SUNDAY, MARCH 17

Scripture Reading: John 12:20-33

“…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” - John 12:24

Palm Sunday, 1984. I was sitting on a beach in San Diego, pondering what God might say about me going to seminary. I’d been praying earnestly throughout Lent, and had boldly requested that God should give me a clear answer by Easter. Yet it was not a flash of lightning nor a fall from a horse that brought the clarity; but a gentle, loving Voice that encouraged me to, Just Do It. In other words, “stop with the objections and defenses, and surrender. Trust me.” It was almost as if I had looked out over the ocean and seen words written across the sky, Surrender, Dorothy! But I knew this wasn’t Kansas, and that the message was for me. Jesus’ words today carry a similar message. It begins with the word, unless. Unless a grain of wheat falls into soil and DIES, it remains alone, solitary. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Sort of like the seed flung onto good soil that produces 30, 60, 100 fold! Years ago, a man from the church argued that a seed does not actually die to produce fruit. He was a farmer, so I didn’t argue too much. In the end, we agreed that the single seed gives up its essence to duplicate itself. It indeed surrenders to the soil and the rain and the sun so that it can be the foundation of perpetual, or, we might say eternal, life. Remember, God is the Sower of Seed - lovingly, extravagantly, selflessly. Seed scattered and grains of wheat planted into the darkness of earth will lose their old life - yet will not be destroyed - but mysteriously transformed. The Son of God was “planted” into the world, from the swirling cosmos in the beginning - into the created earth that God so loved - to bring forth a new crop. And we see and believe and follow, being planted in faith, trusting that our investment of our lives will bring forth a God-harvest of transformation, and new life for all the nations.

1. What have you surrendered to God throughout your life?

2. How has what you surrendered produced “fruit” around you?

3. How does God use death to bring forth new life?

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Precious Lord, we thank you for surrendering all that you had, so that we might learn how to follow you through death into new life. Give us strength to trust you on the way. Amen.

Retired Pastor Susan Langhauser, Stilwell, KS

MONDAY, MARCH 18

Scripture Reading: John 4:5-41

“Jesus said to the woman, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’” - John 4:13-14

Recently a bride asked a baker to make her wedding cake. She asked him to inscribe on top the words from I John 4:18. Verse 18 of the 4th chapter of John’s first letter reads: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Unfortunately, the cake decorator did not know the Bible well – did not know there is a difference between the Gospel of John and the first letter of John. And unfortunately, the bride and groom did not see the cake until they came to cut the cake at the reception. There, for all to read, was 4:18 from John’s Gospel: “You have had five husbands and the man you now have is not your husband.” These last are words Jesus spoke to a woman at noon one day. He meets her at the ancient village well in the town of Sychar in Samaria. Everyone in town regarded her as a prostitute. How remarkable, then, that Jesus treats this woman with gentleness, kindness, and respect. He calls her “gune” which is the Greek word for respected lady, like calling her “ma’am”. “Gune” is also what Jesus called his own mother when she asked him to turn water into wine at a wedding and when he was hanging on the cross. In essence, Jesus forgives this Samaritan women. He says she can overcome her past. He sees potential where others only see shame. Imagine the power of forgiveness to transform a life. I don’t know anything more powerful in a human than Christian forgiveness. God wipes the slate clean and offers divine amnesia for the baggage we carry. That word forgive comes from the words “give” and “forth” and means a generous handing over of something. When Jesus spoke lovingly to this woman, he not only wiped away a troubled past; he handed her a future. He accepts the cup of water she hands him and in return offers her “living water” – joy and eternal life.

1. Who do you need to forgive?

2. Who do you need to ask for forgiveness?

Lord, refresh my spirit and my life. Help me to come clean about my sins. Forgive me. Amen.

