I just ransomed my car from the mechanic’s shop. The ransom came at a high price, but I was glad to pay it because I was eager to get my car back. It had been in the shop for several days, and I really missed it. I have no complaints; the service was needed and the price was fair. But I hadn’t realized how difficult it would be for me to get along without it.

Have you ever lost anything that was really important? A friend of mine recently lost his wallet. It probably wasn’t stolen, but even so he will be searching diligently for it until he finds it. And I can hardly imagine how happy he will be once it’s back in his pocket again!

God lost something once that was very dear to Him. He lost you and me! He lost us when we decided to go our own way and follow our own urges and listen to our own ideas.

And we lost God too! We lost Him when we forgot that there was something greater to measure ourselves by and to aspire to.  We lost God when we lied to ourselves that we didn’t miss Him and that we were doing just fine on our own. We lost God when we gave up looking for Him and decided to settle for what this world has to offer.

But God was not willing to part with us Instead, He ransomed us from the prison of a petty and trivial existence. And the ransom came at a very high price: the life of His Son, Jesus Christ! Think how much God must have missed us! I was glad when I got my car back…how overjoyed God must be when His children reunite with their heavenly Father.

“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.”

 --Luke 15:7                                                                                                      

Three years later, as Jesus approached Jerusalem for the last time, there were onlookers who were anxious to smooth the way for him as he entered their city: “A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” (Matthew 21:8)

God definitely has gone out of his way to meet us! But how do we meet him? Is there a divine GPS that can lead us to God? There certainly is!

 “I am the Way,” Jesus said, “and the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6)

Notice that Jesus did not say, “I was the Way.” That’s because Jesus is not a “was.” He is an “is.” And, as a matter of fact, he is also an “ever shall be.”

Easter proclaims the “is-ness” of Jesus Christ.  Christ is alive. He is here. He is now.

What happened in the Bible was just the beginning. The life of Jesus and the ministry of Jesus and the presence of Jesus are still happening...thanks to the Resurrection of Jesus!

“Christ is risen,” goes the ancient Easter greeting.

“Christ is risen indeed!” comes the reply.

Whatever problems you face…whatever hurts you have…whatever sorrows you bear, there is One you can go to for help. He is available 24/7/365 – and for eternity. And no matter how many times you call on him, he never hangs up!

Last Sunday during the Children’s Chat I asked the boys and girls to identify the biggest, most distinctive feature of our sanctuary. “The Cross!” they immediately cried.

It is fitting to have this symbol of the Christian faith so prominently displayed in our church. Jesus went to the Cross so that we might be forgiven…so that we might never doubt how much God cares…so that we might be redeemed – ransomed – for the highest price ever paid: the life of God’s own Son.

Not only is the Cross the focal point of our sanctuary, but the Cross should be the focal point of our lives, as well. “If anyone wants to come with me,” Jesus told them, “he must forget himself, carry his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

The Cross is the antidote to our self-centered ways. Years ago Vance Packard wrote a book entitled, “The Status Seekers,” in which he described our quest for ever-greater power, privilege, and possessions. At the end of this quest, however, lies a dead-end of isolation, emptiness, and boredom.

It might seem as though the way of the Cross – the path of self-denial – is a negative way of looking at things, but nothing could be further from the truth. Consider the experience of the prophet Daniel, exiled as an adolescent from Jerusalem to Babylon and enrolled in a training program for future civil servants.

Daniel decided to remain Kosher and not partake of the high-fat, calorie-laden food at the king’s table. He and his three friends asked to be given only vegetables for ten days. “When the time was up, they looked healthier and stronger than all those who had been eating the royal food.” (Daniel 1:14) I’m not necessarily recommending a vegetarian diet, but here is scientific proof that self-denial often brings positive results.

Being a follower of Christ involves hardships as well as blessings. This tests our spiritual commitment: Are we in this for goodies or for good?  Place the Cross at the center of your life and you’ll find that, rather than being a drawback, the Cross is the biggest “Plus” you ever had.

• Hire a part-time Youth Director.  The young people in our church
  have a problem - they're growing up!  Actually this isn't their 
  problem as much as it is our problem.  Many of those who were
  active in the youth group in past years are now away in college.
  We are looking for a person who could actively recruit a youth
  group from scrath.  That's a tall order, and that person will no
  doubt need our prayers, but "with God all things are possivle."
  (Matthew 19:26)
• Integrate contemporary worship into our regular services.  As we
  survey the church scene, we see that growing churches tend to
  use a contemporary style of worship that is appealing to young
  families.  If we want to add youn families to our church, we need
  to incorporate this approach into our worship on Sunday mornings.
• Conduct an organ fund drive.  As much as we need to start some
  contemporary worship, we also need to maintain the traditional
  worship we already have.  A lot of research has gone into how to
  address the needs of our organ. We will conduct a campaign this
  year to raise funds for the most important instrument used in
  traditional worship.

