Easter Sunday

Pastor Leta Arndt Behrens

Sermon Scripture: LUKE 24:1-12

¹On the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. ²They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they went in, they did not find the body. ⁴While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. ⁵The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. ⁶Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” ⁸Then they remembered his words, ⁹and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. ¹²But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Palm Sunday

Pastor Michael Stadtmueller

Sermon Scripture: MARK 11:1-11

¹When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, [Jesus] sent two of his disciples ²and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. ³If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” ⁴They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, ⁵some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. ⁷Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. ⁹Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
¹⁰Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
¹¹Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Easter Sunday

Pastor Michael Stadtmueller

Sermon Scripture: MARK 16:1-8

¹When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint [Jesus’ body]. ²And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. ⁵As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. ⁶But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Maundy Thursday

Rev. Leta Arndt Behrens

As much as Palm Sunday was about the crowds, Maundy Thursday turns us more inward.

Palm Sunday comes with the noise, the shouts of Hosanna, emotions running high and the symbolic nature of God riding into Jerusalem as a new King bringing peace in the face of and in defiance of the oppressive rule. Maundy Thursday comes with a bit more quiet, invites us into contemplation and prayer and yet has this same edge–Love will win, peace will reign, and it’s not going to look like anything you think it should look like. On this night, Jesus gathers those close to him for a traditional passover meal that turns out to be anything but traditional. The message of the passover is the same–God has come to rescue. God has come into the world to say there is another way. God has come to prepare for and enter into the depths of human struggle, despair and suffering and come out on the other side through the power of love, not the power of violence. Through the power of grace, not through the power of punishment. Through the power of story, not through the power of control

Action and contemplation. These two ways of being in the world often get pitted against one another. Are we as Christians called to act? Or to be in prayer? Is the true mark of Christian one who can be in silence connecting with God on deeper inner level or is it giving of one’s time and money in acts of service? Churches, individuals, faith communities of all shapes and sizes get caught in this dictomoy. Is who we are what we do or is what we believe? What is the path of real spirituality? We must define ourselves as either those who serve as Jesus or those who speak about Jesus.

This way of thinking pushes us to the extremes of a dualistic mind. A mind which tells us that it’s either/or. A mind that tells us there is right and wrong clearly laid out at every turn. This is not the mind of Jesus. Jesus has engaged in a display of political truth telling and he has now gathered his followers together for connection and prayer. Jesus has bent down to their filthy feet and washed them in a service of love and has blessed them at the table. Jesus comes into this world as God with us and comes out of this world declaring a new way to live.

And so the call is for us as well.  Sometimes we are called to be in the crowd and sometimes we are called to retreat to draw support, compassion, and prayer together. We are called into action and we are called into connection with God. We are called, actually commanded to love, and we are called, actually commanded to turn to God. Here is where the tension of our faith lies. Our actions do not save us, but our actions matter. The grace of God comes to bring us all to the promise of God’s love and the grace of God bids us to bring this to our neighbor. Jesus commands us in this meal together, in the experiences of worship, in our life together to love one another. It begs the question, can one really be commanded to love? I remember when my children were little and they would fight–maybe calling one another a name or using hurtful words or perhaps turning to some hand to hand combat. I understood it as normal, sibling rivalry, I had engaged in this with my brother a time or two… or more… But I still just could not stand to have my two precious babies do this. So I would have them sit on the couch holding hands until they could say something nice to the other person.. And say I love you. They of course despised this and I had to sit with them and help them in this task. And sometimes one or the other would say but I don’t want to be nice. I don’t want to love him/her. I don’t feel like…  And I would say, I didn’t ask you to want to and I can’t tell you have to feel, but do it anyway.

Sometimes what we feel and what we are called to do are not the same thing. Jesus command here is like that. The scriptures use the word agape for this love — this is not eros love which is the one that invokes feelings and brings out the romantic in us, agape love is a love that is built on action, on service, on caring for the other. It is not dependent upon or reliant on our feelings. In Jesus command to love one another he also says to do this as God as done for us and in this he is speaking a word of gift and grace. You have the love you need because I have loved, this agape love, because it comes from me. My body, my blood, my mercy, my love poured out for you. Jesus calls us to yes act in service to this world and Jesus calls us to gather–to gather at this table over and over to remember him and his words and his promise.

Our children that took the communion class last week were taught many things. The stories that you heard today, the history of communion, what a sacrament means that the plate is a paten and the cup a chalice and even how to make the bread for you tonight. And the main thing that were told to remember, asked to repeat to their parents and practice at home was we come to communion because…. (see if any will answer) … we are to remember that Jesus loves us and forgives us.

