something that the disciples made up. And if the cross were the end, that mother is in fact lying to her child.

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "something that the disciples made up. And if the cross were the end, that mother is in fact lying to her child."

Transcription

1 ALL MANNER OF THING SHALL BE WELL April 8, 2012, Easter/The Resurrection of the Lord John 20: 1-18 Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Theme: The Resurrection promises that all manner of thing shall be well. God of Life, we come to church on Easter morning and let the old words of hope fall again on our ears. Like the lilies before us, may we open our hearts to hear them afresh. We do not ask that these words be emptied of their mystery, only that we might stand under their wonder, even if we can never quite understand them. And now may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen. I begin by setting before you a hypothetical scene that I ve offered you before. I repeat it because it encapsulates what may be the single greatest question of life. This is the scene: Imagine, if you will, a child awakening in the dark of the night, terrified at some dream, frightened of some phantom hiding in the bedroom closet. Imagine that the little one s mother rushes into the bedroom and scoops the child into her arms and sits in a rocking chair. She wipes sweaty locks off her frightened child's forehead, caresses his hair, rocks her gently. Then she whispers the words that a billion mothers have whispered to their children since the beginning of time, Hush now, there's nothing to be afraid of. Everything is going to be alright. (1) This scene raises a question. Is the mother really telling the truth to her child? It may true that there s nothing to be afraid just now, but is it true that everything is going to be alright? You could frame this great question in Christian terms, couch it in the story of Jesus Christ like this: How does the story of Jesus really end? Did it actually end on that hill named Calvary? Did it end in a tomb? Was its narrative dénouement merely death come too soon? Is the climax of the story that god-awe-full crucifixion, an event that was definitively not an example of everything being alright. Of course, if the cross was the end of the story, Easter is cheery myth, - 1 -

2 something that the disciples made up. And if the cross were the end, that mother is in fact lying to her child. Or, as people of faith dare to trust, does the story end three days later in an enigmatic event Scripture names Resurrection. This climax says that by the power of God, life actually does trump death. This ending promises that justice, compassion, love and good ultimately triumph. In this understanding, the Easter event is grounded in an actual historical reality, even if this Easter act of God still be a mystery beyond mortal ken. If this ending, the Easter ending, be true, the mother is telling the truth to her child. This is the great, cosmic choice that stands eternally before each of us, indeed before all humanity: Do you think the mother telling her child the truth? Do you think the story of Jesus Christ ends with the tragedy of Good Friday or with the new life promised in Easter? Do you believe that ultimate reality is death or life, evil or good, hate or love? The curious title of this sermon is drawn from the writing of a remarkable woman, a Medieval English mystic named Julian of Norwich. Julian lived from 1342 to 1416, years that witnessed both the horrors of a peasants revolt and the Black Death. When she was only 31, Julian suffered a severe illness and thought herself on her deathbed. In the throes of all this war, plague, and illness she experienced a series of intense visions of Jesus Christ. Julian later wrote a book about her experiences called The Revelations of Divine Love. It s a remarkable piece of work. Remarkable because it s probably the first book written in English by a woman. But even more remarkable because Julian s theology is so startlingly fresh. It focuses on human compassion and joy in a time that was fixated by law and duty. In an age that usually imagined a God of stringent judgment and ready punishment, Julian imagined a God of perfect mercy, all love, no wrath. She even dared to speak of Christ as mother. Julian said that God had directly intimated to her the words from which today s sermon title are drawn. All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well

3 Julian s words might have been lost in the Middle Ages had not poet T. S. Eliot picked them up and used them in his poem, Little Gidding, the fourth of the Four Quatrains, perhaps his finest work. Little Gidding was written when Eliot was himself seriously ill. It was written in the middle of the Blitz, that horrific Battle of Britain, days when death and suffering seemed to rule England. Eliot portrayed these cross-shaped realities starkly in the poem, but he did not end it there. He next referenced Julian of Norwich s 600-year-old words. Eliot alluded to the cross, but for him man of faith that he was the cross was not the last word. The next line of the poem reads, And all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well But here s a question people in our skeptical world inevitably ask. How do you know? How do you know for sure? How do you know the mother is telling the truth? How do you know that the end of the story is Easter and not Good Friday? How do you know that the ultimate realities are life, good, and love? How do you know that all manner of thing shall be well? Well, I trust the witness of the Bible and its clear testimony to the resurrection. I trust what Mary Magdalene and Peter saw. But at the end of the day, they saw it. I was not there. You were not there. I am inclined to believe that Julian of Norwich experienced some intimation of the divine. But it was her experience, not yours or mine. I trust a poet like Eliot to discern deep truth, but in the end, it s his insight, not mine, not yours. So the contemporary question is always this: How can I know for myself? How can you know for yourself, personally know it? I have an Easter clue for you this morning, a little clue that points toward a solid answer to this insistent question about first-hand-knowing. My clue is hidden in a story On April 16, 1999, two mathematical physicists engaged in a high-profile public debate at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Both were highly respected scientists. The subject was science and religion. On one side was Steven Weinberg, an atheist who once famously said, the more the world seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless

