Our text for today is the Old Testament reading:

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

One day, my daughter and I were driving together in the car.  Now I forget exactly how it came up, but we began to have a conversation about speaking a second language.  I pointed out that a number of the people in the congregation could actually speak two languages.  I also informed her that her grandmother could speak another language.  You could tell that the idea of being able to speak two languages was interesting to her.  But then she asked me a very curious question: “Is it a secret?”  At first I had no idea what she meant by it.  As we continued our conversation, however, it became clear to me.  You see, at school she has friends that speak Bengali.  And it dawned on me that when these students speak together in Bengali, it is when they don’t want anyone else to understand what they are saying.  It’s a secret.

Our text for today is the Gospel reading, especially these words, “‘Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.’”

So is it safe to assume that all of you here today were good, responsible citizens and filled out the 2010 census?  That you committed a few minutes of your time to answer those short questions?  Not everyone may understand the importance, the practical implications the census may have.  Some may not realize that it is the census which determines the proportion of resources and aid your community will receive, as well as account for the proportion of representation a particular area is granted within government.  At times it may be used to determine whether or not a community is able to meet its own needs.  It plays a significant role in the influence any one area will have on a federal level.

Our text for today is the Gospel reading, and especially these words: “‘By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’”

So today we confirm and receive a group of individuals into the membership of this congregation.  For some time, we have looked into God’s Word together, and we have studied the teachings put forth in Luther’s Small Catechism.  For some, this no doubt served, at times, as a review.  A review of what God’s Word has been speaking and declaring to us throughout our lives of faith.  And at other times, it might have felt like discovery.  But, as we know, the sum of catechesis is not spent in class and study.  A large part – an important part – of this process is living among the congregation; participating in the worship life, and receiving the amazing gifts that come through the ministry of Word and Sacrament.  I would even argue that this part of the process is an essential piece of the process.  For you learn a great deal just by living in the body of Christ.  For instance, you have probably begun to really understand and learn the ethos of this congregation, and the Lutheran church itself.  It would maybe be safe to say that before today, they have been slowly morphing into good Lutherans.

So just to see where you are in that process, let’s just cover some of these characteristics.  I have here in my hands, this morning’s top ten list.  Top Ten Ways You Know You Are a Lutheran:

• Number 10: The only prayer time meal you know is “Come Lord Jesus.”
• Number 9: All of your casserole dishes have your name on the bottom.
• Number 8: They have to rope off the last few pews in church so the front isn't empty.
• Number 7: You sing "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" while sitting down.
• Number 6: You can't imagine a celebration without food.
• Number 5: While watching Star Wars you hear "May the force be with you" and you reply "And also with you."
• Number 4: You are at a funeral of a family member who is Catholic, and you are the only one who says "for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen." after everyone else is done.
• Number 3: A midlife crisis means switching from the old hymnbook to the new one.
• Number 2: Your pastor skips the last hymn to make sure church lasts exactly 60 minutes
• Number 1: You arrive at church and start having a panic attack because someone else is sitting in your pew.

Our text for today is the Gospel reading, but especially these words, “So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’”

We all know how important first impressions can be.  In some cases, first impressions can be the sole factor in one’s opinion of another.  However, we also know that first impressions are not everything.  In fact, for some people and in some circumstances it may take a considerable amount of time to come to any kind of conclusion about another person.

This may be true for a number of different reasons.  Some people may not be too quick to open up, not affording us the opportunity to come to any conclusions one way or the other.  However, I think many times it has to do with us.  We aren’t always too quick to decide one way or the other.  Sometimes I think this has to do with the fact that we have been burned in the past.  Those we thought could be trusted, only later show us that we really didn’t know them as well as we thought we did.  Or think of how cautious parents might be when meeting their daughter’s new boyfriend.  It might take much more than a good first impression to convince them to trust him.