Retired Pastor Paul Hegele, Martin Luther Lutheran Church, Lee’s Summit, MO Excerpt from an upcoming sermon book from CSS

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

Scripture Reading: John 12:20-33

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“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” - John 12:21b

Every spring at a congregation I previously served, I looked out the parsonage windows to see a green or red planter chugging along, the humming of the engine like the song of a prayer. Farmers are some of the most faithful and faith-filled people I know. To plant row after row of crops that will literally turn into thousands of dollars. Or not. I quickly learned tools I needed for ministry in Iowa included a rain gauge and constant knowledge of the farm market report. The mood on Sunday morning often depended on what either of these tools had to share. A lot of hope and goals were tied to one tiny seed. One tiny seed can produce much fruit (or grain). It can also die and produce nothing. Faith is a gift from God. We nourish it with worship, being in community, studying God’s word, prayer, and on and on. Every time we engage in nourishing this gift of faith, we lose a little bit of ourselves, but in the best way possible. One of my favorite authors (Sarah Bessey) says Jesus turned her into a feminist. In that way, reading the Bible and engaging in worship has turned me into someone who cares about social justice and those on the margins. Any time the focus is not inward, we lose ourselves. We cannot be the body of Christ in a hurting world if our first question is “what does this do for me?” As we nourish the seeds God planted in us, we start to look at the world through what I like to call our “cross-shaped glasses.” The cross put to death an empire that cared more about power, money, and winning than about caring, loving, and remembering the forgotten. In this reading, we hear some say, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” I admit to requesting this myself more than a few times. Should we desire to see Jesus, we need not look any further than our neighbor. Jesus is in the forgotten, the marginalized, the hungry, the underemployed, the sick, the unhoused, the mourning, the young, and on and on. If we wish to see Jesus we need look no further than the people we would rather avoid. That’s when we must die to ourselves and realize the people we would rather not nourish relationships with are exactly the people Jesus hangs around. It’s not easy to let your guard down and risk seeing that we may have more in common with those we’d rather distance ourselves from than we care to admit. But there are multiple fields ready to be planted. It’s good for us to remember that new life (relationship with others and a deeper relationship with Jesus) can come out of death--our own metaphorical, of course.

1. Where have you seen Jesus that has genuinely surprised you?

2. What aspects of your life may need to die in order that other may grow?

“Seed that in earth is dying grows into ears of grain. Grapes that are crushed in the vessel turn into golden wine. God, through this mystery grant us faith in our deepest darkness, life in our night and death.” Amen.

“Seed That in Earth is Dying” ELW #330

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Interim Pastor Jealaine Marple, First Lutheran, Mission Hills, KS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

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Scripture Reading: John 12:34-5

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“’While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’ After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.” - John 12:36

At this point in John’s gospel, the people did not believe in him. And we are not so different. We say we believe in Jesus, yet we get tight-fisted with our love, judgmental in our attitudes, and stingy with our vision of justice. Our light starts to dim – out of fear, selfishness, and habit. The words of the hymn, “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light,” can help expand our vision of what it means to live as children of light. The first verse begins: I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus. God set the stars to give light to the world. The star of my life is Jesus.” Have you ever taken time to just gaze at the stars with no agenda or time frame, in a place with no artificial light or obstructions? One of my favorite star-gazing places is our Synod church camp, Camp Tomah Shinga, outside of Junction City, Kansas. I have been fortunate to spend time there as a camper in my youth and with countless groups for retreats, service trips, and visits over the years. The vast and limitless night sky on the prairie offers an unparalleled sense of wonder and awe. Feeling tiny and insignificant in the expanse of the universe, while knowing that we each have a place and purpose and calling as God’s children is empowering. Experiencing that sense of belonging and infinity broadens our imagination and understanding of this awesome God who calls us to be Children of Light! We need not be limited by only what we know, fearful of what is different, or constrained by selfish desires to hold onto that light as only ours. We can see and experience the constellation of possibilities and illumination that are as great and boundless as the stars in that night sky. God, the Creator of all that wonder, invites us to live in that light, to share that expansive love, to lavishly shine the hope and promise of Christ in a broken and hurting world.

1. Take time to gaze at the night sky and all the stars. What do you feel

2. How can the expanse of the universe broaden and widen your love and your reflection of Christ’s light?

God, we want to be children of light. When our brightness fades with fear, selfishness, or other limitations, renew us with grace. Help us shine bright with justice, peace, and love for all you’ve created. Amen.

