Sunday, December 27, 2020

It's still Christmas until Jan 5!

Sadly, I misplaced my recorder just moments before the Christmas ever service began.   And I didn't have the time to get all sorted out and have it uploaded.   You can probably find the original FB Live video on our Facebook page.


Today is the First Sunday of Christmas!   So we were worshipping! 


The following are the links to electronic versions of today worship experience.

 For Audio of Pastor Lance’s sermon on Luke 2:22-40, listen HERE:


For video of the full worship service as broadcast on FaceBook Live, watch HERE:

Thank you for watching, listening and praying.    Merry Christmas!


A shepherd and sheep from the OSLC Nativity Scene

Sunday, December 20, 2020

The Annunciation (That's where Gabriel comes and tells Mary what is about to unfold)

 Amazing that we have passed Advent 4.   I've got some personal computer problems so I won't be getting a link to the full worship video for a while.   Audio of the sermon is it.  And HERE it is.  Have a Merry Christmas!



Sunday, December 13, 2020

Advent 3 already! Time Flies!

The process for all this continues to get streamlined every week and a better production occurs weekly too.

For our entire worship service, edited from the original Facebook Live Broadcast, click HERE

If you want to hear just the sermon, at this LINK

Be sure to read the description at the the Soundlink page.   It will give you the passages to read first.  They didn't get recorded.   Again. 😒 


Sunday, December 6, 2020

Still tweaking sound, but here's today's worship links

 Today is the Second Sunday in Advent.


To watch a full video of our worship service from today, you may view it HERE.

To listen to an audio version of Pastor Lance’s sermon only, please go HERE..

May the Lord bless your richly today and every day.

Sunday, November 29, 2020

The new sound system is in! Advent 1 Links.

Today's worship service to start the new church year!  We are still working with the new sound system but the sound IS better.  Check it out.

I used to laugh at so-called "liturgical dance", but this hybrid in-life/ virtual worship requires more and more choreography of me every week!

Click HERE for the audio version.  Sermon on Isaiah 64:1-9 and Mark 13:24-37.  Not recorded.   Please read passages before listening.

 

Click ON THIS for the YouTube video of the full worship service. 

The pot pies mentioned in the sermon. YUM!


Sunday, November 22, 2020

Christ the King Sunday

 Today is the last Sunday of the Christian Year. Christ the King Sunday!

THIS guy does not qualify to be King




HERE is the full worship service from FaceBook live, edited some and put on our YouTube channel

and 

HERE is the audio version of the sermon.    The sermon is on Ephesians 1:15-23 which did not get recorded.   So read that first.  

Sunday, November 15, 2020

After a week on vacation, Back in the saddle!

 Last Sunday I was visiting friends in Texas.   See if you can tell which one is me?   HINT:  I am the one with the BIGGIEST goofy smile. 


Here is today full worship service video on YouTube: 

CLICK HERE



If you want just to hear the audio of the sermon

CLICK HERE

Thanks for reading and subscribing


Sunday, November 1, 2020

All Saints Sunday

 It's All Saints Sunday.   A special one for me as we lit a candle and pealed a bell for my mother who passed in April.


For the Audio version of the sermon, CLICK HERE

For the Full worship service on video with great All Saints Sunday music at the postlude, Click Here

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Reformation Sunday

 Reformation Day is a tough one for me.    The Roman Catholic Church needed some serious correction, but some unity lost was the cost.

My Sermon on Audio, Listen HERE

OSLC's full Sunday worship service,  CLICK HERE




Sunday, October 18, 2020

Render unto Caesar....

 My sermon from October 18, 2020.  Some poor soul decided to leave some political flyers on my door for distribution at my church.    Bad idea.   For the audio version of only my sermon, click HERE.  For an uploaded video version of our complete service, click THIS LINK

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Sunday, October 4, 2020

Numbers are so important, there is a book of the Bible named after them.

 We've obviously been doing a lot online at Our Saviour Lutheran.    To what ends?   My October newsletter article may shed some light on that question.

========

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!

“I wonder what Pastor Lance does these days?’  

