Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Messages o f Easter inspiration from
Wednesday, March 27,2013
- FIVE
churches
What will it take for you to
accept the resurrection of Jesus
By Jonathan Enz
Heppner United Methodist
In the April 19% issue
of the “Joyful Noiseletter”,
there is a report regarding a
Roman Catholic priest who
was speaking to a group of
second-graders about the
resurrection of Jesus. When
one of the ‘students asked,
“What did Jesus say right
after He came out o f the
grave”? Another student’s
hand shot up and the student
excitedly shouted, “I know!
I know!” So the priest asked
this second student “What
did He say?” And the stu
dent replied, “Tah-Dah!”
We read in the four
Gospels, that the disciples
were told by Jesus several
times - that He would be
arrested, tried, killed, and
raised on the third day.
They also had witnessed
the many miracles through
which Jesus had healed
the sick, raised the dead,
transformed nature. They
had heard His teachings
and His proclamations that
He was the Son o f God
Peter, James,-and John had
witnessed His Transfigura
tion during which He talked
with Moses and Elijah: Two
of the disciples, including
Peter, were informed by
Mary Magdalene that she
had seen the Risen Christ.
These two disciples then
went to the tomb and found
it empty. And yet, when
Jesus appeared before them
on the evening of the day of
His resurrection He found
them in a locked room
hiding in fear of the Jews,
fearing that they, too, would
be arrested.
It was only upon Jesus
appearing to them that they
believed the “Tah-Dah” of
Easter, the “Tah-Dah” of the
resurrection of Jesus from
death to life.
Unfortunately, one of
their group, Thomas, was
not with the rest o f the
disciples when Jesus ap
peared to them. So, when
he returned, they excitedly,
told him that Jesus was
alive! He had risen from
the dead! Thomas went
on to say that he could not
believe in the resurrection
of Jesus until he could see
the mark of the nails in His
hands and put his fingers in
the nail marks and his hand
in Jesus’ side. Eight days
later, Jesus, again, appeared
to the disciples, this time
including Thomas. When
Jesus said to Thomas, “Put
your finger here and see
my hands. Reach out your
hand and put it in my side”..
Thomas answered saying,
“My Lord and My God!”
and Jesus said; “ Blessed
are those who have not
seen and yet have come to
.believe.”
Do you believe? If not,
what will it take for you to
accept the resurrection of
Jesus? What will it take for
you to believe that Jesus is
the Risen Christ? What will
it take for you to accept His
teachings as the truth o f
God’s love?
I invite you to come
and see, come and experi
ence the “Tah-D ah” of.
Easter, this Easter morning,
March 31, at the football
grandstands at 7 a.m. or at
any of the church services
on Easter morning, or both.
If you plan to attend both
the Sunrise Service and
a church service (which
will be a double blessing
for you) plan on having
breakfast at Hope Lutheran
following the Sunrise Ser
vice.
If you can only attend
one service, invite you to
join us at the United Meth
odist Church at 10:30 a.
m.
Know who our builder is
By Pastor Lynda Liu
Elohim Covenant
Ministries, Heppner
When I first started
traveling to other countries,
I saw such poverty in the
midst o f lands that had
a much longer grow ing
season and greater natural
resources than the US. But
why are we so blessed in
this country I asked?
The only conclusion
I have come to is that we
have been one nation un
der God. A government
by the people, and for the
people. A country whose
strength was in its middle
class. In other countries I
saw the very rich and the
very poor. That has been
changing here. I see our
government becoming an
island unto itself. And yet
in the midst of all of it I hear,
“Equal rights.” Yet when
cuts in budgets are needed
they stand as kings and cry
out “Give me more.”
I have watched the rich
become richer and the poor
become poorer. The middle
class continues to dimin
ish with each passing day.
I pray we will wake up
soon. To know who our
builder and maker is once
again. That we might stand
as a nation and as a people
in this evil day. That we
might say as a nation once
again “Our God Lives on
Resurrection Day.”
Share the story of the love that we
find in Christ
By Stacy Shelton, Pastor
lone Community Church
In preparing to write
this article I looked at what
I had written last year. Last
year at this time we had
been given the news that,
while we thought my father
had cancer for the second
time, he did not. That was
good news, except for the
fact that a couple of weeks
later, we found out that
the original diagnosis was
correct, and that he did
indeed have cancer, and
that it had metastasized to
his bones. Six months later
he died.
W hile m any m ight
think that my profession
would cause me to think
a great deal about the
afterlife, I have chosen
to focus more on this life
and what I believe we are
called to here. But since
my father’s death I have had
a little more cause to think
about the afterlife. 1 have
not experienced his “ghost”
coming to me, but I have
been distinctly aware of
his presence, in a peaceful
and loving way. But, for all
the comfort that is to me, I
would still rather have my
father in the flesh sitting
in front of me, or even on
the other end of the phone
line.
T h is E a s te r I am
preaching on John 20:19-
28 and in it, Jesus tells Mary
“ Do not hold onto m e”
when she sees him outside
of the tomb. How hard that
must have been for Mary!
Maybe she had felt Jesus’
presence before the day
she went to the tomb, but
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the opportunity to see him
physically present would
have been astounding. And
it would have been tempting,
in fact almost irresistible, to
try to hang onto him. But
his next words send her out
to tell the story. He reminds
her that she still has work
to do.
I am so saddened by my
father’s death, but while he
wasn’t a perfect man, he
did tell me the stories of his
faith, he did the work that
Jesus calls all of us to do.
I w o u ld lo v e th e
opportunity to hold onto
my father again, but I know
that he too, would remind
me that my work isn’t done.
