+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 14:6
Theme: The Way, Truth, and Life
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Peg, and especially you, Karen, Michael, and Andrew, her children;
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.”1 That’s what the word of God says, and it is now true for Peggy Ziersch. She is free from all frailties, infirmities, and cruelties that beset us in this life. The happiness she now knows is beyond words. When St. Paul had a glimpse of paradise he said that he “heard inexpressible things2. So, while we grieve, we also give thanks to our gracious God that Peg is now privy to these things.
Reflection on the life of any Christian is both a cause for gratitude and an occasion learning. The lessons to be gleaned from Peg’s life are many and colourful. God blessed others through her in humble, authentic, humorous, and yes, sometimes maddening ways. Life was challenging throughout most of her early years. She was born with no silver spoon in her mouth. Her mother died when she was not yet three. Yet, she persevered. Peg understood hard work. Frugal, resourceful, determined; she was never wasteful and always generous. She was never idle. There were always things to do on the block, and the cows always had to be milked. Still, time was made to be in the Lord’s house and Sunday was the day around which the rest of the revolved.
In her later years, Peg lamented how drastically times had changed and how many were falling away from the faith. Those who attended Bible study with her were always in for a treat. Feeling humble and inadequate she still made her queries and comments with bravery. She had an uncomplicated but deep desire to understand God’s word. Deeply influenced by the weight of God’s law and legalism in her early years, she longed to find comfort in the freedom of the gospel. She grew to appreciate God’s grace. How many times did we hear Peg say, “I shouldn’t be asking this, but…” or “What’dya reckon?” or “That’s a little bit naughty, don’t you think?” About those she thought God had been more than fair to she often said, “They had their chance.”
Peg didn’t really like to talk about death. Undoubtedly, she wasn’t fussed about any particular arrangements for her funeral. But her hesitation may have also been an expression of the intrinsic human fear of dying. The tendency of our current culture is to trivialize and sanitize death. We glorify it in the cinema and the gaming world, desensitising young and impressionable minds to the real finality of death. In virtual reality the characters are blown up or shot down, but in the next episode or next round of the game, they’re back again as good as new. We make death seem trivial. The living, breathing, flesh and blood world we live in is not that way. We also tend to sanitize death by our frequently sterile way of dealing with it. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’.
But that does nothing to solve the dilemma. Death is the unalterable consequence of sin. No human can overcome it. Peg had a deep concern for the spiritual well-being of others. She knew that she was a sinner in need of God’s grace and in that regard, she was no different than anyone else. The Bible allows for no exceptions when it says, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead."3 No one can stand at the judgment and account for their own sins.
The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was the sacrifice that covered the sins of the world. No one can get to heaven in any other way, for He says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”4 But no sinner is beyond the reach of His mercy. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”5 And again, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”6 Therefore the Bible says,“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, - who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.”7
When we leave this mortal life the Scripture tells us, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’" 8 Peg longed to be made new. She looked forward to the restoration of her sight, the restoration of her hearing, and, in the end, the restoration of her mind. But most of all, like all who hope in the Lord and look forward to the fulfilment of His promises, Peg anticipated with great eagerness being perfected in righteousness. Self-deprecating and always dismissive of her worthiness, it was beyond her wildest imagination to picture herself robed in the perfect holiness of Christ. Yet, she knew she was a baptized child of God and that counted for something. She confessed her belief in the resurrection of the dead.
Dear friends, there aren’t any shortcuts for grief. There is no inoculation program that makes one immune to its influence. Not that grief is shameful or something to be avoided. It is a necessary pain. It involves the recognition of human vulnerability in its most absolute context. We feel the pain of separation and we are powerless to stop it. Life is torn from us and we understandably feel the loss even if we were preparing for it. Yet, Christ does not fail to make good on His promises. He says, “As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”9 Peg has made that transition. She has traversed the inscrutable abyss and her soul has been escorted into the kingdom of immortal light. There a sublime peace reigns and immeasurable joy permeates the very fabric of all existence.
It was my privilege to be at Peg’s bedside when she drew her last breath. It was about 10 minutes before midday. A couple of carers had just left the room a short time before. I assured Peg that the forgiveness of her sins was an absolutely unshakeable truth. The Good Shepherd was about to receive His lamb into eternal pastures. Crucified and risen, His immortal life was about to be hers. She turned her head slightly to the right and the angels quietly escorted her soul into the presence of the divine. But we can safely assume the atmosphere in that dimension was also one of great joy and fanfare. No believer is received into heaven without great celebration. Though Peg was exceptional, she was no exception. Peg has been crowned with life. She is at rest. Her peace is profound. Her joy is immeasurable. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Peggy Ziersch
11 May 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 115:16 2 2 Corinthians 12:4
3 Acts 17:30-31 4 John 14:6
5 John 10:27-29 6 John 11:25-26
7Phillipians 3:20-21 8 Revelation 21:4-5
9 John 5:21-24
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Monday, April 30, 2018
Fifth Sunday of Easter (B) 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 15:1-8
Theme: Vine And Branches
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
God is not an object of examination. He is the creator and sustainer of all things that exist. Our experience of God’s presence and power, whether through the mediation of word, Spirit, and sacrament, or more indirectly through the many aspects of His creation, cannot be encapsulated in a single facet of interaction. Imagine trying to appreciate the intricacies of automobile design or the sophistication of civil engineering by simply driving your car a short distance down the road? Imagine trying to comprehend the full capabilities of your smart phone by making a single call? Can husband and wife truly understand each other after a few days of marriage? (It’s more likely they’ll be baffled for a long time to come!) It’s no different with the incarnate Lord Jesus, who bears the very image of the Father and sends to us the Spirit. In the constancy of divine love- through adversity and prosperity-we begin to apprehend the immensity of God’s life. We can really only make a start here; it will be consummated in eternity.
Still, believers already have eternal life as a present possession. Our Saviour assists us in understanding these things through another very tangible analogy today. Jesus identifies Himself as the true vine. It’s an agricultural illustration that remains very relevant to us. Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”1 He says, “He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”2
Pruning is a necessity. But it’s painful. Pruning has a purpose. Just as a viticulturalist doesn’t aimlessly slash the vines, the heavenly Father doesn’t randomly trim the fruit-bearing branches of our lives. Grape vines are pruned to promote the production of more fruit. As branches attached to Jesus, the True Vine, we are pruned for the same reason. What needs to be trimmed, of course, is all the growth that’s serving our personal, selfish agendas. The Bible says, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life.”3 The fruit of a sinful heart includes all expressions of ungodliness and unbelief. Jesus says, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”4
The pruning hurts most, of course, when our favourite depravities are severed from us. Those particular propensities of lust, greed, deceit, laziness, selfishness, meanness, cold-heartedness; or whatever they may be. Dear friends, it’s important to be brutally honest here. We might be quite happy to be called to repentance for sins in a generic manner. We’re masters at camouflaging our particular peccadillos. But when our pet sins are held under the spotlight the conscience quickly comes under duress. It’s exactly this type of pruning (and the Greek word means ‘cleansing’) that the Father undertakes for the purpose of bearing more fruit for the kingdom.
The vigor of our faith, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, is the greatest asset we possess; bar none. Life is filled with uncertainty. We spend much time and resource trying to mitigate those risks we believe are most threatening. We fear dying, illness, and material loss. So, we purchase life insurance, health insurance, and property insurance. We fear theft, and accidents, and financial loss. So, we try to secure our homes, our vehicles, and our businesses. We fear broken and troubled relationships, poor reputations, and feelings of inadequacy. So, we try to protect our feeling and our images. Seldom are these fears irrational. Yet, it is often the case that some fears are overblown, while others are undervalued. When we are not consistently instructed by God’s Word priorities easily become misaligned. If we’re not heeding the voice of the Shepherd, we can be led in all kinds of dangerous directions. If we become detached from the Vine, we will not only cease to bear fruit, we will be severed from the source of life.