All of these steps will assist us to reach out to those outside the Christian community, but none of them is sufficient in it self to do the job.  The most powerful tools for approaching non-believers are still word of mouth and prayer.  Nothing can replace a personal invitation...and nobody can extend that invitation better than you.  Let's pray for God to show us how our church as a whole and how each of us as individuals can make an impression for Christ.

It was exciting to see the newspaper coverage of our Nativity Scene which we put on in Peterson Park. This year we joined with other churches as way to reach out to our community through Nativity Scenes in the Park. I don’t know if it was our carolers or Janie the donkey that got us on the front page – but, whatever it was, it served as a gentle reminder to me that we must be doing something right!

As a matter of fact, there are a lot of things that we’re doing right. If I were to try to list them, I’m sure that I would leave something out. So let me just say that I am proud of the many ways in which our church is being faithful in ministry to what God has called us to do.

I wonder what God has in mind for us to do in 2012? I am sure he wants us to keep up the good work, but I would be surprised if he doesn’t also have some new things for us. We need to be flexible and creative to find out what those new ministries might be.

I once read a “Shoe” cartoon in the newspaper that reminded me of how easy it is to get into a rut. A gypsy is on the phone to Tech Support: “I’d like to speak to someone about a crystal ball on the fritz,” she says. “What seems to be the problem?” asks the technician. “My tomorrow is stuck in yesterday,” she replies.

It’s easy to get stuck in yesterday, and in order to break out we may need to think “outside the box.”

About this time last year I was watching the Tournament of Roses Parade on television when I heard the announcer say something unusual: “Coming up next is The Ohio State School for the Blind Marching Band.” It took me a minute for this statement to register. “How can there be a Marching Band at the School for the Blind?” I wondered. But, sure enough, there they came! Each musician was accompanied by a sighted person. What an inspiration they were! Someone at that school was definitely thinking “outside the box.”

People’s needs do not change much. We have to find a reason for living. We need a community to belong to. Basic material needs must be met. People’s needs do not change much…but the way we address those needs may vary greatly as time passes and the world changes. How does our church connect with the people God has called us to reach in our community during this next year? Let’s approach that question with imagination and prayer and see what the answer may be.

Sheldon  is very awkward socially, and he reacts almost as if Penny had handed him a bomb. “I don’t want a gift,” he tells her. “If I receive a gift then I have to make restitution. I have to give you a gift of equal value in return. How would I know what to get?” But Penny insists, and Sheldon reluctantly accepts her gift.

Then  Sheldon finds a way to address the problem. He buys several fruit baskets. After he opens Penny’s gift and determines its value by looking it up on the Internet, he plans to give her a fruit basket (or baskets) that add up to the same price. The perfect solution! Or is it?

When  he removes the wrapping, Sheldon is in for a surprise! One day at the restaurant where she works, Penny happened to wait on Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played Spock in television’s original science fiction series, “Star Trek.” Sheldon, who is a huge Star Trek fan, is overwhelmed when he sees a napkin with Spock’s trademark greeting written on it, “Live long and prosper,” signed by Leonard Nimoy himself! He brings in every fruit basket he had bought and lays them all at Penny’s feet. “It’s not enough!” he exclaims.

Isn’t  this a good illustration of the meaning of Christmas? “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son…” (John 3:16). How could we put a price on such a gift? How could we possibly pay God back? It only stands to reason that believers would respond in amazement and wonder at the generosity of God. “Let us thank God for His priceless gift!”

 (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Wife: If you had to do it all over again, would you still marry me?

Husband: I guess so. If I had to.

It seems as if some people just need something to complain about. I once knew a woman who was so negative that I said to myself, “If she was given a gold brick from Fort Knox, she’d find a scratch in it!”

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to adversity, but he gave some surprising advice about how to pray in times of trouble: “Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.” Philippians 4:6

It may not always be easy to find something to be grateful for. It is not unusual for us to have days when it seems as if everything is going wrong. But it is impossible, short of dying, for everything to go wrong. And even when someone dies, the prospect for that person is that for the first time, everything is about to go right – perfectly and eternally. And for those they leave behind, the fact that death is a victory rather than a defeat can be a very comforting thought.

Maybe that is why we have Thanksgiving in November rather than in June. It’s not hard to feel grateful in the middle of Summer when “the cotton is high and the livin’ is easy.” It’s much harder to give thanks when Winter is staring you in the face. Regardless of what the circumstances may be, it’s a good thing to remember that there is always something to be thankful for and Someone to be thankful to.

