pain then joy

Good afternoon friends,

Today's reading continues Jesus' conversation with his disciples at the last supper. He tells them they will miss him, but ultimately his death is for their benefit. Change is always hard, but often it leads us to new blessings we can't imagine yet. 

God bless,

Sam

John 16:12-22

¹²“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

¹⁶”A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” ¹⁷Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸They said, “What does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 

¹⁹Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? ²⁰Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. ²¹When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. ²²So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

feed my sheep

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Jesus and Peter share a moment. This is often called the restoration of Peter. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him; maybe that reflects the three times Peter denied Jesus after his arrest. Jesus calls Peter to follow Jesus and to take care of the flock (the new community called the church). Peter sees his leadership role clearly, but also asks about John's role (the beloved disciple). This is a great invitation to think about our role and calling and not worry about or compare ourselves with others. As we see in Acts, Peter and John both are main leaders in the early church. There's space for all of us in Christ's community.


God bless,
Sam

John 21:15-25

15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

18Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

20Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 22Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”

23So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” 24This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. 25But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Thomas and the gang

Good evening friends,
I hope your Easter was joyful; with beautiful worship in three different sites, mine certainly was. Today's story takes us a little further in the story of the risen Jesus. Jesus appears to his disciples and they aren't quite sure what to do. He gives them a mission and the power to do it. We continue that mission today, with the faith and questions of Thomas and the others.


God bless,
Sam

John 20:19-25

19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”



24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

Good afternoon friends,
We're entering a special time in the church year called Holy Week. Even if you haven't been thinking much about Lent, Holy Week is a great opportunity to focus on the story of the last moments in Jesus' life. As I've learned more deeply over the last month, death and new life are closely connected. The power of the Christian story is that it's all about love and that it's honest about the barriers to love that we face. Christian faith takes the trouble in the world and in our lives seriously, so the tragic notes in the final days of Jesus' life resonate with our experience.


If we spend time in this dark part of the story, we'll be ready to embrace the good news of Easter and the resurrection more fully and honestly. So I invite you to Holy Week in worship and in personal reflection. Our Holy Week worship starts with an ecumenical service at St. Ambrose (Culver and Empire) at 7:30 tonight. The service tells the story of Christ's last week in scripture and music; I can almost guarantee you will find it approachable and meaningful no matter how unfamiliar or familiar you might be with the story.

Today's reading takes us to Thursday night and Jesus' last supper with his disciples.

God bless,
Sam

John 13:1-11

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.


And during supper 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”


8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

life and death

Good morning friends,

As Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, this miracle becomes yet another point of conflict with the religious leaders. John's discussion of the religious council meeting is powerful, especially in how meaning and events move at more than one level simultaneously. The stage is now set for the events of Holy Week and Jesus' journey to the cross.

God bless,
Sam

John 11:38-57

³⁸Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” ⁴⁰Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

⁴⁵Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. ⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. ⁴⁷So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. ⁴⁸If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” ⁴⁹But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” 

⁵¹He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, ⁵²and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. ⁵³So from that day on they planned to put him to death. ⁵⁴Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.⁵⁵Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. ⁵⁶They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” ⁵⁷Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

pancakes and power

Good afternoon friends,

First, a reminder that tonight from 6-7:30 Laurelton is going to get ready for Lent with a Fat Tuesday Pancake supper. We'll serve pancakes, sausage, decaf coffee and juice, so bring your appetite and enjoy a chance to visit with neighbors. The event is free, but you're certainly welcome to make a free will offering.

Our reading for today continues the letter to the church at Ephesus. The passage reminds us that God put all God's power to work in Christ. That sounds basic on the surface, but it's pretty amazing when we remember that Christ died for us. That's a reminder that God thinks about power differently than we do. Now the power of Christ is working through the church, through each of us. So how can we follow our calling and live for God's glory today?

God bless,
Sam

Ephesians 1:11-23

¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

¹⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 

²⁰God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²²And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

an end and a beginning

Good morning brothers and sisters,
We've been walking through the church season of Easter, which reflects on and celebrates Jesus' resurrection from the dead. The Gospels all tell the story of Jesus rising from the dead, and and most tell stories about the risen Jesus spending time with his disciples to get them ready for their ministry in the world. Luke's Gospel takes it a step further. It talks about the disciples spending time with Jesus and then closes as they watch him go into heaven. But then Luke's Gospel has a "Part 2," which is the Book of Acts. Acts starts with Jesus giving some closing words to his disciples and goes on to show their ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit as these men and women become the church.

Today's reading from Acts sets the stage for what is to come. It starts with an introduction Luke writes to "Theophilus." It's not clear if this is a particular person Luke knew or if it's really an introduction for all believers (Theophilus means, "Lover of God" in Greek.) From there we get last words from Jesus and his ascension into heaven. Here's where our story begins.