Our Lord makes the point quite directly when He says, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”5 And again, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”6 Proper ordering of our fears, devotion, and hopes is essential. There is not a single scenario of pain or loss, fear or distress, hardship or tragedy that has been experienced, could be imagined, or will ever be conceived of that is too problematic for Christ to handle or too trivial for Him to care about.
The Holy Spirit is not inept. The arm of the Lord is not too short to save7. He can suddenly intervene in human affairs in dramatic fashion, but He normally wishes to use means. He uses people, with all their faults and foibles, to reach other people. The Spirit sent Philip to the Ethiopian today. Explaining the words of Isaiah, he catechized him in the truth of the Messiah and he was baptized. Lydia was a God-fearer and the Scripture says, The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”8 She too, was soon baptized, along with her family.
God is the potter; we are the clay. But, dear friends, no believer can be so broken that the Lord cannot use him or her to carry the message of hope to others. He uses broken vessels as His instruments to bring hope into the lives of others. A simple word of encouragement; a single act of charity may be all that’s needed at the time. You and I are His broken vessels. But we are also justified by grace, through faith. We are His baptized. We dine at the table of His wedding banquet. We are righteous and holy in God’s sight for Christ’s sake. Only in Him do we truly know love. Only through Him do we actually share love. As our Scripture says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.”9
The victim of the cross is the indisputable master over sin and death. He rose again on the third day never to die again. He did it to rescue us from the terrors of hell and open the gates of heaven to all who believe. As long as we remain grafted to Him death has no power over us. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”10 But as Paul says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”11 For it’s not we who do it, but Christ working in us. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday of Easter
29 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 15:5 2 John 15:2
3 Romans 6:12-13 4 Matthew 15:19
5 Mark 8:36-37 6 Matthew 10:28
7 See Isaiah 59:1 8 Acts 16:14
91 John 4:10-14
10 John 15:5
11 Philippians 4:13
Text: John 15:1-8
Theme: Vine And Branches
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
God is not an object of examination. He is the creator and sustainer of all things that exist. Our experience of God’s presence and power, whether through the mediation of word, Spirit, and sacrament, or more indirectly through the many aspects of His creation, cannot be encapsulated in a single facet of interaction. Imagine trying to appreciate the intricacies of automobile design or the sophistication of civil engineering by simply driving your car a short distance down the road? Imagine trying to comprehend the full capabilities of your smart phone by making a single call? Can husband and wife truly understand each other after a few days of marriage? (It’s more likely they’ll be baffled for a long time to come!) It’s no different with the incarnate Lord Jesus, who bears the very image of the Father and sends to us the Spirit. In the constancy of divine love- through adversity and prosperity-we begin to apprehend the immensity of God’s life. We can really only make a start here; it will be consummated in eternity.
Still, believers already have eternal life as a present possession. Our Saviour assists us in understanding these things through another very tangible analogy today. Jesus identifies Himself as the true vine. It’s an agricultural illustration that remains very relevant to us. Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”1 He says, “He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”2
Pruning is a necessity. But it’s painful. Pruning has a purpose. Just as a viticulturalist doesn’t aimlessly slash the vines, the heavenly Father doesn’t randomly trim the fruit-bearing branches of our lives. Grape vines are pruned to promote the production of more fruit. As branches attached to Jesus, the True Vine, we are pruned for the same reason. What needs to be trimmed, of course, is all the growth that’s serving our personal, selfish agendas. The Bible says, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life.”3 The fruit of a sinful heart includes all expressions of ungodliness and unbelief. Jesus says, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”4
The pruning hurts most, of course, when our favourite depravities are severed from us. Those particular propensities of lust, greed, deceit, laziness, selfishness, meanness, cold-heartedness; or whatever they may be. Dear friends, it’s important to be brutally honest here. We might be quite happy to be called to repentance for sins in a generic manner. We’re masters at camouflaging our particular peccadillos. But when our pet sins are held under the spotlight the conscience quickly comes under duress. It’s exactly this type of pruning (and the Greek word means ‘cleansing’) that the Father undertakes for the purpose of bearing more fruit for the kingdom.
The vigor of our faith, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, is the greatest asset we possess; bar none. Life is filled with uncertainty. We spend much time and resource trying to mitigate those risks we believe are most threatening. We fear dying, illness, and material loss. So, we purchase life insurance, health insurance, and property insurance. We fear theft, and accidents, and financial loss. So, we try to secure our homes, our vehicles, and our businesses. We fear broken and troubled relationships, poor reputations, and feelings of inadequacy. So, we try to protect our feeling and our images. Seldom are these fears irrational. Yet, it is often the case that some fears are overblown, while others are undervalued. When we are not consistently instructed by God’s Word priorities easily become misaligned. If we’re not heeding the voice of the Shepherd, we can be led in all kinds of dangerous directions. If we become detached from the Vine, we will not only cease to bear fruit, we will be severed from the source of life.
Our Lord makes the point quite directly when He says, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”5 And again, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”6 Proper ordering of our fears, devotion, and hopes is essential. There is not a single scenario of pain or loss, fear or distress, hardship or tragedy that has been experienced, could be imagined, or will ever be conceived of that is too problematic for Christ to handle or too trivial for Him to care about.
The Holy Spirit is not inept. The arm of the Lord is not too short to save7. He can suddenly intervene in human affairs in dramatic fashion, but He normally wishes to use means. He uses people, with all their faults and foibles, to reach other people. The Spirit sent Philip to the Ethiopian today. Explaining the words of Isaiah, he catechized him in the truth of the Messiah and he was baptized. Lydia was a God-fearer and the Scripture says, The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”8 She too, was soon baptized, along with her family.
God is the potter; we are the clay. But, dear friends, no believer can be so broken that the Lord cannot use him or her to carry the message of hope to others. He uses broken vessels as His instruments to bring hope into the lives of others. A simple word of encouragement; a single act of charity may be all that’s needed at the time. You and I are His broken vessels. But we are also justified by grace, through faith. We are His baptized. We dine at the table of His wedding banquet. We are righteous and holy in God’s sight for Christ’s sake. Only in Him do we truly know love. Only through Him do we actually share love. As our Scripture says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.”9
The victim of the cross is the indisputable master over sin and death. He rose again on the third day never to die again. He did it to rescue us from the terrors of hell and open the gates of heaven to all who believe. As long as we remain grafted to Him death has no power over us. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”10 But as Paul says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”11 For it’s not we who do it, but Christ working in us. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday of Easter
29 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 15:5 2 John 15:2
3 Romans 6:12-13 4 Matthew 15:19
5 Mark 8:36-37 6 Matthew 10:28
7 See Isaiah 59:1 8 Acts 16:14
91 John 4:10-14
10 John 15:5
11 Philippians 4:13
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
ANZAC Day Address 2018
Anzac Day Address 2018
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
How can we understand such love? With words? With images? With reflections in the mind? With actions? If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many volumes of words do the graphic images of a single tour of duty speak? Soldiers rose up to fight. They laid down to rest. They stood at their posts. They defended their trenches. They mustered their courage. They surrendered their vigour. They rose again and again engaging the contest until they laid down in their graves. A snapshot of the casualties from the Great War alone is astonishing. Gallipoli, nearly 500,000 lives. Verdun, 1 million. The Somme, a million plus. And still the tally pressed forward. What can be said in the face of such slaughter? What words would be sufficient to numb the immeasurable pain and grief?
