The Sermon starts at 26 min 30 secs:
“What’s In It For Me?” by Pastor Todd Buurstra

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

• Event Calendars for July and August
• The Messenger Newsletter
• The Shepherd’s Kids and Young Adult News

Note: You need an Adobe PDF reader installed to read a PDF document. If you don’t have one installed, you can download a free PDF reader at www.adobe.com.

The Sermon starts at 35 min 00 secs:
by Pastor Todd Buurstra

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

The Sermon starts at 30 min 25 secs:
“Paul’s Prayer” by Pastor Mark Swart

Barbara O’Rourke describes the 25 year long ministry of Kirkside.
Starts at 13 min 20 secs.

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

Church School begins at 9:45am for 4 year olds through 6th grade (except the 1st Sunday of the month).

The Sermon starts at 29 min 00 secs:
“Why” by Pastor Todd Buurstra

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

The Sermon starts at 27 min 00 secs:
“What are you doing with your pearl?” by Elder Thomas Bachhuber

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

• Event Calendar
• The Messenger Newsletter
• The Shepherd’s Kids and Young Adult News

Note: You need an Adobe PDF reader installed to read a PDF document. If you don’t have one installed, you can download a free PDF reader at www.adobe.com.

The Sermon starts at 29 min 40 secs:
“Our Mission: Evangelism in a Pluralistic Society” by Michael Goetjen

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

In the audio podcast of this service…

The Scripture Reading starts at 21 min 55 secs:
Luke 20:27-40

The Sermon starts at 24 min 35 secs:
“The Easter War” by Pastor Todd Buurstra

On the seventh Memorial Day since the Iraq War began, just shy of Easter 2003, I hope we’re far enough removed to begin a conversation about war—not a war about war. So I will encourage you to have roast rev for lunch today, or Buurstra bar-b-q tomorrow with your family. I only ask that it be a dialogue that seeks God’s truth, as opposed to a diatribe that polarizes the issue. And, I would love to carry on the conversation by phone, visit, or email together. I will try to start this conversation in the way I preach today.

So, what can we learn from God’s Easter justice about war?

Well, how does this passage talk about war? For years I’ve read this passage and thought that the Sadducees just had a theological problem with the resurrection. And they did. But what our theological companion for this Easter series, Bishop N. T. Wright has helped me to see is that they also had a moral problem with the resurrection. Why? The Sadducees were Palestine’s princes. They were, like us, the superpower in their region. But the belief in a resurrection meant that there was an afterlife, which meant there was a Judgment Day, which requires superpowers to use our power for justice in this life.

That’s Easter Justice. So Jesus, in effect, tells superpowers like Sadducees and US:

When God told Moses at the burning bush, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God wasn’t just saying, Hey, there’s life after death for these saints. God was saying, Hey, the God of your forefathers hears the cries of slaves, so help me free them!

So Easter justice moves from Resurrection=Afterlife=Judgment Day=Justice for Daily Life

But that still doesn’t apply to war. As Jesus refers to the liberation of the Hebrew slaves in this passage, it’s just a little step to ask: and how did those slaves get the Promised Land? Joshua fit de battle of Jericho… Conquest. Holy War. The first jihad.

How do you balance Invasion of the Promised Land with Jesus’ call to be Peacemakers in the Sermon on the Mount? Those who more heavily weigh Jesus’ words tend to be pacifists. Those who tend to weigh more heavily the Promised Land conquest tend to be holy warriors. Those who seek a balance tend to be Just War folk. I’ve been all three. I was raised in a family who taught me I had to fight the commies at all costs. In college I met Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount and became a Viet Nam War opposing pacifist. Now, I see the Just War position as the mature middle. What about you?

And, what does the Christian Just War theory state? Two things relating to Iraq:

War is just in God’s eyes when its fought 1) in self defense, and 2) as a last resort.

7 Memorial Days ago we were told, in direct contrast to the UN Weapons Inspectors, that there were definitely WMDs, so that we were fighting in self-defense, and that we had given Saddam every chance to comply, so that it was a last resort, even though the UN Weapons Inspectors asked for more time to complete their work. This Memorial Day we know there were no WMDs, and that listening to the inspectors might have saved a $700B.

But hindsight is 20-20, right? Except that 8 Memorial Days ago, before the March 2003 “Shock and Awe” invasion of Iraq, mainline Protestant leaders and the US Catholic Bishops, in consultation with our churches in the Middle East, told us not to pull the trigger. Based on believers on the ground they declared that an Iraq War would not be in self-defense or a last resort, and therefore not just. I taught that in a class and spoke that at the December 2002 Ecumenical Steak and Egger. Maybe had we known our Bible and theology better up to $1T could have been saved and countless lives. But here we are.

