I know people that are always sad. Always grieving the loss of...(and a whole list of people and things can fill this space).
I also know people that can always smile. John Immel was one of those. My memory of him is that he was always smiling! Where are you in this spectrum of being sad....to always smiling? It's ok to be both. In this Sunday's Gospel reading, we read, "Jesus began to weep" (John 11:35) Yet Jesus and all of Scriptures gives us reason for joy: "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10) "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness" (Psalm 100:1) "A cheerful heart is a good medicine" (Proverbs`17:22) "Rejoice and be glad" (Matthew 5:12) "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4) This Sunday we will be celebrating All Saints' Sunday. And it will be a day filled with tears, and with joy: tears as we grieve the death of loved ones. And joy in the promises of eternal life; death is not the end, but rather entrance into life with God forever. So we will weep as we realize that our loved ones who have died are no longer with us. And it is a grief that doesn't go away, at least not while we are on this side of death. So we support one another, and we grieve with one another. For we are not alone; everyone has loved ones that have died before us. And death will come to all of us. But death and weeping does NOT have the last word. As we read in the Scriptures for this Sunday, there is weeping, and there is also promise of hope and joy! Jesus wept; but he also raised Lazarus from the dead. And even moreso, in His death and resurrection, we have the promise that we all will die and rise again as God's redeemed people. Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us, "There is a timer to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance." Psalm 30:5 promises, "weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning". So let us weep on this All Saints' Sunday as we remember those who have died. But let us also be filled with the joy and gladness that God in Christ gives to us all! In Jesus' name, Pastor Steve
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But what if He hasn't? And even if He has, how many times do we need to hear this Good News? And what does being "free" really mean? And what difference does it make that we are free?
Whew! That's a lot of questions! And I only have a short time here to answer them, before you will have to move on to something else. So here it goes. Let me try to answer these questions in very brief words: What if God in Christ has not made us free? I know, we like to question and doubt any statement made, especially in these days of political exaggerations and lies! But if we can trust anyone, it certainly is the God who created and so loves each of us that He sent His Son to be our Savior, yes, to "free" us from the guilt and power of sin! How many times do we need to hear this Good News? You're reading the words of a guy who has repeated this message now for over 40 years of being a pastor :) And every time I say, and hear it (yes, I listen to the sermons I preach, and from others ;), I need to hear and appreciate hearing the most wonderful Good News of Jesus Christ's love and grace for all. So what does it mean to be "free"? Does that mean I can do whatever I want? Does that mean it doesn't cost anything? Let me answer that last question first: our freedom cost God's Son His life! He suffered and died for all of us!! So that we are freed from the powers of sin, death and the devil. Yes, we still experience temptation and sin. And yes we still die. But what is on the other side of death? Eternal life with God. And the power to condemn and to control us has been taken away. Oh, we can still come under the fears and powers of sin and death. But we can also walk from it, knowing that God will forgive us, and give us the power of the Holy Spirit to live as God's redeemed people. And God's people will WANT to do what God asks of us. Just as you will want to thank and love anyone who has given something wonderful to you. And God has given us all we have! Even eternal life with him!! I hope by now we know what a difference the freedom of the Gospel means to us. But just as seeing a beautiful grove of trees in the fall, or a famous and complex piece of art, or the person you most love, so here we can see and admire, and talk about, and be inspired by that same Good News over and over and over again! God Bless, Pastor Steve Tickets for your favorite musician go on sale in person at a certain address. And when you arrive, hoping to be first in line, you open the door....for the next person in line, allowing several to go in before you.
You're playing the game "King of the Hill", where everyone scrambles to get to the top of the hill. And when you get to the top of the hill, you step down and let the person behind you get ahead of you. You are at a banquet, and you are the strongest, the wealthiest, and the most famous person in the room. And you are serving and cleaning up after all the guests. Those are not very familiar examples for us. Rather, we hear the opposite: those who work and fight to be first, who get to the top over all others, and those who are served by others. Yet the Scriptures are filled with examples of God serving us: Isaiah 25:6 with the Lord serving a banquet to his people. Luke 15:1-2, Jesus hosting and serving a meal to sinners. John 13, where Jesus washed the feet of His disciples Philippians 2:5-11 with Jesus humbling Himself to be Savior and Lord of all. And this Sunday's Gospel reading (Mark 10:35-45) with Jesus telling us He came not to be served but to serve. So what does this mean to us? If our Savior and Lord humbles Himself and serve us, how can we respond? Consider what this has to say to marriages and families and friendships and communities and nations. How can we look at others? How do we treat one another? It seems we have a lot to learn! And our Savior and Lord has a lot to teach us. Lord Jesus, send us the Holy Spirit and dwell among and within us, that we may have the humility and love that you have shown and given to us. Amen. In service to Jesus, Pastor Steve In this Sunday's Gospel reading (Mark 10:17-31) it is easy to be drawn toward challenges for the rich, and for those trying to do what they think is necessary, to enter God's kingdom.
And so often people condemn the wealth of the rich. But this is based on a false reading of 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil". Often we will hear this verse without the "love of" And so money is perceived as "evil". But that is NOT what the Scriptures are saying. A lot of things can be "a root of all kinds of evil". We also often hear of how people are trying to do what they think God requires, thinking: "God will save me, bless me, help me, IF I do this or that." But now read again the words of Jesus: entering the Kingdom of God is "impossible" for us. But "for God all things are possible". So there is nothing we can do to earn the kingdom of God. We can never do enough to earn entrance into God's kingdom. But now in Jesus we have the way to enter the kingdom of God. It is by God's grace (defined as "unmerited kindness") that all of us are saved. God did all that was required, when He sent His only Son to be our Savior. So now our actions and works are all in response to what God has already done, and all that God has given. Our service and giving are all acts of worship and thanksgiving to the God who in Christ has forgiven all sins, and promises His love and grace. It's like a young child who takes a sandwich from one parents who has made the sandwich, and the child hands it to her/his other parent. The parent may show gratitude, and the child may think he/she has done a lot for the parent. When in reality: the parent had worked at a job that earned the money to buy the food. The child's parent had shopped for the food, and prepared the food. And the parent cleans up after the meal. So with God and each one of us. Our service and actions are in response to, and because of all that God has first done, and continues to do for us! There is much for us to do. And God wants us to do all we can, even as He is at work within and through our actions. So may we live in the joy and blessings of the God who is so loving and gracious to each and every one of us. God Bless, Pastor Steve |
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