Words must be spoken. They have their time and place. Yet in a situation of profound poignancy, words are ill-equipped for the task. Those who returned from the horrors of war often said little about their experiences. We would be showing no disrespect if this gathering stood in silence for the duration of our purpose: eyes fixed on the cadets to concentrate our reflections on sacrifices made by their predecessors, hearts viewing the placing of wreaths as if adorning the very graves where the fallen lay, minds standing at attention when the trumpet sounds out the notes of the last post. In strategies of war words of communication can be essential. In strategies for reverence silence can be golden.
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month the Great War ended. 100 years since the guns of WWI fell silent in November 1918. Few thought it could ever be exceeded. It was labelled as the war to end all wars. The hope was short-lived. Twenty-one years later the machinery of war roared back to life, and in its path, another trail of death. The destruction was staggering. Today we honour the fallen; of every conflict and every war. We enjoy privileges secured by the sacrifices of those who paid the highest price. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
It’s not our concern at this hour to pass judgment or lay blame on those decisions that may lead to war or make for peace. Arrogance, envy, ignorance, and apathy all play their part. Ours is a fallen world. Sacrifice, integrity, wisdom and mercy must predominate for peace to prevail. But it is our solemn duty not to forget. Clear memory must inspire resolute vigilance. Apathy never lays foundations that are worth building on, it never secures treasures that are worth keeping. Freedom and peace are not entitlements. They can just as easily be lost through indifference as through arrogance or ignorance.
There is a greater peace than can be achieved by the cessation of all human wars. Christ has achieved it and only He is worthy to speak into our silence. He speaks into our reflections. He speaks into our solemn observances. He speaks not out of ignorance or arrogance. He speaks because He understands the battle. He fought the cosmic war. He made the sacrifice. He carries the grief. He speaks like no other can. His words are life and hope. They are not hollow sentiments; they are empowered through death and resurrection. When the Son of Man comes in His glory no words of explanation will be required. Just as none were required when He hung listless from a cross. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”
May the merciful God, for sake of His Son give us the determination to pursue peace, the courage to value life, the means to protect the vulnerable, and the sense of reverence necessary to properly honour the fallen.
Prayer
Merciful Lord God, giver and restorer of life, at this hour of solemn observance we recognise the sacrifice of those who paid the ultimate price. We commend to you our reflections made with the help of words and those silent meditations that rest deep within caring hearts. Bless those families and individuals affected by the legacy of conflict and war. Embrace them in Your love. Guide the leaders of our nation. Equip them with wisdom and arm them with integrity. Favour us with your divine love for the sake of Him who gave His life in sacrifice for all. Amen.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
How can we understand such love? With words? With images? With reflections in the mind? With actions? If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many volumes of words do the graphic images of a single tour of duty speak? Soldiers rose up to fight. They laid down to rest. They stood at their posts. They defended their trenches. They mustered their courage. They surrendered their vigour. They rose again and again engaging the contest until they laid down in their graves. A snapshot of the casualties from the Great War alone is astonishing. Gallipoli, nearly 500,000 lives. Verdun, 1 million. The Somme, a million plus. And still the tally pressed forward. What can be said in the face of such slaughter? What words would be sufficient to numb the immeasurable pain and grief?
Words must be spoken. They have their time and place. Yet in a situation of profound poignancy, words are ill-equipped for the task. Those who returned from the horrors of war often said little about their experiences. We would be showing no disrespect if this gathering stood in silence for the duration of our purpose: eyes fixed on the cadets to concentrate our reflections on sacrifices made by their predecessors, hearts viewing the placing of wreaths as if adorning the very graves where the fallen lay, minds standing at attention when the trumpet sounds out the notes of the last post. In strategies of war words of communication can be essential. In strategies for reverence silence can be golden.
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month the Great War ended. 100 years since the guns of WWI fell silent in November 1918. Few thought it could ever be exceeded. It was labelled as the war to end all wars. The hope was short-lived. Twenty-one years later the machinery of war roared back to life, and in its path, another trail of death. The destruction was staggering. Today we honour the fallen; of every conflict and every war. We enjoy privileges secured by the sacrifices of those who paid the highest price. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
It’s not our concern at this hour to pass judgment or lay blame on those decisions that may lead to war or make for peace. Arrogance, envy, ignorance, and apathy all play their part. Ours is a fallen world. Sacrifice, integrity, wisdom and mercy must predominate for peace to prevail. But it is our solemn duty not to forget. Clear memory must inspire resolute vigilance. Apathy never lays foundations that are worth building on, it never secures treasures that are worth keeping. Freedom and peace are not entitlements. They can just as easily be lost through indifference as through arrogance or ignorance.
There is a greater peace than can be achieved by the cessation of all human wars. Christ has achieved it and only He is worthy to speak into our silence. He speaks into our reflections. He speaks into our solemn observances. He speaks not out of ignorance or arrogance. He speaks because He understands the battle. He fought the cosmic war. He made the sacrifice. He carries the grief. He speaks like no other can. His words are life and hope. They are not hollow sentiments; they are empowered through death and resurrection. When the Son of Man comes in His glory no words of explanation will be required. Just as none were required when He hung listless from a cross. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”
May the merciful God, for sake of His Son give us the determination to pursue peace, the courage to value life, the means to protect the vulnerable, and the sense of reverence necessary to properly honour the fallen.
Prayer
Merciful Lord God, giver and restorer of life, at this hour of solemn observance we recognise the sacrifice of those who paid the ultimate price. We commend to you our reflections made with the help of words and those silent meditations that rest deep within caring hearts. Bless those families and individuals affected by the legacy of conflict and war. Embrace them in Your love. Guide the leaders of our nation. Equip them with wisdom and arm them with integrity. Favour us with your divine love for the sake of Him who gave His life in sacrifice for all. Amen.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Fourth Sunday of Easter(B) 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 10:14-15
Theme: Shepherd and Sacrifice
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
God is the most important reality. Even lesser realities cannot be comprehended by a few simplistic descriptives. God is in His own category. Imagine trying to grasp the nuances of medical science or the complexities of theoretical physics by learning only a few basic concepts. It’s not surprising, then, that the Holy Scriptures use an impressive array of words and illustrations to communicate to us the God who reveals Himself in the person of Jesus through the power of the Spirit. We can never exhaust the Holy Spirit’s well of divine wisdom by but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t drink from it deeply.
Today our Lord identifies Himself as the good shepherd. His care of the sheep is intimate, powerful, authentic; and completely unique. He says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”1 By implication, there are others who present themselves as shepherds; but they are imposters. The Good Shepherd does what no one else can do? The hired hand is, in fact, no shepherd at all. He does not care for the sheep, but for his own interests. In the time of danger, he abandons the sheep. The Bible warns extensively against following phony messiahs. “Such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”2 Again, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”3 And again, “False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect- if that were possible.”4
Now, we’re foolish of we think this advice is no longer relevant. Just consider how pervasive ideologies are currently deconstructing biblical measures of truth and falsehood even among Christians? Are we so brain-washed by politically-correct definitions of sin that we have virtually forgotten God’s divine law? Do we have greater fear and take more notice of the appraisals of social media than we do of the almighty God? Do we listen to the voices of the cultural elites more attentively than those of the Holy Scriptures and the Good Shepherd? Do we worry about being “on the wrong side of history”, more than the right side eternal truth? When our mortality is reached, there is only one judgment that matters. There’s no room for compromise here, only repentance.
