03012017 - Ash Wednesday - "Our Father Who Art in Heaven"

March 1, 2017
“Our Father Who Art in Heaven”

Tonight we gather as the body of Christ with Ashes about to be placed on our foreheads.  We remind ourselves that from dust we came and to dust we shall return.  Yet, we are not just dust, within us resides the most powerful force in the universe.  This ‘force’ is none other than the breath of God “Our Father”.

During our Lenten season we will be delving into the perfect prayer that Jesus taught His disciples.  So it is very appropriate we begin focused upon “Our Father Who Art in Heaven”.  We find our connection and God’s Fingerprints in the “Our Father” the prayer Jesus taught, but also our confession of faith in Apostle’s, Nicene and Athanasian Creed.  Clearly the role of “Our Father” is not only to orient us to God “Our Father”, but for us to engage and understand we are not alone in this world no matter our location, position or experience.  “Our Father” began by putting His breath in our first parents, Adam and Eve and in each of us gathered here and all people.  For the ‘breath of God’ “Our Father” is Who gives us life.

Hence why tonight is so significant.  The breath we have from God “Our Father” is the same that we begin the Lord’s Prayer in saying, “Our Father Who art in heaven”.  For God Who resides in heaven gives us all things, the food we eat, the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, the jobs we have, the houses we live in, the food on our tables and even the life that courses through our veins.  All that we have is His.

But, why is this so significant for us today as we begin Lent?  Why should this give us pause?  Why should we consider how we live today?  Simply tonight as we respond to the fact of our mortality with the ash upon our forehead, we begin to understand that it is God’s Breath in us, and laying claim to God as “Our Father” in the prayer Jesus taught that we connect ourselves to God, not only as “Our Father”, but as our redeemer and especially our Savior.  For Jesus Christ Who taught this prayer, also taught us how He and we are fully dependent upon God “Our Father” for all things.

“Our Father” Who created not only the heavens and the earth, but all things, and Who gives us life, the Breath of Life is the same God “Our Father” Who gives us life eternal, through His Son, Jesus Christ.  For this season of Lent we enter tonight is as Martin Luther would say, is a time of introspection, but also thanks that “Our Father” didn’t just care for us to bring us into this world, but “Our Father” loves each and every one of us clearly and cares for us daily and looks forward to our being with Him in His Kingdom for eternity.  And this comes, only through the Cross of Calvary that we journey towards beginning tonight that bore the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

As Paul Gerhardt penned in the hymn we are about to sing, “This lamb is Christ, our greatest friend”, He comes to “free my [that is God’s] children” and we are not only the sheep of His pasture, but God’s precious gem.  Jesus Christ willingly went to Calvary and paid the price of His death for each and every one of us and this is why we have the breath of life from God “Our Father” in each and every one of us. 

May we as we contemplate the coming weeks of our exploration of the Lord’s Prayer, begin to understand the faith of the centurion and the grace offered each of us from “Our Father” in heaven.  For we are loved by God “Our Father” and we are His children through the sacrifice of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  AMEN.

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02102016 Ash Wednesday - God's Plans Change and Challenge Us!

February 10, 2016

God’s Plans Change and Challenge Us

What does a piece of chalk and a closet have in common?  For some, it is the beginning of a parents worst nightmare of their child marking a place that will require them to re-paint if they move.  For those who saw the War Room movie, it could denote a place where one goes in solitude to engage and battle in prayer over life as a prayer warrior.  Yet, what a piece of chalk and a closet actually have in common are they are the tools that can be used for challenge and change.

In a famous book in evangelical circles entitled, “The Circle Maker”, Mark Batterson tells the story of Honi, a famous prophet who’s life intersects Israel’s at an important juncture.  Israel is in a drought and Honi is the only hope for rain.  Unlike most, Honi does nothing extraordinary but simply goes out into the desert and prays.  Honi’s prayer is not like Jesus, but simply a prayer with a purpose.  You see Honi simply drew a circle around himself and entered into a simple dialogue with God.  For it was not that God needed changing, it was Honi and the people of Israel needed to change.  Tonight we who gather here are no different, God is calling us to change.  We need to draw a circle around ourselves and change.

