Tag Archives: Luke

Jesus is the Son of Man

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on December 20, 2015
Tags: , Luke,   

A Christian Museum? — Rev. David J. Schreffler

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December 20, 2015
Sunday

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Luke 1:41 – 42

“Christmas is G-d at work with rescue. Joseph was told to name the baby “Jesus” because He would be the Savior, the one chosen by G-d to redeem His people. Dimly but surely in the faith of the earliest people was this ingredient: that G-d had rescue in need, help from death. Above all, this was the hope of that faith: that G-d whom men might cast aside would not cast them off, that He might return and forgive, that He would have mercy. He (G-d) has done what He could, the Lord of heaven and earth, in order to rescue us: He has given His own Son!” Richard R. Caemmerer, Sr. (1904 – 1984) A Sermon: “In Advent, Wait for Rescue” “For All The Saints” volume III, (p. 125 – 126)

There is the old story told about the Life Saving Station that was built along a long strip of coastline far away from civilization. The station was famous for their quick action in the midst of a calamity. The station was a crude building housing just the basics needed for the rescue of those lost on the sea. But soon, members of the rescue station began to question their surroundings. If they were to be the first rate saving station everyone talked about, they should have a first rate building. So the people went to work to build a new life saving station building. While they were in the midst of their building campaign, the saving of lives continued in earnest. But those who were responsible for the rescue of strangers said they needed first rate equipment if they were to be housed in a first rate building. So the effort was put forth to secure first rate equipment, while the saving of lives continued. But over time,while the efforts to update their building and their equipment was utmost on their minds, it allowed less and less time to rescue strangers. And those who built the new building said “We do not want the building being ruined by these strangers who come in wet and soiled – they will ruin these first rate facilities.” And those who rescued the strangers said “All of these rescues of strangers are damaging our new equipment, or at least they are taking away their luster, and if we have a shiny new building, we want shiny new equipment.”

In time, the people of the area boasted of the first rate Life Saving Station, and they showed people the new shiny equipment housed in the first rate Life Saving Station. People were still being lost on the sea, but few people were rescued any more.

G-d wants us to be in the business of rescue. Our G-d, who rescues us from sin, death and the devil through Jesus Christ, asks us to do the same. We are to be the hands and feet of Christ. Yes, we all want to have first rate buildings, and first rate life saving equipment. But, if we focus only on protecting our building and facilities, rather than inviting strangers into our midst, we will have a beautiful building filled with shiny life saving equipment, but it will serve only as a museum for those who want to know what Christianity used to be about.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on December 6, 2015
Tags: , , , Luke   

The Weak and the Small — Rev. David J. Schreffler

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December 6, 2015
Sunday

“…the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” Luke 3:2 – 6

“Luke begins his story by making the outrageous claim that God is at work in the weak and small – babies and barren women and unwed teenage mothers and wild-eyed prophets and itinerant preachers and executed criminals – to change the world. And, to be quite honest, God’s not done yet. God continues to work through unlikely characters today – unpopular teens and out-of-work adults and corporate executives and stay-at-home parents and underpaid secretaries and night-shift workers and police officers and volunteer baseball coaches and even burned out preachers – to announce the news of God’s redemption. It’s a promise, as I said, that’s easy to miss, but when we hear it – and even more – when we see it taking place in our own lives – it changes us along with the world.” (David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, A Promise That’s Easy to Overlook, December 02, 2012)

It is easy to fall into the belief that G-d only works through the powerful, the popular, and the precise. The scriptures are filled with all kinds of broken and sinful people through whom G-d does amazing things. But somewhere along the line we started to believe that G-d only speaks through the prophet and priest, and not through the homeless and the imprisoned. Some of my most G-d-filled moments have been sitting with people who are just trying to get through life.

John, the son of Zechariah, was as ordinary as they come. Yes, he wore outrageous clothing, and yes his diet was unusual, but let me reassure you, in the first century, there were a lot of “interesting” people out and about. There were zealots trying to convince people to fight against the Roman occupation. There were others living out in the desert, hoping to find G-d in their own way. And there were those who claimed to be the long awaited Messiah. The people ask John if he is the One they were hoping would come to save the people. He made it clear he was not, he was just there to prepare the way of the Lord.

All throughout the scriptures, G-d has selected ordinary people (like Amos, a dresser of Sycamore trees; and Joseph, the dreamer) to be G-d’s messengers. You and I, we are part of a Great Cloud of Witnesses – a long line of ordinary Joe’s and Jane’s called to share the story.

Pastor Dave