Ghost Stories: Road to Emmaus RUMC April 24. 2016

Ghost Stories: Road to Emmaus

RUMC April 24. 2016

Dead man walking… or should I say formerly dead man walking. This is not a scene from “Night of The Living Dead.” This Jesus is very much alive.

 Jesus is very alive walking along the road to Emmaus with Cleopas and his companion. They talk. He talks and they do a lot of listening, but these guys were spiritually blind.

•           They were blind to the prophecies of the scriptures… They knew them in their heads, but they just couldn’t see the whole picture.

•           They were blind to how Jesus fit into that story of scripture… They couldn’t see how the messiah could come to such a tragic end.

•           They were blind to the reality of the resurrection… Yes, they had been told that he had been raised, but without seeing, they just could not believe.

•           They were blind to the presence of God among them… even when Jesus himself was walking beside them...

•           They were blind to hope

•           Blind to the kingdom

•           Blind to life

•           Blind to the greatest miracle of all time.

The truth is their kingdom eyes were shut tight.

•           I sometimes try to pretend I am blind… as an excuse for not noticing that Robyn got her hair done, or new glasses, or a new outfit… but I don’t think she believes me.

•           Other times I don’t have to pretend. I can look and look for something and not see it. The other night it was Noah’s flip-flop… he had it on his foot one minute and the next he didn’t. We looked and looked. He finally went home and I looked and looked again… do you know where I found it? Lying in plain sight not 10 feet from where I was sitting. Don’t even laugh… because you have done the same thing.

In all honesty… in all seriousness there are also times when our spiritual eyes are shut tight.

•           We keep our eyes closed so that we neither see nor smell the guy who smells funny when he asks us for a couple of bucks.

•           In the name of minding our own business, we shut our eyes to the neighbor who runs out of food before they run out of month.

•           We turn a blind eye to the emaciated children on TV justifying it with something like “someone else will help them.”

•           Like the two men from Emmaus, we are blind to the fact that we are not alone on this road of life. Jesus walks right beside us as our companion and guide every step of the way.

•           Like the men on the road, we are blind to the wondrous miracles that God is doing in our midst. Yes, we try to point them our here on Sunday morning… but to be honest even the church is blind to probably blind to 90% of the “miraculousness” around us.

•           Like the Emmaus men on that first Easter day, we know the story of the Bible or at least our favorite parts, but too often, we just can’t see what it has to do with us us.

When it comes to our kingdom eyes… either we have them closed tight, or we are honestly completely blind.

The good news is that at the other end of his ministry, at the beginning, Jesus preached from the prophet Isaiah, saying. "The spirit of the lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind…"  He promised RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND! On that first Easter Evening, Jesus was there to make good on his promise. Jesus opened the kingdom eyes of Cleopas and his companion.

While walking along the road to Emmaus, with their human eyes, they saw only the human Jesus, they saw the suffering Jesus, they saw the dead Jesus hanging on the cross. That’s all they could see.

Then Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and handed each of them a piece.  And immediately they recognized him. RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND! Just as Jesus promised, he gave them “kingdom eyes. “

For them it came in the breaking of the bread… for us it MAY happen in the sacraments in the breaking of the bread or the pouring of the water… but it can just as easily happen when we are reading scripture, when we are on a retreat, when we are in worship, on the job, or with our families. Or when we serve the least of these: the smelly, the dirty, the homeless, they very young and the very old, the vulnerable.

The good news is that for those who will see… Jesus offers recovery of sight and replaces our blindness with 20/20 kingdom vision.

"The spirit of the lord is upon us, because he anointed us to preach the gospel to the

poor. He has sent us to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind…"

We have seen glimpses of kingdom vision from time to time.

•           This congregation and its leaders had Kingdom eyes when we saw that the children and families were not coming on Sunday and we started LIGHT for them.

•           Carol Mayberry had kingdom eyes when she said; “You know maybe we could be part of this project building grain bin homes in Haiti.”

•           We had kingdom eyes when Jim Ellenberger saw an opportunity to be part of a miracle and the leadership team didn’t bat an eyelash appropriating special money to support last year’s GR8 event to speak to the brokenness in our school district.

•           Amanda had kingdom eyes when she wondered if we might be able to use Halloween to share God’s love with children in our neighborhood and she led us in Trunk or Treat.

•           Jennifer had kingdom eyes when she saw an opportunity to thank the many, many people who make LIGHT possible while offering the kids an opportunity to do the servant work of kingdom making.

•           The youth have kingdom eyes when they sign up to give up a week of their vacation to go sleep on the floor of a church, and work their tails off for people they have never met in Chicago or Indianapolis this summer.

RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND… We can see with kingdom eyes if we will. Whether it is in the breaking of the bread, or the breaking of our hearts, let us see the kingdom miracles that God is doing among us, and kingdom opportunities God is offering us.