All the stories, all the commands, all the contemplation and all the action come down this promise. As Jesus gathers us together tonight, as Jesus walks with us through Good Friday and to Easter morning, it all comes to this–I am with you. I love you. I forgive you. That is enough.

Children’s Sermon Poem

A poem with input from kids at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Glenwood Springs, including: Lucy, Adam, Amelia, Ember, Natalie and Sage (ages 2-12)

The last supper was not a Mardi Gras party or a Masquerade Ball.

There were no balloons, no streamers, no glitter.

It was not served in a big house,

or a fancy hotel.

Jesus told his disciples, Follow Your Heart,

through the storm, beyond the boom

and the splish-splash, past the drip, drop, drip,

and you will find the end of the rainbow

in a room borrowed from a stranger.

There was no cake. No Mac and Cheese. No pasta with pesto sauce,

no ice cream. Not vanilla, or strawberry, or chocolate with coconut.

There were no tacos, no sausage, no macaroni and meatballs,

no spaghetti with spicy sauce, or pizza topped with pineapple or pepperoni.

Just flat bread.

There was no apple juice to wash it down. No lemonade

Or lime-aid. No milkshakes, with or without a cherry on top.

Nothing except a plain pitcher of water, and the bread,

which Jesus served to his friends, even the one who hurt him,

the one who told him he bragged too much.

In the end, maybe the best thing

about the last supper was this:

No one went home hungry.

Everyone, absolutely everyone, was fed.

Palm Sunday

Rev. Leta Arndt Behrens

Sermon Scripture: MARK 11:1-11

¹When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, [Jesus] sent two of his disciples ²and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. ³If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” ⁴They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, ⁵some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. ⁷Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. ⁹Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
¹⁰Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
¹¹Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Sermon Text:

As we enter into this holy week, we step onto a path that has been walked before and we hear again the stories that take us from palms to the cross to the resurrection. Today is the first story of the gathering of people in Jerusalem, a crowd.. present and there to see Jesus and to stand with him as he comes into the city. If we just look at the words, it seems like this was an unplanned, spontaneous gathering, but if we read the spaces of the story we can hear more, that there was a little bit more time in there–the build up of the gathering, the rumors, the invitations, and whispers spreading–Jesus is coming into Jerusalem… did you hear he will be riding a colt? Just like the prophet Zechariah said–the king will come triumphant, humble, riding on a colt and we will end the battles and bring peace to the nations… ! did you hear, The disciples say he will come in the east gate.. the romans..they’re are on their way riding their horses on the west side… Jesus is going to come and save us, it’s time… what should we do? How do we get gather for the moment?

I imagine some started from out from home that day and had time to think about what they were going to bring. Planning for laying a coat on the ground might have led some to find one they didn’t mind getting dirty. And I imagine some also bypassed the box that was going to good will and picked out their finest garments like the best blanket or coat they owned to take to lay down in homage. I imagine some  went and found what had the most value to them-grandma’s shawl, grandpa’s hat, the wrap that kept them warm every day and now would create a path for the one they hoped would bring deliverance. I there would have been those that did not set out from home but found themselves caught up in the moment, inspired to gather together, grab palm branches and lay them down with those who had gone already.

These crowds were inspired to gather together. They were inspired by a movement. They were inspired by words, actions, and promises being told by Jesus. They were inspired by one another in the stories they shared and heard, in the whispers to come and see and in the moment of recognizing a small shift in what they had previously known to be true. They were inspired by their seeking out something more, something bigger, something beyond just their own selves. They gathered seeking peace, they gathered seeking hope and deliverance from the system of domination they were in, they gathered seeking a way to be one with each other and with the movement of God’s spirit.

What inspires us to gather? In our country now many are inspired to gather together in different ways in the same seeking of peace, of hope, of wanting to create a solid, strong, safe world for our children-our youth-our elderly-for all ages in between. Some are inspired to gather to advocate for ways to end the violence that terrifies them. Some are inspired to gather in prayer. Some to write letters. Some to work for justice along political avenues and some to work for creating peace in their relationships amongst their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and churches. All these ways come together in the same cry and pleas — Hosanna–Lord save us. Save us from that which threatens from the outside and save us from our inner turmoil. Hosanna–save us from a world of conflict and struggle, save us from our ourselves. Hosanna–bring us the spirit of God.

