Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  Mark 16:1-8

We've had an amazing three days. On Thursday evening, Maundy Thursday, we considered three things that everyone wants to hear: I love you, I forgive you, and your supper is ready. We were thinking of the communion service – the Lord's Supper – that Jesus instituted for us, and we thought through his love and forgiveness for us, and the blessing of having a supper with him. And on Good Friday, we entered into a drama filled with pain, a sense of despair, as Christ was crucified on the cross. Last night, during the Easter Vigil, we reminded ourselves of our own baptisms, and the fact that Jesus was bodily resurrected, and we too will be resurrected and united with him.

Today we come to an amazing moment. It was the darkest day of history, that day when the Sabbath was over. It was a black Saturday. Jesus was in the grave. It's the only day in the church year that we don't receive communion. It's a moment that was so low in the disciples' minds, that Matthew, Luke and John say nothing about it. Mark simply says, "When the Sabbath was over." Have you ever been in that place where you just want to get through the day? Have you ever been in a place of broken dreams, wounded hearts, or your hopes and expectations have been dashed? That's the place that the disciples were in on Saturday. Jesus was in the grave. It's the darkest of days. That's where we begin today.

Then, the women – with their faith on the rocks – go to the grave expecting to finalize burial plans for the one they love, the one in which they base their hopes and dreams. It's at that point that the good news comes through the angel. The angel says several things to them – and to us today. When the women arrived, they found that the stone was rolled away – not to let Jesus out, but to let others in. There they see a young man guarding the place where Jesus was laid, because he wants the proof of the resurrection to be there for these witnesses.

The first thing the angel says is, "You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth. You're in the right place, there's no mistake; you didn't come to the wrong tomb. The one who you ate with, the one who taught you, who inspired you – this is the one whom you are looking for." There is a literalness here that is startling. The women are in the right place, at the right time. Make no mistake, the angel says – he is dead and gone. But not like other people whom you've buried.

Secondly, the angel says, "He has been raised; he's not here." The other gospel writers fill us in on the details, but the reality is that they came expecting to see a body, but found only grave clothes. They went away terrified and in awe. It was overwhelming for them. As the Archbishop of Canterbury said years ago, the entire day was overwhelming for the people. It had never happened before. He is not here; he is risen. You are in the right place at the right time; he is not here, he's alive.

Next the angel says, "Look, here is the place where they laid him." The other gospel writers again give more details. They saw the grave clothes of Jesus. You and I, when we come home from work, peel off our layers of clothes and place them in the hamper… or maybe over a chair. But with these clothes, there is something different. It is as if the weight of the burial spices caved in the clothes and created sort of a mummy-shape – and that's all that is there. Jesus didn't walk out; the stone wasn't rolled away for him. A great change occurred at the moment of the resurrection – and this is a word of hope for us. As one 20^th century theologian said, on this day a rumor of hope was planted, and ever after we have looked to this day for hope. Wherever we find ourselves, when we come to those places of "black Saturdays" in our lives, where our hopes are dashed and our dreams are gone, and we are only filled with despair, we can look to this day as a rumor of hope that will sustain us. It sustains us because it is more than a rumor – it's true, he is not here, he is risen.

The angel next says an amazing phrase: "Go and tell his disciples – and Peter – that he is going ahead of us to Galilee." This phrase "and Peter" is especially amazing. Remember it was Peter who had denied the Lord three times just days before. "Peter," the angel says, "Jesus will meet with you." That's important because on a day like today – when all of the crowds are here at church – some people might be thinking that this message is for the person sitting to the left of me, or for the person sitting to the right of me, but it's not for me. I've fallen again and again, you might say. I've fallen again into habits that are destructive. I've let down the people that I love the most. My dreams and expectations haven't been fulfilled. But it's a reminder for us that the angel's message for Peter wasn't a message for the crowds – it is a message for each of us individually. Jesus calls us by name, because he is alive. 

Then there's one last thing that the angel says. "There in Galilee, you will see him, just as he told you." Remember in Lent we asked ourselves, what did Jesus know and when did he know it? Jesus was not caught by surprise. He would live again, though he died. When Jesus makes a promise, he keeps it. He calls Peter individually, and meets with him, as he will with you and me. Because he is alive, he will fulfill his promise.

