Which Parts of this Story Stand Out to You?

 

The Pilgrims of Emmaus on the Road by James Tissot

Luke 24:13-35

That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem.  They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.

He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?”

They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?”

He said, “What has happened?”

They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel.                                                                      

And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.  Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.”

Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” 

Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.

They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.   

Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?”  

They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up—Simon saw him!”  

Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread. 

As I read this story slowly, out loud, I was watching Jesus. He walked with two disciples and talked with them, probably for about an hour.  First, he listened carefully to what they were concerned about.  Once he knew what was on their minds and what they needed help with, he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.

That’s a lot of time and a lot of scripture to explain!  Is God inviting us into that kind of relationship?

I also noticed that it was only when they broke bread together, did they recognize him as the Risen Christ.  And then he disappeared!  Is that how we recognize Jesus, in hindsight, after He has  walked beside us and helped us to understand and cope with a very difficult trial?

Our journey of Eastertide began at the tomb, and ends this week, gathering at The Lord's Table once again. We will immerse ourselves in this story of disciples like us, who were on the road, grappling with things that had happened to them, and all the emotions they felt.  

“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”  ― Frederick Buechner, Now and Then

Isn’t Peace What We All Want?

As we continue to celebrate Easter, we return on Sunday to the disciples’ interaction with the risen Christ:

John 20 MSG

Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.

The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

I notice that Jesus, feeling the disciples' fear, and wanting SO strongly for them to let go of this fear, says “Peace to you” twice in the same conversation.  

Why are the disciples so fearful?  Do they not trust Jesus and believe all the things that he had told them?  Could this mistrust have anything to do with sin?

“St. Ignatius of Loyola notes that sin is unwillingness to trust that what God wants is our deepest happiness. Until I am absolutely convinced of this, I will do everything I can to keep my hands on the controls of my life, because I think I know better than God what I need for fulfillment.” David Benner

Notice that once the disciples see Jesus with their own eyes and realize it is Jesus, they are filled with awe rather than fear.  Understanding this, Jesus adds to his blessing of peace an instruction to go and make peace with others…to forgive others.

Now they have another challenge, and one that we often face in our own relationships.  What might peace look like, when they (or we) are not ready to forgive?  

It might help to remind ourselves of what Jesus said on the cross, “Forgive them, they know not what they do.”  Perhaps forgiving others is not condoning their behaviour, but rather releasing OURSELVES from our feelings of anger towards them.  

Sometimes, in the middle of our fears and feelings, all we can do is to receive his peace. We may not feel it, but he offers it over and over. As many times as we need to hear it. 

I hope to see you on Sunday when we will meet with the Spirit “to mend the body, mind and soul, to disentangle peace from pain and let him make his broken people whole.” (apologies to John Bell).

What Does Jesus Show Us About Trusting God?

 

The Upper Room, 2014

This week we return with the disciples to the Upper Room, to experience stories about believing.

John 20. 19-31

Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.

The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting:  “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

In this world that teaches us to believe the lies that we have to be successful, right, independent, and in control, what does Jesus show us about trusting God instead?

As I read this passage, I notice Jesus focusing his attention on Thomas. I don't see any blame or shame, only love. He patiently guides Thomas to touch and to believe. Perhaps he's saying to us, "it's OK to doubt. I love you anyway. I'll show you how to believe."

Thomas found out first hand about Jesus' love and patience with him.  Jesus helped him to believe by guiding him to the thing that Thomas needed, not anyone else, but Thomas. Jesus knew Thomas so well that he guided Thomas to seeing and touching. 

Jesus knows each of us this well too. For example, when we doubt that he will work things out for us, we can ask him to show us the places in our lives where he has been active, and he will show us.  He is patient with us; he knows that transformation takes time.

Some of you have shared your deep trust in God with me over the years.  I remember these conversations warmly, and things you have said have been very helpful to me.  Thank you. 

Have You Been Transformed?

Now that Lent, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday are fading into the past, have you been transformed?  Have you been able to let go of the need to be right, successful, independent, or in control?  Are you better able to really understand FEAR as a Falsehood Experienced As Reality?  If you feel like you're only part way there, know that you are not alone and that our God of infinite patience and love will carry us through to the other side. 

I may have learned a few things during Lent, but have I really let go of the need to be right, independent and in control?  Perhaps I, and maybe you, need more time…

I wonder how the disciples felt after the resurrection?  Puzzled, reassured, discombobulated, out of control?  Let's watch them return to the comfort of their old patterns:

John 21. 1-14  MSG

After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee)  This is how he did it: Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter announced, “I’m going fishing.”

The rest of them replied, “We’re going with you.”   They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn’t recognize him.  

Jesus spoke to them: “Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?”

They answered, “No.” 

He said, “Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens.” 

They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren’t strong enough to pull it in. 

Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Master!”

When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren’t far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it. 

Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.”  Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore—153 big fish!  And even with all those fish, the net didn’t rip. 

Jesus said, “Breakfast is ready.” Not one of the disciples dared ask, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Master. 

Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead.

The disciples returned to their old way of life, and Jesus met them and fed them yet again. And so it is for us…we will return again to the Lord's Table on Sunday; I hope that you can join us.