So what have we learned? Before that, have you heard the one about the little boy who was looking at all of those plaques with names of soldiers who died in the various wars in his church’s history? So he asked his pastor, Who are all of these people? The pastor replied, Those are the names of boys who died in the service. To which the boy replied, Which one? The 9 or 10:15 service? I guess their length had almost killed him.

So what might God teach America about war in light of resurrection justice and the Iraq War? One more time I’ll say, two things that I hope most of us can agree with:

1. America will not support a morally ambiguous war over the long haul.

The best question that I remember from our summer 2003 class in the Youth Lounge where we debated Just War theory and the Iraq was, Why is it that in WWII the whole country rallied around, but in the Iraq War we still have 30% opposed? My answer was that after Pearl Harbor WWII was clearly in self-defense and a last resort, the Iraq War, in my opinion, was not. America needs moral clarity, like WMDs, to support a long war.

2. Unlike Viet Nam, we must always support our troops.

Here’s my Memorial Day 2009 climax. Next week we hope to have a veteran’s testimony that couldn’t happen today. I hope that whatever our view of this war we remain fervent in support of our troops. May we never again spit on returning vets, but always thank them for their service to our country. Agree with this war or not, our troops have made all the difference!

Got enough to talk about yet? Is this what you believe our God of Easter justice teaches America about war in light of Iraq? Or is it something else? Let’s talk.

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

The Sermon starts at 26 min 45 secs:
“Our Task” by Pastor Mark Swart

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

This two-hour workshop will bring together some creative ideas on resume, networking, personal branding and job seeking along with opportunities to find new momentum in your transition.

Format will include presentation, discussion, as well as time for personal reflection and planning. Participants are encouraged to bring their resumes and written elevator speech. There will be opportunities to schedule individual meetings in the afternoon.

Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009

Time: 9:00-11:30 AM

Place: Center for Life Transitions, Hope House, 191 Church Road Bridgewater, New Jersey
(across from North Branch Reformed Church)
View map / Get driving directions

Investment: $50.00
Please make checks payable to: The Center for Life Transitions, Inc.

Mail to:
The Center for Life Transitions, Hope House
191 Church Road
Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807

Deadline for registration: June 1, 2009

Questions? Interested participants should contact Tom Bachhuber for more information.

Tell a Friend: Please download and give this flier to a friend.

Workshop Leader: Tom Bachhuber is Director of the Career Development Center at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee where he also started the UWM Career Transitions Center for adults facing career change and job loss. Dr. Bachhuber is president of the Board of Directors for The Center for Life Transitions, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people in transition. His work with both universities and corporations has been extensive, providing training, research and recruitment strategies to fortune 500 companies and consultation to over 100 major university career centers throughout the country. Tom has served as elder and adult education leader at North Branch Reformed Church in Bridgewater, New Jersey before moving to Milwaukee.

The Sermon starts at 21 min 15 secs:
“Beauty” by Pastor Todd Buurstra

In a beauty-obsessed culture, do we feel more ugly? Just look at these statistics researched by kids from Princeton High School and published in their school paper:

90% of females are dissatisfied with their bodies;

And lastly, 25% of the anorexic cases in the US involve boys—manorexia, its dubbed.

Many feel more ugly today. So, what is beautiful in God’s eyes?
I believe God is calling me to begin with a general theology of beauty and then make a narrower Mother’s Day application to body image and physical beauty.

What is beauty in God’s eyes? First off, we don’t know if Jesus, the God-man, was handsome or ugly. Generally speaking ancient art portrayed him as ugly, because of the cross, and modern art has gussied him up a bit. Really? We don’t know. But this is what we know, if Jesus arose from the dead with a new body and he promised to renew the physical world at his return, then how things look matters. Indeed, God loves beauty.

