We are Cherished

Title:  We are Cherished By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text:    Matthew 2:9-11  And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.  10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

INTRODUCTION: My dear friends in Christ, Every pastor has heard something like this: “Hi, Pastor! How are you?” She waved a glove from the other end of the parking lot. Pushing her shopping cart back to the front entrance of the supermarket, she wore a red parka from L. L. Bean. Her hair was pulled back in a hair band and her cheeks were flushed. “I’m sorry I haven’t been to church this winter,” she said. “I bought a ski pass, and the lines are the shortest on Sunday morning.” I stood there with an artificial smile, trying my best to look cheerful. One of the frustrations of being a pastor who does not have free weekends is that I have to contend with those who do. “You ought to see the view from the top of that mountain,” she said, inadvertently rubbing it in. “It’s beautiful up there. Peaceful, too.” Then she said the line I’ve heard a hundred times. “To tell you the truth, Reverend, I feel much closer to God up on that mountain than I usually do in church.”

I. I confess it’s difficult to respond on the spot when somebody says something like that. I love the outdoors as much as anybody else does. There is nothing more enjoyable than a quiet getaway in the wilderness. Nobody knows more than me that the church can be a busy, uptight place where it’s difficult to relax, much less experience the presence of God. As one overworked volunteer admitted, “Whenever I go to church, I always end up agreeing to do something. Sometimes I stay home on Sunday because, frankly, I need a break.”

A. And yet something doesn’t seem quite right when someone says they feel closer to God out there than they do in here.

1. For some, it may be a cop-out.

a. If you’re looking for good reasons to skip worship, there are plenty: football games in the fall, winter sports in the winter, spring getaways, and summer vacations. There are many entertaining reasons why people don’t go to church.   b. I realize my skewed point of view; I’m a minister, after all.

2. I guess, I might be the strange one. So this morning, I want to take seriously what she said. She said, “I feel closer to God up on that mountain than I do in church.”

a. What she was saying is that nature can reveal the presence of God. It is possible to take a walk on the beach, climb a mountain, or swat a golf ball, and end up speaking a prayer of adoration.   b. God has given us a beautiful world. The immense size of creation can invoke awe, and turn us toward the intelligent Creator who made it.

B. That is what draws me to the familiar story of the Wise Men. The magi search for Jesus because they have seen a sign in the world out there. An unusual star appears in the sky, and it causes them to recalculate their settled ideas about the universe.

1. Clearly God is up to something, and the whole creation testifies to a new and wonderful act.

a. What is God doing? The Wise Men assume a new king has been born. One commentator observes that ancient historians often interpreted the skies through the births and deaths of famous people.   b. But it’s as Garrison Keillor says somewhere, “If you get your guidance by following a star, the directions are going to be a little bit vague.”

2. You can learn a lot about the God who made everything, but you can’t be sure what kind of God it is. There are sparkling waterfalls, bright autumn leaves, and radiant sunsets. But there are also black holes, mutating cancer cells, and raging storms that destroy without purpose. Look at the star in the sky and it’s obvious that something is happening. But you aren’t exactly certain what it is.

a. Here is something to say when someone announces that she prefers to worship God on the ski slopes. Out there in nature, there is no doubt the heavens are telling the glory of God.    b. But when you listen, you cannot tell what kind of God has made the world and the skies above.

II. So what do we do? We come inside the sanctuary to worship God. As we know, God made this wonderful creation and set the stars in the sky. We come in here to sing the songs and tell the sacred story. We come because a star can’t tell you that you are cherished by God.  We come and we worship a God who loves us so much that he has given us Jesus.

A. But even then we question the value of this activity.  We go through the motions and ask what does this tell me about God?  What do I get out of it?