No one has asked me that directly, but it IS a valid question a congregation should ask of its pastor during these weird times.    Of course, I’m spending a LOT of time working on online work.    If you have been getting your Grapevine issues over the past few months, you should know that.  But a second question is—is it worth is it?

Well, let’s look at some numbers.   For a few decades, the media and academy around the church has been pretty dim on the notion of numbers.   They have said things like “American churches are too focused on the number of rumps they are putting in the pews and how many bucks are going in the offering plate.   They OUGHT to be focusing on _____!”   You can fill in the blank with a thousand different things—social justice, discipleship, you name it.   

But I’ll disagree.   As Pastor Mel from the bishop’s office told a bunch of us seminarians heading out to calls.  “Numbers ARE important.   So important that God named a book of the Bible after them!”  Cute, but also true.   Numbers aren’t the be all, end all.   But they tell us important things.   Would you be impressed if the name of the story“ was Jesus feeds a bunch of people” rather than “Jesus feeds the 5000”?  Why does Luke write that after Peter preached three thousand were baptized (Acts 2) and that about 5000 came to believe some time later (Acts 4)?   Numbers are important in telling a story.

So let us consider the story of this congregation and how it touches the hearts and minds of people in our proclamation of the Good News.   And let’s roll the clocks back to this time last year in 2019 or even 2018.  

   Avg Worship attendance per week = 60

   Avg Bible Study attendance per week= 12

Now let us say (even though we know there is some overlap in the actual people) that those events are called “touches”.  So this congregation was making an average of 72 touches per week.

Now let’s come up to date.    September of 2020—yikes, the COVID Crisis Era!

   Avg Worship attendance = 35 per week

   Avg number of listeners to PL’s sermon on Soundcloud = 12 per week

   Avg number of people watching OSLC’s worship (live or recorded) = 33 per week

   Avg number watching Daily Prayer with Pastor Lance = 100  per week (5 days, ~20 per day)

 

That is a number of weekly touches that totals 180.    And that…is an increase of 150% in just 6 months.    That is enormous.    A 150% increase in six months means that—right about the time of Holy Week 2021—we would (could? will?  be making 450 touches a week!

Is this the work of the Kingdom of God? Maybe.   I remember some guy telling his disciples about the Kingdom of God being like a mustard seed.  

                                                 Peace in Christ,

                                                Pastor Lance


Whose IS this?

 A story about a landowner sending his servants first and finally his Son to retrieve what is owed him is the basis of this sermon (Matthew 21:-33-46) .    If you want to see the entire service on our YouTube channel, click HERE

If you are looking for just the audio of the sermon, click HERE

Today's photo is me preaching from behind my pulpit with its COVID protective screen.   I think it looks like I am preaching from an aquarium.



Sunday, September 27, 2020

The Question of Authority

 Who is authority and what is authoritative is always a difficult and contentious issue?


Audio version of sermon alone--Click HERE

Unedited version of entire worship service video--Click here INSTEAD

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Much more that just a fish story

 Sure, you know Jonah was swallowed by a whale... but is there more to the story.   I like to say that is Jonah was a movie, Don Knotts would have played Jonah.   I'm only partially joking.   Jonah is a hilarious book that tells us about the very nature of God.


For the audio version of this sermon, click HERE

For video of Our Saviour Lutheran Church's entire worship service from that day, click THIS LINK




Sunday, September 13, 2020

Announcing Changes & forgiveness sermon #2

 For the past few weeks, I've been able to post our entire worship service on our YouTube Account.  We've moved it over to Facebook now.   Search for "Our Saviour Lutheran West Columbia" on FB to like our page. You can watch our entire worship service there.

Today was a fun sermon to give.   I recall some great memories of being in 7th grade.   Not really.   It was the multi-decade memory of seeking vengeance on a 8th antagonist and my inability to forgive.   

For strictly the audio version of my sermon, click HERE

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Forgiveness Series # 1

 The Old Testament Lesson is often compliments the Gospel reading.   All that goes out the window when you read the wrong Sunday's lesson!   The show must go on, right?    I decided to make a 2 Sunday series on forgiveness.   This is the first, Genesis 50:15-20 where Joseph's brothers approach him for forgiveness.  Click HERE to listen.