Why? Because beauty reflects God. Rembrandt’s beautiful paintings and Tyra Bank’s beautiful body are the moon to God’s sun. In the end, God will remake the whole creation to be beautiful like God. So that John’s heavenly vision paints this picture… (Rev. 21:2) a beautiful bride. Paul described the coming new creation…

Wright helps me arrive at this statement: Art in both human bodies and life is to reflect God’s beauty in a way that does not just idolize what is, but includes what will be. Let’s take that theology apart. Idol—why are most Protestant sanctuaries whitewashed and bare? Because the Reformation threw out the art, the statues, in many cases the stained glass windows, so that worshipers wouldn’t substitute art for God. God is calling us to bring art back in. Idolize what is—Some art only glorifies the ugliness of present evil. I think of that controversial art piece of some years ago where this crucifix was doused in urine. It was called piss on Christ. That only glorifies the worst, and most disrespectful part of reality. But includes what will be—Exclusive focus on this is where art can get syrupy, but I love art that balances present reality with future hope. The Peaceable Kingdom is good art because Penn is doing the hard work for peace with the Indians, reality, as a foretaste of the lion lying down with the lamb in God’s future.

So, Holy Spirit, apply this to Mother’s Day. Now I’m asking the lector to read this beautiful, but controversial, passage…. To get to the beauty of God we have to go through the ugliness of man. In Roman culture a husband had absolute authority over his wife, even to the point of killing her without penalty. So women were coming to Christ because they found freedom as equals in the church, as God wants. But how then should they relate to their pagan domineering hubbies? Very carefully, Paul advises. Keep submitting to win them over, thereby showing a beauty beyond hairstyle and clothes. Redefine beauty.

While God’s Spirit has achieved the intended equality between husband and wife, we still need to redefine beauty. Take this letter to Mom that defines beauty the old way…

Proverbs says, Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. We need to redefine beauty to acceptance of our body type, be it tall and skinny, short and stout, big boned, petite. We are beautiful the way God made us. Tell your neighbor: You are beautiful just the way you are… For accepting the way God made us allows us to cultivate an inner beauty of a Christlike character—submission, albeit of hubbie to wife just as much as wife to hubbie, a gentle and quiet spirit, patience, assertive confidence, faithfulness, etc. In short to quote Jessie McCartney, a beautiful soul.
Does anyone, but me, remember the Sesame Street puppet story of the little boy looking for the most bee-uuu-tiful mother in the world? The boy puppet went from Ernie to Bert to Oscar asking, Have you seen the most be-uuu-tiful mother in the world? No, no, no, they said. Until finally she showed up, but she was hardly beautiful. She looked more like a grandmother than a model. Sesame Street was redefining beauty, as God calls us. How can you—father, son, mother, daughter—help the folks around you redefine it today?

DVD recordings of the Sunday services are also available. Please contact Bruce Taggart at (908) 685-3165 with questions.

The Sermon starts at 21 min 15 secs:
Hell: Beyond Hope, Beyond Pity

Pastor Todd Buurstra

Since Easter is all about Jesus coming back from the dead, there is a direct link to life after death. Last week we touched on Jesus’ ascension to heaven, this week, hell.

Hell is a controversial topic because of the ancient image of a place of torture. Even long before Dante’s Inferno and Jonathon Edward’s Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, is a 2nd or 3rd century book that almost made it into the Bible. Its called: The Apocalypse of Peter. In it Jesus gives Peter a tour of hell by showing him the appropriate punishment with which each sinner is tormented. Liars are hanged by their tongues over the eternal flames. Women who seduced men by braiding their hair, were hanged over the fiery pit by those very braids. Men who gave in to the seductions are hanged over the fire, ah,…by a different body part. If that book made the Bible, you couldn’t illustrate it!

Is eternal damnation just a relic of the grim past? Today many mainline Protes-tants do not believe in Hell, only Heaven. After almost 100 funerals in my ministry, 51 of which have been here, I have never had anyone stand next to the casket and say, Yup, that old coon is probably roasting right now. All believe Grampa is fireproofed in God’s arms

So, is eternal damnation a relic of the grim past?

But I get the impression that sometimes Jesus thinks otherwise when he commands … That word “few” is sobering. And when I read Jesus words, I remember a story from Marble Collegiate’s new preacher, Michael Brown. A family surrounded Grandma on her deathbed. As she struggled for her last breath, her eyes widened and she spoke her last words to the empty foot of her bed, What! You don’t know me? as she drifted into eternity.

Honestly, Jesus was often talking more about an earthly hell than a heavenly hell. The image of the fiery pit comes from the constantly smoldering garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. Though Jesus did refer to an eternal hell, N.T. Wright explains Jesus’ usual earthly hell message this way: (p. 176)… There is an earthly hell for whose sufferers we will pray during confidential healing prayers in the Chancel area at Communion time.