1. Now when the Wise Men worshiped Jesus, what did they get out of it? I’m not being critical here. I’m just asking. Jesus was a tiny baby. These Wise Men would not have been able to strike up a conversation with Him. They may have patted Him on the head, or even held Him in their arms. But it seems to me that Jesus was the one who was doing the receiving here more than the Wise Men were. They brought Him gifts--gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They came all this way, found a baby, gave their treasures, and then went back home. Was it worth it?

a. That’s what we sometimes wonder. We consider what we have to give up if we come to worship Jesus, and we weigh that against what we get out of it. But the Wise Men did not count the cost. They knew it would take much of their time. They were willing to part with their treasures. Yet, St. Matthew speaks of these Wise Men as “rejoicing exceedingly with great joy.” Why? Just to come and kneel down before a baby? Even with that baby being God in the flesh, we may wonder why they were willing to come so far and sacrifice so much just to worship.   b. Matthew is careful to point out to us that the Wise Men did not just find the Baby Jesus. They “saw the Child with Mary, His mother.” And what would Mary have done? She would have greeted the Wise Men as they entered her home. Not only that...Mary, who had treasured up all these things in her heart--all the wondrous events of Christmas--would have spoken to the Wise Men and related not only what took place in Bethlehem, but why it took place, and what it meant for her and for them. These Wise Men would not have simply come into the house, knelt down to worship, offered their gifts, and then hopped back on their camels to head home. For one thing, God warned them about Herod in a dream. This means they stayed there overnight, perhaps even for a number of nights. They would have heard Joseph telling the story of the angel appearing to him in a dream. They would have heard Mary telling of Gabriel’s visit to her. They would have listened to the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth and how John was born. They would have heard the story of Simeon and Anna in the temple from the mouths of Mary and Joseph. They might have sought out the shepherds and listened to their story--the message of the angel and the song by the heavenly chorus. c. When these Wise Men returned home, they did not just go back with eyes that had seen a child. They returned with their ears full of the Word of God, their hearts full of faith. Through Mary and Joseph, and perhaps through the shepherds, God would have spoken the message of the good news of Christ-the very Gospel--into the ears and hearts of these Wise Men. If you had asked them, upon their arrival back home, “Was it worth it? Was it worth it to go all that way and sacrifice so much to worship?” they would have answered with a resounding, “Yes! Yes, for now we are different men. Now we know and believe for a certainty that this King, whose name is Jesus, was born for us to be our Savior!”

2. This king, who was God, is our Savior.  Even what “Savior” means was hinted at by Simeon and the Angel.  He was to die for our sins.

a. It is very interesting. As much as we makeover the holiday of Christmas, we are never told in the Bible to remember the birth of Jesus; we are told to remember the death of Jesus. Do you know why? Because even though it was necessary for him to be born before he could die, we're not saved by his birth, we are saved by his death.  His death paid for our sin.    b. Then His resurrection is the Father’s stamp of approval on all He did.  All this tells us how much God cherishes each and every one of us. You don’t hear this message out on the ski slopes.

B. But after verse thirteen in our text, we never hear about these Wise Men again. They disappear from sight.

1. Until now, that is. The Wise Men have returned. They have come back to worship Jesus, not riding on camels this time, but riding in Fords, and Chevy’s, and pickups, and other vehicles.

a. They have not returned to Bethlehem--to the town in Judea, but they have come to the Bethlehem in Kentucky, to the House of Bread (for that is what Bethlehem means) to kneel down before the Lord and eat the Bread of Life, to hear His gracious words, to sing His praises and offer their gifts, and go on their way rejoicing.   b. Perhaps only three Wise Men came to Bethlehem at first, but today God has increased their number. Today I am looking at many wise men before me. Wise, not in their own minds, but wise for coming to worship. You are not here simply to cradle a baby. As God brought the Wise Men to Bethlehem, so He has brought you here because our Savior, in Word and Sacrament, is here for you.

2. The Wise Men in our text were surely tired when they arrived. They were dirty from their travels, they were in need of cleansing and rest.

a. There isn’t one of us who is not like them in this way. Our travels through life have wearied us. We travel through difficult times. All of us have come here in need of cleansing. All of us have sinned greatly and sinned much over the past week.   b. Sin is a disease that lives within us. It affects our thinking so that we think too highly of ourselves, and poorly of others. It affects our speaking so that we say what we should not, and do not say what we should. It affects us so that we live as rebellious people before God.