God bless,
Sam
 

Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning ²until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. ⁴While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; ⁵for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

meeting on the road

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Yesterday we read about how two of Jesus' followers met the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, but didn't recognize him. As they talk, he starts teaching them about the scriptures so they can understand who he really is. Today we see where that conversation takes them.

Blessings,
Sam

Luke 24:25-35

²⁵Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

²⁸As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³²They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

³³That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ³⁴They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Christ is risen!

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Happy Easter! We had two wonderful worship services yesterday, one at the lake at sunrise and the other in our sanctuary. It's so good to be together to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. Today's reading tells the story of Christ's resurrection from Luke's Gospel. The women go to the tomb early Easter morning to anoint Jesus' body. We are still bearers of that good news today. How will you live the resurrection?

God bless,
Sam

Luke 24:1-12

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. ²They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they went in, they did not find the body. ⁴While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. ⁵The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. ⁶Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 

⁸Then they remembered his words, ⁹and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. ¹²But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Holy Saturday

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
I've never quite known what to do with today. Good Friday Jesus dies and is buried; tomorrow he will rise again. Today, we wait. Someone once told me that Holy Saturday is his favorite day in the church calendar because it reflects our whole life. We know Jesus has come, but we're waiting for him to return. Our life is lived in the tension between what God has already done in Christ and the full redemption of creation for which we wait when Christ returns. So today we rest, we wait, we reflect.

May it be a blessed time for you,
Sam

Luke 23:50-56

⁵⁰Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, ⁵¹had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. ⁵²This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. 

⁵⁴It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. ⁵⁵The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Christ is Risen!

Good evening friends,
Today we're reminded that Jesus' death was not the end of the story. Christ rose again from the grave and met with his disciples to encourage them for their ministry to the world. With the resurrection a new phase of ministry began, a ministry we continue today. Our calling is to share God's amazing love in Christ with the world.

Blessings on your weekend,
Sam

Matthew 28:1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ 

⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

not abandoned

Good evening brothers and sisters,

By the time you finish the first hymn in worship tomorrow I hope to be finishing the Ottawa Marathon. Keep Kris and Matt in your prayers also as they run the half-marathon in Buffalo. I pray blessings on your worship as you celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit.

In our reading today we focus on Peter's explanation of who Jesus is. He explains Jesus' eternal life and resurrection in terms of the Psalms. It's interesting watching the early disciples share Jesus with people in their time. They took what they experienced with him and used that to understand the Bible.

Blessings on your worship,

Sam

Acts 2:22-31

²²“You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— ²³this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. ²⁴But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 

²⁵For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; ²⁶therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. ²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. ²⁸You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ ²⁹“Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, ‘He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.’

day one

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Our Laurelton team in New Orleans arrived safe and sound yesterday, did a little exploring and settled into our new home. Today was our first day at work with expert site supervision from Quint and Christine. We just came home after a good, hard day's work. Now it's off to the showers and dinner before we enjoy some music. Thanks for your prayers.

Today's reading continues Paul's argument that the resurrection is essential to Christian faith. His point in this section is that our faith gives us hope beyond death, which is why Christians are often willing to risk their life for their faith. When we know we're safe in God's arms even in death, we don't have to be afraid of any powers in the world. We can serve others, share faith and stand up for justice, even if the risks are great. God is with us always.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 15:26-34

²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. ²⁸When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.

²⁹Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? ³⁰And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? ³¹I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters, as my boasting of you—a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³²If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” ³³Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” ³⁴Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

Christ's resurrection

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,
First, I'd like to wish a big happy birthday to my brother Will. Our reading for today begins the discussion of a key idea of our faith that we don't talk about very often: the resurrection of the dead. In this reading he's laying the foundation for that discussion, but not actually beginning it. Paul describes how the heart of the gospel he proclaims is that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. When he rose he appeared to many witnesses, including all the apostles. Years later, he appeared in a vision to Paul. Paul confesses that he is unworthy, but that through Christ's grace he has been very effective in his apostolic ministry. It can sound like Paul is bragging, and maybe he is. The important thing to take away from that is that 1, Christ rose from the dead, and 2, even if we feel unworthy or inadequate, God's power is more than enough to strengthen us for ministry. That's the power of the resurrection.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, ²through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. ³For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, ⁴and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. ⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 

⁸Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. ¹¹Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

fishing trip

Good afternoon friends,
Today's reading takes us to the lakeshore and a third appearance of the risen Jesus to the disciples. Each Gospel tells the story of Jesus a little differently. In John, the risen Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene at the tomb. That evening he appears to 10 of the original 12 apostles, but Thomas is missing. A week or so later he appears to the disciples again, this time with Thomas there. Today's reading is another appearance. Here the apostles know Jesus by a miracle. The fishing part of the story reminds us where the disciples started with Jesus and that God often appears to us in everyday events. 


