My dearest Hope Family-
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
As we begin this third week of the seven weeks of Easter, here are some tips and blessings from author Anna Grace Taylor for each of us:
- Love is the answer.
- Vulnerability is not a weakness. It is a strength.
- Your body is sacred. Cherish it.
- Gratitude shifts everything. Be thankful.
- Forgiveness sets you free. it really does.
- You cannot change others. You can only change yourself.
- Little acts of kindness are never little.
- Fun is underrated. Enjoy yourself and laugh often.
- Age is just a number. It is never too late.
- Life is precious. Live it now. As Jesus tells us on Maundy Thursday – we are to love one another. Always and in all ways. When we are vulnerable, we allow God to work through others to bless us and be Jesus to us. Our bodies are God’s good creation and we are to take care of them as we do other parts of creation. An attitude of gratitude changes our perspective on everything. Forgiveness is a gift we give to ourselves-freeing us from the burden of carrying anger or whatever we hold against someone else-and forgiveness is also the gift we cherish from God as it is shown to us through Jesus and the cross. The only person’s behavior we can change is our own-and even that takes some work! Our acts of kindness toward others may be the only kindness another person encounters-the world is changed by our love. We all need laughter and fun-it can change our attitude and give us a positive feeling when we laugh. It’s never too late to learn something new, to begin a new hobby or project, to try something different-doing that keeps us young and vital! The life we have from God in this world is a gift, so we use it for God’s purpose to share his love with all as we serve God and are led by the Spirit. That gives us fulfillment today and hope for the life to come! That’s the promise of Easter resurrection!! And remember-we are Easter people!!!
A blessed week of Easter 3 be with you all! Love, Pr. Jen Schaefer+
Set out and light a candle, perhaps the one you used last night at the Vigil. You may wish to have a bowl of water as a reminder of your baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Prayer of the Day Holy and righteous God, you are the author of life, and you adopt us to be your children. Fill us with your words of life, that we may live as witnesses to the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gospel Luke 24:36b-48. In this account of an appearance after his resurrection, Jesus opens the minds of the disciples to understand him as Messiah. Jesus convinces them that he has been raised and sends them on a mission to proclaim the message of repentance and forgiveness.
36bJesus himself stood among [the disciples] and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate in their presence.
44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things.” The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things.” The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
HOMILY : It’s not enough that the tomb is empty. It’s not enough to proclaim, “Christ is risen!” It’s not enough to believe in the resurrection. At some point we have to move from the event of the resurrection to experiencing the resurrection. Experiencing resurrected life begins with recognizing the risen Christ among us. That is the gift of Easter and it is also the difficulty and challenge described in today’s Gospel. ~~~Once again in this Gospel, Jesus, shows up out of nowhere, interrupting the disciples’ conversation. “Peace be with you,” he says. They see him, they hear his voice, but they don’t recognize him. They “thought that they were seeing a ghost.” They know Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. They know dead men don’t come back to life. This can only be a ghost, a spirit without a body. The tomb is open but their minds are closed. ~~~They are unable to recognize the holiness that stands among them. They are continuing to live, think, and understand in the usual human categories They don’t expect to see Jesus so they don’t recognize him when he appears. It’s the same for us-we miss seeing Jesus when he appears among us because we don’t expect to see him.
~~~With Jesus’ resurrection, however, God shatters human categories of who God is, where God’s life and energy are to be found, and how God works in this world. Resurrected life can never be comprehended, contained, or controlled by human thought or understanding. Jesus’ resurrection compels us to step outside our usual human understandings of reality and enter into the divine reality. That new reality begins with touching and seeing, flesh and bones, hands and feet, and broiled fish. Jesus said to his disciples, “Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” Then “he showed them his hands and his feet.” After this he ate a piece of broiled fish in their presence. ~~~Flesh and bones, hands and feet, and broiled fish are the things of creation. Mary, a woman created by God, gave Jesus his flesh and bones and his hands and feet. The very same flesh and bones, the very same hands and feet now show up unannounced and unexpected in the midst of their conversation. In last week’s Gospel Jesus’ hands and feet, his flesh and bones, passed through walls and locked doors. ~~~The resurrected life of Christ is revealed in and through creation but it isn’t bound by creation. In the resurrected life of Christ, the visible and invisible are united, created matter and spirit, humanity and divinity. On the one hand Jesus has a real body. On the other hand it is not subject to the natural laws of time and space. It’s not one or the other. It’s both. It is a new and different reality. If we live only by what we see or taste or feel, bound by creation as it is present for us, then we might miss out, unable to see resurrected life and holiness in this world. We bind ourselves through our fears, our sorrows and losses, our runaway thoughts and distractions, our attachments and addictions to things, people, and even beliefs. Sometimes it’s our unwillingness to allow or trust God to grow and change us. In binding ourselves to the things we can determine as reality by our senses we lose recognition of and the ability to live in the sacred. For humans, perception is reality, but with Jesus, there’s so much more. Clinging to only what we perceive, that’s the very opposite of resurrected life and it prevents us from the blessing of being witnesses of these things, as Jesus says.