Tonight we enter into one of the most sacred seasons of the church year.  We enter a penitential season and time of lent.  We gather tonight, receiving the forgiveness of sins and the sign of the Cross of Christ with ash on our foreheads reminding us we are dust and to dust we shall return.  God through the simple action of an ashen cross on our collective foreheads calls for us to action.  For God’s Plans Change and Challenge Us in order for us to be more receptive to God’s leading and not our own.

Our intentional choice to begin action tonight is an opportunity to see God’s plans for our lives and change the landscape that we live on and in.  Not the topography or location, but our perspective of our landscape.  God has great plans for us here at Emmanuel and wants us to change our trajectory.  God wants our destination to be an eternal one, not an earthly one that looks only out for ourselves.  God wants to change and challenge us in order that He will be first in our lives.

If we were on the wrestling team, basketball team or even on any sports team, the coach always wants to improve the level of the players.  So to God wants us to step up our faith game and challenges us to move and grow.  Use our faith muscles and intentionally engage God in daily life.  God challenges our thoughts, motivations, being and challenges us to action.  Action with the destination of His Kingdom.

The promise we hear of God’s plans are meant to change our collective trajectory.  God wants our destination to be an eternity with Him, this is why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to challenge, change and come to satisfy the payment for each and every one of us.  Jesus came to give us this gift of eternal life and fulfill the plan foretold throughout scripture.  God’s Plans Change and Challenge Us to grow in our Christian faith walk and allow the muscles of faith we have been given to be exercised.

Honi, understood the landscape shift in the concept of change.  This is why he drew a circle around himself.  Honi, drew a circle around himself to change himself.  This is why Honi got in the circle and prayed for change to occur, a change to trust God for His plan to be fulfilled of providing rain to the barren land.  Providing the necessary moisture for the crops to grow and the people to fully rely upon God. 

Tonight, may we with our foreheads marked with the sign of the cross also draw a circle around ourselves and resolve to change.  May this season of Lent be an opportunity to challenge us to change, with the understanding that our change is meant in order for God’s Glory to be revealed in our lives through the gift of grace and love offered for us by God’s Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  AMEN.

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02182015 Ash Wednesday

Sermon Audio

February 18, 2015

All aboard…the sin express

Heavenly Father, we come tonight to confess our sins, have the ashen Cross inscribed on our forehead as a reminder of our returning to dust, but more importantly to receive the forgiveness of sins from You.  For it is through the Cross of Jesus Christ we receive the greatest gift of grace.  And our response of “Amen” is a prayerful reminder of God’s fulfillment of the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.  May we not only be reminded of this, but empowered to claim the Cross of Christ that sets all of mankind free, but especially all of us gathered here on this Ash Wednesday night at Emmanuel.  AMEN.

If one were to hear, “All Aboard”, the first thought for travelers would be of a train.  And this is correct.  For tonight, on Ash Wednesday we embark upon a pilgrimage, not with a destination in mind determined by railroad tracks, but a journey of exploration about our salvation.  This journey unlike some has a guide with clear and unmistakable meaning.  Our guide is not a person, but simply a piece of jewelry.

The jewelry for our journey is not made with precious metals of silver or gold.  It is does not shimmer in the sunlight.  It is simply a modest cord of rope with a few beads and knots.  The jewelry is simply a bracelet that tells a story.  It is a story we will explore on Wednesday night for the weeks of Lent that tells the story of salvation.  Not just any salvation, but salvation offered to each of us by and through Jesus Christ. 

The salvation bracelet tells the simple, but complete story of salvation that God offers us through Jesus Christ and the bracelet and beads connection not only to scripture, but how the Story of Salvation comes full circle like the bracelet.  During the coming weeks we will learn about other colored beads and their significance, the knots used to tie the bracelet and how our Christian lives have a story to tell that the salvation bracelet helps us to not only understand our Christianity, but our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Our first stop on this journey is the ‘black bead’.  So, let’s embark on our journey as we hear our conductor saying, “All aboard.”