Retired Pastor Noni Strand, Overland Park Lutheran, Overland Park, KS

THURSDAY, MARCH 21

Scripture Reading: John 8 : 10 - 11

“Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’” - John 8 : 10 - 11

Have you ever had someone tell you that they are feeling bad because they are struggling with everything going on in their lives? People are hard on themselves for feeling anxious, depressed, scared, annoyed, angry, isolated, etc. Usually, the admittance of these feelings are followed by guilt because things could be much worse for them. I have heard everything from “I still have a job” to “I’m still healthy” to “I shouldn’t complain about having family time.” Maybe you are feeling something similar, I know I have. I need as many people as possible to hear this message, forgive yourself and give yourself a little bit of grace. It is OK to struggle when you feel like life is pulling you in a million different directions. Please, let yourself feel those things. It’s not bad that you are angry or annoyed that the world around you has been chaotic. It is okay to be sad about a loss or your favorite seasonal flavor of coffee being done. It is understandable that you don’t know how to spend too much quality time with your family. Forgive yourself, because I can almost guarantee that no one thinks less of you for having emotions. A favorite bible story comes to my mind when thinking of this type of forgiveness; the adulterous woman. This woman is caught in sin and thrown at Jesus’ feet. She has to be feeling all kinds of emotions and expecting death to come to her soon. But instead, Christ speaks and her accusers walk away. They have realized they are not that different from her. When she looks at him he asks her, “did no one condemn you?” And she replied “no one sir.” And then Christ gave her forgiveness saying “go and sin no more.” This woman who is feeling pretty lowly is given forgiveness and then told by her savior that she gets to still have a life. So no matter what emotion you are feeling, give yourself a little grace, remember you are not all that different from the people around you, and you have a God that has already forgiven you . . . Go and sin no more.

1. Where have been times and places you have tried to hide away what you are feeling?

2. Where can you give yourself some grace today?

Holy God, help us to navigate the world around us and give us grace along the way, Amen.

Pastor Jordan Stone, Atonement Lutheran, Overland Park, KS

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

Scripture Reading: Matthew 16:21-28

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“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” - Matthew 16:24

No one wants a cross–not for Jesus, not for us. Bonhoeffer said of carrying a cross, “Pain is a holy angel who shows us treasures that would otherwise remain forever hidden; through him men and women have become greater than through all the joys of the world.” But such pain we avoid. Before a cross we cringe. And yet, I think God silently screams at us during Lent, “Remember the cross.” I’m not superstitious but I’m convinced every Good Friday when I was a child the weather was dark and threatening. Thunderstorms howled. “Don’t run from the cross,” God whistled in the wind. Are you asked to carry a cross? There are unseen crosses everywhere. Whenever we sacrifice for another there is a cross. Whenever we take on a burden we could have ignored because taking it on is the right thing to do there is a cross. Whenever a nurse enters a Covid ward or a soldier takes a bullet to defend the nation, there is a cross. Suffering alone does not make an unseen cross. Anyone can suffer in our fallen world. Taking up a cross is to submit to suffering because you think it is the right thing to do. You accept the suffering because some service is performed, some dignity is respected, some harmony with the Father is found. There was a time when most Lutheran clergy in the city I served were young, eager and close. We celebrated when someone married, someone had a baby, someone accepted a new call. Early one fall we were laughing because one shy pastor and his wife announced they were pregnant. Then, in early winter came the whispers–something was wrong. The baby wasn’t developing right. The whispers–they should do something while they still could, they should not have to suffer. Finally, as Spring arrived the quiet pastor said the words–we know the baby cannot live, we know the baby must be born. And so it was–a birth, a baptism, a baby held for an hour and then she was gone. No one asked the mother and father their reasons. Everyone offered their response with a word or a touch or a tear. For months we noticed a look in their eyes, as if they had been given a burden not too heavy for them at all, as if it were light, a privilege, borne on another’s shoulders, being led to a high place the rest of us could not go, following a sign the rest of us did not see.

1. Do you carry a cross? What makes it a cross and not merely suffering?

2. Who has a cross you could help carry?

Lord, help me recognize my cross and to see beyond it to the sunrise on an empty tomb. Amen.

Retired Pastor Paul Hegele, Martin Luther Lutheran, Lee’s Summit, MO Excerpt from an upcoming sermon book from CSS

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SATURDAY, MARCH 23

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Scripture Reading: Mark 10:32-34, 46-52

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“Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.” - Mark 10:52

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A long time ago, I attended a faith healing service at a huge auditorium in Minneapolis. I was doing a research paper on crowds and how people in a crowd can be induced to a sort of mass consciousness.

