Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church

This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God …

Texts: John 17:1-11; Acts 1:6-14

What is heaven like? I imagine some of you have asked that question. Maybe that question does not concern you. Maybe you think concepts like heaven are too concrete. Maybe you prefer to think in terms more philosophic and abstract, like existence and non-existence. Maybe you see yourself as a staunch materialist – that is, the original meaning of that term – and you put no stock in such unseen, imaginary notions like, life-after-death.

The social sciences show that most people, in one way or another, ask questions about life after death, what that existence is like. In fact, the ability to consider some form of existence beyond death is universal to the human species. And in some religions, the question is expressed in terms of heaven – or hell. So, we wonder; What is heaven like?

We may think of this in various ways. Read the rest of this entry »

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you…the Spirit of truth

Texts: John 14:15-21; Acts 17:22-31

Niels Bohr was a Danish physicist. He won the Nobel Prize in 1922 for his work on atomic structure and quantum mechanics. The story is told of him that he had a horseshoe above his door. When he was asked if he really believed that horseshoe would bring him luck, he is said to have responded, Of course not…but I’m told it works even if you don’t believe in it. Read the rest of this entry »

…the sheep hear the shepherd’s voice.

Texts: John 10:1-10; Acts 2:42-47

Perhaps you have watched a movie that has a scene something like this: A cell phone, with a rather generic ring, sounds. A whole bunch of people react, checking to see if it is their phone. Maybe you have experienced that yourself. It seems rather funny to me, watching a bunch of people trained to react to a given signal – modern technology making us wonder if we have advanced beyond Pavlov’s dog. Of course, the solution offered is personalized ring tones, which then forces everyone to experience someone else’s individuality.

Each year on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, we read the psalm about the Shepherd. We hear a portion of the tenth chapter of John. We connect Jesus’ promise with the comfort of the Twenty-third Psalm. Read the rest of this entry »

Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Text:  Luke 24:13-35

Some dinner parties are planned with a specific guest list and specific invitations.  Each place setting is carefully prepared, so the host knows the accommodations will be just right.   Other parties have a much more open list, a sense of bring your friend, open to folks that might be passing by.  Now, such come on over type events may seem more chaotic; the host who is comfortable which such parties, however, knows they require also require good preparation. 

When the Church gathers for our weekly worship, when we gather for the sacrament of the Lord’s table, which of these is it? Read the rest of this entry »

By his great mercy God has given us a new birth into a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

Texts: 1 Peter 1:3-10; Psalm 16:9

I am especially grateful for your presence here today. The Sunday after Easter is always interesting. Who is going to show up? On Easter I feel the need to convince folks that this whole Jesus-is-alive thing means that coming back is rather important. Today, our readings offer deeper insight. It’s kind of like something extra for those who want extra credit, but don’t really need it.

I do invite you to see that word, hope. A number of years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Apostle wrote, By [God’s] great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

That word, hope, certainly gets thrown around. Read the rest of this entry »

Suddenly Jesus met them…

Texts:  Matthew 28:1-10; Colossians 3:1-4

Several weeks ago, I was in a conversation with a bunch of my colleagues.  We were studying scripture and talking about our ministries.  One told of a man he had gotten to know, a man who had had no experience with church.  My colleague had given this man a Bible and encouraged him to find a place where he could go to worship and start to be connected.  So, this man went with someone he knew, someone who went to a church where at the front, there was a crucifix.  Many Protestant churches have a cross, but it is empty.  This particular place had a cross that depicted Jesus’ suffering and death.  This man, who knew very little about theology and church history, said to his friend, I know Jesus is my friend and is with me now.  But how do I get him down off of the cross?  I remember as a young kid being told that the empty cross emphasized Jesus is alive.  Of course that is why we get to be Christ-followers today.  But…

To be sure, we celebrate Easter – the joyous good news of resurrection.  Living in this world, however, Easter has power for us when we keep in mind the question, How do we get Jesus down off of the cross?  Of course, we cannot.  Only the gracious power of God can.  And yet… Read the rest of this entry »

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

For Maundy Thursday – the night of our Lord’s Last Supper

Text: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Back in my college days, I was very concerned about the problem of meaningless ritual. For me, especially, the problem was how much of our religious life happens in the form of rituals we do not understand. We go through the routine until the routine becomes a rut. From ritual to rut can be a short process. I certainly took to heart the way Lutherans use Jesus’ warning about vain repetition. I realize now, however, that we may have used that phrase excessively, in self-righteous judgment of those denominations that had even more ritual than did we.

Now this same era of my life included attending football games at a university that has a much better record than does the local team. My studies, however, took me away from there for several years. When I had a chance to get back to a game, I notice how little the rituals of that event had changed. Read the rest of this entry »

…they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon;

they compelled this man to carry his cross.

Texts:  Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 27:24-32

It is one of those little details we overlook.  It is sort of like one of those seemingly insignificant details in a mystery story, which proves to be an essential clue.  As we focus on the sweeping story of Jesus’ death, we may pay no attention to the name of the guy who was forced to help carry the cross.  We have here, another clue that may help us learn a bit more of the mystery – how God is at work in the world, even today.

Why do we know the name, Simon?  Why do we know that he was from the North African city of Cyrene?  The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Gospels, but probably did not magically give information Matthew did not otherwise have.  In the chaos of this ghastly spectacle, there were no reporters from CNN trying to out-scoop MSNBC on a side story – Who was that guy carrying the cross?  An exclusive interview tomorrow night on Larry King! Read the rest of this entry »

Texts:  Isaiah 35; Acts 27:27-44

Perhaps you are caught up by the current mixing of religion into the political campaigns.  Perhaps you are frustrated, feeling uncertain about this debate.  Perhaps you are puzzled, even troubled by the question of how our faith relates to the realities of governments and political decisions, of how the value of religious freedom relates to the importance for you of your faith.

The current Newsweek magazine has an article reviewing a book about the faith of our nation’s founders.  In particular, the article looks at the role of James Madison.  Madison was most influential in recognizing that if the government established a particular religion, then persecution of others would easily follow. Read the rest of this entry »

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Texts: Philippians 4:1-20; John 11:17-27; 38-45

Perhaps you read comments made recently by Warren Buffett, currently at the top of the list of our country’s richest people. He was answering questions about the transition plan for when he is no longer able to run his investment company. He wrote: I’ve reluctantly discarded the notion of my continuing to manage the portfolio after my death – abandoning my hope to give new meaning to the term ‘thinking outside the box.’ Read the rest of this entry »