Caryll Houselander, a writer and spiritual teacher, tells of a powerful, vision that she had of the risen Christ.

In her own words I would like to share part of her story to begin my sermon:

It all happened, she writes, on a very ordinary day:

“I was in an underground train, a crowed train in which all sorts of people came together, workers of every kind going home at the end of the day.  Then quite suddenly I saw with my mind, but as vividly as a wonderful picture, Christ in them all.

But I saw even more than that; not only was Christ in everyone of them, living in them, rejoicing with them, sorrowing in them – but because he was in them and because they were here the whole world as it were was here too, here in this underground train – at that very moment.

The train ride ended.  I came out into the street and walked for a long time in the crowds.  It was the same here, on every side, in every passer-by -Christ.  I saw the risen Christ everywhere.

After a few days the vision faded.  People looked the same again, there was no longer the same shock of insight.  Now each time I was face to face with another human being, I simply saw another human being.  Christ seemed hidden once again, indeed through the years to come I would have to seek for him and usually I would find him in others and still more in myself only through a very deliberate and blind act of faith.”

Houselander’s spiritual vision speaks to the presence of Jesus among us.

The presence of the risen Christ with us!

He is here, he is there, he is everywhere.

In one Gospel Jesus said:

“I am the light above everything.  I am everything.  Everything came forth from me, and everything reached me.  Split wood, I am there.  Lift up a rock, you will find me.”

Gospel of Thomas

And in another Gospel Jesus said:

“I am the light of the world.”  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Gospel of John

Granted sometimes in life it may seem like Jesus is more hidden than visible.

We know that he is the light of the whole world but do we live as though he is the light of the whole world.

Even as we gather together on Sunday mornings, the time in which we set aside for worship and for our spiritual growth, do we anticipate encountering the risen Christ in worship?

In our day to day lives do we anticipate the risen Christ walking with us?

Now this is where a leap of faith is required in order for us to experience Christ with us.

Without this leap of faith, we may get stuck in our faith.

To recognize the presence of the divine Christ in every thing and every one is to take one big step forward in our spiritual maturity.

This step forward though does not happen through our own power or effort.

In fact, it cannot.

I love this quote by Martin Luther!

Luther writes in the Small Catechism:

“I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel.”

Faith happens through the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

The vision that Paul received in Acts chapter 16 and that John received in Revelation 21 came about through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said in the Gospel of John chapter fourteen:

“The advocate, meaning the helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

Now what does the Holy Spirit teach us?

The Spirit teaches us what Houselander saw in her vision – that Christ is with us, in us, and around us.

The risen Christ is with us even now.

It is like this…

In life sometimes things pass us by without us truly noticing or seeing it.

Maybe we are even trying to see what we are looking at but cannot.

Let me give you an example here:

For years I was trying to connect with the ideas of the theologian and teacher, Richard Rohr.

I have been buying his books, reading his books, and then telling Kalen after each attempt… I don’t connect with this author!

But this past week… all of a sudden, for some reason, I picked up one of his books, from my shelf, and started reading.

And his ideas started connecting for me for the first time.

Not only was it affecting me here in my mind, where I could process what he was saying, but maybe more importantly I started to feel it here and that is when the book really started to impact me.

What changed?

It’s hard to say… but something did change in me and now I see what the author was trying to say and now I know why so many people love reading books by him – including many of my friends.

The Advocate, which could also be translated as helper or as one called to one’s side is the One who helps us to see Jesus.

I especially like that image of the Spirit as One who is called to walk alongside of us – teaching us and reminding us that Jesus and his peace is upon us.

This Spirit, who is called to walk with us, opens our eyes to see the risen Christ among us – to feel his joy, to feel his pain, to experience him in the here and now.

May the Holy Spirit call, gather, and enlighten us and on the last day bring us and all believers in Christ eternal life.

Amen.

Let us pray:

“Lord, may these words from my mouth and this meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.”

Amen

Two weeks ago, I shared a very personal story in my Sunday sermon.

I spoke how the Lord greatly renewed my faith, some sixteen years ago now, through the holy meal of the Eucharist.

