Worthy: Advent Day 5

WORTHY I can’t enter into this Advent season without carrying memories of singing The Messiah at Luther College under the spirited direction of Weston Noble. Valders 117 was transformed from a lecture hall into a choir rehearsal space. All were……

Proclaiming: Advent Day 2

PROCLAIMING Blest are they who in the Lord’s name announce the holy gospel, proclaiming the good news that our liberation comes. This is the last line, translated into English, of Guillermo Cuéllar’s Santo, Santo, Santo (part of his  La Misa Popular Salvadoreña……

Awake: Advent Day 1

This is the first of what will be a series of daily posts for the season of Advent. The theme each day will be based on the 2019 Advent Photo-a-Day Challenge by Rethink Church. Learn more at http://www.rethinkchurch.org. I encourage……

How Are You?

This sermon was preached at Glenwood and Canoe Ridge Lutheran Churches, Decorah, Iowa on December 1, 2019. For those following the lectionary, you’ll notice this sermon is actually based on the Advent 2 texts: Isaiah 11:1-10 and Matthew 3:1-12.  If……

A Prayer to the Keeper of My Life

This sermon was preached at Glenwood and Canoe Ridge Lutheran Churches, Decorah, Iowa as part of a service of healing on October 20, 2019. It’s based on Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 121, and Luke 18:1-8. If you’d prefer to listen to……

Kyrie

This is the song of my heart today. I pray there’s some good news here for you too. Listen at https://soundcloud.com/stacey-nalean-carlson.   This season is changing; These sorrows will not be our ending. New life is emerging; Arise and join……

There Is Still A Vision

This sermon was preached at Glenwood and Canoe Ridge Lutheran Churches, Decorah, Iowa on October 6, 2019. It’s based on Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 and 2 Timothy 1:1-14. If you’d prefer to listen to it, find it at https://soundcloud.com/stacey-nalean-carlson/.   Habakkuk……

Beer Money, Climate Change, and Good News for the Poor

This sermon was preached at Glenwood and Canoe Ridge Lutheran Churches, Decorah, Iowa on September 22, 2019. It’s based on Luke 16:1-13. If you’d prefer to listen to it, find it at https://soundcloud.com/stacey-nalean-carlson.   Luke 16:1-13 1Then Jesus said to……

Lament

I’ve been spending time recently in the psalms of lament. What a gift: the assurance that we’re not alone in our doubts and fears; the permission to express even our anger toward God; words to pray, and to sing, when……

Freed from Fear

This sermon was preached at Glenwood and Canoe Ridge Lutheran Churches, Decorah, Iowa on June 23, 2019. It’s based on Luke 8:26-39. If you’d prefer to listen to it, find it at https://soundcloud.com/stacey-nalean-carlson.   Luke 8:26-39 26Then [Jesus and his……