Bible Text: Esther 7: Selected verses; Luke 10:1-11 | Pastor: Lynn Thompson Bryant |

For Such a Time As This

In reference to the wonderful story we just heard from the Book of Esther, she stands with countless passages in the Bible that witness boldly to God’s action in the world. Esther witnesses to the power of a good story to give us hope. Rather than succumbing to despair, Esther — like the carnival-eques festival of Purim it inspires — encourages us to meet terror with ridicule. Satiric storytelling is not the only response to oppression we can or should muster, but the book of Esther reminds us it is indeed a valid response, one that helps us hold fast to our conviction that the grace-filled power of God ultimately will overcome the destructive powers of this world. Cameron Howard, OT Prof., Luther Seminary in St. Paul/Minneapolis. Listen now to another story that invites us to overcome terror with creativity.