4 On the other side was Sir John Polkinghorne. Also a mathematician and physicist, Polkinghorne is famous for his role in developing the theory of quarks, the smallest particles in the universe, smaller even than the electrons and protons and neutrons inside atoms. Polkinghorne is also a deeply committed Christian. He believes that scientific inquiry can support not prove, but support belief in a loving God and a universe that actually does have a point. A famous intersection in their debate that night unfolded when Weinberg said this: We (meaning, we scientists ) don t believe in quarks because we can see them. We believe in quarks because all the theories that have quarks in them work. Weinberg was acknowledging the fact that quarks, which most all scientists believe in, cannot actually be observed. You can t see them, or even strictly speaking prove they exist. Nevertheless, if you believe in these unseen quarks, all sorts of things make sense. This, of course, was exactly parallel to Polkinghorne s point about religious faith. People of faith believe in God, they trust in the reality of the Resurrection, not because they can see God for themselves or can definitively prove Easter; rather they believe because, when you believe, all sorts of things make sense. Just as theories that include quarks make more sense to physicists than theories that don t. theories that include the resurrection make more sense to Christians than those that don t. (2) The truth of God, the veracity of Jesus resurrection, become for us personally true in and through living your life in a way that trusts them to be true. You take the famous leap of faith, and by taking it you come to see not through the eyes, but through life itself that when you trust in God, your life starts to make sense. You have not seen God with your eyes; you were not there to see that the first Easter any more than scientists have seen quarks. Yet, just as they believe in unseen quarks and find it makes sense of things, we trust in the unseen Living God, because believing in God makes sense of things. I end by setting before you that hypothetical that opened this sermon, but slightly revised. Imagine, if you will, a child awakening in the dark of the night, terrified at some dream, frightened of some phantom hiding in the bedroom closet. Imagine - 4 -

5 this time that you are this little one. Your mother, Christ, rushes into the room and scoops you into her arms and sits in a rocking chair. She wipes sweaty locks off your frightened child's forehead, caresses your hair, rocks you gently. Then Christ whispers to you the words that a billion mothers have whispered to their children since the beginning of time, Hush now, there's nothing to be afraid of. Everything is going to be alright. All manner of thing will be well. Is she telling the truth? With every ounce of my being, I trust that he is. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 1. I am indebted to Richard John Neuhaus from whom I first heard the question couched in this guise. I believe he may have had it from sociologist Peter Berger. 2. Dean Nelson and Karl Giberson, Quantum Leap: How John Polkinghorne Found God in Science and Religion, Lion UK, 2011, page

June 21, 2015 Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco.

June 21, 2015 Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. Our FCBC Boat Mark 4:35-41 1 June 21, 2015 Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. Seventeen years ago, I wouldn t have been able to imagine what it would

More information

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen THE ENDING THAT ISN T March 2, 2014, The Transfiguration of the Lord Matthew 17: 1-9 Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Great God, an eternity beyond us and yet

More information

As I was walking out of the bedroom door, one of the kids said, dad, how come God never says anything to me?

As I was walking out of the bedroom door, one of the kids said, dad, how come God never says anything to me? SERMON TITLE: My Lord and My God TEXT: John 20:24-31 PREACHED AT: Neighbourhood Church BY: Ryan Dueck DATE: May 1, 2011/2 nd Sunday of Easter One day, I can t remember how many years ago, a familiar scene

More information

Out of the Whirlwind

Out of the Whirlwind Easy Reading Edition 11 Out of the Whirlwind December 3 9 SABBATH DECEMBER 3 READ FOR THIS WEEK S LESSON: Job 38 39; John 1:29; Matthew 16:13; 1 Corinthians 1:18 27; Job 40:1 4; Job 42:1 6; Luke 5:1 8.

More information

(September 2, 2010). Pg

(September 2, 2010). Pg WE WANT TO KNOW WHY February 9, 2014, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time I Corinthians 2:1-12 Rebekah M. Hutto, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Almighty God, You have set a path before

More information

The Question of Why. How do religions view science and how do scientists view religion?

The Question of Why. How do religions view science and how do scientists view religion? The Question of Why How do religions view science and how do scientists view religion? Scientists on God Atheist: chilling impersonality of the universe, the more the universe seems comprehensible, the

More information

The Revelation Revealed A view from a sojourner A study from the heart.

The Revelation Revealed A view from a sojourner A study from the heart. Sound the Trumpet Even So, Come Lord Jesus! The Revelation Revealed A view from a sojourner A study from the heart. He that hath an ear, let Him hear what the spirit is saying to the churches 1 The Prophetic

More information

1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 910L

1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 910L 1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 910L COSMOLOGY & FAITH By John F. Haught, adapted by Newsela Since the beginning of human existence on our planet, people have asked questions of a religious nature. For example, what

More information

The Empty Tomb. Focus on Mark 16:1 8. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?

The Empty Tomb. Focus on Mark 16:1 8. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words? April 1, 2018 Easter Day Acts 10:34 43 Ps. 118:1 2, 14 24 1 Cor. 15:1 11 Mark 16:1 8 The Empty Tomb Goal for the Session Children will be amazed with Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome at the discovery of

More information

Composition. Question: Did you say that there were some bigger triangles COMPOSED of littler ones?

