3rd Sunday of Easter Sermon

Third Sunday of Easter

Luke 24: 36-49

"Witness!"

36 ¶ As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them.

37 But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit.

38 And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts?

39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have."

40

41 And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?"

42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,

43 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled."

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things.RSV

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

Do you remember the television show Archie Bunker? There was an episode where Archie saw a mugging in an ally. His son-in-law whom he called meat head, urged Archie to be a witness hen the case when to court.

Not Archie!

He said: "Do you know what you gotta go through it your are a witness? I'm a working man. I don't get paid if I show up absent.To go to court, you gotta put on a shirt and tie, drag yourself downtown and hang around till the case comes up. You forget what you was gonna say, and the other lawyer can make a monkey outta you."

Witnessing it can be a terrifying event. Witnessing in court. Witnessing for your faith. Witnessing, telling about the life and work of Jesus Christ can be a terrifying thing.

Jesus in our gospel lesson tells the disciples that they are witnesses to all the thing concerning Jesus.

The scripture says: "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things"

The disciples were told they were witnesses to all these things. They were witnesses to Jesus suffering on the cross, the resurrection, the repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in Jesus name. As the disciples are witnesses to these things so are we as modern day disciples.

I would like to look at just aspect of this forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of sins should be preached in Jesus name. At the beginning of our worship service, we have the confession of sins. We confess our sins and then in the name of Jesus, I pronounce your sins are forgiven. We speak about repenting, or turning away from our sins as we accept this forgiveness from Jesus.

Forgiveness and repenting are difficult things to understand. Sometimes we are more interested in the sins of others than in our own sins.

This story tells of that condition;

"An old man walked daily through his village wearing a patched and tattered coat of many colors. A visitor to the village stopped and asked, "Why do you parade through the streets wearing such a garment? What does it mean?"

The old man replied, "Each colored patch represents the sins of my neighbors. I don't want them to forget them.

Then the visitor asked, 'What is the white patch between your should blades?'

Reluctantly the old man answered,'That is my own sin. I put it where I cannot see it."

Repentance and forgiveness in Christ means that I am more concerned about my own sin than my neighbors. Remember the conversation Jesus had about the log and the eye.

It says in Matthew 7

3* Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
5* You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

We should be more concerned about our own sins, our own repenting. We should look to Jesus about forgiving our sins.

Not only are we concerned about our own sins, but we must be concerned about the wrong or the harm we do to others. We must learn to seek forgiveness from others and we must be willing to forgive others their wrongs to me.


A story from an unknown author says this about forgiving:

"By: Author Unknown

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. In a specific point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one, who got slapped, was hurt, but without anything to say, he wrote in the sand: "TODAY, MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE".

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who got slapped and hurt started drowning, and the other friend saved him. When he recovered from the fright, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE".

The friend who saved and slapped his best friend, asked him, "Why, after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone?"

The other friend, smiling, replied: "When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness get in charge of erasing it away, and when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the memory of the heart, where no wind can erase it"

Learn to write in the sand."

Can we be writers in the sand?

Are you a witness for Jesus to acts of forgiveness? Can you forgive another as you have been forgiven by Christ?

As we receive forgiveness from Christ, then we are able to forgive those around us.

Repentance for us means that we are sorry for our sins and will try to do better. Sometimes we cannot. Other times we can be truly sorry for the sins we commit against another.

We need to be sand writers forgiving the hurts done to us. We need to be truly sorry.

"Two little boys were playing together one afternoon. They had not been playing long when the larger boy took advantage of his weaker playmate. Georgie, the smaller one, too proud to complain, withdrew some distance and sat by himself, manfully winking back the ready tears.

After a short time, the larger boy grew tired of his solitary play and called, "Say, Georgie, come back. I'm sorry."

Georgie, warned by previous experience, did not respond to the invitation at once.

"Yes," he replied cautiously, "but what kind of sorry? The kind so you won't do it again?"

The kind so you won't do it again? Isn't that a good question for us to ponder. Are we sorry for our sins, sorry enough so we won't do it again? Or are we sorry today and then tomorrow we do it again? Repentance means to turn away from our sins. Repentance means to be sorry that we won't do it again.

We are to be witnesses to the forgiving power of Christ in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

A closing story speaks about the powerful effect of forgiveness.

"A.J. Cronin, a doctor turned novelist tells this true story. An American family named Adams, had 2 teen-age daughter and a 6 year old son,Sammy. When WWII came, the family decided to take in a orphan boy from Italy named Paul Piotrostanalsi. They did everything possible to comfort this pale, spindly-legged, frightened refugee, but the boy responded quite negatively and showed no sign of gratitude to the family except Sammy. He adored Sammy, the two were always together. Paul went swimming against orders in river which was contaminated and came down with a septic infection that nearly killed him. The doctor wanted Paul isolated from the rest of the family, so they made a bedroom for him in the attic. Paul was far too contagious to see any one, except the doctor and a nurse who wore special clothing.

One morning the father had found the nurse had fallen asleep outside the attic door. He opened it and found Paul was not there. He ran to Sammy's room and found Paul sleeping in bed with Sammy, his arms thrown over the boy's shoulder and he was breathing on his neck. Sammy was much younger than Paul and had not been the strongest little boy. Though everything was done for him, poor Sammy never had a chance; he died.

