Sermons by Rev. Jason S. Glombicki (Page 4)

Wicker Park Lutheran Church Rev. Jason S. Glombicki February 26, 2023 The first Sunday of Lent always tells the story of Jesus’s temptation. In Mark’s gospel, we read that Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and was tempted, but we don’t get any details. In today’s reading from Matthew along with Luke’s version, we heard details about Jesus’s temptation. Now, since Jesus was likely alone and temptation is essentially a personal, inner experience, today’s reading is likely a…

Today, we celebrate the Epiphany of Our Lord­­– that is, the manifestation or revelation of God’s presence. Before “January 6” became a part of our country’s vernacular, Epiphany has been celebrated on that date for almost 2,000 years. At the Epiphany, we celebrate the revelation of God in human form as honored by the magi, or wise men. While popular culture shows the magi coming to honor baby Jesus at the same time as the shepherds, in reality, Jesus was not a newborn and the shepherds had already gone back to their fields and flocks… 

Tonight, we hear the familiar Christmas story. But, for me, the story feels different. The obvious reason is that we’re physically in the same place this year for Christmas–we’re singing together, we’re praying together, and we can see each other’s faces. But I think it’s… the poinsettias that make it feel different for me this year…