The word Eucharist is taken from the Greek and the word means:  “thanksgiving.”

In the Eucharist meal we receive Jesus Christ to which we are deeply thankful.

I was and I am grateful.

Sixteen years ago, I was just starting seminary and I was really wrestling with God and with my faith but at the same time I felt a persistent call from the Lord to a life of faith and service.

At Wartburg Seminary every Wednesday during morning chapel we received Holy Communion.

It was there at the table of the Lord that I received a very real spiritual healing.

The weekly meal brought healing and resurrection to my spirit at a very difficult time in my life.

The healing came for me at a time when I needed God to come to me and to ignite my faith.

The risen Christ appeared to me in the bread and the wine of the Eucharist and I felt a peace and a joy that I desperately needed at that time of my life.

I was experiencing a lot of pain at that time of my life and Jesus healed me.

Holy Communion is more than simply bread and wine.

Holy Communion is a miracle.

It is a miracle of God’s grace and mercy shown to us through Jesus’ body and blood.

It is the way that God uses through his Son to call his children home.

The Eucharist meal is a means of grace which means it is the way that Jesus calls us by name.

And please know that Jesus goes with you from the table.

So, it is not as if you receive Jesus in the Eucharist and then he is gone.

Jesus goes with you out from the worship service to a life of faith and service.

In my preaching you have noticed that I often turn my sermons back to meal – it is because not only do I believe in the words that Jesus said on the night in which he was betrayed but I have personally experienced its salvific power.

Jesus says in today’s Gospel reading, “My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.”

The sheep – that’s us – we hear Jesus’ voice.

We hear his voice and we welcome and receive his presence.

The Psalmist says in Psalm 23, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

With Jesus comes blessings and abundance and grace.

Now this does not refer to material abundance or success or fame.

The Psalmist is referring to those things that truly matter in life – peace, joy, happiness, love.

And in Revelation chapter seven we hear that the Lamb at the center of the throne will be our shepherd, and he will guide us to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from our eyes.

Jesus will comfort us in our suffering and pain in this life and he will be with us to the very end.

These verses from Scripture give us hope for the future and these verses give us hope today.

In the light of God’s Word, in the real-presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, in the shared hope that we carry within – we move forward as the people of God at this time and in this place.

In this Easter season be open to miracles, trust in the movement and the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us, know that resurrection and new life is possible through Jesus Christ.

May Jesus’ healing presence be with us.

In Acts chapter nine a woman disciple named Tabitha became ill and died.

She was a deeply spiritual woman who devoted her life to helping others and to acts of love and charity.

Tabitha lived a life of faith and service.

When I think of Tabitha, I think of women saints who have greatly blessed the church of Christ over the years.

Tabitha, was such a disciple of Jesus.

When the disciple Peter finds out that Tabitha is dead, he immediately comes to the room were Tabitha laid.

Now this is where this Bible story gets very interesting.

Peter knees down on the ground.

Then he begins to pray.

And then he says, “Tabitha, get up.”

Tabitha opens her eyes and she rises.

Tabitha who once was dead is now alive!

Peter preforms this miracle through the power of God.

The same Peter who was scared and afraid.

The same Peter who denied Jesus.

The same Peter who turned away from Jesus – is now in Jesus’ name healing and raising the dead.

Now Peter trusts in Jesus, he follows Jesus, and he is living in the light of Christ.

We too are given power and boldness and new life to do great things in the name of Jesus.

Like Peter after seeing the risen Lord we may be tempted to return to the familiar – to return to what we know, to dismiss the resurrection as an idle tale.

Peter returned to fishing.

It is not as if Peter should never go fishing again but now in the light of the risen Christ he is called to much greater things.

As we go about our day to day lives, we are called to greater things in the name of Jesus.

Often like Peter we resist.

We hold on to our pain because we do not want to let it go and to give to Jesus, we do not trust in the full power of the Holy Spirit, we may not really believe in the resurrection and the gift of new life that come to us even now.

But Jesus continues reaching out to us – never letting us go.

That is what Jesus did for me in the Eucharist sixteen years ago now during the season of Easter and that is what he does for me still.

