First Sunday in Advent
Nov. 28, 2010
Romans 13:11-14
Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed
In the name of our coming Lord Jesus, amen. The Epistle lesson from Romans speaks of the life we live in the Lord, of putting on Christ, of not gratifying the desires of our flesh, of walking properly, of realizing how near salvation is to us.
Near and far are very interesting words, because they are such relative terms, extremely relative. Between Nov. 19 and 23 there are three birthdays in our family, and none of them belong to our two year old. His birthday is the last one in our family. He did such an excellent job not being the one in the spotlight. For sure he had his moments, some major meltdowns and some minor ones, but he’s two. He only understands that today is either his birthday right now or it isn’t, it’s far off in the distance. You can’t tell him that it is in two or three weeks- he doesn’t grasp what that means. But he did an overall excellent job celebrating with his sister and his brother their big days.
You know how that relative understanding of time or distance can drive you bonkers. At some point you were in car, on a long ride to the grandparents and hearing that you would be there ‘soon’ was never satisfying.
In the living Word of God, Paul tells you and me that ‘you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed’. How near? Can I see it, touch it?
Salvation is near. That simply sounds funny to our ears, because it implies that salvation can move. Well, sure. Salvation can move because salvation is a person. It is our Lord Jesus. Salvation moves and lives and breathes. Salvation dies and rises and ascends. Salvation lives and reigns to all eternity. Paul met this salvation on the road to Damascus. Salvation blinded Paul and restored his sight. Salvation sent Paul throughout the Mediterranean world to proclaim that salvation had come from heaven for all mankind. Salvation is near.
And that reality is what we know about from the Gospels of Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus Himself declared that the kingdom of God had come, and when he said those words, I wonder if the hearers realized that the kingdom of God was right in front of them. It was not some far off locale, not some place with boundary stones and borders. The kingdom of God was walking and talking, teaching and saving, loving and forgiving. Hearing Jesus say that the Kingdom of God was near makes me smile as I realize the Father’s deep and abiding love for His people in the sending of His Son, of the King who comes to reign in our lives, in our Church.
Salvation is near, and St. Matthew shares us with this morning the day that Jesus, the salvation of God, rode into Jerusalem the final time, in preparation for His passion. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
The whole city was stirred up, wondering who this was. This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee. This is the prophet, the One who speaks the Father’s message, the message of repentance, the message of forgiveness. This is the One who grew up in the home of Mary and Joseph, his earthly parents. He learned from them and grew in their sight. This is the One that God had promised. This is the One who has come to bring salvation to those in need. And just to be clear- you and I are in need of salvation.
Advent is a blessed season for us in the Church. It is a season for repentance. It is a season for preparation. It is a season filled with wonder. We don’t repent that we do not have the resources to buy all the presents that people expect of us. We don’t prepare for blowout parties or to rock around the tree. We aren’t filled with wonder at the latest smart phone and the smaller but more powerful laptop. We repent of our sin, which are many and grievous and offensive and reek of wretchedness. We prepare for the coming of Christ, for the birth of salvation. And we wonder at the love of God. The Father doesn’t reject us. The Father doesn’t dismiss or spurn us. The Father doesn’t do that.
The Father gives. He gives a welcome to us, to the least of these. He gives an embrace. He gives a certain promise of presence and protection. He gives His very heart in the person of Christ. And salvation is near, nearer now than when we first believed.
Salvation is near. It is as near as the Word, as the water of Holy Baptism, as the bread and wine of Holy Communion, as the word of forgiveness in Holy Absolution. Salvation is near as we live under the Lord’s love, demonstrating in word and action that God’s love has reached us, has claimed us, has transformed us.
With Christ close at hand, let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. That’s a good list of what the Christian ought not engage in. Realistically it’s also a good list of what Christians do engage in. We know Christians, and non-Christians who are sexually immoral, who love to quarrel, and regardless of what color clothing they wear, their true color is envy green.
Wretched man that I am, what am I supposed to do? Put on Christ. Put on the salvation that is so near to you. Wear your baptismal grace. Remind yourself of the brand that has been placed on you, the sign of the cross of your forehead and heart, the brand that marks you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. Taste and see that the Lord is good. When you feast on body and blood of Jesus given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins, believe that Christ did this for you, for your life, for your forgiveness. When you hear me speak the forgiveness of God to you, dear Christian believe the promise of God- your sin is removed from you as far as the east is from the west. Salvation is near! It is here. Through our coming Lord Jesus, our adventing Lord Jesus, salvation is yours. SDG
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Worship news for Thanksgiving and Advent 1
Here is the information for our worship on Thanksgiving Eve and the first Sunday in Advent:
Thanksgiving
Hymns
788 Forgive Us, Lord, for Shallow Thankfulness
703 How Can I Thank You, Lord vv1,2,5
814 O Bless the Lord, My Soul
789 Praise and Thanksgiving
803 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
785 We Praise You, O God
Scripture Lessons
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Psalm 67
Philippians 4:6-20
Luke 17:11-19
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, Your mercies are new every morning and You graciously provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your goodness, give thanks for Your benefits and serve You in willing obedience all our days; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Advent 1, Nov. 28 (We start following Divine Service 3 for the Advent Season)
Hymns
331 The Advent of our King
341 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
335 O Bride of Christ, Rejoice
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 21:1-11
Prayer of the Day
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer of the Day for the commemoration of St. Andrew, Apostle (Nov. 30)
Almighty God, by Your grace the apostle Andrew obeyed the call of Your Son to be a disciple. Grant us also to follow the same Lord Jesus Christ in heart and life, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Thanksgiving
Hymns
788 Forgive Us, Lord, for Shallow Thankfulness
703 How Can I Thank You, Lord vv1,2,5
814 O Bless the Lord, My Soul
789 Praise and Thanksgiving
803 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
785 We Praise You, O God
Scripture Lessons
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Psalm 67
Philippians 4:6-20
Luke 17:11-19
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, Your mercies are new every morning and You graciously provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your goodness, give thanks for Your benefits and serve You in willing obedience all our days; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Advent 1, Nov. 28 (We start following Divine Service 3 for the Advent Season)
Hymns
331 The Advent of our King
341 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
335 O Bride of Christ, Rejoice
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 21:1-11
Prayer of the Day
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer of the Day for the commemoration of St. Andrew, Apostle (Nov. 30)
Almighty God, by Your grace the apostle Andrew obeyed the call of Your Son to be a disciple. Grant us also to follow the same Lord Jesus Christ in heart and life, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Sermon for Thanksgiving Eve
Thanksgiving Eve
Nov. 25, 2010
Phil. 4:6-20
Think about these things
In the name of our bountiful Lord Jesus, amen. Paul’s most excellent lesson from Philippians will be our sermon text this evening. I don’t believe it is terribly hard to hear Thanksgiving themes in that lesson.
It starts off by speaking about the worthlessness of worry, the absurdity of anxiety. Certainly you can feel anxious walking down some urban streets, or our fighting men and women face everyday anxiety in Afghanistan, but us? What are we anxious about- whether or not our favorite TV show is on, whether Delaware will make a run at a college football championship? When you are concerned about things in life, your relationships, your work, your children, “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”.
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Lord, I’m concerned about my relationship with my children. Your answer is to slow down, put down all the other things that are crowding your days, and listen, laugh, and love. Slow down and be patient with your children. Remember that they are the children and you are the parent. Take your concerns, anxieties, worries, and stresses to the Lord in prayer. And in your praying, remember to listen.
Paul writes to us about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy…and we are to think about those things. Sure. Paul is not asking something that is hard to perform. Tomorrow we’ll gather around our table. We’ll have some time to spend with our families. We might even be able to sit on the couch and give a sigh of contentment. We might have Friday off, making it a four-day weekend. We’ll have some time in the next 48-72 hours to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, and the like.
It is not hard to think about Jesus. Jesus is true. He is honorable. He is just, lovely, excellent and worthy of praise. Think about Jesus. He is the Lord who serves. He is the leader who is not afraid to get his hands messy. He is the sinless one who became our sin.
Think about Jesus. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me…practice these things.
The child of God does indeed learn of Jesus. Certainly we spend time in Bible classes exploring the great story of Jesus, his life, his ministry, his work. We receive Jesus…in the water, in the Word, in the bread, in the cup. There is Jesus, freely given to you, for you. In our conversations with one another, with family, with dear friends, we hear of Jesus. And we see him, in the visits that are made, in the deeds of kindness that make our days and our lives easier. We learn, receive, hear, and see Jesus, the Son of God, who lives and reigns to all eternity.
At Thanksgiving, we put Jesus into practice. Our service began as it always has, by naming the Name of the only true God, the triune God. Along with the Father and the Spirit, there was the Son. We then moved into some time of Confession, acknowledging our sin, guilt, shame…all the things we did and neglected to do. While the national Thanksgiving holiday focuses on all the positives and happinesses, the reality of our day is that very often the sad travels with the happy, negative experiences are the next-door neighbor of the happy times. So we confess all that has gone wrong in our lives because of our sinful nature. But then, there comes the absolving, the wiping away, the forgiveness of God for all of our sins because of the merit of Jesus Christ. There is Jesus at work, Jesus being put into practice in our lives.