Now, this caught the disciples off guard. This was beyond their expectations. They were looking for him to come back to life. If you are not looking for it, you won't "get" it. So Jesus says it again and again. At his friend Lazarus' death he said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, though he dies, yet will he live." Or on the night before he died, he told the disciples, "I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, there you will be." He is convicted at trial based on this statement: Though this is destroyed, I will raise it up on the third day." He told his friends again and again, "The Son of Man must suffer, and on the third day be raised." On that day with the angel, the women are in the right place at the right time. On that day, in that place, he is not here; he's alive. On that day, in that place, he speaks words of hope – not to the crowd, but to each one of us. And his resurrection shows that he keeps his promises.

To further get a sense of what it is to know this resurrection power, listen to this excerpt from a sermon by John Chrysostom from 400 A.D. He says on Easter day 1600 years ago, "Do not weep, that you have fallen again and again. For forgiveness has risen from the grave. Do not fear death, for the death of our Savior has set us free. He has destroyed death by enduring it." Then he finishes the sermon by reflecting on the power of life over death. Chrysostom was part of the Greek church, and on this day in the Greek church (as in our own church) the people proclaim, "Christos Anesti", which means, "Christ is Risen!" And the response is, "The Lord is risen indeed!" As you listen to Chrysostom's Easter sermon, respond with "The Lord is risen indeed!" after each "Christos Anesti".

Hell was in an uproar because death was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God. 
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, (the Lord is risen indeed!) and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, (the Lord is risen indeed!) and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, (the Lord is risen indeed!) and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, (the Lord is risen indeed!) and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, (the Lord is risen indeed!) and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ is alive, and having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever - as we celebrate this rumor of hope that cannot die. The Lord is risen indeed! Amen!

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.  John 20:19-31

Out gospel lesson for today deals with Thomas. We all know him as the "doubter," but today we are looking at Thomas from a different perspective. His life is actually a metaphor for how God works in our lives.

Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China in the mid-19^th century, was someone who faced an impossible moment. He was a young man with many health problems, and no one believed in his call to serve in China. But "impossible" is a word that has no meaning when God is in the equation. Taylor saw three stages to any task: Impossible, difficult, and done. Something may appear impossible at first, but then after prayer and perseverance, it becomes merely difficult, and then eventually it is done.

That first Easter night, things seemed impossible. The disciples were hiding behind locked doors. They were frightened, and were wondering, "Jesus had been killed; are we next?" It was an impossible place to be. But with God in our midst, there is no task or challenge that can't be overcome in our lives with the power of Christ. Thomas in effect was saying, "That's impossible." Is there some challenge that you are facing today, that feels like it is impossible to overcome? Think of Hannah, who felt like she was in an impossible situation; she so desperately wanted a baby, but she had to wait for God's time. Or think of Daniel who was facing the impossible situation of the lion's den. What challenge are you facing today? Or do you have a loved one who is facing an impossibility? Sometimes it's harder to watch someone we care about go through a struggle, rather than having to face it ourselves. What impossible moment is in your life right now, that just might go from impossible, to difficult, and then even to done?

Jesus had appeared to the ten disciples, and had said, "I give you my peace; receive the Holy Spirit." But Thomas wasn't there. When the disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, he couldn't believe without seeing the nail marks in his hands. Sometimes when someone is given a truth, it falls flat and doesn't take root. With us, it may be impossible, but with God, it becomes only difficult. In our lives, we don't want to go through three steps to complete a task; we want to just be done! But God doesn't let us off the hook. Don't be fooled into thinking that everything can simply be completed without any struggle. This is what happens in today's reading. The disciples say, "Thomas, we've seen him, it's true!" But in Thomas' own strength, it was impossible to believe.

On this night, the week after the first Easter, the disciples were again gathered in the house behind closed doors, and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared again, and Thomas saw and believed. He fell down and worshipped and said, "My Lord and my God." He didn't have to touch the nail marks after all.

After the first Easter, Sunday became a very special day for us. It is now like an anniversary that we celebrate week after week. The Jews always worshipped on Saturday, but the impossible happened. Jesus was raised. And now we celebrate his resurrection every Sunday of the year. For us, no matter what door is locked, or what steep hills we have to climb, God can make a difference. What seems impossible, we may find is only difficult, and then we will see that it can be done. Jesus appears and Thomas worships on that night a week after the resurrection. Then, the first sermon was preached in Acts 3. Things change. It is a metaphor for our lives: What impossible task are you facing, and how will you be changed?