Dear friends, we shouldn’t be so naïve as to think that assault on the truth only comes from without, either. Every believer must resolve the inborn inclination to seek the favour of God by somehow satisfying His expectations of obedience. Sheep are devious. You cannot satisfy the demands of the law by lowering the bar. The law of God cannot be manipulated. It is good and righteous and holy. Nor can the conscience be pacified by attempting to “raise the bar” in relation to the expectations of society. If you rise above the righteousness of ten thousand people before you, are you therefore holy before God? The Scripture says, “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.”5
If you seek to stack up a pile of good deeds which look impressive before God and others, be warned, that in the time of trial, Satan, your accuser will knock them down like a house of cards. Jesus says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."6 Instead, we take refuge in His mercy as our “mighty fortress” and our desire to obey flows from that organically. Faith resolves the conundrum of the law by trusting in Christ as the One who has already perfectly fulfilled it.
We really can’t understand this too well because the deception that we gain God’s approval through our own efforts is logical to us. After all, Christ is an example of godliness. He is the example, par excellence. None can surpass Him. No one is more moral. No one is more ethical. No one is more righteous. We all understand the phrase. “Lead by example.” But, when we reach this understanding, we have by no means arrived at the primary work of our Saviour.
Christ is an example in a way in which it is impossible for Him to be a prototype. It’s better to understand Him as a substitute. He is the means. Jesus does not set the example of how to climb the ladder to heaven. He is the ladder. He does not initiate a process that others can then follow. None can do what He did. Salvation is not accomplished through a master and apprentice type of paradigm. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus cannot be imitated. It cannot be repeated. Certainly, it was foreshadowed in the regular temple sacrifices in which animal blood prefigured the pouring out of Christ’s blood. But you cannot be a substitute for the sins of others. You cannot even atone for your own sins.
Yet, that’s not a reason to despair, but to rejoice. A cross was raised on a rubbish heap outside a city where a long-suffering God regularly met with His wayward people. A crucifixion took place there. It was an unjust, ignoble execution. It is there that perfect love drove out fear. There the divine wrath was appeased. As the Scripture says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”7 This Jesus rose from the dead under His own authority. In Him we are already raised in faith and look forward to the bodily resurrection.
The challenges that confront us from without and within certainly underscore the need for faithful Christians to support one another. Encouragement is one of the great blessings of gathering together as God’s people. The Divine Service is not an event in which disconnected individuals enjoy private exchanges with the Saviour. We have fellowship together in the sacred things by which God sustains His people. We are a specific community of the baptized. We attend a holy meal together at the Bridegroom’s table. We mutually build up each other by our presence in this place. The apostle says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.”8
Christianity is neither a time-bound religion made obsolete by the progression of the centuries, nor a mythical paradigm that involves an alternative reality. Jesus Christ is the Master and Lord of time and space, of heaven, earth, and hell; of the past, present and future. The resurrection was not an imaginary occurrence that merely served to consolidate the resolve of those who only shared certain ideals with Jesus of Nazareth. As the apostle says bluntly, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”9
The atoning sacrifice of Jesus is not the basis for a philosophical dogma of social justice or a psychological tool for the alleviation of guilt. The Son of God, in the sacrifice of His body, gained the victory over the very real threats of death and hell. He showers us with grace and forgiveness.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. His care is hands on, but His work is cosmic. He is the only shepherd who was also the Lamb sacrificed on behalf of the flock. Only He can defend the flock against Satan, the preeminent false shepherd, the thief, the wolf, the dragon. Only He can lead the flock to eternal pastures. He fails in none of these tasks. Rejoice, sisters and brothers, we are His lambs. In Him we have life and we have it abundantly. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Easter
22 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 10:11 2 2 Corinthians 11:13-14
3 Matthew 7:15 4 Mark 13:22
5 James 2:10 6 Matthew 7:26-27
7 1 John 3:16 8 Ephesians 4:3-6
91 Corinthians 15:17
Text: John 10:14-15
Theme: Shepherd and Sacrifice
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
God is the most important reality. Even lesser realities cannot be comprehended by a few simplistic descriptives. God is in His own category. Imagine trying to grasp the nuances of medical science or the complexities of theoretical physics by learning only a few basic concepts. It’s not surprising, then, that the Holy Scriptures use an impressive array of words and illustrations to communicate to us the God who reveals Himself in the person of Jesus through the power of the Spirit. We can never exhaust the Holy Spirit’s well of divine wisdom by but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t drink from it deeply.
Today our Lord identifies Himself as the good shepherd. His care of the sheep is intimate, powerful, authentic; and completely unique. He says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”1 By implication, there are others who present themselves as shepherds; but they are imposters. The Good Shepherd does what no one else can do? The hired hand is, in fact, no shepherd at all. He does not care for the sheep, but for his own interests. In the time of danger, he abandons the sheep. The Bible warns extensively against following phony messiahs. “Such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”2 Again, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”3 And again, “False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect- if that were possible.”4
Now, we’re foolish of we think this advice is no longer relevant. Just consider how pervasive ideologies are currently deconstructing biblical measures of truth and falsehood even among Christians? Are we so brain-washed by politically-correct definitions of sin that we have virtually forgotten God’s divine law? Do we have greater fear and take more notice of the appraisals of social media than we do of the almighty God? Do we listen to the voices of the cultural elites more attentively than those of the Holy Scriptures and the Good Shepherd? Do we worry about being “on the wrong side of history”, more than the right side eternal truth? When our mortality is reached, there is only one judgment that matters. There’s no room for compromise here, only repentance.
Dear friends, we shouldn’t be so naïve as to think that assault on the truth only comes from without, either. Every believer must resolve the inborn inclination to seek the favour of God by somehow satisfying His expectations of obedience. Sheep are devious. You cannot satisfy the demands of the law by lowering the bar. The law of God cannot be manipulated. It is good and righteous and holy. Nor can the conscience be pacified by attempting to “raise the bar” in relation to the expectations of society. If you rise above the righteousness of ten thousand people before you, are you therefore holy before God? The Scripture says, “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.”5
If you seek to stack up a pile of good deeds which look impressive before God and others, be warned, that in the time of trial, Satan, your accuser will knock them down like a house of cards. Jesus says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."6 Instead, we take refuge in His mercy as our “mighty fortress” and our desire to obey flows from that organically. Faith resolves the conundrum of the law by trusting in Christ as the One who has already perfectly fulfilled it.
We really can’t understand this too well because the deception that we gain God’s approval through our own efforts is logical to us. After all, Christ is an example of godliness. He is the example, par excellence. None can surpass Him. No one is more moral. No one is more ethical. No one is more righteous. We all understand the phrase. “Lead by example.” But, when we reach this understanding, we have by no means arrived at the primary work of our Saviour.
Christ is an example in a way in which it is impossible for Him to be a prototype. It’s better to understand Him as a substitute. He is the means. Jesus does not set the example of how to climb the ladder to heaven. He is the ladder. He does not initiate a process that others can then follow. None can do what He did. Salvation is not accomplished through a master and apprentice type of paradigm. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus cannot be imitated. It cannot be repeated. Certainly, it was foreshadowed in the regular temple sacrifices in which animal blood prefigured the pouring out of Christ’s blood. But you cannot be a substitute for the sins of others. You cannot even atone for your own sins.
Yet, that’s not a reason to despair, but to rejoice. A cross was raised on a rubbish heap outside a city where a long-suffering God regularly met with His wayward people. A crucifixion took place there. It was an unjust, ignoble execution. It is there that perfect love drove out fear. There the divine wrath was appeased. As the Scripture says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”7 This Jesus rose from the dead under His own authority. In Him we are already raised in faith and look forward to the bodily resurrection.
