Third Sunday in Lent

Scripture Reading: John 2:13-22In today’s scripture reading, Jesus cleanses the Temple. This story does appear in all four Gospels, although, there is an important difference we need to note. In the Synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke – the story comes during Holy Week right at the end of Jesus’ ministry. But in John’s Gospel, the story comes right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

The Gospel of John puts this story at the beginning of his Gospel, because, for John, Jesus came to renew the Jewish faith and to challenge both the passion and purity of the worship of God. Passion and purity had been lost for a long time and, as we shall see from our Gospel reading, Jesus was standing in the line of Zephaniah and all the Old Testament prophets in condemning the people of Israel for their apathy towards God.

So, let us review this story and see what we must learn from it in our context today. Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. This was the custom for all Jewish males to go at least once in their lifetime to Jerusalem for the Passover. So, when Jesus arrived in the city, there would have been thousands of people there; a huge crowd crammed into the narrow city streets and an incredible bustle and noise in the temple itself.

And Jesus walked into the Temple, into the midst of all the chaos and noise. He looked around at the pilgrims and the prayerful, the Read more…

Today’s gospel lesson teaches that those who want to follow Jesus Christ need to carry their own crosses and follow him. In this message we are reminded that there is no cheap grace, for discipleship is costly. Hence today’s sermon is titled “The Cost of Discipleship.”

A popular German theologian and Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote a book titled, The Cost of Discipleship (1995). Bonhoeffer says:

“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘Ye were bought at a price’, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.”

In the first century, the mention of the cross would have some immediate connotations. The cross was a device of torture – usually reserved for slaves and political criminals that represented humiliation and extreme agony. Crucifixion was extreme, and terrifying.  Such an image would have rattled the disciples to the very core. Their jaws must have been on the floor to hear Jesus say, “If any want to Read more…

On Wednesday we began the season of Lent, which is our preparation for the Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. It is a time of imitation of Jesus spending forty days in the desert. Jesus fasted in the desert and overcame the devil’s temptations. Jesus never sinned but, in the desert, he was tempted. During these forty days of Lent we remember His temptations as we try to overcome temptation in our lives. There is practically no hiding place or shelter in the desert and the difficulties of the desert makes whatever is inside a person come to the surface. The desert tests and shows a person as they are. Lent is an invitation to us to take the courageous step of “going into the desert.”

In Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7, we read the story of the snake tempting the man and woman in the Garden to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, even though God told them not to do so. In short, the serpent convinced them not to trust God. They lost their innocence. In Matthew, we see Jesus similarly tempted in the wilderness by Satan, but Jesus withstands the temptation. So, what about us? We all find ourselves in a place, from time to time, where we are in the wilderness. And we can learn from Jesus’ time in the wilderness. In fact, the season of Lent is a gift to us to help with this wilderness experience. Read more…

Ash Wednesday

Scripture Reading: Joel 2:12-17

The book of Joel is a brief prophecy, the heart of which is repentance, as disclosed in chapter 2, verses 12 through 32. As we study this book, may God help us to enjoy the blessings therein through humility, repentance, forsaking of sins, turning to God, and humbling ourselves before him.

We do not know when the book of Joel was written. Traditionally, scholars believe it was written in the 9^th Century B.C., during the time of Joash king of Judah. Jesus himself quotes from this prophecy in Mark 13:24 about the events of the last days. Peter quotes Joel on the day of Pentecost because it was Joel who prophesied the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days. Paul also quotes this prophecy in Romans (10:13), about God’s answering our prayers: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

In today’s scripture reading, prophet Joel declared these words to God’s people who were experiencing extreme hardship: a plague of locusts had obliterated the crops of the land; people and animals were starving; there was no grain, wine, or oil to offer sacrifice to God; the land itself was parched and thirsty.

Joel’s prophecy is a biblical rarity in that Joel Read more…

February 14, 2021

by Pastor Joel Plisek  

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:2-9

Sometimes supernatural worlds seem very eerie and strange, don’t they?  Because of that there are some who simply ignore it and there are others who deny it altogether. One of the primary reasons is that it goes against our Western scientific sensibility.  Sensibility that tells us that we are not supposed to believe anything that is not scientific. 

You know there are all kinds of things that you and I cannot prove scientifically, but that does not mean that they are not real, and it does not mean that they are not true.  I want you to keep that in mind as we answer four questions about todays story.  One, who was there?  Two, what exactly occurred?  Three, how did the disciples respond?  And four, why did it happen?

