Real Good Courage - The Westwood Podcast

You Shall Not Murder - What Does That Mean?

Often, the 5th commandment seems to be pretty straight forward. Murder means killing a fellow human being. However, Martin Luther extends this prohibition to not harming our neighbor either bodily or mentally. This sermon looks at how we as Lutheran Christians reflect on the 5^th commandment in relationship to setting limits in which a community can thrive, beyond just the act of physical killing. Luther points us to the promises of God in Jesus, and how it calls us to serve our neighbor.  This commandment can actually be broadened from not only harming, but as importantly, the requirement to care for them as well. The sermon also spends time looking at the root challenge that both Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and Martin Luther in the Large Catechism point to.

This message comes from Pastor Jason, and the Gospel is from the Book of Mark, Chapter 5, verses 21-24, and 38-48.

Honor Your Mother and Father - What does this mean?

First, important to note that this 4^th Commandment about honoring parents should never be used as an excuse or to affirm a parent who is abusive or neglectful.  This is a call to attend to, value, honor and love our parents, other elders and even those we don’t know!  It is about our own family, AND how we take care of elders in our community and society!

This message is from Pastor Tania, and the Scripture lesson is from Romans 13, verses 8-10. The Gospel is John Chapter 19, verses 25-27.

Rest on the Sabbath: What Does This Mean?

Our lives are so busy, we often think that we can't afford to take any time to rest. If we can only rest when we are finished, will that ever happen? The sabbath – time set-aside to rest and worship - helps us discover that we are more than our work. We are free to find our identity in God, who keeps the world spinning even when we take a break. The Sabbath is a life-altering practice that helps create a culture of grace.

This message comes from Pastor Sarah, and the Scripture comes from the Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 5, verses 12-15, and the Gospel comes from March, Chapter 2, verses 23-28.

The Power of Names - The Second Commandment

Too often, we are admonished to not use the Lord's name in vain, with the implicit meaning being that if we just avoid 'swearing' we're good with the Second Commandment. In this message, Pastor Jason explores this idea, and explains how Martin Luther defined the broader scope and why 'not taking the Lord's name in vain' is how we as Lutheran Christians understand that concept is a gift in nurturing a community of grace. 

Our scripture reading comes from Exodus, Chapter 3, verses 1-15, and the Gospel is John Chapter 8, verses 31-36. 

Big G and little g gods. What is your most important thing?

Unlike the Israelites in the desert, our gods often don't come in the form of golden idols. Watching the Olympics makes me realize I participate in a bit of hero worship. Come on Simone Biles! It’s fun, but in all seriousness, we all put all sorts of people and ideas on pedestals, and they can overshadow the unique voice of God in our lives.

In a message that launches a series on a Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments, Pastor Sarah talks about all the little g “gods” (wealth, family, health, nation, leaders etc…) that can take the place of God in giving us a sense of identity. When those are taken away, your identity can falter. But when God’s grace is at the center of who you are, then win or lose, your life is secure. 

Today’s message is delivered by Pastor Sarah. The Scripture reading is from Exodus, Chapter 32 Verses 1-16, and our Gospel comes from the Book of Mark Chapter 12 Verses 28-31.

 

We Are One Body

Too often, the message we receive is "You don't fit in. You are broken!" and yet the real message should be: “There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re OK.  It’s true!  There’s something wrong with the village.”

On this PRIDE Sunday, the passage from I Corinthians reminds us that although we each serve different purposes in ‘the body’, each part is critical, valued and of equal import to the whole body.  A youth choir, Singers of This Age, performed a powerful song “Something’s Wrong With the Village” earlier, so we reflected on those words. 

It’s our culture, some people and even some churches that tell our LGBTQIA+ siblings that something is “wrong with you”….whereas we believe EVERY person is created in God’s image.  And God has a message for ALL of us, for YOU:  You are my beloved child, loved just as you are…and you belong…and you matter! 

This message is presented by Pastor Tania, and the relevant scripture is 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12, verses 12-20, 26.

Celebrating Juneteenth: Hope for the future. Rejoicing in the now.

The celebration of Juneteenth, our nation’s 2^nd Independence Day, is a powerful reminder that joy can be an act of faithfulness in the face of the world’s injustice and disorder.

In this sermon, Pastor Sarah traces the brief history of Juneteenth, pointing out that celebration is necessary to sustain the long struggle for justice. She quotes Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, who said “the greatest symbol of resistance is when I am supposed to die, and I choose to live anyway.”  And she points out that Jesus’ oft-used metaphor of seed-planting, reveals that God works through time – and sometimes in imperceptible ways - to create a future where all God’s children will live in peace.

The scripture lesson comes from 2 Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verses 6-10. Today's Gospel is from  the book of Mark, Chapter 4, Verses 26-34.

 

The Importance of Belonging

It is common for us to struggle with our direction and a sense of belonging.  So how do direction and belonging relate?

The length of our direction is based on the depth of our belonging to one another. Our sense of belonging starts from trusting the promise that by the grace of God in Jesus, we belong to the God who created and redeemed us. And that gives us the good courage to go deep in belonging to each other. On this Big Tent Sunday, Westwood will be talking about our direction as a community of faith.

This message is from Pastor Jason, and the Scripture lesson is from the 2nd Book of Corinthians verses 4:13 - 45:1. The Gospel is from March chapter 3, verses 31-35.