Jesus is the eternal Word, the Word of God made flesh, the living Word that still speaks today through the written Word. The Holy Spirit opens our ears, opens our heart, to hear the voice of our Savior, and thus, we practice the honorable and charitable teachings of Jesus, we practice the humble and lovely commands of Christ, we practice the just actions of Jesus.
Whatever is true, honorable, commendable, just, pure- those are all descriptors of our Lord Jesus. Think of our Savior, and give God thanks for the gift of salvation.
It is the gift of salvation that helps us even out and balance our days. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Those words, written to the Philippians in about 60AD, ring out as true today as they did when first written. Not every day is a success. Some days you go to bed at night wondering why you even got out of bed in the first place. And some days are terrific triumphs, everything went right: in your family and in your vocation. Plenty and hunger, abundance and need, those are things we understand. People come to this church many times because of their hunger and need, and sometimes we can help and sometimes we can’t. For the people looking for food, I direct them to the food pantry, but then they say they do not have transportation there. People need help with utility bills and school expenses for their children and with rent that is already one month late. These people are our neighbors, figuratively and literally. People in our very neighborhood are hurting because a car repair has drained their savings and their hours at work are being reduced.
Where is the strength of Jesus to do all the things that come to us? The strength is in the true and honorable and commendable and just Jesus. It is in the healing that the lepers received, made well by their faith. It is in the discipline that God gives to His children. When in need we are given the strength to make the sacrifices that are necessary. We are given the strength to see what is necessary and thus, give up what is not.
Thanksgiving is quite the realistic holiday. It puts before our eyes, it speaks in our ears, it brings comfort to our heart to know with certainty the giving nature of the triune God, the abundant providence of God. We see it on our tables. And we see it here. Here are God’s gifts, freely offered, joyfully received, freely shared. SDG
Nov. 25, 2010
Phil. 4:6-20
Think about these things
In the name of our bountiful Lord Jesus, amen. Paul’s most excellent lesson from Philippians will be our sermon text this evening. I don’t believe it is terribly hard to hear Thanksgiving themes in that lesson.
It starts off by speaking about the worthlessness of worry, the absurdity of anxiety. Certainly you can feel anxious walking down some urban streets, or our fighting men and women face everyday anxiety in Afghanistan, but us? What are we anxious about- whether or not our favorite TV show is on, whether Delaware will make a run at a college football championship? When you are concerned about things in life, your relationships, your work, your children, “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”.
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Lord, I’m concerned about my relationship with my children. Your answer is to slow down, put down all the other things that are crowding your days, and listen, laugh, and love. Slow down and be patient with your children. Remember that they are the children and you are the parent. Take your concerns, anxieties, worries, and stresses to the Lord in prayer. And in your praying, remember to listen.
Paul writes to us about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy…and we are to think about those things. Sure. Paul is not asking something that is hard to perform. Tomorrow we’ll gather around our table. We’ll have some time to spend with our families. We might even be able to sit on the couch and give a sigh of contentment. We might have Friday off, making it a four-day weekend. We’ll have some time in the next 48-72 hours to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, and the like.
It is not hard to think about Jesus. Jesus is true. He is honorable. He is just, lovely, excellent and worthy of praise. Think about Jesus. He is the Lord who serves. He is the leader who is not afraid to get his hands messy. He is the sinless one who became our sin.
Think about Jesus. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me…practice these things.
The child of God does indeed learn of Jesus. Certainly we spend time in Bible classes exploring the great story of Jesus, his life, his ministry, his work. We receive Jesus…in the water, in the Word, in the bread, in the cup. There is Jesus, freely given to you, for you. In our conversations with one another, with family, with dear friends, we hear of Jesus. And we see him, in the visits that are made, in the deeds of kindness that make our days and our lives easier. We learn, receive, hear, and see Jesus, the Son of God, who lives and reigns to all eternity.
At Thanksgiving, we put Jesus into practice. Our service began as it always has, by naming the Name of the only true God, the triune God. Along with the Father and the Spirit, there was the Son. We then moved into some time of Confession, acknowledging our sin, guilt, shame…all the things we did and neglected to do. While the national Thanksgiving holiday focuses on all the positives and happinesses, the reality of our day is that very often the sad travels with the happy, negative experiences are the next-door neighbor of the happy times. So we confess all that has gone wrong in our lives because of our sinful nature. But then, there comes the absolving, the wiping away, the forgiveness of God for all of our sins because of the merit of Jesus Christ. There is Jesus at work, Jesus being put into practice in our lives.
Jesus is the eternal Word, the Word of God made flesh, the living Word that still speaks today through the written Word. The Holy Spirit opens our ears, opens our heart, to hear the voice of our Savior, and thus, we practice the honorable and charitable teachings of Jesus, we practice the humble and lovely commands of Christ, we practice the just actions of Jesus.
Whatever is true, honorable, commendable, just, pure- those are all descriptors of our Lord Jesus. Think of our Savior, and give God thanks for the gift of salvation.
It is the gift of salvation that helps us even out and balance our days. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Those words, written to the Philippians in about 60AD, ring out as true today as they did when first written. Not every day is a success. Some days you go to bed at night wondering why you even got out of bed in the first place. And some days are terrific triumphs, everything went right: in your family and in your vocation. Plenty and hunger, abundance and need, those are things we understand. People come to this church many times because of their hunger and need, and sometimes we can help and sometimes we can’t. For the people looking for food, I direct them to the food pantry, but then they say they do not have transportation there. People need help with utility bills and school expenses for their children and with rent that is already one month late. These people are our neighbors, figuratively and literally. People in our very neighborhood are hurting because a car repair has drained their savings and their hours at work are being reduced.
Where is the strength of Jesus to do all the things that come to us? The strength is in the true and honorable and commendable and just Jesus. It is in the healing that the lepers received, made well by their faith. It is in the discipline that God gives to His children. When in need we are given the strength to make the sacrifices that are necessary. We are given the strength to see what is necessary and thus, give up what is not.
Thanksgiving is quite the realistic holiday. It puts before our eyes, it speaks in our ears, it brings comfort to our heart to know with certainty the giving nature of the triune God, the abundant providence of God. We see it on our tables. And we see it here. Here are God’s gifts, freely offered, joyfully received, freely shared. SDG
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sermon for the Last Sunday of the Church Year
Last Sunday of the Church Year
Nov. 21, 2010
Luke 23:27-43
Justly
In the name of Jesus, the Lord of the Church, Lord of the entire church year that concludes today, amen.
It’s always about Jesus. The church year ends today and the new year starts next Sunday. And the Lord Christ is at the beginning, the middle, and the end. Advent, Christmas, and Easter is half of the year that celebrates the great festivals. The long season of Pentecost celebrates the movement of the Church under the watchful eye of God, led by the eternally present Holy Spirit. Whatever the time, whatever the season, we live, move, and have our being with the Lord.
When we reflect on the church year, we do notice movement, traveling, journeying. Within the life and ministry of Jesus, we see the movement of our life. We notice the journey that our life takes, with its twists and turns, ups and downs, times of rest and times of great energy.
The Gospel lesson for the last Sunday in the Church Year is a familiar lesson. It is a portion of the passion of Christ from Luke’s gospel. And Jesus is moving, traveling, and journeying. He is moving from the place of his trial and conviction and sentencing to the place of his punishment, the place of his death, to the place that in Aramaic is called the Skull. Jesus is moving toward his crucifixion.
Women are weeping for him. That’s nice. An outpouring of sympathy for a dead man walking. But our compassionate Lord doesn’t receive the compassion of the weeping women. Weep for yourselves. Weep for your children.
Even on the way to his bloody painful death, Jesus would not let an opportunity for teaching pass by. Jesus looks at the women and says to them, “What I am doing, I am doing for you and for your children. What I am doing is to spare you from this in the future. The days are coming and people will ask the mountains to fall on them and the hills to cover them, but it will be too late. What I am doing, carrying this cross, carrying your sin and shame, I do it for you.”
Eventually the journey is completed and Jesus, along with two other criminals, arrive at Calvary, Golgotha, the place of the skull. His arms are stretched out and the nails are driven into his hands. His feet are placed on top of each other and onto a small support and a nail is driven through both feet. The thorny crown that was jammed onto his head remains in place. The purple robe that covered his bloody back is removed and his open wounds are exposed to the rough wood, and whatever flying insects are present in the middle of the day. And this is the way that the king of the Jews is treated. And the King of the Jews said, “Father, forgive them.”
Jesus was treated shamefully, beyond shamefully. His trial was anything but fair. One who had eaten with him, walked with him, served with him…betrayed him. His punishment was harsh. He was whipped 39 times with a whip with leather straps studded with jagged bits of metal and bone. The Prince of peace was treated with malice and hatred and prejudice. People wanted the Lord of life dead. But all of this took place justly.
