Beneath the Steeple with Pastor Hans Becklin

Lectionary 14 | Beneath the Steeple

On America's 250th birthday, Pastor Hans preaches on a nation that wrote the truest sentence about human dignity — "endowed by their Creator" — and has been struggling to live up to it ever since. Drawing from Jesus's invitation in Matthew 11, he names the exhaustion underneath our cultural moment for what it is: the crushing weight of self-justification. And he points to the only rest that no election, platform, or anniversary can deliver. A timely word for a weary people. #TrinityReading #SermonPodcast #FaithAndCulture #Lutheran #RestInChrist #FourthOfJuly

Lectionary 13 | Beneath the Steeple

"Putting on Christ is not just a costume. It is a whole identity." Matthew 10:40-42 Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple— truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Lectionary 12 | Beneath the Steeple

"In Christ, there is no such thing as a little gesture. Even a cup can carry the kingdom." Gospel: Matthew 10:24-39 "A disciple is not above the teacher nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. "Everyone, therefore, who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and one's foes will be members of one's own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."

Lectionary 11 | Beneath the Steeple

God does not wait at the summit for us to climb up. No, God descends. That is the whole shape of grace made perfect in Jesus Christ. Exodus 19:2-8a [The Israelites] journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the Israelites: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now, therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.” So Moses went, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one, “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

Lectionary 10 | Beneath the Steeple

"It is the voice that speaks every time we decide we are the ones who get to curate the guest list rather than admit that all of us were let into the banquet by mercy and grace alone." Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”