God At Work

The lectionary Gospel readings for the first third of the season after Pentecost (Pentecost Sunday through Proper 12-Cycle A) launch us immediately into a series of teachings by Jesus, many in the form of a parable, about what it means to follow him in the Kingdom of God. Only three of the eight readings, for example, narrate distinct events in the ministry of Jesus. Given the heavy pedagogic emphasis in the other eight lections, it would be easy to treat discipleship as a thing or an object to be studied at a safe, intellectual distance. Nothing could be further from what author Kevin Mohr believes the Holy Spirit wants us to experience as we grapple with these readings. The parables and teachings of Jesus in Matthew, chapters seven through thirteen, illustrate what began at Pentecost: God is at work in the world through those who believe in Jesus Christ. Through these musings the reader might be able to catch enough of a glimpse of God at work to be caught up again into what God is doing in Christ Jesus through his church.   The sermons presented in God At Work are generally more topical or thematic than expository. All of them have been edited from their original context of sermons shared with the people of English Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bluffton, Ohio. But the liveliness and spirit of these messages have not been lost in the editing.   'It has been my great privilege and joy to wrestle with God’s Word with that great community of believers in Bluffton; I have been blessed to see God at work among them and through them. I am thankful to God for their role in these sermons…' -Author, R. Kevin Mohr   Some sermon titles included: The Kiss of Life (John 20:19-23) Worship, Doubt, & the Trinity (Matthew 28:16-20) A Storm-Proof Faith (Matthew 7:21-29) Long-Shots & Lost-Causes (Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26) Good For What Ails Us (Matthew 9:35—10:8)   R. Kevin Mohr is pastor of English Lutheran Church in Bluffton, Ohio. Immediately after graduating from seminary, Mohr and his wife were missionaries for seventeen years in Madagascar. For the next eight years he taught at and was president of the regional seminary of the Malagasy Lutheran Church and was then chairperson of the ELCA missionaries in Madagascar. Pastor Mohr attended Heidelberg University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary for his formal education. Mohr is married to Deborah and together they have two grown children.