Composition. Question: Did you say that there were some bigger triangles COMPOSED of littler ones? Composition 1. Composition: Brain Teaser: How many squares do you see in the picture on the left? How many triangles in the picture on the right? (Answers are on the last page) Question: Did you say that

More information

Sermon - But Some Doubted. John 20:24-29

Sermon - But Some Doubted. John 20:24-29 Sermon - But Some Doubted John 20:24-29 All of us will have heard of Doubting Thomas. He is one of the better known disciples not because of his great faith, but because of his lack of it. He is the one

More information

He Has Risen. Sunday school lesson for the week of April 1, 2018 By Dr. Hal Brady. Spring Quarter: Acknowledging God Unit 2: All Glory and Honor

He Has Risen. Sunday school lesson for the week of April 1, 2018 By Dr. Hal Brady. Spring Quarter: Acknowledging God Unit 2: All Glory and Honor He Has Risen Sunday school lesson for the week of April 1, 2018 By Dr. Hal Brady Spring Quarter: Acknowledging God Unit 2: All Glory and Honor Lesson Scripture: Luke 24:1-12, 30-35 Lesson Aims 1. Restate

More information

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter. Behind locked doors

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter. Behind locked doors Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter Text: John 20:19,20 It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities.

More information

1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 1010L

1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 1010L 1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 1010L COSMOLOGY & FAITH By John F. Haught, adapted by Newsela Since the beginning of human existence on our planet, people have asked questions of a religious nature. For example, what

More information

The Story: Alive! The Story, Chapter 27

The Story: Alive! The Story, Chapter 27 1 Story, Week 27 04/08/12 Avondale Meute The Story: Alive! The Story, Chapter 27 Pearl: The risen, reigning Lord and God of all comes to each of us personally to make us ALIVE! (He presented Himself to

More information

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen THE THIRD ACT May 15, 2016, The Day of Pentecost Acts 2:1-21 Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Theme: To live Easter, we need more than what s in us. Come, Holy

More information

Raised with Him 20 6

Raised with Him 20 6 Raised with Him Meditation on John 20: 1-18 April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday Merritt Island Presbyterian Church 20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb

More information

CULDEE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DR. JOSEPH WASHBURN MAY 4, 2014 MATTHEW 28:1-7 LIVING THE RESURRECTION: RESURRECTION WONDER

CULDEE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DR. JOSEPH WASHBURN MAY 4, 2014 MATTHEW 28:1-7 LIVING THE RESURRECTION: RESURRECTION WONDER CULDEE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DR. JOSEPH WASHBURN MAY 4, 2014 MATTHEW 28:1-7 LIVING THE RESURRECTION: RESURRECTION WONDER SO WHAT: As Christians we are called to live in the reality of the resurrection. More

More information

REAL MEN DON T CRY August 14, 2011 Genesis 45:1-15 Erin M. Keys, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York

REAL MEN DON T CRY August 14, 2011 Genesis 45:1-15 Erin M. Keys, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York REAL MEN DON T CRY August 14, 2011 Genesis 45:1-15 Erin M. Keys, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York God of mercy, amid the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal Word that

More information

After Jesus Resurrection Part I LESSON 170

After Jesus Resurrection Part I LESSON 170 After Jesus Resurrection Part I LESSON 170 AIM: To show the importance of Jesus rising from the dead, and to remind them of what happens when a person only pretends to be a Christian. SCRIPTURE: Matthew

More information

AWAKEN THE SLEEPER THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH. Dr Nick Castellano

AWAKEN THE SLEEPER THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH. Dr Nick Castellano AWAKEN THE SLEEPER THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH Dr Nick Castellano AWAKEN THE SLEEPER PURPOSE: To provide the knowledge and the tools to teach the student How To walk as a Son of God (Uihos) not just a Child

More information

Events After the Resurrection. Bible Class Mt Hebron Baptist Church

Events After the Resurrection. Bible Class Mt Hebron Baptist Church Events After the Resurrection Bible Class Mt Hebron Baptist Church After the Resurrection Women Discover the Empty Tomb The Women Tell the Disciples Peter and John Rush to the Tomb Mary Returns to the

More information

(This text is also the gospel text for Third Sunday of Easter)

(This text is also the gospel text for Third Sunday of Easter) HE IS RISEN! LET S CELEBRATE EASTER March 26 & 27, 2016 - Easter Gospels in Year C The gospel accounts of Jesus resurrection are much like the accounts of his birth. While they are descriptions of a historical

More information

Not Convinced A sermon by Mindy Douglas 2nd Sunday of Easter (Year B) April 8, John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31

Not Convinced A sermon by Mindy Douglas 2nd Sunday of Easter (Year B) April 8, John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 305 EAST MAIN STREET DURHAM, NC 27701 PHONE: (919) 682-5511 Not Convinced A sermon by Mindy Douglas 2nd Sunday of Easter (Year B) April 8, 2018 1 John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31 I