While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.  Luke 24:36-48

In today’s first reading, the reading from Acts, there is one parenthetical phrase that caught my eye immediately. The phrase, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them...” And today, I’d like to consider that phrase – “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Because while we can know the biography of Jesus that is found in the scriptures, and while we can debate the laws we find in that book, and come to church and be nice people without the Holy Spirit active and engaged in our hearts, we cannot grow in the way God wants us to grow. So today we ask: What is this thing called the Holy Spirit, how does it manifest itself, and how does it change people who are filled with it?

In today’s gospel, we see Jesus appearing to the disciples. He has been appearing to them in all the readings we’ve had since Easter.  Tonight, they are back in the upper room in Jerusalem. Two of them had actually walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus that very day and had eaten dinner with him, but they fled when they realized who it was. So they’re back in the locked upper room, saying to their friends, “Guess who we were with tonight?” And before they could get their story out, Jesus again appears and says, “Peace be with you.” And again – they are startled and terrified.

But patiently, time and again, Jesus approaches them and encourages them to use all their senses in coming to terms with his real presence. See me. Touch me. Feed me. I’m not a ghost. I’m really here. In these simple encouragements, we see their fears allayed. The text says they move from startled and terrified to disbelief and joy at his presence. Can’t you picture it? “He is here!” “Oh my gosh, Rabboni, we thought you were dead!” But this is a dangerous place for the disciples to be – in joy and disbelief – because they are in danger of denying the fact of his crucifixion and death. It’s almost like they had just seen a made for TV David Copperfield illusion. “He’s back! He’s flesh and bones and wants to eat with us!” How great a trick is that??

What they haven’t come to realize yet is that this isn’t some fancy parlor trick – some computer graphic – generated so that he appears to be alive after he was dead. Because the fact is: the Cross happened. His death was real. But, the fact is, the resurrection happened too.

So just a few weeks later – we see it in the Book of Acts – we find a very different Peter. A Peter, the text says, who is filled with the Spirit. A Peter who had changed. Listen to the text of verses 1-4: “While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is resurrection from the dead. So they arrested them. But many who heard the word believed; and they numbered about 5000.” Is this the same Peter who denied Christ three times after he was arrested? The same Peter who avoided the crucifixion? The same Peter who a week or two before had locked himself in the upper room for fear of the Jews? Here was a Peter who was publicly proclaiming the Resurrection and bringing many to belief in Jesus.

What happened? John’s Gospel says it this way: “Then he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:22) Peter had received the Holy Spirit – and he was able – filled with the Spirit – to boldly proclaim Jesus as healer, Messiah, and resurrected Christ to the entire Sanhedrin. He was profoundly changed – empowered. Receiving the Holy Spirit does that to people.

I see three main ways in which Peter was changed – and how we can expect to be changed as well. The first is that Peter has a new confidence. He has been in Christ’s real presence. He had touched him. He knew Jesus was of flesh and bones – not a ghost.  The Resurrected Christ was real! Such great news – such amazing news – has to be testified to. The Holy Spirit gives us confidence.

The second thing that changed Peter, the text tells us, is that Jesus opened his mind. Paul, in his letter to the Romans talks about the same thing: “Therefore I appeal to you brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God.” (Romans 12: 1-2) The Holy Spirit opens our minds.

And the third thing we notice that is different about Peter is that he became a witness. He preached with conviction and confidence to 5000 converts and the temple elders. No fear there. Listen to the text: “Thus it is written that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to these things.” (Luke 24:48) The Holy Spirit causes us to witness to the fact of the real Presence.

I think in this post-modern era – or as the theologians call it – in this age of scientific skepticism, it is all too easy to look at scripture like we look at a menu in a restaurant. I’ll have a little of this and none of that. Thank you very much, just an appetizer and a dessert. I don’t need the entrée. It’s easy to look at Jesus' teachings and say, “Yes, a good way on which to model my life and behavior. I’ll take a little of that.” But when it comes to these resurrection stories, we scratch our heads and wonder what computer generated graphics he used. We say, “How did he do that? What’s the trick? ” The challenge for us as 21^st-century Christians is to accept all of it. At the end of the Gospel of John it says: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written so you may come to believe.” (John 20:30-31) Think of the number of times these things are recorded. Many weren’t. But these things we know from what is written. He appeared to Mary near the tomb – disguised as a gardener – yet when she  heard him call her by name, “Mary,” she realized that he was alive. “Rabboni,” she said.  Real.  Resurrected.  Forever. 

