Reformation Sunday     Romans 1:1-3, 16

I would like to begin the sermon for today by describing three incidents, none of which are advertisements for the telephone company. 

The telephone rang and my mother answered it.  It was my brother on the other end of the line and he said, “Mom, it’s a boy. Eleven pounds, eleven ounces.”  Mom put the phone against her body and shouted, “Everyone. It’s a boy, a big boy.  Eleven pounds, eleven ounces.”  Into the phone my mother questioned, “How’s Mary?” “She’s fine.  I’ll be right home.” Well, shortly thereafter I am told that my big brother came home.  He is a big brother, some six foot, three inches tall and two hundred and thirty pounds.  He is the hero of my life.  He is ten years older than I am, and for me, it seems that he can walk on water.  I absolutely love my brother.  He finally arrived home, and he was so excited and so happy, and then something happened which the family had never seen before.  The family saw this great big man break down and start crying, and the family couldn’t figure out what was wrong with our big hero. He kept on saying, “She’s all right.  She’s all right.  I was so afraid that we were going to lose her.  Our new child was such a big baby.  Mary is such a little woman, and I was afraid.” I remember my mother calling me on the telephone later that day and saying, “It’s good news.  It is good news at the Markquart house.  It is very good news that the baby has been born and Mary is OK.”

The telephone rang.  The telephone rang and a father answered it.  He said simply, “Hello.”  The voice on the other end of the telephone wire said;  “This is Ellen.  It’s Ellen, Dad.  Are you seated?”  “I am seated.” “Are you seated really well?” “I am seated really well.”  “We’re going to get married.” ‘You’re what?” “We’re going to get married.” “Mother, quick, quick to the phone. It’s Ellen.” Mother comes rushing to the telephone.  “Mother, are you seated?”  “Yes, I am seated.” “Are you ready?” “Yes, I am ready.” “We’re going to get married.” “Terrific. I am so glad for you and Jim…Olson.” “No, Mother.  It’s the other Jim. Jim Johnson. Yes, Mother, in June. Yes, Mother, it can be at church.  Yes, Mother, you can tell all your friends. Yes, Mother, we can have the blue dresses if you really want to.”  It’s good news.  It is good news when your daughter calls and says that she is getting married, especially if the man has a job and insurance.

The telephone rang and a grandmother nervously answered, “Yes.” “Grandma, this is Sue.  Yes, it is very good news.  Yes, they found Susie and she is OK.  She is just fine. Yes, yes, in the woods behind the house. No, no, no, nothing bad happened to her.  Yes, yes, yes, she was cold. No, no, she wasn’t that afraid.  It wasn’t that long that she was missing. Yes, we are going over to the hospital right now, but it looks like things are OK, Grandma. It is good news.  We found her, she is healthy, and that is the important thing.” It is good news; it is very good news, when the missing child is found and has not been hurt.

Today is Reformation Sunday.  On this Sunday and every Sunday, we always come to hear the Good News, the Gospel.  We come to hear not only the good news of a baby being born and the mother is OK, not only the good news that a young couple are madly in love and planning a wedding at our church, not only the good news that a lost child been safely found.  On this Sunday and every Sunday we come to hear the good news about God, the good news about Christ, the good news about the promises of God.  We have come to hear the good news that God with us in all circumstances and is a power of God for living and that power is inside of us. That is very good news.  The Gospel always is good news.

The word, Gospel, is one of the most important words in the whole Bible. The word, Gospel, sums up all the doctrines of the Bible.  The word, Gospel, sums up all the ideals and ideas of Christ.  The word, Gospel, sums up all the history of Jesus; we call them the four Gospels.  The word, Gospel, actually means good news.  The essence of the Christian faith is good, is good news, not bad news.

The word, Gospel, is found all over the New Testament.  When Jesus came preaching, his first sermon proclaimed, “Clean up your lives and believe the Gospel.”  The Apostle Paul could summarize his ministry in these words, “I did not come to baptize but preach the Gospel.  I am eager to preach the Gospel I am not ashamed of the Gospel.  The Gospel is the power of God for living.” In the Christmas sky, the heavenly angels sang, “I bring you good news, the Gospel, which is for all people.”  Centuries passed and the black slaves sang, “Good news, chariots a comin; good news, chariots a comin; good news, chariots a comin, an I don’t want it to leave me behind.”