In order to clearly understand salvation history, one needs to first hear and understand why salvation is a concept that is needed to be clearly understood.  And the “black bead” clearly signifies and symbolizes not a place, but an action all of us are born into.  The “black bead” signifies “sin”. 

In Lutheranism 101, this week we talked about a three letter word and asked a simple question.  What is in the middle of “sin”?  The answer is not rocket science, simply “I” is in the middle of “sin”.  Just as Adam and Eve were wooed by the Devil in the Garden of Eden and put themselves first, they fulfilled what Paul says this “black bead” signifies.  Paul wrote in Romans 3 (3:23), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  It was not just one or two people that fell short of the glory of God, but “all have sinned”.  Each and every one of us gathered here tonight boarded the ‘sin express’.  We are all guilty of putting ourselves first and daily each and every one of us “fall short of the glory of God”.  It is not a choice, but in our very nature of who we are.

Just as we will in a few minutes receive the sign of the cross on our foreheads reminding us that ‘we are dust, and to dust we shall return’.  The salvation bracelet puts the reality of our sin squarely first.  This is not to ‘beat us up’, ‘put us down’, ‘make us feel bad’ or ‘make us feel angry’, but putting sin first is to get the worst idea and event of human and biblical history out of the way on our journey.  For our journey does not end at sin.  Just as Christians we believe that our journey does not end at the grave, our journey we embark upon tonight is just beginning.  For even though we sin, God sent Jesus Christ to overcome sin and be the ultimate sacrifice for all of mankind and for the sin of the entire world.

Jesus Christ came in order that we might be set free from our sin.  Jesus Christ came to take our sin upon Himself.  For Jesus Christ was clearly unlike what Paul wrote in Romans.  Jesus Christ became and took upon Himself our sin in order to set us free.  Jesus Christ came in order that we might be set free from the devil, our sin and even death to be with Him in His Kingdom.  This is what Jesus Christ did for each and every one of us.

Yes, in a few minutes we will be marked with a black cross from the ash made from the burnt palms of last year’s Palm Sunday.  But our sin that we are reminded of with the ashen Cross and the black bead on the salvation bracelet is only a reminder of what our Savior Jesus Christ came to earth to overcome.  Jesus Christ came to not ‘fall short of the glory of God’, but to be the glory of God for each and every one of us on the Cross He was nailed to on Calvary.  Jesus Christ came to overcome what the ashen Cross and ‘black bead’ symbolizes and remove the spot of sin from our lives.  Jesus Christ came to remove our sin from each of us and replace it with the garment of salvation of Jesus Christ innocence for all of mankind.  And this includes each and every one of us gathered here at Emmanuel. 

Tonight, as we gather to receive the Ashen Cross, we begin this journey of discovery of what the salvation bracelet means for each of us through Jesus Christ sacrifice for each and every one of us.  For God’s sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ removed the ‘black bead’ that symbolizes sin from our lives in order for all of us to be with Him for all eternity.  Thanks be to God for the Gift of Grace of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ that we come to honor and receive with an Ashen Cross this Ash Wednesday night.  AMEN.

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Powerful reminder of Good Friday

On this Ash Wednesday as we have a Cross made on our foreheads, this video is a poignant reminder of what is coming on Good Friday!!!

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03052014 Ash Wednesday Sermon

Sermon Audio

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.

We begin this series of Mid-Week Lenten messages at the one place we are at times brought to and for others come to on their own.  It is not like school, nor Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house, nor is it where we buy something like Wal-Mart.  The place we begin our Lenten journey is simply the Baptismal Font.

