May
the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your
sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. AMEN.
As
a child, many of the teachers that I had in Sunday School always would teach us
neat little sayings, motions and hand gestures that have stuck with me. Even my wife has taught me some sign language
that was not as common for me in my family growing up. They include, “Yes” like knocking on a door,
“I love you”, and in church one of my all time favorites was the church. You know the one I mean. Put your hands together, here is the church,
here is the steeple, open the doors and here are all the people.
This
simple gesture taught by countless generations of parents, grand-parents,
Sunday School teachers and leaders portrays a simple truth. When we open the doors of the church we the
people gathered here are God’s people.
This morning we transition from talking about Jesus Christ and what He
did for all of mankind, to the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy
Spirit. Not only could we talk about the
Holy Spirit and what the Spirit’s role was from creation, but the Holy Spirit
also has a role here in the church. Hence
this morning I have before us, not only a small church model, but also the
picture of Emmanuel Lutheran church drawn and painted by a member of the
Goodland community. And I ask one
question, what is the church?
While
this question percolates in your minds, let’s pull out our bulletin insert and
join together and read together in unison the “What does this mean” section as
a congregation. “I believe in the Holy
Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of
sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. AMEN.
What does this mean? I
believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my
Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel,
enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens
and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus
Christ in the one true faith. In this
Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all
believers. On the last day He will raise
me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in
Christ. This is most certainly true.” As we ponder the work of the Holy Spirit,
let’s go to God in prayer.
Let
us pray, Holy Spirit comforter of all the afflicted, as You call, us through
the Word, enable us to understand Your work is to prepare us for home. And our home is not here on earth, nor here
in the visible Church, but in the invisible Church with Jesus Christ in heaven. Help us to see our church as Your vessel of
grace for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at
Emmanuel. AMEN.
All
of us have seen pictures of Emmanuel with our bell tower, educational wing,
stain glass windows and beautiful vaulted ceiling. Some have climbed to the peak inside to
paint, climbed on the outside to lubricate the bell that we ring before service,
tossed cans across the peak to get a cord connected for the outdoor chimes to
work or others have cleaned out the gutters or helped paint the walls to help
the church last longer and look more beautiful.
Others have helped place ornaments on the lawn during Advent of the
Manger scene. Sometimes the manger scene
was in the direction of the park across the street and other times aimed in
other more obvious directions. There are
some here gathered and from years past that helped deliver meals on wheels to
those who are in need of a hot meal, even including our own members. Each of these activities is a clear answer to
the question, what is the church?
From
being surrounded and supported by Word and Sacrament in these four walls all of
us serve a God within our individual comfort zone. Each of us shine in our own way, whether by
building steps, reframing walls or windows, laying carpet, giving to people
within the community and even to me and my family, all because we are the
church. We are the visible church here
in Goodland, Kansas. We are the direct
expression of what we receive this morning, not only the Word of God, but also
in the Sacraments the direct expression of the Church that Jesus Christ came
and lived for and died to save on the Cross of Calvary. Yet all of this only occurs because of what
the Holy Spirit does.
You
see the Holy Spirit, Third Person of the Holy Trinity has the hardest job. Not only does He call us by name in our
Baptism, He claims us in Jesus Holy name in our baptism, He reminds us when we
need Grace in our lives, He gathers us together here in the church, He
enlightens us and reminds us of Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection for
each and every one of us. The Holy
Spirit is also our constant reminder here in the church. If we were to look to the Altar, above the
Altar is our reminder of the Holy Spirit.
That flame, reminds us of the promise that Jesus Christ made before His
ascension and which we today lay claim to as part of our belief in the
forgiveness of sins and our receipt of Jesus Christ precious Body and Blood
around the Altar of our Lord.
But
not only do we remember the Holy Spirit and the church of Emmanuel. We need to remember we are a part of the one
Church here on earth. In recent months
many of the members here at Emmanuel have spoken to me about one word that we
say in the Apostle’s and Nicene Creed. For
those of us who are sticklers that one word was changed in what we read this
morning in our insert. Instead of saying
“catholic” the word “Christian” was used.
In our case this morning that is what and how the material was
written. For some saying the word, ‘catholic’
is like saying a ‘four letter word’. The
argument is we are not ‘catholic’, the church across the street is and we are
nothing like them. Clearly this is
something that each of us have different and varied beliefs, positions and
understandings of and about and all of us defend our beliefs and personal
opinions with great vigor, even at times and in ways which divide instead of
unite us as a church and brothers and sisters in Christ. The reality is, we are the Church of Jesus
Christ, whether the label of Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal,
Baptist, Harvest or Bible Baptist. We as
the church on earth are meant to be the direct expression of grace offered by
Jesus Christ and are here to represent Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins
and how we joyfully serve Jesus Christ here in Goodland, Kansas.
The
Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity is here to unite us as the
Church, because if we are not united behind the banner of Jesus Christ, we are
divided and will fail and fall. Not only
fall victim to the wiles of the devil, but away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ
we have been baptized into and are members of with our confession and our
receipt of Jesus Body and Blood in the forgiveness of sins.
As
we prepare for our celebration of Christ’s coming this Advent season, may we be
like Michael Jordan in the ad for Gatorade.
Being the consummate athlete the exertion he always showed on the
basketball floor or the baseball diamond always and continuously showed His enthusiasm,
but also the sweat pouring from his body from giving it his all. May we who gather here today exude and allow
the Holy Spirit to come out in each of our lives and help each of us to gather and
be the church on earth as we come together this Advent season to celebrate the
coming of the Christ Child as we prepare for our celebration of Christmas. For in celebrating Christ’s coming it is for
all mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this
morning. AMEN.
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