Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
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This week has seen a great deal of loss for many in our church. The most obvious, of course, is that Marian Triplett passed away yesterday at 5:30. But others have lost other dear friends this week too. I’ll admit to still being in shock over Joy Verzi’s death, I miss Glenn Noffsinger, I miss Marvin Creel. I could keep going on and on with those who have left to be with the same Lord I so eagerly desire to see. But here on earth, there has been too much mourning recently. It is easy to become numb.
I know it sounds like a cliché when I remind you that Jesus himself said ‘Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ I know you know that Paul exhorted us ‘Let us not mourn like those that have no hope.’ There is a resurrection, and we shall see them again. I am especially reminded of Romans 8, in which we learn that our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to come. Especially in times of loss, we need to focus on our heavenly home, and not here.
If you would indulge me a few minutes, I have to tell you that I have learned something this week – and that it is not to underestimate the true power of those words. If we will take those words seriously, if we will let God’s power echo in our hearts, we can be transformed people of which the world must take notice.
Like many of you, I grieved at what happened up in Lancaster County this week, but I’ll tell you, even in that terrible loss, I have learned what it means to take the Word of the Lord seriously. Even in an amazingly senseless tragedy, like the killing of 5 innocent little girls and the critical wounding of 5 more, there is hope. As details have emerged, my heart has been drawn back to the Lord.
CNN has been fixated on the details of the funeral. In the first report I read, they mentioned how the Amish truly believe that the next world is so much better than this. Now, I have to believe that the reporter who added that knows that all Christians believe in a heaven that is better than earth. But in light of how the Amish have been reacting this week, I think that reporter must have realized the Amish really believe it. It has transformed their lives.
It is the power of the resurrection that enabled the community to reach out to the widow of the shooter. They have taken her in – they have even asked that a portion of the donations flowing in would go to her. They realized she is grieving too.
It’s coming out that the shooter may have had truly abhorrent ideas of what to do with these young women. By God’s good grace, these girls were not abused before they died. Perhaps it is a mercy.
But something great happened, even as the shooter began his rampage. It turns out that at least two of the older girls asked the shooter to begin with them. They hoped they could buy time for the younger ones. They truly knew and believed, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.’
They believed that. The power of those words resonated in their lives. It was their hope, it is our hope too.
So, when I tell you this morning that we believe in a resurrection, and that we have hope, please don’t dismiss it as just the words the pastor needs to say.
We all will miss Marian. She was a good woman who looked out for others in so many ways. She rarely even knew how great she was. But she was great because she believed in a Savior who loved her. It is only natural to extend that love.
There is power in those words if only we’ll believe it. We serve a risen Savior, and that makes all the difference.
We’re going to enter into a time of prayer this morning. I hope you’ll join me.
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Prayer
O God, who makes us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of thy Son our Lord: Grant us this day such blessing through our worship of thee, that the days to come may be spent in thy favor;
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
We pray for those who mourn as if they have no hope, O Lord. We pray for ourselves who have acted as if there is no hope. Forgive us what we have done. Forgive those too who have chosen not to acknowledge you, Lord. Be with them and call them back to you. We earnestly desire that your kingdom would increase. We pray that kingdom would begin with us, but we ask that your bountiful and beautiful love would call the whole world to you. Be the God who is known throughout the world we ask. We ask first that you would forgive us these sins, this morning.
PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SIN
We praise you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We praise you that you have loved us, died for us, redeemed us, and saved us. We praise you that you have prepared a place for us, both now and eternally. We praise you for the friends you have placed in our path. We praise you for a journey that is full of struggle and joy. We praise you, O God, because you are good, in the highest sense of the word. We praise you too for this, O Lord.
PRAISE HIM IN YOUR OWN WORDS
We acknowledge your goodness, O Lord and ask that you would intervene now in our lives. We believe, help our unbelief. Show yourself strong in healing Martha we pray. Heal her family. Bring peace to them in their bodies, souls, and spirits. Lord, we ask too for Susan that her body would be a miracle. Stop the disease at work in her body. Heal her and extend her life with joy. We pray earnestly that she would not need invasive treatment again. We pray that if it is necessary, she would have the strength to endure it. And we pray for her family as well. Abide with Schulz and Jim and Joe and all her children. Be a healing presence. O Lord God, we pray for Warren. Strengthen the heart that has always been with us. He is your servant, and has served us faithfully. Strengthen him. Lord, there are too many others in our congregation who are standing in the need of prayer this morning. Be with Mark, Lori, Chester, Irene, and these too we pray:
PRAY FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS
Finally, Lord, we pray for our country, our community, and our church especially. Grow it, grow us. Use it to strengthen this community and let it be a beacon of hope in a world that seems not to know it exists.
PRAY FOR YOUR COUNTRY; PRAY FOR YOUR CHURCH
And Lord, strengthen us too.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand; to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