When Dr.Cronin visited the family a year later, he was amazed to see Mr. Adams working in the garden with a small boy. It was none other than the little refugee!! Overcome by a sense of bitter injustice, Cronin exclaimed, "All I can say...he's lucky, this Paul Piotro...whatever his wretched name is!!"

Mr. Adams put his arm around the boy's shoulder and said with a quiet half-ashamed smile, "You'll have no more trouble with his last name. He Paul Adams now. You see, we've adopted him." 1

The Adam's family were truly sand writers.

Can you be one too?

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale April 24, 2006

You may freely use this as is or in parts. Please somehow give credit if possible, thanks! Not for commercial use.


1 from Illustrator

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter

2nd Sunday of Easter
John 20:19-31
"Does Easter make A Difference?"

19 ¶ On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors
being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then
the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent me, even so I send you."

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain
the sins of any, they are retained."

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them
when Jesus came.

25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he
said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and
place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his
side, I will not believe."

26 ¶ Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and
Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood
among them, and said, "Peace be with you."

27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands;
and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless,
but believing."

28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples,
which are not written in this book;

31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his
name.RSV

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the
risen Christ.

A pastor tells the following in the Augsburg Sermon Book for the year
1985: "I've never seen such a crowd in church, the woman exclaimed'.
I didn't know her, but apparently she was impressed by the number of
people here for Easter worship. Then, as she was shaking my hand an-'
moving toward the front door, she added, "Do you suppose it will make
any difference?"

I held on to her hand so she couldn't get away, "What do you mean?" I
said ''Will what make a difference?"

"Easter," she shot back. "Will Easter make any difference for all
these people, or will life tomorrow be the same as it was yesterday?"

That lady's question is truly a profound question. "Will Easter make
any difference for all these people, or will life tomorrow be the
same as it was yesterday Will Easter make any difference in your
life? Has this week been guy different for you because of the Easter
event last Sunday?

Easter is truly a religious holiday. Oh, sure we have the Easter
bunny and the tradition of buying new clothes, but in the final
analysis Easter has not been commercialized, it is truly a religious
event and has this religious event made any difference in your life?

One person who found that Easter does make a difference is the
brother of Thomas, his twin.

Listen:


Dear Thomas,

After so many years, I am glad that I can finally write this letter
to you. I was not sure that it would be possible. I am more skeptical
than even you, and I was not sure how I would ever be able to believe
in this Jesus of Nazareth you followed. He was crucified and that was
the end of it as far as I was concerned. Yes, you had some
hallucination I thought. Hanging around with those twelve, it was no
wonder you'd begin to lose your mind. But it was clear that you at
least were serious about it when you left for India. I pray that this
letter will reach you so that you can share my joy. Your dedication
to proclaiming Jesus was always inspiring to me, even if I thought it
was wrong-headed and unbelievable.

But let me tell you what happened to me.

As I'd written you, we had to leave Galilee to live in Jerusalem.
There was no more living for us there, so we left to find a better
circumstance in the city. Here in Jerusalem a tailor can make more
money, but expenses are greater. Whether we will come out ahead, I am
not yet sure. We found some rooms to rent, Naomi and me and the
children. Of course, we were very nervous, even frightened, about
leaving our homes and families to live in this crowded, busy place.
We did have contact with cousin Micah, but he lived some distance
away from our new home in the city.

As it turned out, our neighbors are wonderful people. Stephanus and
Miriam welcomed us warmly when we arrived and made sure that we were
provided for even the very first day we moved in. Naomi was sick
within the week of our arrival and Miriam made extra trips to the
well for our water. I could well expect our friends to treat us so,
but we were strangers to these people. We were afraid that we'd left
this neighborliness behind in Galilee.

Not long after this we received word that Naomi's mother died, and so
we had to go back to Galilee to take care of some business and to
visit and mourn with her family. We did not look forward to the long
trip, and our donkey had a sore hoof and was unable to make the
journey. When Stephanus learned of our situation he immediately
offered us the use of his donkey and cart, so that the children could
ride and we could make better time. This generosity was difficult to
accept, but I could tell his sincerity in the peaceful look in his
eyes as he encouraged me to make use of his donkey and cart.

Although Miriam and Stephanus are always busy, they never seem
hurried. They always have time to listen and to talk, or to lend a
hand. So over the course of a month or so we became quite friendly. I
finally had to ask Stephanus how it was that he is so peaceful and
joyful. I don't mean that he's a joker or unfeeling. I was touched by
the way he carried himself, the way he responded to situations with a
clear sense of fairness and confidence. He was sober, but not boring.
He had a genuine interest in me. At first, of course, that is simply
flattering, but then I began to appreciate that he cared for me
simply for who I am, not who I might become or what I might do for
him. As you know, Thomas, that is rare.

So I asked him what was behind his way in the world. He did not
answer me right away, but he went deep into himself. Then he said to
me, "You have asked the most serious question. I cannot give you the
answer all at once in a way that will make much sense to you. But it
was not always this way with me. I was run out of my hometown because
of the evil things I did. I was truly a lost soul. You might say that
I was dead, but now, thank God, I am alive. I was introduced to a
group of people whom I would like you to meet. We get together each
week after the sabbath is over and we pray together, perhaps you
would like to join us, and bring your family, the women pray with us
as well."

