The Lutheran Podcast
I'm Rev. Eric Wolf, a pastor, writer, and musician.
I've previously posted almost exclusively sermons, but I'm writing a book called Myth of a Dying Church, and am now also posting episodes about the topics in and related to the book.
I believe strongly that the task of preaching is to engage Scripture as a mirror held up to our lives so that we can confront what we see with integrity. This image we engage helps us to understand what it means to be Children of God; gain perspective of what it means that our primary citizenship and allegiance belongs to God’s Kingdom; and discover how the love of God transforms what we see when we look at ourselves, the people in our lives, and the world that God so loves.
- Update frequency
- every 15 days
- Average duration
- 15 minutes
- Episodes
- 197
- Years Active
- 2015 - 2025
Turning Into Pain to Heal
When we hurt, it’s human nature to shy away, to blame, to react defensively. What we see through the witness of God through Christ, in the account of God’s people worshiping another God, from the exa…
From What to Why
“What in the world are you doing?!?” are words we often hear during times of trouble. Less frequently, we hear the question, “why?”.
It doesn’t end there though, because too often we react to what hap…
Loving in Conflict: Hope for a Loving Community
Wherever there are people, there will be disagreements. One of the most unhealthy habits any community can exhibit is letting mean and hurtful comments in community spaces go unchallenged. Safe, lov…
Be Interruptible
When God shows up, it doesn’t happen at convenient moments. In every instance of God appearing is an interruption.
The call to living a life of faith is also a call to be interruptible. We are called…
Imagining Hallelujah (Funeral Sermon for Roberts Apse)
Roberts was 51, and I never met him but his family made me feel like I’ve known him for years.
They wanted something less traditional for music, so we settled on me playing Imagine and Hallelujah For…
Warninger and Hopier: Fire that Heals, Water that Frightens
We hear words of challenge, and often stop listening when it becomes uncomfortable. Jesus says that he brings fire, but it’s a fire that heals and makes whole.
How do we encounter and embrace the who…
Hope in Warninger Times
This passage begins with a word of comforting hope, but concludes with a warning to remain watchful. Even so, this warning was a word of hope.
Where does your hope reside in times of Covidian crap o…
Pulse and the Emanuel 9, Hope Amidst Our Grief (Holy Trinity Sunday)
Today is the anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre. June 17 is the anniversary of the murder and martyrdom of the Emanuel 9.
Human evil is ambitious in its reach, yet even so, God’s Breath of L…
How to Heal Grief
Uvalde and Buffalo are points of great pain.
The disappointing failure of Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton to name as racist the actions of the bishop and leadership of the Sierra Pacific Synod.
The …
Love With No Buts About It (John 13 Easter 5)
“Love one another”. It’s simple but hard.
How do we love like God loves when it feels so foreign to us?
The Hands of Love (Homily for the funeral of John Sera at Emanuel, Norwood, MA)
It’s okay not to be okay, and where we’re together in God’s love, just because we aren’t okay doesn’t mean we aren’t alright.
Scents of Love & Jealousy
Whatever we do leaves its scent in the nostrils of those around us. Sometimes it's pleasing, sometimes not.
As people of faith, how can we leave God's aroma wherever we go?
The Mother's Absence (Lent 3C Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32)
Sometimes what's missing is louder to us than what's present.
This Sunday, we have the parable often called The Prodigal Son. What I often remember is the insistence of the Father, the looseness of t…
The Reverend Speaks - My Third Manuscript Sermon (Mark 10)
Since this is a manuscript sermon, the text is too long to paste in here. So this is a link to the manuscript in Google Docs!
This sermon is my attempt to communicate the most important parts of bein…
Off-Roading with Jesus (John 6:21-35, Bread of Life 2)
Here we are again: are we coming to the end of COVID or another beginning?
This isn't fun, and I'm done with it. But here we are again in a space of not knowing and wrestling with the anxiety, fear, …
No Going Back (John 6:1-21, Bread of Life 1)
The next few weeks we'll be dealing with John 6, which is called the Bread of Life series by pastors. In John 6, Jesus feeds five thousand people and drama ensues.
Jesus wrestles with what he's really…
Twelve Long Years (Mark 5:21-43)
Where were you twelve years ago?
Today we hear the story of two daughters who each were in much different positions twelve years ago. One is a daughter of an important temple official, who is twelve y…
The Nearness (Mark 1:14-20)
Jesus leaves the wilderness and comes to the city to declare, "Time's up! The kingdom of God has come near, so repent and believe the good news!".
But the good news about what? What's so good about t…
Come & See (Mark 1 4-11)
Can anything good come out of this place?
Can anything good come out of me?
Jesus answers by inviting us into the heart and mind of God so we can see in us what God sees.
All Saints: A Ghost Story (Mark 5)
A different Gospel for this day because this text grew on me this week. All Saints is a day when we commemorate the joyous hope of the resurrection, remember those we love and have lost, and ponder t…