More information

Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity

Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity Introduction. Is Anyone There? Sunday, January 6, 2008 10 to 10:50 am, in the Parlor Presenter: David Monyak Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with all

More information

OF SPICES AND ANGELS

OF SPICES AND ANGELS OF SPICES AND ANGELS A sermon preached by the Rev. Aaron Billard St. John s United Church, Moncton, NB Easter Sunday ~ April 8, 2012 Mark 16:1-8 1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the

More information

Matthew 28:1-15 New Revised Standard Version April 21, 2019

Matthew 28:1-15 New Revised Standard Version April 21, 2019 Matthew 28:1-15 New Revised Standard Version April 21, 2019 The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Lessons Series) for Sunday, April 21, 2019, is from Matthew 28:1-15. Questions for Discussion

More information

The Three R s Various passages April 1, 2018

The Three R s Various passages April 1, 2018 The Three R s Various passages April 1, 2018 Introduction: One of the fundamental axioms of elementary education is that you need to teach kids what is referred to as the three R s: reading, writing, and

More information

The Gospel of John. Believe and Live! Lesson 21. John 20:1 31. Our Living Hope

The Gospel of John. Believe and Live! Lesson 21. John 20:1 31. Our Living Hope The Gospel of John Believe and Live! Lesson 21 John 20:1 31 Our Living Hope Fifty years had passed from the time of the events happening in John 19 20 and John writing them down, but the account is as

More information

Quotable. EXALTING CHRIST... THE LAMB OF GOD Reactions to the Resurrected Lord

Quotable. EXALTING CHRIST... THE LAMB OF GOD Reactions to the Resurrected Lord LET S BEGIN HERE Using your imagination is one of the best ways to prepare to search the Scriptures. Imagine for a moment you live in first-century Jerusalem. You are there during the weekend of Jesus

More information

The Enigma of the Unseen Spiritual Realm

The Enigma of the Unseen Spiritual Realm The Enigma of the Unseen Spiritual Realm Dr. Eben Alexander, scientist, academic and second-generation neurosurgeon for more than 25-years, highly trained Harvard Medical School, Duke University School

More information

death and life, actual experiences that had unfolded in several different congregations.

death and life, actual experiences that had unfolded in several different congregations. MIRACLES DO HAPPEN March 31, 2013, Easter Sunday Luke 24: 1-12 Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Theme: Easter proclaims the truth that love and life, not hatred

More information

Resurrection Joy and Laughter

Resurrection Joy and Laughter Easter Sunday April 1, 2018 The Rev. Deborah Woolsey Resurrection Joy and Laughter Church of the Good Shepherd, Athens, Ohio Ray Bradbury s classic 1962 spine chilling novel Something Wicked This Way Comes

More information

Sermon (4/24/11, Matthew 28: 1-10): Our last reflection on the Passion Narrative ended with an earthquake. Just as Jesus breathed his last breath,

Sermon (4/24/11, Matthew 28: 1-10): Our last reflection on the Passion Narrative ended with an earthquake. Just as Jesus breathed his last breath, 1 Sermon (4/24/11, Matthew 28: 1-10): Our last reflection on the Passion Narrative ended with an earthquake. Just as Jesus breathed his last breath, Matthew tells us there was a sudden and powerful earthquake

More information

I will never, ever, ever, give up on you!

I will never, ever, ever, give up on you! THE P IN T.U.L.I.P. April 17, 2016, The Fourth Sunday of Easter Psalm 23; John 10:22-30 Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Theme: God never, ever lets us go. Give

More information

Schools & Families Department

Schools & Families Department Schools & Families Department A Self-Guided Cathedral Tour for Schools and Community Groups The Crypt 7 6 8 We recommend that you begin your tour in the Crypt. If you are a large group please split up

More information

Our Bodies, Our Faith Genesis 1:26-31

Our Bodies, Our Faith Genesis 1:26-31 Warren McDougall Richmond Hill United Church May 30, 2010 Our Bodies, Our Faith Genesis 1:26-31 I think we would all agree that one of the most spiritual of all human experiences is to hold a newborn baby.

More information

THE REAL JESUS: WHO S WHO

THE REAL JESUS: WHO S WHO THE REAL JESUS: WHO S WHO Week One April 8, 2018 Meet Luke (Part 1) GETTING READY Before your group meets next time, spend some time alone in God s Word reading through this week s text, Luke 1:1 4. Pray

More information

High and Lifted Up March 18,2018 Dr. Frank J. Allen, Jr., Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Kissimmee, Florida

High and Lifted Up March 18,2018 Dr. Frank J. Allen, Jr., Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Kissimmee, Florida 1 High and Lifted Up March 18,2018 Dr. Frank J. Allen, Jr., Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Kissimmee, Florida John 12:20-33 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks.