I should have known when he said they gather after the sabbath has
ended that they were your people, Thomas, but luckily I didn't put it
together; there are so many sects and religious fanatics around these
days. So, the next week we went together with them.

How shall I describe it to you?

It was so ordinary, and yet so remarkable. There were about a dozen
adults there and many children scurrying about, playing. We met at
the home of one of the members. I recognized a few whom I'd seen at
the market. There was quite a mixture of people. Some who were
wealthy and others who were certainly poor. But they did not hold
these distinctions between them. Instead each greeted each warmly. We
were welcomed immediately and felt right at home. Their hospitality
was remarkable, and their joy was clear.

We shared together a meal of bread and porridge. We sang psalms
together and joined in prayer. Then we heard lessons from the law and
the prophets and different persons shared from their lives how these
affirmed that Jesus was the Christ, and that he was risen from the
dead. As soon as I realized these were your people, Thomas, I became
very uncomfortable. Yet I was still drawn to them. The oddness of
their belief in a crucified man rising from the dead and being the
son of God seemed insignificant beside the joy and love and peace
that radiated from this group.

After the readings and reflections on the Scriptures were completed
we sang again. Then there was silence and going around the room those
who were present began to share their needs. They shared where they
had gone wrong in the previous week, they confessed their sins to one
another and prayed for each others' deliverance. I was moved by the
trust and tenderness that was shown in this time. They also shared
their victories and how God had been active in healing them. Truly,
forgiveness and acceptance and healing were present in that fellowship.

Finally, I felt that I must speak. I told them I was your brother,
but explained that you had been unable to convince me that Jesus was
the Christ and Lord. I told them that I was still not sure. Certainly
there was a spirit about them, they had surely experienced something
real to them and I had experienced something of it as well.

Stephanus answered me. "Your heart has given you a testimony. We are
glad that we have been a part of it. Your head needs time to catch up
with what the Spirit has told you. I am confident that the God who
raised Christ from the dead is at work in you. I do not fear the
outcome of God's hand in your life. It is hard for us to accept
things from our families sometimes, perhaps there is a message that
Thomas could not communicate to you."

I thanked him for his words and became quiet.

A loaf of bread and a cup of wine was brought forth and one of the
fellowship offered a prayer in remembrance of Christ, crucified and
risen. He said that the bread was a sign of his broken body, and the
wine a sign of the blood he shed on behalf of sinners like us. And as
he broke the bread and all of us ate from it, I came to know in the
love of these people for me and my family the love that God showed
for us on that cross at Calvary. I began to know that I was not alone
in a cruel and meaningless world, but that God shares in this world
with me and recreated the world when he overcame even death by
raising Christ from the dead.

And then the cup was offered, the cup of a new covenant, a new
reconciliation with God, a new beginning. God's forgiveness that
overcomes the past was made clear to me in this group of strangers
who were joined into a community of witnesses to that forgiveness. As
we shared together from the cup, the power of that community revealed
to me what had been revealed to you: the reality of Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen. No longer did I need to be convinced, only
directed and led to a deeper fellowship with these believers and a
closer walk with him who leads them. Like you, I needed more than
words. I needed to know the risen Christ.

Now I know. I'm sorry I couldn't just take your word for it. There is
so much more I have to tell you, and even more that I need to learn
from you, for you were with him! I do not know when we may meet
again, for now so many miles lie between us. But today I can honestly
write that I feel closer to you than I did when we lived in the same
village, and I know that we will be together when he comes again to
take us home. God bless you, my brother. I pray that your work in
India is going well, that you are able to introduce many to hope in
the Lord. Our community will begin to send you some support to ease
your burdens. Peace be with you. 1

Another came to realize that Jesus was Lord and God.

As Thomas proclaimed in our gospel lesson, Thomas answered him, "My
Lord and my God!" can we proclaim that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour?
Sure we have doubts, Thomas and his twin did, but those doubts can be
overcome by faith. Faith is a belief that Jesus died and rose for our
salvation.

Does Easter make a difference, yes it does.

Amen



Written by Pastor Tim Zingale
You may freely use this as is or in parts. Please somehow give
credit if possible, thanks! Not for commercial use.


1 Found in a sermon by John W. McNeill


"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you
have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
Bebe More Campbell



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Good Friday Sermon

Good Friday Service

John 18:1- 19:41

The Courtroom


Grace and Peace to your from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

I would like you to imagine that you are in a courtroom.

In this courtroom there is the prosecuting attorney seated behind a table, the defense attorney seated behind a table, a judge seated behind the bench of justice, and the jury. All of us are seated behind the defense attorney, for each of us is on trial, there are no onlookers, no spectators, no innocent bystanders at this trial, everyone is on trial.

You and I are on trial, we are accused of many charges. Charges that resulted because we sin by thought, word and deed. We sin by things we have done and things, we have left undone.

Behind the judge's bench sits the judge looking each of us in the eye sternly because the judge is God himself.

And the prosecuting attorney, the one who is trying to prove our guilt, our sinful ways,is none other that Satan himself. He is in fine form calling witness after witness against us. The devil not only calls witness after witness to testify against us, to proclaim our sinful deeds. Or the deeds of love we have failed to do, but he also has videotaped highlights of our lives, things we did which we thought no one knew about. Things we thought about doing which we thought were in secret. He showed lies and gossip we spread about someone we thought no one knew came from us. In that videotape, even the inner thoughts, of our mind's eye come to life. Our thoughts of hate, of not forgiving another, revenge, selfish attitudes, placing our wants and needs as the number one priority in life. All of these the devil has on videotape and is playing it before us, before our neighbors, our spouse, our families and God himself.

