The View from the Pulpit:
Dear People of God, as We Journey through Epiphany,
GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU ALL!
CELEBRATE!
Dear Friends in Christ our Lord,
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. [Philippians 2:9-11]
Celebrate! God has given us His love, mercy and grace through His Son, Jesus. Celebrate! Our sins are forgiven and we are put right with God through the work of our Savior. Celebrate! We have been baptized into the Triune God, and the Spirit now dwells in our heart. Celebrate! God has led us to be part of a healthy, dynamic, dedicated congregation. Celebrate! And now our congregational family moving closer (in early February) to acknowledge and celebrate its 66th Anniversary, in the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation! Celebrate!
Beginning in 1956, Resurrection Lutheran Church has sought to be a confessional Lutheran presence on the Virginia Peninsula. For almost 66 years, God has led determined men to come to Newport News to pastor His people at Resurrection. For almost 66 years, the people of Resurrection have sought to live and to share the Good News of God’s love and grace to our community. For 66 years God has led dedicated lay people to serve as leaders and workers in and through our parish mission and ministry. Lift High the Name of Jesus, as we Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!
Dr. James Nestingen, a professor of Church History at Northwestern Seminary in St. Paul, MN, wrote a devotional centered around the phrase contained in Psalm 23: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies …” Until that devotion, I never really stopped to think about the significance of that imagery.
Think of it: celebration in the midst of one’s enemies? Good party protocol is for the host to invite friends, not enemies. The presence of enemies puts a damper on any celebration. Yet the Psalmist clearly puts God as the one who gathers His people to-gether and sets a feast table for a grand celebration in the presence of enemies. The key for us is that the enemies of God and His people are DEFEATED! Through Jesus our Savior, God has defeated our enemies through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of His Son and our Savior. Never forget: sin, death, hell and the devil are all defeated! The war is already won. God knows that! And we His people should know that! When Christ rose from the dead, the last enemy: death, was conquered! It is truly time to party and celebrate! And how is the best way to celebrate? By living and sharing the Good News that we have in Christ our Lord! By our words, our thoughts and our deeds and actions, we are to …
Lift High the Name of Jesus!
Celebrate and Share the Good News!
Pastor Hank Hollar
