Matthew 6:24-34

²⁴“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

²⁵“Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor was spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory not clothed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³²For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of it’s

If you had to describe yourself concerning your relationship to Good shepherd Church, how would you do that? What words would you use?  Member? Involved? Faithful? Servant? Committed?  Loyal?  Passionate?

Did any of us call ourselves servants of Christ?  I bet a few of us did but the one that really caught my imagination was Stewards of God’s mysteries.

Steward’s of God’s mysteries. 

In Isaiah God tells us we are inscribed on the palm of his hand.  I have inscribed in the palm of my hand the date May 17, 1917.  This date is the birthday of one of our parish family.  Ruth is in the hospital for the 6^th time since the New Year.  Her birthday was on her wrist band so I didn’t have to break the tradition of never asking a person their age.  Ruth has been a steward of God’s mysteries for 91 years.  I bet she could not articulate in those words but that is how she lives her life.  With every breath she takes.  This is a woman who understands she is written on the palm of God’s hand.

The opening collect says protect us from faithless fear and worldly anxieties.  That no cloud of this mortal life may hide us from the light of that love which is immortal.

How would how we live change is we filtered each decision with the question of how this related to being stewards of God’s mysteries.  How would that change our living in faithless fear and worldly anxiety?

The last line of the gospel says do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.

The 1^st line of that Gospel says we cannot serve two masters for me the question of the day is God going to own your heart or is fear?  Do we want to spend our lives striving to be stewards of God’s mystery or searching for what the harsh world is going to unleash on us next.  The Gospel says as ultimate truth that worrying does not add a single hour to the span of your life.

You may ask that deeply theological question at this point, so what?  What’s the point?  The point is this; the scriptures today offer us a template, a guide for us to structure our lives.  A measuring stick to put up against the decisions we have to make.  I believe our lives and our world would be very different if we planned our course using the test of does this help or hurt my quest to be a steward of the mystery of God verses fear based test of how much is this going to cost or how much will this hurt.  I don’t think we need to feed ourselves to the Lions but I also don’t think we can let fear keep us from God possibilities.  Do we start a conversation by listing why we can’t or do we list how with God’s help every thing is possible.

We begin the season of Pentecost this week other wise known as ordinary time in the church year.  I believe we turn ordinary time into extraordinary time by seeking with each breath to embody more fully the mystery of God.

In the name of God

Steward- One who actively directs affairs

¹stew·ard

Pronunciation:

\ˈstü-ərd, ˈstyü-; ˈst(y)u̇rd\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English stīweard, from stī, stig hall, sty + weard ward — more at sty, ward

Date:

Before 12th century

1: one employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns (as the supervision of servants, collection of rents, and keeping of accounts)2: shop steward3: a fiscal agent4 a: an employee on a ship, airplane, bus, or train who manages the provisioning of food and attends passengers b: one appointed to supervise the provision and distribution of food and drink in an institution5: one who actively directs affairs : manager

Matthew 28:16-20
16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
My confession for this week is that I have always struggled with Trinity Sunday. This Sunday every year is some of my weakest preaching. This year may be different. I read an article by Fr. Jim Lemler who just finished as the director of mission for the Episcopal Church. His article was entitled Blah, Blah, Blah, love. Fr. Jim said that it is easy to turn the understanding of the trinity to the theologians but the trinity is really about God’s expression of love to us.
This got me thinking. About our relationship with God. Fr. Lemler says God’s love is dynamic and relational, not static and disconnected. I thought about my own relationship with God. Now I am not shy about how passionately in love with God I am, and yet I find myself fickle with me God more often than I would like to admit.
(Ask for volunteer and hold them in a hug for 30 sec… enough to get everyone feeling a little uncomfortable) We do not like to be smothered in relationship - even by God. It makes us uncomfortable like a hug that is held to long. I come close to God and then I back off from God much like a teenager testing their wings. Often I only remember to seek God when I am in need or it is convenient. It makes sense to me that God would need more than one avenue to get to me. God’s three persons are not for God it’s for you and me. It the best way for God to give us access to God. I never thought of the trinity about my access to God before.
This God of ours will go to the darkest part of us to bring us back to Godself. It’s not important that I understand the trinity it just important that it there so I can reach God. The more I reach God the more likely it is that I will try again and this God of ours even gave his own son. I see myself moving back and toward God I never feel God moving back from me. May you this day and always feel the love of God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Amen

