A better world
Rev. Mike Sorsen - Emporia Presbyterian Church
Friday, March 28, 2008
Easter has come and gone.
For Christians, Easter is about hope for a better world. Easter is about hope for a future of eternity with our Father in heaven. Easter is about a love so great that Jesus couldn’t imagine eternal life without us, so He gave himself up so we might spend eternity together. Without the hope of Easter, we are left empty and alone!
Many people in our community are having problems finding hope right now. Over the next few weeks there are many people in our community who will pick up their final paychecks from Tyson. There are others in this community who are worried about what the economic future of Emporia holds for them.
During times of uncertainly and fear, it is quite hard to realize the hope that Jesus Christ brings to us. It is natural for humans to look at the broken world and lose hope when they are concerned for their basic needs and the needs of their children.
Humans need to be fed, sheltered and kept safe. Without the basics of survival, it is nearly impossible to find faith and hope. This is an important reason why the church exists. The church is to share the good news of God’s love so that all people might be able to choose to follow God. The church is to watch over people in this world to encourage them, teach them and to prepare them for eternal life with God.
When I write church, I mean all Christians joined together. Church is not a denomination or a building, but it is the body of Christ in the world to serve God’s purposes as His hands and feet.
So, how can we best serve the purpose of sharing God’s message of hope in our community? By caring for our neighbors!
We can share the hope of Christ by providing for people in need and by serving the people around us.
Much work has been done over the past weeks to prepare our community to respond to the needs of people who are losing their jobs. People from all areas of our community have been working hard to prepare for the inevitable needs for food, shelter, employment, health care and all other necessities of modern life in Emporia.
Christians and all people of faith in our community are being asked for something very specific! Donate food to the Salvation Army! People deserve the dignity of having a single place to seek the food they need to survive and the Salvation Army has experience to make it happen, with our help!
Working together, we can bring hope to many and strengthen our own faith in the process!
In the hope of Christ!
- “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Mike Sorsen of the Emporia Presbyterian Church.