~~~The resurrected life of Christ reveals that all creation and every one of us are filled with God, holiness, divinity. Nothing can bind the grace that is given us through resurrection: unconditional love, unconditional forgiveness, unconditional life. That is, I think, one of the most difficult things for us to see, believe, and live into. It is, however, the divine reality into which we are invited, not at some future time and place but here and now. Resurrected life happens in the unexpected when we allow Jesus to take the wheel, when we allow ourselves to believe that with God all things are possible, including raising Jesus from the dead and inviting us to live lives of faith that believes in God’s power, God’s authority, God’s Will above all else.
~~~Christ our God longs and desires to open our minds to understand the scriptures, to understand all that has been written, spoken, and revealed about him in whatever form that happens and has happened. That’s what Jesus did for the disciples and it’s what he does for us. This is not academic or intellectual understanding. That the disciples are witnesses does not mean they now have all the answers. It means they now have the life Jesus wants to give them. They are witnesses based not on what they know, but on who they are, how they live, and their relationship with the risen Christ. It is based on giving God the right to be our God and we his people through Jesus and the Spirit. ~~~I don’t know how this happens. I can’t give you a set of instructions or a to-do list. That would be like giving you a set of instructions on how to fall in love. The resurrected life is not acquired, it is received. It happens when we risk unbinding ourselves from the usual ways of seeing, living, and relating. This is not a rejection of creation and what we can perceive with our senses. It is allowing that with God, there is something more. That’s what happened for the disciples with Jesus’ hands and feet, with his flesh and bones, and the broiled fish. They saw and recognized something about Jesus and in so doing they saw and recognized something about themselves; holiness. It happens for us too. ~~~ Think about a time when life seemed more real than it ever had and you touched or tasted life in a way never before. Recall a moment when your heart opened or softened, and you knew you were somehow different. Remember when you sensed something new was being offered you; possibilities that you did not create for yourself. They just opened up. Reflect on that moment when you realized that you were ok and could again start to live. Those are the moments when Christ opens our minds to understand. They are moments of awe and wonder that leave us in sacred silence. They fill our eyes with tears. We weep, not from sorrow or pain, but the water of new life. They are the moments in which we say, “I never want this to end. I don’t want to leave this place. I want to feel this presence always.” ~~~In each of those moments the one who is fully alive and risen, the Christ, is calling us to see and recognize him, to join him, and to discover our new life. This is the authentic self we long to become, the self that we already are, and the self we are becoming. This is resurrected life. ~~~Let’s not lose this moment. Your life is too important to let that happen. Carry this text with you over the next week. Let it open your eyes, your heart, and your mind to the life Christ is offering you. Let it be the voice of Christ opening your mind to understand. Sit with it. Pray with it. Wrestle with it. Trust it. As soon as you catch a glimpse of the risen Christ and your own resurrection, please share it-with me or someone else-talk about it, feel it, share it and give thanks for it. “You are witnesses of these things,” Jesus says to us. Tell it. Live it. Become it. The resurrected life is yours. You are witnesses. You are witnesses. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Alive in the risen Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, we bring our prayers before God who promises to hear us and answer in steadfast love. A brief silence.
Living God, in the midst of Easter joy we are still filled with questions and wondering. Open our hearts and minds as we encounter the scriptures, so that the church embodies repentance and forgiveness in the name of Jesus to all nations. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Creating God, like a master artist you have fashioned the universe out of your love and delight. Heal your creation where it is in need of restoration. Provide all the inhabitants of earth a peaceful and sustainable home. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of all, the nations hunger and thirst for your righteousness. Many call on you for guidance and strength. Answer their hopes with the peace of Christ and give your lovingkindness to national, state, and local leaders of people. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Healing God, you hear the cries of those in need and answer them in their distress. Grant to those who are sick and suffering your compassion and nurse them back to health and wholeness ( especially). Be close to the hearts of the lonely. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Loving Parent, you have given us such love that we should be called the children of God. Reveal yourself to us so that we in this community of faith will become more and more like you in our mutual love and bold witness. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of all times and ages, those who have died in you now see you as you are. We thank you for their lives among us. Assure us of the peace you have promised, that we may join them in everlasting life. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
In the hope of new life in Christ, we raise our prayers to you, trusting in your never-ending goodness and mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
The blessing of the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, surround and sustain us, keep us from harm, and fill us with courage. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Let us go out into the world in peace, sharing the Good News of Jesus and his rising from the dead, as together we are led by the Spirit to serve God and share Christ’s love with all! Thanks be to God!
