Meeting Jesus Again
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In this week’s lectionary gospel reading, two disciples walking to Emmaus encounter a fellow traveler and fill him in on the unsettling events of the previous few days. When they invite their companion to stay with them for dinner, his actions at the table lead them to recognize him as Jesus -- whereupon he vanishes. In the aftermath, what the disciples focus on is the intensity of their personal encounter with their risen mentor (“Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”) -- leading them to share their experience with the rest of the disciples (“they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread”). In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer points out that this is an excellent distillation of what many people are looking for spiritually these days... and that all too often they believe they won’t find in our churches. While we tend to focus on outreach through programs and church growth strategies, Dean reminds us that what many people are really looking for is a personal encounter with the divine that changes their lives and that they perceive makes a difference in the world. Like the disciples walking with Jesus, we may think that we know him -- but until we personally meet him in an intimate fashion, we don’t really know him and can easily not recognize him in our midst. Dean notes that the church’s prime directive ought to be helping our people connect with Jesus on this level -- and everything we do should assist them in that process.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the gospel story as the first example of “church shaming.” We are prone to using shame to reinforce cultural norms, and one might view Jesus’ didactic reaction to the two disciples’ account of recent news as a form of shaming. Yet their response, Mary suggests, offers a model for the church -- not rejecting the disguised Jesus, but being open to listening to him and hospitable enough to invite him to share a meal with them. Like Jesus, Mary points out, in our welcoming actions and in breaking bread with one another we reveal who we truly are.
Meeting Jesus Again
by Dean Feldmeyer
Luke 24:13-35
Why do people go to church?
Well, some people come for the music, of course; that goes without saying. And some come to meet and make friends. Some come to meet their future husband or wife, and others come because they always have and it just wouldn’t seem right not to; Sunday morning would be kind of strange if all we did was drink coffee, read the New York Times, and listen to NPR. Some come so their children won’t be completely biblically illiterate and to get moral instruction for their kids.
There are all sorts of reasons why people come to church, right?
WRONG!
The vast majority of people who go to church go there for only one thing: to meet Jesus. No, really! They do.
In the Culture
Last month the Barna Research Group released some more of their findings about why people, especially those in the millennial generation, aren’t going to church. Basically, it can be boiled down into two assertions:
1. I’m not meeting God at church; and
2. The church isn’t making the world a better place.
In other words, from their perspective the Christian church, in all of its modern permutations, is not keeping the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40), nor is it living out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Of course, Barna says, this is not news. It has been happening for decades. It’s just being felt more now because the numbers are greater.
People come to church to meet Jesus, up close and personal, face to face. They want and expect not just to hear about Jesus but to have an encounter with the Living Christ. They are hungry for that encounter; they need it to give their lives meaning, direction, depth, and authenticity. And they want to be part of something that is actually improving their lives and the lives of generations to come.
At roughly the same time George Barna was doing his research, George Gallup was conducting a similar survey. He asked people who attend church at least once a month why they go. He offered seven reasons why a person might go to church, and asked participants to check all that apply to them. The number one reason people cited (76%) is to hear sermons that teach about and explain scripture. The second reason (75%) is to hear sermons that relate their religious beliefs to real life. If you separate out the Protestants and count only their answers, the numbers explode upward to 83% for sermons that teach about scripture and 80% for sermons that connect religious faith to life.
Coming in at smaller percentages with both Protestants and Catholics were, in order: 3) Spiritual programs geared toward children and teenagers; 4) Lots of community outreach and volunteer opportunities; 5) Dynamic religious leaders who are interesting and inspiring; 6) Social activities that allow you to get to know people in your community; and 7) A good choir, praise band, or other spiritual music (ten years ago that was the number one answer!).
A few come to meet their neighbors. Fewer still come to meet the minister. And a minute few come to meet Mozart and the Casting Crowns. Most are coming to meet God as God is revealed to us in the Jesus Christ of scripture.
Gallup also asked those who at one time went to church but now don’t ever go (about 35% of Americans) why they don’t attend services, asking them to rate nine different factors as reasons for not going.
He discovered that there is no overarching reason why former churchgoers no longer attend. “Preferring to worship on one’s own tops the list at 44%, and just over a third say not liking organized religion is a major factor. These suggest not an antipathy to religion per se so much as a dislike of the group format.”
Mid-level reasons included not finding the right church or other place of worship, not having enough time, not being sure which religion is right for them, and not liking being asked for money when they attend.
The least-mentioned important factors include being prevented from going due to poor health and not feeling welcome when they attend.
Like those two disciples walking to Emmaus on that first Easter afternoon, people today are at loose ends and looking for direction -- and they are asking us to help them find it through Jesus Christ.
In the Bible
No one really knows where the town of Emmaus was located, but biblical scholars have made some informed guesses -- and the most popular theory is that it is where modern-day Moza sits, about seven miles outside Jerusalem. There is no commemorative site there, however.
The story, however, is well-known: Two disciples (who have never been mentioned before this story) are downcast by the death of Jesus and confused by reports that his body is missing, and they are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus for reasons we do not know. Perhaps they are returning home or they are taking the news of Jesus’ death to other followers of Jesus. They encounter a stranger who listens to their concerns, then gives them a scripture lesson that makes their “hearts burn within them.”
Finally, as they share the evening meal, he breaks bread and they recognize him. By then the risen Christ has disappeared from their sight, and they immediately hurry back to Jerusalem to tell the others of their experience.
The identity of the two disciples is as mysterious as the location of their destination. Theories have abounded over the years. Some have theorized that they might have been father and son, others insist that they were just good friends, and still others hypothesize that they were husband and wife.
Luke says that one of them was named Cleopas, which is the Greek version of the Aramaic name Clopas. One of the women who stood with Mary (the mother of Jesus) at the crucifixion was identified as Mary (wife) of Clopas (John 19).
From this point we now step into early Christian tradition (mythology), which conjectures that Cleopas was the brother of Joseph (the father of Jesus), and his wife Mary was the sister-in-law of Mary (the mother of Jesus). The same tradition says that the other unnamed disciple was the youngest son of Cleopas, called Simeon -- who later served for 43 years as head of the Judeo-Christian church in Palestine and was martyred at the age of 120.
Several other candidates for the companion of Cleopas have been suggested, including his wife Mary.
Whoever these two are, the more important thing is their interaction with the resurrected Christ.
Remember, they were disciples of this man yet they do not recognize them when they are actually talking to him in an up close and personal way. Apparently they knew him from afar but do not recognize him when they are close to him, face to face as it were.
They only come to realize who he is when he does something that he has done with them before. As he did with the 5,000 and as he did with them on the night before his arrest, and as he had probably done hundreds of times with them, he breaks bread and shares it with them.
And that’s when they recognize him. And that’s when he disappears from their sight.
In the Sermon
The story of the meeting on the road to Emmaus is a story for the church.
Thousands of human souls are out there in the world, hungering not for information about Jesus but for an encounter with the real, living, resurrected Christ. As Marcus Borg puts it, they want to meet him again for the first time. They want him to impact their lives in a real, concrete, visceral, undeniable, compelling way.
They are, like the two people in the story, empty, disappointed, burned out, and looking for something not just to believe but to believe in.
And this story calls upon us to take on the role of Jesus, to explain and interpret the scriptures for them and to teach them how it applies to their lives.
Football great Archie Griffin never had a greater fan than this Methodist preacher. I was a fan when he played for Ohio State (1972-75) and became the only college player ever to win the Heisman Trophy twice. I was a superfan when he came to my hometown to play professional football with the Cincinnati Bengals.
