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Mark Ellingsen

Mark Ellingsen, a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), has been a professor of Church History at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1993. He graduated magna cum laude from Gettysburg College (Pennsylvania) and Yale University, from which he received three master's degrees in divinity, arts, and philosophy, as well as his Ph.D. He has authored 26 books including his latest, Wired for Racism? How Evolution and Faith Move Us to Challenge Racial Idolatry, published by New City Press and Reality and Waves: A Quantum Physics Cosmology, Philosophy of Religion, and Ethic (Lexington Books). He and his wife have three grown children. When he is not writing or teaching, Ellingsen enjoys discussing politics, sports, and playing guitar.
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Commentary

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations For Easter 4 (2020) -- Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10, Psalm 23 -- Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, M Adryael Tong, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2020
Psalm 23
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 (2020) -- Matthew 16:13-20, Exodus 1:8--2:10, Romans 12:1-8 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2020
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 5 (2020) -- Acts 7:55-60, 1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14 -- Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, M Adryael Tong, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2020
Acts 7:55-60
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 (2020) -- Exodus 3:1-15, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 16:21-28, Jeremiah 15:15-21, Psalm 26:1-8, Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2020
Exodus 3:1-15
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 6 (2020) -- Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21 -- Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, M Adryael Tong -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2020
Act 17:22-31
Sermons Illustrations For Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 (2020) -- Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2020
Exodus 12:1-14
Sermon Illustrations for Ascension of the Lord (2020) -- Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, M Adryael Tong, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Ascension of the Lord - A -- 2020
Acts 1:1-11
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 (2020) -- Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35 -- Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2020
Exodus 14:19-31
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 7 (2020) -- Acts 1:6-14, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, John 17:1-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, M Adryael Tong -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2020
Acts 1:6-14
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 (2020) -- Exodus 16:2-15, Philippians 1:21-30, Matthew 20:1-16 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2020
Exodus 16:2-15
Sermon Illustrations For Day Of Pentecost (2020) -- Acts 2:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13, John 20:19-23 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, M Adryael Tong -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2020
Acts 2:1-21
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2020) -- Exodus 17:1-17, Philippians 2:1-13, Matthew 21:28-32, Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2020
Exodus 17:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 2 (2020) -- Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Second Sunday after Christmas - A -- 2020
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 (2020) -- Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2020
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2020) -- Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 3:13-17 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - A -- 2020
Isaiah 42:1-9
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 (2020) -- Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2020
Isaiah 49:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 (2020) -- Exodus 32:1-14, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14, Isaiah 25:1-9, Psalm 23 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2020
Isaiah 25:1-9, Psalm 23
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 3 (2020) -- Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2020
Isaiah 9:1-4
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 (2020) -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2020
Exodus 33:12-23
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 (2020) -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46, Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18, Psalm 1 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2020
Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 4 | OT 4 (2020) -- Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2020
Micah 6:1-8
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 (2020) -- Joshua 3:7-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13, Matthew 23:1-12 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - A -- 2020
Joshua 3:7-17
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 5 (2020) -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16), Matthew 5:13-20 -- Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2020
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
Illustrations for All Saints Day (2020) -- Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- All Saints Day - A -- 2020
Revelation 7:9-17
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 (2020) -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Matthew 5:21-37 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2020
Sirach 15:15-20

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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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