Clergy plan Easter sermons drawing on migrant crisis, conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza

As he planned his Easter Sunday sermon, James Ford Jr., pastor of Christ Bible Church on the South Side, says he was thinking, like many clergy members, about world events and divisions.

People’s views might vary, Ford says, but arguments shouldn’t divide believers.

Jason Glombicki, pastor of Wicker Park Lutheran Church, says he, too, had national affairs and politics on his mind in preparing a sermon in which he’ll talk about welcoming immigrants.

In Naperville, Pastor Marty Sloan of Calvary Church says the message that he plans to give his congregation similarly takes in the world around us and comes down to this: “We need hope, we need peace, and we need forgiveness in this life.”

Here’s a sampling of the messages that some Chicago-area Christian clergy leaders plan to share this Easter Sunday.

“The resurrection of Jesus stands at the center of our faith,” Cardinal Blase Cupich said to Catholic parishes in a letter addressing the importance of Easter. “We believe, as Saint Paul says, that Jesus ‘died for our sins and rose for our justification.’ He entered the very darkest corners of human existence, took our pain, suffering, and death upon himself, and then drew us into the fullness of risen life.”

He addressed turmoil around the world as he urged Easter observers to “rediscover and reclaim our great faith and hope in Jesus Christ.”

“As we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection this Easter 2024, we are clearly aware of those dark corners of human existence that Jesus took upon himself,” Cupich wrote. “With troubled hearts, we watch war and violence unfold in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, in parts of Africa, and in our own city of Chicago. We know the crippling effects of climate change and the natural disasters that have affected so many people throughout the world. We struggle with the social and political polarization that threatens our life together.”

Pastor James Ford Jr., Christ Bible Church, South Side

James Ford Jr., pastor of Christ Bible Church, plans to focus on how conflict is present in Bible writings, but said he also will say that current issues shouldn’t lead to division among Christians.

“As believers, we’re not allowing arguments to divide us,” he said.

Ford said that Jesus rising from the dead is what Christians believe is proof of his divine nature and that this should be remembered during the Easter season.

“The Resurrection is like a receipt,” he said. “When I purchase something, they give me a receipt and that becomes the proof. That’s what the Resurrection is.”

The Rev. Jason Glombicki, Wicker Park Lutheran Church

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Wicker Park Lutheran Church was built in 1906, and the staff hopes to do renovations to make it more accessible for people with disabilities, according to The Rev. Jason Glombicki.

That’s a representation of the church’s commitment to serve all people, including people who have been marginalized, said Glombicki, who is planning a sermon that connects societal issues that affect his congregation. In a way, the renovation is its own type of resurrection, he said, providing a sort of rebirth for the congregation.

He expects to focus on “the ways we are sharing our faith, and we’re talking about the ways resurrection is happening all around us.”

Regarding Chicago’s migrant crisis, in which thousands of immigrants from South and Central American countries have been bused to the city from Texas, he said, “People are finding new life here. And we’re welcoming and encouraging them.”

Pastor Marty Sloan, Calvary Church, Naperville

Provided

“Forgiveness is our greatest need” today, said Pastor Marty Sloan, whose Easter sermon at Calvary Church in Naperville will focus on forgiveness, peace and hope and play off of the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

“We, for the most part, want to be forgiven but we don’t want to forgive others, so our world today could use a lot more forgiveness,” he said.

He plans to speak about how the tomb signifies hope, how the table of life represents peace and how the cross is a sign of forgiveness.

Every week at the church, members of the congregation discuss what biblical verses and messages mean in today’s context.

“We realize the Bible is of course a text of ancient experiences and truth,” Sloan said. “But we believe it’s very relevant to the day and is the source of truth for us.”

“We find hope in trusting beyond what we can see,” he added.

Pastor Marco Villalobos, Christian Life Center, Berwyn

Provided

At the Christian Life Center in Berwyn, clergy members plan a “very enthusiastic worship” as about 20 people get baptized.

In his Easter sermon, Pastor Marco Villalobos said he plans to spread a message of “hope, not giving up and knowing that God always makes a way.”

His sermon will focus on transformation, using testimonials from members of the church’s congregation.

“We’re a small church, but we’ve got a lot of people who have been changed and folks who have come from different backgrounds and different situations in their life that were pretty hard and bleak and grim,” Villalobos said. “We’ve seen how God has kind of stepped into their lives and just brought a lot of renewal and transformation and change.”

He said the church members’ stories of transformation serve as “more than just a theological understanding of the Resurrection.”

“We’re seeing people from all walks of life coming and saying they want a new life,” Villalobos said.

Pastor Bob LaPine, Grace Community Church, Lombard

Provided

At Grace Community Church in Lombard, Sunday’s sermon will focus on the resurrection of Jesus.

Pastor Bob LaPine said his sermon is to “give people the confidence that it’s not just a fairy tale.”

“Even though we do not have any special activities on Easter Sunday, it is the message that is all important,” he said.

“The emphasis on the message from I Corinthians 15 for our listeners is vitally important,” LaPine said. “Jesus is the only person who has died and has come back from the dead on the third day, never to taste death again. The message is cataclysmic, and it is a sure promise that whoever believes in Him is promised a bodily resurrection as well.”