Today, you and I have come to hear the central word of the Bible.  We have come to hear the central word of the Reformation.  That is, the Gospel, the good news.

It was one thirty in the morning.  She woke out of a sound sleep and she hadn’t done that for quite a while.  It wasn’t that long ago that she had been kicked in the stomach by life. She hadn’t planned on it; she hadn’t seen it coming; it really whalloped her a hard one.  Her husband, a heart attack, so young.  O Yes, his father had a coronary and so had his brother, both in their late forties.  She should have been expecting it and down deep she was, but she would never admit it, even to herself.  It came as a shocker. It always does.

“One thirty, o my God, I am all alone now.  He’s gone; the kids are gone; the house is empty.  He still seems here.  Our marriage didn’t last long enough. We could have had so many more years, Terry.  Do you remember how bitter I was?  Feeling sorry for myself?  Thinking I had been cheated. O, so many thoughts in the middle of the night.  Do you remember that Terry? Do you hear me Terry? Do you hear my thoughts, my voice in the middle of the night?  Where are you Terry? Can you hear me? I wonder. Can God hear me? … It was hell at first; my God, it was hell. The emptiness.  The silence. The nothingness.  But this is all gone now, Terry, at least for the most part.  Time has passed and I am feeling better and life is being put together again. I finally went shopping the other day with the girls, and I finally heard the birds singing in the springtime, and I started to feel better. What’s that old song we used to hear in church, “Good news, chariots a comin, good news, chariots a comin and I don’t want it to leave me behind.” I don’t Terry.  I want to be with you Terry. O God, I want to be with you.  I hope I can be. O, it is one thirty.  I wish I could go to sleep again.  I have a long day at work tomorrow, Terry.”

It is good news.  It is very good news.  It is very good news, this good news about Jesus Christ.  It is good news to know that there is life after death.  It is good news to know there is more to life than obituary columns and death notices. It is good news to know that when we die, we are not like the animals and plants and we do not become simply fodder for the next generations. It is good news to know that our mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters are living with God, now, in paradise. It is very good news. 

For the good news is the Gospel, and the Gospel is the cross, and the cross is the crucified and resurrected Christ who is the power of God for living in the midst of death.  The Gospel is God’s power for living in the midst of death.  And slowly, you have wings put on your feet and you begin to dance, if you believe the Gospel.  First one step, tentatively, then another, and then another, and then another, and then another, and after a while, you start dancing again, if you believe the Gospel. If you believe it is true, that there is life after death; if you believe the promises of God are true that the eternal God gives eternal life, then slowly, o so slowly, you start dancing again, even after death.  It is good news. It is very good news and the good news is power for living. 

It was one thirty in the morning. He woke up with a start. “O no, not again.  One thirty. I thought it was over.  Did I or didn’t I?  Ohhhh.  I wonder where Chris is tonight. It seems like yesterday that we loved each.  How we enjoyed those long weekends at the beach together and then the long hikes into the mountains. Those were good times. Who would have guessed she would get pregnant.  Who would have guessed? I thought we had taken care of that. It all seems so long ago.  How afraid we were.  And then I couldn’t marry her.  It would have meant leaving college and ruining life for both of us. It just wouldn’t have worked out.  I was the one to first suggest the abortion. There was no other way out, so it seemed to me. It all seems so long ago.  What an ugly night it was.  I wish I wouldn’t have seen that movie. That abortion scene was so repulsive. What a mess. She was so deeply angry with me, with us, with the situation. Did I, didn’t I?  Did we, didn’t we?  Take a life?  So many nightmares in the middle of the night.  Did we have to do it? I wonder where Chris is.  I still love her, but so much has happened. I know it won’t work. I am glad my parents never found out; they would have never understood.  Some things are best kept secret. One thirty.  Lord, would you help me get back to sleep.”