But what do we make of Jesus’ other hell statements? Is there eternal damnation? My theology says YES for two reasons: First, if God is just then there must be a final judgment. For, if you agree, like I do, with our good bishop that … then Judgment Day is heaven’s remedy to right earth’s wrongs. The CEO of the filthy pig farm that may have incubated the swine flu may never be indicted in this life, but misused free will demands consequences. In the end God must say to those who chose to turn their backs on Right, It’s your choice. And they will get an eternal leave from God and all that’s good.

Secondly, we see the beginnings of God’s judgment on earth. Those who choose to follow our culture and worship, not Christ, but money, sex and power dehumanize themselves. Just note a money worshiper like Bernie Madoff, a sex worshiper like Hugh Hefner, and power worshipers like the Taliban. All are less human than God intended.

So this brings us to N. T. Wright’s fascinating concept of hell. Maybe its not a place of raging fire and the hangman’s rope; i.e., torment. But maybe hell is the natural consequence of dehumanizing behaviors where beings once named Bernie, Hugh and Omar, created in God’s image, no longer bear any resemblance to their Maker’s dignity. Sub-human, they are, in the bishop’s words of today’s title, beyond hope and beyond pity.

The good news is that at this table we celebrate Jesus’ invitation for all to be His forever. Come gladly this morning rejoicing that Jesus welcomes and saves you forever!

Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Information for School and Childcare
Settings
April 27, 2009

No cases of swine influenza (H1N1), known as swine flu, have been detected
in New Jersey as of April 26, 2009. However, this is a rapidly evolving
situation. As more information becomes available and the situation unfolds,
guidance is likely to change in the upcoming days and weeks. It is
important for people to stay informed by monitoring information provided by
the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS).

Guidance for School and Childcare Settings
At this time, New Jersey recommends that schools and childcare settings
increase education on respiratory hygiene and monitor attendees for acute
febrile respiratory illness.

Staff and children (as developmentally appropriate) should all be taught and
asked to follow these steps that prevent the transmission of infections such
as influenza:

• Cover your coughs and sneezes.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Wash hands frequently, especially after coughing or sneezing.
• Stay home if youre sick, especially with a fever.

School or childcare participants with acute febrile respiratory illness,
regardless of travel history, should be sent home according to
facilities-established procedures with instructions to stay at home until
24-48 hours after their symptoms resolve. Instructions should be given to
seek medical care with worsening of symptoms. At this time, exclusion is
not recommended for school or childcare participants who have recently
traveled to an affected area and who do not have symptoms.

Disease Reporting and Consultation

To report suspected cases of swine influenza or outbreaks of influenza like
illness, please contact the local health department in the jurisdiction in
which the school is located.

We are interested in testing individuals presenting with influenza-like
illness (fever, cough, sore throat), mild respiratory illness (nasal
congestion, rhinorrhea) with or without fever, vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia,
headache, chills, fatigue, dyspnea and conjunctivitis.

Has had at least one potential exposure within 10 days of symptom onset as
listed below:
A.) History of travel to an area where swine influenza H1N1 documented in
animals and/or humans (see http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm );
OR
B.) Close contact (within 6 feet) to an ill patient who was confirmed or
suspected to have swine influenza; OR
C.) Close contact (within 6 feet) to an ill patient who has traveled to one
of the areas above; OR
D.) Recent exposure to pigs; OR
E.) Works with live influenza virus in a laboratory.

For More Information:

U.S. CDC Swine Influenza Website:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/

Infection control and treatment guidance:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/recommendations.htmhttp://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/swine-flu-2009.shtml

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
http://www.state.nj.us/health/

School and/or Day Care Specific Resources

All you have to do is wash your hands Podcast: This Podcast teaches
children how and when to wash their hands properly.
http://www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=11072

Downloadable Flu Prevention Materials for Schools/Day Cares:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/

Preventing the Spread of Influenza (the Flu) in Child Care Settings:
Guidance for Administrators, Care Providers, and Other Staff: Flu
recommendations for schools and child care providers
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/childcaresettings.htm

Protecting Against the Flu: Advice for Caregivers of Children Less Than 6
Months Old: Research has shown that children less than 5 years of age are at
high risk of serious flu-related complications.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/infantcare.htm

Stopping Germs at Home, Work and School: Fact Sheet
http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/home_work_school.htm

Ounce of Prevention: Tips and streaming video for parents and children about
the steps and benefits of effective hand washing
http://www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention/

Clean Hands Saves Lives: Keeping hands clean is one of the most important
steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.
http://www.cdc.gov/cleanhands/

Hand washing to reduce Disease: Recommendations to Reduce Disease
Transmission from Animals in Public Settings
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5605a4.htm