I loved his drive and his tenacity and his humble yet articulate, self-deprecating manner. When the NFL said he was too small (5'9" and 185 pounds) for a professional football running back, I positively glowed every time he made a first down. I knew his number (45) and had a jersey with that number on it. But I didn’t need to see his number to recognize him down on the field. I knew his walk and his run, and his posture when he stood on the sidelines. I told my kids: “You could do worse than to grow up and be like Archie Griffin.”
I knew Archie Griffin and could identify him from a mile away.
So a few years ago my brother Brian, who is my insurance agent, invited me to attend the PGA’s Memorial golf tournament in Columbus, Ohio, as a guest of one of the insurance companies he represents. After watching the pro golfers work their magic with that little round ball, we decided to go to the hospitality tent and have a free sandwich and beverage.
When we got to the tent it was a beehive of activity, filled with business people in casual attire visiting and talking and laughing and having a good time. A big-screen television in the corner allowed us to keep track of the tournament action while we ate. The deli spread had obviously been catered directly from heaven.
At length, Brian took me around and introduced me to his business associates and friends -- and at one point we came to a small cluster of people who were talking about Ohio State Buckeye football. He introduced me around the circle, and then said as he came to a handsome African-American man with a big, warm smile, “And of course, you know Archie Griffin.”
But the fact was that I didn’t. I was standing three feet from a man I had nearly idolized for the past 20 years, and I did not recognize him when we were up close and personal. I rarely get star-struck, but I have to admit that I nearly was on that occasion. Finally, Brian rescued me by suggesting that he take my picture shaking hands with Archie. I agreed and then we were off, back to the golf tournament and me finally thinking of all the things I should have asked and said when I had the chance.
When it comes to Christianity, we have to realize that most people who call themselves Christians, followers of Christ, are so only in the sense that I was a follower of Archie Griffin.
They recognize him from a distance. They may even be great fans of his. They appreciate his accomplishments and they like to sit in the fan seats and be close to their favorite Christian player. But they have never had an up close and personal experience with Jesus.
They are fans, but they are not disciples.
They know, however, that being a fan of Jesus is a largely empty and useless place to be. They know that Jesus has so much more to offer if we are willing to meet him at the up close and personal level. And many of them are hungry to do exactly that -- but they don’t know how.
This is where the church comes in.
It is our role, our job, our calling to provide the opportunities where people can have an up close and personal experience of Jesus Christ -- and we dare not put less than our very best into this endeavor. We know what people are looking for, and it is our job not to find it for them but to hold the light so that they can find it for themselves.
Some will find it in the preaching, some will find it in the music, some will find it in the fellowship, in the prayers, in the mission work, or in the educational ministry of the church. Wherever they find it, it is our responsibility to provide them with the opportunity to do so.
Then perhaps one day they will see and meet the resurrected and living Jesus Christ, and they will say to one another: “Christ is truly risen; he is truly risen indeed.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Luke 24:13-35
As Jesus and two of his followers meet up on the road, we have the first recorded instance of church-shaming. Jesus, not yet known to these two in his risen form, asks them why they’re so sad. They answer with “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” They might as well say “Are you the only moron around who isn’t up on the news? Where have you been? In a cave?” Um, well, come to think of it...
There are all kinds of shame these days. In recent years, bloggers have called our attention to fat shaming, which happens to celebrities and even our own family members. Dawn Zier says: “The biggest offenders? Spouses, parents, and siblings. What form does this unintentional fat-shaming take? It begins with the fact that family members often mean well. In attempting to ‘help’ they might drop a careless comment about dietary choices. (‘Do you know how many calories are in that?’) Or a remark about how clothes look or fit or a poorly thought-out observation about the health consequences of being overweight. (‘You know, diabetes runs in our family.’) Perhaps the worst thing about all this overt and inadvertent fat-shaming: it’s actually counterproductive.” It doesn’t make us want to eat a salad -- it just makes us feel bad.
Behaving badly on public transportation? Your fellow travelers (and flight attendants) will take revenge with passenger shaming. In a lighter vein, there’s Pokemon shaming. Until dogs learn to use the internet, we’re probably okay with dog shaming. Father Wayman Gresham has taken a stand against punishments that shame a child in public. Offering to give his son a memorably awful haircut as a punishment, he then gives his son a hug instead. Gresham says: “Good parenting starts before he even gets to the point of being out of control. Good parenting is letting your child know that you love them regardless of what they are and who they are and showing them the way by example.”
We could all learn from Mr. Gresham.
Rabbi Michael Lerner believes that shame played a role in the election of Donald Trump as president. Many working-class people, he believes, feel ashamed of their inability to succeed in an America that says everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Lerner says, “People on the left rarely open themselves to the possibility that there could be a spiritual crisis in society that plays a role in the lives of many who feel misunderstood and denigrated by the fancy intellectuals and radical activists. The left needs to stop ignoring people’s inner pain and fear. The racism, sexism, and xenophobia used by Mr. Trump to advance his candidacy does not reveal an inherent malice in the majority of Americans. If the left could abandon all this shaming, it could rebuild its political base by helping Americans see that much of people’s suffering is rooted in the hidden injuries of class and in the spiritual crisis that the global competitive marketplace generates.” He suggests that we stop shaming each other, and reach out to people with political differences “in a spirit of empathy and contrition. Only then can we help working people understand that they do not live in a meritocracy, that their intuition that the system is rigged is correct (but it is not by those whom they had been taught to blame), and that their pain and rage is legitimate.”
A few years ago, a story circulated about a pastor who dressed as a homeless man to see how he would be welcomed in his new church. The story turned out to be a hoax, but the message underneath it was about shame. The church was supposed to be ashamed of their lack of compassion for the supposed homeless man. Commenting on it, pastor and writer David Hayward says: “The church’s number one tool to get what it wants is shame. I have been the victim of shaming so many times I can’t even count. I have used it so many times I can’t even count. When I think back on the times I’ve been shamed I get angry. When I think back on the times I’ve used it I feel remorse. It’s the church’s primary language...” He adds that shame can motivate church people, “but not permanently, and not in significant and meaningful ways.”
As people are less familiar with church customs, we run the risk of being like Cleopas and his fellow traveler (perhaps Mrs. Cleopas?). We may embarrass guests who don’t know how to use the hymnal or how to follow the bulletin. We may shame people who already feel like they don’t know enough about the Bible, or who believe they aren’t living perfect lives. Coming to church is stressful enough without worrying about not doing it right.
The end of the Emmaus Road story reveals that these followers of Jesus have learned something from their time with him. They are awash in grief. They’re sad and disappointed. They must be exhausted after a weekend of dramatic ups and downs. They don’t know what to think about the story of the women who have seen Jesus alive. Who would? But in all of that, they manage to be hospitable to a stranger. They set aside their own worries and exhaustion, and make time to listen. They set down their own burdens long enough to invite him to dinner.
All the time they spent with Jesus in the past has taught them about the need for hospitality. Even now, they haven’t forgotten. They end the meeting with the stranger by asking him to stay and eat with them. They offer welcome instead of shame, and the stranger makes his own gesture of welcome. He breaks the bread, and reveals who he is.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
With the CEO of United Airlines and the White House Press Secretary finding it difficult to apologize for recently reported problems -- for United CEO Oscar Munoz apologizing for dragging a passenger off a flight to make room for other United personnel, and for Sean Spicer saying that Hitler never used gas on his own people like Assad of Syria has done -- the New York Times ran a feature story on how leaders should make public apologies for their errors in a way to gain public support. The Times wrote: “The key to contrition, according to public relation experts, is projecting sincerity, humanity, and a plain-spoken demeanor -- the better to convince a cynical public. And in this age of widespread social media, you had better do it fast.”
Application: In our lesson we are instructed to repent.
