07022017 - 3rd Sunday After Trinity - “Hold firm to the faith in Jesus Who cares for us! (1 Peter 5:6)”

July 2, 2017
“Hold firm to the faith in Jesus Who cares for us! (1 Peter 5:6)”

Audio (Will be posted soon!)

Recently, I was playing Trivial Pursuit with Sarah and we came upon a question that for me jumped back to my childhood days in Virginia.  The question was about ‘stalagmites’ and ‘stalactites’ and their differentiation.  When growing up in Virginia there were a lot of caverns in the mountains that we toured.  And one of the memories was hearing the saying, “Stalagmites might touch the ceiling and stalactites hold tight to the ceiling” enabling one to correctly call it by its proper name in the cave.  This morning, Peter like the stalactites wants us to firmly ‘hold onto something’.

In his letter we heard in the epistle, Simon Peter is attempting to instruct the church, which is illegal at this time to remain true to what Jesus Christ had called them to become.  Hence why Peter, the Rock upon whose confession the church would be built wrote, “Hold firm to the faith in Jesus Who cares for us!”.

Peter is pointing to what Jesus Christ clearly and emphatically lived while here on earth and which Jesus Christ gave unto the people of God including His disciples like Peter.  It is a faith, humility and trust in Jesus Christ, because not only did Jesus Christ descend from heaven and be born of a virgin in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ died on the Cross of Calvary to offer all of mankind eternal life.

So powerful was the faith of Jesus Christ that He not only calls us to believe in Him, but trust in Him for all things.  For as Peter says, we are to “Hold firm to the faith in Jesus Who cares for us!”  Jesus Christ cares so much for us that we should not doubt, but hold firm in our faith, for Jesus Christ is not only the author of our faith, but Jesus Christ perfected it by His trust in His Father in Heaven.  And we who gather here can lay claim to Jesus Christ faith, through our baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection.

There are some who are wary of trusting in man and even God that much, because of their own personal experiences.  Yet, Peter wants us to believe and desires for us to “Hold firm to the faith in Jesus Who cares for us!”  For Jesus Christ cares for us so much it cannot be measured.  If we truly look to the Cross of Calvary, Jesus Christ willingness to go and die in order that we might live, should clearly not only show us but inspire us to believe that Jesus Christ cares for us that much.

In today’s world, with the rise of ISIS, the clear sense of doubt in our fellow man, whether justified or unjustified, we have only to step out in ‘faith’ and trust in spite of what our world may be telling us.  And this last week having Sky Ranch here to minister to our community and church is a prime example and opportunity that we have followed and ‘stepped out in faith’ in Jesus Christ and His offer of grace and mercy, for all of mankind.

The theme for this last week is based upon the celebration this year of the 500^th Anniversary of Martin Luther’s pounding the 95 Theses on the door at Wittenberg.  The counselors had had lots of energy as they helped us “Rejoice”, understand how God’s Word is “Revealed”, how we are “Reclaimed” through our baptism, how Christ “Restored” us on the Cross, how through communion we are “Renewed” and how we are “Reformed” in Christ’s image.

So impactful and powerful has this week been that Emmanuel has again, been inspired to remember, connect with the theme from this week and we can hold onto not only Peter’s confession, but his inspiration for us to be embraced by God’s love and look to eternal life as the gift that will never end.  For truer words could not be said then what Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write.  We as the saints of Emmanuel should “Hold firm to the faith in Jesus Who cares for us”!  AMEN!

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06252017 - 2nd Sunday After Trinity - “Christ laid down His life for our brothers and sisters and each and every one of us! (1 John 3:16)”

June 25, 2017
“Christ laid down His life for our brothers and sisters and each and every one of us! (1 John 3:16)”

Audio

If you turn on the television, listen to the radio or even only hear the highlights of the days news, it sounds like our world is spiraling down and out of control.  From events in the Middle East, Asia and most recently in London and even our own Capital of Washington, DC, sadly life is no longer valued and people dying.  Sometimes as a result of evil in our world, at other times just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  The reality remains, we the church of Jesus Christ live ‘in the world’.

We as the church have a choice, either we can become like an ostrich and stick our head in the sand.  It seems the safe bet, no harm if we don’t encounter that which is evil.  No harm if we choose not to look and do what is right if we ‘don’t see it’.  Yet, when and if we do this, we then forget the truth that John the evangelist reminds us about from our epistle this morning.

In 1^st John 3:16, like the Gospel of John 3:16, we are reminded of the truth that sets us free.  John wrote, “Christ laid down His life for our brothers and sisters and each and every one of us!”  Jesus Christ was willing to faithfully stand firm against the evil of the devil and ‘lay down His life’ and die in order to offer us eternal life.  Jesus Christ knowing not only the future, knew that the only way we would have eternal life would require His life.  And it required Jesus Christ taking on the sins of the entire world and redeeming us and offering us the greatest gift of grace the world would ever see or be offered, eternal life.

What was the price?  To us and all of mankind, the cost is free because Jesus Christ has paid for our ticket to eternity.  All we have to do is believe, that Jesus “Christ laid down His life for our brothers and sisters and each and every one of us!”  When we believe this and lay claim to Jesus Christ offer of grace and mercy out of His great love for us, when we take our final breath, we will receive the gift of eternal life.  We will receive Jesus Christ offer of salvation out of His great love for all of mankind, including each and every one of us.