BAM! Body and Mind. Teacher’s Corner: In this activity, students will
conduct an experiment on washing their hands. They will learn that “clean”
hands may not be so clean after all and the critical importance of washing
their hands as a way to prevent the spread of disease.
http://www.bam.gov/teachers/epidemiology_hand_wash.html

CDC TV – Put Your Hands Together: (Video) Scientists estimate that people
are not washing their hands often or well enough and may transmit up to 80%
of all infections by their hands. http://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/HandsTogether/

Cover your Cough Posters: Stop the Spread of Germs that Make You and Others
Sick! Printable formats of “Cover Your Cough”. Posters only available as
PDF files. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm

CDC – Be a Germ Stopper: Posters and Materials: For Community and Public
Settings Like Schools and Child Care Facilities). Cover Your Cough also
available for health care settings.
http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/materials.htm

“It’s a SNAP” Toolkit Program materials to help prevent school absenteeism
activities for school administrators, teachers, students and others can do
to help stop the spread of germs in schools.
See the hand cleaning section of the “It’s a SNAP” site at
www.itsasnap.org/snap/about.asp.

Scrub Club http://www.scrubclub.org/Kids can learn about health and hygiene
and become members of the Scrub Club(tm) at www.scrubclub.org. The site
features a fun and educational animated Webisode with seven “soaper-heros”
who battle nasty villains who represent germs and bacteria. Kids learn the
six key steps to proper hand-washing through a webisode, hand-washing song,
interactive games, and activities for kids, and educational materials for
teachers are also available to download.

• Event Calendar
• The Messenger Newsletter
• The Shepherd’s Kids and Young Adult News

Note: You need an Adobe PDF reader installed to read a PDF document. If you don’t have one installed, you can download a free PDF reader at www.adobe.com.

The Sermon starts at 21 min 40 secs:
What Use is Easter?

Pastor Todd Buurstra

What if you stood in Bridgewater Commons to ask passersby about life’s purpose? Here comes a bald man with a big belly, Sir, what’s the purpose of life? Ah, I guess partying on the weekends? Here comes a harried mom lugging two shopping bags and pushing a stroller: Ma’am, what’s the purpose of life? Ah, I guess providing for my family and getting my kids through school. And lastly, one of our youth group kids who led the service last week in a Love is the Movement t-shirt, What is the purpose of life? Ah, serving God and helping others, right? Each of these purposes could be ranked from lowest to highest: Drinking, providing, and serving. How does Easter give life purpose?

Mary is sitting there in the cemetery yard with her head in her hands. Weeping as if she lost the will to live. And Jesus appears with an Easter purpose for her, though at first she can’t quite place his voice. But after he calls her name she hears her purpose

Why is Easter the key to life’s purpose? Because God raised Jesus from the dead to reign in Heaven now and forever, and from that vantage point Jesus sees life’s purpose and your purpose perfectly. Just like our t-shirt clad youth declared, God has a tailor made version of: serving God and helping others for each of us. But what and how?

First, how? It begins with that country classic, Jesus Take the Wheel… I’m not a big country music fan, but I always love the mama in jail, lover left, and dog riding shotgun in the pick-up truck stories. You may remember Carrie Underwood’s big hit where a stressed out mother slides in the snow and crashes emotionally. Using the metaphor of a car she gives Jesus the wheel of her life–the first step to life’s purpose.

I distinctly remember waking up from a nap one Sunday afternoon at 16 and immediately making one of the biggest decisions of my life. I don’t know why but in that first split second of wakefulness I gave the steering wheel of my life to Jesus. I just sat up in bed and thought, I am going to grow closer to God from now on. That was it. But from that split-second decision came purpose that I never imagined.

N. T. Wright, my reading companion for this Easter series, applies Jesus’ lordship to the church:… Now he says that what got the church in the Middle Ages off purpose is that they didn’t give Jesus the wheel. Since nature abhors a vacuum the pope, bishops and priests stepped in to declare: THE CHURCH SAYS, and in that vacuum this became the literal body and blood so by withholding it the priest controlled your access to God, and in that vacuum Mary almost outranked Jesus. Same happens today when church people argue over the color of the carpet, or the type of music in the service, or coffee cups in the pew rather than where Jesus directs: the poor, hungry and lost out there

Sometimes as individuals and churches, like Mary, we can’t recognize Jesus even if he stands right next to us. But Jesus tries to get our attention by calling our name, Mary! And after we surrender to him as Rabbi! we get the specifics of our calling.