Click HERE to see the entire worship service online.  

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Confession is good for the soul...

Something has happened twice in August.   Don't know if it's COVID-19 or the August heat and humility here in SC, but I'm starting to confess more from the pulpit.   Here's the audio link for my sermon on Matthew 16 "Get behind me, Satan".


For a version of the full worship service video version, click here

Tomorrow, look for the newsletter article for September.   Thanks for following.


Yeah, this is THE shed



Sunday, August 23, 2020

D*mmit, Jim, I'm a pastor not a videographer!

 This stuff ain't for the light of heart.    It took hours of work to get these links up for some reason today.

For the YouTube video of our full worship service, click HERE

For the audio only of the sermon, use THIS

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Pastor Lance Henderson--Slanderer, Sinner, Forgiven

 It's not every Sunday that I get up in the pulpit and confess my sin.   But my heart works every bit as darkly and distracted with the desire to fault finding as any Pharisee or maybe even you.   

If you just want to listen to the sermon, click HERE.  
If you want to watch our entire worship service on YouTube, click THIS LINK

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel while there and you will get updates and links to my "Daily Prayer with Pastor Lance" broadcasts--a few minutes of scripture and prayer to start your days, M-F.

Sunday, August 9, 2020

A day of firsts!

I had a lot of fun with this test about Elijah. 

To hear the sermon, click HERE

To watch the entirety of Our Saviour Lutheran Church's worship service, click THIS HERE


Sunday, August 2, 2020

Fishes, loaves and the two natures of Christ

Today's sermon can be heard HERE.  Full video of our entire service on YouTube coming soon. 

Sunday, July 26, 2020

The kingdom of heaven is like.....well, what?

Jesus makes a lot of comparison's in today's text to describe the kingdom of Heaven.   What difference does it make?   Listen HERE for today's sermon. 

Sunday, July 19, 2020

A big question---maybe the biggest


When one of the fundamental questions of life--why is there evil in this world--is central to the bible passage, you can know it's going to be a heavier sermon.
Click HERE to here my sermon on the Jesus' parable of the Wheat and the Weed (Matthew 13)

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Different Soils and The Generous Sower

Today's sermon was a fun one.   Developing fresh ways to talk about such a familiar passage is a challenge.  Click HERE to listen!

Sunday, July 5, 2020

First time back in the Sanctuary

Click HERE to hear the sermon for our first week back in the sanctuary since before Palm Sunday.   It was weird with masks, and social distancing and new communion practices, but we made it through and worshiped!

Sunday, June 28, 2020

If last weeks was too long with lousy sound, check this out

Outdoor worship, second service, Listen HERE.   Much improvement!

Sunday, June 21, 2020

We're back

Covid, my own heath stuff, all lots of reason to not be able to preach.   Back now at our first outdoor worship!

Sermon to be heard HERE!

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Good Shepherd Sunday

Prelude: "Offertorio"  ZIPOLI

Text: John 10:1-10

Click HERE to hear the sermon

Hymn:  ELW  778  "The Lord's My Shepherd"  vv. 1,4,5

1      The Lord's my shepherd; I'll not want.
        he makes me down to lie
        in pastures green; he leadeth me
        the quiet waters by.
        He leadeth me, he leadeth me
        the quiet waters by.

4      My table thou hast richly spread
        in presence of my foes;
        my head thou dost with oil anoint,
        and my cup overflows.
        My head thou dost with oil anoint,
        and my cup overflows.

5      Goodness and mercy all my life
        shall surely follow me,
        and in God's house forevermore
        my dwelling-place shall be;
        and in God's house forevermore
        my dwelling-place shall be.


Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, Edinburgh, 1650


Sunday, April 26, 2020

The Third Sunday of Easter

It's all about the Word and Sacrament.

Click HERE to listen. 

Prelude: "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"  Micheelsen
Hymn: ELW 392 "Alleluia!Sing to Jesus!" Verses 1, 3

1      Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
        his the scepter, his the throne;
        Alleluia! his the triumph,
        his the victory alone.
        Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
        thunder like a mighty flood:
        "Jesus out of ev'ry nation
        has redeemed us by his blood."

