One time — years ago — I was preaching a sermon in a beautiful country church in Illinois. The room was full of people of all ages — some elderly people dressed in their best, some younger families often with small children on their laps. With a good full house, the sermon had some drama to it.
I was in mid-sermon, just reaching the dramatic climax of the message, proclaiming the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I reached the crescendo of the message, paused for effect, and then, in the midst of the dramatic silent pause, some child on a lap in the back blurted out, “Is it over?”
And then, well, with some chuckling in the crowd and one mom covering her child’s mouth, yes, it was over. The tension and drama of the moment was over. Instead, a new found comfort and joy and a kind of peace fell across the room.
As people left church that day they chuckled and they remembered, not the tension of the message, but the joy of knowing that we are OK. We are in God’s hands. The worry, fear, guilt or anxiety about life today and eternal life to come, it’s over. Jesus had the final word and His word is Life. He won forgiveness for our sins. He cleansed our souls and welcomes us into His own family. Our time separated from God is over. We have life through him.
Right now, I think a lot of us are asking, “Is it over?” Is the heat of summer over? Is the panic of pandemic over? Is the economic chaos over? Is the political season over? Well, some things are over with now and other things are winding down. Some things will linger on a while. And a lot of the aspects of life we enjoy and have called normal are resuming even now.
At Hosanna, we’ve started a new season. We are celebrating harvest, life, renewal, and looking forward to what is to come. November brings wonderful temperatures and a looking toward holidays.
We have many plans in place for Thanksgiving Eve, Mid-Week Advent, Christmas Cantata, Cookie Shoppe, Christmas Eve services and so much more. Some things will be available online, others in-person, and some both.
If you are ready to look toward a new season with us, and enjoy simply allowing some things to be over, then come join us at Hosanna.
God’s Peace be upon, within, and flow from you all.
Find more at hosanna-lcms.com. Hosanna Lutheran Church is located at 9601 E. Brown Road, Mesa.