May 19, 2002

Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church
17. May Celebration Sun., May 19, 2002

Pastor Jens Arne Dale

Luk 24.19-53  Under the blessing of God

The 17^th of May celebration, as I remember it from my childhood, is a sparkling memory. It was a celebration greater than anything else was. We got up early in the morning and dressed in our best clothes. The 17^th of May ties in white, red and blue had been ironed the day before and laid ready. The ladies put on their beautiful bunads. At Tomb agricultural school where I grew up, all the employees and their families gathered on a little hill where the flagpole stood. The brass band played "Ja, vi elsker" (the national anthem of Norway), and the flag was run up. It was incredibly beautiful to see. The flag unfolded against a blue sky, surrounded by light green crowns of the big trees. On the 17.th of May, the spring is at its most beautiful in Norway.

Then there was the speech of the day. Often the poem of Nordahl Grieg was read.

This poem was broadcast by Tromsø radio on the 17.th of May 1940 when Germany had conquered Norway. At that time Tromsø was still not occupied.

The 17. of May speech would remind us about the war and the fight for freedom. Maybe more was read from Nordahl Grieg’s poem:

Then the lines were drawn back to 1905 when Norway got free from the union with Sweden. And then the speech reminded us of the men gathered at Eidsvoll who gave us the constitution in 1814.

The 17.th of May in Norway is first and foremost the Children’s day. From the outermost fishing station to the hamlet of the deep forests, from north to south, children walk in the 17th of May parade with brass bands and waving flags. Happy children cheer "Hurray for Norway". The Norwegian society has changed very much . It’s quite impossible to compare it to the country that you or your ancestors left. We have the wealth of the oil, a modern welfare state, and a multi-cultural society you hardly could imagine a few generations ago. But the 17.th of May celebration is still an honored custom. Many of our new fellow countrymen take a part in it.

The Constitution Day is celebrated with a military parade in many countries. Karl Johan’s street in Oslo is not dominated by weapons and soldiers, but by children in an almost endless parade, cheering and waving their flags for the royal family on the balcony of the royal palace. Freedom can not only be secured with weapons. It has to be planted into the hearts of the children. That’s why the 17.th of May is the day of the children. Freedom and peace are values that we can’t take for granted. That’s why we here in the USA celebrate Memorial Day on May 27. We remember all those who have fought for the best values upon which our society is built. And we do it in thankfulness to God.

In today’s text we read that Jesus lifted his hands and blessed the disciples. Then he was taken away from them to heaven.

A human being needs keys to interpret his own life. A nation needs to understand itself. I think we may use the hands of Christ, lifted to bless, as a key to interpret our lives. We are living under the blessing hands of Christ. We have so much to be grateful for. Who gave us daily bread? Shall we thank ourselves or would we see it as gifts from the Lord? Luther explains daily bread as all the things we need to live: food and drink, clothes and shoes, house and home, fields and cattle, money and property, a good spouse, nice children, good workers and leaders, peace and a good government, nice weather and good health, good customs, good friends and neighbors, and so forth. What is all this if not gifts from the Lord? And then we should not forget that we are responsible for how we use all this. We have to manage all this to the best of others and ourselves. Everything in life is a gift, given us as a blessing from God. We may thank God for our lives, our people, our freedom and peace.

But what about the things we don’t feel we may be grateful for? We all have marks of things we should have liked to be without. It may be illness, a separation or difficulties in various ways. Where were the blessing hands of Christ on September 11?

There are no easy answers to these questions. But when the benediction is given in the service the minister always makes the sign of the cross. It is the mark of death, but even more so the mark of love. Christ conquered evil with good. His love was stronger than death. Difficulties and adversities do not neutralize his blessing over our lives. Christ is near also in the hardest times of our lives. We are never left alone. It’s as Paul triumphantly says in Romans 8:

This experience became so strong for the disciples on the day of Pentecost. They received The Holy Spirit and were clothed with power from on high. It was a power that filled them with joy and worship to him who is the giver of all good gifts. The gratefulness for the goodness of God is heard also here at Mindekirken today. Thanks for all that gives us joy on the 17.th of May. Thanks for all the great gifts of life.

Glory be to God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716