Cédric Brügger
Pastor of the seetal chile
Gott stellt sich selbst als «der Eifersüchtige» vor. Geht es um das Volk Israel, dann kann es Gott nicht erdulden, wenn sie einem anderen Gott nachfolgen. Denn er hat sie für sich auserwählt. Die Heiligkeit und Eifersucht Gottes gehören nah zusammen. Weil das Volk Israel heilig sein soll, trifft es Gottes Eifersucht, wenn es Gott untreu wird. Gottes Eifer sucht uns Menschen. In Jesus Christus kommt uns Gott nahe und er setzt sich für uns ein. Eifersucht ist in unseren…
Through the story of the Good Samaritan we can learn a lot about how the application of our faith should be done. Being close to God does not equal being like God. Just because we spend a lot of time in the proximity of God does not necessarily mean that this influences our thoughts and actions. Therefore, help can sometimes come from the very people from whom it is least expected. Followers of Jesus are to emulate the example of the Good Samaritan. But Jesus Christ himself is even more merciful than the Samaritan. He…
Some passages in the Bible seem to disturb us. Because they do not fit into our picture, because they do not correspond to what we would expect from God. The righteousness of God is dependent on his holiness. Only when we bring this together do we understand why God acts differently than we imagine. In the face of things that do not correspond to God’s will, it is precisely his justice that is revealed. God cannot simply leave them as they are, but must do justice. Followers of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, should…
The desire to improve ourselves more and more is inherent in us humans. But unfortunately, this optimisation fails in the encounter with the holy God. Because even an optimised ego cannot stand before God on its own. The problem is so-called sin, which means missing the target. In order to restore man’s access to God, Jesus Christ died on Good Friday. He was the completely blameless sacrifice needed to bear all the guilt of the world.…
The holy God allows us humans to encounter him. However, there are passages in the Bible where people die because they came too close to God. This is also the case with Uzzah. He tried to save the ark of the covenant from falling over and ended up dying himself. This reaction of God is infuriating and meets with great incomprehension. However, this reaction is only consistent. For God’s holiness should not be met with too much levity. But if God is met with respect and…
We cannot force encounters with the holy God. But when we do encounter him, it can sometimes be terrifying. Nevertheless, we do not have to be afraid of this God. For if we use this fear properly, it leads us into fear of God. This in turn leads us to worship in reverence, as befits a holy God. I recently had a conversation with a person about this year’s teaser for the annual theme. This person expressed a basic…
God created the earth in six days and on the seventh he rested. Therefore, he blessed it and gave it a special meaning and endowed this seventh day with healing power. But he not only blessed this day, he sanctified it. He set this day apart from all others because it was the day when God himself rested from his creation. But God did not rest because he was exhausted, but because everything was perfectly yielded.…
God chose Israel to be his holy people. The overriding meaning of holy is set apart. Thus the people of Israel are also set apart from the other peoples because they are God’s own people whom he has chosen for his history with humanity. In this people there are priests whose main task is the service of God. Their lives are entirely dedicated to the service of God. Followers of Jesus Christ are also part of this holy people. They form a holy people of royal priesthood. The…
The Old Testament describes the very eventful history of the people of Israel. In the process, however, hope for restoration flickers up again and again. Hope for a time when things will be peaceful, when there will be no more restrictions and no more suffering. Such hopeful texts are often accompanied by the expectation that a Messiah – an anointed one of God – will appear. A hallmark of him is such miracles. The New Testament evidence is clear that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. Through him…
Advent focuses on the direction and anticipation of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. His first coming brought salvation to us humans, but Advent is not only about the first coming, but also the second. Jesus will come again one day, but we don’t know the exact time. It happens unexpectedly. While his first coming brings hope for all people, his second coming brings separation. It separates those who belong to him from…
Followers of Jesus Christ have a firm hope. A hope that gives security and support in times of uncertainty and fear. No matter how miserable and frightening the personal and social circumstances, hope has the potential to carry us through such times. But there is not only a hope, but also a responsibility. This is to bear witness to hope – not fear. Christians are to be bearers of hope and do deeds of hope.…
Through Jesus Christ, heaven on earth has dawned. But this Kingdom of God is very different from what we would expect. It is a kingdom that consists of the weakness of us humans. God chooses that which is weak and not that which is strong. God calls men and women into his service who would not be chosen by the standards of the world. In this way God shows that he has the power to make something out of hopeless cases. Since we humans…
Life on this earth is not only characterised by beautiful moments. There are numerous challenges and difficulties. The Bible outlines a different future here. A future in which everything is peaceful and healthy, a future in which there is no war and death. This future kingdom has dawned on this earth with Jesus. However, only imperfectly and in a tension of already there and yet not yet there. Nevertheless, the Kingdom of God that has dawned on this earth can already…