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
It is Pentecost Sunday the Birthday of the Church. It is a day of the heart because today is also Mother’s day. At the center of the church, at the center of a mom at the center of us all is our heart. For mothers the heart is a treasure chest, as Scripture says of Mother Mary she kept all these things in her heart. The Scripture also says that when Jesus or the Holy Spirit was upon them the believers’ hearts were on fire.
I want to read to you a couple of reflections on what Pentecost means then offer a question to be pondered.
Pentecost was not a private mystical experience it was a public outpouring of divine presence that touched them all
The peace that Jesus brings is an assurance of God’s transforming love to a world that is beset with confusion, fear and turmoil.
The significance of Pentecost is to show that the Church has been empowered by God’s spirit to carry on the ministry of Jesus ChristWhat is your heart made out of? Wet wood, dry wood, petrified wood, stone?
What kind of heart do you want to have or be known for?
What kind of hearts do we need to be true followers and do God’s will?

Let our hearts be on fire, may we change the world one person at a time by how we love them.

The Sunday between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday used to be called Expectation Sunday. I have been thinking a lot about absence. I on occasion have to be gone for a week and I find it harder and harder to say goodbye to Heidi and my kids. It made me think for the 1st time about what must have been going through Jesus‘s mind as he prepared to leave his friends and family behind. Barbara Brown Taylor has observed, absence isn’t nothing. Absence is something, a vacuum longing to be filled.
One commentary pointed out that even though Jesus is absent physically he is still present sacramentally, missionally and universally. The commentary said to limit God’s presence to physical space is like trading a three storied universe for a one story ranch. To limit Jesus to the physical world robs us of the deep connection between heaven and earth and God’s ability to be simultaneously present in all places and people.
As I was thinking of this absence and this “here but not here” of our God. Two stories brought it home for me.
A pastor tells the story of how his wife loved to walk in the woods around their California home. She would drag him with her begrudgingly. Then one winter he took a trip to Estonia and was ready to take a break from the walking only to find himself missing his wife and longing for those walks. He walked every day while he was away from her and even though they were apart there was part of her present in those walks. It reminded me of our celebrating communion. The longing that the vacuum creates in absence is at least partially filled presence other than the physical plane.
The other story was of a great high school football coach who after years of success felt like it was time to retire from Football. The staff and school loved him, the players and parents loved him, and the town loved him. They agreed to make his best assistant head coach and he would become athletic director. It was a hard transition because he promised he wouldn’t meddle in the team anymore and being a person of great integrity all involved knew he wouldn’t interfere. At the Farwell banquet the hall was packed with parents, players and fans. The crowd was filled with ambivalence because they knew that this was good for the coach but things were going to change. It would never be the same. In his speech the coach commended the players to their new coach and he said to the new coach take good care of these players because I love them all.
I think that’s how Jesus felt as he ascended to the Father. He said to his followers then and now take good care of my people because I love them all.
In the name of God

One day when I was taking Emily to preschool. I parked on this hill because the parking lot was full and another mom parked across from me. I dropped off Emily and came out to another Mom yelling at me think you blocked the drive way use your brain. I decided not to confront her right there but I muttered not so nice things under my breath and every time after that I saw her I did not think the nicest thoughts. This last week I was coming out from dropping off Emily and there she was struggling to get her child to school and looking very over whelmed and I said hi and she said that her child was being difficult and I took a step back and thought that a short walk in her shoes wouldn’t hurt me a bit. I once again was focusing on how she could change and missing the fact that the only person I can change is me. I can be more understanding, a better listener, less defensive and judgmental. If I really want to change the world it has to start with me.
This week was a week when the immense power of God was spread before me time after time almost in a sequence of scenes. A great feeling of Awe enveloped me. As I witnessed the awesome power of God.
I saw God in the face of twin brothers, I saw God in the face of a 5 month old baby. I saw God in the smiles of a young couple who have worked for over two years to be married. I saw God in the face of a woman slightly older than me mid 40’s who has cancer in several places and is very scared.Where have you seen God? If this time together gives you time for no more than one question for God to ask you. My prayer is that that question be where have you recognized God this week and how has that changed you
Jesus said He was in the father and the father was in him. He also said that He would leave us the Holy Spirit and he would be in us and therefore we are in him.
If he is the corner stone then so are we. If He says he will give us what we ask for then he will. So then what if we don’t get what we think we want? Is that any different than my kids asking for things that isn’t right for them right now even if I could?
Do not let your heart be troubled believe in God and believe in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms and you will know the way because I am the way.