3      Alleluia! Bread of heaven,
        here on earth our food, our stay;
        Alleluia! here the sinful
        flee to you from day to day.
        Intercessor, friend of sinners,
        earth's redeemer, hear our plea
        where the songs of all the sinless

        sweep across the crystal sea.


Sunday, April 19, 2020

Second Sunday of Easter

Announcements
Prelude: "Rejoice Greatly, O My Soul"  Karg-Elert
Gospel: John 20:19-31
Click HERE to listen
Hymn: Thine is The Glory


1      Thine is the glory,
        risen, conqu'ring Son;
        endless is the vict'ry
        thou o'er death hast won!
        Angels in bright raiment
        rolled the stone away,
        kept the folded grave-clothes
        where thy body lay.

Refrain
        Thine is the glory,
        risen, conqu'ring Son;
        endless is the vict'ry
        thou o'er death hast won!

3      No more we doubt thee,
        glorious Prince of life;
        life is naught without thee;
        aid us in our strife;
        make us more than conqu'rors,
        through thy deathless love;
        bring us safe through Jordan
        to thy home above.  Refrain

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Palm Sunday

Confession--my senior year of seminary, knowing that I'd spend every Easter working for the foreseeable future--we went to Disney that weekend.    I never expected an Easter that would be pushed aside for a global pandemic.   And so the oddest Holy Week of anyone's lives begins.   The hymn at the end is the first and last verses of "All Glory, Laud and Honor". 

Click HERE for the sermon. 


        All glory, laud, and honor
        to you, redeemer, king,
        to whom the lips of children
        made sweet hosannas ring.

1      You are the king of Israel
        and David's royal Son,
        now in the Lord's name coming,
        our King and Blessed One. 

       All glory, laud, and honor        to you, redeemer, king,

        to whom the lips of children
        made sweet hosannas ring.


5      Their praises you accepted;
        accept the prayers we bring,
        great author of all goodness,
        O good and gracious King. 

      All glory, laud, and honor to you, redeemer, king,

        to whom the lips of children
        made sweet hosannas ring.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why cutting and pasting is so difficult on blogspot.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

The Fifth Sunday in Lent.

Announcements
Prelude "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing" Manz
Sermon on John 11:1-45
Hymn "This is my Father's World"   Lyrics below
Blessing

Click HERE to listen


This Is My Father's World

1      This is my Father's world,
        and to my list'ning ears
        all nature sings, and round me rings
        the music of the spheres.
        This is my Father's world;
        I rest me in the thought
        of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
        his hand the wonders wrought.

2      This is my Father's world;
        the birds their carols raise;
        the morning light, the lily white,
        declare their maker's praise.
        This is my Father's world;
        he shines in all that's fair.
        In the rustling grass I hear him pass;
        he speaks to me ev'rywhere.

3      This is my Father's world;
        oh, let me not forget
        that, though the wrong seems oft so strong,
        God is the ruler yet.
        This is my Father's world;
        why should my heart be sad?
        The Lord is king, let heaven ring;
        God reigns, let earth be glad!

Text: Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901


From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2010 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #37847.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Daily Prayer

If you want to follow along M-F with my Daily Prayer broadcasts.    Find them at the Our Saviour YouTube channel. Click  HERE.

The fourth Sunday in Lent

Lot of emotion this morning.   Trying to follow my own advice and keep the focus on Jesus.  But we did have a similitude of worship this morning.    Click HERE to listen.   I'm not sure if the last hymn "Our Hope is Built on Nothing Less" is entirely audible, so here are the lyrics we sang:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
No merit of my own I claim,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,


Brent & I social distancing

Sunday, March 15, 2020

This turns into an actual sermon... eventually

These long Year A passages have the danger of just turning into a bible study.    We FINALLY got there.   Listen to the end to hear the WORST way to end a sermon.   In the craft, they call it landing the plane.    This was more of a helicopter landing.  Click HERE to listen.

Friday, March 13, 2020

COVID-19

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
In talking with fellow clergy, there has been discussion of how to address corporate worship.  The situation is unfolding, and there are things we know and things we have yet to learn. A few things seem pretty clear.