The two criminals who were crucified with the Lord are interesting characters. Both of these criminals were looking out for themselves. But the vision of the two criminals was not the same.
The first criminal joined with the mockers and the scoffers- “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” This felon couldn’t see beyond his own nose. His vision of life was so temporary and so finite. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die is way we talk about it. For this dying criminal, it might be steal, pillage, and plunder for tomorrow the Roman cops are going to take you down.
The dying criminal who was mocking Christ didn’t care if Jesus was who he claimed to be. The dying criminal was only concerned about himself. What did the criminal have to lose? I’m dying, slowly and painfully. I’m going to suffocate before too long. If this guy next to me is so special, let’s see some magic! Save yourself and us!
The other criminal spoke up for Jesus. Jesus wasn’t about to waste his breath replying to his mockers and scoffers. When Jesus opened his mouth to speak, it was to say what many people, then and now, still consider unbelievable.
The kindly criminal turned on the other- “We’re getting what we deserve! This man has done nothing wrong. You and I have done all sorts of things that were wrong. We’re here justly. We’re here receiving the reward for our actions. We are cashing the paycheck that our sins earned. No matter how slowly, the wheels of justice do grind, and we are caught in the middle of those wheels.”
Both the criminals, the crude and the kind, were getting what they deserved. Justice was being served. Jesus hung in the middle. And according to the criminal, he was getting what he didn’t deserve. But still justice was being served.
Jesus knew that he was where he needed to be. Hanging between the two thieves, Jesus knew that he was destined to be in this spot. From the moment Jesus left his home in heaven, he knew that he would end up here. He was born to die. He was baptized to die. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, cast out demons, taught the multitudes in order that He would be in that spot. He gathered the Twelve, gathered other disciples, sent them out in order to hang on the cross. In the most blessed exchange, Jesus became our sin.
Jesus became my lying, your greed, our sloth and fear and timidity. Jesus became our infidelity and abandonment and abuse. Jesus became our sin and hung on the cross. And we received the pardon of all our offenses. We received the welcome of God’s children. We received the righteousness of Christ. We received what the compassionate criminal received.
As Jesus hung on the cross, as Jesus commended his spirit into the Father’s hands, as he cried out “It is finished!” and breathed his last, we received the kingdom. Today, you will be with me in paradise.
This Last Sunday of the Church Year brings things to a close. It opens the door a crack and allows us to peer into what is coming. It is the Kingdom of God and of His Christ. And He, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit shall reign forever and ever.
In no way do we deserve the Kingdom of God, Paradise, our Father’s mansion, a seat at the heavenly banqueting table. According to our view of justice, we are lost sinners who should be condemned to everlasting death and torment. But that is our view of justice. That is not the Father’s view. Justice is found at the cross as the price demanded for our sinful rejection is paid by our Redeemer and our Savior.
We are here justly, here in church, here hearing the Word, here opening our hands to receive the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. We are here justly because we need to be justified. We cannot justify ourselves, and so we have today’s Gospel, the eternal Gospel that needs to be proclaimed to everyone.
Jesus Christ received no justice in his life. All so that we would be justified, today and forever. SDG
Nov. 21, 2010
Luke 23:27-43
Justly
In the name of Jesus, the Lord of the Church, Lord of the entire church year that concludes today, amen.
It’s always about Jesus. The church year ends today and the new year starts next Sunday. And the Lord Christ is at the beginning, the middle, and the end. Advent, Christmas, and Easter is half of the year that celebrates the great festivals. The long season of Pentecost celebrates the movement of the Church under the watchful eye of God, led by the eternally present Holy Spirit. Whatever the time, whatever the season, we live, move, and have our being with the Lord.
When we reflect on the church year, we do notice movement, traveling, journeying. Within the life and ministry of Jesus, we see the movement of our life. We notice the journey that our life takes, with its twists and turns, ups and downs, times of rest and times of great energy.
The Gospel lesson for the last Sunday in the Church Year is a familiar lesson. It is a portion of the passion of Christ from Luke’s gospel. And Jesus is moving, traveling, and journeying. He is moving from the place of his trial and conviction and sentencing to the place of his punishment, the place of his death, to the place that in Aramaic is called the Skull. Jesus is moving toward his crucifixion.
Women are weeping for him. That’s nice. An outpouring of sympathy for a dead man walking. But our compassionate Lord doesn’t receive the compassion of the weeping women. Weep for yourselves. Weep for your children.
Even on the way to his bloody painful death, Jesus would not let an opportunity for teaching pass by. Jesus looks at the women and says to them, “What I am doing, I am doing for you and for your children. What I am doing is to spare you from this in the future. The days are coming and people will ask the mountains to fall on them and the hills to cover them, but it will be too late. What I am doing, carrying this cross, carrying your sin and shame, I do it for you.”
Eventually the journey is completed and Jesus, along with two other criminals, arrive at Calvary, Golgotha, the place of the skull. His arms are stretched out and the nails are driven into his hands. His feet are placed on top of each other and onto a small support and a nail is driven through both feet. The thorny crown that was jammed onto his head remains in place. The purple robe that covered his bloody back is removed and his open wounds are exposed to the rough wood, and whatever flying insects are present in the middle of the day. And this is the way that the king of the Jews is treated. And the King of the Jews said, “Father, forgive them.”
Jesus was treated shamefully, beyond shamefully. His trial was anything but fair. One who had eaten with him, walked with him, served with him…betrayed him. His punishment was harsh. He was whipped 39 times with a whip with leather straps studded with jagged bits of metal and bone. The Prince of peace was treated with malice and hatred and prejudice. People wanted the Lord of life dead. But all of this took place justly.
The two criminals who were crucified with the Lord are interesting characters. Both of these criminals were looking out for themselves. But the vision of the two criminals was not the same.
The first criminal joined with the mockers and the scoffers- “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” This felon couldn’t see beyond his own nose. His vision of life was so temporary and so finite. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die is way we talk about it. For this dying criminal, it might be steal, pillage, and plunder for tomorrow the Roman cops are going to take you down.
The dying criminal who was mocking Christ didn’t care if Jesus was who he claimed to be. The dying criminal was only concerned about himself. What did the criminal have to lose? I’m dying, slowly and painfully. I’m going to suffocate before too long. If this guy next to me is so special, let’s see some magic! Save yourself and us!
The other criminal spoke up for Jesus. Jesus wasn’t about to waste his breath replying to his mockers and scoffers. When Jesus opened his mouth to speak, it was to say what many people, then and now, still consider unbelievable.
The kindly criminal turned on the other- “We’re getting what we deserve! This man has done nothing wrong. You and I have done all sorts of things that were wrong. We’re here justly. We’re here receiving the reward for our actions. We are cashing the paycheck that our sins earned. No matter how slowly, the wheels of justice do grind, and we are caught in the middle of those wheels.”
Both the criminals, the crude and the kind, were getting what they deserved. Justice was being served. Jesus hung in the middle. And according to the criminal, he was getting what he didn’t deserve. But still justice was being served.
Jesus knew that he was where he needed to be. Hanging between the two thieves, Jesus knew that he was destined to be in this spot. From the moment Jesus left his home in heaven, he knew that he would end up here. He was born to die. He was baptized to die. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, cast out demons, taught the multitudes in order that He would be in that spot. He gathered the Twelve, gathered other disciples, sent them out in order to hang on the cross. In the most blessed exchange, Jesus became our sin.
Jesus became my lying, your greed, our sloth and fear and timidity. Jesus became our infidelity and abandonment and abuse. Jesus became our sin and hung on the cross. And we received the pardon of all our offenses. We received the welcome of God’s children. We received the righteousness of Christ. We received what the compassionate criminal received.
As Jesus hung on the cross, as Jesus commended his spirit into the Father’s hands, as he cried out “It is finished!” and breathed his last, we received the kingdom. Today, you will be with me in paradise.
This Last Sunday of the Church Year brings things to a close. It opens the door a crack and allows us to peer into what is coming. It is the Kingdom of God and of His Christ. And He, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit shall reign forever and ever.
In no way do we deserve the Kingdom of God, Paradise, our Father’s mansion, a seat at the heavenly banqueting table. According to our view of justice, we are lost sinners who should be condemned to everlasting death and torment. But that is our view of justice. That is not the Father’s view. Justice is found at the cross as the price demanded for our sinful rejection is paid by our Redeemer and our Savior.
We are here justly, here in church, here hearing the Word, here opening our hands to receive the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. We are here justly because we need to be justified. We cannot justify ourselves, and so we have today’s Gospel, the eternal Gospel that needs to be proclaimed to everyone.