*****
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Robert Bentley recently resigned as governor of Alabama. He did so to avoid impeachment proceedings for having an affair with a senior staff member and misusing campaign funds. After months of denying any wrongdoing, the facts of the case became too apparent. Ellen Brooks, the attorney who oversaw the state’s investigation, said: “He did what he did, and he deserves now to be called a criminal.”
Application: All of us have a need to repent and be baptized.
*****
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Donald Trump raised $107 million for his inaugural -- twice the amount of any other president, with Barack Obama being second with $53 million. The large sum of money coming to Trump came from corporations and lobbyists who were surprised by his victory and wanted to get close to him. The more money one gave, the more prestigious inaugural events one could attend and the more favored seating one would receive at the swearing-in ceremony.
Application: We are instructed that our deeds should always come from a pure heart and soul.
*****
Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Luke 24:13-35
Steve Martin has agreed to contribute to the MasterClass, an instructional website where artists share insights about their craft. For $90 you can receive tutoring in comedy from Martin in 25 episodes. In an interview with the New York Times, Martin noted that at first he thought there is nothing to teach about comedy. But as he attended a lecture on comedy, he realized “there is a lot to teach. Through the years, I’ve gathered some knowledge that can be transferred.”
Application: We are to testify to others what we personally know about Jesus.
*****
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Prince Harry, who is now 32, recently disclosed the mental health issues he endured since the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 12 years old. At the urging of his older brother, Prince William, Harry finally went for counseling. At first, he did not think counseling would help, but when he went he described his experience: “You sit down on the sofa and say: ‘Listen, I don’t actually need your advice. Can you just listen?’ And you just let it all rip.” The two brothers, along with William’s wife the Duchess of Cambridge, are leading a campaign called Heads Together to end the stigma of mental illness.
Application: Individuals can cry to the Lord as the psalmist did, but we also need to hear the cries of people in order to help.
*****
1 Peter 1:17-23
Steve Martin has agreed to contribute to the MasterClass, an instructional website where artists share insights about their craft. For $90 you can receive tutoring in comedy from Martin in 25 episodes. In an interview with the New York Times on why he agreed to do the tutoring, Martin reflected on his career, saying: “I’m always rooting for comedians, especially now that I’m older. Your competitive edge is off. You don’t worry about someone being funnier. Because, as I say, there’s always someone funnier.”
Application: In our lesson we are asked to do our best, not be the best.
*****
1 Peter 1:17-23
Starling Marte, a rising star who plays center field for the Pittsburgh Pirates, has a six-year, $31 million contract -- but he won’t be playing for the next 80 games. That’s because Marte was suspended for using the performance-enhancing drug nandrolone. Marte told the press: “Neglect and lack of knowledge led me to this mistake, with the high price to pay of being away from the field that I enjoy and love so much.”
Application: Let us be sure our behavior allows us to stay in the game; that is, our deeds are always good.
*****
1 Peter 1:17-23
In the year 2006, after 16 years as a sports lawyer and agent, Leigh Steinberg had negotiated over $160 million dollars in contracts. In this same period, his clients had given over $7 million dollars to charity. To be accepted by Steinberg as a client, every athlete must agree to a stipulation that part of his salary will be dedicated to community service. This is why after every New York Jets victory, quarterback Ken O’Brien donated to muscular dystrophy. Each time Nick Lowery of the Kansas City Chiefs completed a field goal, he gave money to a foundation for cerebral palsy. The list reads on in a similar manner for all of Steinberg’s clients. Steinberg explains his policy with this statement: “Many of them live in a world of adulation and don’t build strong internal values. If they root themselves in the community, they have a place when they’re out of the game.”
Application: In our lesson we are instructed to do good deeds.
*****
Luke 24:13-35
First Lady Melania Trump just settled a lawsuit against London’s Daily Mail, receiving substantial compensation. The newspaper reported that the agency she was a professional model for in the 1990s also ran an escort service. The newspaper used as sources a report from a magazine in Slovenia, where she was born, and a biography by the journalist Bojan Pozar. The size of the settlement has not been revealed, but Ms. Trump was seeking $150 million.
Application: As we are witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus, we must make sure the story we tell is accurate.
*****
Luke 24:13-35
When George Shultz was secretary of state in the 1980s, he would set aside one hour each week for reflection -- only accepting an interruption from his wife or the president. With paper and pencil he would reflect on the big picture, rather than always responding moment to moment.
Application: It took a time of reflection for those on the road to Emmaus to understand what was happening.
***************
From team member Chris Keating:
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Where to Start?
Peter’s thundering sermon challenges the crowd. According to the NRSV, the crowd is “cut to the heart.” The Common English Bible offers a nuanced translation of verse 37: “When the crowd heard this, they were deeply troubled. They said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ ” In response, Peter calls them to conversion -- to make a change.
Yet the crowd is unsure about where to start. That’s generally true when faced with making big changes in life, and it is certainly true as we consider caring for the environment. Sometimes, when confronted by the overwhelming environmental issues facing the globe, we simply do not know where to start. We hear the data and we are moved to change our habits -- but what should we do?
One word: plastics.
It may be cliché, but every little bit makes a difference. One reporter offered this suggestion to anyone looking for a way to improve the environment: “Currently, about 350 million tons of plastic are produced each year around the world, but only about 10% is properly recycled and reused.... So just start by looking for ways to avoid disposable plastics. Cloth bags, aluminum or glass water bottles, and commuter coffee mugs are three smart ways to go. And look for ways to reuse other plastics. (The plastic liner in your bathroom and office waste bins might be good for a few reuses, for example, if you dump the contents in your main trash bag before hauling it to the curb.)”
*****
1 Peter 1:17-23
Living with Reverence
Maki Kawamura is a mother, former doctor, and activist for global peace. She is the executive director of the Goi Peace Foundation in Tokyo, Japan, which aims to create a world where each individual can express individual qualities and live in harmony with each other. Their first guiding principle -- to live with reverence for life -- echoes 1 Peter’s admonition that Christians should “live in reverent fear.”
For Kawamura, to live with reverence is to shape one’s life according to prayer. Her understanding of prayer may be different from an explicitly Christian understanding, yet in practice it yields much of the same intent encouraged by the epistle -- to live with the knowledge that we have been given the gift of God’s grace.
As a peace activist, Kawamura spent time discerning the purpose of her life. She writes that she asked herself: “What do you love? What are you here for? What were you born to do? It took more than a year to do this. Prayer helped me.”
She continues: “I don’t have any memories of learning to pray. I learned it the way a child learns words [by being surrounded by them]. Prayer was a different language that was always there around me. In the morning we would open the windows and say, ‘Thank you dear ocean, thank you dear air, thank you trees.’ We began each day like this. My grandpa always said, ‘Prayer is not something separate from you. Every day whatever you are doing, the message of peace is always in your heart and you live that message.’ That is what he told my mother, and that is what she passed on to us. When we cooked our meals we thanked the food. When we traveled we thanked the mountains. When we heard of tragedies on the news we prayed for peace.”
Kawamura’s grandfather taught her a valuable lesson about prayer: “After witnessing the devastation of war, he realized that no individual could attain true peace and happiness until the whole world was at peace. And paradoxically he also felt that the peace of the world depends on the peace of individuals. So he came up with this simple statement, ‘May peace prevail on Earth.’ ”
*****
Luke 24:13-35
Flipping the Script
No sooner had Jesus been raised than two of his disciples wanted to get out of Dodge. Well, Jerusalem at least. Confused and dazed by all of the events that had transpired over the weekend, these two guys went for a walk. They were so deep in thought that they didn’t even recognize Jesus as he walked with him -- until, of course, Jesus “flipped the script.”
