Have you ever heard the name Elizabeth Platz? I have to admit it: I had never heard about her until recently. But this woman made history: she was the first woman to be ordained a pastor in the Lutheran Church in America, short LCA, one of the predecessor bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in […]
Willkommen! Welcome! For me, these are some of the most beautiful words in the English and the German language, respectively. To me, welcome, willkommen just sounds warm and inviting. And some of the beauty of this word lies in its meaning – when it is spoken, someone is invited in, drawn in, they are being […]
7O LORD, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. 9If I say, “I will not mention him, or […]
Almost exactly 9 years ago, I had to undergo surgery for a herniated disc in my lower back. I had the worst sciatica pain, which my doctors tried to treat in any way imaginable and manage with some hammer opioid pain killers, but in the end, a surgery seemed the only way to take care […]
‘Wait for It!’ Today is Pentecost, which is often called the ‘birthday of the church’. On Pentecost, which literally means ‘50 days’, we remember how God’s Holy Spirit came among the disciples 50 days after Christ’s resurrection, and how said disciples then started their mission of sharing the good news of Christ’s life, death and […]
Today, we observe and celebrate the Ascension of our Lord. It’s one of those days of our church year that ranks low on our list of holidays. It’s nothing like Easter or Christmas. It doesn’t help that Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday – 40 days after Easter, and if we didn’t choose to […]
‘You just call out my name And you know wherever I am I’ll come running, to see you again Winter, spring, summer or fall All you have to do is call And I’ll be there You’ve got a friend.’ Carole King, You’ve Got a Friend This song by Carole King, which was made famous by […]
‘Gottes (Im-) Mobilien’ First of all, let me add a greeting, on this mother’s day, to all the mothers who are worshipping with us—including your pastor and my wife, Kerstin—a special greeting and thank you to, and thanks to God for, all mothers and to ALL who have served such a role in the lives […]
‘Und ob ich schon wanderte im finstern Tal, so fürchte ich kein Unglück – denn du bist bei mir; dein Stecken und Stab trösten mich.’ ‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’ I […]
Does is ever happen to you that hearing the name of a certain place triggers some good feelings? Maybe it is the name of a favorite vacation spot, maybe it is the name of your hometown. Memories of places where we experienced good things usually bring a smile to our faces. For me this happens […]
Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia! Gnade sei mit euch und FRIEDE von unserem Herrn Jesus Christus. Grace be with you and PEACE from our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. This past week, I have talked to some of you, to some friends, and also to some colleagues. One subject that came up […]
Alleluia! – Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Gnade sei mit euch und Frieden von unserem Herrn Jesus Christus. Amen. I have say: this is not where I want to be right now. I want to be with you, in person, at St. Matthew’s, in our beautifully decorated church, singing my heart […]
You may think it’s creepy, but the lesson from the Book of Ezekiel which we heard as part of our lessons for today is one of my favorite passages of the Bible. What a visual! A whole valley filled with dry bones that rattle as they are restored to life! Of course I also […]
This has been a strange week – to me, it felt downright surreal. Since the order of the county of San Francisco and the other counties in the Bay Area to shelter in place went into effect at midnight last Tuesday, life has changed. Hardly anyone is outside anymore, streets and freeways are empty, […]
––– Erklingendes Wasser –––– Predigt zu Joh 4,1–42 Move 1: Zwischen den Zeilen Einsam – abseits – anonym. Wir begegnen heute einer Frau, die wir nicht kennen, von der wir nicht einmal einen Namen wissen. Im Großen und Ganzen wissen wir nicht viel über sie. Die Informationen, die uns die Geschichte liefert, sind rar. Zur […]
Manchmal, wenn ich so auf mein Leben zurückschaue, denke ich mir: Mensch, du hast eigentlich viel Glück gehabt! Z.B. dass ich während einer Zeit des Wohlstands und des Friedens geboren wurde, und nicht im dunklen Mittelalter. Dass ich Deutschland geboren wurde, und nicht in einem der vielen Länder dieser Welt, in der es elende […]
‘Superhuman?’ Sermon Matthew 6:25-34 1st Sunday in Lent March 1st, 2020 Musical Meditation Piece before the sermon: ‘Thus spoke Zarathustra’, movement 1, by Richard Strauss (The gospel for this Sunday veers off lectionary because of a family service on this day.) Our Bible opens with a big bang: the story of how God created the […]
Manchmal habe ich genug. Manchmal will ich einfach nichts mehr mit allem Möglichen zu tun haben, ich muss den Fernseher ausschalten, wo es soviele besorgniserregende oder einfach auch beänstigende Nachrichten gibt. Ich muss meinen Computer ausstellen, das Telefon abstellen. Mich zurückziehen, die Tür zumachen mit einem ‘Bitte nicht stören’ Schild. Irgendwo wandern, wo ich […]
Sie wissen wahrscheinlich, dass mein Mann Fred und ich nicht hier in San Francisco leben – das könnten wir uns gar nicht erlauben – sondern in Walnut Creek, ca. 45 km östlich von hier. Und wir mögen es dort. Wir leben in einer netten und schlichten Nachbarschaft, gleich neben einem Park. Die Menschen, die dort […]
Sylvia and Andrew just sang and played the beautiful Bach Aria from a larger cantata, ‘Ich habe genug’, which sometimes is translated with ‘I ask for no more’, but quite literally means, ‘I’ve had enough.’ We don’t find these words, ‘I’ve had enough’, in today’s gospel lesson; but Bach puts them into the mouth of […]
