Tag Archives: Faith

Faith in Jesus Christ which comes through the presence of the Holy Spirit

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 5:03 am on April 5, 2015
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Easter – Rev. David J. Schreffler

April 5, 2015
Easter Sunday

“That day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” They said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before G*d and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. It is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.” Luke 24:13ff

“The Gospels do not record the actual Resurrection of our Lord–they only tell of the discovery of the empty tomb by the women and his later appearances to the disciples. The Orthodox tradition faithfully following the Scripture does not depict the moment of Christ’s emergence from the tomb. Instead, the icon of (of the Resurrection) depicts Christ’s descent into the abyss, the underworld, or hell where he frees all the righteous men and women who lived before he conquered death on the cross and opened the gates of heaven. The focus of the Icon is the risen Christ, victorious, wearing a robe of dazzling white, surrounded by a halo of radiant blue as he stands over the dark abyss of the dead.” “The Icon of the Resurrection” “For All The Saints” p. 982

What is your focus on this Easter Sunday? Do you focus on the risen Christ? Do you focus on the empty tomb? Do you focus on the egg hunt that you have to plan, or the family members coming over to eat? Do you focus on the chocolate Easter Bunny that you bought, and whether you should eat the ears or the feet first? I like the fact that the Icon of the Resurrection focuses on the abyss – the fact that Christ entered hell to preach to those who had died until his defeat of death. This act is chronicled in 1 Peter 3:19 – and of course we make reference to it every time we repeat the words of the Apostle’s Creed. The description of the Icon mentions the fact that Christ is standing upon what can be seen as either the cross, which is the means of his death but also of life for all believers, or upon the crushed gates of Hades.

As believers, we all stand on the cross of Christ – or another way to talk about the centrality of the cross is to say that we stand in the shadow of the cross. Either way, today we should be focused on the Cross of Christ – not as a means of putting a negative spin on this most joyous Sunday, but for the joy that begins with the fact that, without the cross, there would be no empty tomb. Today, as you raise your voice to shout “Alleluia, Christ is Risen” – remember the centrality of the cross in your life – and then live into the joy of the resurrection.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 5:15 am on March 19, 2015
Tags: Faith   

Karma? – Rev. David J. Schreffler

March 19, 2015

“Is nothing certain but the uncertain wandering of chance which goes this way and that, and do the affairs of mortals have an ending?” Lucan “Cicero” “For All The Saints” volume I p. 905

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as King and deal wisely, and shall execute justice.” Jeremiah 23:1-8

I often think about the idea of divine “providence” versus chance. How do we discern the difference in our lives? When does a chance encounter move from “Karma” to “G*d ordained”? That is the one million dollar question for most people. It is the ten thousand dollar question for those of us in the church because the ways of G*d often remain a mystery – but we also trust that G*d will act – and G*d does act – with purpose. The answer comes in how we lead our lives – whether we live thinking our faith leads to naught, or living and trusting that our faith is the glue that holds everything together. This is what Philip Melanchthon had to say:

“The mind of Cicero was overwhelmed with doubt about providence, because he did not know the promises of G*d, and he doubted that he and others were heard or helped when they prayed, especially in times of calamities in which they felt that they were deserted by an angry G*d.”

Contrasted against Cicero is Jeremiah, who overcomes doubts and with great confidence believes that G*d will act in history, will act in his life, and so Jeremiah waits with patience for that outcome. “The days are surely coming, when the Lord will raise up a righteous Branch,” he says. And Jeremiah also says, “The Lord is our righteousness.” Those are statements of someone who believes that G*d will act in his life – that G*d promises and so G*d will come through.

In the season of Lent, you have the opportunity to do some serious assessing: do you live as if you know G*d will act – as if you hope G*d will act – or as if you doubt G*d will act? It is when we trust and have confidence that G*d is active in our lives that we are made more aware of those moments and know that they are not due to good Karma, but the gracious actions of our heavenly Father through the son Jesus Christ, sustained by the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Dave