κήρυξον τὸν λόγον

[Introduction] On the night Jesus was betrayed, his disciples failed to pray. They fell into temptation. They abandoned him. They denied him. Of the twelve, only John was named as seeing Jesus nailed to a cross, bleeding and dying as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Though they had spent almost every waking moment for three years with Jesus, they blew it.  It’s kind of nice to know that these pillars of the church were just as weak and feeble in heart and mind as we are. Even after hearing that ... Hallelujah! He is Risen! ... the disciples were confused and afraid.  This is why, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus died and rose again. We too become confused and afraid ... easily I might add. But by his body and blood, Jesus has given us peace. In his perfect love of laying down his life for your sins, he casts out all fear. The marks of the nails in his hands and the gash in his side bear the proof that he indeed was bruised for our iniquities and ...

Dear Susie, Erin, and Jacob ... dear brothers and sisters in Christ ... friends, family ... Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The text for our meditation comes from Kelly’s confirmation verses in Hebrews chapter 10. We gather here today in the wake of great loss. Kelly Eugene Niemann died suddenly Monday, April 6, 2026. When death hits us like this, especially when it’s someone who is dearly loved in the community, it creates great instability. Our dear Susie, who shared 50 years of marriage with him, didn’t sleep the first night after Kelly’s death because she didn’t want to wake up to his loss. But our text from Hebrews was written for moments just like this.  The Hebrew congregation that heard our reading for the first time also were experiencing distress, loss, temptation to despair ... much like we feel today. They too were wondering, who will we turn to for comfort? Many undoubtedly were unsure ...

[Introduction] Hallelujah! He is risen! If you attended our midweek Lenten services, you heard many Sounds of Our Lord’s Passion. The season began with cloth being ripped, a sound of repentance. We heard the chime of silver coins, a sound of betrayal. We heard weeping as tears fell from our Lord’s face, the sound of True Man and True God confronting sin. We heard water sloshing as it was poured into a basin, and Jesus reminded us to love one another. We heard the sound of trampling feet as soldiers seized Jesus in the garden and led him to the cross. We heard the rooster’s crow that reminded us not only of Peter’s denials, but ours too. We heard a mob that had been singing for joy on Palm Sunday cry out for blood on Good Friday. And we heard the pounding of the nails as Jesus was pierced for your transgressions. This morning the Sounds of Our Lord’s Passion have reached a crescendo with the Good News of an Angel wearing a white robe ... You seek Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. H...