It is what he does for all of us.

He reaches out to us with his real presence – to that we ever eternally grateful.

And so may the Lord bless you with his real presence in the bread and wine of the Eucharist.

May you hear his voice and may you follow him now in this life and may you follow to eternal life in heaven.

And may the peace and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you now and always.

Amen.

Jesus shows himself before his disciples.

His disciples are scared and afraid and Jesus appears before them.

He has risen from the dead.

He gives his disciples – his peace and he gives them the Holy Spirit – the very presence and breath of God.

And after he appears to his followers in Jerusalem – the disciples are ready to do great things in the name of Jesus.

So, what do the disciples decide to do?

After seeing their Lord and Savior risen from the dead.

You do just what you would do after seeing someone rise from the dead.

You go fishing.

Well, maybe not exactly what you would do but that is what the disciples do.

Simon Peter says to his friends, “I am going fishing.”

And his friends say back to him, “We will go with you.”

Can you see the humor in this text?

The disciples have just seen the risen Lord and what do they do…?  They decide to go fishing.

They return to what they know and what they are familiar with.

But while they are fishing that night, in the dark – they catch nothing.

Now it is morning – the light is out once again.

And there in the light -stands Jesus.

He is on the shore waiting for them – even though Jesus had just appeared to them, when they were in the locked house, the disciples not only are not willing to do what Jesus wants them to do… they do not even recognize him on the beach.

And Jesus goes along with his disciple’s fear and stubbornness and he calls out to them, “Children, you have no fish.”

Notice how Jesus uses the word, children.

The disciples answer, “No.”

In other words… you got that right.

So cast on the other side Jesus says.

A simple solution that might just work.

They cast their net on the other side and suddenly they catch so many fish that they cannot haul their net back into the boat.

And then the true miracle happens – not that they catch so many fish but that now a disciple knows who this man is.

The disciple who Jesus loves says to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

When Peter hears him say that he is the Lord, he too recognizes that it is Jesus.

And what does Peter do… he jumps into the water to escape from Jesus.

He is ashamed and does not want Jesus to see him.

But Jesus says in the Bible reading, “Bring some of the fish that you just caught.”
And Peter climbs back into the boat and drags the net filled with fish to Jesus.

153 fish in total.

153 fish what do you think that number means?

I don’t know either but wouldn’t it be interesting if we did know what that number meant.

Some scholars think it could refer to the total number of fish in the Sea of Galilee.

Therefore, this number could represent the disciples’ mission work to all the nations.

This number could also point to the abundant nature of God.

Regardless, of the symbolic meaning of the number – it is a lot of fish when they did not catch anything during the night.

But in the day – in the light – with Jesus they catch more than they need.

This points to the abundant nature of God!

Now comes the wonderful part of the Bible story.

At this point in the text, Jesus invites them to have breakfast.

They share in a meal of bread and fish.

We all know how life-giving it can be to eat with others.

Just two weeks ago we brought back our tradition of sharing in an Easter breakfast together between our two Easter services.

I really enjoyed that breakfast and how we shared together in a very special meal on Easter morning.

Did you know that sharing together in an Easter breakfast has its origin in this first Easter breakfast – as the risen Lord appears before his disciples and they share together in having breakfast?

After they finish their meal Jesus questions Peter three times about his love for him.

This is very hard for Peter.

Peter feels hurt that Jesus questions him three times.

Now remember Peter already feels bad here.

When he first sees, Jesus while he is in the boat, he jumps into the sea.

Later he gets up enough courage to still have breakfast with Jesus and then this happens.

Can you identify with Peter here?

Peter denied Jesus three times before Jesus was crucified.

He jumped into the sea when he first saw Jesus.

And now he feels hurt because Jesus questioned him three times about his love for Jesus.

Peter knows that he has messed up.

He has fallen short of his call to be a disciple.

Have you been there?

I know that I can be very hard on myself and feel badly when I fall short in some area.

Peter feels awful here.

He is ashamed of his behavior and he feels that he has let Jesus down.

All of us can identify with Peter here.

But Jesus still loves Peter just as Jesus still loves us – always.