Jesus Christ offer of grace didn’t come out of obligation, but out of love for His Father in heaven.  Jesus listened to the voice of His Father and willingly Jesus “Christ laid down His life for our brothers and sisters and each and every one of us!”  How might we receive this?  It is simple, believe in Jesus Christ and His offer of grace on the Cross of Calvary, and feel His loving embrace as His follower.

This coming week we as Emmanuel offer to our community again the opportunity for the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to be shared and proclaimed again with Sky Ranch.  It is a long history and connection we have with Sky Ranch and their coming here is one way we not only impact our community, but inspire our church to embrace and be embraced by the love of God and His offer of grace and mercy for all of mankind.  How can we support this?  Simply by praying for God’s will to be done, helping us to get the word out and ultimately by loving everyone who walks through the doors of our church.

When we love unconditionally and without attitude or looking down on people no matter how we feel, God redeems not only the relationship with Him and the people we encounter even here in the church, but by His power inspires our love for each other through His perfect example.  We then are not ‘hiding our head in the sand’, but taking a firm stand with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and insuring a simple fact.  That the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change us and faithfully saying with John, Jesus “Christ laid down His life for our brothers and sisters and each and every one of us!”  AMEN.

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06182017 - 1st Sunday After Trinity - “God is love, we who abide in love, abide in Him (1 John 4:16)”

June 18, 2017
“God is love, we who abide in love, abide in Him (1 John 4:16)”

Audio

Recently in Minnesota, a clergy friend of mine was presented with the most divine and honorable privilege and challenge.  On December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, numerous ships were damaged or destroyed and many lives were lost.  For those who have visited Pearl Harbor’s National Park monument it is a clear reminder of the scope of loss and how some individuals’ remains were not recovered and how some individuals upon their passing wish to return to be with their shipmates as a final resting place.

Now decades later, a young man killed that day whose remains were found, but never identified, finally with today’s technology was identified.  He was from Minnesota and his name was Glaydon Iverson.  He was killed on that faithful day aboard the USS Oklahoma.  And only last month was finally able to be returned to his family.  After years of uncertainty for the family he was finally able to be laid to rest back home at Emmons Lutheran church in Minnesota.  He was honored and given the burial in his hometown with full military honors that his family desired surrounded by his community and especially his church.

Some would ask, why does God allow things like Pearl Harbor to occur?  Others would immediately ‘get angry’ and ‘blame God’ for everything that is happening in life.  Whether the tragic loss of life during war, the weather that causes roofs, windows and siding to be replaced, like last fall here in Goodland, hail storms that mow crops to the ground or moisture that comes at the wrong time and causes not just Plan B, but even Plan C.

Easily, we could blame God for everything, because He is the one Who created the World.  Yet, what we at times forget is that we who live today cannot ‘buy and sell’ God like a possession or commodity, nor can we gain His favor nor get what we want all the time.  We like the VBS theme for the pre-school a few years ago, need to Fully Rely On God.

How can we do this?  It takes our exercising our muscles of faith given in Holy Baptism and listening to and leaning fully on the words from John the evangelist this morning.  John wrote this eternal truth we need to remember and hold onto dearly and clearly, “God is love, we who abide in love, abide in Him (1 John 4:16)”. When we understand “God is love”, we can clearly understand that God as love has our best interest in mind in all situations even though it may not seem that way at the time.

Daily we encounter situations where it seems the world is against us, we are lost and we are easily angered at our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and even at God.  But God’s love not only can sustain us, but enable us to understand, when the world seems to be crashing down around us, God is still there, loving us, walking with us and holding us clearly and dearly in the palm of His Holy hands.

Abram, from our Old Testament lesson this morning, shows and demonstrates clearly this faith and the exercising of this faith in God and God’s love for him.  What occurred in Abram’s exercising his faith?  God when Abram exhibited and put his faith in God, God “reckoned it to him as righteousness”.  So if we like Abram believe in God with our whole heart, we to not only will be embraced by God’s love, but “we who abide in love, abide in Him”.  And with our ‘abiding in love’ and ‘abiding in Him’ God will not only embrace us, but when it is our time to enter the church triumphant, we will be welcomed into eternity and fully embraced by the love of God that we find in what His Son, Jesus Christ willingly did on the Cross of Calvary for each and every one of us.

Today on this Father’s Day, there is for us a final example and demonstration of love for one’s fellow man from that faithful day in December when so many lost their lives.  The Chaplain on the USS Oklahoma Father Aloysius H. Schmitt was also tragically killed, but during the recovery after, they found him and his chalice and Latin Prayer book.

Father Schmitt unlike most individuals was alive and tried to escape.  Father Schmitt demonstrated the love of God for us by his willingness to when he could not escape from the ship, he out of his love for his fellow man helped at a bare minimum 12 men to get to safety with his blessing before succumbing to the watery grave.  It is clear his faith in the love of God and His Savior, Jesus Christ sustained him and is a beneficial and clear example for each and every one us of faith active in love.  For the page in his prayer book from that faithful morning was a final word through him to us today from Psalm 8:1.  David wrote, “O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth.”  Hence why today on this Father’s Day, when we celebrate Father’s who willingly sacrifice themselves for their families,  we clearly declare, not only that God’s name is majestic, but with a firm faith that “God is love, [and] we who abide in love, abide in Him.”  AMEN.