Jesus Christ received no justice in his life. All so that we would be justified, today and forever. SDG
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sermon for Nov. 14
Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Baptism of Logan Conway
Nov. 14, 2010
The Holy Ark of the Christian Church
In the name of Jesus, our Redeemer and Logan’s Redeemer, amen. Christianity is such a fluid ‘thing’. And by fluid, I don’t mean something that sloshes around like milk in a jug. Christianity is fluid based on what has taken place this morning. Christianity is fluid based on the communion meal we celebrate. Christianity is fluid due to the story of our Lord Jesus. He changed water into wine. He walked on water. He told the howling seas to hush up. When Jesus was born, he was a living, breathing ball of wet messiness. And when Jesus was suffering in the Garden, he sweat blood. He was scourged with an ancient version of a cat-o-nine and he bled. And in his dying moments, he was pierced with a spear and out came blood and water. Christianity is built upon the solid foundation of Jesus and Jesus spent a lot of time dealing with liquids and fluids.
In our baptism this morning, all of us have a blessed opportunity to reflect on our own washing, on our own bathing, on our own immersion into the life of Christ. God’s own children, we gladly say it, all of us are baptized into Christ. He…because we could never in a million years ever pay it, paid our own redemption price. With His holy and precious blood, a great fluid, and with his innocent suffering and death, He, our Lord Jesus, paid the price that was on my head. Jesus gave Himself up for me, in my place, and for you, in your place.
We are baptized into Christ, washed, made clean, swept in a holy flood into the family of God. Reading through God’s Word, you cannot help but notice how water, rain, blood- fluid images all- fill God’s Holy Book. In the beginning God called for the springs of the heavens and the springs of the deep to open up so that the seas, oceans, lakes, and rivers would be formed. And in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, there is a river that flows through the heavenly Jerusalem, a river of great delight for the people of God.
So this day when we celebrate Logan’s washing of water and the Word, we can all praise God that Logan takes his place with all of us, here, in the holy ark of the Christian Church.
Our baptismal service includes what is known as the Flood Prayer, written by Dr. Luther for baptismal services. For the unbelieving multitudes in the days of Noah, for hard-hearted Pharoah’s army, water was not good. Water was destructive. Water was deadly. Yet Noah was spared, along with his wife, his three sons, and the three wives of his sons. Water was good. It lifted the ark, and they were spared. For the children of Israel who were languishing as slaves in Egypt, God separated the waters of the Red Sea, dried the ground, and His people marched through the wall of water from slavery to safety.
Baptism continues to destroy and make alive. All sin- the sin-sickness that we all have inherited from Adam and Eve and the sin the commit because of our identity- all of that sin is drowned in the waters of Holy Baptism.
C’mon, Logan’s so small, so young, so cute…sin? Get real. Oh yeah, it is real. Sin is what we are more than what we do. All of the bad things that we do, and they are many, are done because of our identity. You act selfishly because you are a sinful human being. You overlook the gifts of your spouse because you are sinner. You treat your coworkers with contempt because of your sinful identity. You regard others as more sinful than you because their sinful actions are public, while your take place in the privacy of your own home, they take place via your high-speed internet connection. It is our sinful ID that leads to our sinful actions. The baptism that Logan has received this morning has cleansed him of his sin. The baptism that Logan has received shows him to be a child of God. Logan has been given to his parents Ashley and Joe so they may guide him, nurture him, and train him to give thanks for his baptism and for the reality of the Father’s loving presence in his life.
Logan takes his place within the holy ark of the Christian Church. He sits next to you, behind you, in front of you. He joins the countless throng of men and women, young and old, healthy and sick, wealthy and poor, all who make up the family of God, the body of Christ.
Logan’s baptism, and your baptism, regardless of how long ago it may have been, is something certain. The holy ark of the Christian Church often seems to be sailing on rough and turbulent seas. The Christian Church seems adrift, without any power, without any direction. It has no course because it follows the cultural currents that shift and change.
There are stormy seas that the ship of God’s Church sails in. God’s gift of marriage is under attack. God’s gift of life is devalued, from beginning to end. Babies are being aborted because the gender is found out while they are still in the protective ark of the womb but they are the wrong gender! Those with mental and physical disabilities are shunted to the side, warehoused out of the way, and forgotten. Those who are older, who are drawing toward the end of their life, are encouraged to speed things up. Their value and worth are determined by others and they are seen as a drain on resources rather than as a human being, loved by God, given life by God, protected and cherished by God.
God’s gift of forgiveness is even under attack, as we live in a world occupied by three-strikes-and-you’re-out policies, even zero-tolerance policies. When a Christian forgives, the Christian is often mocked! “Why forgive that person? They’re just going to hurt you all over again!”
But God has put us here, in this family of God, in this church, in this ship. By Baptism God has put his name upon us and has sealed his promise of presence. By Holy Communion, God’s baptismal grace is renewed and refreshed in our living. God’s forgiveness is there. God’s life is there. The salvation of God that is yours by Christ’s work on the cross is there too.
God has put us in the ship, and we are not without power, place, or purpose. The power is the Spirit-filled Word of God. Our place is this world, our Father’s world, His glorious creation that we care for. Our purpose is to glorify God, to point to our Savior Jesus, to serve God with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope. Within the holy ark of God’s Church, God’s people, Logan, you, me, all of us together, are kept safe and secure. SDG
Baptism of Logan Conway
Nov. 14, 2010
The Holy Ark of the Christian Church
In the name of Jesus, our Redeemer and Logan’s Redeemer, amen. Christianity is such a fluid ‘thing’. And by fluid, I don’t mean something that sloshes around like milk in a jug. Christianity is fluid based on what has taken place this morning. Christianity is fluid based on the communion meal we celebrate. Christianity is fluid due to the story of our Lord Jesus. He changed water into wine. He walked on water. He told the howling seas to hush up. When Jesus was born, he was a living, breathing ball of wet messiness. And when Jesus was suffering in the Garden, he sweat blood. He was scourged with an ancient version of a cat-o-nine and he bled. And in his dying moments, he was pierced with a spear and out came blood and water. Christianity is built upon the solid foundation of Jesus and Jesus spent a lot of time dealing with liquids and fluids.
In our baptism this morning, all of us have a blessed opportunity to reflect on our own washing, on our own bathing, on our own immersion into the life of Christ. God’s own children, we gladly say it, all of us are baptized into Christ. He…because we could never in a million years ever pay it, paid our own redemption price. With His holy and precious blood, a great fluid, and with his innocent suffering and death, He, our Lord Jesus, paid the price that was on my head. Jesus gave Himself up for me, in my place, and for you, in your place.
We are baptized into Christ, washed, made clean, swept in a holy flood into the family of God. Reading through God’s Word, you cannot help but notice how water, rain, blood- fluid images all- fill God’s Holy Book. In the beginning God called for the springs of the heavens and the springs of the deep to open up so that the seas, oceans, lakes, and rivers would be formed. And in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, there is a river that flows through the heavenly Jerusalem, a river of great delight for the people of God.
So this day when we celebrate Logan’s washing of water and the Word, we can all praise God that Logan takes his place with all of us, here, in the holy ark of the Christian Church.
Our baptismal service includes what is known as the Flood Prayer, written by Dr. Luther for baptismal services. For the unbelieving multitudes in the days of Noah, for hard-hearted Pharoah’s army, water was not good. Water was destructive. Water was deadly. Yet Noah was spared, along with his wife, his three sons, and the three wives of his sons. Water was good. It lifted the ark, and they were spared. For the children of Israel who were languishing as slaves in Egypt, God separated the waters of the Red Sea, dried the ground, and His people marched through the wall of water from slavery to safety.
Baptism continues to destroy and make alive. All sin- the sin-sickness that we all have inherited from Adam and Eve and the sin the commit because of our identity- all of that sin is drowned in the waters of Holy Baptism.
C’mon, Logan’s so small, so young, so cute…sin? Get real. Oh yeah, it is real. Sin is what we are more than what we do. All of the bad things that we do, and they are many, are done because of our identity. You act selfishly because you are a sinful human being. You overlook the gifts of your spouse because you are sinner. You treat your coworkers with contempt because of your sinful identity. You regard others as more sinful than you because their sinful actions are public, while your take place in the privacy of your own home, they take place via your high-speed internet connection. It is our sinful ID that leads to our sinful actions. The baptism that Logan has received this morning has cleansed him of his sin. The baptism that Logan has received shows him to be a child of God. Logan has been given to his parents Ashley and Joe so they may guide him, nurture him, and train him to give thanks for his baptism and for the reality of the Father’s loving presence in his life.
Logan takes his place within the holy ark of the Christian Church. He sits next to you, behind you, in front of you. He joins the countless throng of men and women, young and old, healthy and sick, wealthy and poor, all who make up the family of God, the body of Christ.
Logan’s baptism, and your baptism, regardless of how long ago it may have been, is something certain. The holy ark of the Christian Church often seems to be sailing on rough and turbulent seas. The Christian Church seems adrift, without any power, without any direction. It has no course because it follows the cultural currents that shift and change.
There are stormy seas that the ship of God’s Church sails in. God’s gift of marriage is under attack. God’s gift of life is devalued, from beginning to end. Babies are being aborted because the gender is found out while they are still in the protective ark of the womb but they are the wrong gender! Those with mental and physical disabilities are shunted to the side, warehoused out of the way, and forgotten. Those who are older, who are drawing toward the end of their life, are encouraged to speed things up. Their value and worth are determined by others and they are seen as a drain on resources rather than as a human being, loved by God, given life by God, protected and cherished by God.