CONCLUSION: But now we can see what we get out of worship—we can see why it is so important that we come out of nature into God’s presence.  Now we can see how wonderful it is for us that God has drawn us to His Bethlehem, for here He gives you His word of promise that your sins are all forgiven. You are cleansed, you are pardoned--for no other reason than this--the Babe of Bethlehem became the One crucified for you. Jesus has saved you, not just by being born for you, but by living, suffering, dying, and rising again for you. Hearing this, believing this...you, like the Wise Men in our text, can do as they did. You can go home today rejoicing. You can offer your gifts and go in peace, for He who has been born King of the Jews, is your King, your Lord, your Savior. Amen.

Being Givers Like God

Title:  Being Givers Like God By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text:  Mark 12: 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.  43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.  44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

INTRODUCTION: My dear friends in Christ, One lady relates this story: I used to work as a waitress throughout high school. We had one lone man come in in the afternoon who was particularly difficult. He complained that there was nothing on the menu that he wanted to eat and our prices were too expensive. After patiently trying to give him suggestions of popular dishes or specials, he tried to negotiate the prices on things – offering to pay half of the price listed on the menu. I told him that I wasn’t authorized to make changes to the prices on the menu, but that I would get my manager to come over and speak with him. After him trying to negotiate with my manager (who is also extremely patient), she told him simply that the prices listed were the prices that they charge for the food and if he wasn’t happy with the selection or pricing there were plenty of other restaurants in town he could eat at. He ended up ordering something off the menu, I served him (pleasantly and promptly) and brought him his bill. When I came back to get payment from him he left the exact change for his bill on the table. He then took a nickel, spit on it, told me that was my tip and threw it on the ground under the table. I told my manager and she escorted him out of the restaurant told him he wasn’t welcome at her restaurant anymore.  That was a nasty man and a rude tip.

I. What is considered proper etiquette for tipping today?  It’s certainly not what that man did – spitting on the nickel.  But etiquette I suppose depends on how good or how poor the waitress or waiter was. Twenty-percent for prompt, courteous service; ten percent or less for poor service.

A. In a way this restaurant scene reminds me of the events of our text.

1. At the entrance to the temple’s “court of women” there were thirteen metal boxes shaped like long horns standing on their ends. They were the money boxes for the temple.

a. As the coins clanged their way into the coffers, they made a sound that could be heard throughout the courtyard. b. Clang, clang, clang, clang. You can only imagine the noise. And everyone stopped and looked to see who it was that made such a glorious contribution.

2. But all the wealthy who put in their gold coins worth thousands were, in reality, only tipping.

a. They were just giving Him a tip--something they wouldn't miss.  Their contributions were out of their abundance. A tipper gives leftovers.  b. And the leftovers show a lack of consideration for God who does way more than serve the tables.  He is the source of all we receive.

B. Isn't it true that all too often we are only tippers?

1. And we tip the waiter at Applebee's more than we tip our loving God.

a. We give him ten, fifteen, or twenty percent, but we often give God only a fraction of that.  b. And as tippers we give out of a sense of duty, because others are watching, or because we're supposed to.  Tippers seldom give out of love.

2. And tippers feel they have the right to complain.  And they often complain that they have to give.

a. And tippers can often find reasons to give less...something the pastor said, something a member did.  b. If they have a gripe, their giving goes down.  If they're angry, they may give little to nothing—like the man with the nickel.

3. And again this tipper attitude reflects what we think of God.  It implies He is to serve us and when He doesn’t meet our expectations we feel we can complain.  We can show our distain by spitting on the nickel.

II. And then comes our dear widow lady with her two copper coins.

A. Plink, plink. They were the smallest coins in circulation. You and I would likely have missed the noise.

1. But sitting across the way, opposite the treasury box, Jesus is watching as people put their money into the treasury, listening to the clang, clang, clanging of the coins. And then He hears the plink, plink of the widows two copper coins, and His ears perk up. He hears something different that he didn’t hear in all the other coins that clanged into the coffer. He hears love and faith. 2. This widow’s faith showed she trusted that God would send a great Champion through the bloodline of Abraham and David - to deliver a world full of people lost in sin.

a. Every time she saw a blood sacrifice on that big seven foot altar in the middle of the temple - she knew that God would some day send a Substitute to be slaughtered for HER sins! b. When Jesus saw her heart, He could tell that she loved Him for making her a part of His family - for promising her a Savior - for assuring her that she was a forgiven child of God. She was thankful for what God had done for her - and so out of love - she gave her offering.  c. She showed that God meant everything to her.  She went far beyond leftovers, she put her whole life in God’s hands.