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06112017 - Trinity Sunday - “God's ways are unfathomable, but to Him be the Glory forever. AMEN (Rom. 11:33, 36)”

June 11, 2017
“God's ways are unfathomable, but to Him be the Glory forever. AMEN (Rom. 11:33, 36)”

Audio

Humankind has been looking to the skies and viewing the heavenly bodies of the sun, moon and stars since man was created.  From solar eclipses like the one that will come on August 21, 2017, to the biblical account of the sun standing still in the sky for Joshua.  Only in the last 200 years has our understanding of the micro and macro universe grown and allowed us to understand that the universe that surrounds us is greater than what we can see with the naked eye.    Even today scientists continue delving into the mysteries of the micro and macro universe, here on earth, in the Space Station and even via telescopes whether ground based or even in the heavens like the Hubble or other probes that visit planets inside and now outside our known universe.  What we tend to forget is not only is our universe unfathomable, but also a clear biblical truth revealed to us about God and our understanding Him.

In 1^st John 4, John the ‘elder’ and evangelist wrote, “If anyone says, “I love God.” And hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen”.  Truly even John with foresight given by God understood the challenges of our technological world that we face not only of being able to believe in something we cannot see, but also how we can love one another, and trust not only each another, but even of God.  Yet for us today, we still struggle with the simple age old question of the existence of God and having a tangible truth and proof of His existence.

There is the story told of a philosophy teacher who while teaching his students questions God’s existence.  Ultimately it fell to a Marine to not only stand and defend the teacher’s right to question if God existed, but also for the Marine to respond that God is to busy and God sent him to prove that God existed.

Yet, Paul from our reading this morning, not only answers our age old dilemma of God’s existence, but tells us exactly what we Christians are to do in both the worst and best of times.  Paul says, “God’s ways are unfathomable, but to Him be the Glory forever.  AMEN!”  Paul the father of most of the New Testament gives us what should be our response and points us in a direction that humanity is at times not comfortable to go or even believe.  Simply God is infinite and even beyond our understanding.

We as humans are created finite in our existence.  We are born on a certain date and we will die on a certain date.  God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier is different from us.  God will never die, but God the Father willingly out of His love for us as we heard in the Gospel this morning that we all know and can probably quote, sent His Son to take on our humanity in order that we will no longer be limited by our finite.  For God demonstrating His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ and is graciously giving us the infinite when we in faith believe in the unfathomable vastness of God and the gift of eternal life given to us through His Son Jesus Christ.  With our baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection, we no longer are limited by our earthly vessels, but we are set free.  As Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear would say, we are set free “To infinity and beyond” and we will not be limited in our death when we enter the veil of heaven.  And this is the gift we receive from God through His Son, Jesus Christ out of God’s great love for us.

And today on this Trinity Sunday, we celebrate this gift of grace, mercy and love, as we do every year with our use of the Athanasian Creed.  As the third Creed of Christendom, we not only Confess and connect together in our Confession, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but we truly claim and acclaim that “God’s ways are unfathomable, but [continue to declare] to Him be the Glory forever.  AMEN!”  Though we only use this Creed once a year, our remembering it as one of our Confessions of Faith, our use of it today is the exclamation point that this Creed makes.  With our Confessing our Faith in God, we make it very clear that God clearly receives from us not only our adoration, but we give “to Him” “the Glory forever”!  This is why we seek to give God Glory in how we live our lives, how we love one another and even how we are called by God’s Word to ‘put the best construction’ on all things in our daily lives no matter what people may do, even those who claim they are Christian, but clearly don’t show their love for their brothers or sisters in Christ.

For in our as Christians loving God and one another we show our adoration of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but also clearly express our belief that God has our best interests in mind no matter our own personal circumstances or the headlines in our world.  We clearly not only invoke today, but lay claim to the blessings of God of eternal life from Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Athanasian Creed.  And today with our confession we firmly, faithfully and fully confess and believe the following.  That “God’s ways are unfathomable, but [we can lovingly give] to Him [our adoration as His baptized children so we can firmly believe and give to Him] the Glory forever.  AMEN!”

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06042017 - Pentecost Sunday - "They were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)"

June 4, 2017
“They were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)”

Audio

Today we gather like the disciples did after Jesus had been crucified, like they did after His Resurrection that we celebrate with Easter, but today, only 10 days ago the Church celebrated Jesus Ascension into heaven.  Notice the Christ Candle, no longer resides on the floor representing Jesus Christ birth.  It no longer resides beside the font where we bring our children to receive the Grace, Mercy and Love of God in the Rite of Holy Baptism.  Now the Christ Candle is at from our perspective the ‘Right Hand’ of God.

The journey has been clear, well documented, well remembered, Jesus destination is now fulfilled, His destination and job is complete and Jesus Christ is secure in Heaven, but Jesus promise for the disciples in the year of His crucifixion and resurrection, is incomplete.  The next step for the disciples is recorded, not in the Gospel, but in Acts, the book that relays to us the development of the New Testament Church.