When I was ordained here at Emmanuel, the Baptismal Font was one of the focal points that was extremely important in the service and that I took my responsibility within the congregation for the means of Grace found in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.  I received at the font a shell, signifying the pouring of water over the head of the individual.  Yet it was not just water, it was Water connected with Word in the invocation of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit that makes us co-heirs with all of mankind in the gift of Grace and Eternal Life.

At the beginning of the Rite of Holy Baptism, there is a set of instructions which not only tells what the Pastor and Congregation are to do, but also includes something more precious for all of us.  It is the story of salvation that is shared.  The story connects the person being baptized with all who have had the Water and Word poured over them for all eternity.  For some the importance may be mundane, unimportant or just ancient history, but clearly the importance is that this even occurred with Jesus Christ when He was baptized by John in the river Jordan.  When the story begins the connection of the Water and the nourishment we receive is tangible and clear.  As the water is poured into the font the story unfolds how we and all things are sustained by Water.  Here in Western Kansas this is especially true where water is such a precious commodity and its use either spells a crop or a lack there of.

Following the story we hear the connection with the flood that decimated the entire world and spared only Noah and his family.  The clear grace that was given to Noah, because of his faithfulness to listen to God in calling for him to build an ark connects with us even today.  Then the reminder of Israel being led by the pillar of cloud and fire to the Promised Land from slavery to freedom.  And finally the connection we have with Jesus Christ in His baptism and anointing with the Holy Spirit in the river Jordan.  This symbol of Water connected with Word is clear and tangible and enables us to understand our connection not only with each other in our Baptism, but with Jesus Christ and His Gospel of salvation found in His life, death and resurrection for all mankind.

But why the story, why the drama, why the reminder of history?  We hear and heed this, because within the story and the rite is the clear and manifest gift of grace offered for each and every one of us by Jesus Christ.  We need to be reminded of the gifts of grace offered to and for us through Jesus Christ.  These gifts we remember in the story and the water, because water is something we need not only on a daily basis, but need reminded of and pointed to of our salvation every single day.  For without Water connected with Word, in Jesus Christ, we would be lost for all eternity.  When we connect with that the ashes we place on our forehead tonight, this is our reminder that from dust we are made and to dust we shall return, but through our baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection, we have the promises of eternal life.  This is the promise that God made to us on Calvary with Jesus death, and which we are baptized into for all eternity. 

May we when we hear the story, remember the promise of grace and salvation and may we clearly be reminded that we are not only marked with the Cross of Christ in our baptism, but promised in our baptism that we are His.  And this promise is made for all of mankind, but especially including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this Ash Wednesday evening as we receive the ashes in the sign of the cross on our forehead.  AMEN.

Sermon 02132013 Ash Wednesday

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.

Let us pray!  Almighty and everlasting God, because You hate nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent, create in us new and contrite hearts that we, worthily repenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain from you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  AMEN.

Today we enter the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday.  We come to confess our sins, receive forgiveness and be reminded that from dust we came and to dust we shall return.  Today we begin a long journey which will culminate in the Three Day Period, known as the Tridiuum of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  Today we will no longer hear acclamations of praise until the stone is rolled away.  Today we begin with ashes.

It is clear from the Old Testament that ashes are a sign of repentance.  And it is appropriate that the first person in our series of People and Places of Lent begins with a man for which a whole book is written of his journey of his experience with Satan in his life.  Tonight/Today we begin with Job.

Job 1:13-22

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹³ Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking winein their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

²⁰ Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

²² Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”

Clearly from this passage Job has just experience the greatest single loss in the span of a few moments.  Jobs loss is not just of possession by a warring tribe, the loss of wealth in the animals and herds that were destroyed by the ‘fire of God’ or the personal loss of his family, sons, daughters and heirs to the wealth he had amassed.  All of this loss was the result of the simple act of a fallen angel, Satan.  Job known by God as a ‘perfect and upright man, one that feareth God’ had been placed in the hands of Satan, with the exception that Satan could not touch Job personally.

Hence, Job’s experience as we have heard changed his reality from one of plenty to one of poverty, from one of having family to losing his family.  Job personally experienced the depth loss unlike any other biblical character.  And what did Job do after hearing this news of tragedy and loss, “Job arose, and rent his clothes, and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshiped.”