God’s gift of forgiveness is even under attack, as we live in a world occupied by three-strikes-and-you’re-out policies, even zero-tolerance policies. When a Christian forgives, the Christian is often mocked! “Why forgive that person? They’re just going to hurt you all over again!”
But God has put us here, in this family of God, in this church, in this ship. By Baptism God has put his name upon us and has sealed his promise of presence. By Holy Communion, God’s baptismal grace is renewed and refreshed in our living. God’s forgiveness is there. God’s life is there. The salvation of God that is yours by Christ’s work on the cross is there too.
God has put us in the ship, and we are not without power, place, or purpose. The power is the Spirit-filled Word of God. Our place is this world, our Father’s world, His glorious creation that we care for. Our purpose is to glorify God, to point to our Savior Jesus, to serve God with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope. Within the holy ark of God’s Church, God’s people, Logan, you, me, all of us together, are kept safe and secure. SDG
Did we really do an exorcism yesterday?
I feel no shame in admitting that I have some dork-ish tendencies. (Nothing has really changed since my younger years.) As part of my daily devotions, I read Treasury of Daily Prayer. But I also read through the Altar Book of our hymnal. (This is the big book that sits on our altar, hence its name.) I pray through the services by myself, pray the prayers, but also pay attention to some of the general notes that are given to pastors and worship leaders. In the pew edition of Lutheran Service Book, you can see statements in red like ‘sit’, ‘stand’, ‘During Advent and Lent, the Gloria in Excelsis is omitted.’, and things like that. These are called rubrics, which is just a fancy word for red.
In preparing for our baptismal service yesterday, I was reading through the general notes and the rubrics. I discovered something that we could do, and so I included it in the service. Were any of you curious about something that took place? I’ll give you a moment to recall yesterday’s baptism…. Following the standard renunciation- “Do you renounce the devil, all his works, and all his ways?” came something new, which is actually quite old. Martin Luther’s baptismal rite included the ancient Christian practice of the exorcism. Sometimes the exorcism would take place after the baptismal address, and sometimes it would occur after the renunciation. We did the exorcism after the renunciation. “Depart O unclean spirit and make room for the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Talking about exorcism might get us thinking about movies, with images of spinning heads, bugged-out eyes, and scary guttural voices. What were we doing yesterday including an exorcism in the Rite of Holy Baptism? Exorcism deals with demon possession. Did I think that the child was demon possessed? Not any more than realistically thinking that I am possessed.
“Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.” That is something Jesus said and is part of the Reformation Day Gospel lesson. Being a slave to sin is being in sin’s possession. Being a slave to sin is having the devil as your master. Sin possesses us. Paraphrasing the apostle Paul we learn this reality: the things I don’t want to do are the things I do and the things I want to do I don’t, in fact I can’t.
The baptism yesterday allowed us to ponder the reality of our identity. We are sinners. And sinners do sinful things. We are not sinners because we do sinful things. If that were the case, all we’d need to do to find salvation is stop sinning. Good luck with that!
Our identity is sin. Our new identity through the waters of Holy Baptism is redeemed. God in Christ Jesus has joined Himself to us. We are redeemed human beings, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. We are given mercy fresh every morning, mercy that moves us into our day.
The demon needs to be removed, or exorcised, from our lives. Depart O unclean spirit. Make room for the Holy Spirit! “This is the Spirit’s entry now: the water and the Word, the cross of Jesus on your brow, the seal both felt and heard. This miracle of life reborn comes from the Lord of breath; the perfect Man from life was torn; our life comes through Christ’s death. Let water be the sacred sign that we must die each day to rise again by His design as followers of His way. Renewing Spirit, hear our praise for Your baptismal power that washes us through all our days; Lord, cleanse again this hour.” {Thomas Herbranson, b.1933}
In preparing for our baptismal service yesterday, I was reading through the general notes and the rubrics. I discovered something that we could do, and so I included it in the service. Were any of you curious about something that took place? I’ll give you a moment to recall yesterday’s baptism…. Following the standard renunciation- “Do you renounce the devil, all his works, and all his ways?” came something new, which is actually quite old. Martin Luther’s baptismal rite included the ancient Christian practice of the exorcism. Sometimes the exorcism would take place after the baptismal address, and sometimes it would occur after the renunciation. We did the exorcism after the renunciation. “Depart O unclean spirit and make room for the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Talking about exorcism might get us thinking about movies, with images of spinning heads, bugged-out eyes, and scary guttural voices. What were we doing yesterday including an exorcism in the Rite of Holy Baptism? Exorcism deals with demon possession. Did I think that the child was demon possessed? Not any more than realistically thinking that I am possessed.
“Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.” That is something Jesus said and is part of the Reformation Day Gospel lesson. Being a slave to sin is being in sin’s possession. Being a slave to sin is having the devil as your master. Sin possesses us. Paraphrasing the apostle Paul we learn this reality: the things I don’t want to do are the things I do and the things I want to do I don’t, in fact I can’t.
The baptism yesterday allowed us to ponder the reality of our identity. We are sinners. And sinners do sinful things. We are not sinners because we do sinful things. If that were the case, all we’d need to do to find salvation is stop sinning. Good luck with that!
Our identity is sin. Our new identity through the waters of Holy Baptism is redeemed. God in Christ Jesus has joined Himself to us. We are redeemed human beings, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. We are given mercy fresh every morning, mercy that moves us into our day.
The demon needs to be removed, or exorcised, from our lives. Depart O unclean spirit. Make room for the Holy Spirit! “This is the Spirit’s entry now: the water and the Word, the cross of Jesus on your brow, the seal both felt and heard. This miracle of life reborn comes from the Lord of breath; the perfect Man from life was torn; our life comes through Christ’s death. Let water be the sacred sign that we must die each day to rise again by His design as followers of His way. Renewing Spirit, hear our praise for Your baptismal power that washes us through all our days; Lord, cleanse again this hour.” {Thomas Herbranson, b.1933}
Monday, November 8, 2010
Do the math!
Do the math
There was a statement made on Issues, Etc. the other day that caused me to stop what I was doing, drop my jaw, and say “Whoa.” I pondered the statement and on reflection, the sentiment was stunning in its accuracy.
Here’s what I heard: “If you are born once, you die twice. If you are born twice, you die once.”
Get it? It’s the kind of math that is not taught in schools, but it is the math that ultimately matters. In our Christian religion, there are some numbers that count, three and forty being numbers that show up numerous times in both Testaments of the Bible.
This equation is rather interesting. And with the inclusion of birth and death, the interest is increased. Everyone is born, and at some point, everyone will die. Those events are the great equalizers in life. From the highest to the lowest, everyone enters this world a screaming ball of messiness. And, everyone has a terminal illness called life. Our heart will stop beating and we will breathe our last.
And if we are paying attention to the culture in which we live, there are quite a few people who do not acknowledge the Lord and His love. Many people live in opposition to God and spend their lives being their own god and trying to figure out how to save themselves. They run from death and spend their days searching for their own immortality in pills, vaccines, diets, and exercise programs.
They are born, but they are never born again through the glory, the beauty, the holy mystery of baptism. To countless people, Holy Baptism is nothing but a meaningless ritual. It is merely water. It is just something to make the grandparents feel good. It is something that has to be done. It is something that has no significance whatsoever.
And from an egocentric perspective…that’s absolutely right. It is just water. It does not carry a lot of significance. It does make Grandma and Grandpa happy. It is a nice occasion for pictures to be taken.
But Baptism is not egocentric, it is theocentric. It is God’s doing, God at work. We remember our Catechism lessons that baptism is not merely water, but water connected to the Word of God. And baptism carries God’s promise. The promise of forgiveness is there. The promise of regeneration sustains the baptized child of God. And the doorway to heaven stands wide open.
Those who are born but are not born of water and the Word will die twice. Huh? Christians believe what Jesus says, and what Jesus says is that He is coming back. In the Nicene Creed we state our belief in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. This means that Jesus Christ is coming back, and when He comes, He will raise me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers. Notice the distinction? All the dead, Christians and non-Christians, will be raised. Who is raised to eternal life? Only the believers. The non-believers will be raised in order to receive their judgment of everlasting death. They will die twice.
You will not die twice. By God’s declaration, by God’s grace, the believers in Jesus who have been born twice will be raised so that God’s glorious invitation can ring in their ears- Enter into eternal rest. Enjoy the unending feast. All is ready and prepared. The believer will only die once.
Stunning, isn’t it? When I heard that, it took my breath away for a split second. And I’m glad that it did. It’s important to remember what is awaiting us. God has prepared such unbelievable goodness for His children. And God supplies us with the strength and comfort that we need for our living and for our dying.
There was a statement made on Issues, Etc. the other day that caused me to stop what I was doing, drop my jaw, and say “Whoa.” I pondered the statement and on reflection, the sentiment was stunning in its accuracy.