Have a bit of fun with this encounter, and imagine Jesus trying to playfully engage the disciples. They’re overwhelmed by the tragedy they’ve witnessed, and so he uses a bit of paradox to help them understand the resurrection. Just as he has done throughout his ministry, Jesus “flips the script” so that the disciples can change their perception.
In a similar way, comedian and activist Negin Farsad challenges misperceptions about Islam by “flipping the script” with comedy and humor. She traveled across the United States with a team of American Muslim comedians, and made a film called The Muslims Are Coming. It’s a form of political activism, but one that also encourages people to laugh.
Farsad shared her experiences on the TED Radio Hour, including stories of how her family used playfulness to endure the Iran-Iraq war: “I think one of the hallmarks of social justice comedy, as I call it, is that you remain delightful. And I -- you know, I get angry, you know, behind the scenes. But when I’m in the middle of a situation, I got to keep it delightful because you’re just -- you’re going to -- you know, this is -- you’re going to attract more bees with honey. I mean, it’s a cliché, but it’s true. And what we need to do is remember that being around people and laughing with them is a joint shared experience, like a group mind that’s engaged in something kind of, like, fun, and the negativity kind of gets swept away.”
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: We love God, because God has heard our supplications.
People: We will call on God as long as we live.
Leader: What shall we return to God for all God’s bounty to us?
People: We will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of God.
Leader: We will offer to you thanksgiving and call on your name.
People: We will pay our vows to God in the presence of all the people.
OR
Leader: Praise our God! The risen Christ is with us!
People: We rejoice to come into the presence of the risen Christ!
Leader: In the midst of all we do here today, Jesus is with us.
People: We come expecting to meet him in our worship.
Leader: He is here and waiting to speak to us.
People: We will listen and then we will follow!
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain”
found in:
UMH: 315
H82: 199, 200
PH: 114, 115
NCH: 230
CH: 215
LBW: 132
ELA: 362
“Thine Be the Glory”
found in:
UMH: 308
PH: 122
NCH: 253
CH: 218
LBW: 145
ELA: 376
W&P: 310
AMEC: 157
“He Lives”
found in:
UMH: 310
AAHH: 119
NCH: 226
ELA: 302
“Christ Is Alive”
found in:
UMH: 318
H82: 182
PH: 108
LBW: 363
ELA: 389
W&P: 312
Renew: 300
“Surely the Presence of the Lord”
found in:
UMH: 328
NNBH: 129
CH: 263
W&P: 131
Renew: 167
“Spirit Song”
found in:
UMH: 347
AAHH: 321
CH: 352
W&P: 352
“Now Thank We All Our God”
found in:
UMH: 102
H82: 396, 397
PH: 555
NNBH: 230
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533, 534
ELA: 839, 840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT: 23
“He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought”
found in:
UMH: 128
AAHH: 142
NNBH: 35
CH: 545
LBW: 501
W&P: 499
AMEC: 395
“As We Gather”
found in:
CCB: 12
Renew: 6
“You Are”
found in:
CCB: 23
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who comes to meet us in the Christ: Grant us the grace to open our lives to Jesus, to make his presence manifest in our worship and then to follow him into the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, because you come to us as the Christ. We pray that you will help us to open our lives to Jesus and invite him to dwell within us. Help us to show forth his presence in our worship so that others may meet him as well. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to seek Jesus in our worship.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have come into our presence in the risen Christ, and we have been unaware of him. We have been busy greeting friends, making sure no one is sitting in our spot, and checking the bulletin to see if we approve of the hymns and songs. We pay more attention to how long the readings and the sermon are than we do to what the Christ is trying to say to us. Forgive us, and call us back to seeking the Christ who seeks us. Amen.
Leader: The risen Christ is seeking us. Welcome his presence and share it with others.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
All praise and glory are yours, O God, because you come to be with us. Your presence fills our world and our lives.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have come into our presence in the risen Christ, and we have been unaware of him. We have been busy greeting friends, making sure no one is sitting in our spot, and checking the bulletin to see if we approve of the hymns and songs. We pay more attention to how long the readings and the sermon are than we do to what the Christ is trying to say to us. Forgive us, and call us back to seeking the Christ who seeks us.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you make yourself known to us. We thank you for the comfort of your presence in times of distress, and for your prodding when we get off-track.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all those in need this day. We pray especially that we might all be aware of your presence and grace around us. We pray for those who feel they are not worthy of your presence. Help us to show those around us your constant love for all your children.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk about how the air is always around us but we often don’t notice it. We might be aware of it if the wind is blowing hard or if we see smoke blowing around us. We can move our hands and feel it against our skin, or we can blow on our hands and feel it. We can even blow up a balloon and release it and see the air make the balloon fly around. Jesus is always with us, but like the air we are not always aware of his presence. Worship is the special time when we look for signs of Jesus and try to make others aware of him. We sing hymns, we say prayers, we listen to scripture and sermons. We care and love each other. In our hearts and spirits we find Jesus.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Seeing Jesus on the Emmaus Road
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Luke 24:13-35
Supplies: a Bible; a loaf of bread (unsliced) wrapped in a towel or other cloth
(Gather the children and welcome them.) Do any of you have a favorite blanket, doll, or stuffed animal that you slept with or carried around with you when you were really little? You might not carry it around anymore, but did you ever have something like this? (As the children raise their hands to indicate that they have or had something special like this, invite each to tell what item they each have.)
Think about this special blanket or stuffed item -- do you remember what it looked like when you first got it?
When I was younger, I had a special blanket. I slept with it every night. All the way through middle school, I slept with that blanket. It started out pink and soft -- fuzzy flannel on one side, smooth satin on the other side. I used to rub it between my fingers to help me go to sleep at night.
By the time I started high school, that little pink blanket wasn’t pink anymore. It was sort of gray. It didn’t look much like a blanket anymore, either. It was a scrap of threads. You could hardly recognize it as the same blanket. But I knew it was mine, even if it looked and felt different. It was special to me -- it always would be!
How about your special item -- has it changed over time? Does it look different? Does it feel different? How do you know it is yours? How do you know it’s the same item that you’ve always loved?
(Tell the children that in these Sundays after Easter, you are reading about events that happened with the disciples after Easter, then open the Bible to Luke 24.)
In today’s Bible reading, two disciples were walking down the road after Jesus had died. They talked about their friend Jesus and how they missed him. A stranger came along and asked the two disciples what they were talking about ? and guess who the stranger was? Jesus! Of course it was Jesus! All of our stories after Easter are going to be about Jesus!
So Jesus walks up to them on the road and asks the disciples what they are talking about -- do you think they know that the stranger is Jesus?
No! They don’t recognize him!
This person whom they loved, whom they were going to miss so much, whom they had spent so much time with... and they didn’t recognize him! He didn’t look the same. It was weird, but they just didn’t know him!
The disciples asked the stranger: “Are you the only person who hasn’t heard what has happened these past few days?!?!” Then they began to tell Jesus about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. On hearing this, Jesus told them about what Moses and the prophets said about him in the scriptures. Still, the disciples didn’t know that they were talking to Jesus!
(Place the wrapped bread in your lap and begin to unwrap it.) As it was getting closer to nighttime, the three men stopped to eat and rest.As they were sitting together at the table, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. (As you say tell this part of the story, take the bread, break it in half, and hold it out toward the children.)
Then their eyes were opened, and the disciples recognized Jesus.
Can you imagine how they must have felt? Here they had been walking and talking with Jesus, and they didn’t even know it was him.
It wasn’t until he did something familiar with them -- until he broke the bread and shared it -- that they could tell that he was their beloved Jesus.
You and I don’t know why the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus. We don’t know what he looked like before or after he was crucified. But we do have things to help us see Jesus with us right here.
We have bread -- like this bread.
We have communion -- the celebration when we share the bread and cup like Jesus shared with his friends at his last supper.
