On All Saints' Sunday, we honor those in our lives who have passed. Are those who have gone before us still woven into the tapestry of God's Love? Yes, God first loves us, and that doesn't change. Today's message is brought by Pastor Jason. Our new testament lesson is from Colossians chapter 2, verses 2-3, 6-7, and 11-14. The Gospel is from Luke, chapter 6, verses 46-49.

Most people find that their faith evolves over time, changing as our understanding of God, God's church and our activities in the world change. Luther says that faith is a living, bold trust in God's grace. And while our faith may change, God’s love remains unchanging. This message comes from Pastor Sarah. The Gospel is from John Chapter 8, verses 31-36. The New Testament lesson comes from Romans Chapter 3, Verses 20-28.

How are friendship and hospitality related and different? Both are vocations; the difference is that hospitality is an action while friendship refers to a relationship. Unlike many of the messages that we hear today, we are told to love the other and invite them in, not cast them out.  Today's message is brought to us by Pastor Tania. The Gospel lesson is from Matthew Chapter25, verses 31-40, and the scripture reading is 1 Peter, Chapter 4, verses 8-10.

How do we define acts of friendship? Is it in the grand gestures, or being a genius at the close at hand? How do we grow faithfully into that call? Paul's letter to the Romans discusses how we should embrace what God does for us is the best thing we can do for God.  This message comes from Pastor Jason. Our gospel reading is from Luke Chapter 17 verses 20 - 21. The reading for the study is Romans Chapter 12, verses 1-2, & 9-16.

When suffering strikes, what happens when it seems that it is too much? When a friend is dealing with this deep suffering, being their friend becomes more challenging. The temptation is to move past it, to ignore or minimize the suffering and challenges with well-meaning phrases. Sometimes, we can provide the most comfort in just being there in spirit and peace. The comfort and care of friendship is to both receive as well as give. This message comes from Pastoral Intern Aaron. Our gospel reading is from Luke Chapter 24 verses 13 - 35.  The reading for the study is Job Chapter 2, verses 11-13.

Friendship is the foundation of community. How do communities of people come together across differences? We are responsible for both our actions and our reactions. We are to not only bear one another's burdens but also to bear our own. This message comes from Pastor Sarah. Our gospel reading is from Matthew 5, verses 21-24 Chapter 10 verses 25 - 28. The reading for the study is Galatians Chapter 6, verses 1-6.

How does the vocation of friendship relate to Jesus' command that we both love God and our neighbor? How are our individual definitions of friendship related to our own experience of friendship? This message coms from Pastor Jason. Our gospel reading is from Luke Chapter 10 verses 25 - 28. The reading for the study is 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, verses 4-7.

What does it mean when Jesus tells his disciples that they are his friends? Does that extend to us? How are we called to be friends to others? We kick off the Vocation of Friendship study with an exploration of friend networks and the ways that each of us differ in our friendships. This message comes from Pastor Sarah. The Gospel is from John, Chapter 5 verses 9-17.

With just a little faith, we can live by Jesus’ teaching as disciples. The primary places we are called to be God’s hands and feet are in the roles in which we already participate. Jesus provides guidance in Luke 17, identifying two challenges that concerned his disciples. This message comes from Pastor Jason, and he wonders about how Jesus' words can guide us today. Our The New Testament Lesson is from James Chapter 1, verses 16-25, and our Gospel is From Luke Chapter 17, verses 5 to 10.

As we wrap up the series on the Lord’s Prayer, the sermon notes the variety of prayers that were gathered over the last two months. Over a thousand individual prayers were submitted by our congregation, but that’s just a drop in the bucket of human conversation with God. Prayer can be seen as simply -paying attention – to the world around you. Your attention is limited. The good news is that God has unlimited attention for you and your particular circumstances, and for everyone else too. This message is brought to us by Pastor Sarah. The Old Testament reading is from !Kings, Chapter 8, Verses 27 - 30. The New Testament lesson is from Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 15 - 19.

“Amen” is more than a closing word to the Lord’s Prayer—it’s our bold yes to God’s kingdom of abundance. In a world often marked by scarcity and fear, we trust God’s promise and enter the work of renewal, justice, and glory breaking into the world here and now. This message is brought to us by Pastoral Intern Aaron. The Gospel reading is from Luke, Chapter 11, Verses 1 - 4, and the Scripture reading is from Revelation, Chapter 31, Verses 3 - 5. 

Jesus encountered evil many times during his ministry. Evil can be difficult to envision, because it is so far out of our day to day experience. Does evil describe some of what we see in today’s world? In order to effectively address evil in our midst, first we must see it for what it is and then renounce it. Today's message is brought to us by Pastor Sarah. The Gospel lesson is from Mark Chapter 5, verses 1 - 20.  

Prayer often doesn't come easy, particularly when grief and pain is present and feels overwhelming. These trials are rea; and can easily be overwhelming. And yet Jesus tells us to stay awake and be saved from the time of trial.But what does this mean? How does God preserve us during those trials? Because those trials are not the end. The cross overcomes all.  This message is presented by Pastor Jason. The Scripture lesson comes from Romans Chapter 8. The Gospel is from Luke, Chapter 22 Verses 39-46.

What does it mean to have our sins forgiven? Although we hear this regularly, it is difficult for us to understand and internalize what this means. This message is from Pastor Sarah. The Gospel reading is from Matthew Chapter 18, Verses 15-22. 

Our daily bread. Praying this petition shapes us to notice that some people have bread enough for months while others struggle to get through the day. When we ask for daily bread, we ask not only for ourselves, but also for others. And we ask for more than just bread, but for all that people need to thrive. Ultimately, we are asking to trust God in little and big things, every day. This message is from Pastor Sarah. The Old Testament reading comes from Exodus, Chapter 16, Verses 11 to 18. The Gospel is from Luke, Chapter 6 verses 26 to 35.

In this podcast, we explore God's will. How do we know what God's will really is?  Is every thing that happens actually God's will? Pastor Tania takes on this complex topic and provides insight. Our Gospel reading today is from the book of John Chapter 6Verses 35 to 40.  

This week we explore the 2nd petition… “Your Kingdom Come”.  The sermon will invite us to wonder about how we think about prayer in this petition and some reflections on what two parts of the Gospel mean when they refer to “the Kingdom of God”. This episode is brought to us by Pastor Jason, and the scripture readings are Luke Chapter 13 verses 18-31 and Matthew  Chapter 20, verses 1-16.

This week we explore the phrase “Hallowed be your name." We reflect on how God, who can seem mysterious and far, is deeply near to us like a loving parent. Drawing from Martin Luther’s teachings and scripture, we consider how God’s name becomes This message is brought to us by Pastoral Intern Aaron Schutte. Our Scripture is from Exodus Chapter 3, verses 1 - 15.

Are our prayers always answered? Jesus taught his followers the Lord’s Prayer, and told them to be persistent in prayer. As we begin a summer series on the Lord’s Prayer, the sermon addressed the closeness of God our father, the other-ness of God in heaven, and what it means for our prayers to be “answered.” This weeks message comes from Pastor Sarah. Our Gospel is from Luke Chapter 11, verses 1 - 10. 

What does a congregation look like that’s faithful to Paul’s claim in Gal. 3? that our “oneness” is found by faith in Christ, not our sameness as we can so often see.  This week two members of Westwood will share their reflections on this question through the lens of their faith journey as members of the LGBT community. This message is brought to us by Pastor Jason. Our scripture is from Galatians Chapter 3 verses 23-29,