Small town sermons on the Gospel, God's law, and the power of Grace. Eric Damon is pastor of Grace Lutheran in Manorville, PA and Emmanuel Heilman in Ford City, PA. Both are member churches of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). These are Sunday sermons
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Mark 4:35-41 (Job 38:1-11) The story of Jesus calming the storm is so common that even people who don't know the story refer to it in idioms. This sermon compares it to the reading from Job and asks what it means when a person keeps faith but the storm doesn't become calm.By Eric
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Genesis 3:8-15 Today's reading takes place after the part of the story which most folks would identify as Original Sin. This sermon looks at what that assumption means and what it might mean to change the location of "original sin to this point just a bit laterBy Eric
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Romans 8:12-17 This sermon looks at verse 15 and what it means to not fall back in to fear. It asks how we can be debtors and free, both said in this reading, at the same time.By Eric
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John 15:26-27;16:4b-15 Pentecost is a celeberation of the Church's birthday. It is a celebration of when the Holy Spirit arrived and breathed life into the gathering of saints. This sermon looks at what the Holy spirit is, and more importantly what Jesus says it will do.By Eric
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John 17:6-19 Mother's day is not a Christian holiday, but this sermon does use it combined with a gospel reading of Jesus praying as an excuse to share a story about praying for a mother.By Eric
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Mark 14:17-25 This week's podcast is less of a sermon than a discussion of Lutheran theology of the meal. This was part of a celebration of the mass with sending of communion to the gatherings of Grace and Emmanuel Luitheran churches this Sunday.By Eric
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John 15:1-8 In today's passage Jesus says that those who do not abide in him cannot bear fruit. This sermon looks at the difference between reading that in a prescriptive and descriptive sense. There is perhaps more hope in hearing it as a description and promise.By Eric
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John 10:11-18 When Jesus says the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, it doesn't make sense without the context of the events that come later. This sermon looks at what that context could mean for the current state of the institutional church.By Eric
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The Apostle John writes that no one who sins has ever known Jesus. It is on the surface an impossible claim to reconcile with the lived experience of people in the Church. This sermon takes a closer look at what might be going on here.By Eric
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Mark 16:1-8 This sermon looks at the story of Easter morning first from the perspective of an age old crisis of faith, "how do I live up to God's expectations?" Then it looks at it from a more recent question, "what good do our rituals do in a world that is so badly borken?"By Eric
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John 19:38-42 On Good Friday Christians are called to take silent account of the suffering of our world. It is the somber task to look with honesty at death. This sermon draws a comparison between that task and the task of those awaiting liberation during the Passover.By Eric
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John 13:1-17,31b-35 In the Maundy Thursday story Jesus washes his disciples feet, while in the liturgy we celebrate the eucharistic feast. In both cases, the mutual giving and taking of the kingdom is acted out. It is an oportunity to practice recieving.By Eric
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