MIDWEEK LENTEN MESSAGE
February 24, 2010
Based on the Second Last Word from the Cross – “Promise” and “Home”

Jesus’ made a promise to the criminal – today you will be with me in paradise. Fulfilling the promise he made to the disciples when he was trying to help them understand that He must leave them, but His leave taking wasn’t the end of the story. “I will come again,” Jesus told them, “and I will take you to where I am so that where I am there you will be also.” In essence -- you will be at home with me. Surely the criminal did not deserve such a promise but the promise was there for him, just the same, undeserved, unearned; just as the promise is there for us, always.

THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF CHRIST

The Second Word: Luke 23:43

Truly I tell you; today you will be with me in paradise.
Long before there were Itunes, mp3s, and CDs, only vinyl albums and LPs existed. A friend had a great LP collection of some of the best singers and entertainers in the world. These included Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett.

“Jesus Prays For Us”

John 17:15-20

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us make no mistake about it; the Christian church is in the midst of a great revitalization. It has always been the people who are willing to probe the depths that have revitalized the church. We must go deeper if we would see this church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America become revitalized. That is to say, we must come into full bloom in terms of our faith in Jesus the Christ. Jesus prays that our lives would be nothing more and nothing less than in full bloom. The living Triune God within us is enough extraordinary grace to make your life and my life bloom, if we will just slow down, listen up and commit ourselves to a spiritual journey.