-Covid-19 is transferred primarily by respiration.    That means all the hand sanitizer in the world will not stop someone from contracting the virus.  We will still reduce physical touch in an abundance of caution.   Please avoid contact during the Peace.    Communion will continued to be offered, but my current plan is that I will be washing my hands during the Peace and dipping the communion host into the wine and handing it to the communicant.    If you feel uncomfortable about taking communion, simply cross your arms over your chest and receive a verbal blessing.   I will not be shaking hands after service.

-Right now, our area is not being hit very hard.   But that can be expected to change.   This virus is a highly communicable virus.  On the positive side, over 80% who contract the virus will suffer zero to mild symptoms.   Ultimately we will all likely be exposed to the COVID-19 over the next 3-6 months.   For those who do contract the virus, they will be communicable but they may have no idea.   This is not unusual.    The common cold viruses (rhino viruses) are the same way—You may not think you have had a cold this past winter, but you likely did contract it, may have been communicable, but never really exhibited symptoms.   If you have a compromised system from age or health.   It is your personal decision to come to church.   Sermons will be available online.

-The main reason so many events are being closed is so that the life cycle of the virus may play out over time.  The healthcare system would be overwhelmed.    This is what has happened in Italy over the past few weeks.  

SO WHAT TO DO?

Follow SCDHEC & CDC websites for accurate information.   This is Lexington Medical Center’s sources of information and should be yours too.    I feel you can almost be guaranteed that sources that sound like they are creating panic or completely downplaying the issue are doing exactly that.   Above all, do not share questionable information via social media. 

Particularly when the situation seems more critical in our area, that may be a good time not to come to church.   That said, you may miss worship 4 weeks in a row, but remember your giving.   We can do a few weeks with low attendance, but we still have light bills to pay, etc. 

Reach out to our homebound by notes and phone calls.   Many facilities are already restricting visitation, so take the time to let these folks know they are not forgotten.

Particularly when the situation seems more critical in our area, reach out to your neighbors working in the health fields.   Take them a meal.  Offer to watch their children. Pray for them.  



By the time of the next Grapevine, this letter may be absolutely obsolete, prescient or woefully lacking.   So it’s a good time to remember our Lord’s words from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:25-34   25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?  26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you more valuable than they are?  27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?  28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.  29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!  30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won't he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?  31 So then, don't worry saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?'  32 For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  33 But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Peace in Christ,
Pastor Lance

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Nicodemus and the Gospel in miniature

Long Gospel readings require a different style of preaching.   Let know what you think!

Click HERE to listen!

Sunday, March 1, 2020

What's at risk when tempted?

Comparing and Contrasting the temptation of Eve with Jesus' temptation and what's at risk when we are tempted.
Click HERE to listen.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Ash Wednesday

The purpose of God's Law.   Click HERE to listen

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Archetype: noun/ a recurrent symbol or motif in literature or art

Be sure to read the description on the SoundCloud page.    It's got a confession from me. Click HERE  to listen.

Sunday, February 9, 2020

You are not so smart.

The passage is 1 Corinthians 2:1-16. It was recorded, but might be a bit soft.   Click HERE to listen.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Foolishness, Wisdom, Sacrifice and Salvation

This is my second sermon from 1 Corinthians.   I'll have the 16th off, but I plan to continue until Lent.

Click HERE to listen.

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Corinth, Paul, and the Importance of Meaning

A sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:10-18.   The lay reader was recorded.  The psychological theory presented was Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.   The Holocaust survivor was Viktor Frankl.   Click HERE to listen.

Monday, January 13, 2020

For those who say, you preach better "when you just wing it", I offer this...

If I have the stomach for it, I'll listen to this sermon again.   But to me it felt like a sermon that was headed in 50 directions at once.   Click HERE to listen. 

Sunday, January 5, 2020

The nature of Narratives---comedy or tragedy. Which is ours?

Funny Story, I left my notes for the sermon in my office so the sermon ended up a little more "freestyle" than I expected it to be.  Bringing it all together in the end is called "landing plane."  This one has a bumpy landing, but I like to think the Good News was loud and clear. 
Click HERE to listen!