 But the kingdom of God is not only out there… is in here. And once we have seen the world with kingdom eyes, we have to turn our kingdom eyes to ourselves asking “Where is the kingdom of God alive and well in us?”

Sometimes seeing the kingdom alive in ourselves is kind of like trying to see the back of our heads or lick our elbow.

•           I promise you, however, if you look at yourself with kingdom eyes you will see the kingdom of God alive and well in your loving and your serving.

•           If you look at yourself with kingdom eyes, you will see the kingdom of God in your gifts, skills, and passions.

•           If you look at yourself with kingdom eyes, you will see all kinds of Kingdom potential to change the world for God.

Like I said, however, seeing the kingdom alive in ourselves is kind of like trying to see the back of our heads or lick our elbow. (I know you are dying to try to lick your elbow just because I mentioned it. Researchers say 75% of people will try to lick their elbows when they are told they can’t… but please wait until you get in the car.)

Anyway…let’s help each other. Instead of looking for the kingdom in ourselves, it is much easier to see the kingdom of God in our neighbor. Look at your neighbor with kingdom eyes. Where is the kingdom of God at work in them? What are their kingdom gifts? What are their kingdom skills? What are their kingdom passions? What are their kingdom ministries? There are post it notes and pencils in the pews… we have plenty. I want you to take a pencil and two post-it notes. Now, looking at your neighbor with kingdom eyes I want you to write a gift your neighbor has, a skill they have, a passion they have, or a ministry your neighbor does or could do for the kingdom of God. Write it on the Post-it note and put it on your neighbor.

There are a couple of rules

•           One gift or ministry per post it

•           Don’t put it on the back of their head where they can’t see it. Put it on an arm, a leg, or the torso where they can see the kingdom gifts that you see in them. Take 30 seconds to do that to those sitting near you so that everyone has at least two notes naming what they look like through kingdom eyes.

<<<>>>

Wasn’t that fun? Now, take at least two more notes and I want you to get up and move around using you kingdom eyes, look for the kingdom in other people here today. Place additional kingdom notes on as many people as you can in one minute. I want to see you up, moving around, and making kingdom notes for all of our brothers and sisters in the kingdom.

<<<>>> 

FREEZE…just stay where you are for a minute. Look around you. Look at all the kingdom notes. Look at yourself. Look at all the kingdom notes others have placed on you. Take a minute to read all the notes people have placed on you. Each of these notes names either

•           a way you are in ministry or

•           A way you could be in ministry.

 One of our goals as a congregation this year is every person in ministry…

Get it? Each of these notes names either

•           a way you are in ministry or

•           A way you could be in ministry.

This is what we are talking about… seeing with kingdom eyes where the needs and hurts and hopes of the world intersect with the love, the gifts, and the skills God has placed in us.

Look at those kingdom notes again. Pick one that appeals to you. Pick a note that grabs your attention, one that is close to your heart, one for which you have a special passion.

•           If you have a gift or ministry in mind and it is not there, don’t worry, go ahead, and make a note for yourself.

•           If you can’t decide between two notes, take both of them.

Take the note that most appeal to you and write your name on it. It is yours and no one else can do it in just the way you can. While we are singing, “This is amazing grace” go ahead and each of you bring you favorite note up here and put it on the cross. If walking is hard for you, send it up with someone else. I want a note from each of you up here. Come and offer your ministry while we sing.

<<<This is amazing grace>>>switch to ipad but keep the PowerPoint up in easyworship

 This is the amazing grace is that if I take my ministry and give it to Jesus I can only do so much,

 But 70 of you bring your gifts up here my gift is multiplied over and over.

But that’s not all because your gift is multiplied over and over too.

Look at that… not with human math, but with kingdom math.

Not with human eyes, but with kingdom eyes.

•           One person can love, but multiply that by 70 and see the kingdom come.

•           One person can offer hope, but multiply that by 70 and see the kingdom come.

•           One person can help someone, but multiply that by 70 and see the kingdom come.

•           One person can pray with someone, but imagine the power of multiplying that prayer by 70 and see the kingdom come.

•           One person can share their faith with someone , but multiply that by 70 you better hold on to your hat because the kingdom of God is upon us.

Do you see it? Do you see the kingdom around us?

Do you see the kingdom around you and in you?

If not, look again using your kingdom eyes because I guarantee you it is here.

Benediction:

May the kingdom of God surround us.

May the kingdom of God be in you.

May thy kingdom and thy will be done is us as it is in heaven.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN

Ghost Stories: morning of the living dead (Jesus just won’t stay dead) April 10, 2016 RUMC

Ghost Stories: morning of the living dead (Jesus just won’t stay dead)

April 10, 2016 RUMC

 The director of Christian Aid Mission in Amman, Jordan, tells of a man who came into his office, and revealed the reason why he originally came to the refugee camp. "I came to kill you," he told the director. "But last night I saw Jesus, and I want to know what are you teaching—who is this One who held me back from killing you?"