Here’s what I heard: “If you are born once, you die twice. If you are born twice, you die once.”
Get it? It’s the kind of math that is not taught in schools, but it is the math that ultimately matters. In our Christian religion, there are some numbers that count, three and forty being numbers that show up numerous times in both Testaments of the Bible.
This equation is rather interesting. And with the inclusion of birth and death, the interest is increased. Everyone is born, and at some point, everyone will die. Those events are the great equalizers in life. From the highest to the lowest, everyone enters this world a screaming ball of messiness. And, everyone has a terminal illness called life. Our heart will stop beating and we will breathe our last.
And if we are paying attention to the culture in which we live, there are quite a few people who do not acknowledge the Lord and His love. Many people live in opposition to God and spend their lives being their own god and trying to figure out how to save themselves. They run from death and spend their days searching for their own immortality in pills, vaccines, diets, and exercise programs.
They are born, but they are never born again through the glory, the beauty, the holy mystery of baptism. To countless people, Holy Baptism is nothing but a meaningless ritual. It is merely water. It is just something to make the grandparents feel good. It is something that has to be done. It is something that has no significance whatsoever.
And from an egocentric perspective…that’s absolutely right. It is just water. It does not carry a lot of significance. It does make Grandma and Grandpa happy. It is a nice occasion for pictures to be taken.
But Baptism is not egocentric, it is theocentric. It is God’s doing, God at work. We remember our Catechism lessons that baptism is not merely water, but water connected to the Word of God. And baptism carries God’s promise. The promise of forgiveness is there. The promise of regeneration sustains the baptized child of God. And the doorway to heaven stands wide open.
Those who are born but are not born of water and the Word will die twice. Huh? Christians believe what Jesus says, and what Jesus says is that He is coming back. In the Nicene Creed we state our belief in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. This means that Jesus Christ is coming back, and when He comes, He will raise me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers. Notice the distinction? All the dead, Christians and non-Christians, will be raised. Who is raised to eternal life? Only the believers. The non-believers will be raised in order to receive their judgment of everlasting death. They will die twice.
You will not die twice. By God’s declaration, by God’s grace, the believers in Jesus who have been born twice will be raised so that God’s glorious invitation can ring in their ears- Enter into eternal rest. Enjoy the unending feast. All is ready and prepared. The believer will only die once.
Stunning, isn’t it? When I heard that, it took my breath away for a split second. And I’m glad that it did. It’s important to remember what is awaiting us. God has prepared such unbelievable goodness for His children. And God supplies us with the strength and comfort that we need for our living and for our dying.
All Saints' Sermon
All Saints’ Day (observed)
Nov. 7, 2010
Rev. 7:9-17
Who are these? From where have they come?
In the name of Jesus, amen. Today is our day! All Saints’ Day is our time to shine. Christmas is the festival of the Father. He gave His dearest treasure Jesus to us. Easter is the festival of the Son, as we watch Christ willingly become our sin and go to the cross. And we watch Jesus step out of the tomb triumphant over our enemy death. Pentecost is the festival of the ever-present Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been dumped lavishly upon God’s people and the Spirit does what the Spirit is supposed to do- be our advocate, our guide, our comforter, the One who reminds us of our place within the family of God. All Saints’ Day is our day. It is the festival of the Church. It is the time for the people of God to celebrate who they are- God’s people, holy and dearly loved, God’s sons and daughters, God’s lambs and sheep. All Saints’ is the festival for the Church.
The lessons appointed for All Saints’ ring in our ears the truth of who we are. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.”
We are children of God, even though we can clearly see in the mirror that we bear very little resemblance to children of God. We act with malice and harmful intent. We blissfully close our eyes to the needs around us. We happily close our eyes to cries of suffering. We go through our day living and thinking that we are #1 and that everyone should do things to make our lives easier. We are incessant navel gazers. We do not live in a heliocentric universe, but an egocentric one.
Who are we? Well, based on where our vehicles are, where we are sitting, what this building is called, we could surmise that we are the Church. And yes, that is what we are. By God’s declaration, we are the church. We have been fashioned and formed into the body of Christ with Christ Himself as our head. We are the Church. In times of sorrow, in times of our rejection of God, in times of our sinful selfishness, greed, and arrogance…we are the Church.
We are the Church because we have come to hear the Word. We have come to praise the Lord of the Church. We have come to hear about the Father’s remedy for our sin and guilt, that the Father sent the Son to go to the cross. The Son bore our sins, became our sins, took our guilt and gave to us His righteousness. And the Spirit has been planted in each of us so that we can grow, bloom and blossom with the beauty of God that is witnessed in our mercy and love for the people around us. We are the Church because we have come so that the eternal medicine of forgiveness and love would be put into our mouths and poured down our throats. We are the Church because God declares us to be.
And by God’s grace, by His sustaining power, by the Father’s loving care for His people, we are the Church and we are given the opportunity to reflect the Father’s love, the Savior’s mercy, the Spirit’s presence in a host of ways. Every day we have the opportunity to put our faith in Christ into action. We are God’s Church, and in spite of our weaknesses, our timidity, our fears, God puts us to use. His power is made perfect in our weakness. His wisdom is perfected in our foolishness.
So the glory of All Saints’ Day is the ability we have to ask, “Who are these?” John the Evangelist was asked that question in heaven by an elder. And John played coy and told the elder that it’s obvious. “Sir, you know.” And the elder did know. The great multitude from every tribe, nation, people, and tongue was the Church!
Clothed in white robes, robes that had been made white by the blood of the Lamb, they stood before the Father and the Lamb singing lustily, with full voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Glory! Blessing! Honor! Wisdom! Power! Might! Thanksgiving! It all belongs to You, most holy Father, most Holy Son, most holy Spirit, it all belongs to You!
That great multitude was the Church. This great multitude seated in this sanctuary is the Church. The great multitudes that have concluded their worship in the East are praising God that in the West, the sun is awakening more great multitudes who will gather for prayer, for song, for fellowship, for the feast on earth that foreshadows the feast in the heavenly realm.
That great multitude was coming out of the great tribulation. This great multitude is still living, might be in the midst of a tribulation, might have a tribulation or two in the rearview mirror, or might have some tribulations on the horizon. In our personal lives, the doctor may have just given us a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, of telling us that the spot on our lungs is not a good one, that the pain in our back is not ever going to go away. Our employer may have told us that the grant money has run out and that our job is not going to be renewed. The demand for the product you make is no longer there, thus you are no longer needed at the job site.
We have tribulations in our life, we have had them, and we will have them. Our great tribulation will be the time of our death. And because of the declaration of God, that we are His sons and daughters, and because of the gift of Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls, the great tribulation is something we will come out of.
Who are these? These ones are the members of God’s Church, from every nation, all tribes, and peoples and languages. From where have they come? These ones, the ones Kevin read for us that are listed in our bulletin, these ones have come out of their great tribulation. Elsie Besel was 103. My friend Bruce Thomas had the tribulation of teaching me how to paint my house. He was at the Y in Hilliard OH, swimming his laps. He got out of the pool, had an aneurysm, and was dead shortly after he got to the hospital. All of these saints have come out of their great tribulation, protected by the Lord, guided by the Holy Spirit…and they are ever before the Lord. God is on His throne and He Himself is wiping away every tear from their eye. God is sheltering them from the scorching heat of the sun. And the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain for their sins, is now living forevermore and the Lamb is in their midst as their Great Shepherd.
That’s who these ones are. That is what awaits us. God’s promises are certain. God’s Word is sure. God’s Word is solid ground. If we unhook, uncouple, ourselves from the certain Word of God, then we are on shaky ground. We have no foundation.
We are God’s Church, joined by faith in Christ with Christians around the world. God has brought us into the body of believers. God has brought us into the safety of the ark of the Church. You sit in the nave. Look up and see that you are sitting in an upside down ship.
We are in the safety of the ship of the Church…to be the Church. We are given great opportunities to give away what has come to us. We have opportunities to serve our neighbors, our family, strangers. Our families are the closest neighbors God has given us, and when we serve our spouse, our children, we are loving our neighbors.
We are what God has made us to be. We are the Church, celebrating the Church of God, celebrating the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ, who offered Himself up for us all, forgiving our sin, rising from the grave for our triumph. Who are these? Who are we? We are the Church, loved and redeemed by the Father, the Son, the Spirit. SDG
Nov. 7, 2010
Rev. 7:9-17
Who are these? From where have they come?
In the name of Jesus, amen. Today is our day! All Saints’ Day is our time to shine. Christmas is the festival of the Father. He gave His dearest treasure Jesus to us. Easter is the festival of the Son, as we watch Christ willingly become our sin and go to the cross. And we watch Jesus step out of the tomb triumphant over our enemy death. Pentecost is the festival of the ever-present Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been dumped lavishly upon God’s people and the Spirit does what the Spirit is supposed to do- be our advocate, our guide, our comforter, the One who reminds us of our place within the family of God. All Saints’ Day is our day. It is the festival of the Church. It is the time for the people of God to celebrate who they are- God’s people, holy and dearly loved, God’s sons and daughters, God’s lambs and sheep. All Saints’ is the festival for the Church.
