Pastor Tim tells the story of Pentecost, which is considered to be a story about the birth and unity of the Church. The big takeaway of this story: God created a new identity of unity through the Holy Spirit. The emphasis here is on new, not

Set Apart for a Purpose

May 16th, 2021 16m 26s

Pastor Tim preaches on how the church is set apart for a special purpose; our job as a church, as a community, as followers of Jesus, is to be that community where people are made to feel that they belong, to be that community that models the m

The Power of Love

May 10th, 2021 13m 33s

Pastor Tim comments on Jesus' preaching on love. What kind of love is Jesus talking about? The English language has a limited lexicon for love, but the ancient Greek had many words for love. In each case in this scripture, the Greek word agape

The Conversion of Philip

May 3rd, 2021 21m 56s

Pastor Tim preaches about the story of Philip baptizing the Ethiop1an eunuch. The Ethiopian eunuch in today's scripture is a sexual minority, a gender minority, an ethic minority, and a racial minority; he represents the ultimate outsider. What

Are We Sheep or Shepherds?

Apr 26th, 2021 15m 55s

Pastor Tim preaches on the story of the Good Shepherd, where Jesus is modeling the way for us to be in relationship with each other, how we should care for each other, to protect, and to support each other. In this story we tend to identify our

I Can't Breathe

Apr 19th, 2021 20m 37s

In Genesis we learn that God has given us dominion over the earth. Our history tells us that we have interpreted dominion as synonymous with domination; humankind's domination of creation has resulted in degradation of the environment to the p

Thomas, the Questioner

Apr 12th, 2021 18m 20s

Pastor Tim preaches on the story of the "Doubting Thomas", and offers an alternative explanation of the disciple Thomas. Thomas has the courage to ask questions before believing or disbelieving that Jesus was resurrected. The beauty of the Thom

Come As You Are

Apr 5th, 2021 15m 14s

Upon learning of the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples had different reactions. Today's scripture suggests that there is not just one way to react to the empty tomb. Each of us comes to Easter from different places in our

Where Joy and Sorrow Meet

Mar 29th, 2021 17m 14s

On this Palm Sunday, Pastor Tim preaches on two contrasting stories - the Palm text which features the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the Passion text which foreshadows the crucifixion of Jesus and the final days of Jesus' life.

"Whoever Serves Me"

Mar 22nd, 2021 17m 12s

At the end of Jesus' public ministry, some Greeks asked to see Jesus. Jesus replied, "Whoever serves me must follow me". Pastor Tim uses this story to talk about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and to welcome those who want to serve Je

Look Up and Live

Mar 14th, 2021 14m 19s

Pastor Tim preaches on the story of the Israelites, after their escape from Egypt, encountering deadly snakes on the way to the promised land. God tells Moses to put a bronze snake on a pole and to instruct the Israelites to look at the bronze

Love God, Love Neighbor

Mar 11th, 2021 20m 40s

Pastor Tim proposes his updated "ten commandments" for the 21st century. The sermon text is Exodus 20:1-17; the reading of the scripture is included in the podcast. The Rev. Tim Schaefer, pastor, preaching.

"Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me"

Feb 28th, 2021 16m 34s

Jesus tells those who would follow him to, "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me". Pastor Tim asks us to consider what that means to each us individually, and as a church, in the 21st century. The sermon text is Mark 8:31-38; the rea

God of the Rainbow

Feb 21st, 2021 16m 55s

Pastor Tim uses the story of Noah and the flood, along with an ancient Mesopotamian story of a flood, to talk about suffering, a loving God, and creation. A question commonly asked is, "How could a loving God be responsible for such evil?" Pas

The Mountaintop

Feb 14th, 2021 14m 59s

On this Transfiguration Sunday, Pastor Tim preaches on Jesus' mountaintop experience. Rather than focusing on the visual aspects of the story, which is temporary, Pastor Tim proposes that we consider the story as a spiritual metamorphosis that

"Go and Do Likewise"

Feb 7th, 2021 12m 15s

Pastor Tim preaches on discipleship. As illustrated by Jesus in his ministry discipleship requires not only words, but also action. Jesus is telling us, "Go and do likewise". The sermon text is Mark 1:29-39; the reading of the scripture is incl

Whatever You Do ...

Jan 31st, 2021 14m 32s

The author of the letter to the Colossians advised us, "Whatever you do, do it through your words and deeds, and do it in the name of Jesus." Pastor Tim describes this as a characteristic of discipleship. Being a disciple of Jesus means worki

The Cost of Discipleship

Jan 24th, 2021 13m 12s

Using the story of Jesus walking the shore of the Sea of Galilee and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pastor Tim preaches on the cost of discipleship. He concludes with the questions: What does discipleship mean to us? How will we follo

Come and Follow

Jan 17th, 2021 19m 59s

On this weekend in which we celebrate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pastor Tim preaches on the Dr. King's vision of the beloved community. How does one build the beloved community? Pastor Tim reminds us that our awareness an

Rembering Our Baptism

Jan 10th, 2021 17m 54s

Using the story of Jesus' baptism, Pastor Tim calls us to remember our own baptism and what it signifies. It is not enough to ask who Jesus is, but we also have to ask, "How can we follow Jesus?" How does our baptism change our minds about the

Reflections of Light

Jan 4th, 2021 18m 8s

Pastor Tim preaches on the prologue to the gospel of John, in which the author writes of the Word that was with God, and was God, and became flesh and lived among us. John describes Jesus as the Light of the world; our role is to reflect that

Christ Among Us

Dec 27th, 2020 16m 54s

Pastor Tim interprets the story of Jesus being brought by Mary and Joseph to the temple to be presented to God. Simeon and Anna, who were in the temple, recognized that Jesus was special. They recognized that Jesus had been made in the image of

The Empire Strikes Back

Dec 21st, 2020 18m 17s

Pastor Tim tells the story of the wise men coming from the east to pay homage to the baby Jesus. This story has been embellished over the centuries since the gospel of Matthew was written. Pastor Tim strips away the embellishments to get to the

Come and See!

Dec 13th, 2020 12m 24s

On this third Sunday of Advent, Pastor Tim tells the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds and telling them of the birth of the Messiah. The shepherds are invited to come and see this new thing that God was doing. The Christmas story g

Song from the Margins

Dec 6th, 2020 14m 37s

On the second Sunday of Advent, Pastor Tim preaches on the song of Mary, in which the power and the justice of God is celebrated. Her song depicts a God that remembers the lowly and cares for the needy and Mary identifies herself with the lowly