As all the tapes, as all the witnesses are heard, as the devil even quotes from our Bible, " All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," or ''All we are like sheep and have gone astray," or "No one is righteous no not one!" the evidence becomes overwhelming. We are defenseless, the guilt seems overwhelming, the sin too great to be defensed.

But after the prosecuting attorney is finished, after Satan as paraded our lives before us and God. The defense attorney begins to represents us, for this attorney of ours is Christ Jesus. But there is little he can do against such overwhelming evidence. Jesus calls witnesses who try to say our deeds are not sins, even one witness blames the prosecuting attorney, the devil, for our sins. We are called in our own behalf, but to no avail. We confess we have sinned, we have broken the law, we stand in judgment.

As the defense attorney rests his case, it's clear what the verdict will be, must be. The facts are there.

In the final instruction to the jury, the judge reminds them of more scripture as he says, "The soul that sins shall die." The wages of sin is death."

The jury is out for a long time. We get very restless. We squirm, we move in our seats. We know that our very lives are at stake. The defense attorney, Jesus, is sober and thoughtful

Finally the jury returns.

Has the jury reached a verdicts?"

"Yes!!! We have your Honor!"

"What is your verdict?"'

The foremen clears his throat, He unfolds the printed verdict and without looking up he reads clearly and loudly,

"Your Honor, ON ALL CHARGES IN THIS CASE, WE FIND THE DEFENDANTS TO BE NOT GUILTY!
Not guilty? The crowd buzzes in disbelief. You turn to your neighbor and question, you laugh you cry, you wonder, you wonder why, how can this be? You know deep within your heart and soul, the guilt, the wrongs, the burdens you carry with you are a heavy weight upon your back, upon your very life. You glance over at the prosecuting attorney who falls back into his chair slumped over in shock and disbelief. He wanted the guilty verdict because he knew of our guilt. He wanted to take charge of us, to be in complete control.

Then you look for the defense attorney, for Christ Jesus, but he is not there, not at his table. He must have stepped out for a moment just before the jury returned.

The crowd begins to rise, you rise too, and begin to file out of that great courtroom. You are now laughing, celebrating the verdict, the victory which is yours. As you turn to go out the door, you walk past a window and the laughter turns to silence. You, the others in the crowd, stare out the clouded window, stare through the clouded glass. You see in the distance a shadow and then an outline, there is a figure of a person, a man.

You focus your eyes, and you see your defense attorney.......you see him hanging on cross and you see Him take his final breath and then slump over dead, the life blood, all the life giving spirit, the love, compassion, all the kindness in which he defended you gone from his soul, his heart, his very life.

Then, then the impact hits you between the eyes. Your defense attorney, Christ Jesus died in your place. You who are guilty, you have sinned. You have been made innocent because the Innocent One, the one who had been defending you is declared guilty in your place. You walk past the clouded window, the clouded glass staring at the cross, staring at your defense attorney, staring in disbelief. You stare in thanksgiving, in love, in praise,in wonderment that He loved you so much that he died on the cross so you wouldn't be punished for your sins.

You think to you yourself, "He must have made a deal with the judge, he knew he couldn't win the case, the evidence, yes that evidence those tapes, those witnesses, my very confession of sin was too overwhelming. He knew he couldn't win. He knew the verdict before it was even pronounced so he made a deal with the judge. He asked if he could take your place. He asked if he could take my place, take my punishment for the sins, the wrongs which were clearly demonstrated in my life.

You continue to file out of that courtroom, your eyes fixed on the clouded window, on that form in the distance hanging on that cross, lifeless, limp, bruised, punished for the sins he didn't commit..

You file past, feeling sad, but grateful, feeling overwhelmed, but loved. You feel pleased that someone loved you so much. You file out feeling good that life your life is in his hands.

The church now goes dark and you stare at a cross made from a tree standing there in the chancel draped with a black cloth and you think as the pastor says....

Lord, as I sit here in complete darkness, as I see the faint silhouette of the block draped cross in this dim light, as I sense the emptiness, the nakedness, the harshness of this hour, Lord, I am over-whelmed.
Over-whelmed that you died on my Cross. Yes, Lord, I can now say my cross, because Lord, for the first time I am being honest with you and myself. I know my sin, my sins of thought, word and deed. My sins of unloving, my sins of not loving someone when the opportunity arises. Lord, I have finally become honest and quite playing games with you. I sit here this evening bearing my soul, my inner thoughts to you.

Lord, Jesus, as I come to the full realization of my sin and the punishment which was suppose to be mine. I can truly appreciate, can truly be thankful, can truly be in awe and wonder of such love you have for me. Love, that was willing to die, so I wouldn't have to. Love which was honest and caring. Love which knew me better than I have known myself for a long time.

Lord, I gaze at the cross, at the death, at the finality of the cross. At the same time, I know that Easter is coming. I know that there is hope to live. I know through the resurrection there is new life for me. Lord I thank you for that new life, for that second chance, for the opportunity to live in and through you.