I had attended a second tier wrestling match and watched as a chant moved through the crowd during a particularly brutal display. The other crowed event was a mass healing service by an unknown, at least unknown to me, healer. Here the circumstances were the same with a chant going through the crowd, gaining force and momentum. An elderly woman in a wheelchair, was invited by the evangelist, to come forward to the front of the auditorium. She was in a long line of people seeking healing and a change in life and circumstance. When the woman was brought forward the healer placed his hands on the woman, said a series of words, and then in a dramatic voice cried out be healed and walk. The crowd, first hesitantly and then with more voices cried out “Walk, Walk, Walk”, with some adding the words “be healed.” The healer asked his assistants to take the woman away, and then said to the crowded auditorium of people seeking healing, “This woman did not have enough faith.”

Lent is a time when we take a look at our faith and try to put together all of the various parts that make us faithful and give to that faith renewed understanding. I have always felt that this particular healing is made so that we might juxtapose the word faith and sight.

Faith does not mean that we necessarily get something we want, but it does mean that we have a deeper understanding of what faith is, because now we see it for what it is: a relationship between humankind and God. And the faith is in the relationship, not in getting what we want from God.

1. When we don’t get what we want from God, does that weaken our faith?

2. When we do have a blessing, does it mean that our faith made it happen?

Dear God, our faith makes us whole. Help us remember that faith is not about getting what we want, but rather it is about what God is doing in the world and in our lives. Amen.

Retired Pastor Michael Brecke, First Lutheran Church, Mission Hills, KS

PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 24

Scripture reading: Mark 11:1-11

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“Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” - Mark 11:9

What a scene: Jesus astride a colt, riding into Jerusalem to the celebratory shouts of “those who went ahead and those who followed.” Jesus, surrounded by acclaim and praise: “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” If I were Jesus, that would be music to my ears.

Interesting that Scripture doesn’t record a reaction by Jesus. No hand-cupping (Giants QB Tommy DeVito, take note), no acknowledgement at all. I would have come up with a smile, at least, some indicator of my swelling ego.

Fast forward less than a week. Another crowd – or maybe the same one – with a very different urging about this Jesus. “Crucify him!” It’s a bloodthirsty mob now. “Crucify him!” they shout. Interesting that, again, there’s no reaction by Jesus. He makes no defense, offers no explanation; he says nothing. Me? I would have been terrified.

Note to self: Take a tip from Jesus and refuse to live life on its own terms. Because if you live life on its own terms you’ll feel like a million bucks when the adoring crowd can’t get enough of you and like garbage when it treats you like garbage. But like a lot of good advice, when it comes to me I find it’s easier said than done.

Back to Jesus. He must have heard the fickle crowd on both occasions, but maybe he was listening more intently to a different voice, the one he heard much earlier, as the baptismal water of the Jordan glistened on his upraised head: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” He hears from God that he belongs, he is loved, he is pleasing. It comes to him as his orienting and sustaining gift, no expiration date. He’ll need it, as will you and I.

Another note to self, and to you: Lean forward and listen for the bedrock truth of your life, the one that’s truer than any other claim on you: “You are my child, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

1. How heavily impacted are you by the opinions of others about you? 2. How often do you take time to listen for God?

Dear God, remind me again of your claim on me. Amen.

Roger Gustafson, Bishop Emeritus, Central States Synod

MONDAY, MARCH 25

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 48:1-7

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“I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” - Isaiah 49:6

The prophet Isaiah explains that the servant is not chosen by God only for the sake of restoring God’s chosen people, Israel. No, the servant’s role is more expansive. While the servant may be comfortable helping their own people, they must also know that God sends the servant “as a light everywhere, and well beyond their comfort zone.

We are most comfortable with people who are most like us. Homogeneity (which means everything is alike) reigns in many neighborhoods, in many of our congregations and even in our workplaces. It can be scary to encounter someone or something new and different. And if we are being honest, even those who look like us are truly different because of their experiences, gifts, or cultural phenomena that shape them (to name just a few things).

