May 25, 2025 Text: John 16:23-33

Dear Friends in Christ,

We inhabit a culture of doublespeak. Either for politically correct reasons or to lessen the blow we change words. “Detainee” instead of prisoner of war. “Ethnic cleansing” instead of genocide. “Negative patient outcome” instead of the patient died. “Reducing costs” instead of cutting jobs. “Tree hugger” instead of environmental activist. “Twisted the facts” instead of liar. It invades our churches and religious talk. Here’s a biggie I hear from most of you, “passed away” instead of died in the Lord. Or this beauty, they are “not in heaven” instead of damned to hell.
Jesus and his disciples are on the verge of some unpleasant events. The earthly ministry of the Savior is in its waning days. Judas and the soldiers are on the way. Jesus is going to be charged, tried, and convicted all in a night. By 9:00 a.m. the next morning He is hanging on a cross. By 3:00 p.m. the Son of God will be dead. The disciples are going to see him again. He will return to the Father in a matter of weeks. But this is an unsettled group of people. What is going on? We need to know. So . . .
“JESUS SPEAKS PLAINLY”
We long for straight talk. When you call a help line, you want them to assist you in your problem, not try to sell you something. When you buy a car, you want the lowest price, not the paper shuffle between general manager and salesman. Mechanic, Doctor, Lawyer, and even Pastor just give it to me straight. We even have that in a commercial we constantly see, “Straight Talk Wireless.” Stop the doublespeak.
Jesus talks plainly about problems. Like these men who have been following Jesus for three years, we think we have things figured out. Uh, we don’t. In verse 28 He tells them plainly that he is leaving. The disciples reaction, “sure, we get it.” Sorry fellas, I don’t think you do. You do not comprehend at all what Jesus is about to go through.
We know we need Good Friday to get to Easter. But how many times do we just want to stay in the streets of Palm Sunday? I love a parade. This all feels so right. But, it can’t be. There has to be suffering and death before we can get to the glory. Life cannot be a perpetual mountaintop experience. Sometimes we are dropped in the valleys and all we want to do is dig a hole and feel sorry for ourselves. We forget the presence of Jesus.
Jesus speaks plainly. You will fail me, just like my disciples. That is why I must go to the cross. I will be earning your forgiveness each and every time you let God down. “Lord, we will never leave you.” Just wait. We fail Jesus in our talk. We abandon Jesus with our lack of worship.
Jesus speaks plainly. Like the disciples, we will have tribulation in this world. Scattered and troubled in so many ways. “Ok, Jesus, you got this one right.” We do have heartaches in relationships. Our health struggles cause us to doubt. The family dynamic is a mess.
We are not the people of God that he has called us to be. How about we try a little plain talk. We are tempted by the devil. The world does lead us down sinful paths that we follow. We do fail him as our sins consume us. We deserve nothing from him. He should turn his back and walk away. Oh, but he doesn’t. Instead, this Risen Savior of ours, assures us that we are at peace.
Jesus speaks plainly about our peace. “I have overcome the world. I leave the world not in defeat and death, but in victory.” He is eternal God that was brought into the world through his incarnation. He leaves the world in his crucifixion but goes to the Father in his resurrection.
We live this victory in our Baptism and in Holy Communion. The sin separation from God is forgiven. We are reconciled to the Father, that is peace. The Means of Grace renew this to us every day. He tells us all is forgotten when we forget his presence. He reminds us the crimson stains of failing and abandoning Jesus are washed in the sweat soaked cross of forgiveness.
“I have overcome the world.” Boy, that feels good, doesn’t it? Peace as we live our calling as followers of Jesus. Don’t conflict the world with your mixed messages. Stop the doublespeak. Speak plainly of the hope you have. Jesus speaks plainly today, the Savior who died and rose to make you his own.
Amen.

May 18, 2025 Text: Acts 11:1-18

Dear Friends in Christ,

Most Lutheran people know what we call the “Common Table Prayer” which most of us say before meals: “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let thy gifts to us be blessed. Amen”. We call it common, but how common is it outside of Lutheran circles. Other folks may wonder if it is inspired or just brief and to the point. One thing I have noticed over the years is that when a Lutheran marries a non-Lutheran, and even if they attend the non-Lutheran Church, the family still says the common table prayer at home and in the restaurant.
For many in our world, the commo n table prayer is not so common. It united us as Lutherans, but it may exclude others. This is the way it was with circumcision and unclean foods in the first century or with modern divisions we ourselves create. By contrast, our text today calls us to see that God’s grace and promise goes to all people because we are…
“BOUND TOGETHER AS JESUS’ CHURCH”
Maybe we do get a little concerned about the Lord bringing the faith to those outside our little area of the world. The Jewish Christians did this with Peter. They were not supportive of him taking the Gospel message to the Gentiles. After all, in Deuteronomy 7 God himself had established a distinction of Israel from the Gentiles. Jews even thought that eating a meal with these Gentiles would make them unclean.
God had forbidden Israel to eat many foods that the Gentiles ate. But please remember what Jesus did. He ate with sinners. He sat down with the unclean. He did not stay away from certain foods. Jesus went well beyond in his effort to reach people with his message.
How about us? We have our comfort zone. Most of us like our space. You remember the joke at our house. I was already leaving in a covid world before we had even heard of the word covid. Relatives remarked that I wouldn’t have to change, because I was already giving people space. Are you the same way? Or are you like the people always behind me in the grocery line who think the closer they are to me the quicker the conveyor belt is going to move. “Let me pay please, thank you!”
What might disturb your comfort zone? The friend who wants to argue with you about our stance on Holy Communion? The relative at the family gathering that always has to engage you on infant baptism. How about the acquaintance who calls us the “exercise” church because we are always up and down?
God includes everyone. That is part of our confession. God made that very clear to Peter. God gives Peter a miraculous vision. Others were there to affirm the message and in the last few verses of our text God left no doubt.
Today, God affirms his promises to include all people by the testimony of His Word. The new covenant has been instituted with the shedding of Jesus’ blood. By Jesus dying on the cross, the sins of every man, woman, and child; past, present, future, has been paid for. Through the cross of Jesus, the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life have been given to all who believe. This plan of salvation means we can step out of our comfort zone. The gift of faith is for all. We see them differently. Not as a conflict lover, but as someone that Jesus would go to the cross for.
In the end, God calls all to faith through the same Word and Spirit. Whether by infant Baptism or the Holy Spirit working faith in adults, it is the same Word for everyone. The Gospel message is beyond our little corner of the world. God works the faith when He wants, with the soul that He wants. We don’t question, we just praise Him for His grace. We are “in” with Jesus because He paid for our membership by dying for us. Let us not stand in the Spirit’s way and we want to praise God when He brings others to faith.
Babette’s Feast was a 1987 Dutch film that showed people at odds with one another brought together by food and a gracious hostess. Babette was a servant in 19th century Denmark who devoted herself to bringing people together in a small and austere religious sect. She spent all that she had to prepare this feast for people that didn’t always get along. She introduced new foods and as they sat around the table together, beautiful things started happening.
As with Babette’s guests, Peter once questioned who he should dine with. Jews and Gentiles had always been at odds. But now Christ was gathering all who believed in Him to join as his feast, and how could Peter or the Church refuse? We can’t because we are bound together as Jesus’ Church.
Amen.

May 11, 2025 Text: Revelation 7:9-17

Dear Friends in Christ,

Most of us have heard of the unwritten rule that you should not wear white before May Day or after Labor Day, but where does this come from? In the Gilded Age of the 1870’s – 1900’s white was worn only in summer when you left the grimy city for summer vacation. White was also at one time a status marker for wealthy families. A more plausible explanation might be this one – white is harder to keep clean in non-summer months where we have four seasons.
This unwritten rule is basically outdated. Toni has given me the business in jest when I put on my white sport coat and break this rule. Here is what your Pastor says – wear what you want and whatever time of year you want because white has great symbolism for the Christian. It is in our text from Revelation from this morning. I look out at all of you this morning and with the Apostle John we say together . . . .
“YOU LOOK GOOD IN WHITE”
We hear it said: “Dress for success; you are what you wear.” Ever since Adam and Eve made a fashion statement with the fig leaf, our garments have been important. Why else do we dress up for a wedding, for prom, for church, dinner on a cruise? The criminal on trial even cleans up and walks into the courtroom. What we wear matters on some level.
It matters to our faith as well and our life in Christ. Steven A. Hein, in his book entitled The Christian Life Cross or Glory? writes: “We incompetent and disqualified sinners are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, a constantly worn garment that gives us saintly status and life as God’s children. With His righteousness, we are outfitted – made totally fit – for sainthood and citizenship in His Kingdom. And then miraculously, the robe of righteousness also creates and develops us on the inside into a mature image of the righteous Son of Man.”
Scripture supports this. Isaiah in 61:10: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.” In the New Testament and the Book of Galatians: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal. 3:27)
Before we can put on white, we get rid of our soiled clothes. How have we soiled ourselves? We get splattered with dirt when we put ourselves into situations we should not be in, places we shouldn’t go, friends we shouldn’t hang with. Sometimes the puddle splashes when we try to jump too far by ourselves. “I can make it.” But we can’t. And then once in a while, like my mud volleyball days at Illinois State, you get so dirty that you are cleaning your body for a week. That troublesome sin that leaves arms and legs but still gets in between your toes.
“Who are these? Who are you?” “Who are these clothed in white robes and where have they come from?” Then the answer, “Sir, you know…these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
The vision of John is for every generation and time. Those of us still here on earth living faithfully are part of the gathering. Our worship is our fellowship of this praise. White in the blood? It’s a paradox. White is the color of purity, and Christ’s people are purified by His shed blood for them. Christ has washed our robes and made them white. He is the dry cleaner; we just make the pick-up in faith through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Our white garments are a symbol of our Christian righteousness. All that dirt that we accumulate is sprinkled away in the water of Holy Baptism. In this Sacrament we put off the old man and put on Christ. If you wore a baptismal gown, I can almost guarantee it was white. Symbolism means something, signifies something. You are clean through Jesus Christ and He says to you today . . . YOU LOOK GOOD IN WHITE.
Amen.