In the name of God

I was struck by the second reading for today. It seems to me to be a picture of us as we start our 1st Easter season together.
The believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers. Awe came upon them because of the many signs and wonders that were being done by the apostles. The believers came together; they would sell their possessions and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. They spent much time together at the temple and broke bread at home and they ate their food with glad and generous hearts. And praising God and having good will to all people.
I have been praying a lot about us and our church family and how we close we come to the Christian community immediately after Christ was gone.
One study I read by Pastor Drake a Presbyterian minister talked about which of God’s miracles was the hardest. The parting of the read sea, tearing down the walls of Jericho, raising Jesus from the dead? He contends that Acts 2 was God’s hardest miracle. He believes it didn’t last long in fact in almost the next instant we here about two followers holding some of the wealth back. What would it be like if we lived like that?
Pastor Drake tell the story of when he was a youth minsterI remember back when I was a youth minister. One of the parents of our youth had the desire to show the rest of the youth what the real world was like. It was a lesson in world economics. The idea was simple. We would gather the 30-plus youth in the fellowship hall and present to them a feast. But before the kids were allowed to eat, they would be divided into groups representing the size and wealth of the people in the world. Two kids were selected to represent the economically wealthy nations of the world, and those two received one hundred dollars in play money to share between them. It was more than enough money to fill their plates up with anything on the menu: steak and potatoes; hamburgers; fries; dessert; soda. Ten more of the youth were selected to represent the less wealthy of the world, and they were given forty dollars of play money to share amongst themselves. Well, that could still buy some food, but they would have to share and agree what they wanted and then receive smaller portions. The twenty or so who were left-well you guessed it-they would receive only a few dollars and really the only thing that would be affordable and easy for them to buy and divide would be rice!

The parents worked hard setting it all up and presenting the program. They set up all the food; one of the parents sat at the end of the chow line as a cashier at the World Bank. It would show the kids what the real world is like. Make them aware of their blessings.

And so the program got underway. The two from the rich nations got up. “See those two rich people. See how much food they’re getting.” The next group went up. “Look kids, they’re not getting nearly as much. They are going to have to share! Okay now, you who represent the rest of the world. What are you going to do? How are you going to feed yourselves?”

Well, they went through the food line filling up their plates. “Look guys, you can’t fill up your plates, and you don’t have money for it. Now don’t make us make you put back your food! You don’t have the money!” And with plates full one by one they came to the cashier handing her a huge wad of bills. What?

What happened was that one of the youth had been tipped off in some way to this great world experiment and had found the play money we would be using for this event on my desk, and he photocopied it and shared it with all who represented the poor in the fellowship hall.

I could have killed him…

Those who were supposed to receive rice were filling their plates, picking up hamburgers and hotdogs, slaw and baked beans. They even bought the white table cloth and the candelabra from those who were sitting at the table set for the rich.

I could have killed him…It was suppose to be a lesson on the real world!

One of the parents shook his head and said, “Just look at this hall.”

And I did, and there were all those youth, laughing and smiling and throwing the money in the air, giving and receiving, shaking their fists at the world order. I had to shake my head, too, and smile and laugh.

Well, I don’t know if that fellowship hall fiasco proves my point or disproves it. I don’t know, but that scene has never been erased from my memory.

I think we have a lot in common with the early Christian community and I think we are on a roll. There are great things happening at Good Shepherd and on this Good Shepherd Sunday we need to as Cliff Perkins said at Wednesday Bishop committee meeting. We need to keep our eye on the ball.
We are constantly tempted to evaluate ourselves by world standards. I get sucked into this all the time. Attendance, programs, finances, is this gathering a success or a failure. Will we make our budget or not.
I don’t think the important part of the story is weather we sell everything and live in community or not but the ball for us is the to have glad and generous hearts praising God and having good will toward all people. We are the Good Shepherd’s church and this is good shepherd Sunday and Jesus said he was the gate so when we come through the door into the shepherd’s house let’s focus on being what we are called to be and judge ourselves by the shepherd’s standards and not the world. I think we are getting caught up in this and I know I am getting caught up in this. So I am calling us me and you to three things that were central to the glad and generous hearts of the early Christian community. Trust, Faith, and Love, Those three will be the ground for our Hope which needs to and does always come from God.
The good shepherd to reshape our questions and our attitude. From we can’t to how can we? From are we successful to are we faithful? And from our impossibility to God’s unending possibility.
David in the Psalm did not write I am the king, or General, He wrote God is the Good Shepherd we are the sheep that God died for and we need, I need, we need to live like we believe that and know that.
In the name of God