As a child of God, baptized into a life of servanthood we are God’s gift as a light to the world. We are not just receivers of God’s love, we are the gift of light and the givers of God’s love, too. Not just inside of our own congregations or neighborhoods. And we are not to place limits on who, what or where we share the good news of God’s salvation. That means we might have to shine our lights in uncomfortable spaces.

1. Where are you most comfortable shining your light?
2. Who or what challenges you as one called to share God’s love in the world?

O Giver of salvation for all, thank you for choosing us to shine the light of your love into the world. Help us to overcome our own discomfort when shining your generous light into the world. AMEN.

Rev. Sue Tarkka, Overland Park Lutheran Church, Overland Park, KS

TUESDAY, MARCH 26

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthian 1:18-30

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“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” - 1 Cor. 1:18

As we collectively pivot from the joyous “Hosannas” of Palm Sunday to the betrayal and death awaiting Jesus, some of us have “hit the wall.” Our enthusiasm to follow through with our Lenten commitments may be waning. We are distracted, weighed down by other pressing demands on our time, and find ourselves struggling not to lose sight of the cross during our journey with Jesus to Golgotha. As the text from 1 Corinthians reminds us, the cross in first-century Roman-occupied Palestine was proclaimed to be utter folly, an instrument of torture administered by the state to execute, silence, and humiliate. It was a cross of shame, brutality, punishment, and failure. No one in their right mind would want to end up on one. Yet, placed within the larger context of Jesus’ ministry, the cross is also a challenge. Jesus repeatedly instructs disciples of every time and place to “pick up your cross and follow me.” May our pilgrimage to the cross challenge each one of us to ponder how Jesus is inviting us–as individuals and collectively as God’s people – to follow the crucified Christ into the broken spaces and places of our world. Because when we take up our cross and follow Jesus into the world, we go where Jesus goes. We extend love, mercy, and acceptance to the people whom Jesus embraces and invites into relationship--tax collectors, sinners, lepers, the unclean, and people yearning for restoration and relationship. Taking up our cross and following Jesus is costly because it forces us to confront unpleasant truths -- truths that we would rather avoid or ignore. We know that some of our siblings in Christ are hanging on the cross of violence consuming their homelands and indiscriminately killing non-combatants. Others are hanging on the cross of paralyzing addictions, dehumanizing poverty, or lack of access to life’s necessities. Countless others are huddled under a cross of fear – fear of not being welcomed, fear of being denied access to freedom from want, and fear of being enslaved in demonic systems that exploit, abuse, and enslave God’s beloved children.

1. What, I wonder, might that look like if I followed Jesus into the world?

2. What might I need to let go of? What might this look like for me?

Compassionate God, help me to follow you into the world. Help me to live into the promise of my baptism, trusting the Holy Spirit’s work in moving me beyond the comfort and security of my privilege as I respond in loving service to neighbors near and far. Amen

Pastor Jon Brudvig, Salem Lutheran, Lenexa, KS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12:1-3

“We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” is a clear testimonial to the communal nature of the Body of Christ, known as the Church. Throughout generations, this is especially true as we gather for worship to commemorate and celebrate the upcoming events of Holy Week. It is within the context of the Christian community that we participate in the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday; we witness the horror of our Lord’s crucifixion on Good Friday; we watch and wait for our Lord’s resurrection on the Vigil of Easter and we erupt into the joyous proclamation of the Good News on Easter!

We do not do these things as isolated individuals. We do them together with others—as the great “cloud of witnesses”—for we are the Church! In spite of our differences, we are those who have been called, claimed and commissioned by the one who willingly laid down his life for the sake of our sins. We are those who have been redeemed, saved and sanctified through the blood of Jesus. This is not our own doing, but something wonderfully miraculous that God has done for us as children of God.

1. Who are the “cloud of witnesses” in your life?
2. How will you celebrate the outpouring of God’s grace with other members of the Body of Christ this week?
3. In what ways do you feel “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” as you live out your faith?

Loving Lord, thank you for the call to be connected to the great “cloud of witnesses.” May we bring honor to your name as we work together for the sake of your kingdom. Amen.

