Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

Ten people are on the roof of a 10 story high burning building. Their only way out is to jump across a 25 foot wide gulf that separates this building from the one next to it. One person jumps ten feet and falls to his death. Another jumps 12 feet and falls to his death. One jumps 15 feet and falls to his death. One jumps 22 feet and falls to his death. “There is no difference. All fall short…”
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If I have seemed a little more moody than normal lately, I apologize. I’ve been experiencing those mood swings that seem to come over me every year this time – up one week, down the next. As the commercials say, “it must be football season.” When the Eagles win on Sunday my week begins on an emotional high. And when they lose I struggle with feelings of depression and gloom. They’re 3 and 2. So you can see why I’ve been up and down. I must admit however that even if the Eagles lose, my spirits are yet lifted if the Dallas Cowboys also lose. And if the Eagles win and the Cowboys lose, its going to be a great week.

“When the Pharisees heard that [Jesus] had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.” Vs.34. (more…)

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”

Let me just begin by saying that this text is not about paying taxes to the government. It’d be nice if it was. It’s always nice when we can focus God’s Word on a problem that we don’t have. Sure, we may not enjoy paying our taxes and we may wait to the last minute to do so or even have to apply for an extension, but we all do our part and file our 1099’s.

It’d be nice if this text were about paying our taxes to the government. We could spend the next 18 minutes talking about those who don’t – like the Amish or those crazy radicals holed up in Montana or Idaho and Somerset County. It’s always nice to aim the Word of God at the fringes. Focus on the extremes. Don’t let it come to close to the mainstream. It may stir things up and muddy the waters.

But, this is not about paying taxes to the government.
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“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

We’ve learned and received and heard and seen a lot from St. Paul over these last three weeks as we’ve forwarded his letter to the Philippians to 36 Cool St. We’ve learned how he faced his death as if it were the only thing separating him from the pure joy of heaven. “For me to live is Christ – to die is gain… My desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better.” Now, practice that. (more…)

Certain events that occur during the course of our life are, what we would call, “life changing events.” We were going along in one direction, toward a certain goal and something happened and everything was changed. Whatever it was that happened so changed things for us that we could no longer go along the way that we were going. The company you planned to retire from closed it’s doors. An accident happened; the tests showed cancer; a stroke, a heart attack, an unexpected pregnancy, the death of a spouse and suddenly the direction of your life is changed.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a life-changing event. “Well sure it was,” you say. “Jesus was dead but on the 3rd day He rose again. His life was changed.” But what we mean is that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a life changing event for you. Because you are in Christ. Your life is all caught up in His. He’s changed the direction of your life. (more…)

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has it’s effect on all who would call themselves Christians. Or at least it should. If it doesn’t, it’s a dead faith. But we pray that the Holy Spirit would create in us a living faith. That the gospel would effect us – not just emotionally, but intellectually and actively. It ought to effect the way we think about certain things – like our death. And the intellectual effect of the gospel ought to have an effect on our lifestyle. We live to attain the treasure in heaven and not the things of earth. But that was Philippians chapter 1 and last week. Now we’re onto Philippians chapter 2. And now a Paul presents us with a second effect which the death and resurrection of Jesus ought to have upon us. It ought to effect our attitude toward others.
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“To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are Philippi with the overseers and deacon: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ.”

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always, in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

Philippians is a very positive letter that breathes with encouragement. Encouragement to continue to walk the walk of faith in Christ into whom you have been baptized.
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“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Labor Day is a national holiday established to honor working people. It was first observed in 1882, established, not by the government, but by an organization called the “Knights of Labor.” That organization eventually lost it’s place to another organization known as the American Federation of Labor and today – the AFL–CIO.
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If there’s one thing that becomes very obvious the more you read the Scriptures, it is that God loves to feed His people. He hates to see His people go hungry. Forgive the mixing of genders here, but He is the mother who is always checking to see if we have enough to eat and always putting more on the table that we could possible stuff into our mouth.
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If you’ve ever visited a travel agency, you’ve surely looked at the brochures and travel guides they have available there that show you some of the wonderful places that you may choose to visit. Cruises to exotic tropical islands, flights to foreign countries. Wonderful descriptions of what to expect when you arrive, great food, 1st class hotels, sights, scenery, weather.
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