Lord, help me to make the most of my chance, help me to live for you.



The people are ushered out in silence following the sermons and ending meditation.



Written by Pastor Tim Zingale April 3, 2006

Pastor Tim Zingale's Sermons

Pastor Tim Zingale's Sermons

Good Friday Service

John 18:1- 19:41

The Courtroom


Grace and Peace to your from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

I would like you to imagine that you are in a courtroom.

In this courtroom there is the prosecuting attorney seated behind a table, the defense attorney seated behind a table, a judge seated behind the bench of justice, and the jury. All of us are seated behind the defense attorney, for each of us is on trial, there are no onlookers, no spectators, no innocent bystanders at this trial, everyone is on trial.

You and I are on trial, we are accused of many charges. Charges that resulted because we sin by thought, word and deed. We sin by things we have done and things, we have left undone.

Behind the judge's bench sits the judge looking each of us in the eye sternly because the judge is God himself.

And the prosecuting attorney, the one who is trying to prove our guilt, our sinful ways,is none other that Satan himself. He is in fine form calling witness after witness against us. The devil not only calls witness after witness to testify against us, to proclaim our sinful deeds. Or the deeds of love we have failed to do, but he also has videotaped highlights of our lives, things we did which we thought no one knew about. Things we thought about doing which we thought were in secret. He showed lies and gossip we spread about someone we thought no one knew came from us. In that videotape, even the inner thoughts, of our mind's eye come to life. Our thoughts of hate, of not forgiving another, revenge, selfish attitudes, placing our wants and needs as the number one priority in life. All of these the devil has on videotape and is playing it before us, before our neighbors, our spouse, our families and God himself.

As all the tapes, as all the witnesses are heard, as the devil even quotes from our Bible, " All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," or ''All we are like sheep and have gone astray," or "No one is righteous no not one!" the evidence becomes overwhelming. We are defenseless, the guilt seems overwhelming, the sin too great to be defensed.

But after the prosecuting attorney is finished, after Satan as paraded our lives before us and God. The defense attorney begins to represents us, for this attorney of ours is Christ Jesus. But there is little he can do against such overwhelming evidence. Jesus calls witnesses who try to say our deeds are not sins, even one witness blames the prosecuting attorney, the devil, for our sins. We are called in our own behalf, but to no avail. We confess we have sinned, we have broken the law, we stand in judgment.

As the defense attorney rests his case, it's clear what the verdict will be, must be. The facts are there.

In the final instruction to the jury, the judge reminds them of more scripture as he says, "The soul that sins shall die." The wages of sin is death."

The jury is out for a long time. We get very restless. We squirm, we move in our seats. We know that our very lives are at stake. The defense attorney, Jesus, is sober and thoughtful

Finally the jury returns.

Has the jury reached a verdicts?"

"Yes!!! We have your Honor!"

"What is your verdict?"'

The foremen clears his throat, He unfolds the printed verdict and without looking up he reads clearly and loudly,

"Your Honor, ON ALL CHARGES IN THIS CASE, WE FIND THE DEFENDANTS TO BE NOT GUILTY!
Not guilty? The crowd buzzes in disbelief. You turn to your neighbor and question, you laugh you cry, you wonder, you wonder why, how can this be? You know deep within your heart and soul, the guilt, the wrongs, the burdens you carry with you are a heavy weight upon your back, upon your very life. You glance over at the prosecuting attorney who falls back into his chair slumped over in shock and disbelief. He wanted the guilty verdict because he knew of our guilt. He wanted to take charge of us, to be in complete control.

Then you look for the defense attorney, for Christ Jesus, but he is not there, not at his table. He must have stepped out for a moment just before the jury returned.

The crowd begins to rise, you rise too, and begin to file out of that great courtroom. You are now laughing, celebrating the verdict, the victory which is yours. As you turn to go out the door, you walk past a window and the laughter turns to silence. You, the others in the crowd, stare out the clouded window, stare through the clouded glass. You see in the distance a shadow and then an outline, there is a figure of a person, a man.

You focus your eyes, and you see your defense attorney.......you see him hanging on cross and you see Him take his final breath and then slump over dead, the life blood, all the life giving spirit, the love, compassion, all the kindness in which he defended you gone from his soul, his heart, his very life.

Then, then the impact hits you between the eyes. Your defense attorney, Christ Jesus died in your place. You who are guilty, you have sinned. You have been made innocent because the Innocent One, the one who had been defending you is declared guilty in your place. You walk past the clouded window, the clouded glass staring at the cross, staring at your defense attorney, staring in disbelief. You stare in thanksgiving, in love, in praise,in wonderment that He loved you so much that he died on the cross so you wouldn't be punished for your sins.

You think to you yourself, "He must have made a deal with the judge, he knew he couldn't win the case, the evidence, yes that evidence those tapes, those witnesses, my very confession of sin was too overwhelming. He knew he couldn't win. He knew the verdict before it was even pronounced so he made a deal with the judge. He asked if he could take your place. He asked if he could take my place, take my punishment for the sins, the wrongs which were clearly demonstrated in my life.

You continue to file out of that courtroom, your eyes fixed on the clouded window, on that form in the distance hanging on that cross, lifeless, limp, bruised, punished for the sins he didn't commit..

You file past, feeling sad, but grateful, feeling overwhelmed, but loved. You feel pleased that someone loved you so much. You file out feeling good that life your life is in his hands.