We have the Bible -- which tells us about God and Jesus and God’s people.
We have the church -- the group of people gathered in our worship space today -- who show us how Jesus loves and how Jesus treats other.
When we gather as God’s people, we see Jesus. He promises to be with us wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name.
Prayer: Open our eyes, Jesus, so we can see you in this place. Help us to see you in the people we love, and in the people who love you. Let us hold you close, like we hold our favorite blanket or stuffed animal, for you give us love and comfort and peace. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 30, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the gospel story as the first example of “church shaming.” We are prone to using shame to reinforce cultural norms, and one might view Jesus’ didactic reaction to the two disciples’ account of recent news as a form of shaming. Yet their response, Mary suggests, offers a model for the church -- not rejecting the disguised Jesus, but being open to listening to him and hospitable enough to invite him to share a meal with them. Like Jesus, Mary points out, in our welcoming actions and in breaking bread with one another we reveal who we truly are.
Meeting Jesus Again
by Dean Feldmeyer
Luke 24:13-35
Why do people go to church?
Well, some people come for the music, of course; that goes without saying. And some come to meet and make friends. Some come to meet their future husband or wife, and others come because they always have and it just wouldn’t seem right not to; Sunday morning would be kind of strange if all we did was drink coffee, read the New York Times, and listen to NPR. Some come so their children won’t be completely biblically illiterate and to get moral instruction for their kids.
There are all sorts of reasons why people come to church, right?
WRONG!
The vast majority of people who go to church go there for only one thing: to meet Jesus. No, really! They do.
In the Culture
Last month the Barna Research Group released some more of their findings about why people, especially those in the millennial generation, aren’t going to church. Basically, it can be boiled down into two assertions:
1. I’m not meeting God at church; and
2. The church isn’t making the world a better place.
In other words, from their perspective the Christian church, in all of its modern permutations, is not keeping the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40), nor is it living out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Of course, Barna says, this is not news. It has been happening for decades. It’s just being felt more now because the numbers are greater.
People come to church to meet Jesus, up close and personal, face to face. They want and expect not just to hear about Jesus but to have an encounter with the Living Christ. They are hungry for that encounter; they need it to give their lives meaning, direction, depth, and authenticity. And they want to be part of something that is actually improving their lives and the lives of generations to come.
At roughly the same time George Barna was doing his research, George Gallup was conducting a similar survey. He asked people who attend church at least once a month why they go. He offered seven reasons why a person might go to church, and asked participants to check all that apply to them. The number one reason people cited (76%) is to hear sermons that teach about and explain scripture. The second reason (75%) is to hear sermons that relate their religious beliefs to real life. If you separate out the Protestants and count only their answers, the numbers explode upward to 83% for sermons that teach about scripture and 80% for sermons that connect religious faith to life.
Coming in at smaller percentages with both Protestants and Catholics were, in order: 3) Spiritual programs geared toward children and teenagers; 4) Lots of community outreach and volunteer opportunities; 5) Dynamic religious leaders who are interesting and inspiring; 6) Social activities that allow you to get to know people in your community; and 7) A good choir, praise band, or other spiritual music (ten years ago that was the number one answer!).
A few come to meet their neighbors. Fewer still come to meet the minister. And a minute few come to meet Mozart and the Casting Crowns. Most are coming to meet God as God is revealed to us in the Jesus Christ of scripture.
Gallup also asked those who at one time went to church but now don’t ever go (about 35% of Americans) why they don’t attend services, asking them to rate nine different factors as reasons for not going.
He discovered that there is no overarching reason why former churchgoers no longer attend. “Preferring to worship on one’s own tops the list at 44%, and just over a third say not liking organized religion is a major factor. These suggest not an antipathy to religion per se so much as a dislike of the group format.”
Mid-level reasons included not finding the right church or other place of worship, not having enough time, not being sure which religion is right for them, and not liking being asked for money when they attend.
The least-mentioned important factors include being prevented from going due to poor health and not feeling welcome when they attend.
Like those two disciples walking to Emmaus on that first Easter afternoon, people today are at loose ends and looking for direction -- and they are asking us to help them find it through Jesus Christ.
In the Bible
No one really knows where the town of Emmaus was located, but biblical scholars have made some informed guesses -- and the most popular theory is that it is where modern-day Moza sits, about seven miles outside Jerusalem. There is no commemorative site there, however.
The story, however, is well-known: Two disciples (who have never been mentioned before this story) are downcast by the death of Jesus and confused by reports that his body is missing, and they are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus for reasons we do not know. Perhaps they are returning home or they are taking the news of Jesus’ death to other followers of Jesus. They encounter a stranger who listens to their concerns, then gives them a scripture lesson that makes their “hearts burn within them.”
Finally, as they share the evening meal, he breaks bread and they recognize him. By then the risen Christ has disappeared from their sight, and they immediately hurry back to Jerusalem to tell the others of their experience.
The identity of the two disciples is as mysterious as the location of their destination. Theories have abounded over the years. Some have theorized that they might have been father and son, others insist that they were just good friends, and still others hypothesize that they were husband and wife.
Luke says that one of them was named Cleopas, which is the Greek version of the Aramaic name Clopas. One of the women who stood with Mary (the mother of Jesus) at the crucifixion was identified as Mary (wife) of Clopas (John 19).
From this point we now step into early Christian tradition (mythology), which conjectures that Cleopas was the brother of Joseph (the father of Jesus), and his wife Mary was the sister-in-law of Mary (the mother of Jesus). The same tradition says that the other unnamed disciple was the youngest son of Cleopas, called Simeon -- who later served for 43 years as head of the Judeo-Christian church in Palestine and was martyred at the age of 120.
Several other candidates for the companion of Cleopas have been suggested, including his wife Mary.
Whoever these two are, the more important thing is their interaction with the resurrected Christ.
Remember, they were disciples of this man yet they do not recognize them when they are actually talking to him in an up close and personal way. Apparently they knew him from afar but do not recognize him when they are close to him, face to face as it were.
They only come to realize who he is when he does something that he has done with them before. As he did with the 5,000 and as he did with them on the night before his arrest, and as he had probably done hundreds of times with them, he breaks bread and shares it with them.
And that’s when they recognize him. And that’s when he disappears from their sight.
In the Sermon
The story of the meeting on the road to Emmaus is a story for the church.
Thousands of human souls are out there in the world, hungering not for information about Jesus but for an encounter with the real, living, resurrected Christ. As Marcus Borg puts it, they want to meet him again for the first time. They want him to impact their lives in a real, concrete, visceral, undeniable, compelling way.
They are, like the two people in the story, empty, disappointed, burned out, and looking for something not just to believe but to believe in.
And this story calls upon us to take on the role of Jesus, to explain and interpret the scriptures for them and to teach them how it applies to their lives.
Football great Archie Griffin never had a greater fan than this Methodist preacher. I was a fan when he played for Ohio State (1972-75) and became the only college player ever to win the Heisman Trophy twice. I was a superfan when he came to my hometown to play professional football with the Cincinnati Bengals.
I loved his drive and his tenacity and his humble yet articulate, self-deprecating manner. When the NFL said he was too small (5'9" and 185 pounds) for a professional football running back, I positively glowed every time he made a first down. I knew his number (45) and had a jersey with that number on it. But I didn’t need to see his number to recognize him down on the field. I knew his walk and his run, and his posture when he stood on the sidelines. I told my kids: “You could do worse than to grow up and be like Archie Griffin.”
I knew Archie Griffin and could identify him from a mile away.
So a few years ago my brother Brian, who is my insurance agent, invited me to attend the PGA’s Memorial golf tournament in Columbus, Ohio, as a guest of one of the insurance companies he represents. After watching the pro golfers work their magic with that little round ball, we decided to go to the hospitality tent and have a free sandwich and beverage.
