Psalm 23:1-4

The Divine Shepherd

A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 
   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters; waters of rest');" onmouseout="return nd();" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 187); "> 
   he restores my soul. life');" onmouseout="return nd();" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 187); ">
He leads me in right paths paths of righteousness');" onmouseout="return nd();" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 187); ">
   for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, the valley of the shadow of death');" onmouseout="return nd();" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 187); ">
   I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff—
   they comfort me. 

Isaiah 26:12-15

O Lord, you will ordain peace for us,
   for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us. 
O Lord our God,
   other lords besides you have ruled over us,
   but we acknowledge your name alone. 
The dead do not live;
   shades do not rise—
because you have punished and destroyed them,
   and wiped out all memory of them. 
But you have increased the nation, O Lord,
   you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
   you have enlarged all the borders of the land. 

Daniel 2:20-23

Daniel said:
‘Blessed be the name of God from age to age,
   for wisdom and power are his. 
He changes times and seasons,
   deposes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
   and knowledge to those who have understanding. 
He reveals deep and hidden things;
   he knows what is in the darkness,
   and light dwells with him. 
To you, O God of my ancestors,
   I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and power,
   and have now revealed to me what we asked of you,
   for you have revealed to us what the king ordered.’

Daniel offers a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Life has not been easy for the Jews who dwell in exile. The king had been capricious and sometime cruel. Life was cheap. But in the midst of these troubles, Daniel relied upon God to guide him. God gave him wisdom and understanding. Wisdom and understanding converted into power and power saved lives. God grants us his wisdom to help us make it through the day. We too live in a rough and tumble world. Just read the front page of the newspaper to find out about all the tragedies and near tragedies that beset people each day. Thanks be to God that we have received the wisdom of God to guide us on our way.

Psalm 133:1-3

The Blessedness of Unity

A Song of Ascents.

How very good and pleasant it is
   when kindred live together in unity! 
It is like the precious oil on the head,
   running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
   running down over the collar of his robes. 
It is like the dew of Hermon,
   which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
   life for evermore.

Unity among God's people has been difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. Part of the problem derives from our culture. Social scientists tells us we live in a post-modern world of many truths and no single unifying principle. Christian congregations have split over the abortion debate, homosexuality, worship and music styles and a host of other issues. Non-denominational congregations have proliferated and under mined denominational churches. The underlying problem is the individual privatization of religion. We do what we want and believe what we want and allow the bonds of unity to fray. God calls his people to unity. Abraham Lincoln referred to scripture when he said a house divided against itself cannot stand. Let us do our part to bring unity of purpose to the Christian Church.

Mark 16:1-7

The Resurrection of Jesus

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. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’

Talk about surprises! Imagine how the women must have felt walking to the cemetery only to discover the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, and that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were surprised, as we would be. An angel appears with all the relevant facts and instructions for them. God has done something entirely new. He has turned history on it's head, by a victory over death and the grave. God keeps his promises. Not only does he keep his promises, but demonstrates his love for us in an unquestionable way. Think of it this way. God loves you and he stands ready to empower your life with his grace. When you feel up against the wall and ready to give, remember the the three women and what they encountered at the empty grave.

1 Corinthians 15:50-52

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

I use this piece of scripture at virtually every memorial service I do. Nothing else expresses so well the joy and triumph Christians feels as a result of Christ' victory over deasth on Easter Day. The resurrection of Christ is our hope. But the victory has now been obtained and assured. Now is that time for rejoicing. Do you have confience in the resurrection. Th next time you attend a memorial service take this passage along to read yourself. If you are planning a service, include this scripture as well. A pastor I know said every memorial service should end with both a smile and a tear. Here are words that will generfate the smile. The tears come on their own.

Psalm 118:21-24

I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Easter has passed. A new day awaits us, but it is a day God has made and it is a day full of opportunities. Easter empowers us for ministry. Today is a bgeinning. We are sent out into the world to proclaim through word and deed that Christ is Risen. How shall we do that task? Here are three suggestions. Empowered by the Risen Christ heal one broken relationship. Ask for forgiveness. Make a difference in someone's life. Visit or call a person who would be cheeered by your voice. Undertake a charitable act. Take food to a pantry or donate to a charity. The Risen Christ will make a transform your life. Now is the time for you to help someone else.

Romans 6:3-7

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin.

Whenever someone requests me to speak at a memorial service, I always ask the family whether or not the deceased had been baptized. This passage from Paul's letter to the congregation in Rome immediately comes to mind in my preparation. At baptism a promise was made on our behalf. If we are baptized into the death of Jesus, we will be baptized into his resurrection. Death may be the end of earthly life, but it is also the beginning of our eternal life. Christ bought our resurrection by his death upon the cross. Today we anticipate Easter. Easter reminds us that through baptism we receive a share in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tell us this is our inheritance. What a victory. What a gift. Let us celebrate!

