I am the way, the truth, and the life. Christ’s message is so exclusive that it rejects all others. There is only one way to the Father, and that way is a person. He does not say, ‘I show you the way,’ like a second Moses, but I am the way. Nor ‘I have the truth,’ like another Elijah, but I am the truth. Not only ‘I lead unto life,’ as one of his apostles, but I am the life. The exclusivity of salvation resting in the person of Jesus Christ is a rock against which the unbelieving world crushes itself, but upon which God builds his Church. Come and See… the Only Way to Heaven.
Come and See... Your Good Shepherd (Fourth Sunday of Easter)
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of shepherd and sheep are certainly familiar to modern Christians, but do those concepts resonate as deeply for us as they did for the people of God 2000 years ago? On Good Shepherd Sunday we see how sharp the contrast is between true shepherds and false shepherds. All is determined by their relationship to Christ, the only gate for the sheep. Come and See our True Shepherd!
Come and See... The Hope that Christ Brings
Don't confuse us with facts. Often that is the basis of our opinions and actions. We would rather hold our convictions and opinions rather than be informed by the truth that comes from the facts. If that is where life finds us, we are in good company---the company of Cleopas and his friend as they traveled to Emmaus. Their hopes and dreams had once been built on their Lord, Jesus the Christ; but now all that was crumbling because of the rumors and the lack of the facts. When the Stranger joined them, He brought their uncertainty to a halt. The Word of God still reveals the Christ to us. That Word---His Word---melts our hearts of stone and plastic and warms them with His forgiving love.
Come and See... What Real Peace Looks Like
Come and See… In the face of doubt, Christ gives us proof and peace. To the doubting disciples, he gave certain proof that led to certain peace. Through his Word and sacraments, Jesus gives the same proof to all people of all time. “Peace be with you,” said our Lord. Then he sent his people forth with this message of peace based on the proof of his resurrection.
Come and See... Easter Sunday: The Festival of the Resurrection of our Lord
Everything starts with Easter, or ends without it. Christianity makes a claim unlike any other—either a particular man named Jesus was raised from the dead or his life (and ours) ultimately means nothing. Easter is the central historical event that establishes a central religious truth. Come and See how without this truth everything ends, but with this truth everything is just beginning!
Service Program - Early Service
Good Friday: Service of Darkness (Tenebrae)
All of human history hinges on this day. Humbling himself before the will of the Father and the blood-thirst of men, the Son of God is slaughtered. Even worse than an ignomible death, the Father must reject his own Son since he bears the sin of the world. But all this served God’s saving purpose, and so we call this Friday…Good.
Good Friday is not a “funeral” for Jesus, but an austere celebration of the Lamb and his sacrifice. The bare altar, symbolic of Christ, is the focus along with a large, rough-finished wood cross that is placed before it. The Service of Darkness developed from the early morning monastic prayer services of Matins and Lauds but has come to be used as an evening service on Good Friday. The service centers on a series of lessons, psalms, and liturgical texts that reflect on the Lord’s crucifixion and our repentance.
Holy (Maundy) Thursday: Your Savior Comes to Serve You
No matter what the mess we might make in our lives, God doesn't wait to see if we're worth it before offering a helping hand. Instead, he reaches right into the mess with his grace and forgiveness. On Maundy Thursday we celebrate the fact that Jesus brought an end to the old and ushered in the new. The old covenant was a two-sided agreement between God and his people. His blessing depended on their obedience. Jesus established the new covenant in which forgiveness and salvation are offered freely. Tonight we celebrate the new covenant—and the new meal that delivers it to us!
Palm / Passion Sunday: The Messiah Has Come!
Here is the culmination of our Lenten journey of repentance and renewal. The journey of Lent has prepared our hearts to ponder anew the Passion of our Lord and his glorious triumph over death and grave. With repentant hearts we join our Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, confident in his everlasting rule, hailing him as our Eternal King. At the same time, we are mindful that he is our King because he is the Messiah, the promised Son of David sent as the sacrificial Lamb of God. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Paradox: Life in the Grave
A paradox is a statement or problem that either appears to produce two entirely contradictory (yet possible) outcomes, or provides proof for something that goes against what we intuitively expect. During the Sundays in Lent we will look at apparent paradoxes in the life and person of Jesus and in our own lives. This week we see that the problem within is death itself. When God surveys our condition he sees people doomed to death because of the corruption of sin. But God intervenes by sending his Son to be the power of resurrection from the dead and the bringer of life everlasting. God has intervened with a paradox—life in the grave!
Paradox: Sight in Blindness
A paradox is a statement or problem that either appears to produce two entirely contradictory (yet possible) outcomes, or provides proof for something that goes against what we intuitively expect. During the Sundays in Lent we will look at apparent paradoxes in the life and person of Jesus and in our own lives. This week we see that when God surveys our condition he sees people groping in the darkness even as they boast of their ability to see. But God intervenes by sending his Son as the true light that reveals the only path to seeing God’s grace and mercy for our good. God has intervened by giving us sight in blindness!
Lent Midweek Meditation: Holy Baptism
Beginning in March, the Christian church enters the season of Lent. To prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter Sunday, we take a season of 40 days to focus on our need to repent of our sins and our need for a Savior from sin. This season of repentance and preparation is called Lent. The six weeks of theLenten season is a time to meditate deeply on the meaning of Christ’s suffering and death for our salvation as well as a time in which to concentrate on the continuing importance of amending our sinful lives.
During the season of Lent, we will have 2 special midweek services. The focus of the services these services will be on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism—its blessings, it’s connection to our daily life, and the comfort in brings in our daily repentance.
Paradox: Water in Thirst
A paradox is a statement or problem that either appears to produce two entirely contradictory (yet possible) outcomes, or provides proof for something that goes against what we intuitively expect. During the Sundays in Lent we will look at apparent paradoxes in the life and person of Jesus and in our own lives. This week we see the paradox of how when God surveys our condition he sees people trying to quench their thirst with water than brings only bondage and death. But God intervenes by offering his Son as living water to slake our spiritual thirst with freedom and grace. Jesus intervenes to satisfy our spiritual thirst and gives us life!