The church now goes dark and you stare at a cross made from a tree standing there in the chancel draped with a black cloth and you think as the pastor says....

Lord, as I sit here in complete darkness, as I see the faint silhouette of the block draped cross in this dim light, as I sense the emptiness, the nakedness, the harshness of this hour, Lord, I am over-whelmed.
Over-whelmed that you died on my Cross. Yes, Lord, I can now say my cross, because Lord, for the first time I am being honest with you and myself. I know my sin, my sins of thought, word and deed. My sins of unloving, my sins of not loving someone when the opportunity arises. Lord, I have finally become honest and quite playing games with you. I sit here this evening bearing my soul, my inner thoughts to you.

Lord, Jesus, as I come to the full realization of my sin and the punishment which was suppose to be mine. I can truly appreciate, can truly be thankful, can truly be in awe and wonder of such love you have for me. Love, that was willing to die, so I wouldn't have to. Love which was honest and caring. Love which knew me better than I have known myself for a long time.

Lord, I gaze at the cross, at the death, at the finality of the cross. At the same time, I know that Easter is coming. I know that there is hope to live. I know through the resurrection there is new life for me. Lord I thank you for that new life, for that second chance, for the opportunity to live in and through you.

Lord, help me to make the most of my chance, help me to live for you.



The people are ushered out in silence following the sermons and ending meditation.



Written by Pastor Tim Zingale April 3, 2006

Maundy Thursday Sermon

Maundy Thursday

1 Peter 1:18-20

"The Blood of Christ for Us"



18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

20 He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake.RSV

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus wh is the Christ. Amen

As we gaze at the cross, as we think about the events of this week. We turn our attention to the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. We will zero in on the reality of that event. The cross was real, the pain, the suffering, the agony was real, so real that the earth shock and trembled from the dread and awe of the event.

Jesus died upon that cross. He suffered, he bore pain, he felt the sting of death, he felt the wrath of God, he lived in the human experience of knowing what sin is like. He lived knowing what the constant battle with Satan is all about. The cross of Calvary was at one time a horrible experience of suffering, but at the same time an expression of love on the part of God for all His children on earth.

As we focus on the cross of Christ, I would like our attention to be drawn to the sacrifice he made for us. I would like us to comprehend with our whole being that Jesus redeemed us with his precious blood.

The crucifixion of Jesus has in our time been sentimentalized into a pretty picture of an adoring Jesus who suffered with a smile on his face. Jesus was not crucified on a cross in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap. Jesus was crucified at a crossroads so cosmopolitan that they had to write His title in Hebrew, in Latin and in Greek. He was crucified at the kind of place were thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Jesus died in a most worldly way, a most inglorious way at the hands of the Romans who felt nothing, no remorse, no piety, no compassion.

Peter says in the text from his first letter that

"we were ransomed not with perishable thing such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."
Jesus' blood was let for us and because of us so that our salvation might be secure with the Father. Jesus gave of himself, he gave us his body and he shed his blood for us. He sacrificed himself once for all time. Jesus sacrified himself so we would not be called on by the father to sacrifice our body and blood for the sins we commit. Jesus suffered in our place, he gave his whole being for us.

When we come forward this evening to partake in the meal Jesus gave to us, we can think back to the sacrifice he made for us on that cross. As we eat and drink this meal this evening; let us recall the cross, let us recall the sacrifice, let us participate in that sacrifice, let us live with Jesus that horrible death so that we can understand the uncomprehensible love he had for us.

Jesus is like the mother in the following story:

A story from Scotland tells of a mother's dramatic rescue of her child. Workmen were blasting rock in a quarry. One day after they had attached the fuse and retired to a safe place and gave the alarm they saw a three year old child wandering across the open space where danger threatened. Every passing second meant death was closing in on the child.

The workmen called to the child and waved their arms, but he only looked on their strange antics with amusement. No man dared run forward knowing the explosion was only seconds away. The child most certainly would have been killed, had not his mother appeared at this moment of crisis.

Taking in the situation at a glance she did what her mother's heart dictated. She did not run toward her son or yell to frighten him. Instead, she knelt down, opened wide her arms and smiled for him to come. Instantly the child ran towards her. Shortly later the area shook with the force of the explosion, yet the child was safe in his mother's arms.

Jesus spread His arms wide open for us on the cross, so that we might have eternal live. His blood was spilled for us as He saved us from the implosion of sin and death

As Lutherans, this meal spans all the dimension of space and time. During this week, it is a time to look back, to live the sacrifice Jesus made for us, to relive with Jesus his passion. This meal takes us back to the foot of the cross, it takes us back to the one who says: "this is my body given for you, " this is is my blood, shed for you". Jesus died not for someone else, not for the person next to you ,in the pew, but for you, for all of us individually. He suffered because of the great love he has for you, because you are something special in his eyes.

You are worth saving, you are God's holy, chosen child. Redeemed not with gold or silver, but with blood, with a sacrifice of another human being. As we eat and drink this evening, we gather at the foot of that cross, we gather as if we were really there, we gather to live with Jesus.

