The Contender

The funeral sermon preached for Charles Aasen who contended for the joys of married, family, and civic identity but could not contend for victory over the devil, the world and our sinful selves. Against that triumvirate of evil Christ is the ONLY contender and he has already won the victory! March 18, 2010 in Trinity Lutheran Church of Alexander, North Dakota

The text of this sermon can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=376997949705

A Tale of Two Siblings

A profligate father, two greedy sons, an unmentioned community, one preacher, and a sacramental fatted calf comprise this parable's cast. The world with all its prodigal younger sons; the world with all its begrudging elder sons; the world with all its skeptical and necessarily protective communities will be reconciled to the Father by the sacrifice of Christ. Delivered at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, El Paso, TX on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 by the Reverend Timothy J. Swenson.

The text for this sermon can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=355589409705

Salvation Insurance? No, Thank You!

The Third Sunday of Lent C March 7, 2010 Wilmington & Trinity Lutheran Churches Arnegard & Alexander, North Dakota The fig tree (and those Pharisees and Sadducees) die particularly from being unfruitful, unproductive. Makes you want to get out your yield calculator, doesnt it? Figure out your fruit per hour, see how that measures up? Has your life yielded enough fruit to make it on your own, or will you have to file for salvation insurance? Sadly enough, thats the way a goodly number of those who call themselves Christian treat our Lord Jesus Christ: salvation insurance. Isaiah 55:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-13

The Sermon Text can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=347404189705

A Cosmic Game of Chicken
The Second Sunday of Lent February 28, 2010 Wilmington & Trinity Lutheran Churches Arnegard & Alexander, North Dakota When the Word of God descended from heaven in the person of Jesus the Christ, the worlds children were already well practiced in the ascension of their own glory. Jesus—coming down—was on a collision course with the world going up. And there on the curb sat the devil egging on the both of them as if it were some cosmic game of chicken and the devil would take the one who flinched first. Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Psalm 27 Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35

Sermon text found here:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/timothy-j-swenson/a-cosmic-game-of-chicken/331995374705