And remember when the disciples, disheartened, decided to go fishing? After a night on the Sea of Galilee, there was Jesus, standing on the shore, cooking breakfast for them. What a normal, basic, down to earth scene that is. Real. Alive. Resurrected. Forever. And with Thomas: “Put your fingers in my side.” And in today’s reading: “Here, touch me. Feel my hands. Have you got anything to eat?” See me. Feel me. Touch me. Feed me.  Real; resurrected.

We as Christians can read the birth story, and try to live according to the Sermon on the Mount, and weep as he falls on the road to Golgotha. We as Christians can believe the acts of compassion, the confounding wisdom of the parables, and maybe even buy into the healings. But can we believe in the Easter event? Because that’s what the Holy Spirit gives us. The Spirit gave the disciples confidence. The Spirit opened their minds and made them witnesses. Do we have that? Are we disciples?  Have we got that Spirit-led confidence? Because Jesus said, “Touch me and see.” We must touch each other and see each other as we really are. Be an open and affirming community of faith. And because Jesus said, “Have you anything to eat,” we must fellowship and break bread together. Regular worship, Eucharistic celebration, and community fellowship. And because Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Do we accept the part of the story that happened after the cross? Because the cross is central to story, but not the end of the story. A lot happens before the cross and a lot happens after the cross. Do we accept it all? Or is Scripture merely a menu for us – choose a bit of this & a bit of that? That becomes the crux. Not the mountaintop experience from ten years ago. Not a ghost playing tricks on our minds. Not some past high point in our spiritual journeys. But do we accept it all?

Jesus is real, alive, resurrected, forever. Amen.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. Acts 4:32-37

We are currently in the midst of four lessons on the resurrection. First, we looked at the resurrection fact - what happened that Easter day, in that desperate unknown hour, and what the angel said. Secondly, we looked at the resurrection principle. When God is about some project in our lives, we often see the progression of impossible, difficult, done. Next, we looked at the resurrection gift, the Holy Spirit. Today, our fourth and final lesson is the resurrection way of life - the lifestyle we can live, in light of the Easter resurrection.

N.T. Wright, a bishop in England, Oxford scholar, and author, said in his book For All God’s Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church: ”The bodily resurrection of Jesus isn’t a take it or leave it thing, as though some Christians are welcome to believe it and others are welcome not to believe it. Take it away, and the whole picture is totally different. Take it away, and Karl Marx was probably right to accuse Christianity of ignoring the problems of the material world. Take it away, and Sigmund Freud was probably right to say that Christianity is a wish-fulfillment religion. Take it away, and Friedrich Nietzsche was probably right to say that Christianity is a religion for wimps. Put it back, and you have a faith that can take on the postmodern world that looks to Marx, Freud, and Nietzsche as its prophets; you can beat them at their own game with the Easter news that the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."  If you look at the resurrection in this context, you can clearly understand that a new community and way of life are the natural results.

There are three things that we can learn from our reading today, that tell us what our community looks like when we know that Christ was raised.  First of all, when you know that Christ is alive, you are connected with people. It means that God is greater than anything we might face, and by the experiences we face, we are shaped into one heart and soul. The people in the early church had come to accept that Jesus is Lord, and it brought them together. They sold all of their possessions and shared everything amongst the community. They rejoiced with those who were rejoicing, and wept with those who were weeping. There is a power that comes from this type of sharing community. They shared so that no one would be in need. Those who believe in the resurrection will share their lives with one another as a byproduct of their belief. It's important for each of us to find a way to connect with one another. If you believe in the resurrection, then you know you have been given brothers and sisters in faith. We all need to make sacrifices of time, or whatever our brothers and sisters might need, in order to be there for one another.