John 18:33-37

 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

Jesus stands accused of sedition before Pilate, the Roman military governor, at a trial in a palace in Jerusalem. Pilate wants to determine what sort of military threat Jesus poses. Jesus has not come to overthrow the Roman regime, but to bring the redemption of humanity and the renewal of creation. He says he will testify to the truth. Some historians say we live in a post modern world where there is no such thing as one truth, but many truths equally valid. Jesus reminds us there is one truth revealed by God in him.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Today is Maundy Thursday. The Church remembers the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples prior to Good Friday and the crucifixion. The words of Jesus anticipate a time when he will no longer be physically present to his disciples. He uses the bread and wine from the ancient Passover Meal to proclaim a new truth. Jesus will be with us through the bread and wine of Holy Communion, when we gather in his name. By faith. the bread and wine are the body and blood of our Savior. We shall never walk alone. Holy Communion is a forstaste of the feast to come when we shall be united with God through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 50:7-9a

The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced;therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?

The prophet Isaiah faced tough times and fierce opposition to proclamation of the coming reign of God. It was a lonely fight. Sometimes Isaiah felt like he was the only one left standing ready to defend God in a culture inundated with pagan beliefs and practices. We live in a post-Christian world. Listen to the evening news. War, poverty, atheism, hedonism, materialism, despondency have raised their ugly head and some day seem to manifest an overwhelming power. God, however, shall not be defeated. We must set our faces like flint against the power of sin, death and Satan. We are one in Christ and must stand together, minister to each other in truth and with compassion.

1 Corinthians 1:21-25

21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

In the autumn of 1819, Thomas Jefferson took scissors and paste to the Gospels and created his own story of the life of Jesus. Jefferson couldn't handle the claim that Jesus was the Son of God or rose from the dead on Easter. This seemed absurd. He wanted a rational philospher in tune with the philosophy of the time. Consider what Alan Crawfors said about this in a study of Jefferson: "To the early Christians, the meaningfil life is not found through the application of universally asccepted principles, but in faithful, active and even, as they defined it, joyful participation in the suffering of man they regarded as their savior, through sacrifice of self in service to others." We preach Christ crucified who calls us to sacrifice of self in service to others.

Psalm 36:7-9

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

What a beautiful reading from the psalms! The phrase "steadfast love" catches my attention. I need to hear those words. Every morning I wake up and the first things I do is read the daily newspaper. Some day good news is virtually non-existent. Someone attacks a mosque in Pakistan. More American jobs are lost. A psychologist said people have recession deprerssion.
I want to hear more about the steadfast love of God. I want to see light in the middle of the darkness. How about you? Be a light in someone's life. How has God blessed you abundantly? Count your blessing today. Make a list of those blessings and give thanks for all God has done for you.

Mark 15:33-39

The Death of Jesus
33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ 35When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ 36And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ 37Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’

This is the text for Good Friday. Jesus dies upon the cross. In the face of death he feels forsaken. Don't we all feel forsaken by God in the midst of our own human suffering. The death on the cross is not the end of life, but the beginning og a new life and relationship with God. God is already and work. He will fulfill his promise on Easter Day. Can you place your trust in God even in suffering. So often suffering breaks faith, rather than strengthens it. Christ shows us that we must trust in God, even when our faith is most challenged by events beyond our control.

Jeremiah 33:12-16

Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without human beings or animals, and in all its towns there shall again be pasture for shepherds resting their flocks. In the towns of the hill country, of the Shephelah, and of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord. 

The Righteous Branch and the Covenant with David

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

The prophet Jeremiah forsees a day when the devastation visited on the land by war will be a thing of the past and prosperity will return to the people of Israel. He says God will send a descendant of King David to lead the people and restore justice. When I read these words of hope, I pray that God will do the same for us. Think of all the countries devastated by war and the soldiers and civilians killed in those conflicts. God has sent us Jesus Christ. He will lead us into a time of peace and renewed prosperity. But we have to be willing to accept his leadership. How does Christ lead your life? Do you pray daily for peace? Do you pray for those devastated by war. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our leaders. Set an example for others by the example of faith that you set. Do not be ashamed to proclaim your faith in God.

Philippians 2:14-18

Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you— and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.

St. Paul lays a tough request on us: "Do all things without murmuring and arguing." But we love to murmur and we love to argue. Everyday we encounter irritations, both large and small, that draw a murmur or provoke an argument. Paul calls upon us to be glad and rejoice. Why does it seem easier and more natural to murmur and argue, than to rejoice and be glad? We are ready to criticize, but wary of being complimentary. Try this exercise today. Every time you want to say something critical, rephrase your comment to say something positive. It is easy to turn negative, but tough to be positive. But so much more is achieved by praise than criticism. And do this too. Smile and watch how it changes your mood and makes being positive easier.

Psalm 118:26-29

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever.

This psalm reminds me of John 3:16 which proclaims God's love for all humanity and his intention to redeem us through Jesus Christ. The psalmist finds great joy in the presence and goodness of God. God is not somewhere else but right here and doing good right now. With this economy, we want to know God is with us and that he does good for us. Let us pray that God's love will endure forever.

Haggai 2:20-23

God’s Promise to Zerubbabel
The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders; and the horses and their riders shall fall, every one by the sword of a comrade. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.

The words of God to Zerubbabel are mind blowing. God intends to level the kingdoms. But out of this event he has chosen Zerubbabel to lead the people. What a challenge that must have been. Life has up and downs. We are happy to hear about the ups, but would rather avoid the downs. God chooses us as his people to lead others by the example we set, especially in challenging times. What example will you set? How will you lead others? Has God chosen you?