When we got to the tent it was a beehive of activity, filled with business people in casual attire visiting and talking and laughing and having a good time. A big-screen television in the corner allowed us to keep track of the tournament action while we ate. The deli spread had obviously been catered directly from heaven.
At length, Brian took me around and introduced me to his business associates and friends -- and at one point we came to a small cluster of people who were talking about Ohio State Buckeye football. He introduced me around the circle, and then said as he came to a handsome African-American man with a big, warm smile, “And of course, you know Archie Griffin.”
But the fact was that I didn’t. I was standing three feet from a man I had nearly idolized for the past 20 years, and I did not recognize him when we were up close and personal. I rarely get star-struck, but I have to admit that I nearly was on that occasion. Finally, Brian rescued me by suggesting that he take my picture shaking hands with Archie. I agreed and then we were off, back to the golf tournament and me finally thinking of all the things I should have asked and said when I had the chance.
When it comes to Christianity, we have to realize that most people who call themselves Christians, followers of Christ, are so only in the sense that I was a follower of Archie Griffin.
They recognize him from a distance. They may even be great fans of his. They appreciate his accomplishments and they like to sit in the fan seats and be close to their favorite Christian player. But they have never had an up close and personal experience with Jesus.
They are fans, but they are not disciples.
They know, however, that being a fan of Jesus is a largely empty and useless place to be. They know that Jesus has so much more to offer if we are willing to meet him at the up close and personal level. And many of them are hungry to do exactly that -- but they don’t know how.
This is where the church comes in.
It is our role, our job, our calling to provide the opportunities where people can have an up close and personal experience of Jesus Christ -- and we dare not put less than our very best into this endeavor. We know what people are looking for, and it is our job not to find it for them but to hold the light so that they can find it for themselves.
Some will find it in the preaching, some will find it in the music, some will find it in the fellowship, in the prayers, in the mission work, or in the educational ministry of the church. Wherever they find it, it is our responsibility to provide them with the opportunity to do so.
Then perhaps one day they will see and meet the resurrected and living Jesus Christ, and they will say to one another: “Christ is truly risen; he is truly risen indeed.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Luke 24:13-35
As Jesus and two of his followers meet up on the road, we have the first recorded instance of church-shaming. Jesus, not yet known to these two in his risen form, asks them why they’re so sad. They answer with “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” They might as well say “Are you the only moron around who isn’t up on the news? Where have you been? In a cave?” Um, well, come to think of it...
There are all kinds of shame these days. In recent years, bloggers have called our attention to fat shaming, which happens to celebrities and even our own family members. Dawn Zier says: “The biggest offenders? Spouses, parents, and siblings. What form does this unintentional fat-shaming take? It begins with the fact that family members often mean well. In attempting to ‘help’ they might drop a careless comment about dietary choices. (‘Do you know how many calories are in that?’) Or a remark about how clothes look or fit or a poorly thought-out observation about the health consequences of being overweight. (‘You know, diabetes runs in our family.’) Perhaps the worst thing about all this overt and inadvertent fat-shaming: it’s actually counterproductive.” It doesn’t make us want to eat a salad -- it just makes us feel bad.
Behaving badly on public transportation? Your fellow travelers (and flight attendants) will take revenge with passenger shaming. In a lighter vein, there’s Pokemon shaming. Until dogs learn to use the internet, we’re probably okay with dog shaming. Father Wayman Gresham has taken a stand against punishments that shame a child in public. Offering to give his son a memorably awful haircut as a punishment, he then gives his son a hug instead. Gresham says: “Good parenting starts before he even gets to the point of being out of control. Good parenting is letting your child know that you love them regardless of what they are and who they are and showing them the way by example.”
We could all learn from Mr. Gresham.
Rabbi Michael Lerner believes that shame played a role in the election of Donald Trump as president. Many working-class people, he believes, feel ashamed of their inability to succeed in an America that says everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Lerner says, “People on the left rarely open themselves to the possibility that there could be a spiritual crisis in society that plays a role in the lives of many who feel misunderstood and denigrated by the fancy intellectuals and radical activists. The left needs to stop ignoring people’s inner pain and fear. The racism, sexism, and xenophobia used by Mr. Trump to advance his candidacy does not reveal an inherent malice in the majority of Americans. If the left could abandon all this shaming, it could rebuild its political base by helping Americans see that much of people’s suffering is rooted in the hidden injuries of class and in the spiritual crisis that the global competitive marketplace generates.” He suggests that we stop shaming each other, and reach out to people with political differences “in a spirit of empathy and contrition. Only then can we help working people understand that they do not live in a meritocracy, that their intuition that the system is rigged is correct (but it is not by those whom they had been taught to blame), and that their pain and rage is legitimate.”
A few years ago, a story circulated about a pastor who dressed as a homeless man to see how he would be welcomed in his new church. The story turned out to be a hoax, but the message underneath it was about shame. The church was supposed to be ashamed of their lack of compassion for the supposed homeless man. Commenting on it, pastor and writer David Hayward says: “The church’s number one tool to get what it wants is shame. I have been the victim of shaming so many times I can’t even count. I have used it so many times I can’t even count. When I think back on the times I’ve been shamed I get angry. When I think back on the times I’ve used it I feel remorse. It’s the church’s primary language...” He adds that shame can motivate church people, “but not permanently, and not in significant and meaningful ways.”
As people are less familiar with church customs, we run the risk of being like Cleopas and his fellow traveler (perhaps Mrs. Cleopas?). We may embarrass guests who don’t know how to use the hymnal or how to follow the bulletin. We may shame people who already feel like they don’t know enough about the Bible, or who believe they aren’t living perfect lives. Coming to church is stressful enough without worrying about not doing it right.
The end of the Emmaus Road story reveals that these followers of Jesus have learned something from their time with him. They are awash in grief. They’re sad and disappointed. They must be exhausted after a weekend of dramatic ups and downs. They don’t know what to think about the story of the women who have seen Jesus alive. Who would? But in all of that, they manage to be hospitable to a stranger. They set aside their own worries and exhaustion, and make time to listen. They set down their own burdens long enough to invite him to dinner.
All the time they spent with Jesus in the past has taught them about the need for hospitality. Even now, they haven’t forgotten. They end the meeting with the stranger by asking him to stay and eat with them. They offer welcome instead of shame, and the stranger makes his own gesture of welcome. He breaks the bread, and reveals who he is.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
With the CEO of United Airlines and the White House Press Secretary finding it difficult to apologize for recently reported problems -- for United CEO Oscar Munoz apologizing for dragging a passenger off a flight to make room for other United personnel, and for Sean Spicer saying that Hitler never used gas on his own people like Assad of Syria has done -- the New York Times ran a feature story on how leaders should make public apologies for their errors in a way to gain public support. The Times wrote: “The key to contrition, according to public relation experts, is projecting sincerity, humanity, and a plain-spoken demeanor -- the better to convince a cynical public. And in this age of widespread social media, you had better do it fast.”
Application: In our lesson we are instructed to repent.
*****
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Robert Bentley recently resigned as governor of Alabama. He did so to avoid impeachment proceedings for having an affair with a senior staff member and misusing campaign funds. After months of denying any wrongdoing, the facts of the case became too apparent. Ellen Brooks, the attorney who oversaw the state’s investigation, said: “He did what he did, and he deserves now to be called a criminal.”
Application: All of us have a need to repent and be baptized.
*****
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Donald Trump raised $107 million for his inaugural -- twice the amount of any other president, with Barack Obama being second with $53 million. The large sum of money coming to Trump came from corporations and lobbyists who were surprised by his victory and wanted to get close to him. The more money one gave, the more prestigious inaugural events one could attend and the more favored seating one would receive at the swearing-in ceremony.
