Remembering 9/11/2001 | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (ELCA) Manchester MO

Pastor:

Pr. John Gerike

Sermon audio:

Sermon: Remembering 9/11/2001

September 10 and 11, 2011

It is hard to believe that it’s been 10 years.

I suppose it’s when I look at the children,

and realize that many of them weren’t even around

for the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001,

that I realize that it has been a while.

But it’s so clear in my mind’s eye.

Scarred on my memory.

This week,

everywhere I turn,

I hear and see memories.

Sometimes I listen intensely.

Sometimes it’s too much,

and I turn over to watch football or something.

But somewhere during the week,

I found myself reading the magazines clear through.

Listening to the stories on the radio.

Wondering what I’d say in my sermon this weekend.

What do you say?

The more I thought about it,

the things I was thinking about

felt more and more like what I’d say

at a funeral.

And I decided to work with that.

Because there is a type of grief that comes

with a tragedy like 9/11.

But it’s also a type of grief

that can lead us to hope.

And affirmation of life

as God’s children.

So we start by remembering.

What do you remember from that Tuesday 10 years ago?

I remember hearing about the first plane

and the first tower.

And the confusion.

Was this just an accident?

And then the 2^nd plane and the 2^nd tower.

And it was clear it was no accident.

It was something more.

I remember having a TV in the church office,

sitting and watching.

Nothing else seemed to matter.

And we invited the congregation to come together

that day—

--to be together

--to pray.

And then again that night.

A service of prayer.

As a clear picture started to come together.

But there were still so many questions.

What do you remember from that day?

And I remember Psalm 46.

That was the Psalm we read together again and again.

Would you find that in your hymnal

and read the first 3 verses with me:

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth be moved,

and though the mountains shake

in the depths of the sea;

though its waters rage and foam,

and though the mountains tremble

with its tumult.

Our world had been shaken.

Things which seemed so secure,

just didn’t anymore.

Where do you turn for strength?

God is our refuge and strength.

A very present help in trouble.

And would you read with me verses 10 and 11:

“Be still, then,

and know that I am God;

I will be exalted in the nations;

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

God is our refuge and strength.

So we remember.

And share those memories.

We also care for one another in the grief,

in the unknown,

in the struggle.

God has given us the gift of one another.

To support one another in the tough times.

To care for one another in the midst

of life’s tragedies

and unknowns.

In the midst of reading through all the 9/11 stories this week,

I read a church newsletter,

and the pastor’s article

talked about 9/11.

And his words hit me.

He was a college student at the time,

and he didn’t have a class until late.

Which meant he slept until almost late.

And when he got up,

he noticed that there was a message on the answering machine.

And it was from his roommate’s father:

“Matt, this is Dad.

Just wanted to let you know I love you.

I’m thinking about you.

I’ll talk to you soon.

And it didn’t make any sense.

Until he turned the TV on…

When he went to his class later that morning,

the teacher wasn’t yet there.

They sat,

waited,

asked each other if they’d seen the news.

Then the professor walked into the room.

She was in tears.

Could hardly talk.

She said:

“I appreciate you all coming to class this morning.

But we can’t have class today.

I want all of you to go home.

Call your families.

And pray for those who have been hurt

in this tragedy.”

In the midst of tragedy,

we affirm life.

And we are reminded

that God gives only gives us so much time

on this earth.

And we want to use it wisely.

And one of the wisest things we can do

is to tend to the love we share.

Shortly after 9/11/2001,

I shared words of another preacher who said:

I’ve been mesmerized by the stories

of people on those planes

and in those buildings

who knew they weren’t going to get out alive.

What did they do?

What was their last act?

Thank God for cell phones.

They reached out to call their spouses,

their kids,

and if they couldn’t get them,

they left a message.

And what were those last words?

“I love you…

Tell my wife how much I love her…

…Hug my kids for me.”

What’s really important in life?

We never wish for tragedy.

We never wish for sickness or troubles or death.

And when we weep,

God weeps with us.

But those times also draw us together.

And remind us of how important life is.

And how important loved ones are.

I remember a speaker at a youth convention saying

to the High School kids there:

“Some of you love your parents so much

that you almost told them once.”

However you communicate it,

it’s good to remember

the gift of relationships that God gives.

That’s really important.

Even as we remember the tragedy,

we turn our eyes forward.

We affirm life.

We affirm relationships.

We don’t only look back at 9/11;

we also look ahead to 9/12,

and the days and weeks and months and years to follow—

--knowing that God gives purpose to each day.

(And we celebrate a baptism,

an amazing gift and affirmation of life—

--life for today, tomorrow and forever.)

So, we remember.

We care for one another.

And we hear the good news of God’s never-ending love.

In the midst of whatever life brings—

--the joys and the sorrows—

--God never leaves us alone.

God never forgets us.

God never abandons us.

Even in the most troubling of times,

God is with us.

And in today’s readings,

we hear of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is not a simple thing.

It’s not totally clear what it means

in this type of situation.

But I read something this week

that helped me see it in a new light.

The author said this:

This is the essence of forgiveness:

the lifting of a burden,

the releasing of a debt,

(and then this)

the refusal to allow past actions and failures

to define the future.

Again,

it seems to me,

God is affirming life.

There will be pain.

There will be evil.

There will be injustice.

There will be tragedy.

But none of that is the final word.

God encourages us to move beyond

and to know the good news

that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

We heard before, from Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

We hear Psalm 121:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills,

from where will my help come.

My help comes from the Lord,

the maker of heaven and earth.”

And at the end of that Psalm:

“The Lord shall watch over your coming out

and your going in from this time forth

and forevermore.”

We hear Psalm 23:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil,

for thou art with me,

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

We hear Romans 8:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life

nor anything else in all creation

will ever be able to separate us from the love of God

in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In a sermon right after 9/11/2001,

I said this:

Can you lose a home?

Yes.

Can you lose a career?

Yes.

Can you lose your health?

Yes.

Can you lose your life

in a senseless, cruel tragedy?

Sadly, yes.

But can you lose the love of God?

No.

Never.

Nothing can ever take that away.

We move into the future together,

remembering,

caring for one another,

and knowing God’s never-ending love.

May that give you comfort for today

and hope for tomorrow.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen