Rev. William R. Vogelsang, Jr.
On this Sunday when we celebrate the Confirmation of seven of our students, we can't help but think about the assignment that was given to all of us as Christians. The assignement to "Go and Baptize all Nations."
As we focus on Mother's Day and the love that a mother has for her child, we can't help but look at the love that God the Father has for us. That love for us is modeled for us in HIs Son's death and resurrection from the grave.
As Community Lutheran Church celebrates its 23rd Birthday, we can remember how God has blessed and directed us everyday. The message that Community preaches has been the same for those 23 years and will continue to for the next 223 years. We preach Christ crucified. We preach about the Grace that God shows us everyday of our earthly lives and how he will take us to heaven when our lives end.
Jesus appeared to his disciples in a closed and locked room for fear of the Jews. Jesus revealed to those disciples again God's plan of Salavation. That plan involved you and me and is the reason Jesus went to the cross in the first place.
It might be hard to believe in the risen Christ and like Thomas, we might wish to touch the hands of Christ and see the nail marks. But because of Thomas, who did get to see the risen Jesus, we can believe. We can trust the words from Scripture that tell us that Jesus is alive!
While colored Easter eggs and cute little chicks are nice on Easter, the center for Easter is the empty tomb. As Jesus appeared to His disciples in that locked room on Easter Sunday, they realized that Jesus is the center of the Easter.
We are living in a world that is filled with self-love and is ME focused. God shows us true humility. First by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, but ultimately by going to the cross in our place.
We might think of ourselves or our heros as indestructible. Unfortunately, we know that because of sin, we are very much destructible. Only through God's Grace and His sacrifice, are we made INDESTRUCTIBLE.
Man has built many temples, but through the Gospel message, Jesus is both our temple and the one we worship.