There is a painting of the Crucifixion by Rembrandt which is very striking. As you gaze at the picture, your attention is drawn first of all to the Cross and to Him who hangs there. Then your eye, gaze upon the crowd that is gathered around the Cross and you note the attitudes and action of these people. As your eyes drift to the edge of the picture you see another figure standing in the shadow. This is Rembrandt himself. Rembrandt helping to crucify Jesus.

Rembrandt knew that he was just as responsible for the death of Jesus as were the people who did the deed over 2000 years ago. Jesus died for our indifference as well as that of Pilate. He died for our scheming as well as the scheming of Caiaphas. Jesus died for our callousness as well as the callousness of the soldier. He died for our ruthlessness as well as the ruthlessness of the crowd. He died for our cowardliness as well as the cowardliness of the disciples.

We can say "It was I that shed the sacred blood. I nailed Him to the tree, I crucified the Christ of God, I joined the mockery."

As the invitation is given to each of us, "This is my body, given for you." "This is my blood shed for you." We are taken back to that first supper. We are taken back to the foot of that cross. We are taken back to the one who was willing to sacrifice himself for the sins of this generation.

Not only do these words take us back, but they also bring the crucified Christ to us today. These words bring the sacrifice he made for us into our world. They bring us a saviour who died for our sins, who died for me. These words, "This is my body, given for you." "This is my blood shed for you." bring the presence of Jesus into our very lives. They bring the Jesus of the cross, and the Jesus of the resurrection in our world, into our bodies, and souls.

This meal is a way for us to experience the great love Jesus has for us in a very physical way. Jesus is coming to us in the present moment and telling us, showing us, giving us his divine love. This meal makes the sacrifice of the cross real. This meal makes the sacrifice a personal event. This meal makes the love of Jesus a personal experience for all of us. This meal bring the events of over 2000 years ago into our reality, into our hearts, minds and souls.

"This is my body, given for you." "This is my blood shed for you." These words bring the cross into our present lives and makes that sacrifice a real event for us. "This is my body, given for you." "This is my blood shed for you." These words bring Christ through, with, in and around the bread and wine. "This is my body, given for you." "This is my blood shed for you." These words bring Christ into each of us as we experience his presence in this day.

"This is my body, given for you." "This is my blood shed for you." These words bring the cross, the sacrifice, the body and blood of Christ to us today. It does not just point backwards, but brings to us, the events of the cross, the events of the first Lord's Supper.

In his book The Hand That Holds Me, Pastor Michael Rogness says on p.99, "The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the most sublime moment of the Christian life, the most awe filled moment, but also at the same time the most human.

There at the Lord's table, God comes to us----the over-whelming, majestic, creator of all the galaxies--right where we are most human and worried about so many mundane and human things, there through the bread and wine, God comes. He stoops way down and comes to us in the common elements of bread and wine as we try, but do not success at being, standing, thinking, and praying right at that moment."

God through the body and blood of Christ comes to us in this momentous moment as we eat and drink and says you are my forgiven child. The agony of the cross meets the forgiveness of the bread and wine and Christ says you are forgiven, you are mine forever.

A closing story says it all:

There is an old story of an old man who went to church every Sunday. At the moment of Communion he always felt acutely embarrassed. There was something about the whole service, especially the prayer of confession, that made him feel very unworthy. As he knelt at the altar to receive the bread, his hands always trembled as he reached out for it. He hesitated, but the minister, knowing his mood and his reservations, smiled at him and whispered, "Take it man, it's for sinners." It is!

Thank God

"This is my body, given for you." "This is my blood shed for you."

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale April 3, 2006

Easter Sermon

Easter Sunday

Mark 16:1-8

Listen ! What do you Hear?


16:1 ¶ And when the sabbath was past, 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 they went to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3 And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?"

4 And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; --it was very large.

5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed.

6 And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him.

7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you."

8 And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.RSV

Listen; it is Easter!! 'What do you hear?

Listen to the sounds of spring, what do you hear?

Listen to the sounds of the organ, the music, the piano, what do you hear?

Listen, God's voice is speaking to you this morning, what do you hear?

Listen, what do you hear this morning, this Easter morning?

Listen: I hear terrible Captain Sepulcher and his standard bearer Corruption talking over the situation on the night that Jesus Christ was buried.

Listen: Corruption says to Sepulcher,"Hold fast to that Man in Joseph's tomb. There is a rumor that He proposes to break forth, break out from the grave; do not let Him go until I can securely lay a hold of Him.

But Corruption fails to touch Him during all those hours in the tomb.

Listen: Hell cries out, "Hold fast to that Man. Hold Him, if he comes out He will make a hole in the walls of death through which all prisoners of Hell will escape. Hold him Captain Sepulcher, if you let this man go, you are not Satan's friend.

Listen: I hear the seal break, I hear the watch of death slip away ! I hear the grip of death breaking it's hold. I hear the door of the tomb open.

Listen: I hear terrible Captain Sepulcher trying to tighten his grip upon this man, but he cries out in vain, "I cannot hold him, I cannot hold him. "

Listen: I hear a rustling, a moving, I hear the sounds of new life. I hear the sounds of death moved aside for the eternal sounds of life, wholeness. I hear the sounds of the Easter Resurrection. I hear, I see, I am convinced that Jesus is alive

JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN.....HE IS RISEN INDEED!!

Listen: What you hear this morning in all the sounds of this Easter Day is the sounds of the Resurrection, the sounds of new life. What you hear is the sounds of freedom and release, the sounds of wholeness, the sounds of grace and love. What you hear is the sounds of forgiveness and worship, the sounds of joy and celebration.