As I continue to imagine the scene from that day, the image of the people laying down what they had before Jesus, I also imagine what it is we need to lay down before Jesus and for one another. These prayer shawls are one image of that because just as they are laid out here on the altar rail tey are on part of how we together represent the peace of God and how we are called to gift it and lay it upon the shoulders, the laps and the hearts of our neighbors. I have taken many prayer shawls to people for many reasons–for those who were ill, just born, struggling with grief, those who just needed warmth and the tangible evidence of prayer being laid upon them. And every time there is a good story, a feeling of connection, a moment of gratitude and grace in the receiving and in the giving.

One story in particular stands out to me today. It’s the prayer shawl I wrapped up at the last second, almost as an afterthought this Christmas as I was taking gifts and food to a father and son. The father has been unable to work because of losing his eyesight and other health problems and they were living in a very cold place. I had no true idea of his faith background, if prayers were meaningful, if he would give one hoot about a prayer shawl from people he didn’t know. But I took it anyway, with the card that come along with it. Usually I wrap the shawl on the person and pray with them, but this time because I was not sure of how it would be received and we were bringing other gifts, I simply told him it was made by a woman in our church and given as a gift of prayer and love from our congregation. My husband went back a few days later and he was wearing the shawl, rubbing it as they talked. At the end of their conversation he thanked Rob, told him how much it meant and that he felt a peace and a inspiration to keep going, to keep seeking out that hope and deliverance that he needed. When we went to move him to a new place with heat it was the only thing he would not let anyone else carry. He kept it with him, holding it through the drive and the move.

This shawl brought literal warmth and much more than that. This shawl knit and hooked together the spirit of God with a sense of belonging and laying down of what either of us once thought we knew about each other, about connections, about how Jesus continues to enter our lives in small shifts, to come even in things such as afterthoughts and hastily given gifts.

These prayer shawls are like the others ways we gather up God’s spirit and seek to serve and advocate for peace, are symbolic AND they are filled with faith. While the shawl did not solve every area of this man’s life that needed deliverance–It was God with him man and us– gathered together in ways that we do not always understand but that inspire us to keep moving on the path in this mystery of faith. In these acts we lay down who we are and we take a stand in what we are called to be for our neighbor and we place them at the feet of Jesus.

Jesus entry into Jerusalem was intentionally symbolic even as it was filled with this mystery of faith. Riding on a colt as in the words of Zechariah was a clear way of stating that the kingdom he was bringing in was one of peace. That the system of domination and violence was being overturned. That he would not play that game but would stand against it. That God’s power was coming to enter the world in peace, in love, in redemption and to enter the world not in the ways of the people but from the depths of the grace of God. Jesus comes to Jerusalem not so much as a passive man ready to meet his death but as an one who will speak truth to the powers even in all that is to come in the days that follow and as God who invites us to follow on this path.

The kind of deliverance that Jesus brings was not what all of the crowds truly wanted as they laid down what they had before him. These are the same crowds that will lose hope and lose their own sense of peace as their hosannas turn to shouts of crucifixion on Friday. They may not have been ready to lay down knew about who God is and what kind of peace and deliverance Jesus had come to bring. And yet, Jesus still enters in and continues the walk.

This is the beginning of the journey towards Easter. A walk where we also lay down our own thoughts, feelings, images of who Jesus is, what peace looks like, and how we want to be delivered. And as we enter into Holy week, you are invited to lay down our best or lay down whatever you can grab, and know that in and through and with you on this walk Jesus enters in and remains with us the whole way.

Easter Sunday

Pastor Leta Arndt Behrens

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

¹After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” ⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Read the Sermon:

I was on a walk with my husband this week and I made this confession, I think I have gotten to the point where I don’t have anything left to say about Easter. He responded, ”so, preach on the Old Testament, no really, I totally dare you not to mention Jesus.” 

Well, I am not taking that dare, it is Easter after all! But here is where his joke can be a real live struggle for us this day. Sometimes it’s easier not to mention Jesus.

Because here is the deal with Easter, the resurrection is so totally illogical, so unbelievable that I cannot even begin to offer you an logical, rational explanation. Many have tried to offer proof, saying they have found this or that from the tomb or claiming to know which big rock it was that was rolled away or exactly where the tomb is located, but not a single one of these explanations is actually definitive. Not even the gospel writers agree about exactly what happened that day, they each tell the story a little differently about who was there when and the words that were said and how the people felt and what they did. Our gospel today, for instance, is the only one that tells us there was an earthquake. 

