Pastor Rick's Blog

The Power of the “Presence” of The Christ!

When all of Jesus’ disciples, men and women, experienced His resurrection, their lives were changed. Why? They witnessed Jesus’ resurrection! They knew their sin of denying, betraying, and deserting Him was NOT held against them. Their sin did NOT lead to spiritual death. They were forgiven, forever (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 23:34). They also knew “physical” death was not the end! Jesus was alive again!

Knowing their two greatest fears of “spiritual” and “physical” deaths were defeated, they were given new life. They, then, allowed God to equip and empower them to be witnesses for the Risen Christ; helping their world know God’s unconditional love, for all!

With all that is going on in our world: war, hunger, and poverty; all the social, racial, political, and religious inequalities and unrest in our world, what the world needs is the “presence” of the resurrected Christ in their lives.

That real “presence” comes to us in the hearing of God’s Word and in the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism. Every time we gather together to hear God’s Word, have communion, and remember our baptisms, the real “presence” of God’s forgiveness and love comes alive in us; giving us hope and peace.

God’s “presence” created the world in love (every-person and every-thing); Jesus’ pre-and-post-resurrection “presence” redeemed the world (every-person and every-thing). Jesus promised the real “presence” of God’s love for all (every-person and every-thing) when He returns one day.

In the meantime, what could our world look like as we allow God’s Holy Spirit to equip and empower us to witness the real “presence” of God’s love in all, for all? How much more peace would we all have?

We at St. John’s Lutheran Church believe and are striving to live and share God’s real “presence” that is in all, and for all, through all we do. You are invited to join us wherever you are in the world, for the sake of the world in need of more hope and peace. www.stjohnsnashville.org

#stjohnsnashville #stjohnsdonelson

Jesus’ Universal Resurrection Love for All!

Think about the worst sin and/or sinner ever…. What sin(s) come to mind: murder, stealing, any and all abuses, etc. What great sinners come to mind: Putin, Hitler, etc. What is the most egregious sin/sinner ever? I believe it was the “sin” of the “world” that crucified/murdered Jesus! And what did Jesus say as He hung, dying on His Cross? “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

In John’s gospel, he introduced Jesus by saying, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the ‘sin’ of the ‘world’!” (John 1:29b) Then, as we heard on the Cross, Jesus forgave the most egregious “sin/sinners” ever (the world/all people). At His death, we believe, Jesus descended to the dead to proclaim and give that same forgiveness for all. And at His resurrection, Jesus gave us the proof of God’s universal, once-for-all, forgiveness and love, forever.

Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension was, and is, all about God’s amazing gift of grace: reconciling love and forgiveness for all. As we learn to die to ourselves, God resurrects us to know and believe-in God’s love for us. As God helps us to know that gospel truth, God equips and empowers us to live God’s universal gift of grace.

At St. John’s Lutheran Church in Nashville, TN, we are striving to live resurrection lives for the sake of the world God so loves. You are invited to join us. www.stjohnsnashville.org

An Easter Reflection on: Christ is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia

We shout on Easter Sunday, “Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!” Why do we always shout that wonderful phrase on Easter? Because God raised Jesus from the dead on that glorious first Easter; defeating the power of sin and death; giving the world God’s gift of grace. That is our main belief as ELCA Lutheran Christians.

As important, and needed, Jesus’ resurrection was, it was NOT just for Him. In Matthew’s gospel, as soon as Jesus died, many people began to rise (Matthew 27:52). As we believe, when Jesus died, he descended to the dead (not hell), the dead, for the purpose to preach the “good news” of God’s grace to them, too; to resurrect them to new life (1 Peter 3:18-20).

Jesus’ resurrection is also a resurrection for the world, for all people. There are many people in our world, living, as though they were dead, because of all the devastating effects of sin (you know them all, right?). Like the first witnesses of the resurrection, and many since, our calling as the Church of Jesus Christ is to live and share Easter Resurrection Joy everywhere and every day!

Our calling is to live and shout, “Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!” How do we shout that phrase? Not, by just shouting it. Rather, by following Jesus’ example and command to actively live God’s love all. It’s as simple as greeting a store clerk, donating food items to a local food bank to help those in need; by talking life issues with family and friends; being an advocate for social justice issues, and the list goes on and on.

As Jesus died, descended to the dead, was raised by God, and walked out of that tomb that day, He left the sin of the world in that tomb. Jesus freed the world from the power of sin and death and left our sins, all sins, and “All means all”, in that tomb; forgiven, sealed, and forgotten, forever!

“Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!”

What if we “shouted” and “lived” that phrase everywhere and every day for all to hear, come to believe, and live God’s resurrection love for all? How much more joy, hope, and peace would the world have? How can we NOT!

Holy Saturday, Living in Despair!

With all that is going on in our world: war, terrorism, mass-shootings, climate change issues, homelessness, starvation, and way too many “isms” (racism, sexism, etc.) causing way too much pain and suffering in body, mind, and spirit for all; with all that is going on in our lives: being bullied, illnesses and deaths, worrying about the daily-growing inflation and high cost of living and worrying about how we’re going to afford… everything; the world is living in the despair of Holy Saturday.

Last night was Good Friday. Throughout His life, and especially as He hung on the Cross, Jesus, personally, experienced, all the pain and suffer - we will ever go through - even, and especially, death!

Even though, at times, and most likely more than we will ever admit to, we all live in the despair, helplessness, and hopelessness of Holy Saturday.

The answer to all of ours, and the world’s Holy Saturday despair, is just, One Day Away, Easter! Tomorrow, we will shout, “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!” When God raised Him from the horror of Good Friday, of life, Jesus completely defeated Holy Saturday’s despair by defeating the power sin and death had over the world.

At Jesus Cross, we saw the fullness of God’s Love for the world as God watched and allowed God’s only begotten Son, be murdered by the sin of the world. At the Empty Tomb, we see the fullness of the vindication of God’s Love for world.

Tomorrow, as we shout, “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!” May we pray for, and ask God, to let those words take flesh in us. May we learn to love as Jesus loved. As we do, yes, sorry, there will still be despair in our world, in our lives. However, as we live Jesus’ love, God also promises, we will have more Easter joy, hope, love, and peace.

What could our lives, our world, look like, with less Holy Saturday despair, and more, Easter joy, hope, peace, and love? Tomorrow, as we shout, “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!”, let’s let those words “take flesh in us” and begin to live Jesus’, God’s Love for all; and as we proudly profess at St. John’s, “All means all!”

#stjohnsnashville