Welcome!

A blast from a Shofar (rams) horn…

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’” - 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

And so this is how our Easter morning worship services will begin on April 8th…with a reminder that death had no hold over Jesus and so it holds no power of us.

Many years ago, the ship Empress of Ireland carrying 130 Christian workers and many others sunk. Only 21 of those Christian workers lives were spared – an unusually small number. Of the 109 workers who drowned, not one body had on a life preserver. Many of the survivors told how those brave people, seeing that there were not enough life preservers to go around, took off their own and strapped them onto others saying, “I know Jesus, so I can die better than you can.” For you see, because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the Christian can face death fearlessly and these Christians did just that.

Death for someone who has not come to know Christ and the Gospel is a frightening prospect. And indeed, it should be, for when one passes from this life, there is no longer the possibility of coming right with God. In contrast, the dark door of death for a Christian is only the other side of the shining gate of life.

Martin Luther at the funeral of his fourteen year old daughter Magdelena, said, “Oh my little one, how you will rise and shine like the stars. How strange to be so sorrowful and yet to know that all is at peace, that all is well.”

On this Easter as we remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, let us also remember that it is also a celebration of our future resurrections from the dead as well and someday we will hear that blast from a Shofar and we shall rise from our graves. For as Christ lives, so shall we who are in Jesus.

Our celebration on Sunday April 8th begins with our sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. followed by a breakfast in the gym hosted by Ladies Aid. An entirely different worship service will follow at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m.

Until next month,

Serving Your Savior,

Pastor Robb Roloff