I’m not sure whether congratulations or condolences are in order, but on October 6^th I’ll be sixty years old. (Actually, I don’t feel a day over 59 ½.) I’m happy with where I am, and I carry my AARP card proudly! I’m grateful for what I’ve learned in life, and I certainly would not want to go back to my youth and have to learn those things all over again.

I’m all in favor of birthdays. As Father Larry Lorenzoni says, “Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.” As somebody else once put it, “Birthdays are God’s way of telling us that we need to eat more cake.” I guess that’s the one thing that I do miss about being younger – when I could drink as many vanilla malts as I wanted to and not have to worry about putting on weight.

I don’t pay much attention to birthdays, however, except for one – my spiritual birthday. That was the day I came alive to Christ and my life was changed forever. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). Don’t get me wrong – I was already a good Presbyterian boy when I met Christ. And my life has not always been a bed of roses since then. I’ve had plenty of failures and problems and I haven’t always been the Christian I’d like to be. But, whatever difficulties I’ve faced, I’ve never had to face them alone. Christ has been my Companion, my Coach and my Cheer-leader.

Whether you connect with Christ instantly or your ties to God take shape over a long period of time, what matters most is not what happened yesterday, but what is happening between you and God today? Whenever you turn to God and invite him to be your Partner, something new is born. Your life is changed; your world is expanded. As Job said, “In the past I knew only what others had told me; but now I have seen you with my own eyes…” and nothing you look at from then on will ever appear in the same light again. (Job 42:5)

THE PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Ten years ago I was on the telephone with my daughter Sarah. I was at the office; Sarah was at home. I had heard that an airplane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers in New York City. I didn’t think too much about it, assuming that the pilot of a Piper Cub had lost his way and gotten seriously disoriented. Sarah was watching television, and I found out differently from her. She was in tears. “Dad, people are jumping out of the windows,” she said. Then she hung up. She was too upset to talk.

As we found a television to watch at the office, I became aware of the enormity of what was taking place. We stationed church members inside the sanctuary to minister to people who came to pray, and we planned a service to help people deal with their shock and anger and grief. What I remember, most of all, during those next few days was the silence that settled over the land as the sky was immediately emptied of air traffic. There was no lack of traffic on television, however, as story after story came out from Pennsylvania and New York City and Washington, D.C., outlining the magnitude of this disaster and also highlighting the heroic efforts of public safety workers during and after the attacks.

I cannot draw any political or historical conclusions from this tragedy but, as I consider the events of that day, there is a spiritual lesson that stands out to me. That lesson comes from this year’s Epistle reading from the Lectionary for Sunday, September 11^th:

“None of us lives for himself only, none of us dies for himself only. If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”                                                                                                Romans 14:7-8

It was obvious that day that many people were not living for themselves. They risked their lives for their fellow citizens. Not so obvious were those who knew, even as they drew their last breath, that they were not alone. The God whom they had lived for was closer than ever! Even as the Twin Towers collapsed around them, God was opening the door for them to join Him in, “a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

                                               (II Corinthians 5:1).

We don’t know what opportunities for service each day will bring. We also don’t know when our final day on earth will arrive. But, if we live each day for the Lord, we don’t have to wonder about what will happen when that day comes. Christians do not die -- they merely change addresses. “Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” 

Our church will celebrate a Fall Patriotic Festival following the 9:30 worship service on Sunday, September 11^th. Like last year’s Fall Festival, we will have a cook-out, games for children and adults, and live musical entertainment. The Deacons have undertaken to tend the grill, and the Christian Education Committee wants you take note that Sunday School begin the following week on September 18^th.

As everyone knows, this will be the 10^th anniversary of one of the saddest days in American history. Some may consider this an inappropriate way for us to mark the day, but that is exactly why this date was chosen – to actively honor the sacrifice of those who died, and to celebrate the freedoms they sacrificed to protect. There are plans for significant additions to this year’s Festival:

• A Memorial Service will be held following worship that morning.      
• There will be American flags lining the streets on our property.       
• A Bugler will play taps for a moment of silence.       

In addition to these steps, I would like to ask for your help: If you know of a family who had a relative who perished that day or if you know of someone who went to assist the NYC emergency workers, please let us know by calling the church office (234-6722). We would like to honor them in our Memorial Ceremony.

We are holding this Fall Patriotic Festival to demonstrate that the terrorists did not win! We are the same country that we were before this dastardly attack. We will use this day to remember and honor those who perished and to “proclaim liberty throughout the land!”

(Leviticus 25:10)