Application: We are instructed that our deeds should always come from a pure heart and soul.
*****
Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Luke 24:13-35
Steve Martin has agreed to contribute to the MasterClass, an instructional website where artists share insights about their craft. For $90 you can receive tutoring in comedy from Martin in 25 episodes. In an interview with the New York Times, Martin noted that at first he thought there is nothing to teach about comedy. But as he attended a lecture on comedy, he realized “there is a lot to teach. Through the years, I’ve gathered some knowledge that can be transferred.”
Application: We are to testify to others what we personally know about Jesus.
*****
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Prince Harry, who is now 32, recently disclosed the mental health issues he endured since the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 12 years old. At the urging of his older brother, Prince William, Harry finally went for counseling. At first, he did not think counseling would help, but when he went he described his experience: “You sit down on the sofa and say: ‘Listen, I don’t actually need your advice. Can you just listen?’ And you just let it all rip.” The two brothers, along with William’s wife the Duchess of Cambridge, are leading a campaign called Heads Together to end the stigma of mental illness.
Application: Individuals can cry to the Lord as the psalmist did, but we also need to hear the cries of people in order to help.
*****
1 Peter 1:17-23
Steve Martin has agreed to contribute to the MasterClass, an instructional website where artists share insights about their craft. For $90 you can receive tutoring in comedy from Martin in 25 episodes. In an interview with the New York Times on why he agreed to do the tutoring, Martin reflected on his career, saying: “I’m always rooting for comedians, especially now that I’m older. Your competitive edge is off. You don’t worry about someone being funnier. Because, as I say, there’s always someone funnier.”
Application: In our lesson we are asked to do our best, not be the best.
*****
1 Peter 1:17-23
Starling Marte, a rising star who plays center field for the Pittsburgh Pirates, has a six-year, $31 million contract -- but he won’t be playing for the next 80 games. That’s because Marte was suspended for using the performance-enhancing drug nandrolone. Marte told the press: “Neglect and lack of knowledge led me to this mistake, with the high price to pay of being away from the field that I enjoy and love so much.”
Application: Let us be sure our behavior allows us to stay in the game; that is, our deeds are always good.
*****
1 Peter 1:17-23
In the year 2006, after 16 years as a sports lawyer and agent, Leigh Steinberg had negotiated over $160 million dollars in contracts. In this same period, his clients had given over $7 million dollars to charity. To be accepted by Steinberg as a client, every athlete must agree to a stipulation that part of his salary will be dedicated to community service. This is why after every New York Jets victory, quarterback Ken O’Brien donated to muscular dystrophy. Each time Nick Lowery of the Kansas City Chiefs completed a field goal, he gave money to a foundation for cerebral palsy. The list reads on in a similar manner for all of Steinberg’s clients. Steinberg explains his policy with this statement: “Many of them live in a world of adulation and don’t build strong internal values. If they root themselves in the community, they have a place when they’re out of the game.”
Application: In our lesson we are instructed to do good deeds.
*****
Luke 24:13-35
First Lady Melania Trump just settled a lawsuit against London’s Daily Mail, receiving substantial compensation. The newspaper reported that the agency she was a professional model for in the 1990s also ran an escort service. The newspaper used as sources a report from a magazine in Slovenia, where she was born, and a biography by the journalist Bojan Pozar. The size of the settlement has not been revealed, but Ms. Trump was seeking $150 million.
Application: As we are witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus, we must make sure the story we tell is accurate.
*****
Luke 24:13-35
When George Shultz was secretary of state in the 1980s, he would set aside one hour each week for reflection -- only accepting an interruption from his wife or the president. With paper and pencil he would reflect on the big picture, rather than always responding moment to moment.
Application: It took a time of reflection for those on the road to Emmaus to understand what was happening.
***************
From team member Chris Keating:
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Where to Start?
Peter’s thundering sermon challenges the crowd. According to the NRSV, the crowd is “cut to the heart.” The Common English Bible offers a nuanced translation of verse 37: “When the crowd heard this, they were deeply troubled. They said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ ” In response, Peter calls them to conversion -- to make a change.
Yet the crowd is unsure about where to start. That’s generally true when faced with making big changes in life, and it is certainly true as we consider caring for the environment. Sometimes, when confronted by the overwhelming environmental issues facing the globe, we simply do not know where to start. We hear the data and we are moved to change our habits -- but what should we do?
One word: plastics.
It may be cliché, but every little bit makes a difference. One reporter offered this suggestion to anyone looking for a way to improve the environment: “Currently, about 350 million tons of plastic are produced each year around the world, but only about 10% is properly recycled and reused.... So just start by looking for ways to avoid disposable plastics. Cloth bags, aluminum or glass water bottles, and commuter coffee mugs are three smart ways to go. And look for ways to reuse other plastics. (The plastic liner in your bathroom and office waste bins might be good for a few reuses, for example, if you dump the contents in your main trash bag before hauling it to the curb.)”
*****
1 Peter 1:17-23
Living with Reverence
Maki Kawamura is a mother, former doctor, and activist for global peace. She is the executive director of the Goi Peace Foundation in Tokyo, Japan, which aims to create a world where each individual can express individual qualities and live in harmony with each other. Their first guiding principle -- to live with reverence for life -- echoes 1 Peter’s admonition that Christians should “live in reverent fear.”
For Kawamura, to live with reverence is to shape one’s life according to prayer. Her understanding of prayer may be different from an explicitly Christian understanding, yet in practice it yields much of the same intent encouraged by the epistle -- to live with the knowledge that we have been given the gift of God’s grace.
As a peace activist, Kawamura spent time discerning the purpose of her life. She writes that she asked herself: “What do you love? What are you here for? What were you born to do? It took more than a year to do this. Prayer helped me.”
She continues: “I don’t have any memories of learning to pray. I learned it the way a child learns words [by being surrounded by them]. Prayer was a different language that was always there around me. In the morning we would open the windows and say, ‘Thank you dear ocean, thank you dear air, thank you trees.’ We began each day like this. My grandpa always said, ‘Prayer is not something separate from you. Every day whatever you are doing, the message of peace is always in your heart and you live that message.’ That is what he told my mother, and that is what she passed on to us. When we cooked our meals we thanked the food. When we traveled we thanked the mountains. When we heard of tragedies on the news we prayed for peace.”
Kawamura’s grandfather taught her a valuable lesson about prayer: “After witnessing the devastation of war, he realized that no individual could attain true peace and happiness until the whole world was at peace. And paradoxically he also felt that the peace of the world depends on the peace of individuals. So he came up with this simple statement, ‘May peace prevail on Earth.’ ”
*****
Luke 24:13-35
Flipping the Script
No sooner had Jesus been raised than two of his disciples wanted to get out of Dodge. Well, Jerusalem at least. Confused and dazed by all of the events that had transpired over the weekend, these two guys went for a walk. They were so deep in thought that they didn’t even recognize Jesus as he walked with him -- until, of course, Jesus “flipped the script.”
Have a bit of fun with this encounter, and imagine Jesus trying to playfully engage the disciples. They’re overwhelmed by the tragedy they’ve witnessed, and so he uses a bit of paradox to help them understand the resurrection. Just as he has done throughout his ministry, Jesus “flips the script” so that the disciples can change their perception.
In a similar way, comedian and activist Negin Farsad challenges misperceptions about Islam by “flipping the script” with comedy and humor. She traveled across the United States with a team of American Muslim comedians, and made a film called The Muslims Are Coming. It’s a form of political activism, but one that also encourages people to laugh.
