Скачать или смотреть Ev. Gottesdienst am 6. So. n. Trinitatis, 24. Juli 2022 in der ev.-luth. St. Marienkirche in Gnoien

Hier der Gottesdienst am 6. Sonntag nach Trinitatis in der ev.-luth. St. Marienkirche in Gnoien in Mecklenburg. Dieser Sonntag hat traditionell die Taufe zum Thema, und in der Predigttext, Römer 6, 1 - 8, nimmt Paulus zwar Bezug auf die Taufe, aber hier "dockt" er lediglich bei den Empfängern des Briefes an, um das Verhältnis des Glaubenden zu seinem vergangenen Leben in der Sünde zu bestimmen. Das "Sterben mit Christus" und damit die Beendigung des vergangenen Lebens stehen hier im Mittelpunkt - auch in der Predigt.

Here is our (German) worship service on the 6th Sunday after Trinity in the Ev.-luth. St. Marien Church in Gnoien in Mecklenburg / Germany. In the German speaking Lutheran churches this Sunday traditionally has "baptism" as its central theme, and in the sermon text from Romans 6: 1 - 8 Paul makes reference to baptism; however, he reconnects the Christians in Roman to their baptism in order to make them aware of their new relationship to their past life in sin and of their new life in Christ. Here a short summary of the sermon: The sermon begins with the simple statement: "God has brought light into the matter" - when we confess that Jesus has been risen from the dead we confess that "God has brought light into the matter". The meaning of Jesus's life and particularly his death on the cross is now evident. His death is a death "for us" and for our salvation. We humans vehemently deny the fact that we carry guilt and that this guilt mounts up, beomces more and more in time. In the Old Testament this topic is raised time and time again - for example in the prophets - Amos for example. Not observing boundries, misregarding and bye-passing rules that have been given to preserve life has consequences which no one wants, but people are masters in denying their own wrong-doings and sins. We recgnize that today perhaps at a higher degree than ever before, but at the same time it is denied today perhaps more than ever better. People continue to live the way they always have according to the motto: "The flood will come after me!" At the moment however we are noticing that the floods are growing and coming from different sides. In order to be voted political parties evade the topic and try to spread optimism. Churches are often more busy pushing positive feelings in order to stay popular and avoid further losses. All this contributes to a denial which can be fatal. In old Israel there was the cult of atonement - it addressed this problem which we experience today. It did not deny sins and guilt but admitted and confronted them. On the great day of atonement "Jom Kippuer", while watching the bull of atonement being sacrificed, the people (on the whole and individually) said: "I am dying here with him. Dying my guilt also dies. I die but behold: I live!"
Paul makes an indirect reference to this imagery but gives it a new meaning and reality in Romans 6: When we think of Christ's death on the cross, we too think: "I am dying here with him". "I die, and yet I live!" This is appropriated to us in our baptism - Christ's death is our own. God himself takes our guilt upon himself and ends its disastrous effects. His love goes to the greatest ends that we may recognize this love, believe in him and live henceforth in his love. Why should we want to return to the life before? Why should we want to live a life that is bound in guilt and headed to death? Why should we join others in instrumenting what brings death and destruction? God has brought light into our lives by Christ's death on the cross that we too might now walk and want to walk in the newest of life, leaving the former life behind us!