HOPE HAPPENINGS
We welcome all who worship with us today. Please complete one of the visitor cards at our guest table. If you would like to make Hope your church home, please speak to Pastor Jen. Everyone is welcome at Hope Lutheran Church.
Next Week’s Readings: Acts 4:5-12; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18
The April thru June Word in Season Devotionals are available on the narthex table.
LAY SERVANTS MARCH 2021 FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Altar Guild: Gail Zahs & Delores Hall March Income $12,065.15
Usher: Karl Kaukis March Expenses $ 9,688.08
Counters: Pr. Cheryll & Karl Kaukis Income less Expenses $ 2,372.61
PRAYER LIST
Please call the church office or email Pr. Jen with any prayer requests you may have so they may be shared with the congregation.
Please continue to hold in prayer:
Cyndi and Fred for healing
Ken Zwara for healing
Jenny for healing and God’s love
Alec for healing
Pr. Marilyn for healing & God’s peace
Cindy Beicht for healing after surgery
Vinny for healing
Ian for sure and strong presence of God’s healing grace
Doris Puerner for healing
Marirose for a healthy pregnancy
Helen for healing
Kristin, Ron and Carolyn Rasmussen’s daughter, for healing after surgery
Jean Holcomb for healing
Florence, Lou Szepi’s mom, for God’s comforting presence
Dawn Seibert for healing
Carol for healing, hope, and God’s will.
Laura Everill, daughter of Phyllis and Tom Agness, residing in a healthcare facility.
Walter Crowley, husband of Kathryn and father of Ginger Toomire recovering from pneumonia.
Joyce, sister-in-law of Elaine Dougan, recovering from brain cancer surgery.
John Greene, Millie’s husband, for strength and healing
Cheryl Burke who is in need of healing
Larry and Barbara Brady, as they focus on healing.
Pr. Pat for healing
Susan for healing
Jason for healing
NEW AT HOPE
ASCENSION THURSDAY WORSHIP – Please join us on Ascension Thursday, May 13 th as we celebrate the risen Christ’s ascension into heaven at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary or 4:30 PM in the parking lot.
CRAFT SALE – Earth Gifts, By Linda Kraigenow, Craftswomen was created to generate funds to support local charities. There will be a sale on Saturday, April 24, 2021 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Hope Lutheran Gulf Cove Church, 14200 Hopewell Avenue, Port Charlotte. Linda has a huge inventory of Hand crafted one of a kind, natural gemstones fashioned into pendants, earrings, rings, bracelets, beaded gemstones, pearls, and crystals. No two are alike. ALL proceeds will be used to keep Hope’s Love Pantry filled to help those in our community in need.
HOPE LOVE PANTRY – The pantry could use canned meat, fruits, juice, juices, toiletries and snack items or monetary donations. Thank you for your continued support and donations. This is our opportunity to serve God and share Christ’s love with all.
MONDAY BIBLE STUDY on God sightings every Monday at 10:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. Bible study will return on April 19 th.
WOMEN OF HOPE –Next meeting with be April 18th, 2021.
HYMN REQUESTS If there are any particular hymns that you would like to hear at worship, please submit the names to Pastor Jen at hopeluthern1@comcast.net. If our licensing agreement permits, look forward to hearing them soon.
HOPES AND DREAMS FOR HOPE – If you have a suggestion for a Hope or Dream for Hope Lutheran Church, Pastor Jen and your council would love to hear it. Please feel free to place any Hope or Dream in the mailbox in the hallway leading to the Fellowship Hall. All requests will be kept confidential, and you will receive a timely response.
2021 HOPE LUTHERAN COUNCIL MEMBERS
Pastor Jennifer Schaefer 813.391.2027 hopeluthern1@comcast.net
President Jill Mead 941.350.5209 jillmead3059@gmail.com
Vice President Linda Kraignow 941.623.9188 lindak41549@gmail.com
Secretary Roberta Baliant 941.830.2381 roberta.in.paradise@gmail.com
Treasurer Karl Kaukis 405.334.1511 karl@kaukis.com
Financial Secretary Lorraine Maass 540.419.5961 yar0227@ymail.com
Pr. Cheryll Armstrong Kaukis 405.762.0564 cheryll.kaukis@gmail.com
Fran Kostrowsky 813.316.5295 fkostrowsky@gmail.com
Candy Ogden 217.899.7086 roncandyogden92@gmail.com
Donna Turner 941.276.4696 jag01@embarqmail.com
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