The challenges that confront us from without and within certainly underscore the need for faithful Christians to support one another. Encouragement is one of the great blessings of gathering together as God’s people. The Divine Service is not an event in which disconnected individuals enjoy private exchanges with the Saviour. We have fellowship together in the sacred things by which God sustains His people. We are a specific community of the baptized. We attend a holy meal together at the Bridegroom’s table. We mutually build up each other by our presence in this place. The apostle says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.”8
Christianity is neither a time-bound religion made obsolete by the progression of the centuries, nor a mythical paradigm that involves an alternative reality. Jesus Christ is the Master and Lord of time and space, of heaven, earth, and hell; of the past, present and future. The resurrection was not an imaginary occurrence that merely served to consolidate the resolve of those who only shared certain ideals with Jesus of Nazareth. As the apostle says bluntly, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”9
The atoning sacrifice of Jesus is not the basis for a philosophical dogma of social justice or a psychological tool for the alleviation of guilt. The Son of God, in the sacrifice of His body, gained the victory over the very real threats of death and hell. He showers us with grace and forgiveness.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. His care is hands on, but His work is cosmic. He is the only shepherd who was also the Lamb sacrificed on behalf of the flock. Only He can defend the flock against Satan, the preeminent false shepherd, the thief, the wolf, the dragon. Only He can lead the flock to eternal pastures. He fails in none of these tasks. Rejoice, sisters and brothers, we are His lambs. In Him we have life and we have it abundantly. Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Easter
22 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 10:11 2 2 Corinthians 11:13-14
3 Matthew 7:15 4 Mark 13:22
5 James 2:10 6 Matthew 7:26-27
7 1 John 3:16 8 Ephesians 4:3-6
91 Corinthians 15:17
Monday, April 9, 2018
Second Sunday of Easter (B) 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 20:19
Theme: “Peace Be With You”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
The sun rises each day by the command of God. The earth rotates and darkness falls. But the Son of God has risen, and He will never “set” again. The ultimate power of darkness has been vanquished. Satan still has his little hour. He frantically bustles about plying his deceptions as the Scripture says, “He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”1 He cannot win the war. Therefore, we join with the apostle “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us in the kingdom of the Son He loves.”2 “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.”3
In the hours and days following the resurrection, the reality of what happened didn’t immediately sink in for the followers of Jesus. Their anticipation of His resurrection should have helped them make the transition. Instead, their hearts and minds dulled by confusion and doubt, they had to adjust to their risen Lord as if they never expected to see Him again in this realm. For the Twelve (minus Judas), it was a particularly intense time. After all, at His arrest they all forsook Him and fled. Only John had the courage to witness Him on the cross. Guilt and doubt hung over them like a dark heavy cloud.
Jesus’ first words upon appearing to His disciples were, “Peace be with you!”4 These words were not a simple, cordial greeting, but powerful words of forgiveness. A countenance of reconciliation beamed upon them. Jesus restored His fallen followers. He showed them the marks from His wounds. The proof of His resurrection was indisputable. It was really Him. Now they would have forty days with Him before His ascension. Today Jesus bestows on them the power of the Keys for the benefit of the church. The Office of the Keys involves Jesus’ command to called ministers to publicly announce that forgiveness is either granted or withheld.
Every human being is condemned by sin and deserves present and eternal punishment for their transgressions. Recognition of this truth cannot but cause remorse and trepidation. If it does not, then the conscience is standing in denial or rejection of the truth. If we are unmoved by the prospect of punishment for our sins, then we are living with a false sense of security. The conscience cannot truly be at peace until it knows it is right with God. Denial of our guilt elevates ourselves above the need for Jesus’ sacrifice. We’re not called to make excuses, but to repent.
As believers we know that peace has been made for us through the blood of the cross. When the called minister of Christ says, “On behalf of my Lord Jesus Christ and by his command, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”5 Christ is saying to us, “Peace be with you.”6 Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
This peace is the security of knowing that death itself has been overcome. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”7 Louis XV, King of France, foolishly decreed that death was never to be spoken of in his presence. Nothing that could in any way remind him of death was to be mentioned or displayed. He sought to avoid every place, sign and monument which in any way suggested it. Apparently, he hoped that such avoidance would make the reality of death disappear. His over-inflated sense of self-importance and power also contributed to his skewed perspective. It was, of course, an exercise in vanity and futility. Christians need not live in such fear. We have the supreme comfort of His promises. “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.”8
Dear friends, Jesus walked out of the grave bearing His scars. If you’ve made it to this point in your life without accumulating scars, then you have led an extraordinary life indeed. You might understandably consider yourself blessed. But scars are a blessing too. Scars are a reminder that we live in a world of sin. Scars are evidence that we have been in the fray and often they indicate a level of maturity in the faith. Remember, the first golf balls were smooth. After they became nicked up it was discovered that that they flew much further. Tiny scars made them much more aerodynamic. As living beings, being made “aerodynamic” is painful.
Satan will try to convince you that pain and hardship are evidence of God’s impotence or apathy. In fact, the Holy spirit is just refining your faith.
Still, because we are mortal we are vulnerable. And, so what do we do? We might be tempted to “purify” ourselves. But self-castigation won’t drive the “doubting” Thomas out of you. Doubt cannot be rectified by self-help procedures. The more you try to analyze your faith, the greater risk you run of intensifying your doubt. God never calls upon us to trust in our own faith. Certainty does not come from within. He tells us to trust in Him. The Holy Spirit alone is the master over doubt. The soul languishing in the darkness of doubt can be illumined by a single shaft of light beaming from the pages of Holy Scripture. This is how doubt is overcome. God is faithful.
The historical events of the resurrection may seem too distant to really grip our hearts and minds. The storyline may be intelligible to our intellects, while the power of it doesn’t seize our hearts. But it’s not our task to reconstruct the events of Easter with artificial hype. That might have a fleeting positive effect with a long term negative effect. It’s not necessary to visualize ourselves standing at the empty tomb; or being present when Jesus passed through the door. “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.”9 Focus on your baptism. That’s the portal through which the cosmos-changing events of the crucifixion and resurrection make a real impact for you. We don’t go back in time to glimpse the blessings, Christ brings them forward into the present.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He hosts us in the Sacrament of the Altar in real time and space. Christianity is neither a time-bound religion made obsolete by the progression of centuries, or a mystical paradigm that involves an alternative universe. Jesus Christ is the Master and Lord of heaven, earth, and hell. He says, “Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”10 Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday of Easter
8 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Revelation 12:12 2 Colossians 1:12-13
3 Romans 6:9 4 John 20:19
5 LH p.7 6 John 20:19
7 1 Corinthians 15:55 8 The Nicene Creed
9John 20:29 10Revelation 1:17-18
Text: John 20:19
Theme: “Peace Be With You”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
The sun rises each day by the command of God. The earth rotates and darkness falls. But the Son of God has risen, and He will never “set” again. The ultimate power of darkness has been vanquished. Satan still has his little hour. He frantically bustles about plying his deceptions as the Scripture says, “He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”1 He cannot win the war. Therefore, we join with the apostle “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us in the kingdom of the Son He loves.”2 “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.”3
In the hours and days following the resurrection, the reality of what happened didn’t immediately sink in for the followers of Jesus. Their anticipation of His resurrection should have helped them make the transition. Instead, their hearts and minds dulled by confusion and doubt, they had to adjust to their risen Lord as if they never expected to see Him again in this realm. For the Twelve (minus Judas), it was a particularly intense time. After all, at His arrest they all forsook Him and fled. Only John had the courage to witness Him on the cross. Guilt and doubt hung over them like a dark heavy cloud.