Luke 24:13-49
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.” 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.
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.”
This Gospel captures what I want for us as believers and as a community in three easy steps. I call them the ABCs of Emmaus
Step 1 A. Always- Where our hearts not burning when he told us.
This is my goal for us every Sunday and every time we gather and day we begin. For our gathering to be so powerful, so changing, so transforming that our hearts are full to bursting and our experience together changes us and how we think and act
Step 2 B. Peace be with you
That the peace which we were promised is in us and we feel it and we carry it away with us. That we are reminded that the world doesn’t own us God does. That with God we can overcome and thrive through what ever the world sends our way. God calls it the peace beyond understanding

Step 3 C. and they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.
That we truly do see Christ in the Eucharist, feel Christ, breath and taste Christ. We baptized Joe jr Datka last week and Emiline Larkworthy today. My prayer is that we see God’s face in Emiline and Joe Jr and every baptized person and in every person that gathers with us as they grow they see God’s face in us.
And if we changed by the ABC’s in steps 1-3 then we need to take our burning heart and the peace of God and the eyes that recognize the face of God in the breaking of the bread and each other out to the world and share Christ’s love with the world you meet this week, to look for Christ in the world you meet this week. To be Christ for the world you meet this week. In our loved ones, in the shoes we give out, in the business we do, in the traffic we are in the line we stand in. where ever we are we must be on the Emmaus road and God promised that the truth we seek and need will be given to us.

In three easy steps let us continue this week and every week the ABC’s to Emmaus Always B & C Jesus and then like the disciples to come back here and to tell the stories of how that happened in our life

Invited to share in 2 to 3 minutes how God used you to share the love of God or how you saw the love of God in your midst

John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
A child was told to write a book report on the entire Bible. This is amazing and brought tears to my eyes. I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching??? Through the eyes of a child Children’s Bible in a NutshellIn the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, ‘The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, ‘Give me a light!’ and someone did. Then God made the world. He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren’t embarrassed because mirrors hadn’t been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn’t have cars. Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.
One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.
After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.
Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh’s people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti.
Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include don’t lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or co vet your neighbor’s stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother
One of Moses’ best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.
After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn’t sound very wise to me.
After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed upon the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don’t have to worry about them.
After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of the New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn, t too, because my mom is always saying to me, ‘Close the door! Were you born in a barn?’ It would be nice to say, ‘As a matter of fact, I was.’)
During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.
Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn’t stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.
Any way’s, Jesus died for our sins, and then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.
I have been thinking a lot about freedom lately. It seems to me that the world on many different levels craves to be free. What got me thinking about it was a billboard I have seen on the interstate that says one right turn to freedom and it has a Harley Davidson Motor Cycle in the center of the add. The message saying that buying a motor cycle that costs more than my parents’ second house will give you a ticket to be free.
I like Harley’s as much as anyone to It started me thinking about true Freedom. Poor people want to come to free. People risk everything to come to America to be free. People work 80 hour weeks to have financial freedom. People in their jobs feel trapped and just wish they could be free, free from tyranny, free from strife and war, free from family obligations, free from financial worry, we all dream of being free. G Campbell Morgan says, the purpose of life is not to find freedom but your Master. I started to think where is true freedom held. In the cross, in the tomb and in the arms of Jesus, In the whipped, bloody and resurrected arms of Jesus.

We have walked through the sand for 6 weeks and now we are standing at the foot of the empty tomb. The butterfly has left the building. He is Risen Alleluia, Little Bird it is time to fly Alleluia.
In our Easter Joy we have a choice, we can search and spend our lives looking for the elusive freedom that slips through our hands like rain water in cupped hands or we can stand at the feet of Jesus and say real Freedom is only I you. The world can not hold us, the tomb can not hold us, death can not hold us if we are held by you. If our treasure, if our heart, if our freedom is only in God then whatever tragedy, what ever financial catastrophe, what ever overwhelming event comes our way. We will know that God is our guide and our all.
May true freedom be your this Easter Day and always.
In the name of God

May the Choirs of Angels come to greet you. May they speed you to paradise. May the Lord enfold you in his mercy. May you find eternal life.Give rest, O Christ, to your servant(s) with your saints,
where sorrow and pain are no more,
neither sighing, but life everlasting.

You only are immortal, the creator and maker of mankind;
and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and to earth shall we
return. For so did you ordain when you created me, saying,
“You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” All of us go down
to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song:

Give rest, O Christ, to your servant(s) with your saints,
where sorrow and pain are no more,
neither sighing, but life everlasting.

The First Song is from the Roman Catholic funeral service, I have loved the melody which is like a ribbon from our heart prayers to God who we trust holds the loved one we are praying for and missing
The second song is from our service both are part of the commendation where we commend, we entrust for their care or preservation.