Mark 9:2 says, “Six days later.” Six days after what?  Six days ago, he asked the disciples. “who do the people say that I am?”  Six days after he spoke about his plan and his purpose to suffer and to die and to rise again.  Six days after Peter took Jesus off to the side and rebuked him because he did not want a Messiah who was going to suffer and die, he wanted a Messiah that was going to rule and reign.  Six days after Jesus responded to Peter “get behind me Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on Read more…

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:29-39

In today’s scripture reading, Mark’s Gospel emphasizes the power of Jesus’ word. His word can heal (1:31 and 34), free people from demons (1:34 and 38), and proclaim the Good News (1:39). His word has the power to make people whole, return them to their place in family and society, and reconcile them to God. Jesus calls us to the healing of the fever of disconnection.

The term “fever” is not mentioned much in the Old Testament. Two parallel texts describe fever as one of the punishments of the people of Israel if they do not obey the Lord’s commandments and ordinances once they reach the promised land (Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:22). The New Testament contains a few other stories about the healing of fevers. Matthew and Luke have parallel accounts of this passage (Matthew 8:14-17 and Luke 4:38-41). John records an account of Jesus healing the son of a royal official, a Gentile. The boy is on the point of death, and one of his symptoms is a fever. Jesus heals the boy remotely, without having to touch him (John 4:46-54). In Acts, Paul heals the father of Publius, a citizen of Malta. Paul heals the man by prayer and laying on of hands (Acts 28:7-10). It is likely, that the fever that Peter’s mother in-law had resulted from malaria. Malaria was widespread in the Mediterranean Read more…

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:14-20

Today’s reading is phase two of God’s plan, phase two of the implementation of the redemption of all humanity. Jesus has now been baptized and the ministry passes from John the Baptist to Jesus. Jesus begins His ministry by preaching in Galilee.  He proclaims the good news of the Kingdom of God, saying the Kingdom of God has come near and we must repent and believe the good news. He then goes out and starts picking followers saying, “follow me.”  It happens so quickly in the book of Mark that we can miss the details, we can miss what a wonder it is that Jesus could draw people to Himself so easily. 

The disciples followed with urgency in their hearts and without question.  Do you follow anyone so easily? Has there ever been a person that you just had to follow?  Not a person that you were forced to follow, but a person you wanted to follow. 

I did. He was my fourth-grade camp counselor. I would follow him wherever he would go.  Why?  Because he cared about his campers and because he was there for us when we needed him.  Kids saw Jesus through his words and actions. This camp counselor made a lasting impression on me, but I don’t even remember his name! I have Read more…

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-20, John 1: 43-51

Today’s message is on the call of Samuel, Philip, and Nathaniel. It is a story of Witnessing. May this message help us to accept our calling as God’s witnesses. The story begins with Jesus finding Philip and saying to him, “Follow me.” Notice that: Jesus finds Philip. Just like He finds us. He seeks us out, even when we were not looking for Him.  But Jesus came and sought us out. He found us and brought His gospel to us and placed His call on our lives.

Jesus calls us, even as He called Philip. “Follow me,” Jesus says to each one of us. “Come on along! Find out what you will discover on this adventure of faith. Follow me, learn from me, as my disciples. Grow in your knowledge and faith.” Jesus calls us to keep on following Him, in a lifelong journey of faith. He leads the way, every step of the way, all the days of our life. “Follow me.” Hear the authority in His voice. Hear His personal care for you. Jesus is calling you to be His disciple.

In the same way God called Samuel who was staying with Eli the Priest. Samuel hears God calling him three times, but thought it was Eli calling him. He finally knew God was calling him. How many times has God called us, but Read more…

December 27, 2020  

Pastor Joel Plisek

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:22-40

If anything, the year 2020 could be entitled the year of waiting. We waited to hear if we had a job. We waited to get our job back.  We waited to see how mom and dad, parents, grandparents, and children were doing.  We waited in line for food.  We waited to find out the state of our 401K. We waited to find out who the President was.  We waited to buy toilet paper.  We waited to burry our loved ones.  In many ways we are still waiting.

The old saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait,” but I want to ask, when does that start? For those who are feeling this way I have a story for you.  It is about two people, Simeon and Anna, who are both examples of faithful waiting even though it took many years for joy to become a reality.   The coming of Christ involved all manners of waiting on God. A young maiden, a dying man and an old widow all model hearts yielded to God. Read more…

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20

Beloved friends, peace and grace to you. We gather here for many reasons tonight. What are your reasons? It is Christmas Eve, a time so many have been waiting for. Can you feel it? Can you feel that buzz in the air? Family members have arrived, phone calls are being made, words of love and greetings are exchanged. Friends, Jesus Christ is the reason for Christmas.

As Luke tells it in his Gospel, there were no expectations other than a birth. If mystery were in the air for Mary and Joseph, it was only the question of where Mary and Joseph could find a room. If there was beauty to be celebrated, it was only the glow of a mother with a child safely born. We want Jesus to be in our midst.

At Christmas time, we too want to let Jesus show – in our church, in our community, in our lives. Christ is born! Joy to the world! The Lord is come. And we are grateful. The nativity story from Luke 2 is so well known to us, we probably could recite it. But because of Read more…