Jesus’ first words upon appearing to His disciples were, “Peace be with you!”4 These words were not a simple, cordial greeting, but powerful words of forgiveness. A countenance of reconciliation beamed upon them. Jesus restored His fallen followers. He showed them the marks from His wounds. The proof of His resurrection was indisputable. It was really Him. Now they would have forty days with Him before His ascension. Today Jesus bestows on them the power of the Keys for the benefit of the church. The Office of the Keys involves Jesus’ command to called ministers to publicly announce that forgiveness is either granted or withheld.
Every human being is condemned by sin and deserves present and eternal punishment for their transgressions. Recognition of this truth cannot but cause remorse and trepidation. If it does not, then the conscience is standing in denial or rejection of the truth. If we are unmoved by the prospect of punishment for our sins, then we are living with a false sense of security. The conscience cannot truly be at peace until it knows it is right with God. Denial of our guilt elevates ourselves above the need for Jesus’ sacrifice. We’re not called to make excuses, but to repent.
As believers we know that peace has been made for us through the blood of the cross. When the called minister of Christ says, “On behalf of my Lord Jesus Christ and by his command, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”5 Christ is saying to us, “Peace be with you.”6 Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
This peace is the security of knowing that death itself has been overcome. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”7 Louis XV, King of France, foolishly decreed that death was never to be spoken of in his presence. Nothing that could in any way remind him of death was to be mentioned or displayed. He sought to avoid every place, sign and monument which in any way suggested it. Apparently, he hoped that such avoidance would make the reality of death disappear. His over-inflated sense of self-importance and power also contributed to his skewed perspective. It was, of course, an exercise in vanity and futility. Christians need not live in such fear. We have the supreme comfort of His promises. “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.”8
Dear friends, Jesus walked out of the grave bearing His scars. If you’ve made it to this point in your life without accumulating scars, then you have led an extraordinary life indeed. You might understandably consider yourself blessed. But scars are a blessing too. Scars are a reminder that we live in a world of sin. Scars are evidence that we have been in the fray and often they indicate a level of maturity in the faith. Remember, the first golf balls were smooth. After they became nicked up it was discovered that that they flew much further. Tiny scars made them much more aerodynamic. As living beings, being made “aerodynamic” is painful.
Satan will try to convince you that pain and hardship are evidence of God’s impotence or apathy. In fact, the Holy spirit is just refining your faith.
Still, because we are mortal we are vulnerable. And, so what do we do? We might be tempted to “purify” ourselves. But self-castigation won’t drive the “doubting” Thomas out of you. Doubt cannot be rectified by self-help procedures. The more you try to analyze your faith, the greater risk you run of intensifying your doubt. God never calls upon us to trust in our own faith. Certainty does not come from within. He tells us to trust in Him. The Holy Spirit alone is the master over doubt. The soul languishing in the darkness of doubt can be illumined by a single shaft of light beaming from the pages of Holy Scripture. This is how doubt is overcome. God is faithful.
The historical events of the resurrection may seem too distant to really grip our hearts and minds. The storyline may be intelligible to our intellects, while the power of it doesn’t seize our hearts. But it’s not our task to reconstruct the events of Easter with artificial hype. That might have a fleeting positive effect with a long term negative effect. It’s not necessary to visualize ourselves standing at the empty tomb; or being present when Jesus passed through the door. “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.”9 Focus on your baptism. That’s the portal through which the cosmos-changing events of the crucifixion and resurrection make a real impact for you. We don’t go back in time to glimpse the blessings, Christ brings them forward into the present.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He hosts us in the Sacrament of the Altar in real time and space. Christianity is neither a time-bound religion made obsolete by the progression of centuries, or a mystical paradigm that involves an alternative universe. Jesus Christ is the Master and Lord of heaven, earth, and hell. He says, “Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”10 Amen.
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday of Easter
8 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Revelation 12:12 2 Colossians 1:12-13
3 Romans 6:9 4 John 20:19
5 LH p.7 6 John 20:19
7 1 Corinthians 15:55 8 The Nicene Creed
9John 20:29 10Revelation 1:17-18
Funeral for Robert Weetra (3 April 2018)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 3:16
Theme: God Loved The World
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Robert (Bob), and especially you; Flo,
God is the creator of life, and He receives it back to Himself. The God who made the universe and every creature in it is the same God who knows every human soul intimately. He values life above all things. The Bible says, “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”1 All the earthly days for Bob Weetra have now been completed. His journey among us has ended. But his time in eternity has just begun. As we gather today in grief, we also give thanks to the all-merciful God that Bob is now at peace.
There’s hardly a better time than Easter to reflect upon the death of a Christian. When the women went to the tomb on Easter morning Jesus was not there. They were met by an angel who told them that He had risen from the dead. Think of how stunned and dumbfounded they were! They had seen Him nailed to the cross. They knew His lifeless corpse was taken off the cross and laid in a tomb. They had come to prepare His body with the proper burial ritual. Now they find the grave is open and empty. Soon they would see Him face to face. Soon their hearts were filled with joy and love.
Dear friends Jesus’ resurrection proves that He has power over death. The devil could not defeat Him. Death could not hold Him. His own resurrection means that it’s a simple thing to raise believers. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”2 Unless Jesus comes back first, we all must pass through death. But it’s just a transition to the life beyond. God doesn’t leave us to work things out for ourselves. He sent to us His Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”3
God doesn’t leave things to chance. He knows how powerless humans are. Once our relationship with God is severed by sin, only He can fix it. No one can ever be good enough, righteous enough, holy enough to impress God. We cannot make up for our own sin. Jesus paid the price when He was crucified. We are freed from the punishment we deserve because Christ took it. He died in our place and on our behalf. That’s the only way the gates of heaven could be opened. That’s the only way our relationship with God the Father could be restored. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”4
Heaven is not a made-up, mythical place. It is another existence. It is on a higher plane. It is the place where God’s love permeates everything. It is an existence in which sin will no longer be present. There will be no hatred, evil, pain or distress. The Bible says, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5 There will be light and joy and peace, and indescribably vibrant life.
Bob had an active life. He saw a fair part of this area of the world, working at Iron Knob, and later here in Loxton, and living several different places. Much loved, he was a great blessing to many people. God made many promises to Bob. Believers are part of a bigger family. They are given an inheritance in the heavenly kingdom. In baptism the Holy Spirit makes these promises to all believers. Spiritual blessings are more important than all the materials possessions we will ever have.
In this life, the greatest thing we have after God’s own love is the love of other people. No matter how many people God puts in our lives, each one is always unique. That means when someone dies, a very specific loss occurs. Grief is never easy. Flo, for you and others who were close to Bob, life will never be the same again. Someone irreplaceable has been lost. That leaves a gap, an emptiness that must be somehow dealt with and adjusted to. May our gracious God give you the love, comfort, and support you need.
God tells us to focus on His promises. Through Jesus He has proven how much human souls mean to Him. Remember Jesus’ own words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”6 Even when we are grieving, we can give thanks to God. Bob is now at rest. We need not worry about him anymore. The Bible says that nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Robert Edwin Weetra
3 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 139:16 2 John 11:25-26
3 John 3:16-17 4 John 14:6
5 Revelation 21:4 6 John 3:16-17
Text: John 3:16
Theme: God Loved The World
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Robert (Bob), and especially you; Flo,
God is the creator of life, and He receives it back to Himself. The God who made the universe and every creature in it is the same God who knows every human soul intimately. He values life above all things. The Bible says, “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”1 All the earthly days for Bob Weetra have now been completed. His journey among us has ended. But his time in eternity has just begun. As we gather today in grief, we also give thanks to the all-merciful God that Bob is now at peace.
