Sermons

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On Terror
Thoughts from the Evening Prayer Service
7 pm Tuesday, September 11, 2001

by Pastor Dan Baumgartner

Whenever we are in the presence of evil... and that's exactly where we find ourselves today, in the presence of evil... there are a number of dangers. But there is one on my mind tonight. Evil tends to cause our hearts to grow hard. It encourages us to be divided from one another. It makes our hearts harden, and we are reluctant to trust other people... reluctant to risk ourselves with others, reticent to extend a hand to people around us.

That response is exactly opposite to what I believe we are called to in Christ. The life of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ... all speak of a God who opened Himself up totally, and absolutely... and for our sake. On the cross, Christ reached out to us, withholding absolutely nothing.

Tonight I would say to you: Even tonight, especially tonight... Do not harden your hearts. In fact, open yourself even wider to those around you. Take risks, invest your trust. I want to charge you with something tonight. When you leave this place... I want you to go home, and in the name of Christ, wrap your arms around your kids. In the name of Christ, go and knock on the door of a neighbor. In the name of Christ, call your friends. In the name of Christ, engage someone in conversation that you may never have met before... in the store, or at the coffee shop. Do not allow your hearts to become hard. And in doing that, you will be standing against evil... in the name of Christ.