How many of you have been in an earthquake? I had no experience with earthquakes other than seeing them on the news until I moved to Oregon. My first, and only, earthquake happened within a few months of living there and it was when my firstborn was just a tiny baby. I was in a church—I know, very surprising,—I was with my sister and a group of women there for bible study. I had no idea what was going on, it was very confusing and disorienting feeling to have the ground start to move. My mind and my body could not understand what was happening. The other women though acted fast and pulled me under the table. My sister was holding Sophia and she quickly put her back in my arms and together we covered her little head and body, each bending over her in protection. The ground did not shake, it rolled. It felt like waves of water, like being on a boat rocking down a river. I am told it lasted 30 seconds, and told that is kind of a long one, but I swear it was an hour. I was bewildered and I remember one woman in particular locking eyes with me and saying, it’s alright, it’s not a bad one. So I waited and trusted those around me. 

As it ended, my husband came in from out in the parking lot, walking by our classroom and said, why are you all under the table? He had not felt a thing. The people in the parking lot had no idea what had just happened—we truly both looked at each other like we were each completely crazy since we had just had totally opposite experiences.

Earthquakes are unpredictable and difficult to figure out. They have the potential to just give you a little jolt or to utterly destroy everything around you. I came out of that earthquake with a completely new understanding of the power they hold and why it is so difficult to describe what happens. It is an experience that defies logic and rational thinking and it is an experience that is felt differently depending on where you are even just by inches. 

So when we hear that the women experiences this earthquake and angels and light we can hear that this was a totally disorienting, disruptive, out of mind/body reason experience. In scripture, earthquakes are not documented measurements but lived experiences that tell the story of God intervening, God being present, God jolting us a little or utterly flipping our world on it’s head to say I am here. 

Even when you are totally bewildered! And the women go to tell with fear and joy, which are not opposite emotions in faith, but hang together to describe a lived reality, a way for us to enter into this resurrection moment with our hearts and not just our minds. 

Have you experienced fear and joy together?

 For our youngest here maybe it’s the first time your parents left you with a babysitter—the excitement of something new mixed with the fear of not having your parent. 

Or for our students, how about taking a big test, especially finals—the fear of performing well mixed with the joy of a class being over! 

As we get older we may experience it the first time we move away from home or commit to a lifelong relationship or welcome a new child into our lives by birth or adoption. 

All of these experiences have that feeling of fear of the unknown mixed with a glimmer of hope for that new future you don’t understand yet and they lead us to new understanding, new ways of living in compassion for others and for ourselves. 

Even our painful experiences can be this way—taking a new job and moving far away from a community that has loved you into who you are today or finding out a medical diagnosis that means you are quite ill but at least you know what is wrong and can walk forward into that future. 

Resurrection is not a one time thing. The tomb is STILL empty. It does not end all problems or stop all challenges, but it does create the possibility of something new, possibilities that don’t happen without God intervening and possibilities that don’t happen without our hearts and our prayers and our actions and our words reaching to our world in the name of Jesus. 

I heard the author Ann LaMott speak this week and she told a story about a little girl who was afraid to go to sleep. Her mother kept coming to her when she called and would say, you are ok, Jesus is with you. This happened many times and finally after the mother had said again, really you are ok, Jesus is always with you; the little girl answered her mother, “ I need someone with skin on” 

This is the call of courage for us as we make our way in this world that can be as uncertain as an earthquake, to be that resurrection story, that Jesus with skin on, that miracle of mercy, grace in action to one another. Just as the women bravely went forth in fear and joy, carrying their story of their experience of God and resurrection with them, we are also reminded that Easter is not over, Easter is carried with us and in us everyday. 

And like real earthquakes, God comes to us in different ways. Sometimes in big moments of rocks dropping and stones rolling us and sometimes in whispers like the breeze from a butterfly wing. Sometimes in people who are Jesus with skin on to us under a table during an earthquake or we are to others every time we remember that we are called to be courageous, lock eyes with our world and live into the resurrection moments we are given. 

And always God is saying I am with you. I promise you life now and I call you into this world, this future knowing your fear and your grounding you in the joy of this eternal promise that you are beloved and you are not alone. 

Alleluia! Christ is Risen and so are we!

Christ is Risen Indeed, Alleluia

Holy Week: Maundy Thursday

Rev. Michael Stadtmueller

Holy Week: Palm Sunday

Rev. Michael Stadtmueller

Sermon Scripture: MATTHEW 21:1-11

¹When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” ⁴This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,  ⁵“Tell the daughter of Zion,  Look, your king is coming to you,  humble, and mounted on a donkey,  and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; ⁷they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. ⁸A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,  “Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest heaven!” ¹⁰When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” ¹¹The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”