More information

The Day Everything Changed

The Day Everything Changed The Day Everything Changed John 20:1-18 Preached by Dr. Cahill Babcock Presbyterian Church Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015 July 4, 1776, December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 are important dates in history

More information

3/22/2015 The Resurrection 1

3/22/2015 The Resurrection 1 "The Resurrection" The Christian faith rests on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Hello, I m Phil Sanders; and this is a Bible study, In Search of the Lord s Way. Did Jesus really rise from the

More information

23 April 2017 Voices of Resurrection John 20:19-29; John 21:1-17

23 April 2017 Voices of Resurrection John 20:19-29; John 21:1-17 23 April 2017 Voices of Resurrection John 20:19-29; John 21:1-17 We pick up where we left off last week, reading about Christ s resurrection appearances in the Gospel of John. Today we read first chapter

More information

Genesis Sermon / COB /

Genesis Sermon / COB / Genesis 1.1-25 Sermon / COB / 08.02.15 Genesis 1: What comes to mind? I think it is normal to think of the plot, which is about creation, or to think of the controversies surrounding this text, but the

More information

Sunday, March 27 Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day. Luke 24:1-12 1

Sunday, March 27 Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day. Luke 24:1-12 1 Sunday, March 27 Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day Luke 24:1-12 1 On the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the

More information

He Is Risen! April 24, 2011 Matthew 28:1-10

He Is Risen! April 24, 2011 Matthew 28:1-10 I. Introduction: He Is Risen! April 24, 2011 Matthew 28:1-10 In 19th Century England long before instantaneous news via the internet or even telephone the people were anxiously awaiting news regarding

More information

He is Lord! Francis A. Hubbard. Scene 1

He is Lord! Francis A. Hubbard. Scene 1 He is Lord! By Francis A. Hubbard Scene 1 (House lights are out except for those shining on the Stations of the Cross. Congregation softly sings the first verse of Were you there when they crucified my

More information

Walk a Mile in His Shoes by Rev. Kathy Sides (Preached at Fort Des Moines UMC )

Walk a Mile in His Shoes by Rev. Kathy Sides (Preached at Fort Des Moines UMC ) Walk a Mile in His Shoes by Rev. Kathy Sides (Preached at Fort Des Moines UMC 4-12-2015) In 1970 Joe South wrote and sang a song entitled Walk a Mile in My Shoes. How many of you remember it? It was basically

More information

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? AT THE GRAVESIDE 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-5:9 JANUARY 31, 2016

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? AT THE GRAVESIDE 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-5:9 JANUARY 31, 2016 1 WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? AT THE GRAVESIDE 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-5:9 JANUARY 31, 2016 They gathered at the graveside on a cold, damp wintery day. No funeral service, just a graveside service Everyone

More information

Matthew 28:1-15 New American Standard Bible April 21, 2019

Matthew 28:1-15 New American Standard Bible April 21, 2019 Matthew 28:1-15 New American Standard Bible April 21, 2019 The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Lessons Series) for Sunday, April 21, 2019, is from Matthew 28:1-15. Questions for Discussion

More information

Actually, this is true of pretty much every important day on the Christian calendar.

Actually, this is true of pretty much every important day on the Christian calendar. RIDICULOUS VICTORY JOHN 20:1-18; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:19-26 LETHBRIDGE MENNONITE CHURCH BY: RYAN DUECK MARCH 27, 2016/EASTER SUNDAY/RESURRECTION OF THE LORD Easter is a pretty ridiculous thing. Actually, this

More information

Jesus arrest and trials (18:1-19:16); his crucifixion and burial (19:16-42); his resurrection appearances (20:1-18, and 20:19-31).

Jesus arrest and trials (18:1-19:16); his crucifixion and burial (19:16-42); his resurrection appearances (20:1-18, and 20:19-31). In these four weeks leading up to Easter, we re going to look at the Gospel of John s account of: Jesus arrest and trials (18:1-19:16); his crucifixion and burial (19:16-42); his resurrection appearances

More information

Christianity is Faith! April 08, 2007 (Easter) Rev. Nathaniel R. Elliot, Jr

Christianity is Faith! April 08, 2007 (Easter) Rev. Nathaniel R. Elliot, Jr When I was a child growing up in the coal region of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the 1930s, I was of a generation whose home entertainment was the radio, and like children of today, who have their favorite

More information

The Significance of Story

The Significance of Story chapter one The Significance of Story We are situated in a web of life. The same currents that run through our human blood also run through the swirling galaxies and the myriad of life-forms that pervade

More information

Commentary on Matthew 28:1-17 By L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.

Commentary on Matthew 28:1-17 By L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Commentary on Matthew 28:1-17 By L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, April 24, 2011, is from Matthew 28:1-17. Five Questions for Discussion follow

More information

The Lord began the chapter with the statement Let not your heart be troubled.