What happens to the disciples?  Simply, “They were filled with the Holy Spirit”.  The promise Jesus made to them long before that the Father would send the Holy Spirit to them.  This Spirit, the Spirit of Truth would inhabit them, infuse into their very heart and souls and involve them in the mission to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is the same Gospel we know and hear about when we gather here for worship.  It is the Gospel the disciples had witnessed of the salvation offered to them, by Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary.

Today we celebrate the Festival of Pentecost.  Pentecost is the Celebration of the Giving of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, not only to the disciples to inspire them to action, but it is the same Holy Spirit given unto each and every one of us in our Holy Baptism.  When “They were filled with the Holy Spirit” the disciples lives were forever changed, not only had they left everything to follow Jesus Christ, they now understood with the gift of the Holy Spirit given unto each of them, they would be willing to die in order that the message of the Gospel of Salvation would be given to all of mankind through them and ultimately to each and every one of us gathered here this morning.

Since “They were filled with the Holy Spirit” the disciples understood their role as followers of Jesus now changed from one’s who received directly from Jesus Christ, to now not only active participants, but devoted leaders in the New Testament Church.  And their following would come at a cost.  The cost would not be simply of time, travel or training.  The training was over, the Gift of the Holy Spirit given unto them on the first Pentecost would change their desire from staying their comfort zone to travelling to distant lands and the gift of the Holy Spirit would change their perspective of time.  Ultimately the gift “They were filled with [of] the Holy Spirit” would and did cost them their lives.

You see we remember on Pentecost what the cost is not only by reading the lessons, but especially with the color of the paraments that adorn the pulpit, lectern, the altar and even the stole I wear.  The red paraments signify the willingness of followers of Jesus Christ to die in order for the message of salvation to be proclaimed.  The best current example we have is the willingness of Christians to die at the hands of ISIS as martyrs for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Those who lose their lives and die a martyrs death truly it could be said, “They were filled with the Holy Spirit”!  Their willingness to die in order to spread the message of the Gospel, not only connect their baptism with their lives, but are intimately connected to and channel clearly how the disciples and “They were filled with the Holy Spirit”!

What can we take away from this?  We hopefully will not have the same opportunity like the disciples or Paul or even the martyrs of today in Egypt or any of the Islamic states to have to choose death rather than disown our faith.  What we can do though is pray for Christians throughout our world, those persecuted in distant lands, but also locally even in our own country and community.  For this can be our prayer that God not only would ‘come again’, but that until that time, we can ask to be just like the disciples and for the same gift they were given, since “They were filled with the Holy Spirit”!  AMEN.

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05212017 - Fifth Sunday After Easter - “We are to be effectual doers of the Word so we can be blessed by God (James 1:25)”

May 21, 2017
“We are to be effectual doers of the Word so we can be blessed by God (James 1:25)”

Audio

In the last two weeks I have been doing extensive personal study of the Book of Concord, which we affirm not only in our Constitution of Emmanuel, but also which I pledged myself to uphold in my ordination vows.  Clearly, Martin Luther and all of the Reformers of his time were clearly encountering a culture that wanted to ‘thwart’ the true intent of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he stood his ground against those who wanted to hide their true intent of making the Gospel and its mandates disappear.

What has been very clear from my study is that Martin Luther emphatically would have endorsed what we hear from James this morning.  Last week we heard that we have received the Word of God implanted in each and every one of us and the Word of God will save our souls.  Today’s reading builds upon this.  As James says, “We are to be effectual doers of the Word so we can be blessed by God”!

Just as a child looks up to their parents and wants and desires to hear words of affirmation, praise and blessing with everything they do, we as God’s children desire this as well.  God wants to bless us and give us gifts that are beyond our wildest imaginations.  God’s love for us and necessarily His blessing is meant to give us not always what we want, but what we need.

Consider the circumstance and weather we have received here in Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Oklahoma in the last three months.  From the fires that destroyed many farms and entire cattle herds and included the loss of life here in Kansas.  The snows that brought moisture that was much needed, but also has caused for some the winter wheat crop to be destroyed and many cows to be lost due to the extreme of the weather during the most delicate time of calving season.  To the extremes of the seasons both of snow and rain in the last few days and we are only a little more than half way through the month of May.  We want and need the moisture, but if we only look at the loss, we lose sight of what the true blessing is from God, His walking with us through these times even when we face loss.

You see, God’s love of us does not change.  God’s desire to bless us does not change.  God does not cause calamity, destruction or doubt to fall upon us.  This is the wheel house of the devil and this is why we need to understand and believe that God does want to bless us each and every day of our lives.  God’s greatest desire out of His love for us isn’t for the earthly things of this world, for they will pass away.  God’s desire is for a greater purpose, an eternal purpose that James points to when he says, “We are to be effectual doers of the Word so we can be blessed by God”.

How can this come to fruition?  Simply to work in God’s Kingdom and willingly work in order that God’s Glory and love can be revealed for each and every one of us.  A stellar example of this is the Apostle Paul.  It is clear, Saul as he was originally named, was clearly against Christians as a good Jew, but after his personal revelation and experience with Jesus Christ on the road to Emmaus, Paul became the most prolific, tireless and effectual doer of the Word of God that has been recorded, remembered and revered in all of Holy Scripture.

