It helped give them courage to face the trials and troubles of their own lives. They wanted to share the story with other people. Today, nearly 2,000 years after they first wrote it down, I pass it on to you for the same reason. May the insights of the ancient poets help you to come to grips with the trials and troubles of your own lives. Early in the spring, at Easter and Passover, people all over the world gather to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
Easter is a time to look toward the renewal of the earth.
It is also a time to look backward at old stories and old ideas of our culture to discover what we can learn. So it is with us, here and now. The translation of the twenty-second Psalm used in this sermon is from the New Revised Standard Version.