There’s hardly a better time than Easter to reflect upon the death of a Christian. When the women went to the tomb on Easter morning Jesus was not there. They were met by an angel who told them that He had risen from the dead. Think of how stunned and dumbfounded they were! They had seen Him nailed to the cross. They knew His lifeless corpse was taken off the cross and laid in a tomb. They had come to prepare His body with the proper burial ritual. Now they find the grave is open and empty. Soon they would see Him face to face. Soon their hearts were filled with joy and love.
Dear friends Jesus’ resurrection proves that He has power over death. The devil could not defeat Him. Death could not hold Him. His own resurrection means that it’s a simple thing to raise believers. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”2 Unless Jesus comes back first, we all must pass through death. But it’s just a transition to the life beyond. God doesn’t leave us to work things out for ourselves. He sent to us His Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”3
God doesn’t leave things to chance. He knows how powerless humans are. Once our relationship with God is severed by sin, only He can fix it. No one can ever be good enough, righteous enough, holy enough to impress God. We cannot make up for our own sin. Jesus paid the price when He was crucified. We are freed from the punishment we deserve because Christ took it. He died in our place and on our behalf. That’s the only way the gates of heaven could be opened. That’s the only way our relationship with God the Father could be restored. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”4
Heaven is not a made-up, mythical place. It is another existence. It is on a higher plane. It is the place where God’s love permeates everything. It is an existence in which sin will no longer be present. There will be no hatred, evil, pain or distress. The Bible says, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5 There will be light and joy and peace, and indescribably vibrant life.
Bob had an active life. He saw a fair part of this area of the world, working at Iron Knob, and later here in Loxton, and living several different places. Much loved, he was a great blessing to many people. God made many promises to Bob. Believers are part of a bigger family. They are given an inheritance in the heavenly kingdom. In baptism the Holy Spirit makes these promises to all believers. Spiritual blessings are more important than all the materials possessions we will ever have.
In this life, the greatest thing we have after God’s own love is the love of other people. No matter how many people God puts in our lives, each one is always unique. That means when someone dies, a very specific loss occurs. Grief is never easy. Flo, for you and others who were close to Bob, life will never be the same again. Someone irreplaceable has been lost. That leaves a gap, an emptiness that must be somehow dealt with and adjusted to. May our gracious God give you the love, comfort, and support you need.
God tells us to focus on His promises. Through Jesus He has proven how much human souls mean to Him. Remember Jesus’ own words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”6 Even when we are grieving, we can give thanks to God. Bob is now at rest. We need not worry about him anymore. The Bible says that nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Robert Edwin Weetra
3 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 139:16 2 John 11:25-26
3 John 3:16-17 4 John 14:6
5 Revelation 21:4 6 John 3:16-17
Thursday, April 5, 2018
The Resurrection of our Lord 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Mark 16:6
Theme: Not There, But Here
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Christ wasn’t there when the women arrived at the tomb. But He’s here with us. Jesus wasn’t there, that is, in the grave as a lifeless corpse on Easter morning. He strode forth as the Lord of Life. There is nothing some would like more-right here and now- than tangible eye-witness evidence that Jesus is back from the dead. Thomas wanted exactly that. He would not be disappointed. But, “Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."1 Faith is a venture into the darkness. God sees clearly things that are veiled to our sight. The Holy Spirit permits us to see through His eyes when we need to.
Today our deepest expressions of gratitude are in order. Our crucified Saviour is alive. Since artificial expressions of joy are hollow, we pray that the Holy Spirit would fill our hearts and minds with genuine joy and sincere peace. His resurrection means our lives have true meaning. Not one of us knows whether we have another day, another month, another year, another decade, or perhaps, for some of the littlest ones, even another century on this earth. It may be cliché to say that life is a gift, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was Russian writer and activist who was harshly critical of the communist party of the former Soviet Union. He was involved in active duty with the Red Army in WWII, being highly decorated. Later he was sent to the gulags- the Soviet labour camps- for his criticism of Stalin’s handling of the war. During his long stay in the labour camps he abandoned Marxism and eventually became an Orthodox Christian.
In the gulag was he on a program of hard labour and slow salvation. One day he felt like giving up. He felt his life could not make a difference. He sat down on a bench knowing that when he was spotted by a guard he would be ordered back to work and when he failed to respond the guard would bludgeon him to death. As he sat waiting, head down, he felt a presence. Slowly he lifted his eyes. Next to him sat an old man with a wrinkled, utterly expressionless face. Hunched over, the old man drew a stick through the sand at Solzhenitsyn’s feet deliberately tracing out the sign of the cross.
As Solzhenitsyn stared at the rough outline his entire perspective shifted.
In that moment, he knew that the hope of all mankind was represented by that simple cross - and through its power anything was possible. Solzhenitisyn slowly got up, picked up his shovel and went back to work - not knowing that his writings on truth and freedom would one day enflame the whole world.
Dear friends, the apostle Paul once described the importance of the resurrection in this way, “If the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”2 Now, think of what the apostle says here? If the resurrection hadn’t happened sin would remain un-atoned for. And, if the only reason we trust in Christ is to improve life in the here and now, then the situation is pitiable. Christ didn’t sacrifice His life to give us more creature comforts. The Bible says, “We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”3 There could hardly be a more appropriate time to repent of our malcontent than Easter.
But we are more than content. He provides for our every need, and, promises us bodily resurrection to our heavenly home. Eternal life is a present possession. It’s mind boggling to even reflect upon a life that knows of no pain, that’s unaffected by sin and decay, that’s not subject to boredom, tedium, exhaustion, or fear. A life overflowing with joy, and peace and bliss. A life where there’s no deceit or tragedy or harm. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."4 All of the limitations of body and mind will disappear. In perfect clarity we will enjoy the presence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, saints and angels.
It’s certainly not the kind of world that’s tangible to us now. In what kind of a world do we now bear witness to the resurrection? It is becoming more like the First Century. The society is becoming deeply suspicious of Christian belief and practice. Faults and failings are held under the spotlight, contributions to the well-being of society are downplayed. Such suspicion is sometimes driven by ignorance, other times, by calculated bigotry. Christians should no longer expect to be respected by the wider culture.
Still, there are more differences between our current age and the First Century biblical context than there are similarities. The struggle for basic necessities is greatly relieved in the current culture of material affluence. “Time-poor” families still have more flexible time than ever to spend on recreation and personal pursuits. Few in the secular West literally live hand to mouth. Yet, many are stressed out, worn out, burned out, or otherwise fed up. Meaning and purpose seem elusive to many. The breakdown of family structure has left people searching for identity. In the mindset created by this environment the gospel is often a hard sell. The good news is often like the seed that fell on the rocky soil, like water on impervious ground, like audible words to the ears of the deaf, or printed words to the eyes of the blind.
The opportunities to be salt and light are becoming more clearly defined. Christians are a community of those who live through the One who died; and die on behalf of the One who lives. As the apostle says, “By the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”5 This is not some pie-in-the-sky religious jargon. It’s not some ideal for religious zealots that’s irrelevant to the average Christian. With the same certainty that Jesus is risen from the dead, and that we are flesh and blood, living and breathing beings, with that certainty do we know that we are called to reorder our priorities to be salt and light in a dark and decaying world. Dying to selfishness, we can see the world from a different perspective.
