September 11th 5 year memorial service

September 11th 5 year memorial service

What can I say about what happened 5 years ago? I was not in NY. I was not in DC. I was not in the field in PA. I was sitting at work, staring at my computer, wondering what kind of day I was going to have. We lived in TN at the time, and we had TVs all throughout the building. CNN or Foxnews was the standard channel they were on.

After the first plane hit, we were in shock, but we didn’t know what happened. Was there an explosion-was it a bomb?? Then the reports started to come in. Then the second plane hit.

This was not an attack on another city thousands of miles away. This was an attack on me and you and everyone else in America. 3000 people died on that day 5 years ago. That’s 3000 immediate families and even more extended families and friends who were affected.

Our lives, beliefs, values, democracy, and freedom were attacked that day and so many people feel helpless to cope with it. Many times we just go throughout our day, getting by……numbed by all the anger, violence, and injustice in our world. Everything we are, they hate. Everything we believe, they condemn.

You don’t have to feel helpless though.

The question I asked myself, and I’m sure you asked yourself and the people around you is “Why?”. Why did it happen? This group that perpetrated the acts were extremist Islamist Fascist. They killed Christians, Jews, Muslims (yes their own religion), atheist, and everyone in between.

5 years later we don’t have the #1 man involved although we have a lot of the others. Was America being punished by God for not staying with it’s Christian roots? We are one of the few nations supporting Israel, God’s chosen people. Doesn’t that get us at least one “get out of jail free” card with God?

You might say, Pastor, didn’t you tell us last week that Jesus came to not only save us from eternal hell, but also hell on this earth?? From where I was sitting, I would say that day in NY was pretty close to hell.

Our scripture passage today gives us an answer to these questions. For God so loved the world…. When God the made the world……… when he looked and decided to bring each of us into this world, he made us with love. He didn’t want to control us like pawns moving across a chess board. He wanted us to live, live in abundant love for each other.


But evil came into the world. That evil is so tempting. It fooled many people into believing they knew better than God and could do a better job of running the world. So they turned away from this God they could not see and went another way.

God didn’t want that for us. He wanted eternal life with him. But since we were full of stinky stuff, we were not worthy to even be in the same room as God. And there was no amount of scrubbing that would get that nasty smell off. So God took care of us.

He sent his Son down to the earth. Jesus is the second part of the trinity and is God also. God came down to earth as one of us, but he didn’t smell. He was perfect.
Now read in verse 16…God didn’t want us to perish but have eternal life.

Then in 17, God didn’t send Jesus to condemn us, but that we may be saved thru him. God was tired of us wasting away in the cess pool of life away from him. He desired to have a relationship with us. One built on love and trust.

Jesus did not condemn us. We had already done that when we turned away from God in the first place. Jesus came to save us from death. Jesus came to make our lives better by living in relation with him so we can make it thru the tough times.
So back to the question. Why? God didn’t make 9-11 happen. This world stinks. It really does. The smell of evil (that is sin) is all around. Plain and simple, it’s all over the world. Those men who hijacked the planes, those who blew up the USS Cole, those who blew up the barracks in Saudi Arabia are evil.

Some would say there is good somewhere in them. They would say “oh they were raised that way and indoctrinated into that way of life”. I have to disagree. Some suicide bombers have given up before pulling the trigger. Closer to home, I’ve seen repeat offenders turn their life around and leave the crime ridden past of theirs.

Anne Rice went from writing books about vampires and death to a book about the childhood of Jesus. Truth and love changed the hearts of these people.

What about those who were killed on 9-11, you may ask? Did they go to heaven. I’m not here to pass judgment on anyone. That’s not my job. My job is to spread the good news to as many people as possible before Christ comes back in final victory. All I can say about the people of 911 is God (father son and holy spirit) is a God of judgment, mercy and love. He loves them more than we ever have.

I’m more concerned with you here on earth now. If you knew Jesus was coming back to earth in one year, what would you do different. Would your life change in any way? Do you know for sure your spouse, your kids, your mom and dad, your best friend or neighbor are all Christian.

Have you ever said anything to them about it?
You’re here alive now. Jesus said to let the dead be dead. My brother-in-law said to not put flowers on his grave site because he is not there. That’s just a shell of a body in the ground.

When we take communion in a little while, let go and let God take control, not only of your life and the direction it’s going, but also let God have all that anger and pain your feeling. Move that out of heart.

Let Jesus fill it in with his love and compassion he has for you. Let go of the worries of yesterday or the worries of tomorrow. Jesus said you have enough on your plate today. Give that to me and don’t worry about it.

Our God is a big God. He wants to transform that anger and sorrow you have into new life. If you feel less than perfect, he wants to make you whole.