Bach's St. John Passion

Sunday afternoon April 13, 4 pm at St. Peter's Catholic Church, 518 E DeWald in Ft. Wayne, IN the Bach Collegium will present the Passion Concert - JS Bach's St. John Passion.

Unlike Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ Bach's choral/instrumental setting does not focus on the viloent and gory details leading to Jesus' death, but on the salvific benefits offered to everyone: faith, forgiveness, peace, happiness, and eternal life.

Freshman Recital Tomorrow

Daughter Lydia will have her freshman recital at a church in Bloomington. She and other students from her studio will be singing tomorrow afternoon. Lydia is a voice major at the Jacobs School of Music at IU. The picture was taken last year when she was a senior at Interlochen. Should be a great day.

Proud to be a Sycamore

This is son Henry he is a Junior at Indiana State University majoring in Criminology and Psychology. He will be working at Camp Lutherhaven near Albion, IN this summer before he returns to campus for his senior year. This picture was taken of him and “Sycamore Sam” during orientation in the Fall of 2005.

Time in the Word - April 7-12, 2008

The Sheep and the Good Shepherd

Easter 4

April 7-12, 2008

What does Easter 4’s theme of sheep and shepherd have to do with the Easter season’s message of the resurrection? On the surface, there seems to be no connection. Why couldn’t this theme of Jesus as shepherd serve to assure us of the nature of the risen Lord? Though he has risen in glory and is soon to ascend to the Father, Christ continues with us as a shepherd on earth, a shepherd who knows, cares, leads, and protects his sheep. Though risen in glory and absent in the body, Jesus continues as an abiding presence to care for his people. He is the good shepherd who died for his sheep to rescue them from the wolves. His resurrection confirms his victory and he continues to live as the shepherd of our souls.

Collect for Easter 4 - Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that, when we hear the voice of our Shepherd, we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Monday, April 7, 2008 – Psalm 23:1-3 - The Antiphon for next Sunday’s Introit is taken from Vs.1, “The Lord’s my shepherd I shall not want.” Shepherd is a widely used metaphor used for Kings. David as King acknowledges that the Lord is his Shepherd-King. Jesus as the shepherd of His people is expressed most plainly in our Gospel lesson for this coming week.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 – Acts 2:42-74 –The sheep witness to the Shepherd. In our first lesson we have the issue of leadership in the 1st Century Church. What are the qualifications for church leadership? The early church faced the problem of choosing seven leaders. The apostles gave the people three criteria for their selection: good reputation, good common sense, and spirituality. Can these requirements be improved — character, judgment, and faith?

Wednesday, April 9, 2008 – 1 Peter 2:19-25 – The sheep suffer like the Shepherd. In the second reading Peter calls people straying sheep. Sheep are associated with straying and wandering off from the shepherd and the flock until they get lost and in danger of their lives. It is our nature to wander into sin, to carelessly leave the leadership of God, and to go our own way. Modern people are known for their mobility, insecurity, restlessness, a lack of roots, and loneliness.

Thursday, April 10, 2008 – John 10:1-10 –The sheep follow the Shepherd to life eternal. In next week’s Gospel lesson Verses 7 and 9 teach that Jesus is the door to life and salvation. He is not one of a series of doors to God. In today’s world, the emphasis is upon pluralism — one religion being as valid as the next one. Christianity is considered one of many ways to God. This passage contradicts pluralism. The door to life, to God, to salvation, is Jesus. Is this not the basis for evangelism and missions to non- Christian people? It is not done in the interests of building up a monolithic religious organization in the hope of getting a monopoly, but of sharing good news of salvation through Christ. Jesus says in verse 10 that he came to bring abundant life to all people. What is life? Our existence only makes sense when Jesus is at the center.

Friday, April 11, 2008 – Psalm 23:4-6 -The Psalm portion for this coming week is the much loved Shepherd Psalm. The benefits of have Jesus as our Shepherd-King is that both goodness and love will literally pursue us. We are given the hope and promise of life with God eternally. We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Our future has been guaranteed. Because the Shepherd-King Jesus lives forever we have the hope and guarantee of dwelling with Christ throughout the years of our life.

Saturday, April 12, 2008 John 21:15- This verse is the inspiration for the hymn “I am Jesus’ Little Lamb“{LSB 740} Three times Peter denied his Lord. Three times Jesus asks the question “Peter…do you love me more then these? Thus the Savior asks us today, “Do you love Me?” “Do we love Jesus more then people, more then your occupation, more than things? (In the case of Peter these things were the tools of his trade – fishing gear.) The Savior calls us to discipleship, to take up His cross and follow Him. In this Easter season we are directed by the Savior to affirm the new life He gives us and to share with others the hope that we have in Him. Scripture reminds us “in a twinkling of an eye” we will all be gone – What shall be said of us then? May it be said of us that we remain a sheep of His fold, a lamb of His flock, a sinner of His own redeeming.

A Daytime Collect for Eastertide Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit.

