April 10, 2023 – Psalm 1

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” Psalm 1

“Verse 2 is the key verse: “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Notice the progression: delight, then meditation. Delight is a response of the heart to the beauty and value of something or someone—in this case, to God’s Word. But meditation involves careful sustained thought—it takes work and involves the will. Meditation done well should serve, strengthen, and sustain delight. Meditation allows the Word to penetrate our minds, hearts, and wills more deeply. Through meditation, we are “transformed by the renewal of our mind” (Romans 12:2). Meditation sends our roots down deep, taking in more and more of the life-giving water of the Word.” (desiringgod.org)

“The wicked” of Psalm 1 are those who seek independence from G-d — those who live according to the world’s standards and not G-d’s. At times this way of life may appear to be the way to happiness and prosperity. However, Psalm 1 helps us see things in a different perspective: the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting, for they are like chaff blown away by the wind.

So, what makes you happy? What gets you excited? This is a good way to see what is important to you. If personal pleasure is the only thing that makes you happy, then perhaps you have a short-sighted view of this life. If being with your family or friends delights you, that can be better, but it still falls short. The righteous finds their delight in the ways of G-d — not in the ways of this earth and its pleasures. Martin Luther said that he could not live in paradise without the word of God, but he could live well enough in hell with it.

It is a difficult life, living in the delight of the law of G-d and meditating on it day and night. But rather than seeing the law as a burden, perhaps we should see it as a sure guide throughout our lives. We cannot “obey” the law – but knowing Jesus fulfills the law for us, we live in the hope and the happiness of Jesus’ love, mercy and grace for all.

Psalm Prayer: Let us pray…

O God, thanks and praise belong to You because You have given us Your Holy Word. Enlighten us by Your Holy Spirit to understand Your counsel of grace in Jesus Christ, to love Your Word, and to take delight in learning Your statutes and walking in Your Law. Bestow Your blessing and prosperity on the works of our hands in our Christian calling and all our conversation. Amen.

Pastor Dave

April 9, 2023 – Easter Sunday

Everyone, and by everyone I mean the disciples, including the women, everyone goes back to their homes, or back to their jobs, the weeks following that first Easter Sunday. The disciples, including those who think this is an idle tale, and those who have no idea what this all means yet. All of the disciples return home—well except for a few women. Joanna, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, Mary Magdalene, they are the first witnesses for they see and talk to Jesus. And Jesus sends the women home to tell the men, to tell them the awesome good news. Everyone goes home.

And, today, after the Easter festivities, we will do the same—we will also go home. Some will leave today not sure of what they have just seen and heard. Others will go home thinking it is just a myth—and still others will go home and not say anything about it, going back to life as usual. As another Easter comes and goes, what will you do? Will you go home and ponder all that you have seen and heard? Or will you not say anything to anyone? What will you do tomorrow?

You know, anymore in my life, Easter comes so fast I find myself heading home Easter Sunday afternoon wondering what just happened. But Easter deserves better. Jesus deserves better. So, how do we keep that “Empty Tomb” feeling – that “He is Risen” joy all throughout the year? You see, the rest of the year we struggle with that empty feeling – and by empty feeling I mean our partially empty pews – not the tomb. We know many people who call themselves Christians, but they reduce their faith to two services a year—Christmas and (Easter). They come to get filled with Christmas traditions and Easter obligations, and then they go home and continue to live lives as well as they believe they can, because, at least they are “Chreasters” – pseudo-Christians.

But even the disciples went back home to live their regular lives to do their regular jobs, after Jesus died. They went home thinking “I have to do something—I might as well fish, or plant, or build”. Tomorrow, too many people who fill our churches today will do the same. They will go home, go back to regular “I’ve fulfilled my Christian traditions and obligations for another year” lives. All the while so many “Magdalenes” and “Salomes” and even “Thomas’” who have lived with Jesus every day—will struggle with doubts and faith issues all the while also struggle to keep their churches open the other 50 Sundays and 363 days of the year. For too much of the rest of the year, people of faith live in fear:

Afraid we can’t pay our bills

Afraid we can’t feed our families

Afraid someone will interfere with our normal.

And as churches we spend too much time afraid of the same things. While we stand here this morning shouting “Hosanna” and “Christ is Risen” – which we should – what will we do tomorrow—when the smell of lilies are just a recent memory? What keeps us from living in “He is Risen” joy all year long – if not every day? Is it Fear? Is it Scarcity?

I would say yes to both. Just like those first disciples, even the women who witnessed the empty tomb and had the first witness accounts of the risen Jesus, we return to regular, post-Easter lives living in fear. We, like the disciples, want that “Easter empty tomb” feeling, but instead just feel empty. So we try to reduce our fear and fill our scarcity with “over-work”, with “over-possessiveness” and with lots of other “overs” – instead of remaining “Over-joyed”. I am here to tell you it is not Jesus’ fault so many have that empty feeling. Just like Thomas, too many doubt the Easter joy others tell them about. They struggle with wanting first-hand experiences with the Risen Savior. But, my friends, Jesus doesn’t just remain aloof hoping we fulfill that Christmas tradition and Easter obligation. The fact is, too many people roll up their stones of fear in their lives to block Jesus out. But, again, I am here to tell you that Jesus isn’t hiding – Jesus appears to us every day—like he did with Magdalene, and with the disciples—G-d is trying G-d’s best to roll away our stones. And begins by shocking and amazing us this Easter morning.

No matter your reason for going to church on Easter Sunday, you have given G-d the chance, the opportunity to shock and amaze you. Maybe you will leave here still thinking that this story of a resurrection is just an idle tale.  Yet, maybe others of you will have a second thought about this Jesus.  Maybe, like Peter, you will come again just to see for yourself – to see that indeed the rock is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and G-d has amazed you again. On this Easter Sunday we need to shout with our loudest voices that Christ has been raised from the dead. My friends, if you are still uncertain about this thing called Easter, and wonder if there is something to this talk of resurrection and eternal life, I want you to consider this – G-d has done the unthinkable – G-d has done it all. Every day, Jesus wants us to feel that “He is Risen” joy.

Pastor Dave