The Lord began the chapter with the statement Let not your heart be troubled. Introduction The Lord began the chapter with the statement Let not your heart be troubled. Jesus was leaving them. Jesus was returning to His Father in Heaven. Jesus reminds them that heaven is a real

More information

On Easter Day there is only one Sermon and Sermon message, no matter how it is approached and that is that; Jesus is Alive! The passage we have today

On Easter Day there is only one Sermon and Sermon message, no matter how it is approached and that is that; Jesus is Alive! The passage we have today On Easter Day there is only one Sermon and Sermon message, no matter how it is approached and that is that; Jesus is Alive! The passage we have today from John s Gospel takes those mentioned in it from

More information

Foreword. What is hidden in the mist is revealed in the crystal ii

Foreword. What is hidden in the mist is revealed in the crystal ii Foreword Look, it cannot be seen it is beyond form. Listen, it cannot be heard it is beyond sound. Grasp, it cannot be held it is intangible. Dao De Jing i To physicists, dark matter is thought to make

More information

Rewriting the Reality Code: The Quantum Power of Our Participatory Universe

Rewriting the Reality Code: The Quantum Power of Our Participatory Universe What strange beings we are! noted the 13th-century mystic Rumi, that sitting in Hell at the bottom of the dark, we are afraid of our own immortal- ity! Perhaps it is actually the power to choose our immortality,

More information

Religion and Science: The Emerging Relationship Part II

Religion and Science: The Emerging Relationship Part II Religion and Science: The Emerging Relationship Part II The first article in this series introduced four basic models through which people understand the relationship between religion and science--exploring

More information

The earth trembled. The stone was rolled away. And nothing has been the same ever since.

The earth trembled. The stone was rolled away. And nothing has been the same ever since. 1 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. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord,

More information

Do Not Be Afraid! Matthew 28: 1-11

Do Not Be Afraid! Matthew 28: 1-11 Matthew 28: 1-11 What makes you afraid? Can you name your fears? I ve heard of people who say that they re not afraid of anything. If they are being truthful, I think that is a very rare person. I found

More information

Everything about our CHRISTIAN FAITH rises or falls on whether or JESUS CHRIST truly arose from the dead on the third day as the scriptures tell us.

Everything about our CHRISTIAN FAITH rises or falls on whether or JESUS CHRIST truly arose from the dead on the third day as the scriptures tell us. Message for the LORD S DAY morning, April 24, 2011 Easter Message Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister Beyond All Reasonable Doubt ( A Message For Easter

More information

The Way of the Cross is a way of prayer...

The Way of the Cross is a way of prayer... The Way of the Cross is a way of prayer... I walk, in spirit, with Jesus on His journey to Calvary and meditate on His suffering and death. Each meditation can be a personal meeting with Jesus and a new

More information

Call to Thanksgiving. 1 Kidner, Psalms, Ross, Psalms, 773.

Call to Thanksgiving. 1 Kidner, Psalms, Ross, Psalms, 773. Psalm 136:1-26 His Love Never Quits Psalm 136 is a companion psalm to Psalm 135 and celebrates the same themes found in the preceding psalm: the sovereignty of God over creation and redemption and Yahweh

More information

-1- Sermon (4/23/17, John 20: 19-31): I m not sure how it started but, at some point during our reminiscing at a casual gathering with friends, we

-1- Sermon (4/23/17, John 20: 19-31): I m not sure how it started but, at some point during our reminiscing at a casual gathering with friends, we -1- Sermon (4/23/17, John 20: 19-31): I m not sure how it started but, at some point during our reminiscing at a casual gathering with friends, we began to talk about our scars. At first, it began small

More information

Images of God Definitions. Static Images of God

Images of God Definitions. Static Images of God Images of God 110615 Practically everyone imagines God, or Allah, or Yahweh, or Higher Power, etc. Even those who don't believe in God imagine the being they do not believe exists. What we imagine about

More information

My Evolving Views on Drugs and Human Consciousness. By Julian Cooney American University Washington, DC April 19, 2005

My Evolving Views on Drugs and Human Consciousness. By Julian Cooney American University Washington, DC April 19, 2005 My Evolving Views on Drugs and Human Consciousness By Julian Cooney jc5692a@american.edu American University Washington, DC April 19, 2005 This course [Drugs, Consciousness & Human Fulfillment] has profoundly

More information

Having Life Through Death! Scripture: Romans 6:1-11"

Having Life Through Death! Scripture: Romans 6:1-11 1 Having Life Through Death! Scripture: Romans 6:1-11 Last week, I spoke from the last portion of Romans chapter five and mentioned how two men had greatly changed the course of human history. Adam, the

More information

FURRS IN EUROPE WHAT S HAPPENING WITH THE FURRS?

FURRS IN EUROPE WHAT S HAPPENING WITH THE FURRS? FURRS IN EUROPE WHAT S HAPPENING WITH THE FURRS? VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2 APRIL, 2015 FURRS IN EUROPE Easter and the fidélité of God On Easter Sunday this year at Eglise de la Brie, Kirsten and I performed in

More information

Our text for Resurrection Sunday is Paul s testimony of Jesus life in him.