B. So what is Jesus' point here?  He surely does not expect us to be like that widow and give all that we have to the Lord? Was He criticizing those who gave a lot?  Neither!

1. Jesus noticed this woman because she was doing the very thing He was about to do. In other words she was a picture of Christ.

a. Already a widow living in poverty, this woman made the final sacrifice--she gave the only thing of value she still had. She did not cling to it.  She freely, cheerfully, without hesitation sacrificed all she had left.  That is what Jesus did for you.  He came to our world leaving His glory on high.  He lived here in poverty, and He did this for you.  "He became poor," the Bible says, "that you might become rich."  b. And then He made the final sacrifice.  All He had left to give--His life's blood, His dying breath--He gave for you on the cross.  c. To the world it seems like nothing.  The world that ridicules the poor widow's penny is the same world which scorns the death of the Son of God.  It means nothing to them.  “What good is the death of Jesus on a cross!” they sneer.  Like the widow's mite, the offering of Christ, and His Word and Sacraments, are seen by the world, to be worth but a penny or less.

2. But as Jesus took notice of what the widow gave, so God took notice of what His Son gave on the cross. And God, in response, declares you forgiven.

a.  Jesus' blood, worth but a penny in the eyes of the world, has purchased for you forgiveness, life, salvation and the gift of heaven.  Jesus did not hold back just as the widow did not.  He did not give only partially.  Like the widow, He gave for you all He had left to give. b. And this was no tip.  The thorns, the nails, the splintery cross, the punishment of God--it pierced His very soul with agony to give His life for you.  But He did not complain.  He opened not His mouth.  As the widow walked up to the offering box, gave, and then walked away, so Jesus was led up to Calvary and death carried Him away, and no complaint was on His lips.

III. This poor widow gave her offering and she held nothing back. She gave all that she had. This is how God gives to you. His love for you moved Him to give up His only Son. He gave all He had. Jesus gave all he had so you don’t have to.

A. But God still doesn’t want us to be tippers.  Being a tipper implies a wrong conception about God, as if we were above God and He were our server.  But God is the owner of all, who graciously gives us all things.

1. Yes, God created us. God provides for all of our needs. Not our wants and desires, but our daily needs. The talents we have are given to us by God. We use and build upon those God given talents and abilities in order to earn a living for our families. 2. We may buy stuff with the money we earn but even those things can be attributed to God because we used our God given talents to earn the money to buy the things. There is nothing which we have which does not come from God.

B. And this God serves us and makes us His children and as His children we are brought to dimly reflect our Father.  And we then become a little like that widow and place our whole lives in God’s hands.

1. Our Father is a giver and He brings us to be givers too.  That’s what He worked in that widow.  That’s what He works in us too.

a. Not that we give our last two pennies, but that we give with the same attitude of love that that widow showed.  b. And He gives birth in us an attitude that acknowledges that we are totally dependent on Him.  We place our lives in His hands.

2. He works to make us to be givers a bit like this story one pastor tells: I saw the widows attitude one Sunday in the form of a five year old little boy who ran up and threw his arms around my leg and hugged the stuffing out of me. He leapt out of nowhere in the busy crowd in the entry way of the church I was serving at the time. He nearly tripped me. But it was his hug of love that kept me from falling, just as it has been Christ's very own hug of love that has kept me from falling so many other times. When those little arms unwrapped themselves from my leg the little boy they belonged to yelled, "Hey pastor, look what I've got for Jesus this morning." I looked down and he proudly showed me his quarter for the Children's Offering. His Mom and Dad had already started him on an allowance. They gave him 10 quarters a week. One of them (the first one) was for Jesus. The second one was for savings. And the other eight he could spend almost any way he wanted. I wish you could have seen the look of joy on that little boy's face when he gave his quarter to Jesus.