Retired Pastor Bob Dealey, First Lutheran Church, Topeka, KS

THURSDAY, MARCH 28

Scripture Reading: John 13:1-17, 31b-35

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“…if I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” - John 13:14-15

Today is Day One of the Triduum, and I’m not feeling it. My arms are folded, and not in prayer. I’m too busy, too many tasks. Even retirement carries stress, and I need a little TLC. Perhaps I just need to take a deep breath, kick off my shoes and relax. Maybe your Lent was not exactly as reflective as you’d hoped it could be as well. The Lenten season is filled Light and Darkness, Repentance and Forgiveness, Serving others and Nourishing ourselves. Worship is filled with symbols: Ashes to remind us that we won’t be here forever. Incense that stung our noses. Palms strewn, waved, and burned. Bread and wine. Colors, music and prayer. Now we imagine ourselves at table with Jesus. We’re weary, bone tired, yearning for quiet time with those who’ve shared the journey. We need Jesus, and his undivided attention. And Jesus wanted his disciples to feel how he loved them. As he looked across the table, perhaps he thought about the years of walking, miles of dirt roads and sick people, hours of shuffling across hot sand, nights of sleeping outside by a fire. They had been with him, aiding him. They were part of it. They were part of him. Why did he wash their feet? Jesus may have answered, “I did it to soothe them, to refresh them, to prepare them. I did it because I wanted to be near them for the last time. I did it, because I loved them.” He did it, because he loves us. Today we slip off our shoes and feel the floor of God’s house, holy ground. Even if you have never considered letting someone pour water over your feet and dry them with a towel, imagine how good that will feel, and how Jesus taught us how to love in so many different ways. Even if your arms seem crossed to everything else, let Jesus himself love you tonight, through someone else’s hands. We’re all learning how to love as Christ loved us.

1. Imagine this most intimate moment with Jesus kneeling at your feet to wash them. What emotions does this image bring up in you?

2. What would you need to feel that closeness to Jesus’ presence in your prayers, or your reading of Scripture, or your meditation on the cross?

Jesus, you have loved me better than I love myself. Strengthen me to love as you love. Give my heart the desire to reach beyond myself. Bind me to you in service to others. Amen.

Retired Pastor Susan Langhauser, Stilwell, Kansas

GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 29

Scripture Reading: John 18:1 - 19:42

“And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” - John 19:42

A man had two sons…thus begins so many of Jesus’ parables. Today we might ponder three of the sons of Israel, who had some divergent responses to the challenges that Jesus of Nazareth was posing in life and now, in his death. The first son, Judas, is not unlike the younger son in the Prodigal story. Wanting his payoff early, Judas was a disciple, and apparently believed Jesus was who he said he was, However, the bits that we know only from scripture leave out the legends and suppositions and he has been labelled by history as the vessel of Evil. He never got the chance to return home in this life. The elder son(s) have labored in the father’s house all their lives: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. These two Pharisees always do the right thing… but undercover, not going public with their struggles. They have received their reward, but perhaps don’t recognize it. Guess you really can’t tell a book by its cover. Where Judas was sure of what he was sure of, he failed in his faith by his betrayal of trust. And while the pharisees could not bring themselves to proclaim Jesus publicly, they were there at his end, to make sure all was done according to the Law. Regardless of the challenges confronting these men, we all react to evil in our own ways. Hear the words of a youngster in a First Communion preparation class years ago. When asked, “Have you ever done anything that you knew was wrong and didn’t think your parents knew about it? How did that make you feel?” Some said, not good, bad, yucky, etc. But one little guy said, I felt as if evil had penetrated my heart and was flowing through my body. Judas, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea – all responded to Jesus, whose hands still wet from washing Judas’ feet raised in blessings over bread and wine; as he was about to allow himself to be sacrificed to save us all – including Judas – from the effects of “evil penetrating our hearts and flowing throughout our bodies…”

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1. How do you make sense of the actions of these three men during Holy Week?

2. What do you think you would believe, especially if you had been a Law-abiding Jew during Jesus’ life and ministry among us?

Father God, when the hope of Israel had been crucified, the multitudes in were faced with a choice: in light of Jesus, how then are we to live? Thank you for allowing us to have the knowledge that came a few days later. For your Son, for the Light that lightens the Gentiles, and for your love for us, we give you our devotion, gratitude and lives. Amen.