As important as Good Friday is, the proclamation isn't that he died, but that he rose again. The second aspect of a community that believes in the resurrection is power. This resurrection power infused the believers. The lame walked, the sick were healed, and even the dead were raised -- and this power is still exhibited today, especially in Asia and Africa where there is currently a great revival in the church community. "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." This "great power," or "megas dunamis" in the Greek, is released in the early church. It is also released today when we are willing to entrust ourselves to God. It is not a question of "should I do this" or "can I afford that," but rather "what can I do for you, because you are my brother in Christ." What about you? Do you have a sense that whatever you need, whatever challenge you face, Christ's power is there to make a difference?

The third characteristic found in a community that believes in the resurrection is grace. "Much grace was upon them all." The best translation of this phrase "much grace," or "megas charis," is great gift. All of life is a gift from God, and we need to come to the place in our lives that we realize this. None of us has the power within ourselves to even take another breath; everything we do and everything that we are come from God as a gift. The disciples celebrated this. They recognized that Jesus' death -- his great gift to us -- came first! In order to receive God's grace in our lives, we need to accept this gift.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that money and status are not basic needs. But the resurrection is. Having brothers and sisters in Christ is a basic need. The early believers were one in heart and soul. They experienced great power, because they knew that God had given them his power. Out of this sense of power, we know that "the only true gift is a portion of ourselves," as Emerson said. After his resurrection, Jesus could have looked any way that wanted to, but he chose to keep his scars so that they would be visible to all who see him. All of us experience wounds, hurts, and scars, and he kept his scars as a way of signifying that he's experienced it first. We can find victory in those imprints in his hands, feet and side. We are connected as brothers and sisters; we have great power, and we have this great gift of life that we experience because of the resurrection.

"I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth." John 17:6-19

The community in which the books of John and 1 John were written could be considered to be mostly pagan. Like America today, society had a religious veneer. Most people were nominal when it came to living out their faith. Many would go through the motions of attending church services and had all of the outer trappings of their faith, but inside a war was raging. All of us today, if we are honest, have some form of war raging inside of us; we are constantly confronted with questions like: How should I raise my kids, when there are so many temptations to compromise their morals? How can I earn a living in a culture that glorifies riches and power? What will I do with my money, when the stock market is falling lower and lower? And now we are even confronted with the possibility of someone wanting to kill us as Americans. We sometimes don't know where to turn for the answers, and our sin weighs us down.

Today we read the words of Jesus, as he says: "I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one." Do those words confuse us? We may live in the world right now, but we nonetheless know that we are heaven-bound someday! But still we have worries such as saving enough money for our kids' college tuition and paying the monthly mortgage bill. Much of our daily concerns are of the world. We are still working from a pagan mentality. With all our might, we long to share this brightness that we have received from Christ, but underneath we struggle with anxiety. In H. Richard Niebuhr's book Christ and Culture written 50 years ago, the author speaks of how Christ can be found in culture, and in fact even transforms culture. The 1950's was an optimistic era. WWII had just concluded, and we had beaten evil down. Then in the 1960's, culture took a nosedive. In the 70's, Ray Brown coined the phrase, "Christ is in the believer who tries to transform culture." In the 80's and 90's, we found ourselves in an age of pluralism, and now it seems like Christ is nowhere on the cultural scene at all! Jesus is an embarrassment. Christ takes a back seat. People are willing to say "Christ" but not "Jesus." Culture has risen to a point of paganism.

Now at the beginning of the 21st century, we are at a crossroads. How do we live out our faith in Christ? Do we just struggle on day after day, and live only for retirement? Do we say "anything goes" and live a life focused on pleasing ourselves? God loves us and wants us to have peace in our hearts. He doesn't want us to have a raging battle going on inside us. We may be living in the world now, but there is a moral absolute that God has given us. We must focus more and more on Jesus Christ, and not be nominal in our faith. We are seeing the Holy Spirit fall on us, and God is transforming us.

2 Tim 2:2 says, "The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." We must transmit what we are learning to others. We need to be disciples making disciples. We are called to transform society, and the best way to transform society is to win people for Christ. Jesus prayed for us, gave us his love, and gave us the great commission, and we must move from membership to discipleship. Everyone has a ministry in the church, not just the people who stand at the front every Sunday. 100% of the people in the church have a ministry that God has entrusted to them. We have many resources at our disposal, such as the sacraments, to equip everyone to make disciples. Together we can make alive what is already alive -- Jesus Christ.