CONCLUSION: Yes, Tipping etiquette may vary in our society and we may intentionally or inadvertently apply the practice to our offerings to God.  But God’s not looking for tippers. That widow is a picture of what God has in mind.  She pictures Christ, who gave all He had.  Jesus went without complaining to a cross for us.  God gives us all He did in Word and Sacrament.  He makes us His.  He makes us givers in a small way like He is.  Now we are people who know we are totally in His hands.  We are people who gladly return a portion of what He gives for His work.  Amen.

Our Robes are Made White

Title: Our Robes are Made White By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text:  Rev.7:9-10;13-14 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,  … 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?"  14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

INTRODUCTION: My dear friends in Christ, As I worked on this text I was drawn to the idea of an old child’s game called Monkey in the middle.  Yes, this game is hard on the Monkey in the middle, while the people on each end are picking on him or her.  And we can learn from this childhood game because all of life seems like playing monkey in the middle.  One side is the past, the other side is the future and our lives are lived in the middle.  And it can seem quite cruel to us in the middle.

I. Yes we are people who live in the middle of time. And People who live in the middle of time are like people who play monkey in the middle but also like people who swim into the middle of a lake, and find it hard to see, either shore.

A. Here, in the middle of time, that we call the present, we often feel so "in over our head" and aware of how easy it might be to sink –like the cruel past and the unknown future are playing with us.

1. This is because we are in over our heads in sin.

a. Now the word “sin” doesn’t’ seem to have the traction it once did. Tell someone that something is a “sin,” and they’ll probably laugh at you and call you a “religious fanatic.” b. And because of sin our struggles will continue here.  We splash about as if we are sinking or we run back and forth unable to catch what we need.

2. And because we are caught in the middle we shouldn’t expect this life to be easy. Don’t expect a divine bailout for your problems.

a. The prophets before you were persecuted. b. All but one of the apostles, John, were martyred. Expect trouble, now. In fact, be suspicious when things are going peaceful. It’s the quiet before the storm.

B. We are in the middle of the lake and we seem to be sinking to our doom.  But now that water is transformed for us.

1. God has provided us with life-giving water. And if we follow that stream of water back, we will find that it started to flow from a hill – a hill called Golgotha.

a. Jesus was killed by crucifixion on that hill. He died on a cross after being brutally mistreated. He was killed to make peace between a holy God and sinful humanity. b. When the spear pierced His side out flowed water and blood as He died.

2. And when on a dark Friday afternoon his body was placed in a grave, his friends thought that they were seeing the last of Him. A large rock placed at the entrance. But on Sunday morning, He rose.  And the stream that started at the cross began flowing. It seemed only a trickle at first. And then, then that river started to surge. It exploded and burst from its banks at Pentecost. Its water began flowing and carving its way through all nations and peoples. It has been washing people clean for generations.  That water has come to us too.

II. We are still in the middle but everything is changed. We are no longer monkeys in the middle with the cruel past and future threatening to abuse us. We are no longer in the middle of the lake sinking down.  Now because of that flow of water to us in baptism we are redeemed and now we have a picture of the past, the present and the future that is quite different.

A. Our picture of the past is changed.

1. You see Everyone in heaven has a past.  You do not go to heaven without one.

a. No Israelite entered the Promised Land without first traveling through the desert.  And no one enters the Promised Land of Heaven without having lived here on the earth. b. But the fact of the matter is that we make too much of our past.  Either we count on our past getting us into heaven, or we despair that our past will keep us out of heaven.

2. But our text speaks of God's saints as having a past, but the only thing it says about their past is that "they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

a. It does not say, "They tried their best to keep the Commandments."  It does not say, "They were good people," or "They were good enough to be called saints of God."  b. All it says about their past is "They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb"--that's all...period!

3. No saint is in heaven because of their past, and no saint is barred from heaven because of their past.

a. they are only there because in their past they had had their robes washed in the blood of the Lamb.  b. Now we are added to their number.  In our baptisms we are washed in the blood of the Lamb.  Our past transgressions are washed away.

B. And our present is changed. Whatever is in your present; whatever worries, troubles, and frustrations--Jesus is not just the Savior of your past, He is here for you in your present as well.