As we place ashes on our foreheads today/tonight, Job reminds us that even in great loss we are not called to blame, betray or ball out against anyone, and especially God.  Job reminds us that we are called to repentance.  Job tearing his clothes and shaving his head just like our putting ashes in the sign of the cross on our foreheads is to remind us that everything we have is a gift of God.  Job further reminds us with the truth, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return: the Lord giveth, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”  God should be blessed no matter the tragedy, the circumstance nor the outcome.  We are in God’s hands and called to worship.

What we may not realize is that Job’s falling and worshiping is a clear tie to Jesus Christ when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, worshiping and praying for the cup to be taken from Him.  Jesus prayer was for God to take the cup, if it was His will, but Jesus trusted God and asked for God’s perfect will to be fulfilled.  This only occurred with Jesus innocent death on Calvary for you and for me.

With our worship today/tonight, may we see Job as an example for us and seek to humbly worship God and with the sign of the cross on our forehead with ashes to enter into the season of Lent with penitent hearts.  For from dust we came and to dust we shall return and with Job may we give thanks and praise to God and Bless His Holy Name as we enter this Lenten Season following the people and places of Lent.  For our journey is to the Cross of Calvary where Jesus Christ died for all of mankind, but especially all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel today/this evening on this Ash Wednesday.  AMEN.

Sermon 02222012 Ash Wednesday

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.

Let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ as God’s only Son, You came to serve Him and bring salvation unto us all.  As we remember Your life here on earth, may we understand that without Your being lifted up and exalted, the plan of Salvation would not have been fulfilled.  But through Your sacrifice, we are grafted into the promise of eternal life for all of the Saints gathered here at Emmanuel.  AMEN.

Tonight, Ash Wednesday, as we embark upon our journey through the season of Lent Isaiah the great prophet of the Old Testament will be our guide and he will help us understand, explore and learn more  how Jesus Christ is seen and understood to be the suffering servant. 

Raising a daughter that likes Alvin and the Chipmunks can be challenging.  With the addition of the Chipettes now there are both guy and girl Chipmunks.  In the second movie, entitled, “The Squeakuel” Alvin, joins the football team as the ‘secret weapon’.  On the very last play of an away game, Alvin is used to score the winning touchdown that ‘wins’ the game for the Eagles.  As they carry him off the field, he is placed on top of a football and Alvin’s comment is that he is ‘king of the world’, being exalted as the one who won the game for Eastman High.  Tonight’s passage is taken from Isaiah 52:13, “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.”  Unlike Alvin who was lifted upon the football and exalted as the one who won the game, Jesus Christ is God’s Son and servant Who will be exalted when He is lifted up on the Cross of Calvary for you and for me.

First, Jesus Christ is God’s Son.  We confess this in the Apostle’s, Nicene and Athanasian Creed’s.  Our confession is clear, Jesus Christ is the only Son of the Father and came down from heaven to earth with one purpose in mind, to fulfill the plan of salvation for all of mankind.

Second, Jesus Christ came to fulfill the plan of salvation by serving at God the Father’s pleasure.  As the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ came as Romans 13:4 says, as “God’s servant for our [your] good.”  Jesus Christ came to fulfill all righteousness and serve at God’s the Father’s pleasure.

Lastly, what was required?  That Jesus Christ innocent Man, Who is God and God’s only Son, will be exalted.  In going to the Cross of Calvary to make atonement for our sins, Jesus Christ humbles Himself and as Jesus reminds us in both Matthew and Luke, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”.  And Jesus exaltation requires His suffering as a humble servant and enduring the humiliation and dying an innocent death on Calvary for the sins of mankind.  For Jesus Christ is the suffering servant Whom Isaiah prophesied about and our Lenten messages will look deeper at how Jesus Christ is exalted for all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel during this Lenten season as our suffering servant.  AMEN.