I hope you have a blessed
Easter, and while we may
be reminded of those we are
missing during this season,
let us also be reminded that
their loving presence in our
lives also calls us to share
the story o f love that we
find in Christ.
lo n e C o m m u n ity
Church will be celebrating
Christ’s Resurrection with
an Easter brunch at 9:30am
and Worship at 11:00am
followed by coffee hour.
All are welcome!
Today’s Easter is just as powerful
as the first one
By Katy Anderson, Pastor king. They shouted “Son of
All Saints Episcopal and David, save us now!” Their
confidence would rise as
Hope Lutheran Churches
he “cleanses” the Temple
of
the money changers and
The Passover season
speaks
parables against
is a celebration o f free
the
corrupt
leaders of the
dom. It is a celebration of
Temple
mount.
G od’s deliverance from
But these hopes would
oppression and slavery and
be
pu
b lically and b ru
Jerusalem would be filled
tally
crushed.
These cor
to overflowing with wor
rupt
leaders
had
already
shippers that have come
plotted
to
kill
the
prophet.
to celebrate. During that
Passover some 2000 years They feared a revolution
ago there would have been and were worried that they
the added excitement of the would lose their positions
Rabbi and Prophet, Jesus of o f power and privilege.
Nazareth. Many fantastic They convinced one o f his
stories would have been own disciples to turn on
told of this Prophet; stories him. He is arrested, illegally
o f his miracles, teaching tried in a kangaroo court,
and conflicts with the Jew convicted and savagely
ish leadership. Perhaps they beaten and crucified. Their
had even heard of him rais hope of a new king crushed,
ing Lazarus from the dead the leading disciples of his
movement feared for their
just a short time before.
As he enters the city the lives and abandoned him.
people treat him as a com The entrenched corrupt
ing king. They anticipate leadership wins again. The
him as the Messiah. One common folks will continue
who would throw off the to suffer under Roman rule
oppression o f the Romans and the privileged locals.
But then reports began
and challenge the puppet
to
trickle
in...Guards with
leaders o f Israel. His rid
fantastic
stories
of angels
ing in on a donkey would
and
empty
tombs,
people
remind them o f Solomon
all
around
the
city
that
wit
as he challenged for the
nessed
this
prophet
alive.
throne, the real anointed
His disciples became bold
Nothing equals the feast of the
Resurrection
By Fr.Kumar Udagandla
St.Patrick’s Church
Heppner
March 31, 2013 is a
great day and we, the Chris
tians in the world, are cel
ebrating the greatest feast of
Easter. It is one of the great
est and solemn feasts in the
church among other feasts.
“ If we were to keep all
feasts together, none could
be equal to the feast of Res
urrection” says St. Irenaus.
The feast of Easter teach us
that the first Adam brought
death by sin, whereas the
second Adam destroying
the power o f death and
restoring the eternal life to
our human temporary life.
St. Paul meditating on the
event of resurrection said “0
death where is your power
and sting” (1 cor. 15/55).
“I have risen and I am
still with you, forever."
These w ords invite us
to contemplate the risen
Christ, letting his voice
resound in our hearts. With
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and no longer fearful. They
began to preach that this
prophet Jesus was alive,
resurrected from the dead
and not just a prophet, but
the Messiah, the anointed
one who would come to
transform the world. These
disciples no longer feared
the corrupt leaders and
told them so, right to their
face. Thousands were trans
formed by the message and
becam e follow ers. This
started a movement of the
advancement of the King
dom of God that continues
to transform to this day. It
is amazing what people can
do when they are empow
ered by God and no longer
fear death...
We celebrate Easter
today and it is just as pow
erful as that first one. It is a
season of freedom from the
ultimate powers that bind
us...sin and death. It was
amazing how those early
disciples were transformed
when they no longer feared
death and we can be trans
formed and just as bold if
we are empowered by the
Spirit o f the resurrected
Messiah Jesus. You will
become truly alive, because
He is alive.
his redeeming sacrifice,
Jesus of Nazareth has made
us adopted children of God,
so that we too can now
take our place in the mys
terious dialogue between
him and the Father. We are
reminded of what he once
said to those who were
listening, “All things have
been delivered to me by my
father; and no one knows
the Father except the son
and any one to whom the
Son chooses to reveal to
him.” (Mt ll/27)
Easter is a day of cel
ebration because it repre
sents the fulfillment of our
faith as Christians. St. Paul
wrote that, unless Christ
rose from the dead, our
faith is in vain (l Corin
thians 15:17). Through his
death, Christ saved man
kind from bondage to sin,
and He destroyed the hold
that death has on all of us;
but it is His Resurrection
that gives us the promise
o f new life, both in this
world and the next. The
resurrection of Jesus in the
history of mankind and in
the life o f all the Christians
has become a milestone to
divide the Era and destiny
o f human beings. It has
become solid foundation
for all Christians for their
hope of resurrection and the
everlasting life.
Easter is the spring of
Faith. From the Bible we
read Mary Magdalene with
her physical eyes saw only
the empty tomb but with the
eyes of faith, she saw not the
Gardner but the Risen Lord.
(Jn20/11-18) The disciples
on their way to Emmaus in
their physical eyes saw only
a traveler but with the eyes
of faith saw the Risen Lord
at the breaking of the bread.
(Lk 24/13-35)
If we want to really
meet the risen Jesus, experi
ence the bliss of our bodily
resurrection then we need to
be freed from the clutches
of our sins, temptations and
being slaves to the passing
and perishing world and
cherish the values of Risen
Christ. Let us allow the light
that streams forth from this
solemn day to enlighten us;
let us open ourselves in
sincere trust to the risen
Christ so that his victory
over evil and death may
also triumph in each one of
us, in our families, in our
cities and in our nations.
Let it shine forth in every
part of the world. Alleluia
Alleluia Alleluia.
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