I hear, I feel the power of the Resurrection. I hear, I feel new life, I know that my Redeemer lives.

I feel, I hear, I am in contact with the new life that he has brought upon this land. I see that life, that newness as I watched the darkness, the emptiness, the coldness of the Good Friday chancel change into the brightness, the newness, the beauty, the joy of this Easter morning. I hear the sounds of the resurrection in the sounds of worship, in the hymns of praise, in the piano music of bells and the excitement of offering a hymn of praise to God. I see, I feel the power of the Resurrection as I look over the faces of this congregation, you are smiling, happy full of good cheer for our Lord has risen.

Also, I hear the sounds of the past, the past life, the past events of this Lenten season. As we have come now into the power of the resurrection, we bring that past , we bring the sounds of the past with us to experience a new life, a redeemed life, a changed life.

We bring the sounds of Peter's denial, Peter's guilt. We bring the greed of Judas, the sounds of his hopelessness. We bring the sounds of our questions of why, our doubts of faith. We bring our halting love of God, our sounds of wanting to love God, but our unwillingness to surrender our selves, into his hands. We bring our sounds of traditions and rituals which stifle our joy of worship, which turns our worship into a duty instead of joy, excitement and celebration.

Listen: we bring into the power of the resurrection all of the sounds of the past, all the sounds of this Lenten Season where we have felt, heard and experienced our separation, our rebellion, our sinfulness in the eyes of God. We bring all of that into the redeeming power of the Easter Resurrection. We do bring so those sounds may experience new life. We do that so those old sounds, may be changed into new sounds of joy, hopefulness, strength and courage.

We live now in the he power of the greatness and goodness of the freedom of the Easter Resurrection.

I would like to look at just one of those sounds from the past and see how it was transformed by the Easter Resurrection.

Do you remember Peter's sounds from the past? Do you remember his shame, his guilt, his sorrow at betraying his master? Do you remember how difficult it was for him to stand tall for the master in that court yard? How easy it was to betray Jesus, to tell others he didn't know the Master? Do you remember the pain, the sorrow, the guilt in his voice and in his actions?

Peter has been transformed on this Easter morn.

Our gospel text reminds us of the special message Peter received from the angel as the angel spoke to the woman: "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee, there you will see him, as he told you."

Go tell the disciples and Peter. Peter was forgiven, he was included again in the band of followers. Peter had not been forsaken because of his betrayal, but in this message he knew he had been forgiven by the master. He knew forgiveness was now his. He knew the love and the mercy the master felt for him. His life was turned from sorrow, pity, guilt, anger now turned into joy, acceptance, love and happiness.

But go, tell his disciples and Peter, Peter was now included. Peter had been forgiven. Peter was been given a special message from God, he was included again. The sounds of his betrayal, the sounds of his lying had all been forgiven. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, it had all been forgiven. Peter was free. Peter was released. Peter could feel and hear those Easter sounds of chains breaking, new life springing into the world. Peter could feel the power of the resurrection that freed him from his guilt and shame. He was free again to serve the Master. Free again to join the band of followers with all his guilt and shame washed away by the power of the Easter Resurrection.

And that same power of forgiveness is here today for us in the Easter Resurrection. We have been forgiven, accepted as God's people through the Resurrection. We have been forgiven and been given new life, an eternal life by the power of the Easter Resurrection.

We are free and forgiven people. We can hear the Easter message like Peter did. But go, tell his disciples and fill in your name. You and I have been given that special message, too. We are now Easter people. Forgiven people. God's people. Christ's children.

A closing poem by a lady in one of my congregations sums the sounds of Easter:

Today I saw the sun on Easter rise---
As the colors of lavender, pink and gold
Tinted the eastern skies.
And I thought of Jesus suffering on the cross
So our sinful souls might not be lost.

I saw a little church on a quiet street,
I'm sure God watched
As his people knelt by their seats--
Praying for forgiveness and asking for his love---
And blessings

Today I heard the song of a tiny wren,
I know God listened---
To hear the message of joy
That came from the heart of his little feathered
friend.

I heard the sound of a baby,
I'm sure God sighed--
And wondered if this little child by and by
Would take Jesus into it's heart
Or would it forget and from him depart.

A beautiful Easter Lily I did see,
A remembrance of a love for you and me
God saw this symbol of his Son
Whom he sent to die for the sin of everyone.

This eve I saw the Easter sunset--
Beauty to Behold, ,
All the bright colors of pink, red, orange and gold
God blessed--

His children who on this joyful day gathered--
To give thanks for all the things that really mattered
For the Son that he sent from above
To fill this earth with forgiveness and love.

I saw all these things this Easter Day
Then, I remembered the little babe who in the manger lay.
Upon whose innocence the star shone so bright--
That long ago Christmas night.

I thought of his few short years on earth
And of the love He had shown,
And all the hurt and grief that he had known,
That he died that dark day upon the cross
So all who loved him might not be lost,

Then he rose again and with thankful hearts we can say----
Alleluia, on this joyous Easter Day. 1

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale April 10, 2006
You may freely use this as is or in parts. Please somehow give credit if possible, thanks! Not for commercial use.

1 Janet Block Rolfe Iowa