Dear friends, the resurrection doesn’t mean the trials of life cease to exist. You will have disappointments, heartaches, and pains. You will face testings and temptations. The Scripture makes this promise, “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”6 The first golf balls were smooth. It was soon discovered that a golf ball that was roughed up flew further than a smooth golf ball. In fact, a dimpled golf ball hit by a professional golfer travels twice the distance of a smooth one. Most golf balls have between 300 and 500 dimples. It’s the same in the Christian life. We accumulate “dimples” and scars in life, but God uses that to make us go further. Jesus emerged from the grave with the scars of our sins and He bears them for eternity.
Only the Holy Spirit can generate truly joy-filled Alleluias. Christ was crucified, but He lives. The same Christ who said, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”7, also says, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”8 Christ wasn’t there in the tomb on Easter morning. He was already filling the world with His love.
Life prevails! Darkness, doubt, and death do not have the final say. We must traverse the shadows. Sometimes they are long and foreboding. But Christ is light, and He cannot be extinguished. The rays of the Son will not fail to beam upon us. Jesus is risen from the dead. We join our hallelujahs with every believer in every place on earth and in heaven in symphony with those words with which enter the most holy place, “with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we adore and magnify [His] glorious name, evermore praising [Him]...”9
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Resurrection of our Lord
1 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 20:29 2 1 Corinthians 15:16-19
3 1 Timothy 6:7-8 4 Revelation 21:4
5 Romans 12:1 6 1 Corinthians 10:13
7 John 14:2 8 John 14:18
9LH, p.16 (communion liturgy)
Text: Mark 16:6
Theme: Not There, But Here
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Christ wasn’t there when the women arrived at the tomb. But He’s here with us. Jesus wasn’t there, that is, in the grave as a lifeless corpse on Easter morning. He strode forth as the Lord of Life. There is nothing some would like more-right here and now- than tangible eye-witness evidence that Jesus is back from the dead. Thomas wanted exactly that. He would not be disappointed. But, “Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."1 Faith is a venture into the darkness. God sees clearly things that are veiled to our sight. The Holy Spirit permits us to see through His eyes when we need to.
Today our deepest expressions of gratitude are in order. Our crucified Saviour is alive. Since artificial expressions of joy are hollow, we pray that the Holy Spirit would fill our hearts and minds with genuine joy and sincere peace. His resurrection means our lives have true meaning. Not one of us knows whether we have another day, another month, another year, another decade, or perhaps, for some of the littlest ones, even another century on this earth. It may be cliché to say that life is a gift, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was Russian writer and activist who was harshly critical of the communist party of the former Soviet Union. He was involved in active duty with the Red Army in WWII, being highly decorated. Later he was sent to the gulags- the Soviet labour camps- for his criticism of Stalin’s handling of the war. During his long stay in the labour camps he abandoned Marxism and eventually became an Orthodox Christian.
In the gulag was he on a program of hard labour and slow salvation. One day he felt like giving up. He felt his life could not make a difference. He sat down on a bench knowing that when he was spotted by a guard he would be ordered back to work and when he failed to respond the guard would bludgeon him to death. As he sat waiting, head down, he felt a presence. Slowly he lifted his eyes. Next to him sat an old man with a wrinkled, utterly expressionless face. Hunched over, the old man drew a stick through the sand at Solzhenitsyn’s feet deliberately tracing out the sign of the cross.
As Solzhenitsyn stared at the rough outline his entire perspective shifted.
In that moment, he knew that the hope of all mankind was represented by that simple cross - and through its power anything was possible. Solzhenitisyn slowly got up, picked up his shovel and went back to work - not knowing that his writings on truth and freedom would one day enflame the whole world.
Dear friends, the apostle Paul once described the importance of the resurrection in this way, “If the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”2 Now, think of what the apostle says here? If the resurrection hadn’t happened sin would remain un-atoned for. And, if the only reason we trust in Christ is to improve life in the here and now, then the situation is pitiable. Christ didn’t sacrifice His life to give us more creature comforts. The Bible says, “We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”3 There could hardly be a more appropriate time to repent of our malcontent than Easter.
But we are more than content. He provides for our every need, and, promises us bodily resurrection to our heavenly home. Eternal life is a present possession. It’s mind boggling to even reflect upon a life that knows of no pain, that’s unaffected by sin and decay, that’s not subject to boredom, tedium, exhaustion, or fear. A life overflowing with joy, and peace and bliss. A life where there’s no deceit or tragedy or harm. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."4 All of the limitations of body and mind will disappear. In perfect clarity we will enjoy the presence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, saints and angels.
It’s certainly not the kind of world that’s tangible to us now. In what kind of a world do we now bear witness to the resurrection? It is becoming more like the First Century. The society is becoming deeply suspicious of Christian belief and practice. Faults and failings are held under the spotlight, contributions to the well-being of society are downplayed. Such suspicion is sometimes driven by ignorance, other times, by calculated bigotry. Christians should no longer expect to be respected by the wider culture.
Still, there are more differences between our current age and the First Century biblical context than there are similarities. The struggle for basic necessities is greatly relieved in the current culture of material affluence. “Time-poor” families still have more flexible time than ever to spend on recreation and personal pursuits. Few in the secular West literally live hand to mouth. Yet, many are stressed out, worn out, burned out, or otherwise fed up. Meaning and purpose seem elusive to many. The breakdown of family structure has left people searching for identity. In the mindset created by this environment the gospel is often a hard sell. The good news is often like the seed that fell on the rocky soil, like water on impervious ground, like audible words to the ears of the deaf, or printed words to the eyes of the blind.
The opportunities to be salt and light are becoming more clearly defined. Christians are a community of those who live through the One who died; and die on behalf of the One who lives. As the apostle says, “By the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”5 This is not some pie-in-the-sky religious jargon. It’s not some ideal for religious zealots that’s irrelevant to the average Christian. With the same certainty that Jesus is risen from the dead, and that we are flesh and blood, living and breathing beings, with that certainty do we know that we are called to reorder our priorities to be salt and light in a dark and decaying world. Dying to selfishness, we can see the world from a different perspective.
Dear friends, the resurrection doesn’t mean the trials of life cease to exist. You will have disappointments, heartaches, and pains. You will face testings and temptations. The Scripture makes this promise, “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”6 The first golf balls were smooth. It was soon discovered that a golf ball that was roughed up flew further than a smooth golf ball. In fact, a dimpled golf ball hit by a professional golfer travels twice the distance of a smooth one. Most golf balls have between 300 and 500 dimples. It’s the same in the Christian life. We accumulate “dimples” and scars in life, but God uses that to make us go further. Jesus emerged from the grave with the scars of our sins and He bears them for eternity.
Only the Holy Spirit can generate truly joy-filled Alleluias. Christ was crucified, but He lives. The same Christ who said, “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”7, also says, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”8 Christ wasn’t there in the tomb on Easter morning. He was already filling the world with His love.
Life prevails! Darkness, doubt, and death do not have the final say. We must traverse the shadows. Sometimes they are long and foreboding. But Christ is light, and He cannot be extinguished. The rays of the Son will not fail to beam upon us. Jesus is risen from the dead. We join our hallelujahs with every believer in every place on earth and in heaven in symphony with those words with which enter the most holy place, “with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we adore and magnify [His] glorious name, evermore praising [Him]...”9
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Resurrection of our Lord
1 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 20:29 2 1 Corinthians 15:16-19
3 1 Timothy 6:7-8 4 Revelation 21:4
5 Romans 12:1 6 1 Corinthians 10:13
7 John 14:2 8 John 14:18
9LH, p.16 (communion liturgy)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)