Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, April 14, at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was Luke 24:36b-48. This has been an exciting week with the Great American eclipse, hasn't it?  We didn’t have quite the view some areas did, but it was nonetheless amazing. What has stuck with me is the concept of totality. During those few minutes, there was a distinct change in the air. Besides the darkness, the atmosphere grew tranquil, as Ray, the dogs, and I sat on the parsonage steps.  Author, Annie Dillard wrote a poem called "Total Eclipse" that shows this. It was an abrupt black body out of nowhere; it was a flat disk; it was almost over the sun. That is when there were screams. At once this disk of sky slid over the sun like a lid. The sky snapped over the sun like a lens cover. The hatch in the brain slammed. Abruptly it was dark night, on the land and in the sky. People are still talking about Monday’s experience. It’s all over the news and yet, two Sundays ago we...

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, April 15 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text is  Luke 24:36b-48 . Today ’ s gospel reading is the third resurrection appearance and yet, the disciples are still afraid and doubtful. How in the world can God use these people to spread His word throughout the world? The good news is that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Jesus did not reproach his doubtful disciples, but empowered them to witness to all God had done.    No matter how bright and learned one may be, it does not mean that he or she is ready to share the faith. We see that Jesus here commissioned his disciples and that ’ s really exciting. However, they still needed more preparation. You would think the three years they had spent with Jesus would have been more than enough to make them ready.    Before Jesus sends his followers into all the world, he proves that he is risen from the dead, he opens the disciples ’  min...