Retired Pastor Susan Langhauser, Stilwell, Kansas

SATURDAY, MARCH 30

Scripture Reading: Mark 16:1-8

“But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you. So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” - Mark 16:7-8

The Three Days (Triduum) come to their conclusion today. We’ve been through the knothole of Jesus’ Passion and death during this week, and we have participated in the rituals of Maundy Thursday: the Last Supper, loving washing of feet, new commandment to love one another and the solemn stripping of the altar. On Good Friday we sat in silence in the dark, and beheld the life-giving cross, on whom was hung the Savior of the whole world (ELW page 264.) And today, Holy Saturday, we find ourselves suspended – waiting as we did during Advent – with anticipation of a celebration we are privileged to know before it happens. Some of us will mark the first Eucharist of Easter during the Great Vigil tonight. We will hear again the salvation history in readings from Scripture, light a new fire and baptize (or affirm our baptisms). Then we will keep silent vigil, as if we were awaiting dawn to give us enough light to make our way to the tomb of Jesus to pay our last respects. These three days are hard, but these three days changed our lives forever. So don’t be sad, beloved ones. Because the three days gave us three little words that echoed from the cross and down the ages. Three little words – that’s all they were. For these were the last words that Jesus spoke from the cross: It is finished! But I hear the translation that appears in The Last Temptation of Christ, where the dying Jesus’ last words were not words of defeat and surrender, but words that echoed the triumph to come. For there, the three little words are rendered, It is accomplished! His work was done. But ours is not. The gospel for tonight’s Vigil tells us that fear gets in the way from the tomb forward. While Jesus has accomplished his work, the woman at the empty tomb said nothing to anyone for they were afraid. So how in the world do we know what happened on Easter morning? Well, somebody said something…now go and do likewise.

1. The storyteller Scheherazade says in 1001 Arabian Nights, “The one who has a story and doesn’t share it is either greedy or a fool.” How do you explain Mark’s ending, and the “silence” of the women at the tomb?

2. How do you tell the story of Easter?

3. What is the best illustration of God’s love in your unique life journey?

Blessed are you O Lord our God, Creator of the Universe. Thank you for what you have done to show us just how much you care. Give us the faith and desire to tell the world how you have changed our lives, and help make us worthy of the gospel of Jesus, the Risen Christ. Amen.

Retired Pastor Susan Langhauser, Stilwell, Kansas

EASTER SUNDAY, MARCH 31

Scripture Reading: John 20:1-18

“Supposing him to be the gardener, Mary said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’” - John 20:15-16

I still find it hard to believe that Mary didn’t recognize Jesus. He was such an important part of her life! Maybe her eyes were cast to the ground, or they were filled with too many tears. Whatever the reason (I’m sure it was a good one), she couldn’t recognize him. But it only took one word to change all of that: “Mary.” Her name. How powerful that must have been. Not only does it give clarity that Jesus is alive, it reminds Mary who she is--a person with hope. She is Mary--beloved, capable, and a caring friend. There are days when I yearn to hear my name on the lips of God, days my eyes are cast down and filled with tears. On those days, I am like Mary--my heart hurts and I feel like God has abandoned me. I have yet to hear my name on the divine tongue, but I have heard it on the lips of people who love me. I’ve heard people say my name and ask me what’s got me down. I’ve heard encouraging words and invitations to step out of my sorrow. I’ve heard it whispered in the soft touch of hugs. I’ve heard it carried on the smiles and playfulness of the kids I meet at church. It’s not quite the same as Jesus’ voice, but it’s pretty close. And it changes me. It’s brought me back to life many times. When my eyes are down and filled with pain, it’s hard to remember that is God alive, present, and speaking through the people around me. But that doesn’t stop God from speaking to me and reminding me who I am--one who is beloved, surrounded by love, and full of life. This Easter, may you hear your name. May you know that you are beloved. May you know that you are not lost. May you know that you are still alive, and, by the grace of God, always will be.

1. When has someone saying your name kept you from harm? When has it woken you up from depression or despair?
2. How would you respond to your name being spoken by Jesus? What would it lead you to?

Redeeming God, sometimes I forget who I am. In those times, speak my name again, that I may remember that I’m not alone, that I matter, and that there is still abundant life for me. Amen.

Pastor Mike Kern, Hosanna! Lutheran, Liberty, MO

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God bless you and happy Easter!