Some would say, how can we claim Paul was blessed by God, since he was imprisoned, beaten and ultimately killed.  But what we do not realize is Paul, looked past his own current circumstance, his own thorn in the flesh that he carried with him daily and looked with eternal eyes to how God had blessed him and would bless him in eternity.  This is why Paul was willing to take up the Cross of Christ and die in order to be a ‘doer of the Word’ and ultimately be ‘Blessed by God’!

This is our opportunity daily as well.  Paul and James inspire us to look with eternal eyes.  Look how we can work here on earth not only learning about the Word of God, but also and especially how we can be doers of the Word and fulfill our mission as Christians to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, fed by not only the Word of God, strengthened by the Sacrament of Holy Communion which we receive today, but also called by God to as James implores us with these words.  “We are to be effectual doers of the Word so we can be blessed by God”!  AMEN!

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05142017 - Fourth Sunday After Easter - "Receive the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls"!

May 14, 2017
“Receive the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls (James 1:21)”

Audio

If you would look at all of human history to determine a thread that remains the same, the one thing that consistently remains is the oral word.  Whether told around the campfire, the hearth, to entertain or keep warm or a park bench to pass the time, the kitchen table with a meal or even today when families get together and remember the history that has formed and shaped generations, the oral word is how we communicate.  Recently the movie “Beauty and the Beast” showed that at one time, only the rich or highly educated were able to own books, but today with our phones, tablets, computers and the internet, everyone is capable of reading on the go, in planes, trains or automobiles.  Yet, when the first printing press was invented, the world began to change.  The word that had been spoken and which we pass down even today shows not only great value, but also the potential to either alienate or engage, and also the opportunity to enrich or definitely enjoy.

This morning here at Emmanuel, we have heard from a book of the bible that Martin Luther was not the biggest cheerleader of, whether the doctrine or the message.  But Luther still believed it should be a part of Holy Scripture.  The most iconic quote from the book of James is “Faith without works is dead” from James 2:26.  But James also has a meaning and purpose that in our reading this morning reveals not only the power of the Word of God, but its clear application for us today.

Last week we not only watched and participated in the next faith step of Olivia as she made public profession of her faith, the faith in which we baptize.  We acknowledged and confessed alongside her our firm conviction that the Word of God is not only powerful, but life changing.  James states and reaffirms this truth clearly when he wrote, “Receive the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls”.

What we receive in the Word of God is the most precious, powerful and profound thing known in our universe.  When we receive the Word of God, we not only receive the book we know as the Holy Bible, we receive the Word made Flesh and Who dwelt among us, none other than Jesus Christ.  Our culture would like to claim Jesus as only a myth or as a prophet, but we receive more than a myth and more than a prophet, we receive from the lectern, the pulpit and especially when we read in our own homes the Word of God, we receive Jesus Christ, the Word.  And when we bring children for Holy Baptism, we confess and believe in His power.  For in our Baptism as James said it clearly, we “Receive the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls”.  This is not only the capability of the Word of God, but the power that changes our individual and collective reality and promises us eternal life out of God’s love for each and every one of us.  And it begins with the oral word that we hear, heed and if we dare to change it or its meaning or application will deeply affect us and how we are seen and received and even our eternal destination.

Today we gather, as a church family honoring the Word of God, Jesus Christ, but we also honor and remember how one individual impacts each of our lives, this person is our Mothers.  Mother’s come in all shapes and sizes, have and provide us different ways of showing love and clearly have differing skills, but what does not change is that one woman whether by blood or by adoption, by circumstance or comfort, by impact or inspiration added value to our lives by the word they spoke to each and every one of us.

In 1994, the now iconic movie, “Forrest Gump” changed our cultural understanding of so many different ideals.  It wasn’t the typical ‘feel good’ movie, because it touched on issues like determination, bullying, war, relationships and even the most profound, love.  From the beginning of the movie sitting on a park bench, Forrest tells the story of his life.  One of the most tender moments in the movie comes, when Forrest is given the greatest and most profound wisdom by his Mother on her death bed.  She says, “Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest, you never know what you will get” and she continued, “I was destined to be your momma…and I did the best I could”.  And her parting words reach out to us today and resonate with what we have heard from James.  “You have to do the best with what God gave you”.

What we need to take away from this iconic movie, this passage from James as the message from God for us today is simply this.  God did not only the best He could, He, through His Son Jesus Christ fulfilled for each and every one of us what we could not.  Jesus Christ out of His love for us gives us the gift of eternal life.  And God in His infinite wisdom places people like our mothers and those who are like mothers in our lives to implant in us the Word of God.  For in our receiving the Word of God we receive the greatest gift known to mankind, Jesus Christ.  And in our receiving Jesus Christ we receive not just an abundant life in Him, but we receive eternal life in His Kingdom for all eternity out of His great love for each and every one of us.  May we daily remember our Mothers as God’s gift to us and understand and be able to repeat the truth, promise and testimony of Jesus Christ found of James that says, “Receive the Word implanted in you which is able to save your souls”.  AMEN.

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05072017 - 3rd Sunday After Easter - “Do what is right and suffer for it…this finds favor with God (1 Peter 2:20)”

May 7, 2017
“Do what is right and suffer for it…this finds favor with God (1 Peter 2:20)”

Audio

If you were to study Taoist/Daoist philosophy there is the ying and the yang represented by a “Black and White” symbol.  There is equality and there is ‘balance’ according to not only the symbols, but also the belief structure.  Accordingly there is no grey area, yet, for some in our current culture, they do not believe there is grey, nor do they want to see, nor engage in this grey area.  Sadly, this temperament of ‘no grey’ does not allow any flexibility, whether in decisions, life, or especially in relationships.