Blessings on your weekend,
Sam

John 21:1-14

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. ²Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. ³Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.

⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. ⁸But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. ⁹When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

risen indeed

Good afternoon friends,
Sorry it's been so long since I sent out a reading. Today's reading picks up after the two disciples met the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. They didn't recognize him until he broke bread with them. Right away they came back to Jerusalem to share what had happened with the other disciples. Amazingly, the other disciples were already talking about Christ's resurrection because he had also appeared to Peter. Then, in our passage today, Jesus appears to all the disciples and promises to send the Holy Spirit to equip them for ministry. We'll be hearing more about the promise of the Spirit in a couple of weeks, for now, let's consider the transforming presence of Christ in our lives.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 24:36-50

³⁶While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence. 

⁴⁴Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

⁵⁰Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. ⁵¹While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵²And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; ⁵³and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

questions on the road

Good morning brothers and sisters,
First I'd like to remind you about the exciting opportunity to participate in the Christian Life and Witness Class offered by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association over the next three weeks. It is a series of three classes focused on deepening our faith and sharing that faith with others. From the preview I received at a pastor's gathering, the quality and style is excellent. I think you'll find it refreshing, encouraging and challenging. The class is offered Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings from 7-9 and Saturday mornings from 10-noon at various sites. I'll be attending the class on Saturdays at Bridge Builders Church at 1787 Norton Street (between Waring and Goodman). The class is free and is an great opportunity to deepen your faith and hear a different perspective than you'll normally hear from me.


Today's reading takes place Easter afternoon. Two of Jesus' disciples are going to a nearby town after hearing the report of the women who went to Jesus' tomb and found it empty. As you read, try to imagine being one of Jesus' disciples processing the crazy last week of his life.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 24:13-24

¹³Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, ¹⁶but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 

¹⁸Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” ¹⁹He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. 

Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. ²²Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. ²⁴Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”

healing in Jesus' name

Good evening friends,
Today's reading comes from the Book of Acts. After Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven his disciples kept meeting together in Jerusalem. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down on them and filled them with power to speak the good news of God's love through Christ, even in languages they didn't know. Not long after that Peter and John were walking in the synagogue and healed a man who had been disabled for many years. As a crowd gathered to see what had happened, Peter shared the good news in the following way.
God bless,
Sam

Acts 3:12-21

¹²When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 

¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. ¹⁷“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, ²¹who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.

resurrection and law

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Jesus is still teaching in Jerusalem when some Sadducees approach him with a question. Every era has its important theological questions and Jesus' time was no different. There was a division between two groups of religious leaders in Judaism: Pharisees and Sadducees. Sadducees often controlled the temple and followed only scripture. In other words they didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead or angels. Pharisees were famous for interpreting the law carefully and separating the people of Israel from their gentile neighbors, but they believed in some teachings that went beyond the scripture including a belief in the resurrection of the dead and the role of angels as God's messengers.

In this story the Sadducees come to question Jesus. True to form, they ask him a question that brings into question the logic of the resurrection. Jesus shows himself firmly committed to a belief in the resurrection, a belief Jesus will embody in his own life. For Jesus, while the future will have something in common with today, God's kingdom is also radically different. As often, we won't know what the resurrection will really be like until that last day. Until then we trust in God's love and work for greater justice in the world.
God bless,
Sam

Matthew 22:23-33

23The same day some Sadducees came to him, saying there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question, saying, 24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother shall marry the widow, and raise up children for his brother.’ 25Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married, and died childless, leaving the widow to his brother. 26The second did the same, so also the third, down to the seventh. 27Last of all, the woman herself died. 28In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the seven will she be? For all of them had married her.”



29Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead, but of the living.” 33And when the crowd heard it, they were astounded at his teaching.

moving forward

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Paul talked about the reasons he could have confidence in the flesh and the law, but said that all that doesn't matter any more to him. Now he says his past doesn't matter, only knowing Christ. Next to Christ everything else in Paul's life is second. He also looks forward to the new life he will share with Jesus on the other side of death. All these hopes keep Paul going when threats and hardship surrounds him.

We all need hope to keep us going in hard times and to put minor annoyances in perspective. For many, hope in God's love gives us strength to keep going. For others trusting in the love of family and friends is our source of strength. All love comes from God, and love's power can free us from the grip of jealousy and fear.

God bless,
Sam

Philippians 3:8-14

More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.



10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.