It is good news.  It is very good news. It is good news to know that all people everywhere fall short, get in a mess, and don’t measure up.  We all fall short of the glory of God.  All people everywhere make big mistakes and little mistakes.  And it is good news that all people who make big mistakes and little mistakes are forgiven by God.  It is good news to know that I am not any worse that all those perfect looking people at church.  Besides, I know they are all like me. My sinfulness is about as bad as theirs.  It is good news that I don’t have to condemn myself anymore.  That is very good news.

And the good news is the Gospel, and the Gospel is the cross, and the cross is the crucified and resurrected Jesus who is the power for living.  This Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And after a while, the midst of the big mistakes and little mistakes, you feel new wings growing on your feet, and you move one foot and then another, and then another, and then another and then another, and pretty soon, you start dancing again, ever so slowly at first, but you are dancing. Even though you have committed big mistakes and little mistakes, you know that there is forgiveness for you and for your life, and so you slowly and surely start dancing again. For the Gospel is good news, and the good news is power for living, for all people who believe the Gospel.

One thirty.  One thirty in the morning, and he rolls over and looks at the clock, as he does on so many nights. “One thirty; two thirty; three thirty; I might as well get up.”  So he gets up and goes into the kitchen and he mixes himself a scotch and soda.  He sits there all alone in the kitchen, leaning on the kitchen table, sipping slowly his drink. It was quiet and only the house noises of the night were to be heard.  The ticking of the clock, the clanking of the heater, the creaking of the walls.  An occasional car drove by.  “What happened?  Where did it all go wrong? Where did it all unravel? Nothing seems right anymore. O, what the hell, I wish I could sleep. Can’t. I’ll pour another drink. Remember?  Remember I used to play with the kids around this kitchen table? Remember that Lord?  Remember the Christmases together?  The tree, the decorations, the lights? Remember the bustle here at the table, working on the house, coming home from work, feeling good? That is all gone now.  The spark is gone. The energy is gone. Lost the wife. Lost the family. Going to lose my job. Too old to get a new one. Good grief, God; you seem so far away. So remote.  A companion of my childhood years. You never did show your face to me. It’s all just gone now. No purpose. No direction. Just blah.  Round and round the merry go round, going endlessly nowhere. Going to work coming home, going to work, coming home.  One thirty. One forty. One fifty. I’ll mix another drink, stiffer this time, and just maybe I can get some sleep.”

It is good news.  It is very good news. It is good news to know that all of life has purpose, It is good to know that God created the life of Jesus with a plan and a purpose, and God has created your life with a plan and a purpose as well. God has created every human life with a plan and a purpose.  It is a good thing to know that you are not here accidentally, that God has given you a specific purpose in life, to be a loving person in every situation, to be a loving person to your family, to be a loving person in your work, to be a loving person among our friends and neighbors.  This world is a much better place when you are a loving person in all these situations.  It just is.  God can pull you out of every hole you are in and help you rebuild a new life. It is good news; it is very good news to know that your life has a purpose for each and every decade of our life:  to be the love of God in your time and space. God can help you rebuilt your life so that you can find your purpose again.

The good news is the Gospel, and the Gospel is the cross, and the cross is the crucified and resurrected Jesus who gives us the power for living in the midst of our depressions, the very middle of our middle age crises.  In the midst of our depressions and emotional funks, we hear the Gospel:  your life has purpose.  “Get up.  Stand up. Rise up and go. You have more work to do for me.”   And then slowly, wings start growing on your feet and you start dancing, first with only one step, and then another, and then another, and then another, and pretty soon you start dancing again.  A miracle occurs and the depression begins to lift and your life is becoming vigorous, triumphant, and meaningful again. It is good news if you believe that God has created your life for a purpose and God can help you to stand up again, walk and finally dance.  It is very good news and the good news is power for living.

The Apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for the Gospel is the power of God for living for all who believe.”  On Reformation Sunday and on every Sunday, we come to hear the Gospel.


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