Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

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Have you ever wished that you could do your life over again? What about certain parts of your life? If you could do things over again, what would you do differently?

Would you like to have your school years to do over again because you didn’t apply yourself to your studies the way that, now you wish you had? Or would you like to have the chance to do your marriage over again and avoid all of those mistakes you made that caused so many problems and maybe even led to divorce? Have you ever wanted the opportunity to relive those years when the children were young, and do things differently than you did? How many other parts of your life would you like to do over again if you could? (more…)

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"It was the night before Christmas…and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Actually, there were lots of creatures stirring on the first night before Christmas. Creatures were stirring in the fields around Bethlehem. Hungry dogs and wolves were prowling around, just as they did every night. Nighttime was prime time for picking off a tasty lamb or two from a flock if the shepherd was sleeping on the job. Sheep were stirring on that first night before Christmas. Sheep are always more nervous at night than during the day because they know what’s stirring out there in the darkness. Shepherds were stirring on that first night before Christmas. Shepherds had to have sharp eyes to keep watch over their flocks by night. (more…)

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If you’ve come here this morning expecting to hear about Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, you’re going to be disappointed. Last night, we got the Lukan version of the Christmas story which is full of these things that make Christmas so Christmasee. Both Matthew and Luke give us the Christmas story from the earthly perspective of Mary and Joseph and the shepherds in their fields. This is how things happened the way human eyes witnessed it. Grant it, human minds could barely comprehend what their eyes were seeing, but that would be for Paul and Peter to explain later.

This morning we get the Johanine version of the Christmas story. John gives us the account of Christmas, not from the earthly perspective but from the heavenly perspective as only the eyes of faith can see it. This is the way that angels and the archangels and all the company would tell the Christmas story if John hadn’t been the one given the assignment to do so. John would have us see what human eyes could never have seen apart from divine revelation.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1-2,14). (more…)

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We warned you up front that you weren’t going to get a lot of Christmas talk or Christmas music during the first three weeks of Advent. We warned you up front that for the first three weeks of Advent, the appointed readings for our consideration would have us to fix our eyes on Jesus’ 2nd Advent when He comes again judge the living and the dead. Not until the 4th week in Advent do we get into some good Christmas talk, and this morning, we’re even going to crack into that section of the hymnal that contains the Christmas hymns.

I would suggest, that for those who you who feel frustrated and a bit cheated by the lack of Christmas hymns during Advent, you should be sure to come tomorrow evening to the Service of Lessons and Carols where you can let out all of your frustrations by belting out some Christmas favorites like “O Come All Ye Faithful,” Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.”

This morning we are ready to engage in some Christmas talk. This morning we hear the account of the birth of Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew. Matthew begins his Christmas talk with a thorough genealogy that moves from father to son beginning with Abraham leading all the way of to Jesus. Then Matthew writes, “The birth of Jesus Christ took place…” (more…)

Be patient!

The New Webster’s Dictionary defines ‘patience’ like this. “The quality of bearing trials without murmuring; the quality of enduring with calmness.” Patience is on display in the face of trials and trouble and suffering. When things are going poorly, you need to be patient. No one thinks about being patient in the face of prosperity and ease and good times. When things are going well, no one ever thinks to say to you, “be patient, it’ll soon be over.”

In today’s Epistle reading, James, the half brother of Jesus says, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.” “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:7,10).

So, lets take James’ advice and take a prophet who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. Let’s take John the Baptizer, who is all of the Old Testament prophets rolled up into one. Or as Jesus says, John’s a prophet and “more than a prophet.” (more…)

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The obituary read, “Richard ‘Dick’ Amon, 75, passed away on Wednesday December 5th 2007, at Maine General Medical Center in Waterville following a long illness. He was born in Boston on June 2nd, 1932 to William F. and Esther H. (Rautenberg) Amon. Dick graduated from Roxbury Memorial High School and earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering Degree from Northeastern University in Boston. Dick was a U.S. Army veteran, serving with the Signal Corps in Germany during the Korean War. Sylvia joined him there.”

The obituary goes on to report, extensive traveling throughout the world; a move to Maine in 1963; a career in road construction for Tilcon, Maine of which he was president for 10 years. He was active in the affairs of the community, serving in various capacities. He was a charter member of this congregation and a member of the board of the Waterville Area Humane Society. He was a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, and uncle.

These may be the things that defined Dick’s life from the day he was born until just last Wednesday when he died, but these things no longer define his life. The Psalmist says, “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” (Psalm 103:15-16). Dick led a flourishing life by most anyone’s standards. But now the wind has passed over it and its place knows it no more. Or as the obituary put it, he “passed away.” (more…)

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If you have teenagers at home, or if you have ever had teenagers at home, or if you’ve ever been a teenager, you know that teenagers possess a fearless compulsion to question things. Once the children pass a certain age it’s no longer good enough to explain that we do certain things the way that we do them because, ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it.’ They want to know why it needs to be done that way. When they were little and still in awe of parental authority, it was enough to simply say, ‘because I said so.’ But when they become teenagers, authority is only authoritative when it is backed up with a legitimate reasons for why a certain standard of conduct is expected. Once young people reach a certain age its as if they acquire a sixth sense for detecting discrepancies between words and deeds, and a they feel that it is their duty to point them out. ‘Don’t do what I do but do what I say’ just won’t fly with teenagers. (more…)

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I. The Season of Advent Let me be the first to wish you a happy new year. Today begins a new year according to the Church’s calendar. The calendar on your wall at home is set by the rotation of the earth around the sun, s-u-n. The Church’s calendar is set by the rotation of the Church around the Son, S-o-n, who is Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. The Church’s Year is made up of various seasons, from Advent to Christmas to Epiphany to Lent to Easter to Pentecost and back to Advent. In every season, we bask in the light of the Son, in Him crucified for our sins and raised from the dead for our salvation. But in each season, the light strikes us from a different angle.

During the season of Advent, we are reminded that Son is coming. He is coming as a King coming into His Kingdom. The Words of the prophet Zechariah set the theme throughout this season, “Behold, your king comes to you…” (more…)