John 14:1-14

A sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Easter

It was just a year ago (May 8, 2025), that the Roman Catholic Church elected a new pope. He took the name Leo XIV.

Ten days after his election there was an elaborate ceremony called an investiture or inauguration, in which he was given the authority and regalia of the papacy.

During this ceremony a pallium is put around his neck. A pallium is a white “Y” shaped stole worn backwards. It’s important because a pallium was also traditionally put around the neck of a new Roman Emperor when he was crowned. The pallium is a relic of the fact that the Roman Catholic Church was established in the image of the Holy Roman Empire.

Another regal papal symbol has been a crown or tiara. All popes from the 9th century (Nicholas 1, 858) until the 1970’s were crowned with a papal tiara or triple crown. But back in 1978, Pope John Paul I (Pope for only 33 days) discontinued that practice, and popes after him followed his lead.

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Psalm 23

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

“We do not grieve as others do,” writes Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. “We not grieve as others do who have no hope.” Hope is a tentative word by which we mean: Maybe yes, but maybe no. Or: “I hope so,” but it may not come to be because there there’s a lot that could go wrong.

In 1 Peter 1:3, it says: “We have a living hope.” We can then use Psalm 23 to bring out what that “hope” is and the promises that are there.

We read this Psalm as New Testament Christians. In order to be very clear about it, we’re using the RSV which is very dependent and properly so on the KJV over against other translations.

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A sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter

What do we talk about when we get together? A group of older gentlemen who meet regularly for breakfast said: “We get together for an organ recital.” My heart. His knees. When we get together, we talk about health or the weather. News of the day. Who has moved. Have you heard? Did you know?

We know not to talk about politics and religion. Apart from those subjects, we basically talk about those things that are important.

A young couple had a terrible fire that destroyed much of their home. The wife was quite distraught when carrying damaged furniture out of the house. She noticed that she lost the diamond in her wedding ring. She was heartbroken. Months later she saw something sparkle in the grass. Amazingly, it was her diamond.

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John 20:19-31

A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter

We are like Thomas.  We want visible proof. He said: “Unless I can see for myself and touch his wounds, I will not believe.”

Here it is eight days later, and eight days means a week. It means a week after the resurrection. The disciples are together and the Lord appeared to them. When Thomas arrives, they report: “We have seen the Lord!”

But Thomas doubts; he wants to see for himself. There’s a name for that. It’s called common sense philosophy. If you can see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears, then you can know for sure.

The disciples were not hiding out, and they weren’t the only ones to have seen him. Paul writes that one time he appeared to five hundred brethren (1 Corinthians 15:6).

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Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life and mourn the passing of Jesus of Nazareth. No, that is not the story. Not the real story.

The real story is: Death is dead. Death is over. And it’s all because of him.

What do people commonly think about life and death? Many think: “Eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” Of course, this way of thinking is nothing new.

People today are basically the same as they have always been. Look at what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:32: “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.’” In the First Century that’s what people commonly thought. And he is quoting what was said centuries before him, in Isaiah 22:13. “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.” Death is the end, that is it.

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