So surrender is the how of our calling, obedience is the what. You want to know what God’s calling is in your life? Ask: what is our risen and ascended Lord doing? N. T. Wright answers this way,… Then, how has God gifted me to help that mission?

A caution here: calling apart from Jesus can be slippery. I was channel surfing a where I came upon a reality show that mentioned the word “calling.” I was intrigued so I paused on the channel. Turns out a young woman had thought she found her calling as a… are you ready for this?… stripper. I’m not sure how stripping renews our world.

So how do we participate in what God is doing in this world? We offer our daily work (our vocation, our calling) to serve Jesus and help others.

• Students learn about God’s world in a way that honors God.
• Parents parent in God’s love.
• Brick layers shelter God’s children.
• Business people make the world more prosperous.
• Lawyers try to make the world more just.
• Social workers try to make it more fair.
• Pastors try to make it more loving.
• Retirees make time for others.

But here’s the key. Plumbers need God’s spirit just as much as pastors to do their jobs. For it may be even more important to plumb for Jesus than to preach because the plumber makes more contact with non-believers. Now I know that preaching intensifies my prayer life because Sunday mornings I have the clearest sermon prayers—Help! So what if on the way to work this week you asked Jesus, Lord, help me live out my calling? Then notice how the Spirit nudges you to work, talk and behave that honor Jesus.

The Sermon starts at 17 min 35 secs:
Is the Love Gone?

The Sermon starts at 20 min 30 secs: “Fairy Tale?  Or, Story That Changes Everything!”

Pastor Todd Buurstra

You may be nuts or naïve if…

…you have never investigated the discrepancies in the story like:

how many women were there? Mark & Luke have 3, Matt 2, and John 1;

how many angels were there? Mark–1 man, Luke–2 men; Matt/John–2 angels

where Jesus met the disciples? Matt/Mark—Galilee; Luke—Jerusalem.

So, is the Easter story just a fairy tale? Or, is it the story that changes everything?!

For think of how Jesus and his followers have changed the world:

Jesus changed the way we tell time: BC or AD, BCE or CE.

He changed how we spend time: holy day from Sat to Sun; holidays: Easter & Christmas

He changed how we look at ourselves and others (Love your neighbor…)

And in his name his followers started: schools to learn to read the Bible ½ millennium ago; hospitals to care for the sick; human rights to guide the law, etc.

This story is either a great fairy tale or the greatest story ever told! Let’s be scientists and historians this morning to test the unbelievable claims of Jesus’ resurrection.

Think of my robe as not just the ancient clothes of priests and preachers, but as a scientist’s lab coat, for this research has changed my life. Almost 50 years ago I was born into a very dedicated church-going family. Yet 30+ years ago I had decided the Easter story might all be gobbledegook. How could it be true? So I became an agnostic. Lord, if you’re really out there show yourself to me, I prayed one last time. As my faith flickered out, I noticed my world’s skies were darkening without Truth’s light. The universe felt colder to me without a loving God. The prevailing winds blew harder-shall I believe this or that? So I had to know: was someone dreaming? Or should I give my whole life to Jesus?

So with the help of N. T. Wright and his book, Surprised by Hope, let’s look for proof either that it didn’t happen, or that Jesus really did rise from the dead.

First, theories that it didn’t happen, starting with those discrepancies in the stories about how many women, men, angels were there, and where were they supposed to meet? This is what you hear on talk shows to disprove the Bible. Quite honestly, does it matter if Mark and Luke heard of 3 women, Matthew 2 and John 1? Is it really that important if Mark and Luke heard him described as a man, but Matthew and John heard angel? And couldn’t it be true that Jesus met his followers in Galilee and Jerusalem on the same day? The discrepancies fall apart pretty quickly, but there are bigger fish to fry than these.

As in, the swoon theory. Maybe Jesus looked dead, but revived in the cool tomb and pushed the stone away? Impossible. Roman soldiers knew how to kill, and not even a healthy man could move the huge grave stone, and then fight off the guards? Not a chance

Ah, but maybe it was a case of mistaken identity. It was brother James, not Jesus. But after 40 days his followers would have told them apart. After all, they weren’t twins.

Could it have been just a spiritual resurrection? But then we’d expect them to describe Jesus like a phantomy ghost, but they saw him eat fish, and they touched his nail holes. Jesus’ body was somewhat different to go through doors, but it was still physical.

If that debunks the main fairy tale theories, what’s to prove positively that Jesus arose? Two things, mainly: the empty tomb and the reported sightings of Jesus.