For Christians, it is agreed, God’s laws are clear, given in the 10 Commandments.  But, what some Christians refuse to believe and understand is that God’s Grace, God’s Mercy, God’s Love and God’s Gospel are in the ‘grey area’ and God can and does overcome even the ‘black and white’ of the 10 Commandments.  Because only the ‘creator’ can rule over that which they created.  If we Christians are rigid and put the 10 Commandments on the pedestal, we will fall and we will fail.  For we have failed and this is a result of Adam and Eve biting the forbidden fruit.  We had and have no control over this, but we have to deal with this reality daily and God knows this clearly.  For the rigidity of the law we live with will always be the pitfall for each of us and it is even more difficult for God’s Glory to be revealed for all of mankind.

However, this morning Peter in his epistle clearly states, “Do what is right and suffer for it…this finds favor with God”.  Peter is looking clearly not at the law, but at the past and to the future.  In the past, Peter looks directly at and through the grace that God lovingly and freely provides specifically in what Jesus Christ did on the Cross of Calvary for all of mankind.  For Jesus Christ overcomes not only the white and the black of the ying and the yang, Jesus Christ overcomes the grey of our world with the truth that what He has done and was willing to die for us on the Cross and His sacrifice found great favor with God.  Jesus Christ willingness to suffer and die for all of mankind looks not with earthly eyes, but with eternal eyes.

This is the future Peter looks with and to, the eternity that Jesus Christ out of His love for us was willing to suffer to bring us to, looks not with the glasses of the here and now, the latest toys or the latest gadgets.  Not with desire for control, nor manipulation, but only with the forgiveness that only Jesus Christ can and does freely offer.  It is a forgiveness that doesn’t hide come from compulsion, but true change in each and every one of our lives.  It is a change that looks with God’s greatest honor and glory in mind.  This is why we bring children, like Lakyn a few weeks ago, for the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.  In order that God’s Glory will be revealed and we might understand that God’s grace is forward looking and offered to each of us through our baptism into Jesus Christ life, death, but especially His resurrection.  For in our Baptism, God lovingly picks us up as the broken creatures we are and takes us into His loving arms in order for each and every one of us to receive the greatest gift of love we could receive, eternal life.

These 40 days between our celebrating Jesus resurrection and Jesus Christ Ascension into heaven are an opportunity for us to point to Jesus Christ and His willingness to suffer and His finding favor with God.  For Jesus Christ willingness to go to the Cross of Calvary and suffer for us, sets each and every one of us free through our Baptism and today we not only celebrate what Jesus Christ did, but how now today we celebrate with the graduates, Simon Bassett, Adison Avelar, Kasey Stramel, Kate Zelfer and Kanami Sojima, but also here in a few minutes, Olivia Bassett will shoulder for herself the responsibility of her faith and her future growth in Jesus Christ in her own life.

Today, Olivia with her confirmation will shoulder the mantle of accountability and responsibility, not as a child, but as an adult in the eyes of the church.  Olivia has ‘done what is right’ learning from the Small Catechism, the 10 Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostle’s Creed and how the Bible connects clearly with our Confessional teachings.  This is how we as a church have fulfilled our promise made at her baptism, just as we did for Lakyn a few weeks ago.  Yet it is not just the promises we make, but it is also how we will and should now treat Olivia and each of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ as equals in the Body of Christ.  If we treat her or others as children or discount her or others individuality, this is not the Christian witness Jesus Christ died for on the Cross of Calvary.  If we want to ‘find favor with God’ not only should we point to Jesus Christ, we are called to treat each other as if they were Jesus Christ.

The best witness of this I have seen and experienced was last year when we, Olivia and the other confirmation kids went up to Sky Ranch for Confirmation Camp.  It was an experience that had as its core the desire to spiritually enrich Olivia and each of us who went ‘up the mountain’.  Olivia enjoyed living in community, whether eating brownies with her counselors and cabin mates, enjoying the beauty of the wilderness created by God on day hikes, but also in worshiping God in the meadow, where we encountered and were embraced by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  It was during these times, whether in the meadow, on the mountain or in community with one another that God was present and during which a simple, but profound question was consistently asked.  “What will you do once you are ‘down the mountain’?”  We were asked this question, not for the leaders to provide a ‘pat answer’, but in order to encourage Olivia and others to change our collective perspective and remind each of us who personally encountered Jesus Christ of His willingness to bear our sins on the Cross of Calvary and heal us. 

Truly the offer of grace we are baptized into and now Olivia will shoulder of the responsibility for her faith and life, isn’t based upon her abilities nor strength.  The grace we receive solely comes from Jesus Christ offer of forgiveness for mankind, but especially for each and every one of us gathered here embracing Him and the opportunity and ability to trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and His offer of grace for each of us.  For in, through and by the Water and Word of Holy Baptism and now today with Olivia’s Confirmation we remember and realize that we are grafted into the tree of life Jesus Christ.  And this offer of grace is freely given, because of God’s love for each of us.  For as we gather today God sees us through the lens of Jesus Christ each and every one of us and we who gather to celebrate Olivia’s Confirmation, find favor in the sight of God because of Jesus Christ and His love for each and every one of us.  AMEN.

