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David Coffin

David Coffin is pastor of Elgin/Highland Lutheran Parish in Elgin, Iowa. David is a graduate of Ferris State University with a BS degree in printing. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary (Ohio) and his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Winebrenner Seminary. He enjoys bike riding and working with small group ministries. He also eats lots of pizza, so he needs to ride the bike.
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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Enlightenment Expectations -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51 -- David Coffin -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2021
What can we reasonably expect from the church during troubling times such as pandemics, economic dow
Living Our Baptism During Lent -- Genesis 9:8-17, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15 -- David Coffin -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2021
The season of Lent is a time to grow in our faith by means of taking our baptism vows seriously (be
Delivery Dinner -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- David Coffin -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2021
In a particular German ethnic county, spring is the time for confirmation parties, easily identified
New Life Guidance -- Acts 4:5-12, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18 -- David Coffin -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2021
Easter is a season of new life and that which guides the church into new life.
New-Found Christmas Life -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- David Coffin -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2020
Around the holiday season, there are hardworking faithful people who experienced heightened expectat
Worthwhile Journey -- Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, Matthew 17:1-9 -- David Coffin -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2020
It is the second Sunday in Lent!
Purposeful Passion -- John 18:1--19:42, Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9, Psalm 22 -- David Coffin -- Good Friday - A -- 2020
In the 2002 movie Gran Torino Clint Eastwood plays the recently widowed and disgruntled ret
Advocating New Life -- John 14:15-21, Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22 -- David Coffin -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2020
It was the high school graduation season in a certain community who had been blessed with the public
Living Which Values? -- Matthew 10:24-39, Romans 6:1b-11, Genesis 21:8-21 -- David Coffin -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2020
An older pastor and his wife who serve in a remote hill area with sporadic cell phone reception driv
Blessed Assurance -- Matthew 14:13-21, Genesis 32:22-31, Romans 9:1-5 -- David Coffin -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2020
A recently widowed woman in her early seventies is returning to the church where she raised her chil
Discipleship after Deliverance -- Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35 -- David Coffin -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2020
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Living the Book -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46 -- David Coffin -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2020
In the 2010 dystopian movie entitled Book of Eli (starring Denzel Washington), the main cha
Remembering our Testing -- Deuteronomy 8:7-18, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Luke 17:11-19 -- David Coffin -- Thanksgiving Day - A -- 2020
Three generations of family are gathering for their traditional Thanksgiving Day meal.
Life Goes On -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46 -- David Coffin -- New Year's Day - C -- 2019
A man in his early sixties sits in front of his television set on New Year’s Eve, while drinking his
Passion for Life -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- David Coffin -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2019
In this season of spiritual growth, one difficult test of faith is when a cherished matriarch of an
Lord of New Life -- Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30 -- David Coffin -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2019
In this season of new life, we are always reminded that Jesus as Lord found in the Christian scriptu
Trinity in Practice -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, John 16:12-15, Romans 5:1-5 -- David Coffin -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2019
Who is the God of our congregation? How is this God made known in the community?
Faith for the Long Haul -- Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40 -- David Coffin -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2019
It is getting toward the end of the summer, and a certain extended family is sitting out on the dec
What Do You Value? -- Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Luke 16:1-13 -- David Coffin -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2019
A pastor has been called to a certain congregation with one major mandate in mind: “Revitalize our y
What Makes a Saint? -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-23, Luke 6:20-31 -- David Coffin -- All Saints Day - C -- 2019
This is the day that the early church commemorated the great leaders and heroes of the church, espec
Cost of Deliverance (COD) -- Matthew 2:13-23, Hebrews 2:10-18, Isaiah 63:7-9, Psalm 148 -- David Coffin -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2019
In my early years of ministry, I took this Sunday off, and let the supply preacher worry about these
Hearing God's Voice -- Job 38:1-7 (34-41), Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45 -- David Coffin -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2018
It is a dark, damp, raining Wednesday night in a certain pastor’s church study.
God's Entrance -- 1 Samuel 1:4-20, Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25, Mark 13:1-8 -- David Coffin -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2018
Another cold, autumn Wednesday evening as the sun sets early and the church council gathers into the
Advent Values -- Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-36 -- David Coffin -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
It is the end of the year meeting for a ladies church group, who faithfully congregates in the churc
Comfort perspectives -- Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39 -- David Coffin -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2018
During the winter months in the Midwest and East Coast USA, churches might see worshipers who are li
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For May 9, 2021:
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John E. Sumwalt
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Contents
“Waking Up to Racism” by John Sumwalt
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Waking Up to Racism
by John Sumwalt
Psalm 98

Let the floods clap their hands;
    let the hills sing together for joy
 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity. (vv. 8-9)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the mid-1960s, a popular song declared, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of.”1 It was an era of both national and international unrest. And the American landscape was reeling from the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, and opposition to both. Amidst headlines so marked by unrest and division, therefore, the sentiment of the song struck a chord with an American audience. 
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Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Acts 10:44-48
Prejudice is always wrong. Nat King Cole is a well-known artist who was the first African American to host his own national television program. In 1948, he purchased a beautiful home in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood. When the local neighborhood association confronted him and informed him it didn’t want any undesirables to move in, Cole responded, “Neither do I. If I see any coming in here, I’ll be the first to complain.” He lived in that house until his death in 1965.

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John Jamison
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (vv. 9-12)

Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus gave up his life for us. In our worship today let us explore how to love one another as he has loved us.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our love for each other is thin and pale.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we pretend to love but fail to care.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we don't know how to love.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jo Perry-sumwalt
One evening, when I was 26 years old, beleagered by guilt for acknowledged sins, I was deep into an hour-long prayer of repentance. In despair, I grieved that I had broken the commandments and that I was not worthy of God's love.

Near me lay the Bible, unused and unfamiliar. I had never, ever read from the Bible. Yet my hands reached out and took the Bible to open it. I knew not where, nor why. But my hands knew the way. They opened to John 15:9-11 and as my eyes began to read, my mind knew the meaning with clarity. My eyes read verse 10 first:
Mark Ellingsen
Theme of the Day
God's love brings us together.

Collect of the Day
It is noted that God has prepared great joy for those who love Him. Petitions are then offered that such love may be poured into the hearts of the faithful so that they may obtain these promises. Justification as a reward for our deeds (love) is communicated by this prayer.

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 98
Stan Purdum
(See Christmas Day, Cycles A and B, for alternative approaches.)

Richard E. Gribble
Once upon a time a great and powerful king ruled over a vast territory. There was something very strange about this kingdom, however -- everything was the same. The people ate the same food, drank the same drink, wore the same clothes, and lived in the same type of homes. The people even did all the same work. There was another oddity about this place. Everything was gray -- the food, the drink, the clothes, the houses; there were no other colors.

Special Occasion