Our text for Resurrection Sunday is Paul s testimony of Jesus life in him. March 31, 2013 The Power of His Resurrection Life Living in Me Philippians 3:7 11 Introduction: Our text for Resurrection Sunday is Paul s testimony of Jesus life in him. We ll seek to apply what we see

More information

Touch me and see. Pitt Street Uniting Church, 8 April A Contemporary Reflection by Rev Dr Margaret Mayman. Easter 2B

Touch me and see. Pitt Street Uniting Church, 8 April A Contemporary Reflection by Rev Dr Margaret Mayman. Easter 2B Touch me and see Pitt Street Uniting Church, 8 April 2018 A Contemporary Reflection by Rev Dr Margaret Mayman Easter 2B Acts: 3: 12-19; Luke 24: 36b-4b This reflection can be viewed on You Tube at http://www.pittstreetuniting.org.au/

More information

TO JESUS THROUGH MARY Lessons and Messages to the World from Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary to Ruth Ann Wade of Bloomington, Indiana

TO JESUS THROUGH MARY Lessons and Messages to the World from Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary to Ruth Ann Wade of Bloomington, Indiana TO JESUS THROUGH MARY Lessons and Messages to the World from Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary to Ruth Ann Wade of Bloomington, Indiana Compiled by Mary s Children, P. O. Box 27, Washington, IN 47501 -

More information

90 Day Challenge II: The Acts of the Holy Spirit Acts 1:1-13

90 Day Challenge II: The Acts of the Holy Spirit Acts 1:1-13 April 12, 2015 Pastor Mark Toone Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church 90 Day Challenge II: The Acts of the Holy Spirit Acts 1:1-13 Welcome to Easter Plus One! Last Sunday we welcomed nearly 3000 people to celebrate

More information

Easter 6A Acts 17:22-31 "The God who made the world" 1

Easter 6A Acts 17:22-31 The God who made the world 1 Easter 6A 05 21 2017 Acts 17:22-31 "The God who made the world" 1 In Homer's epic, The Odyssey, the great hero Odysseus is trying to sail home. But there's a hazard in the path of his voyage. It is actually

More information

Acts 3 : Luke 24 : Sermon

Acts 3 : Luke 24 : Sermon Acts 3 : 12-19 Luke 24 : 36-48 Sermon If you have spent any proportion of your life in churches, and perhaps even if you haven t, you will be used to hearing that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It is

More information

Advent Vespers December 7, The National Presbyterian Church. Here Comes the Word. John 1:1-5, 14-18; Genesis 1:1-3a. Dr.

Advent Vespers December 7, The National Presbyterian Church. Here Comes the Word. John 1:1-5, 14-18; Genesis 1:1-3a. Dr. Advent Vespers December 7, 2011 The National Presbyterian Church Here Comes the Word John 1:1-5, 14-18; Genesis 1:1-3a Dr. David Renwick In our Advent Vespers, we are following a series in which we re

More information

human beings. But the hard truth is that there is just no way to justify the depth of so much suffering with whatever good may come from it.

human beings. But the hard truth is that there is just no way to justify the depth of so much suffering with whatever good may come from it. DIVINE PASSION March 29, 2015, Palm/Passion Sunday Mark 11: 1-10; Mark 15: 1-5, 16-20, 25-27, 33-39 Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Theme: God is with us in suffering.

More information

Abundant Life, Expansive Love

Abundant Life, Expansive Love Abundant Life, Expansive Love A sermon preached by the Rev. Lee Bluemel At The North Parish of North Andover, MA, Unitarian Universalist Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017 Those whom we love and lose are no

More information

THE STORY The Resurrection Luke 24/ Romans 8; I Corinthians 15. Introduction

THE STORY The Resurrection Luke 24/ Romans 8; I Corinthians 15. Introduction 1 THE STORY The Resurrection Luke 24/ Romans 8; I Corinthians 15 Introduction 1. Right now, literally as we speak, the National Scrabble Championships are going on in Buffalo, NY. I know you can hardly

More information

January 22, The God of Creation. From the Pulpit of the Japanese Baptist Church of North Texas. Psalm 33:6-9

January 22, The God of Creation. From the Pulpit of the Japanese Baptist Church of North Texas. Psalm 33:6-9 From the Pulpit of the Japanese Baptist Church of North Texas January 22, 2017 The God of Creation Psalm 33:6-9 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their

More information

UNDERSTANDING RESURRECTION April 1, 2018, Easter Sunday John 20:1-18 Kimberly L. Clayton, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York

UNDERSTANDING RESURRECTION April 1, 2018, Easter Sunday John 20:1-18 Kimberly L. Clayton, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York UNDERSTANDING RESURRECTION April 1, 2018, Easter Sunday John 20:1-18 Kimberly L. Clayton, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York The themes of light and darkness weave their way through

More information

Zechariah s sings about this discontinuity when he talks about the dawn from on high that will break upon us.

Zechariah s sings about this discontinuity when he talks about the dawn from on high that will break upon us. SPIRITUAL CONTINUITY AND DISCONTINUITY December 20, 2015, The Fourth Sunday of Advent Luke 1: 39-55 Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Theme: Healthy change includes

More information

And there is the kind of silence when a full room becomes totally quiet. Listening for a soft voice to speak Or anticipating a concert to begin

And there is the kind of silence when a full room becomes totally quiet. Listening for a soft voice to speak Or anticipating a concert to begin Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Asheville, North Carolina 15 November 2015 Sermon: Draw Me Near Kristy Roberts Farber 1 I Kings 19:9-18 Isaiah 40:27-41:1 There are so many kinds of quiet in this world.

