The magi have fascinated Christians for thousands of years. They are depicted in 3rd century frescos in the catacombs of Rome and were carved into the façades of Chartres Cathedral in the 13th century. They were the subject of great artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Dürer. And most church nativity scenes, as well as at-home devotional…

Several weeks back, within these very pews actually, I heard a sermon that re-shaped the way I approached the Christmas season. It was Vicar Kornelius’s sermon about the classic Christmas movie “The Grinch,” perhaps some of you remember it. It was so rich and thought-provoking a sermon that it had me analyzing all of my favorite classic Christmas m…

Last week’s gospel introduced us to John the Baptist. We heard John’s message of repentance and its connection to the prophet Isaiah. But there wasn’t much meat about what repentance looks like, how it functions, or the purpose of it. But, this week is different as the story continued. We that heard the substance of John’s message was, as one colle…

Today’s gospel reading has at least two parts – (1) a list of leaders and rulers and (2) the beginning of John the Baptist’s teaching. If you’re anything like me, I often want to skim past lists of names to get to the good part. A lot of times I cannot contextualize the names and frankly, I often fumble the pronunciation of their names as well. But…

“Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you, Why have you gone away?” Are you Team Grinch or Team Santa? We just have to look around after Thanksgiving all decorations switch to Christmas immediately after Black friday. Grinch Lost... The post Fourth Sunday of Advent appeared first on Wicker Park Lutheran Church.…

Today’s reading from John does not feel very Advent-like or even close to Christmas. In fact, it feels more appropriate on the day we often hear it, Good Friday. Yet, this reading does offer us some important glimpses into our Advent life together. In today’s gospel, we dropped in after the actors were assembled and heard that Jesus was before Pila…

Today we finish our year-long study of Mark’s gospel. It is the last time we’ll hear from Mark until November 29, 2026. This final reading wasn’t the chronological ending of Mark’s story– that was the empty tomb we studied on Easter. Nor did the lectionary bring us back to the beginning with a quote from Isaiah and John the Baptist – remember, ther…

In today’s reading, Jesus was in the temple. He had been teaching through parables and answering questions about taxes, the resurrection, the messiah, and the greatest commandment. Before he took a break, Jesus spoke about his primary challengers in Mark’s gospel, that was the scribes. The scribes were men who had a deep knowledge of the law and co…

Have you ever met people who have a quick answer when you suffer a loss? People who might say, 'Oh, you'll get over it quickly, cheer up' or 'It was for the best after all'. Or, especially when we mourn the loss of a child, 'Now the good Lord has one more angel in paradise'. And maybe the worst: 'You may not understand it now, but God has a plan' T…

Today we’re jumping back into John’s gospel. While we hear this same text every year on Reformation Sunday, there are some deep facets to explore together as we celebrate 145 years of ministry at the corner of Hoyne Ave. & Le Moyne St. in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. We’re going to focus on those first two verses. Hear them again: Jesus…

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