This sermon was first preached at a hybrid service of Grace Episcopal Church on March 27, 2022 as part of a special Campus Ministry Sunday. Relevant lectionary readings can be found here. Good morning! My name is Pastor Elle Dowd, I use pronouns like “she” or “they.”  I am the campus pastor of South Loop […]

This sermon was originally preached for a hybrid service at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square on March 13, 2022. The Lenten theme for St. Luke’s is “Coming Home” and this Sunday’s theme was “Coming Home to a Mothering God.” Relevant lectionary readings can be found here. Grace and peace are yours from God […]

This sermon was first preached at Lord of Life Lutheran Church on Sunday, December 19, 2021. Relevant lectionary readings can be found here. This Sunday we remember the Magnificat. Mary’s song. So often we hear Mary portrayed as meek and obedient. But the lyrics to this song are anything but. When we hear the words […]

This sermon was first preached for a hybrid online and in person service at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square on November 28, 2021. Relevant lectionary readings can be found here. It is the fourth Sunday in our extended season of Advent. We are thinking together about what it means to cultivate authentic joy. […]

This sermon was originally preached at American Lutheran Church Burbank on October 31, 2021 as part of their “Children’s Bible Stories, Revisited” series. You can read the book of Esther here. The Jewish people were far from home after being conquered by their enemies, the Babylonians, and carried off into exile. And even though the […]

This sermon was first preached on October 10, 2021 at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church before a book event of #BaptizedinTearGas. Relevant lectionary readings can be found here. I have been to a lot of racial justice events in my role in the church. Typically after a panel or presentation or training, there is time […]

This sermon was first preached at Bay View Lutheran Church on September 19, 2021 as part of a book event for #BaptizedinTearGas. Relevant lectionary readings here. In just a couple of days we are coming upon the Fall Equinox; the time of year when the sun crosses from north of the equator to the south, […]

This sermon was first preached for Faith Church in Joliet on July 11, 2021. Relevant lectionary readings can be found here. King Herod came from a line of tyrants. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that his father before him is the man who orchestrated the genocidal plot to drown all of the baby boys […]

This sermon was first preached at Faith Lutheran Church in Joliet on July 4, 2021. Relevant lectionary readings can be found here. In the secular calendar today we commemorate the 4th of July, a day many of us celebrate the founding of our “home” here in the United States. This is a day where we […]