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Easter Vigil

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This week we have been on a journey, and we have seen ourselves in many parts of the events of Holy Week. On Palm Sunday we walked alongside Christ as he processed into Jerusalem. We have participated with the crowd cheering “Hosanna”- Welcoming him as the expected King, the Messiah. On Monday, we witnessed Mary anointing Jesus’s feet with expensive perfume and wiping them with her hair. We saw ourselves pouring our best on Jesus in worship. On Tuesday, we heard Jesus say,  “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:24).  And we heard ourselves challenges into self giving love, following his example. On Wednesday, we saw Jesus declaring to the disciples that one of them was going to betray him. Then, we witnessed Judas leave them and walk into the darkness. If we are bold and honest enough, we saw the times we have betrayed him, too. On Maundy Thursday, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, an in
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Palm/Passion Sunday

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  Matthew 21:1-11;  Isaiah 50:4-9a;  Psalm 31:9-16;  Philippians 2:5-11;  Matthew 26:14-27:66 You may have noticed that there was a great turnout for the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper this year. … But, I don’t think we had as many people come out on the following day for Ash Wednesday. … It’s not very hard to imagine why. We love to celebrate. It’s fun. And we don’t have to feel bad a bout that. Celebration is actually an important spiritual practice. The Bible has many feasts that the people are commanded to celebrate. God wants us to celebrate. What’s not to love about eating and laughing with a community of people you care about? On Ash Wednesday we are marked with ashes as we remember that we are sinners, and that we will all die. We meet to begin a time of fasting and repentance. We re-evaluate our lives. We seek to turn to God in all parts of our lives, and so we look to see if we have turned away from God in any way. We seek God’s mercy to help us become unstuck in any pla
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Lent 5- The Raising of Lazafrus

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Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 In today's Gospel reading, the finality of death is felt by Mary and Martha, who are grieving the death of their brother Lazarus.  Lazarus is dead.  His heart has stopped beating.  He breathed his last breath.  His body is wrapped.  Lazarus is laid in the tomb.  His tomb is sealed.  His spirit has left.  The community has gathered to grieve.  The ceremonies and prayers have been said, and they enter into a season of mourning.   All there is left to do is weep.  Everyone is in shock. Almost all of us can relate to this feeling. During my time as your pastor, we have been through this experience numerous times. Last year we took part in 35 funerals. Shortly before Covid hit, we had a year with 28 funerals. These are people we love and still miss. We have shed tears at their loss, and we still do, at times. We can relate to Mary and Martha. They believe Jesus could have done something about Laz
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Lent 4- The Man Born Blind

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1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 Most of our readings today are related to sight. In our reading from the first book of Samuel, the prophet is looking for a new king to anoint over the people of Israel. He is directed to the sons of Jesse, and he initially considers the oldest Son, Eliab. Eliab is tall and handsome, which is also how King Saul was described. However, things were not going well with King Saul, which has led God to direct the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king to eventually replace Saul. When the prophet seems sure Eliab is the one God is going to pick, he hears God say to him,  “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam 16:7).  Against expectations, none of Jesse’s sons who were present at the meeting were picked. Instead, the son who gets selected is the youngest, David. This w
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Lent 3- Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well

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  Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42 In John chapter four we read about a meeting that shouldn't have happened. Jesus is alone sitting on the edge of a stone well. It is an ancient well that was said to have been dug by the patriarch Jacob. The disciples have gone into town to buy food and Jesus stayed behind at the well. This is where he meets a Samaritan woman who has come for water. The first reason this meeting shouldn't have taken place has to do with geography. A group of devout Jews really shouldn't be spending any time in Samaria when there is a perfectly good detour around the territory. Samaritans and Jews were hostile to each other. They were ethnic and religious enemies. To a first century Jew a "good Samaritan" was an oxymoron. It was a contradiction. So, the first reason this meeting shouldn't have taken place is because of geography. Jesus, as a devout Jew, had no business being in the enemy
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Lent 2- The Heart of the Matter- Belief as Righteousness

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Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17 Lent is a time to examine our hearts. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is often drawing our attention to our hearts. … He says,  “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement…” (Matt 5:21-22).  Jesus moves the focus from murder to anger. He moves the attention from outward action to the inward disposition of the heart. … Imagine someone filled with murderous rage, but they are in prison. Their circumstances prevent them from acting on their anger. They aren’t able to commit murder, but we wouldn’t say they are virtuous for not committing murder. Jesus has a similar teaching about adultery. He says,  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already comm
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Lent 1- The Temptation to Sin

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  Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11 The liturgical seasons generally reflect on the life of Jesus. During Lent we focus on Jesus fasting for 40 days in the wilderness in preparation for his ministry. In the early church, adults who were preparing to be baptized on Easter spent time in intense spiritual preparation. As they prepared for their new life as Christians, they would focus more intensely on disciplines like prayer, fasting, study, generosity, service, and renunciation of sin. … Christians (who were already baptized) realized that it was helpful to join those who were preparing for baptism at Easter, so they could re-dedicate themselves to Christ through a time of self-evaluation and spiritual discipline. This turned into the season of Lent. As Lent ends, at the Easter Vigil, a renewal of baptismal vows is a part of that service. We are blessed today to also have a baptism. So, as these baptismal vows are made over Zachary today, as we begin our j
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