Today’s reading center on life and death. They show us for God how close the two are to each other. The gospel shows us the mix in Jesus of Truly God and truly man. Here is Jesus weeping at the death of his friend and at lack of faith and distrust in those who love him. He knows that Death is not how this story ends.

For us this Gospels puts it in front of us and the 1st century believers. How strongly do you believe in resurrection? Is this just a story to make us feel better or do we really believe this. I’m putting all my eggs in one basket on this one. When the God/Man says I am the resurrection and the life. I believe him
In 14 days we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a fore shadowing of that happening. Jesus cries and says to his friends and followers roll the stone back and they say but it will stink. He says trust me and miracles will happen.
Here is my question. What’s hiding behind the stone that’s keeping you from resurrection? From that life giving relationship from Christ in the middle of your heart and your life. What is keeping you and me from new life in Christ? I believe many of us are dead long before we die and I believe that many of us a live with Christ long before we rise from the dead.
Jesus stands at your heart where the stone has closed any chance for God to get to you and Jesus says “Don’t be afraid, Roll the stone back and let me in.” Come to me, rest in me abide in me and I will be your strength and I won’t win the fight for you but I will arm you with peace, joy and hope. With perseverance and the ability to be and know that with faith and trust in me all things are possible.
May the Choirs of Angels come to greet you. May they speed you to paradise. May the Lord enfold you in his mercy. May you find eternal life.

Give rest, O Christ, to your servant(s) with your saints,
where sorrow and pain are no more,
neither sighing, but life everlasting.

You only are immortal, the creator and maker of mankind;
and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and to earth shall we
return. For so did you ordain when you created me, saying,
“You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” All of us go down
to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song:

Give rest, O Christ, to your servant(s) with your saints,
where sorrow and pain are no more,
neither sighing, but life everlasting.

In the name of God

The Lord does not see as mortals see. Paul says once you were in darkness but now in the Lord you are inn light.
Jesus says if you were born blind there would be no sin in that but you claims to see yet your sin remains.
We are called this mid lent, this Laetare Sunday to rejoice. The custom in the tenth century came from a custom of carrying a rose on the 4th Sunday of lent to take a break from the stick and stark observance of lent. I think the reading this Sunday lends well to the theme of reprieve from dark and stark as we look at light and where the Sin of blindness really comes from.
The custom in many European countries is to celebrate Mid-lent from the Wed before Laetare Sunday to the Wed after. Apprentices in London would be given this week to go home to their baptismal church and bring a gift of flowers to their church mother and then do acts of kindness to their earthly mother. This fits very well into Canon Johnnie Ross and his visit to us on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. His topic of Holy conversations is all about how we prepare ourselves to rejoice in Christ, how we put on Christ and how we see with the new eyes of Christ. Because isn’t being a follower of Christ about being Christ like, about seeing the world as Christ would. You know the slogan what would Jesus do? Well the first step is to see like Jesus sees.
I believe Jesus calls us in the scriptures today to put on his eyes. We are called as followers of The Christ to put on the Eyes of Christ. To see the world as Jesus sees the world. That the believers who put on Christ can never go back to seeing the world the same way again. There is no glass half full in the kingdom of God, there is no sacristy in the Kingdom of God only abundance, the harvest is rich, the fields are ripe the work is before us.Our job as believers is to see. It reminds me of the scene in The Kevin Costner classic “Field of Dreams” where Kevin Costner and the whole family see only these ghost baseball players but no one else can and in one of the final scenes one of the in laws trying to talk reason to Kevin has a life and death moment and suddenly can see what everyone else could see and he says where did all these people come from.

We need to see people differently with the eyes of Christ, we need to see the world differently we need to see ourselves differently. God tells Samuel the Lord does not see with mortal eyes. The Sin is not in physical blindness, the sin is in spiritual blindness. The sin is in missed opportunity, the sin is in lack of faith and lack of trust.
So we take a mid lent break from bleakness and we spend a holiday/ Holy day focused on the light in a couple short week we will celebrate the first service of Easter on Holy Saturday at 7pm we will have the Easter Vigil. We will light the Easter candle off the flames of the new fire which we will burn the palms from last year with our timeline and we will march into a dark church and sing the light of Christ as your candles are lit off the new easter light. We will sing the Exulted which uses Rejoice about 100 times. We will bless the Easter water and renew our baptismal vows and we will be bathed in the new Easter light of Christ. Let us prepare well to see the world with Christ’s eyes to tell the world that sin and death no longer hold us but that in Christ all things are possible. My motto from ordination is from Paul‘s letter to the Galatians, My soul is not my own for Christ dwells within me.

In the name of God