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The Prayer of Good Courage describes the call that God has made to all believers. This podcast explores how the Prayer of Good Courage is made real in the lives of the staff, members and friends of Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park, MN. Prayer of Good Courage: O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us, and your love supporting us, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Episodes
Sunday Feb 16, 2025
Sunday Feb 16, 2025
This week, Pastor Jason explores the definition of generosity and how we approach the call to generosity with all that God has given us. How do we orient our lives if Paul's statement that "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. As our core confession, how dow we connect this concept to our theological claims of Grace and Vocation?
Our reading is from the Book of Gallatians, Chapter 2, Verses 19-20
Thursday Feb 06, 2025
Thursday Feb 06, 2025
Have you ever been in a pay-it-forward drive thru line? That’s when the person in front pays for you, and then you pay for the person behind you. As those experiences demonstrate, generosity is connected to what happens before you, and what comes next.
Past. Present. Future.
We are always embedded in a story of generosity: God’s generosity to us (often through other people!), and our generosity to others. Can you recall a time when you received something from someone else? How will you keep the story of generosity going?
This message comes from Pastor Sarah. Our scripture reading is Deuteronomy Chapter 26, Verses 1-11.
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Monday Feb 03, 2025
In the past years, Westwood’s Grace and Vocation focus has spent significant time connecting our roles (family, friend, citizen, work/school/retirement) with our faith. We explore what it means to be God's hands an feet in the world, using our time, talents and financial resources.
This week's message comes from Pastor Jason, and he talks with two Westwood members to help us reflect on the vocation of generosity and the importance of connecting our faith to the use of our time, talent, and financial resources. Our scripture reading is from 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8, Verses 1-15
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
Fear. It’s experienced by every person, a natural part of being human. Does that mean Jesus could have felt it too?
In this message Pastor Sarah imagines what it would mean if Jesus was afraid, and discovers a graciousness and honesty about her own fear. Fear, it turns out, isn’t the opposite of faith. Fear tills the soil where faith can take root and grow, and our fear is no match for God's love.
Our Lesson is from Psalm 36, verses 5-10. The Gospel lesson is from John, Chapter 2, verses 1-11
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
In these uncertain times, where it’s easy to lose hope by just looking at my newsfeed, our faith invites us to turn both to God and our neighbor (think Jimmy Carter as one example in the news this week).
This week's message is brought to us by Pastor Tania. The Gospel is from Luke, Chapter 3, Verses 15-15 and 21-22.
Saturday Jan 11, 2025
Saturday Jan 11, 2025
The early months of the year are some of the hardest. Dark and cold, without excitement of the holidays, it can be deflating to discover the same old life awaits. But Christmas changes us. God’s birth into this world means that even if we return to life as normal, we are changed. In this sermon, the shepherds serve as an example for all of us. After seeing the baby Jesus in the manger, they praised God even as they returned to their ordinary lives. We too can carry the glory of Christmas into our lives, all year round, because God keeps on coming to us, every day of our lives.
Today's message is presented by Pastor Sarah. The scripture reading is from Ephesians Chapter 1, V 3-14. and the Gospel is Lukem Chapter 2, Verses 15 - 21.
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
What are your New Year's resolutions? With the societal ritual of New Year’s resolutions upon us, Jason invites us to wonder what a New Year’s Resolution list might look like based on Colossians 3.
Monday Dec 30, 2024
Monday Dec 30, 2024
Was your Christmas imperfect? Welcome to the club. It can be easy to idealize the perfect Christmas, and then judge yourself accordingly. Here's a little secret: the first Christmas wasn't as ideal as the manger scenes make it out to be. The point of Christmas is that God became real flesh in a real world - a world that was full of the kinds of troubles you are dealing with too. God loved that world which means that God loves you too. And God worked with real people, which means that God is working through you too.
Today's message is brought to us by Pastor Sarah. The Gospel is from the Book of John, Chapter 1 Verses 1-14.