel passage, we start to understand the cosmic proportion of what happened at the nativity. What it meant for Jesus- who was with God at the very creation of the universe- to be born in a fleshy baby human body... The post Second Sunday of Christmas appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Fifth SUnday of Advent
December 06, 2020 20:36 - 24.5 MBLast week, we began a new lectionary year that focuses on the gospel of Mark. Last week, we also had a much better preacher, Bishop Curry. And Bishop called our attention to Jesus’s words in Mark’s gospel to “keep alert” and “keep awake” (Mark 13:37). Keep awake and be ready. Keep alert and look for the time. Then, today, we jumped back to the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. To the very first verse of Mark. To “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ” (Mark 1:1)... The post Fifth SUnd...
Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost
October 18, 2020 18:10 - 12.2 MBIn our text today, we see that political debates haven’t changed much. Taxes have long been a hot button issue and seemingly innocent questions hold hidden agendas. Today, we find Jesus not on a debate stage, but he does find himself in a type of debate with two groups of religious leaders. The Pharisees and Herodians both feel threatened by the large crowds following Jesus, and so they team up to entrap him with a question about paying taxes to the emperor... The post Twentieth Sunday Afte...
Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost
October 11, 2020 19:35 - 12.4 MBThis parable is hard to digest. If you are like me you find yourself cringing at every turn of what should have been a straightforward wedding party. It’s important to remember that this parable is actually a response to a question. Jesus is responding to religious leaders who had asked him, “By what authority do you do these things.” By “these things” they are referring to the clearing of the money changers in the temple, as well as the healing sick and stigmatized individuals at the templ...
The Feast of St. Francis
October 04, 2020 17:51 - 18.4 MBAt first glance, today’s gospel reading seems insensitive to the realities of 2020. After all, we’re living in the midst of a pandemic that has led to record unemployment, surging deaths, economic uncertainty, and an anticipated doubling of worldwide food insecurity. In the midst of all of that going on, we heard Jesus say, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than cloth...
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost
September 27, 2020 17:28 - 15.2 MBWe saw the world screech to a halt in the first few weeks of the pandemic in March. Then we watched in horror as we saw the death tolls rise. Later, in June, with George Floyd’s murder, many of us watched and participated in social upheaval as we demanded that racist systems come to an end. Not long after that, wildfires ravaged communities on the west coast. And this past week, the lack of justice for Breonna Taylor who DID not DESERVE TO DIE, heavies our hearts and ENRAGES us at how sick ...
Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
September 20, 2020 18:50 - 22.5 MBListen to presiding bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing deliver the gospel and sermon for today! The post Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
August 30, 2020 18:17 - 26.1 MBIt was a quick turn of events in today’s episode. If you recall, last week, Peter named Jesus as the Messiah, and Jesus described that statement as a “rock.” Today, the very next thing Peter said, Jesus called that statement a “stumbling block.” It was a jarring move from rock to stumbling block. But, for me, the most memorable part of the Gospel was Jesus’ phrase “Get behind me, Satan.”... The post Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
August 23, 2020 17:33 - 15.8 MB“Who do YOU say I am?” This is the question that comes to us today in the gospel. A question just as relevant today as it was the first time it was spoken. If you are like me, you probably first think of the Sunday school answer: “Jesus!” Because that’s the answer to everything, right? Then, you may think about who the CHURCH has said Jesus is over the years- sometimes a tame carpenter from the Middle East, sometimes a radical rebel-rouser challenging an empire. You may also think about how ...
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
August 09, 2020 16:35 - 16.6 MBGOOD MORNING Wicker Park Lutheran Church! It’s been about a week and a half now that I have been Vicar here. In that time, I’ve had the chance to share with several of you about my journey to seminary and my call to ministry. In these conversations I’ve just shared the bite-sized/ nutshell version of this story. But in the longer version- and with more time- I would tell you about stormier times in my faith- times that I felt hurt by the church, and wanted to abandon the church all t...
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
August 02, 2020 16:44 - 25.3 MBIn years past, this gospel story was one of the easier ones to preach. It has great connections to the gathering of God’s people in the Hebrew Scriptures from Moses to Elijah to Elisha; it’s an easy connection to when Jesus broke bread gathered around a table with his disciples at the Last Supper; and it naturally focuses us toward our shared meal at the table of Holy Communion. But this year, it’s different. This time around, the world has changed. You and I, we are not gathering together, ...
Feast of Mary Magdalene
July 26, 2020 16:48 - 25 MB"Mary Magdalene has an image problem. If she had a PR firm, we’d want to avoid them. After all, Mary Magdalene’s reputation is at best confusing and at worst defamation..." The post Feast of Mary Magdalene appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
July 19, 2020 16:50 - 25.2 MBVicar Paisley preached without a manuscript, listen to her sermon here! The post Seventh Sunday After Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
July 12, 2020 16:56 - 23.2 MBAt the beginning of the year I made a pilgrimage to Taize, France. Thousands of pilgrims from throughout the world travel to this village as guest of the Brothers of Taize, an ecumenical monastic community that found its origins during World War II. The Brothers’ hospitality they practiced then, housing refugees during the war, continues to today. With a particular focus on young people, Taize welcomes openly individuals to a time of spiritual renewal through bible study, prayer, song, and i...
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
July 05, 2020 17:39 - 22.8 MBToday’s gospel started with Jesus’ frustration about the negative response to his teaching. He mentioned that, historically-speaking, some had problems with John the Baptist because he was too demanding. On the other hand, some were frustrated that Jesus was too welcoming. Jesus identified the human truth that sometimes nothing will make us happy. On a simplistic level, we experience it on a hot summer day, when we long for snow; but, in the middle of February, we, then, wish for the hot sun...
Second Sunday After Pentecost
June 14, 2020 19:33 - 22.2 MBThe holy Gospel is meant to be an all-encompassing experience of sight and sound. Skip to 15:16 to listen to the holy Gospel and watch Vicar Paisley's sermon! The post Second Sunday After Pentecost appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 17, 2020 17:48There is a problem with today’s gospel reading. Where it starts doesn’t build the scene, and so, it’s easy for us to lose the meaning. So, let’s re-create the scene. It was the night before the Passover. Jesus had become like a servant and washed his followers’ feet. Gathered at the table, Jesus told his disciples that Judas would betray him and that Jesus would be leaving them. Jesus told the disciples that he loved them and that all his disciples should love one another. It is at that momen...
The Sunday of the Passion
April 05, 2020 19:06Listen to the audio recording of the Passion reading from today's service.
Transfiguration Sunday
February 23, 2020 23:34Wicker Park Lutheran Church Vicar Paisley Le Roy February 23, 2020 Vicar Paisley Le Roy preached without a manuscript, listen to the audio recording of her sermon.
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
February 16, 2020 19:28Today’s gospel reading picks right up where we left off last week. And, we’re about a third of the way through Jesus’s famous “sermon on the mount.” And it’s so very important to remember the context; otherwise, we’ll miss the meaning or come to believe in alternative facts. So, we’re going to do three things: first, dig into the context; second, dive into the examples; and third, find out what this all means for us...