We want to know what is in it for us, with whip cream, extra nuts, and a cherry on top.

Growing up in Ohio, I remember summers being so much fun! We had paid for the nice weather with winters full of snow and ice. Summer for me was baseball and bikes, ice cream and candy, grape Kool-Aid and bologna sandwiches with chips taking the place of lettuce to give that extra crunch. It was trips to the Zoo and Cedar Point, boat rides and fishing. Summer was fun! Life was simpler. Ohio (specifically Tole-do) was the center of the universe to me.

Life of course was never simple, it just seemed that way to me because as a child I was consumed with me and the things that I wanted. Looking back at the sixties today I realize that things were not simple. The world was in upheaval. The world was changing. There was the war. There were protests. There was great unrest as people sought justice and equality for all people. Life was challenging.

During the time of Jesus' life was not simple. Complex laws, and bad interpretation of those laws, made life tough for the average person. There was struggle and strife. Slavery was a real thing and justice was unknown for most people with the exception of the wealthy and privileged leaders of the Roman Empire. Caesar was god, according to the Romans, who controlled everything. People went out of their way to please Caesar and his minions, to keep the army off of their backs.

Jesus changed all of that. People were taught that the true God of the universe loved them. God did not and does not want people oppressed or subjugated by a ruling class. The Good News of Jesus is that all people are free. We are free to be as God created us to be workers in His Kingdom, for His Glory.

I have found in my almost 62 years two constants that are unshakable and true. The first is the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen for the world. This truth supersedes all other thoughts. Jesus dying on the Cross for the sake of all people is the foundation of life for the whole cosmos. The second truth is the world and all of its empty promises stands in utter opposition to the truth that is the Gospel of Jesus,

The world speaks to us with promises of simpler times, of baseball and bikes, because like that child of the sixties that is what we want to hear. We want to know what is in it for us, with whip cream, extra nuts, and a cherry on top. This is only natural; it is only human. Jesus, however, calls us to a higher place. Jesus stands against the world, and it empty temporary promises, and brings us out of the darkness and into His marvelous Light,

The time has come for all people to stop, breathe, and stand in the light of Jesus's Empty Tomb. Jesus is there for us, waiting, watching, yes even dragging us through time towards His Truth, His Life. Listen to each other, and remember you are Loved! I am so proud to be your pastor.

Pray, Study, Worship
Pastor Bob