More information

A Secret That Won't Go to the Grave April 1, 2018 Dr. Frank J. Allen, Jr., Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Kissimmee, Florida

A Secret That Won't Go to the Grave April 1, 2018 Dr. Frank J. Allen, Jr., Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Kissimmee, Florida 1 A Secret That Won't Go to the Grave April 1, 2018 Dr. Frank J. Allen, Jr., Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Kissimmee, Florida Mark 16:1-8 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother

More information

Lesson 46 Revelation 5 6; 19 22

Lesson 46 Revelation 5 6; 19 22 Lesson 46 Revelation 5 6; 19 22 Lesson 46 The word end has at least two meanings in English: the point that marks the boundary or limit, such as the last point in a series, and the purpose or goal, such

More information

8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. 1 Mark 16:1-8 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when

More information

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen SO WIDE, CAN T GET AROUND IT September 12, 2010, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time I Timothy 1:12-15 Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York Theme: The love of God knows nothing

More information

1. Who are you listening to? (25-27)

1. Who are you listening to? (25-27) Title: Two Views, Two Lives, Two Destinies Text: Hebrews 12.25-13.3 Theme: Living for what will last Series: Hebrews #53 Prop Stmnt: Since the Kingdom of Christ is unshakeable, we must live like it. Aim:

More information

The Mind of Christ The Resurrection Part Seven

The Mind of Christ The Resurrection Part Seven (Mind of Christ 31g The Resurrection Part 7) 1 The Mind of Christ The Resurrection Part Seven INTRODUCTION: I. Last week in our studies about the resurrection of Jesus Christ we played the role of Crime

More information

God s Cosmic Plan. Dr. M.W. Lewis. San Diego,

God s Cosmic Plan. Dr. M.W. Lewis. San Diego, God s Cosmic Plan Dr. M.W. Lewis San Diego, 5-20-56 Seems to be presumptuous that we try to explain to one another what God s Plan is, because some of the various prophets have said, What God is, I don't

More information

Scenes from Heaven. Six Visions of The Risen Christ. A Sermon-based Study for our Small Groups

Scenes from Heaven. Six Visions of The Risen Christ. A Sermon-based Study for our Small Groups Scenes from Heaven Six Visions of The Risen Christ A Sermon-based Study for our Small Groups www.trinitybakersfield.com TrinityAnglicanBakersfield 20 Introduction Heaven is popular right now. There are

More information

EXPERIENCING THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION (Mark 16:1-14)

EXPERIENCING THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION (Mark 16:1-14) EXPERIENCING THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION (Mark 16:1-14) INTRODUCTION: One of my favorite Easter hymns is Christ Arose. I like the tune which starts low and builds up higher, sort of like the resurrection.

More information

Why I Believe In The Resurrection Pastor Kim Engelmann West Valley Presbyterian Church

Why I Believe In The Resurrection Pastor Kim Engelmann West Valley Presbyterian Church Why I Believe In The Resurrection Pastor Kim Engelmann West Valley Presbyterian Church Date: 2017-06-18 There is nothing more frustrating than watching a movie or reading a book and having it end before

More information

The Goldilocks Enigma Paul Davies

The Goldilocks Enigma Paul Davies The Goldilocks Enigma Paul Davies The Goldilocks Enigma has a progression that is typical of late of physicists writing books for us common people. That progression is from physics to metaphysics to theology

More information

Dave s Laptop December 30, 2014

Dave s Laptop December 30, 2014 Dave s Laptop December 30, 2014 With the four verse expositions that follow, we complete our journey through The Joshua Code: Fifty-Two Verses Every Believer Should Know, by O. S. Hawkins (Thomas Nelson,

More information

Great Mysteries of the Gospel of God

Great Mysteries of the Gospel of God Great Mysteries of the Gospel of God There I was this January at the desk of the Customs officer at Kingsford Smith airport about to get on a flight to the USA. I handed her my declaration form to say

More information

What comes to your mind when

What comes to your mind when L O O K I N G A T L I F E 1 SO WHAT IS EASTER ALL ABOUT? An explanation of the Easter story What comes to your mind when you think about Easter? Fluffy chicks? Chocolate eggs? The start of spring? For

More information

Walk By Faith: Tell The Children

Walk By Faith: Tell The Children Walk By Faith: Tell The Children Psalm 78:1-7 1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: 3 Which

More information

PA S S ION LENTEN DEVOTIONS

PA S S ION LENTEN DEVOTIONS T H E S AV I N G PA S S ION LENTEN DEVOTIONS INSPIRATION FROM HENRI J. M. NOUWEN THE SAVING PASSION Ash Wednesday A TIME TO WEEP Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm

More information

When the End is a Beginning from the pulpit of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania by the Reverend Dr. Agnes W.

When the End is a Beginning from the pulpit of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania by the Reverend Dr. Agnes W. When the End is a Beginning from the pulpit of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania by the Reverend Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet Readings: Mark 15:42-16:8 Easter: April 5, 2015 It is a good thing

More information