The lessons appointed for All Saints’ ring in our ears the truth of who we are. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.”
We are children of God, even though we can clearly see in the mirror that we bear very little resemblance to children of God. We act with malice and harmful intent. We blissfully close our eyes to the needs around us. We happily close our eyes to cries of suffering. We go through our day living and thinking that we are #1 and that everyone should do things to make our lives easier. We are incessant navel gazers. We do not live in a heliocentric universe, but an egocentric one.
Who are we? Well, based on where our vehicles are, where we are sitting, what this building is called, we could surmise that we are the Church. And yes, that is what we are. By God’s declaration, we are the church. We have been fashioned and formed into the body of Christ with Christ Himself as our head. We are the Church. In times of sorrow, in times of our rejection of God, in times of our sinful selfishness, greed, and arrogance…we are the Church.
We are the Church because we have come to hear the Word. We have come to praise the Lord of the Church. We have come to hear about the Father’s remedy for our sin and guilt, that the Father sent the Son to go to the cross. The Son bore our sins, became our sins, took our guilt and gave to us His righteousness. And the Spirit has been planted in each of us so that we can grow, bloom and blossom with the beauty of God that is witnessed in our mercy and love for the people around us. We are the Church because we have come so that the eternal medicine of forgiveness and love would be put into our mouths and poured down our throats. We are the Church because God declares us to be.
And by God’s grace, by His sustaining power, by the Father’s loving care for His people, we are the Church and we are given the opportunity to reflect the Father’s love, the Savior’s mercy, the Spirit’s presence in a host of ways. Every day we have the opportunity to put our faith in Christ into action. We are God’s Church, and in spite of our weaknesses, our timidity, our fears, God puts us to use. His power is made perfect in our weakness. His wisdom is perfected in our foolishness.
So the glory of All Saints’ Day is the ability we have to ask, “Who are these?” John the Evangelist was asked that question in heaven by an elder. And John played coy and told the elder that it’s obvious. “Sir, you know.” And the elder did know. The great multitude from every tribe, nation, people, and tongue was the Church!
Clothed in white robes, robes that had been made white by the blood of the Lamb, they stood before the Father and the Lamb singing lustily, with full voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Glory! Blessing! Honor! Wisdom! Power! Might! Thanksgiving! It all belongs to You, most holy Father, most Holy Son, most holy Spirit, it all belongs to You!
That great multitude was the Church. This great multitude seated in this sanctuary is the Church. The great multitudes that have concluded their worship in the East are praising God that in the West, the sun is awakening more great multitudes who will gather for prayer, for song, for fellowship, for the feast on earth that foreshadows the feast in the heavenly realm.
That great multitude was coming out of the great tribulation. This great multitude is still living, might be in the midst of a tribulation, might have a tribulation or two in the rearview mirror, or might have some tribulations on the horizon. In our personal lives, the doctor may have just given us a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, of telling us that the spot on our lungs is not a good one, that the pain in our back is not ever going to go away. Our employer may have told us that the grant money has run out and that our job is not going to be renewed. The demand for the product you make is no longer there, thus you are no longer needed at the job site.
We have tribulations in our life, we have had them, and we will have them. Our great tribulation will be the time of our death. And because of the declaration of God, that we are His sons and daughters, and because of the gift of Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls, the great tribulation is something we will come out of.
Who are these? These ones are the members of God’s Church, from every nation, all tribes, and peoples and languages. From where have they come? These ones, the ones Kevin read for us that are listed in our bulletin, these ones have come out of their great tribulation. Elsie Besel was 103. My friend Bruce Thomas had the tribulation of teaching me how to paint my house. He was at the Y in Hilliard OH, swimming his laps. He got out of the pool, had an aneurysm, and was dead shortly after he got to the hospital. All of these saints have come out of their great tribulation, protected by the Lord, guided by the Holy Spirit…and they are ever before the Lord. God is on His throne and He Himself is wiping away every tear from their eye. God is sheltering them from the scorching heat of the sun. And the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain for their sins, is now living forevermore and the Lamb is in their midst as their Great Shepherd.
That’s who these ones are. That is what awaits us. God’s promises are certain. God’s Word is sure. God’s Word is solid ground. If we unhook, uncouple, ourselves from the certain Word of God, then we are on shaky ground. We have no foundation.
We are God’s Church, joined by faith in Christ with Christians around the world. God has brought us into the body of believers. God has brought us into the safety of the ark of the Church. You sit in the nave. Look up and see that you are sitting in an upside down ship.
We are in the safety of the ship of the Church…to be the Church. We are given great opportunities to give away what has come to us. We have opportunities to serve our neighbors, our family, strangers. Our families are the closest neighbors God has given us, and when we serve our spouse, our children, we are loving our neighbors.
We are what God has made us to be. We are the Church, celebrating the Church of God, celebrating the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ, who offered Himself up for us all, forgiving our sin, rising from the grave for our triumph. Who are these? Who are we? We are the Church, loved and redeemed by the Father, the Son, the Spirit. SDG
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Worship info for All Saints'
Here is the info for our observation of All Saints' on Nov. 7:
Hymns
822 Alleluia! Let Praises Ring
677 For All the Saints
813 Rejoice, O Pilgrim Throng
639 Wide Open Stand the Gates
605 Father Welcomes
680 Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise (Post-Communion hymn)
700 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Scripture Lessons
Rev. 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Matt. 5:1-12
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
And for the month of November we'll be following Divine Service 2 in LSB as our form for worship- p167.
May God bless our preparation and meditation for worship.
Hymns
822 Alleluia! Let Praises Ring
677 For All the Saints
813 Rejoice, O Pilgrim Throng
639 Wide Open Stand the Gates
605 Father Welcomes
680 Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise (Post-Communion hymn)
700 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Scripture Lessons
Rev. 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Matt. 5:1-12
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
And for the month of November we'll be following Divine Service 2 in LSB as our form for worship- p167.
May God bless our preparation and meditation for worship.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Reformation Day
Oct. 31, 2010
Rev. 14:6-7
Focused, Centered
In the name of Jesus, amen. As God’s people wrestle with all the tugs and pulls of life, as we struggle to bear up under all the demands and pressures we bring upon ourselves and that are thrust upon us, we pray and plead to God for His Reformation strength, His Reformation peace, His Reformation grace.
It is hard to keep our focus in our days because we are called to focus on so many things. There are things at home and at work and with friends that we need to pay attention to and it requires great energy. Add an unexpected car problem, a sick child or two, a deadline that has been moved up by two weeks, and our focus is shot. We run around trying to do all that is required of us and we run ourselves ragged. And then things get missed.
We find ourselves focused on issues that aren’t really important. We pay attention to people and concepts that end up taking what little energy we have and leave us empty. We do not focus on what is important, on the people that matter, on the crucial things that make our life meaningful, that add content to our day, and that help us live in true peace and harmony with the people God has placed in our lives.
Our focus is divided among so many different places that we really aren’t focused on anything.
And we have nothing that is at the center, or core, of our existence. We wander from place to place, our focus goes from thing to thing to thing and we have nothing to return to, we have no center that draws us back, no center that is a certain anchor for life. We have no focus and no center. And what I say is true for Christians and non-Christians. And what I say, my beloved, is said from experience.
We need a reformation! We pray to be re-formed, re-shaped, renewed, re-created. And we are. We have a reformation. We celebrate the historical event this day, this day before All Holy One’s, this day that is more about goblins and ghouls than about the Gospel of Grace.
We have a reformation that is ongoing. It didn’t start in 1517 with the nailing of the 95 Theses and end in 1580 with the publication of the Book of Concord. Semper Ecclesia Reformanda Est- Always, the Church is to be reforming. Always.
Find the focus. Discover the center. An angel was flying over St. John the Evangelist’s head, with an eternal Gospel to proclaim to those dwelling on earth, every tribe, language, people. The proclamation task of God’s Church is the Gospel. As you’ll often see, hear, and read: Christ-centered, Cross-focused. That keeps the Gospel where it needs to be.
Just like we often lose our focus and cannot remain centered on what is important, so the Church suffers the same things. Our focus is misplaced. We do not aim at the center, but at the periphery. We do things that really don’t matter, so we look busy, but we aren’t doing a whole lot.
Christ-centered. What does this mean? It means that we are Christmas people, recognizing that our life begins where the life of Jesus began, in the manger, where gentle Mary laid her child.
It means that we are Epiphany people, laying our gifts before the Christ-child, worshiping Him for the tremendous ways He revealed His divine nature through glorious signs and miracles.
It means that we are repentant Lent people, Palm Sunday and Holy Week people too. It certainly means that we walk with Jesus as He carries His cross on Good Friday. It means that we stand with the Roman centurion and declare that Jesus is the Son of God. Being Christ-centered means that we rejoice to hear Jesus declare to the thief on the cross that today you will be with Me in paradise. Those words are spoken to us as we lay our sins at the feet of Jesus, as Jesus picks up our sins, all of our sins, our sins of greed and sloth and arrogance and puts them on His own shoulders.
