Introduction
It’s been exciting to watch the launch of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission and follow along with the views the astronauts are sending back from space. I had just turned 6 years old when NASA landed the first men on the moon. While my memories are fuzzy from being so young and it being a long time ago, I distinctly remember the excitement around it and all swag that was produced. My parents even bought me a watch with the moon on the face and a little command capsule on the top of the minute hand, slowly and forever in orbit.
Man, I wish I still had that watch.
Over the years I became aware of how some people started to claim the whole thing was a fake, a ruse, a conspiracy to project success when in fact the moon was still there, unmarred by astronaut’s footprints. So much hogwash. Of course I believed in that Neil and Michael had taken those bounding steps on the lunar surface and planted the flag. Of course I believed the mission of Apollo 11 really happened.
Still do. But I didn’t see it. I may have seen images of it on our black and white TV screen but I wasn’t there. I never heard about it in person from any of the astronauts themselves. It is something I’ve taken, and still take, on faith. Of course this doesn’t seem to be enough for the people who choose to believe in an alternative reality where is just a bunch of made up propaganda. Oh, they still believe… just not in that.
We all believe in something, y’all. There is no living apart from faith. Even the atheist has faith in their opinion and estimations. The question isn’t “do you believe?” but instead “in what do you believe?”
This is the question we all ask ourselves each Easter. What do we believe? Do we believe the reports of the disciples as have been handed down to us through the generations? Do we believe the subsequent testimonies of those who have put their faith in Jesus? Well, the apostle John is clear in his invitation in our text this week: Jesus rose from the dead and we encouraged to believe it.
Will we?
Let’s gather this Sunday morning and see what we decide.
Grace and peace y’all,
John Ray and the teaching team
Text:
Lord’s Prayer
Christ, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