The Jews would have liked to muzzle the apostles’ story that Jesus was the Messiah because he came back from the dead. All they had to do was produce the body, or the bones from the ossuary, and the whole story would have died. It didn’t so they couldn’t

Secondly, according to Paul, 500 people saw Jesus after Easter. The Jerusalem Times could have interviewed anyone to test their story. Many of the apostles were martyred for preaching the resurrection. Would they have died for what they knew was a lie?

The best historical and scientific conclusion available is that Jesus arose. But in this case scientific/historical results are like lighting a candle to see whether the sun ha[s] risen because if this is true, it’s so much bigger than our puny minds can fathom.

So we’re left with the only human ability big enough to grasp it: a faith that transcends but includes what we call history and what we call science. So now I believe that this is not a fairy tale, but the greatest story ever told! Jan Torres, long time member and grand/mother of the Betz’ writes her spiritual journey this way:

Do you believe? Watch out, in the words of an author friend of mine, it will even change the way you make your coffee! I invite you to explore the implications of this story with me, or at your local church, during this Easter season. See if Jesus doesn’t transform you!

The Sermon starts at 27 min 20 secs: “Leading with a wet finger”

Pastor Todd Buurstra

Pilate was clearly shaken as he huddled with his version of Karl Rove and James Carville. Now what do I do? he said as the crowd continued chanting in the courtyard: Crucify Him! Funny, replied one advisor, just a few days ago they were yelling Hosanna! Pilate was nervous because Palestine was a tinderbox. Just a little friction and occasional insurrections, like the thug Barabbas led, could become a bonfire of riots. Crucify Him! Here’s my problem, Pilate began, you and I know that this Jesus character is no threat to Caesar, but since they didn’t take the bait and chose Barabbas to be freed this Passover, what choices do I have?! Not very many. Your poll numbers are dangerously low. I think you’re going to have to sacrifice this Jesus guy for the unity of the people. So Pilate…

If you remember Mel Gibson’s flogging scene, the Romans used a leather whip with sharpened pieces of bone/rock. It tore Jesus’ back to shreds. Few floggees remained conscious. Some lost an eye from a stray lash–39 lashes were to be one shy of death.
Shame on Pilate for caving in and using Jesus for a whipping boy! As William Barclay commented on Jesus’ silence before sentencing, The cowardice of Pilate in face of the mob was a barrier no words could pierce. Pilate was leading with a wet finger.

Do we ever cave in like Pilate? I suppose that we could ask this of many situations, but how about with the kids on retreat, we apply it to grand/parenting. Doesn’t it seem like the pendulum has swung from Father Knows Best of 50 years ago to Father Knows Less today? I think the culture has moved from a more parent-centered family to a more child-centered society. So parents feel a more pressured to parent by poll numbers. Whether its:

Those revealing V neck blouses that everyone is wearing; or,

Those late night Saturday parties that make church impossible since all my friends.

That language composed of f-words so common on MTV that every other word..

That individual grazing that make the family meal an archeological treasure;

That sedentary lifestyle plopped in front of computers for games/social

That me-oriented approach rather than a mission-oriented life.

So that when we get wore down and just give in to the pressure, the kids end up getting whipped. This Newsweek cartoon says a lot. Wishing to satisfy the kids…he flogged…

So how do we respond to the crowd’s pressure? First, I think leaders choose the crowd they want to be pressured by—Pilate’s crowd was different from Palm Sunday’s crowd. Pilate’s crowd were Barabbas supporters who, because he was an insurrection thug, would have been radically anti-Rome, whereas Palm Sunday’s crowd were Jesus supporters, hoping for the Messiah. What crowd do you want to be pressured by-maturing kids or mature adults? Do you talk to anyone about the struggle? Support group, anybody?

And yet sometimes everyone has to face an opposing crowd, so what do you do? I try to pray out a clear stance, and stick firmly to it. Normally I don’t have a problem fin-ding a place where I believe God wants me to stand, my weakness is staying there. Be that in church leadership or parenting, staying firm can be tough. But in my best moments, I sort of put my helmet on and say, I’m going to feel beat up about this one, but here goes…

because I’d rather feel whipped than have my kids get whipped by life later on. You, too?
So this morning, let Communion symbolize for you how Jesus led the interference to go against the flow of the crowd. It got him flogged, but by his stripes we are healed.

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Many thanks to the kids who worked so hard to perform in the musical and all the parents/adults who worked to make this production a success.

