Him We Proclaim

Read Jeremiah 11:1-8; 16:10-15 Consider The indictments against the chosen people only intensify after chapter Jeremiah chapter two. Their evil has long enough been a stain not only on the earth, but against God whose name they bear. God will be faithful to his word, and there will be no escaping the promised judgments. In today’s world, the word ‘faith’ has become a harmless word, stripped strength and substance. When something goes wrong, we ‘have faith’ that things will turn out right. But why? What basis is there for such a claim? Faith is a word that demands a foundation. If my wife tells me she will buy milk at the store on her way home, I can have faith that she will – because she has proven herself trustworthy and has given me something in which to trust (the words she spoke). If she did not say anything about buying milk, I would have no grounds to trust that she will buy anything whatsoever, regardless of how trustworthy she is – because she has not given me a ...

1. Reminder: Why We Hope  (Jeremiah 2:5-13) Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake your God... (Jer 2:19a) When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the people of God were waiting for God’s promised savior. They were ruled by foreign powers who were unsympathetic to them and the worship of God. There was the haunting recollection that their God had brought them into a land to rule themselves, to be a kingdom of priests before God in the world. But darkness had come upon the land and the kingdom of priests reveled in evil and wickedness. God thrust them into the captivity and punishment which had been promised since Sinai, and so patiently delayed for centuries. They never ruled the land again like they had at first. They were looking for a savior, a rescuer, someone to lead the charge against the Romans like Moses against the Egyptians, Joshua against the Canaanites, or David against the Philistines. They expected God to fix the problem of Roman rule. But...

May 11, 2019 Dear Ashley, Libby, Sam, and Sienna -                                                                   Congratulations. I hope you know how proud everyone here is of you. Your parents have treasured you from the moment they knew you were coming. They changed your diapers, held your hands as you learned to walk, and tenderly washed scraped knees. Countless sleepless nights and long days were poured into nurturing and guiding and teaching. Today's ceremony marks both a celebration and a loss. Even as you still have to finish some coursework, today we also celebrate your readiness to enter the world: the hope and dread of every parent who still sees in ...

I count it an immense blessing to live in a country where Good Friday is a national holiday. Yesterday, a parade went by our home. Pontius Pilate led the way with his wife, followed by Caiaphas the high priest, a large group of Roman guards, and finally Jesus carrying the cross. We protestants often don’t think too much about Good Friday. But it was the climax of Jesus’ life on earth up to the resurrection. It is in his arrest, trial, and execution that Jesus is seems to be defeated. And yet it is here that the Gospel writers find him victorious. John records the deep irony of Jesus’ trial with Pilate. There are three main characters: Jesus, Pilate, and “the Jews.” (It is important to understand that “the Jews” is John’s way of talking about the Jewish authorities, not just a random group of Jews.) Jesus had been arrested and brought before a local council of Jewish leaders. There were no credible witnesses against them, but they still wanted him dead. They brought him to...