1. His words give strength to you today.  His Sacred Meal sustains you now in this life.  His forgiveness is for your past and for your present.

a. Do you miss your loved ones?  Your loved ones who died in Christ did not leave you.  They are still with you.  You and I just cannot see them or touch them.  And Jesus joins them with us.  In Holy Communion there is no past or future--there is only the eternal present.  b. A few years ago a group of Christians from the United States visited war-torn Nicaragua. While there, a young man in this group was killed by the Contras. This left the group confused and full of questions. On the next Sunday a memorial service was held. From the altar the priest said, "The peace of the Lord be with you" and people from the congregation, Nicaraguan people, began to embrace these Americans and say, "Paz" or "peace." These people who had suffered in so many ways were passing the peace of Christ. During the Communion service there was a pause. The congregation was silent. Then someone called out a name. In one voice everyone responded, "Presente!" Another name was called out. Once again the response was, "Presente!" During the service at least twenty names were called out and each time the same response: "Presente!" The pastor leading this group of American Christians did not understand what was happening until he heard the name Oscar Romero. Then he realized that all the names were those of persons who had died. From that moment on he joined in shouting, "Presente!"  At the Lord's table the word "presente" means "in our midst" or "present with us." Shouting "Presente!" in that worship service was a way of proclaiming the reality of the communion of saints.

2. And our present is transformed by what happens in worship.

a. I heard someone suggest a while back that "the church, especially in its worship, is the language school of the Kingdom of God." In this sense, he said, going to church is like going to language school. If you're planning a trip to a faraway country, you go to language school to learn how to speak the language of the country to which you're traveling. You learn what to say in that country in order to negotiate your way around it. b. This is precisely what we do on Sunday morning. We go to church to try our hand at a strange language. It's the language of forgiveness, and we're still getting the hang of it. We don't speak it near as well as we could, but we come here to practice that language; and, as we do so, the time we live in now gets overthrown by the time we will live in someday.

C. And our view of the Future is transformed.

1. Like this: One author recalls the time when his children were younger.  He and his daughter, Cathy went to find a pet. Cathy selected a tiny peekapoo puppy. When they got home the author agreed to build a dog house for the new pet to live in. He said, "The only kind of dog I knew very much about was a really big bird dog, so when I built the dog house, I built a very large house." In fact the house was too large for the small dog. The size of the dog house scared the little peekapoo puppy. No matter what they did the little dog would not go near the dog house. In exasperation, the author admits, "I would shove him in and hold my hands over the door; but the minute I would move, he would run out, unbelievably frightened." Nothing worked. The little dog would not go into his dog house no matter what they did to entice him. In disgust, the author went inside, and sat down in the den while his daughter, Cathy, stood outside crying over her dad's impatience and the refusal of her puppy to cooperate. After a while, Cathy got down on her hands and knees and crawled into the dog house herself. When she crawled into it something wonderful happened. That little puppy trotted right in beside her and stretched out on the dog house floor. Before too long the dog was taking a nap. All the fear was taken out of the darkness, because the one whom he loved and trusted had preceded him into that dark and frightening place. It no longer caused him fear.  Jesus has done for us what that little girl did for the puppy.

2. John, in writing to this community of Christians, gave them a gift.

a. John pulled back the curtain that obscured their vision of history, in order to show them a party going on in heaven. A party, of those who have been vindicated by God, who are in heaven praising and glorifying God's holy name. b. This was John's way of saying, to them and to us: Have courage, you who bear the ministry of the cross! For you are moving toward the triumph of God! Your life in the middle of time has meaning, because of where it's all headed.

CONCLUSION: You and I look at past, present and future with trepidation. It may seem like we are monkeys in the middle with past and future cruelly abusing us—even the present is hard.  Or we are in the middle of the lake sinking far from either shore.  But Jesus has transformed that water because of the water that flowed from his side. He has removed the abuse that the past, present and future can be for us.  Now the past is forgiven – washed in the blood of the lamb.  Now the present is a time we are in communion with all the saints who have gone before us and we practice the language of heaven in worship.  Now the future has lost its fear factor because Jesus had gone before us and we have a glimpse of the party we will join in heaven.  Amen.  The Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.