The Sermon starts at 22 min 00 secs. “Earned and Deserved? Or, Given and Graced?”

Pastor Todd Buurstra

What do you do when you stand in front of a casket? Some kneel, some comment on smile and hairstyle, some bow in prayer. If its someone I know well, I often touch. When my kids were little I lifted them up so that they could touch to get the feel of death:

Leathery skin, inflexible limbs, rock hard stomach (your abs may be soft now, but…), cold.

So this is my image when I read 2:1, please join me… Now you may say, wait a minute, I don’t think I’ve ever been spiritually dead! Understood. We have no trouble seeing a pedophile priest/pastor as spiritually dead… or a financial guru who swindles his own Jewish people as spiritually dead, but you and me? And you have a theological point. For in baptism we confess that God is already active in a baby’s life. So maybe you haven’t sensed a time when you were spiritually dead, but how about spiritually flat-lined? Beep, beep, beep… as the life seeps out. Or even a spiritual dry spell—ever had one of those? I have them often. How do you come alive spiritually?

Lent is God’s way of reminding us that in sin we are dead. As dead as Jesus was.

Spiritually dead folk share a common worldview. I call it the I earned it I deserve it worldview. They’re entitled. This kills their spirits by subtracting God , the spirit’s O2.

In my family I’ve seen that a couple of ways. First, my Aunt Tressa had a welfare mentality. She hardly ever worked, because she was “sick.” So she wore my Mom’s hand me down dresses. She paid only $20/month rent for living in the family homestead. Never did she bring anything to family potlucks but she’d always say, I’ll just try a little bit of everything. I guess she thought she earned the right because of sick nerves and extreme thrift. I once saw her separate a two-ply napkin. Daily she used one teabag all morning and another all afternoon. My dad’s view was, She thinks the world owes her a living.

That’s the poor side of the I deserve it! worldview. I’ve also seen the richer side. I am a good person who works hard for my money so I deserve special treatment. Whether that be a Cadillac, or a political favor, or the last piece of pie, or the control of TV remote.

The common denominator of the spiritually flatlined worldview is that rich, poor, or middle class, the magic words thank you rarely roll off their lips because they deserve it.

V. 3 tells us that God has feelings about these prideful folk… children of wrath? This is sounding like hellfire and brimstone, right? But really God’s anger isn’t an eagerness to strike with lightning, but an injured love that says, How could you think you deserve everything when I made the sun rise this morning, I gave you the strength to work, NS I blessed you with your talents… and you think you spin the world? How could you?!

While Lent reminds us that we are dead in sin, Easter reminds us that the grateful come alive with Christ! Do you notice the terms: grace, mercy, love?

If the spiritually dead worldview says, It’s all about me; the spiritually alive worldview says, It’s all God’s gift. Normally we think of verse 8 as just talking about the grace of a me and Jesus, fire-escape from Hell, salvation. But the Greek word swzw, saved, is much broader. Swzw means heaven for you, but it also includes heaven for the whole church, and healing for your ingrown toenail, and hope for 401Ks, and help for Antarctican penguins. So this salvation is God gift in all of life because life is a gift.

Think about it. If I said to Natsuko last Wed on our 25th wedding anniversary, Yeah, we never would have made it if I wasn’t so patient. How would that go over? But if I say, You know, we had some hard times, like when we lost our first baby, but God has blessed us with two kids, with good jobs, a great church, and me with you…Which is better? The first one is not only spiritual death, but marital suicide. The second brings life.

And all God wants to help you come alive spiritually is a thank you:

Every morning God’s immeasurable grace makes that spring songbird chirp right outside your window. You can wake up saying, O God, it’s morning, or, O God, it’s morning!

Out of God’s rich mercy he gives you a kid who sings in Joyful Noise, and steals more

Coffee Hour cookies than you tell them to. On the way home you can say, How many

cookies did I tell you… or you can say, Thank you for singing for Jesus today.

Out of great love God provides the materials for the boxed mac and cheese Mom

slaves over for lunch today. You can burp, or you can pause to thank God for the

food, even food out of a box, and add in a thanks, Mom.

Out of immeasurable kindness God gave us Jesus. You may listen to your

pastor/teacher blab on about Jesus and yawn, or this Lent you can say, thank

you, Jesus for loving me so much that you went to the cross to save me.

Want to come alive spiritually? See all of life as God’s gift, and spend the rest of today thanking God and others as often as you can. That will increase your spiritual pulse!

The Sermon starts at 41 min 00 secs. “The Message of the Cross”

Pastor Mark Swart