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04302017 - Good Shepherd Sunday - Special Impromptu Sermon

April 30, 2017

Good Shepherd Sunday

Special Sermon Audio

Today was supposed to be Confirmation Sunday, but due to the weather we experienced, this prevented us from having Confirmation.

Therefore, I pinch hit with the sermon and used a Shepherd's Crook since it was Good Shepherd Sunday!!

Here is the Gospel lesson that the sermon was based upon!

John 10:11-16

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, ¹⁵ even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

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04232017 - 1st Sunday After Easter - "We can believe in God's testimony!"

April 23, 2017
“We can believe in God's testimony!”

Audio

What joy to behold as last Sunday we heard and proclaimed the triumphant proclamation, “He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!”  Here at Emmanuel we had 171 people joining us in our proclamation of the Easter message.  Many people near and far have personally commented to me about how great that was for our church.  After church the kids engaged in the annual, joyful and energetic Easter Egg Tradition, with the joyful squeals of the children and the adults reconnecting with one another and sharing and making memories with one another.  All of this comes simply because one Man was willing to die in order that we might live and have eternal life.  This is the fulfilled promise of God that we have heard clearly from Holy Scripture.  This truth we can hold dearly simply because, “We can believe in God's testimony!”

Holy Scripture, the Bible, we here at Emmanuel give to our children as part of our promise and responsibility when they are baptized.  Holy Scripture we as individuals affirm at our Confirmation and we as a congregation reaffirmed our belief in the Promise of the Gospel at my ordination.  And we Emmanuel Lutheran read and hear from Holy Scripture and the Gospel weekly in worship.  Holy Scripture points us to the simple fact that “We can believe in God's testimony!”  For God is not a liar and God does not mislead us, for God’s testimony is true, because God’s testimony in Holy Scripture points to God’s Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice on Golgotha is the centrality of the Gospel message and is the one event looked for from the Garden of Eden and that we look back to even today.

With our pointing to Jesus Christ, His life, death and resurrection, Jesus Christ clearly not only sacrificed Himself, but we remember yearly, monthly, weekly and should daily think upon and thank God for His Son’s payment on the Cross of Calvary for the sin of all of mankind.  This is why ‘God’s testimony’ not only is central, but treasured, solely, because it is with an eternal perspective in mind.  Our being with God for all eternity.  And we are promised our entrance into eternity, simply because of Jesus Christ willingness to go to the Cross of Calvary and die so we can live eternally.  And this reality becomes ours because “We can believe in God's testimony!”

In and of ourselves we are incapable of belief in the promises of God, but by grace and through the work of the Holy Spirit as Martin Luther reminds us in the Explanation of the Third Article, God ‘calls, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies and keeps us in the one true faith’.  This work that the Holy Spirit does for us is a direct result of the grace that God offers us freely and without our own merit from Jesus going to the Cross for us.  These reminders for us are in order that we can as one of our themes from Pre-School VBS a few years ago reminds us, we can ‘Fully Rely On God’!  And “We can believe in God's testimony!”

In the latest installment of the Marvel movies of the Avengers arc, “Captain America: Civil War” Steve Rogers, Captain America is reminded clearly what truth really means and what and why he was willing as a young man during World War II to fight for his country and his God.  At the funeral of Peggy Carter, his first love of his life, Peggy’s niece reminisced with the following advice she was given from her aunt.  “Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don’t. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, 'No. You move.” 

We to as children of our heavenly Father through our Baptism into Jesus Christ, life, death, but especially His resurrection are similarly called to plant ourselves ‘like a tree’.  For just as the tree on Calvary was planted and Jesus refused to be removed, but was willing to die to set us free.  We to are called, to be planted like a tree and refuse to allow the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Grace to be soiled because of self-interest and self-serving goals.  This is why Jesus Christ died for truth to set us free from bondage.

Since “We can believe in God's testimony” as truth and God is faithful, we are empowered to stand and be faithful to what God’s testimony is and has been from Creation to today.  We look back to the truth of Jesus willingness to die on the Cross of Calvary and we are emboldened to be the Church and stand up and testify of God’s faithfulness on the Cross and His death to set mankind free from sin, death and especially the devil.  These are the promises of God for us and clearly, firmly and faithfully we, Emmanuel Lutheran Church are called as the Body of Christ, gathered as a community of faith and enabled to be the Church of Jesus Christ, by the grace of God so “We can believe in God's testimony!”  AMEN.

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04162017 Easter Sunday - “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!!”

April 16, 2017
“By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!!”

Audio

P – He is Risen!  C – He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

Today we gather proclaiming, “He is Risen”.  We gather not in a valley, but on the mountain top, to celebrate the fulfillment of God’s Promise that was 4000 years in the making, from Creation and the promise made to Adam and Eve all the way to the Cross of Calvary!  For it is “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!”  We gather here to celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ as we just proclaimed that “He is Risen!”  Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind throughout our country and world, but especially including each of us gathered here at Emmanuel who Celebrate Jesus Christ victory over the grave this Easter morning!

