April 1, 2018 Easter Resurrection of Jesus Christ  in Aptos CA means …  Oh Lord what does it mean?

What’s politically correct spoken from the pulpit?

Try the Wall Street Journal’s story titled The Easter Effect and How it Changed the World  for a good read  ….

What about that supernatural stuff?   Did  Jesus Christ  –crucified, tortured and hung from a cross –  really  rise from the dead?

Or  is Easter just  about sharing eggs and  going to the  beach? Sharing time with people?  Beer and bongo drums?

What’s politically correct  for Aptos CA  churches to talk about?

Here’s what persons heard from the pulpit attending Resurrection Catholic Community 3/31/18   and Christ Lutheran Church 4/1/18   in Aptos, CA:

 

A 3/31/2018  8 PM  Catholic service in Aptos, CA:    Two people were “first time visitors”  at the Easter service at the church.    The large  church of 400-600  was three quarters filled.    The service was a familiar one.  Candles lit by a fire with procession.  The Word spoken including a homily by the priest.

The priest told his Easter story of  a resurrection moment.    As a young priest ( he had been  two years a priest) in order to meet families in the Diocese he walked about  2 hours across  the Philippine Islands  in 100 degree humidity. He was sent out ‘two by two’ without taking food, clothing or provisions. That was back  in 2004.

It was very hot and the priest   was quite tired from the  two hour journey when he arrived.    When  he arrived he  was graciously welcomed to a small home by a husband and wife in their late 70’s.

The woman welcoming him  — with  a hug which is rarely done in the Philippine  culture (they shake hands)  — and she  said it was the most important moment in her life;   this was the first time a priest had entered her home.

This was  was a ‘resurrection’  moment   for the priest.   The woman’s words inspired him.  He was no longer tired and exhausted.     He experienced God’s love through other people.   Walking two hours  home afterwards he was not tired.

Take away from the sermon at Resurrection Catholic Community:     When you get discouraged or depressed, think of ‘resurrection’ moments  in your own life said the  priest. Think of moments of great joy, peace and love that come through the connections and experiences you share with other people. You have your stories of resurrection to share.

 

What people heard at Christ Lutheran Church April 1, 2018  could  be titled   The Power of Assumptions.

You can hear the sermon  via YouTube.  When it’s available a link will be included to it here.

Can people make changes from the bottom up  instead of top down? The sermon mentioned   Rosa Parks ( 1960s black civil rights) and the Florida students ( 17 students killed by a former student) as examples of people who   make change from the bottom up….

Refugee Resettlement is front and center in the Easter bulletin for Christ Lutheran April 1, 2018:

Per the bulletin, this year’s Easter offering at Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos CA  goes to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) which “has helped over 500,000 refugees”.

Given that the news  April  1, 2018 1 is that  1,200   refugees from Honduras are currently  walking through Mexico to claim refugee status in the USA,  the church bulletin’s info on Lutheran Immigration and Regufee Service (LIRS) is interesting.

Refugee Resettlement Watch (RRW)  follows closely the 9 main agencies that resettle people, one of which is LIRS.  In 2006 the American taxpayers paid 97% of all the costs incurred by LIRS [18.6 million of the 20.9 million].  Taxpayers also paid roughly 97% of all costs encourage by agencies that do resettlement for the Catholic church and the Episcopal church.

The former CEO for LIRS Linda Hartke  was paid a $300,000. package until she was fired by the LIRS board for a variety of reasons.

A wrong assumption?

 Maybe the Take Away is that an assumption  that non-profits such as  Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)   need your money may not   be true.

LIRS is more a quasi-governmental agency and only gets a pittance from individuals and churches for its support.

That’s according to Refugee Resettlement Watch.

Aptos Psychologist thoughts:  

By the year 300 or so roughly a quarter of the Roman Empire became Christian.

As portrayed in the gospels, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.  No one saw ‘this private act’ done by God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Later, Jesus appeared to  multiple people in many situations  yet those people initially did not recognize Christ.  Mary Magdalene did not recognize him until he called her by name.  Christ told her not to touch him as he was not yet raised.    Doors and windows  were locked and Christ showed up.

So what is the   Easter Resurrection? Simple but not simple.

Read the  gospels for yourself.  Read those stories  and let God speak to you directly. The Wall Street Journal article mentioned above  [The Easter Effect…]  is a good start for thinking about the Christian faith.

written by DrCameronJackson@gmail.com