With Christ in the center, we are Easter people. We rush to the tomb early in the morning and through tears of joy we delight in the gaping, empty tomb. He is not here! He is risen…just as He said! The resurrection of Christ is His triumph and ours. Satan is vanquished. Death is impotent. Sin no longer accuses. The resurrection of Christ means our own resurrection. Our death is to be regarded as sleep. Our bodies will be placed into a narrow chamber to sleep until our brother Jesus, our Lord Jesus, our Redeemer Jesus comes to us, calls us by name, and tells us to rise from sleep and enter the eternal joys of heaven.
That is what Christ-centered means. And we focus, amid all the other things in our life, on the cross. Being a Christmas and Easter person carries the eternal Gospel that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Jesus Christ came to save you and He came to save me. Jesus Christ came to save sinners, those who are inside the Church and those who are outside the Church. So our focus, our attention, is placed on the wooden cross that was planted in the ground, a dead tree that has become the tree of life.
As I mentioned moments ago, we lay our sins at the foot of the cross. Not some of them or most of them, but all of them. We give to Jesus the sins we despise and we give to Jesus our favorite, most beloved sins. We have them. The sins that make us feel good, the sins that make us feel superior, the sins that delude us into thinking that we are better than others, we give those sins to Jesus. They are nailed with him to the cross. And Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And the Father’s answer is, “Because you are sin. Because my people cannot save themselves. Because my people cannot become righteous by themselves. Because my people need saving.”
And so Jesus Christ obeyed the will of the Father, and went to the cross. And then Jesus was placed into the tomb. And then Jesus burst forth from the tomb. Because we needed saving.
And we are saved. We are ransomed, redeemed, restored, reconciled, renewed, reformed. Any other re- word you can think of.
Our focus is on the cross. At our center is Christ. This is the ongoing reformation our lives.
With our focus fixed on the cross, with our center aligned on Jesus, what do you find to be the result?
All the other things in our life become clearer. A beautiful quote from Martin Luther is when he says that when he knows that his day is going to full and busy, he spends an extra hour on his knees in his prayer.
When we acknowledge our sin and acknowledge our Savior, we find that we are able to love in a more Christ-like fashion. We are able to sacrifice for the sake of our spouse without holding a grudge, without resenting the other person. We find that we treat our children, not as objects but as little ones in need of guidance, of training. So we give up our time to spend time with them doing their math homework, listening to them recite their spelling lists, listening to them recite their memory work.
Christ-centered, cross-focused living helps us focus on the opportunities for service that abound around us. Christ-centered, cross-focused living helps us see the needs for mercy that God puts in our path.
This is the great glory of the historic Reformation. This is the great glory of the Reformation that takes place every day. Our focus is on the cross. It is the shining beacon that gleams in the darkness. The center of our lives is Jesus, who strengthens and sustains our day. Let there be a reformation, and let us rejoice in the reforming power of God in our lives. SDG
Oct. 31, 2010
Rev. 14:6-7
Focused, Centered
In the name of Jesus, amen. As God’s people wrestle with all the tugs and pulls of life, as we struggle to bear up under all the demands and pressures we bring upon ourselves and that are thrust upon us, we pray and plead to God for His Reformation strength, His Reformation peace, His Reformation grace.
It is hard to keep our focus in our days because we are called to focus on so many things. There are things at home and at work and with friends that we need to pay attention to and it requires great energy. Add an unexpected car problem, a sick child or two, a deadline that has been moved up by two weeks, and our focus is shot. We run around trying to do all that is required of us and we run ourselves ragged. And then things get missed.
We find ourselves focused on issues that aren’t really important. We pay attention to people and concepts that end up taking what little energy we have and leave us empty. We do not focus on what is important, on the people that matter, on the crucial things that make our life meaningful, that add content to our day, and that help us live in true peace and harmony with the people God has placed in our lives.
Our focus is divided among so many different places that we really aren’t focused on anything.
And we have nothing that is at the center, or core, of our existence. We wander from place to place, our focus goes from thing to thing to thing and we have nothing to return to, we have no center that draws us back, no center that is a certain anchor for life. We have no focus and no center. And what I say is true for Christians and non-Christians. And what I say, my beloved, is said from experience.
We need a reformation! We pray to be re-formed, re-shaped, renewed, re-created. And we are. We have a reformation. We celebrate the historical event this day, this day before All Holy One’s, this day that is more about goblins and ghouls than about the Gospel of Grace.
We have a reformation that is ongoing. It didn’t start in 1517 with the nailing of the 95 Theses and end in 1580 with the publication of the Book of Concord. Semper Ecclesia Reformanda Est- Always, the Church is to be reforming. Always.
Find the focus. Discover the center. An angel was flying over St. John the Evangelist’s head, with an eternal Gospel to proclaim to those dwelling on earth, every tribe, language, people. The proclamation task of God’s Church is the Gospel. As you’ll often see, hear, and read: Christ-centered, Cross-focused. That keeps the Gospel where it needs to be.
Just like we often lose our focus and cannot remain centered on what is important, so the Church suffers the same things. Our focus is misplaced. We do not aim at the center, but at the periphery. We do things that really don’t matter, so we look busy, but we aren’t doing a whole lot.
Christ-centered. What does this mean? It means that we are Christmas people, recognizing that our life begins where the life of Jesus began, in the manger, where gentle Mary laid her child.
It means that we are Epiphany people, laying our gifts before the Christ-child, worshiping Him for the tremendous ways He revealed His divine nature through glorious signs and miracles.
It means that we are repentant Lent people, Palm Sunday and Holy Week people too. It certainly means that we walk with Jesus as He carries His cross on Good Friday. It means that we stand with the Roman centurion and declare that Jesus is the Son of God. Being Christ-centered means that we rejoice to hear Jesus declare to the thief on the cross that today you will be with Me in paradise. Those words are spoken to us as we lay our sins at the feet of Jesus, as Jesus picks up our sins, all of our sins, our sins of greed and sloth and arrogance and puts them on His own shoulders.
With Christ in the center, we are Easter people. We rush to the tomb early in the morning and through tears of joy we delight in the gaping, empty tomb. He is not here! He is risen…just as He said! The resurrection of Christ is His triumph and ours. Satan is vanquished. Death is impotent. Sin no longer accuses. The resurrection of Christ means our own resurrection. Our death is to be regarded as sleep. Our bodies will be placed into a narrow chamber to sleep until our brother Jesus, our Lord Jesus, our Redeemer Jesus comes to us, calls us by name, and tells us to rise from sleep and enter the eternal joys of heaven.
That is what Christ-centered means. And we focus, amid all the other things in our life, on the cross. Being a Christmas and Easter person carries the eternal Gospel that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Jesus Christ came to save you and He came to save me. Jesus Christ came to save sinners, those who are inside the Church and those who are outside the Church. So our focus, our attention, is placed on the wooden cross that was planted in the ground, a dead tree that has become the tree of life.
As I mentioned moments ago, we lay our sins at the foot of the cross. Not some of them or most of them, but all of them. We give to Jesus the sins we despise and we give to Jesus our favorite, most beloved sins. We have them. The sins that make us feel good, the sins that make us feel superior, the sins that delude us into thinking that we are better than others, we give those sins to Jesus. They are nailed with him to the cross. And Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And the Father’s answer is, “Because you are sin. Because my people cannot save themselves. Because my people cannot become righteous by themselves. Because my people need saving.”
And so Jesus Christ obeyed the will of the Father, and went to the cross. And then Jesus was placed into the tomb. And then Jesus burst forth from the tomb. Because we needed saving.
And we are saved. We are ransomed, redeemed, restored, reconciled, renewed, reformed. Any other re- word you can think of.
Our focus is on the cross. At our center is Christ. This is the ongoing reformation our lives.
With our focus fixed on the cross, with our center aligned on Jesus, what do you find to be the result?
All the other things in our life become clearer. A beautiful quote from Martin Luther is when he says that when he knows that his day is going to full and busy, he spends an extra hour on his knees in his prayer.
When we acknowledge our sin and acknowledge our Savior, we find that we are able to love in a more Christ-like fashion. We are able to sacrifice for the sake of our spouse without holding a grudge, without resenting the other person. We find that we treat our children, not as objects but as little ones in need of guidance, of training. So we give up our time to spend time with them doing their math homework, listening to them recite their spelling lists, listening to them recite their memory work.
Christ-centered, cross-focused living helps us focus on the opportunities for service that abound around us. Christ-centered, cross-focused living helps us see the needs for mercy that God puts in our path.
This is the great glory of the historic Reformation. This is the great glory of the Reformation that takes place every day. Our focus is on the cross. It is the shining beacon that gleams in the darkness. The center of our lives is Jesus, who strengthens and sustains our day. Let there be a reformation, and let us rejoice in the reforming power of God in our lives. SDG
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