ABOUT EMANUEL
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Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran
Church
1001 South Fourth Street, Philadelphia
PA 19147 From Tragedy to Triumph Sunday, September 16, 2001
Today we gather as a congregation, as a community, as a church, as a nation on the fringes of the worst disaster in American history. Today we gather and seek a word from the Lord that may bring us comfort and understanding. I was in synod Bible study last Tuesday when the story began to unfold and in the midst of our conversation Rev. Sue Ericsson stood up and said " We’d better have a mighty word from The Lord on Sunday." As I heard her remarks I began to ask myself: what can I say to Emanuel in the midst of this tragedy that could bring some comfort? How could I relay comfort to my people when I myself didn’t feel so sure or so comfortable? The answer came to me a little while later out of the mouth of one of the firefighters on rescue duty…. My corresponding text for this morning’s message comes from the Gospel of John the 11th chapter beginning at verse 44. My thought for this morning is from" tragedy to Triumph" The Passage of scripture is one of the more familiar stories in the Bible. Mary and Martha had brother Lazarus who was sick, they sent word to Jesus but he delayed and by the time he arrives Lazarus had been dead for four days! Jesus was met at the tomb with the words " IF you would have been here, MY brother would not have died." If, If -- has anybody found themselves asking "if " this week? If God cares they why does he allow such things to happen? I don’t know about you this week, but in the last few days my soul has been screaming out IF! IF!IF! Jesus responds by saying, "Your brother will rise again." Martha responds, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Then Jesus speaks those comforting words: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die!" If you remember, I said earlier that I was searching for what I could say to God’s people that the Lord answered me through the words of one of the fire fighters who after helping to rescue a fellow comrade said" Yesterday I focused on body bags: Today I focus on HOPE! Focus on Hope this morning, Emanuel! Focus on HOPE this morning Emanuel. For in Johns Gospel Jesus goes on to say’ Didn’t I tell you that if you believe You would see the glory of God? Oh, I need some believing people this morning. Ohm I need some people who are not afraid to stand on their feet and say I believe in God’s resurrection power! My hope is in his resurrection power! We are a resurrected people. You see, later in that same Gospel Jesus commands Lazarus to get up! John writes that Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth and he that was dead came forth. This is the Triumph from tragedy. Yes, we as a nation may be down. We as a people may be worn down from the cares of this old world. But I hear the voice of Jesus saying " Get up, come forth" and I see in my spirit a nation rising from the ashes, I see a people going from tragedy to Triumph. This may sound funny to some but I believe that every now and then We need a little shake up in our lives. Every now and then we need to be reminded that we cannot make it on our own. I told the story before of a little boy, who lost his toy. In disgust he began to throw rocks in the water and he noticed that each time he threw a rock ahead of the toy that it drifted closer back to him, I’m not saying this is the case in the WTC disasters but I am convinced that every now and then God has to cause some turbulence in our lives to push us closer back to him. Yes, this was a week of tragedy, but I’ve got some good news this morning. You see, we serve a God that can take us from tragedy to Triumph. From darkness to light, from death to life. Do I have ANY WITNESSES? So if the storms keep on raging in my life, and sometimes it’s hard to tell the night from day, but the hope that lies within is reassured, as I keep my eyes upon the distant Shore. I know he’ll lead me safely to that blessed place he has prepared and if the storms don’t cease and if the winds keep blowing in my life my soul has been anchored in the Lord! He’ll take you from tragedy to triumph |