«Hope dies last» is a common saying. The Bible also speaks of hope. But this Christian hope is very concrete. It is a trust in the trustworthiness of God. It has its foundation in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This resurrection hope gives a perspective for the moment, but also for an uncertain future. Such hope moves and motivates. Such hope gives meaning to life. As forewarned in a sermon almost six months ago, I bring…
In Switzerland, mountains are omnipresent. They are all around us. But even in our own lives there are proverbial mountains where we are stuck and don’t know what to do. We also encounter mountains in the Bible, and God often comes into contact with people on mountains. On the mountains, heaven and earth touch. Jesus Christ himself often went up mountains and met God there. In the past, the Israelites had to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem on Mount Zion,…
At Pentecost, things were turned upside down with the reception of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the completely different, incomprehensible one, and yet he appears to us humans in a perceptible and audible way. The Holy Spirit – God in us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the events of Babel are reversed. People from different countries understand each other again. With Pentecost, the Christian Church comes into being. This event is the day of its birth, and the Holy Spirit still wants to be present in…
In every culture there are certain principles of how society is structured. This includes evaluations of what is good or bad, how to behave in public and what a successful life looks like. But in every culture there is a blind spot, an area where God’s good plan for his creation is not being followed. When a blind spot is discovered, it is necessary to start there and to right this wrong. People quickly fall prey to the danger of not preserving creation.…
The world is open to young people. They have a large part of their lives ahead of them. What is worth living for? This question is not only asked by young people, but by everyone. For what is it worth investing one’s life? People look for supposed fulfilment in three areas. We look for meaning in what we do, in what we own, or in what others think of us. Although all these things are common nowadays and also widely…
In the beginning, God created human beings as man and woman – equal and with a common mission. But the Fall changed this situation. Instead of ruling together, from now on men ruled over their wives, a few over all others. But through Jesus, these relationships were restored. Jesus Christ showed a new understanding of dominion. If anyone wants to be the leader, let him be the servant of all. To begin today’s sermon, I would like to share with you a…
Ever since Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, shame entered their lives. To this day, shame dominates our lives and interferes with people’s ability to relate to each other. Just as Adam and Eve made clothes out of fig leaves, we too cover our inner shame in various ways. In doing so, we quickly fall into a shame-guilt spiral. But Jesus» death on the cross has cleared the way to myself. He wants me…
God is often addressed as YHWH in the Old Testament. This name is so sacred to the Jews that they do not pronounce it. It is precisely this God who also created the earth. We want to trace the one who says «I am who I always am» (Exodus 3:14) and ask what this being means for my existence. Followers of Jesus Christ may participate in this being, because through his «I am» words he directly connects with it. This allows…
Man is created in the image of God. He reflects God. In this status lies a tremendous responsibility, which is incumbent on man. But the image that human beings present is crumbling and has mighty cracks. Man does not manage to live up to his responsibility. But there is hope. In Jesus Christ we find the perfect image of God – without scratches. Followers of Jesus may share in the perfect image of God through him. Through Jesus Christ they find their true destiny -.…
In the Kigo theatre we immersed ourselves in the Christmas story. A story that comes from another world. A world that does not at all correspond to ours – at least that is how it seems. So much seems strange. Angels are practically only known as decorative items. Sheep at best as a side dish for chips and herb butter, and shepherds at best on the packaging of Penaten cream. And yet this story also has something to say to you and me. Just like the wise men from the east…
Knowing God is the most important thing. My lip service and even miracles in the name of God are insignificant if I do not know God. Knowing God means that I put all my trust in him. This trust is called faith. By being rooted on a good foundation – Jesus Christ – good deeds can come about. Faith and being rooted can be seen in the fact that my life is driven by love. I lived in Bern for almost four years. Often when I had visitors…
Ask – receive, seek – find, knock – it will be opened to you. This is how simply Jesus describes the life of prayer. Unfortunately, this statement does not correspond very well with our experience. How often do we ask, seek, knock, but there is no response. This is because most of the time we pray with too much of an «I» fixation. Our Father in heaven wants to do us good and knows exactly what is good for us. But first we have to recognise what we should ask, seek and knock for. It goes…
People tend to look down on others and judge their behaviour, lives, etc. This is often done out of sheer arrogance to boost their own self-esteem. This is often done out of sheer arrogance to increase their own self-esteem. Jesus asks us to start with ourselves first. We are to recognise the bars in our lives and stop doing so. In doing so, we realise that it is impossible for us humans to live up to the high standard of the Sermon on the Mount. This in turn drives us into the arms of Jesus Christ, who mercifully accepts us. Overcoming our own (religious) arrogance.…
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to do good. However, it should not be about being praised. Love for fellow human beings and God should be the supporting motive and result in a giving lifestyle. For some time now, I have been financially supporting a family in India in their livelihood. When I visited the family in January 2020, I assumed that they thanked me for my support. So I spent the few days…