We celebrate His and our eternal life and the abundance of it, because, Jesus Christ has risen from the dead!  And this is the ultimate bookend to the Prayer we have been considering during the Lenten season.  Jesus Christ taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer by their own request.  Jesus by teaching them and their passing the prayer down to successive generations, has impacted mankind for the last two thousand years including each and every one of us gathered here this morning.  And our celebration today comes “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!!”  We gather this morning in order to give God the Glory for His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ!

If this could be boiled down to one phrase, it would be this!  “Jesus Christ died for our sin and set us free!”  No matter what man does, how man treats one another, chooses to stay seated when God wants us to stand up and fight for what is right.  “Jesus Christ died for our sin and set us free!”  This is what Jesus willingly went to the Cross of Calvary in order to offer us eternal life.  And the truth is, when we pray the final petition of the Lord’s Prayer and end with the final word, “AMEN”, the truth remains, Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead and “Jesus Christ died for our sin and set us free!”

This is why we gather on Easter, why we come to worship God and His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ.  This is why we confess our short comings and God freely forgives us our sin that we hear through the declaration of grace from Jesus Christ!  This is why we say, teach and believe the Prayer that Jesus Christ taught His disciples and that we promise to teach when we baptize in the Name of the Trinity.  This is why we proclaim when we gather for worship that we believe that Jesus Christ offers us eternal life out of His great love for us and “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!”

In the movie Risen, which was our Film of Faith last month, the greatest impact in the movie was felt by Clavius, when he entered the room where the disciples had gathered in the week after Jesus Resurrection.  Clavius clearly was searching not only as his job as appointed by Pilate, but Clavius soul was searching for answers as well.  With sword drawn, Clavius saw Jesus Christ and knew clearly in his heart the truth of the message we hear this morning.  “Jesus Christ died for our sin and set us free!”  And dropping the sword as he stumbled into the room in utter disbelief of what He saw before him with his very eyes.  Clavius saw Jesus Christ, the Man he saw hanging dead on the Cross on Friday, was right there in front of him.  Clavius heart of stone was melted and instantly became transformed.

This is the same invitation and opportunity, Jesus Christ makes to us today.  Jesus wants our hearts of stone, our hearts of bitterness and hatred.  Our hearts of control, our hearts that are not for Him, His mission or His ministry to be melted away and replaced with a heart of love, a heart of forgiveness, a heart of compassion and the heartfelt desire, dare I say a heart ready to stand and surely say and proclaim the Gospel and what needs said.  For today when we proclaim, “He is Risen”, we proclaim it because of the truth we need to not only hear, heed, but hold dearly like He will hold each of us when we enter into His Kingdom.  We proclaim today boldly this truth, “He is Risen” “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!!” AMEN!

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04142017 - Good Friday - “Deliver us from evil, For thine is the Kingdom” – “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”

April 14, 2017
“Deliver us from evil, For thine is the Kingdom” – “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”

Audio

Last night we could imagine the joyful banter of the disciples gathered around a table celebrating the Passover with Jesus Christ.  Jesus then instituted the life giving Holy Meal of His Body and Blood.  Later the disciples fell asleep when asked to watch and pray with Jesus.  And finally, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss.  Since then, Jesus has endured not only the torture of the Jews and their leaders, the humiliation, beatings and scourging of the Romans, but only hours later, felt the stabbing pain as echoing in His ears the hammer purposely drove the nails that hold Him to a Cross, with a Crown of Thorns on His head. 

Jesus endured all of this with a sole purpose in mind.  And the Seventh Petition of the Lord’s Prayer recounts the reason when we pray “Deliver us from evil”.  For Jesus in His willingness to endure the Cross of Calvary does “Deliver us from evil” out of His great love for us and all of mankind.  God clearly offers us the greatest gift that could ever be given.  “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”  And in delivering us from evil, pays for and by His death removes the curse of sin from each and every one of us that began in the Garden of Eden with our first parents, Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit.

For Jesus does “Deliver us from evil” and we lay claim to that with our praying the prayer Jesus taught.  Yet, the story does not end with three nails, for it is only by Jesus willingness to “Deliver us from evil” that gives us the greatest gift.  It is a gift which comes in the beginning of the Conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer.  Jesus not only does “Deliver us from evil”, by offering us a ‘blessed end’ to our lives, Jesus Christ offers us a greater gift with our praying, “For thine is the Kingdom”.  For it is God’s Kingdom and God, Father, Holy Spirit and especially God’s Son, Jesus Christ as He taught this prayer not only is owner of the Kingdom, but offers the Kingdom unto us out of His great love for us.  For it is very clear and certain that “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”

Tonight we will leave here having heard the disciples are scattered and in hiding, fearful for their lives.  The last thing we hear will be the clear and emphatic sound of the tomb being closed symbolized by the slamming of the door, the extinguishing of the Christ Candle and the darkness that surrounds us!  But we depart with the knowledge that “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”  And with a firmness in the faith that not only did Jesus die on the Cross for our sins and the sin of all mankind, but when we pray the Lord’s Prayer we do so knowing a promise is made to us from Jesus Christ Himself.  For Jesus Christ promise to us is in order that by the spilling of His innocent Blood, Jesus Christ as we pray as He taught us, Jesus Christ will “Deliver us from evil” and lovingly forgive us and offer us entrance into eternity with Him when we pray “For thine is the Kingdom”.  AMEN.

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