A Prayer for Agriculture Almighty God, You blessed the earth to make it fruitful, bringing forth in abundance whatever is needed for the support of our lives. Prosper; we implore You, the work of farmers, especially in this planting season. Grant them seasonable weather that they may gather in the fruits of the earth and thus proclaim Your goodness. May we see by this noble vocation that by Your aid we are helping to feed the world and cause all who give thanks over their food to treat those who produce it with honor and respect.

For the Hope of Eternal Life Almighty and everlasting God, whose Son as assured forgiveness of sins and deliverance from eternal death, strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that our faith in Christ increase daily as we hold fast the hope that we shall not die but fall asleep and on the last day be raised to eternal life.

An Evening Collect for Eastertide Abide with us, Lord, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. Abide with us and with Your whole Church. Abide with us in the end of the day, in the end of our life, in the end of the world. Abide with us with Your grace and goodness, with Your Holy Word and sacrament, with Your strength and blessing. Abide with us when the night of affliction and temptation comes upon us, the night of fear and despair when death shall come. Abide with us and with all the faithful through time and eternity.

Sources:

THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL © 1940 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LUTHERAN WORSHIP © 1982 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LUTHERAN SEVICE BOOK LECTIONARY © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LECTIONARY PREACHING WORKBOOK SERIES A John Brokhoff © 1980 CSS Publishing, Lima OH

Easter 3 - April 6, 2008

Easter 3
April 6, 2008
Luke 24:13-35

O Lord, open Thou my eyes!

In the breaking of the bread, the risen Christ reveals himself to two followers on the way to Emmaus. As two followers of Jesus walk to Emmaus, they are joined by a Stranger who overhears their discussion of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Stranger asks questions as though he knew nothing about the events. When they expressed their despair, Jesus began to expound the Scriptures concerning Himself.

When they reached their destination, they insisted that the stranger have a meal with them. When He blessed and broke the bread, they knew at once that He was the risen Lord. Immediately they returned to Jerusalem to report to the disciples. For us, living almost 2000 years after these events took place we can be confident that the Lord is truly risen in deed. This Lesson teaches us that Jesus reveals Himself to us specifically in His Word and in the Sacrament.

Let us pray to the Lord:

O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

It is a strange tale of two men who look at Jesus but do not recognize him. The death and resurrection did not change Jesus’ physical appearance except for the wound print. The physical appearance did not help these men to recognize the resurrected Jesus. This is a comfort to us, because we today must look elsewhere than the physical body to know Jesus has risen from the dead.

Getting to know the risen Lord.

1. What keeps us from seeing Him today?

A. Eyes that are downcast — v. 17, “He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast.

In this passage we see that the fact of the empty tomb failed to convince the disciples of the resurrection, “In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” (vv. 22-24). The women reported the empty tomb to the disciples. Some checked out the story and found it to be the case. Yet, they did not believe Jesus rose from the dead. Today we cannot base the reality of the resurrection solely on the fact of the empty tomb. At best, it is only a matter of circumstantial evidence, a negative witness.

B. Hearts that are in despair — v. 21, “but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.” If an empty tomb was the only evidence of the Savior’s resurrection we too would be forced to live our lives in despair. What caused the tomb to be empty? Had someone stolen Him away? Had the women stumbled upon the wrong tomb? An empty is not enough. What was necessary was the appearance of Jesus visibly risen from the dead.

Transition: What happens when Jesus becomes a personal reality? Does anything in your life change? Anything better or different? In the case of the two men on the way to Emmaus, their lives before they met the risen Lord were filled with sadness and despair. After their visit and conversation with Jesus, they were different men. If church members are living in a state of sadness and despair, they need to confront the resurrected Christ.

2. What enables us to know Jesus is alive?

A. Word — Scriptures — v. 32, “They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

If the disciples had known their Bibles, they would not have been surprised at the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus used the scriptures to show that all that happened to him was foretold.

According to this text, Jesus saw himself in the scriptures and confirmed that all of the prophets had told about his death and resurrection. If Jesus is the Son of God and if the cross and empty tomb are the sole work of God, it is to be expected that God’s Word would say something about it. What is it that God’s Word says to us?

1. God our Father is the author of the death and resurrection.

2. God our Father through the prophets promised to send a Messiah.

3. Jesus our Savior through the cross and resurrection accomplished the salvation of the world.

B. Sacraments — Lord’s Supper — vv. 30, 31, “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.”

What is it that you see on the altar? Is it merely bread and wine? Or is it something more? In, with and under these elements of bread and wine is the true body and blood of our Savior Jesus given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Here are the tokens of the Savior’s love and esteem for you. He offered His body as a sacrifice for your sin. He poured out His blood to win for you salvation and life eternal. Here are the marks of the Savior’s love and care for you. Every time you approach the Lord’s altar you receive the promises of the Savior visibly. These are not mere symbols. They are the means by which we receive salvation and life.

The truth of the resurrection is beyond doubt only when the risen Lord is experienced as the two men on the way to Emmaus experienced Jesus in Word and Sacrament.

+ Soli Deo Gloria +

Sure Sign of Spring

They are back! Arrived here March 20, 2008

New Sheriff in Town

Welcome to Hoosier Nation Coach Crean