Far more important than seeing Peter as one who denies Jesus and falls short is to understand and to recognize the love and grace of Christ.

And he says to him and to the other disciples, “Follow me.”

Follow me!

Jesus doesn’t give up on his followers.

Today this Bible reading is good news for us as well – just as it was for Peter and for those first disciples.

Jesus calls us to follow him and to give witness to Jesus in the world that God loves.

The future is open for the Holy Spirit to work and to move among us.

Our congregation is not defined by the last two years of the pandemic.

God is doing a new thing.

We are Easter people who celebrate the resurrection.

Christ was crucified but now is alive.

As the Psalmist says in Psalm 30 – Weeping lasts for the night but joy comes in the morning.

In the light of Christ, we follow Jesus in wonder, love, and praise.

Amen.

Tonight, I have decided to do something a little different.

With this being our last Wednesday together before Holy Week I would like to give a short meditation upon Jesus’ passion and death on the cross.

On Sunday we will hear the long passion reading from the Gospel of Luke.

In preparation for that dramatic reading, I offer this evening some reflections on violence, evil, and the cross.

I chose tonight’s sermon topic before the beginning of Lent and before the war in Ukraine.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine every evening as we turn on the news, we come face to face with great evil and violence.

But even before the war in Ukraine we are all well-aware that violence and evil acts are committed all the time.

The pain and the suffering never ends.

The pain and suffering of innocent people never ends.

Trying to make sense of all of this is an exercise in futility.

But this is where our faith comes in.

It is through the cross of Christ where God meets us in our pain and in our suffering.

Through the great evil and violence that Jesus suffered on the cross God was willing to go to the darkest place and most painful place for us.

The theology of the cross does not explain why there is violence and why there is evil in this world.

But what the cross does do is that it communicates to us how Jesus was willing to suffer for and with us.

Jesus experienced violence, evil, suffering, pain, and despair from the cross.

On the cross he said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!”

Jesus even felt the pain of being abandoned by God.

And in that moment in time on the cross Jesus hangs there in a space between faith and doubt.

In the hymn, What Wondrous Love is This, which we will sing to begin our Good Friday service, we will ponder such a love that would take Jesus to the cross.

Jesus is the suffering servant who lived in a brutal and violent world.

Pontus Pilate was a harsh and unjust ruler.

He was a violent man – who sent Jesus to the cross.

It would appear now, at this point, as Jesus suffered on the cross that Jesus’ life came to an end in a final violent, evil act.

But we all know that this is not the end of the story.

Our faith does not end with such a conclusion.

Our forty-day Lenten journey takes us to this point – and to this very edge.

We follow Jesus to the cross.

We take up our cross and follow him.

We take a hard look at the violence and the evil in the world.

And then we give witness to a greater truth.

It is a truth that is more powerful than the forces that oppose it.

It may seem, at times, that evil has the last word.

It may even be for a time that evil does have the last word.

For three days Jesus’ followers believed that violence and evil had won.

But then something happened.

From the cross a true miracle happened.

On the cross Jesus surprises us.

On the cross he not only meets us in our suffering and pain but Jesus makes the cross the defining act by which he will sacrifice himself for our salvation.

Jesus becomes the sacrifice of love.

The cross does not explain why there is suffering, violence, evil, pain, or sin in the world.

What the cross does do for us though is it communicates to us that God is on our side and that God loves us.

Today the cross is a great critique and rebuke of all the senseless and terrible violence in the world.

In the cross evil and violence ends in love.

“Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree, when God, the mighty maker died.”

To see God in the crucified Christ means to understand that in the violence and evil of this world the hunger, the war, the injustice, the racism, the pain that God is alive and that God suffers by us, with us, and that suffering is in God.

In his suffering our suffering is changed and transformed by his love.

In the cross violence and evil have not won the final victory but rather on the cross Jesus puts an end to all crosses of death, to all the destructive webs of violence and evil in this world.

In the cross we come to see that God’s way of life is so much greater than our ways of death.

As Lent comes to an end and as we pray and fast during Holy Week and prepare our hearts to receive this great love and grace, we find our peace and our hope in the cross.

Let us pray: