Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44
Grace and Peace to you from God, the Alpha and Omega, and from Jesus the Resurrection and the Life. Amen.
This sanctuary recently celebrated an anniversary. This worship space is now 20 years old, as of October. Some of you may remember when this space was built. Before this space, some of you also may have had the opportunity to worship in the previous sanctuary, where our fellowship hall is now located. I'm told that the sanctuary was dark; with the beautiful wood that covers the ceiling surrounding the sanctuary. Light gets sucked into the darkness of the wood, and has trouble reflecting much light, thus the darkness. That worship space was used as such for about 40 years, as it was built in the early 1950s. The building in which we worship has three major pieces - this 20 year old sanctuary, the 60-some year old now fellowship hall and office space, and the newest part, our three-year-old education wing. Three parts, one building.
Zion Lutheran Church of Amor has changed, grown, and seen much over the last 130-plus years of her existence. Before the core of this building was built, there was a previous building on this spot. You can see pictures of the previous building in a couple places in the fellowship hall. For over 130 years, people have met for worship on this patch of ground, and we're not even close to stopping. When faced with tremendous hardship, this congregation has endured, and thrived in spite of it. It is not the case in some other congregations, and some churches have indeed needed to close their doors. What they physically leave behind goes elsewhere.
At the Region 3 archives, nearly every congregation in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota; has physical relics in the archives at Luther Seminary. Memories of years gone by, pictures, membership rolls; the archives hold pieces of history for these congregations, to one day be accessed by anyone who desires. In some file, in some drawer, in some cabinet, in the archives at Luther Seminary, there is likely stories of Zion Lutheran Church of Amor. If this church ever closes it's doors, there will be a legacy left behind for people to remember us by.
So Jesus, after hearing that his friend Lazarus was dying, stayed where he was with his disciples for a couple extra days. Lazarus died, and then Jesus went to go see the body. Lazarus' sister Mary was grieving the death of her brother, and Jesus saw her weeping. Jesus was angered to the point of tears for Lazarus' death, so the writer of the gospel then writes the shortest verse in the entire bible: 'Jesus wept'. Anger. In the original Greek, according to scholars, Jesus was angry at his friend Lazarus' death. The sting of death was real for Jesus as it is for each of us.
Yeah, Jesus knew Lazarus was going to die. Yeah, Jesus knew he was then going to raise Lazarus from the dead, so that people may believe in the Messiah. These realities, however, still could not keep the sting of death at bay.
"Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life." (Revelation 21:6 NRSV)
The author of today's second lesson shows that God is the beginning and the end. Nothing starts before God started, and nothing ends after God ends. God is God's own bookends of God's bookshelf. God experienced death Godself in God's son Jesus the Christ. On that day, when the Savior of the World died on the cross, he would rise again on the third day and thus defeat death. Death no longer had it's sting for God. Through Christ's death and resurrection, God saved us all from death's sting. God saved us all from sin and death.
If there is a legacy to be left here, it is purely that: God loves and saves all of humanity from sin and death. Humanity is the only creature of God's creation that is aware of our own mortality. Even Lazarus died again. What do all of Jesus' healings have in common? They all died. Death is a reality we all must face. What's the old joke? The only sure things in life are death and taxes?
The confirmation students have learned in the last few weeks that all of us are both saint and sinner. Filled with both sin and grace. Imperfect perfection. The bible study group for the last few weeks was conversing over what it meant to be a Lutheran. One of the core elements that was emphasized over and over was this: We are already saved. Christ died on the cross to save us all long ago. It is our Lutheran identity that tells us to go out and serve in response to God's grace. No amount of good works will save us. No amount of working as hard as we can to earn that grace will save us. God's grace is unwinnable, un-earnable, un-shruggable. We all know we're going to die. God saves us from sin and that death, so it is up to us to do something with the life we are given. With the grace and salvation we're all given. It's up to us to leave a legacy behind us so others have something to remember us by.
This congregation has been on this plot of land for over 130 years, and the legacy this church has left behind in our footsteps upon this land has been grand. This congregation knows how to serve, and has served well in this area and beyond. People in Jamaica and the Philippines know of Zion. There have been 17 interns that have served this congregation, and have this congregation to thank for improving their leadership skills. Our visitors and members hold this congregation in high importance. Whether it's the community, the people, the music, the preachers, the worship, the sense of duty, or the insistence of the Holy Spirit... our pews are warmed every week by people coming to hear the gospel proclaimed and to receive the Lord's Supper twice a month.
The legacy of Christ's resurrection is the Gospel that we proclaim and live out. The legacy left by this congregation is grand, but what about your legacy? What about the legacy of these people for whom these candles represent? What is their legacy? As we read their names aloud this morning; think of the legacy they left behind. Continue the story. Their story.
God is the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega. Through God all things were made. Through God all things must end. But while we're on this earth, we can make a difference. The pain of other's deaths stays with us, and the legacy they leave behind becomes part of our story.
Our daughters are sick. Our children are watching us. We lack one thing. Death is not the end. We leave behind a legacy; a story; a monument to who we are as people. Take a walk of Amor. It won't take you very long, believe me. Take a walk and see what is left of this community. You'll pass by a few houses, a rundown old gas pump and station, and at the end of the town, past the stop sign; the cemetery. Stones with pairs of dates outline the bounds of people's existence on earth. The stones in the cemetery greatly outnumber the houses in the town, and symbolize the legacy of these small remnants of towns. In a few months, we'll hear the words, 'you are dust, and to dust you shall return'… Amor was a sprawling piece of rolling prairie once, and eventually, it may return to it.
May it be, that the pair of dates on a stone in the middle of the rolling hills and lakes, be more than a pair of dates, but a note of a life well-lived. That the pair of dates represent the expanse of time in which we made the world a better place for those around us. That we put a smile on a people's faces. That we made a difference in the lives of our family and friends. Christ died for us. Was Resurrected for us. Tasted the sting of death for us. Saves us all. Go out and live that life to its fullest; preaching the gospel and making the world a better place for us all. Leave a legacy for us all.
Amen.
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