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<DIV><FONT size=4>Forwarded:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=LKraft@ecunet.org href="mailto:LKraft@ecunet.org">LKraft</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=SERMONSHOP_SERMONS.topic@ecunet.org
href="mailto:SERMONSHOP_SERMONS.topic@ecunet.org">SERMONSHOP_SERMONS.topic@ecunet.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, March 02, 2010 4:02 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Luke 13:1-9, Lent 3c</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">LENT
3c
March 7, 2010<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Luke
13:1-9
Holy Trinity ELCA<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
Trumbull, CT<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
‘Imagine for a moment that Jesus is watching television with his twelve
disciples. They're on furlough from teaching and healing, taking it easy in the
living room of Peter's mother-in-law, doing a little mindless channel surfing.
Maybe they catch a little of an NCAA Tournament game, March Madness. These are
guys, you know, just relaxing from a demanding schedule.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
But eventually the evening news comes on. They put down the popcorn and listen
intently to the day's tragedies. One disciple says, "Hey, Jesus, that horrible
bombing over in Pakistan, where that guy drove a bus into a crowd of people. Do
you think that because the Pakistanis suffered in this way they were worse
sinners than the rest?" It was a popular question in Jesus' day. Still is. If
something bad happened, it must have been for a reason. Jesus scratches his
beard for a moment. "No, they didn't die because of anything they did. It was a
purely random thing. But let me tell you something. Unless you guys clean up
your acts, you'll die just as tragically." <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
There is a low murmur in the room. The disciples look at each other like Jesus
has missed his morning medication. As two begin to leave to find a bathroom, the
newscaster reports another catastrophe, this one halfway across the world. Jesus
pipes up this time. "Hey, guys," he says, "those people over in Chile. What
about them? The earthquake that hit there killed hundreds of people. Does that
mean that these Chileans were worse sinners than their neighbors in Peru?" Jesus
waits for his question to sink in. "No, the tragedy had nothing to do with their
morals. Those people just got in the way." The disciples breathe a sigh of
relief, gladdened to know that God doesn't work that way. But then Jesus looks
at them all. "Let me tell you something, though. Unless you people start going
in the right direction, you will share a similar fate as those Chileans and it
will seem like a building falling on your head to crush the life out of you." I
believe somebody got up and changed the channel after that.’ (1)
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
I know you’re aware of what’s been going on in the world lately. There
were the two major earthquakes – Haiti’s and Chile’s. There’s the ongoing
conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. There’s genocide and mutilation in the
Sudan. There are millions of workers seeking employment in many nations around
the world. There are families facing bankruptcy, foreclosure and divorce,
even among our members here. Today’s world, at times, seems to be a
terrible place to be.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
>From our gospel reading for today we discover that the world has always had its
challenges. The daily lives of Jesus and his disciples included crises and
tragedies. We come together in places like this church to hear words of
hope, to offer assistance and to comfort each other in
grief.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
But sometimes, on days like today, we look at other ideas that need to be lifted
up. Here’s why.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
We can tell from our gospel reading that Jesus knew his disciples had the idea
that bad things happened to bad people. Or at least they thought the
victims of the temple massacre and the collapsing tower must have done something
wrong in their lives to “deserve” to die. They couldn’t make sense out of
such a tragedy otherwise. Pain and suffering couldn’t just be a random
occurrence in their experience.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
Surprisingly, this attitude toward pain and suffering hasn’t changed much in the
course of history. A plane crashes, a baby needs a heart transplant, a
church closes its doors and we begin looking for reasons why God must have
abandoned those people or that place. Then come the platitudes:
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
God will never give you more than you can handle.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
God needed a new angel.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
God decided the time was right.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
God is in charge; it’s not our place to question.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
You’ve heard them all. You may have offered some of these platitudes as
you try to make sense out of a senseless situation. Jesus says, “Stop
it. Stop looking at the other guy and begin to look at yourself. You
are no different than the other guy. What happened to him could happen to
you at any moment.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
But Jesus doesn’t leave it at that. Jesus doesn’t leave us alone to stew
in the reality of our own sinfulness. He doesn’t chop us down and leave us
to die. Jesus continues teaching with the parable of the fig tree.
Basically, Jesus says, while we may look at that other guy and somehow come to
the conclusion that his life isn’t worth living, God looks at that same person
and offers support, nurturing and tender compassion. God chooses to give
that one another chance so that he or she can bear good
fruit.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
Think of it this way: A man goes to his doctor because he just doesn’t feel
right. The doctor finishes the exam and tells him, “I have bad news and
good news. You have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, an enlarged
prostrate, and your constant cough could be an early sign of
emphysema.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
The man asks the doctor, “So, what’s the good news?”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
The doctor says, “Well, I can help you reduce your salt intake, cut down on red
meat and fatty foods, exercise regularly and give up smoking, so your health can
improve.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
The man stomps out of the exam room, grumbling: “I’ve never liked that
doctor. He’s SO negative about everything.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
You and I react to Jesus request to repent in much the same way. We
journey together toward the cross of Good Friday, knowing that we need to
examine our lives so we can better appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice. But we
don’t really want to look within ourselves and discover our failures. We
don’t really want to make fundamental changes in the way we treat our bodies,
treat other people and treat the world in which we live. We’re pretty
comfortable being just who we are. After all, haven’t we heard, somewhere,
that God loves us “just as I am”?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
It’s true. God DOES love each of us “just as I am.” But that doesn’t
mean we don’t need to shape up and take responsibility for our failures.
It is BECAUSE God loves us just as we are that we can face this scrutiny without
fear. We need not be afraid of digging deeply into our personalities, our
attitudes and our works. We go into those darkest corners with Jesus at
our side.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
Look at how the gardener responded to the landowner in our parable today.
When the landowner (the world) wanted the rotten tree cut down, the gardener
(Jesus) convinced him to let it try again. “Let me dig around it and put
manure on it.” Let me love and tend and nourish it. Let me express
my support and encouragement. Let me nurture it and give it
hope.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
God’s grace is promised to us in our baptism. We are refreshed with
forgiveness each time we share Holy Communion. Instead of looking at the
other guy and wondering why God doesn’t just take that one away or chop him down
to size, you and I need to look within ourselves. We can do that because
we are accompanied by the one who gave himself for us.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
When bad things happen around us or to us, we don’t have to wonder if it’s some
sort of judgment that was deserved for wrong-doing. Bad things DO happen
to good people. Many of us know that through personal experience.
There’s not much we can do about that. What we CAN do is to be the best
people we can be. Be the people Jesus knows we can be. Love and
nourish each other, support and encourage each other and live in
hope.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
You and I can bear the fruit our Gardener knows is possible, for we are not
alone in the effort. Do not be afraid to examine your soul this
Lent. Remember, change is what happened on the third day. Good
Friday wasn’t the end. Amen<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"
class=MsoListParagraph><![if !supportLists]><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">(1)<SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><![endif]><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The Evening News.
Frank G. Honeycutt, Sermons on the Gospel Reading, Cycle C, CSS Publishing
Company. Found on eSermons.com, March 2010.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d">Rev. Linda J.
Kraft<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Holy
Trinity Lutheran Church<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Trumbull
CT 06611<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">office
p/f 203-372-8844<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">home
203-881-5997<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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