Farsad shared her experiences on the TED Radio Hour, including stories of how her family used playfulness to endure the Iran-Iraq war: “I think one of the hallmarks of social justice comedy, as I call it, is that you remain delightful. And I -- you know, I get angry, you know, behind the scenes. But when I’m in the middle of a situation, I got to keep it delightful because you’re just -- you’re going to -- you know, this is -- you’re going to attract more bees with honey. I mean, it’s a cliché, but it’s true. And what we need to do is remember that being around people and laughing with them is a joint shared experience, like a group mind that’s engaged in something kind of, like, fun, and the negativity kind of gets swept away.”
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: We love God, because God has heard our supplications.
People: We will call on God as long as we live.
Leader: What shall we return to God for all God’s bounty to us?
People: We will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of God.
Leader: We will offer to you thanksgiving and call on your name.
People: We will pay our vows to God in the presence of all the people.
OR
Leader: Praise our God! The risen Christ is with us!
People: We rejoice to come into the presence of the risen Christ!
Leader: In the midst of all we do here today, Jesus is with us.
People: We come expecting to meet him in our worship.
Leader: He is here and waiting to speak to us.
People: We will listen and then we will follow!
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain”
found in:
UMH: 315
H82: 199, 200
PH: 114, 115
NCH: 230
CH: 215
LBW: 132
ELA: 362
“Thine Be the Glory”
found in:
UMH: 308
PH: 122
NCH: 253
CH: 218
LBW: 145
ELA: 376
W&P: 310
AMEC: 157
“He Lives”
found in:
UMH: 310
AAHH: 119
NCH: 226
ELA: 302
“Christ Is Alive”
found in:
UMH: 318
H82: 182
PH: 108
LBW: 363
ELA: 389
W&P: 312
Renew: 300
“Surely the Presence of the Lord”
found in:
UMH: 328
NNBH: 129
CH: 263
W&P: 131
Renew: 167
“Spirit Song”
found in:
UMH: 347
AAHH: 321
CH: 352
W&P: 352
“Now Thank We All Our God”
found in:
UMH: 102
H82: 396, 397
PH: 555
NNBH: 230
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533, 534
ELA: 839, 840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT: 23
“He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought”
found in:
UMH: 128
AAHH: 142
NNBH: 35
CH: 545
LBW: 501
W&P: 499
AMEC: 395
“As We Gather”
found in:
CCB: 12
Renew: 6
“You Are”
found in:
CCB: 23
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who comes to meet us in the Christ: Grant us the grace to open our lives to Jesus, to make his presence manifest in our worship and then to follow him into the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, because you come to us as the Christ. We pray that you will help us to open our lives to Jesus and invite him to dwell within us. Help us to show forth his presence in our worship so that others may meet him as well. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to seek Jesus in our worship.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have come into our presence in the risen Christ, and we have been unaware of him. We have been busy greeting friends, making sure no one is sitting in our spot, and checking the bulletin to see if we approve of the hymns and songs. We pay more attention to how long the readings and the sermon are than we do to what the Christ is trying to say to us. Forgive us, and call us back to seeking the Christ who seeks us. Amen.
Leader: The risen Christ is seeking us. Welcome his presence and share it with others.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
All praise and glory are yours, O God, because you come to be with us. Your presence fills our world and our lives.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have come into our presence in the risen Christ, and we have been unaware of him. We have been busy greeting friends, making sure no one is sitting in our spot, and checking the bulletin to see if we approve of the hymns and songs. We pay more attention to how long the readings and the sermon are than we do to what the Christ is trying to say to us. Forgive us, and call us back to seeking the Christ who seeks us.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you make yourself known to us. We thank you for the comfort of your presence in times of distress, and for your prodding when we get off-track.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all those in need this day. We pray especially that we might all be aware of your presence and grace around us. We pray for those who feel they are not worthy of your presence. Help us to show those around us your constant love for all your children.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk about how the air is always around us but we often don’t notice it. We might be aware of it if the wind is blowing hard or if we see smoke blowing around us. We can move our hands and feel it against our skin, or we can blow on our hands and feel it. We can even blow up a balloon and release it and see the air make the balloon fly around. Jesus is always with us, but like the air we are not always aware of his presence. Worship is the special time when we look for signs of Jesus and try to make others aware of him. We sing hymns, we say prayers, we listen to scripture and sermons. We care and love each other. In our hearts and spirits we find Jesus.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Seeing Jesus on the Emmaus Road
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Luke 24:13-35
Supplies: a Bible; a loaf of bread (unsliced) wrapped in a towel or other cloth
(Gather the children and welcome them.) Do any of you have a favorite blanket, doll, or stuffed animal that you slept with or carried around with you when you were really little? You might not carry it around anymore, but did you ever have something like this? (As the children raise their hands to indicate that they have or had something special like this, invite each to tell what item they each have.)
Think about this special blanket or stuffed item -- do you remember what it looked like when you first got it?
When I was younger, I had a special blanket. I slept with it every night. All the way through middle school, I slept with that blanket. It started out pink and soft -- fuzzy flannel on one side, smooth satin on the other side. I used to rub it between my fingers to help me go to sleep at night.
By the time I started high school, that little pink blanket wasn’t pink anymore. It was sort of gray. It didn’t look much like a blanket anymore, either. It was a scrap of threads. You could hardly recognize it as the same blanket. But I knew it was mine, even if it looked and felt different. It was special to me -- it always would be!
How about your special item -- has it changed over time? Does it look different? Does it feel different? How do you know it is yours? How do you know it’s the same item that you’ve always loved?
(Tell the children that in these Sundays after Easter, you are reading about events that happened with the disciples after Easter, then open the Bible to Luke 24.)
In today’s Bible reading, two disciples were walking down the road after Jesus had died. They talked about their friend Jesus and how they missed him. A stranger came along and asked the two disciples what they were talking about ? and guess who the stranger was? Jesus! Of course it was Jesus! All of our stories after Easter are going to be about Jesus!
So Jesus walks up to them on the road and asks the disciples what they are talking about -- do you think they know that the stranger is Jesus?
No! They don’t recognize him!
This person whom they loved, whom they were going to miss so much, whom they had spent so much time with... and they didn’t recognize him! He didn’t look the same. It was weird, but they just didn’t know him!
The disciples asked the stranger: “Are you the only person who hasn’t heard what has happened these past few days?!?!” Then they began to tell Jesus about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. On hearing this, Jesus told them about what Moses and the prophets said about him in the scriptures. Still, the disciples didn’t know that they were talking to Jesus!
(Place the wrapped bread in your lap and begin to unwrap it.) As it was getting closer to nighttime, the three men stopped to eat and rest.As they were sitting together at the table, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. (As you say tell this part of the story, take the bread, break it in half, and hold it out toward the children.)
Then their eyes were opened, and the disciples recognized Jesus.
Can you imagine how they must have felt? Here they had been walking and talking with Jesus, and they didn’t even know it was him.
It wasn’t until he did something familiar with them -- until he broke the bread and shared it -- that they could tell that he was their beloved Jesus.
You and I don’t know why the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus. We don’t know what he looked like before or after he was crucified. But we do have things to help us see Jesus with us right here.
We have bread -- like this bread.
We have communion -- the celebration when we share the bread and cup like Jesus shared with his friends at his last supper.
We have the Bible -- which tells us about God and Jesus and God’s people.
We have the church -- the group of people gathered in our worship space today -- who show us how Jesus loves and how Jesus treats other.
When we gather as God’s people, we see Jesus. He promises to be with us wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name.
Prayer: Open our eyes, Jesus, so we can see you in this place. Help us to see you in the people we love, and in the people who love you. Let us hold you close, like we hold our favorite blanket or stuffed animal, for you give us love and comfort and peace. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 30, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
