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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007 Ordination of Louise Christensen
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
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The 5th Sunday of Easter (C) In the Name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all! Amen! As we heard in today's second reading from the book of Revelation: "And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Revelation is an APOCALYPTIC BOOK, which means that it deals with things concerning the end times. There is certainly much in this book that is hard for us to understand, but the message of today’s reading is crystal clear! The message is that God is making everything NEW! God is making a new creation - a "new heaven and a new earth". In the end, everything that is wrong with this present creation will be set to right! And in the end, everything that is wrong with our present LIVES will be set to right! In our world and lives at present, we are burdened with so many problems. SIN infects and affects us all. We are in BONDAGE to its power – and it is everywhere both within us and around us. There is not a moment anywhere in this world where there is not someone sick, where there is not someone who is lonely, where there is not someone who is poor and hungry and in need. There is not a moment anywhere where there is not any hatred or envy, where there is no suffering or pain, or where someone is not grieving over the death of a friend or loved one. SIN is a condition that is so pervasive and so all-encompassing that we have tended to accept this as being normal and that our world and lives will always be like this. The good news of Easter is that it will NOT always be like this. God is working to change things! Through the resurrection of Jesus, God has overcome even the worst that sin could do – even the power of death itself. Through Jesus and his resurrection, God is making ALL THINGS NEW! He is filling our world with love and hope and joy! But...do we really believe this, especially in the area of our own lives? Today, we still see so much evidence of the power of sin and death working in our lives and in the lives of people around us. Many are in bondage to the power of alcoholism and drug addiction - and they feel nothing but hopelessness and despair. Many people are overwhelmed with debt - and see no way out of that situation. Or we have other personal situations in our lives that fill us with worry, frustration, and discouragement, and even despair. Many people feel that we are always prisoners to our past and present - that things and the direction of our lives can never be changed. But through the love and the power of Jesus Christ, people CAN be changed! During my sermon yesterday at Cal Oraw and Louise Christensen’s ordination, I read a passage of how the Holy Spirit directed that Barnabas and Saul should be set apart for special ministry. Saul (later to be known as Paul) formerly had been an arch-persecutor of the Church, but he eventually became of its greatest missionaries. Martin Luther's outlook on life was radically changed through his encounter with Jesus through the Scriptures...and the rest is history because through the Reformation begun by him, MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of people found a new life with God. John Newton in the 1700’s had formerly been the captain of a slave ship, but after his conversion to Christianity became a leader of the anti-slavery movement and composed one of the most beloved hymns of all time – AMAZING GRACE, “how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” (It was an “autobiographical hymn” that described how the love of Jesus changed his life!) And in our modern day, Charles Colson – who in the 1970’s had been one of the central figures in the Watergate scandal – gave his life to Jesus while in prison for the crimes he had done - and now for thirty years he has been known as a respected and influential Christian leader. Yes, even today people both individually and as groups and societies are STILL being changed through the re-creative power of God given to us through the living Jesus Christ! But again, how about us...especially us here in this congregation of Pella Lutheran Church? This brings to my mind an article written by Pastor Steven McKinley in an issue of LUTHERAN PARTNERS several years ago, a periodical for all ELCA pastors and professional church leaders. Reflecting upon the 25th anniversary of his ordination, he wrote a piece called "THE 12 LAWS" of parish ministry. Most of them were humorous reflections - but his last "LAW" was very serious and on target. Law #12 to us pastors was "You will regularly foul up. You will know the kind of pastor you want to be, but you will not live up to that vision. (See Romans 7) The congregation will certainly not be perfect either...But somehow the Holy Spirit will work through your imperfect ministry in that imperfect congregation to change the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. You might not see the changes. But never doubt for a minute that they are taking place!" Yes, even among us here at Pella Lutheran Church - despite all of my imperfections and yours - lives are being changed both within and beyond this congregation! Some of the changes resulting from this ministry we may know and clearly see, both in this church and even within our own lives. Others may be more subtle and hidden. But let us never doubt for a minute that God is working among us and through us to make things NEW and much better! God is working among and through us to help and heal those who are sick in body or soul, to bind up the brokenhearted, to help the poor, and to share with all people the re-creating love and power of Jesus Christ! And now, in today's second reading, we have the vision of God's recreating activity being complete! After untold years of his working in untold places too numerous to count (including his working among US right here!), God is finally finished with his new creation. For as John writes in his vision about this future; "The I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea (a symbol of CHAOS to the Israelites) was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." John goes on to write: "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." And then, as I mentioned at the beginning of this sermon, "The one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." In other words, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY COUNT ON THIS! What a comfort these words can be to us here today! God is indeed making ALL things new! Yes, even in the midst of the sometimes seemingly hopeless problems that we are facing in our lives and in our world - God is working to make everything NEW! May we believe this...and trust this...whenever we are feeling overcome by discouragement or sorrow or despair! And some day, when God's new creation is complete - the affliction of death and sorrow and pain and hatred and guilt and greed and suffering will be no more! We have God's promise that he will always be with us through all of our ordeals of life...and the ordeal of death...and that he will bring us through them all. And at the last, we will be a part of that great end-time vision described in today's second reading. We will live again as changed and new people...forever free from all sin and sorrow and pain. And then God himself will be with us and he will wipe every tear from our eyes! What a comfort and encouragement this vision is! For it shows us that our lives and what we do here in Jesus' name does indeed have meaning and purpose! I look forward to that day when God will have finished making US - and ALL THINGS - NEW!! And I hope that you do too! In Jesus! Name! Amen! -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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