Author: Reed Fowler

the gospel of john 9:1-7, 17-41for "preaching the plenary" at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Oct. 8, 2018. - - - - - The first thing Jesus does in this encounter is to denounce the connection between sin and disability. As soon as the disciples meet the man who was blind from birth, … Continue reading A 5-Minute Sermon on Body and Witness →

ordinary time.the gospel of mark 5:21-5:43.for St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square, July 1, 2018. - - - - - We continue our summer sermon series: Holy Scandal: Outrageous Stories of the People of God, with a section from Mark’s Gospel that illustrates the Body of Christ, through the witness and encounters of unnamed … Continue reading A Sermon on Porous Bodies →

season after Pentecost.1 samuel 3:1-20 and the gospel of mark 2:23-3:6.for St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square, June 3, 2018. - - - - - This summer, we witness God again and always working through unlikely figures in the Bible, in a sermon series at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square, designed by … Continue reading A Sermon on Risk and Call →

fifth Sunday of Advent.the gospel of john, 12:20-33.for St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square, March 18, 2018. - - - - - There is a sense of urgency that is present in our Lenten Gospel readings. We started with Mark, which is a frenetic text written in response to war and occupation, we have … Continue reading A Sermon on Holy Toolboxes →

(created at ARC's Theopoetics 2018 Conference, as part of the Engaging Arts as Faithful Practice cohort)

I am from ceramic mugs, from workboots, quilts, and gunmental glitter nails. I am from dirt roads off of dirt roads, no stoplights, hunter orange, and a fifth season. I am from spearmint in soil, outreaching growth, crushed, common, and resilient. I am from a tradition of healers and uprooted trees, from Buzzard and the … Continue reading Ceramic Mugs →

What does Ash Wednesday feel like for those who need no reminder that we are earth creatures, mortal, of the flesh? Who hear gunshots, see hospital rooms, taste fear, smell fire, touch bodies on a daily basis, hearts heavy and guarded? I don’t need a reminder that life is fragile. I witness it on my … Continue reading Ash Wednesday 2018 →

Planning worship this year was different.We had to add new names to the list of those siblings lost too soon while planning.For a total of twenty-five.Not counting those unknown to us, erased in death, who died alone, due to addiction, mental illness, poverty, more cycles of transphobia and violence. I want to wrap my body … Continue reading TDOR 2017 →

given at St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square on 10/29/17, eco-reformation Sunday and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. We always had a garden growing up. It had tomatoes, jalapeños, bell peppers, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and at least one vine vegetable, like cucumbers. My mom made and canned her homemade salsa from the harvest, … Continue reading Eco-Reformation Testimony 2017 →

given 10/26/17 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago I grew up in Vermont, on a dirt road off another dirt road. Place for me was always rooted in the soil, in the dappled shadow from maple trees, and winding roads. My mom grew up on the beaches of New Jersey – her tactile … Continue reading Place Testimony 2017 →