The View from the Pulpit:
Dear Fellow Saints at Resurrection,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Every Sunday is a celebration of this Good News – each Sunday is actually referred to as a “Little Easter!” With that good news resounding throughout the church and our lives – good news that makes all the difference in the world, I would like to share the …
“The Lesson of the Two Lakes!”
I haven’t been to the Holy Land (yet!), but I’ve studied the same maps you have (at least most of us them have in our Bibles). The Holy Land has two great bodies of water: the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. They aren’t that far apart, but there is one major difference. The Dead Sea is just that: DEAD! Almost nothing lives in it. The water is literally stagnant. The Sea of Galilee is ALIVE! The disciples fished in it; life thrives in and around its beautiful waters.
What is the difference, you might ask? Simply this: the Dead Sea has no outlets. Nothing flows out of it. It receives … but it does not give. The Sea of Galilee, on the other hand, has water flowing in, and just as much water flowing out. The water moves through it, bringing life!
A question for all of us: WHICH ARE YOU? Are you the kind of Christian who judges the Church by what you “get out of it?” Sure, the worship is great and the messages bless you. Yes, you probably leave Sunday mornings feeling better, but what do you do during the week with what you receive from God on Sunday?
God’s church isn’t a place to just get (though certainly we have “gotten” from God: forgiveness, new life, hope, joy, celebration, peace, love, mercy, goodness, His Word, His sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper – etc., because the list is endless!!). God’s church isn’t just a place to get – it is a place to help us GIVE! Resurrection Lutheran Church & School is a place to USE the gifts, talents and treasures God has invested in you. How about you? Have you personally shared the Savior Jesus with anyone during the past week – month – or year? Have you reached out to someone – anyone – in need during the time? Just how special is the “Good News” to you? What difference does it make in your life?
During the Summer months of 2017, we are going to examine the great challenge that the resurrected Lord gave His church: “to go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them …” Through our hymns, sermons, Bible readings, liturgy and Bible studies, we are focusing on the mission that Jesus our Lord has given His Church – you and me! Come and be a part of this spiritual journey! Invite and bring a friend!
Celebrate and Share the Good News!
Pastor Hank Hollar