PS  I found these writings about transformation comforting, as I live into my own slow, post-resurrection attempt.

On the day you cease to change you cease to live. - Anthony de Mello, SJ

If you’re feeling a little restless, a little unfinished, or a little spiritually bruised, you’re not broken. You’re just being honest. And that’s a very good place to begin. - Kate Bowler

Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.  —Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, excerpted from Hearts on Fire

Image by Freepik

Where Did You and Jesus Meet This Week?

 Where did you and Jesus meet this week?

Garden of Gethsemane, 2014

Did you sit with him… pray with him…eat with him…follow him, perhaps?  Watch while his friends denied and betrayed him…while he was crucified…buried?   

Jesus and I went to Gethsemane. We went with hopes that our friends would support us and pray with us. Unlike Jesus, I was not disappointed.  Tears of joy for me, while Jesus sank into a pit of suffocating darkness. (Mark 14:33)

Today, on this Holy Saturday, will you sit perhaps with his mother, Mary…or one of his friends?  It is hard, isn't it, when we know the end of the story, to stay in that place, with the memory of horrific events.  We want so badly to move on to Easter. 

I'm reflecting on the time Jesus and I shared during Lent.  How did he help me?  How did he help you?  Did we spend enough time with him?

Easter brings more questions of its own…What does Christ's resurrection mean to each of us individually? To CVC?  To the world?  Tomorrow will be a time of discovery and yet more mystery, as we continue the story:

John 20 (excerpts) NRSV

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance.

Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept,  she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?”

 “They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him.

 Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep?  Who are you looking for?”

 She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.”

Jesus said, “Mary.”

Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!” 

Jesus said, “Don’t cling to me…

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

I hope you can join us as we celebrate the joy of this Easter discovery in true CVC style - with singing!

What Image Comes to your Mind When Palm Sunday is Mentioned?

The image that comes to me is not a palm branch, but Jesus riding on a colt. 

Painting by James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum

In my imagination, the crowd welcoming him shouts “Hosanna in the Highest!

Hosanna is an Aramaic word meaning "Save us, we beseech you".  The phrase "in the highest" suggests a plea for divine intervention and salvation from heaven.

As we near the end of our Lenten journey, we come to Palm Sunday, the day when all of those contradictory names for Jesus begin to come to a climax in a grand yet humble, celebratory yet weeping mystery…a triumphant(?) entry into Jerusalem. In one short story we see the demonstration of the King and Servant, Shepherd and Lamb.  If ever there was a mystery story, this is it…so much contradiction…a king on a colt.

Luke 19. 28-48 MSG (excerpts)

Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem. When he got near the mountain called Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: “Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you’ll find a colt tethered, one that has never been ridden.   Untie it and bring it.If anyone says anything, asks, ‘What are you doing?’ say, ‘His Master needs him.’”

 

The two left and found it just as he said.

 

They brought the colt to Jesus. Then, throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. As he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street.

Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed:

 

Blessed is he who comes, the king in God’s name! 

All’s well in heaven! Glory in the high places!

Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, “Teacher, get your disciples under control!”  

But he said, “If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.”

When the city came into view, he wept over it.  “If you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you!”

I hope you can join us on Sunday to tell the Palm Sunday story. Please come 10 minutes early for a "Story Rehearsal."  We are going to enter into the Palm Sunday parade as full participants.  (We've sung all the music we'll be singing before, but some is not super familiar.)

We will also continue to share our Joys and Concerns with each other.  As we greet each other before worship, celebrating and checking in with friends we haven't seen for a week, remember that the news we share are joys and concerns that we can all pray for!  Simply pause, make a note on the slip provided and drop it in the plate.

How Has God Helped You Let Go of Something During Lent?

As we move closer to Palm Sunday, I'm beginning to ask myself this question.  Have I made any progress on letting go of control and independence?

Tax season in our house is always a bit busy with phone calls and visitors.  This past week we have added the chaotic, stressful mess of big and small plumbing leaks and a broken dryer.  The plumbers have been here twice; the dryer repairman once.  

Throughout this process, God has been teaching me something about the control that I prayed I could let go of this Lent.  He is teaching me that control is a complete illusion.  I’m realizing how little control I have, and I'm praying every day for the grace to let go of this illusion.  I’ve learned that I can’t give this up alone - I need God’s help.

In the midst of the chaos, I have also experienced the peace of the Holy Spirit.  The truth of Psalm 62:5-6 has never been more evident:

In GOD alone is my soul at rest.

God is the source of my hope.

In God I find shelter, my rock, and my safety.

I have also learned how dependent I am on other people and that receiving help to solve serious problems calls for tremendous gratitude.  We hear this in the scripture reading for this Sunday:

Luke 7:36-50  MSG

One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal.     He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.”

Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh? Tell me.”

“Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”

“That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”

Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”

That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!”

He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

I’d love to hear your stories of “Letting Go for Lent”. 

Susan

“Lent is a time of returning to God. It is a time to confess how we keep looking for joy, peace, and satisfaction in the many people and things surrounding us without really finding what we desire. Only God can give us what we want. So we must be reconciled with God… The season of Lent helps us in a special way to cry out for God’s mercy.” –Henri Nouwen

Image by Freepik