John 11:1-45 Our assigned gospel for this weekend tells the story of the death of Lazarus.  Brother to Martha and Mary.  Friend to Jesus.  Described by his sisters, as “the one whom Jesus loves”. It is a story of sickness and death, with all the emotions that are present in such moments.  Sadness and grief, … More The Pain of Resurrection Life

by Kathy Platzer Church can be hard at times for one reason or another…however,  Church is a body of believers bound as brothers and sisters by an eternal love.  I am thinking of how that sentence relates to my experience as a relatively new member of St. James.  Two years ago November, I joined this church … More Lent IV Midweek Message

John 9:1-41 Will you join me in prayer?  Bless O’ Lord this word proclaimed and we who hear it.  That as we gather together for worship in our homes, away from one another, we would be reminded, that through the gift of Baptism, we are bound together regardless of how distant we may feel.  Restore … More The Power of Sight

by Emily Sharp“Church is hard, when you have to wait upon the Lord” Hi everyone in the St. James family! I have changed my original sermon a little bit to include current events. I am filming from my car because I have had to quarantine myself and my family. I work at a school that … More Lent III Midweek Message

Third Sunday in Lent 15 March 2020 (Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 95 Romans 5:1-11 John 4:5-42) “Living Water – Hope in Uncertain Times!” This has not been an easy week for any of us. Every day we have been presented with a new challenge surrounding the Coronavirus, confronting each of us to know how best we … More “Living Water – Hope in Uncertain Times!”

by Becky Brown The first years I lived here in Gettysburg, I frequently took an early morning bicycle ride with friends.  It was an easy ride with frequent conversation. One of my fellow participants was Pastor Ed Keyser.  We talked of many things and once I observed of him that almost all of his sermons … More Lent II Midweek Message

John 3:1-17 One of the requirements of seminarians seeking ordained ministry in the ELCA, is to go through a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, in which they spend roughly 50 hours a week over a 10-week period working as a hospital chaplain.  For most, myself included.  A requirement for most seminarians, myself included, that takes … More Reborn to Love

First Sunday in Lent 1 March 2020 (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11) “Walking This Broken, Messy Journey Together!” This past Thursday, my day off, I put a new screen in the bottom half of my back door, and then I put on a screen saver. The old one needed to be … More “Walking This Broken, Messy Journey Together!”