The Christian missionaries in the camp introduced him to the teachings of Christ.

After receiving the love and compassion of the Christian missionaries, the former jihadist "Received Christ with tears, and today he's actually becoming a leader in the church.”

Stories of Jesus appearing in person or in dreams are not really all that unusual, so for a few weeks we are going to focus on the 40 days after Easter before Jesus ascended back to heaven These are great stories about the resurrected Christ repeatedly appearing in bodily form to the disciples and others in Jerusalem and Galilee before he ascended to reign at the right hand of God.

I call this series “Ghost Stories,” because when we think of encounters with the dead that is what we imagine. The stories we tell around campfires are packed with accounts of people or hands, or hearts coming back from death. Frankenstein and Zombie movies do the same thing. And of course there is Friday the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th, because Jason just would not stay dead. I know I am warped, but I love to watch those stupid movies.

 Perhaps this particular sermon should be entitled “ The morning of the living dead…. Because Jesus just won’t stay dead.”

Far from being scary ghost stories, however, each of these Bible stories teach us something about Jesus and something about ourselves. Let us take a look at the very first time Jesus appeared to anyone after his death.

  Mary Magdalene… we all know the name, but how well do you know her story? Luke chapter 8 tells us that Jesus cast seven demons out of her. Now we know that seven is the number of completion so the point is that she was completely filled with demons.

Mary Magdalene is mentioned 11 times in the Gospels. In church history, she became a symbol for repentant sinners who come to Christ from very checkered backgrounds. Some people think she was the woman caught in adultery , but there is no evidence in the text to support that. Others suggest she was the “sinful woman” who anointed the feet of Jesus in Luke , but the Bible doesn’t say that either. There a tradition that identifies her as a former “professional” woman, but there is no reason to say that based on the facts. Some have claimed that she had a relationship with Jesus that went beyond Rabbi and Disciple. There is absolutely no evidence for that either. Honestly we don’t know that much about Mary Magdalene

This much we know. Some women went to the tomb early on that first Easter Sunday morning. The different gospels name different women, but there is only one name that appears in all four gospels: Mary Magdalene.

When they arrived at the tomb, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. An angel told them that Christ was risen from the dead and that they should go and tell his disciples that they were to go to Galilee to meet him . It seems that the women split up in order to go and tell the disciples, with Mary Magdalene going to tell Peter and John. Upon hearing her words, Peter and John ran to the tomb. Mary also returned to the tomb. But after the men returned home, Mary stayed alone at the empty tomb.

She stayed and wept. Actually the word is she wailed. She cried hard and loud. She was devastated.

She was devastated because Jesus had been the victim of injustice.

She was devastated because her Master had been betrayed by a money-hungry disciple.

She was devastated because he had been falsely condemned in a bogus trial by an unrighteous judge.

She was devastated because he had suffered a cruel death at the hands of indifferent and callous soldiers.

She was devastated because and he was placed in a borrowed grave given by a secret disciple.

She was devastated because she just wanted one more moment with her lord and master, and it would never come.

She was devastated because she just wanted to give Jesus one last act of love and honor by caring for his now lifeless body and she couldn’t because the body was missing. All her hopes about Jesus and his kingdom had been dashed.

Weeping, Mary thinks she is alone. She looks into the tomb, however, and discovers that two angels are there, one at the head and the other at the foot of where the body of Jesus had been. The custom at Jewish internments was for the two chief mourners to sit beside the body, one at its head and one at its feet. When other relatives came in, they would see disconsolate mourners. But when Mary looked inside the tomb she did not see any mourners. Instead, she saw angels with a happy expression on their faces.

Obviously, the first time the angels said, “He is not here; He is risen just as he said.” Mary had heard, but not fully absorbed the words of the angels. As she was speaking to the angels, she turned round and saw a stranger she assumed was the gardener. It was Jesus but she did not recognize him. Perhaps because tears clouded her eyes, perhaps because grief and hopelessness clouded her perception.

Jesus asks the same question as the angels concerning her tears. He listened to her plea to tell her where the body is.

And then, I am never sure how to read the next word. Jesus says…

“Mary” just to get her attention?

Or “Mary!” as in I am so disappointed that you do not understand?

Or “Oh, Mary….” As in I’m so sorry you’re hurting.

Whatever Jesus’ inflection… he used her most intimate name in Aramaic.

It is although a light came on in her head… she realized that this was not the gardener, but Jesus himself. As soon as it registerd, Mary threw herself at his feet and cried out ‘Rabboni,’ which means ‘my dear Master’. It is the title used only by the teacher’s most intimate circle of disciples. It would be like Peters’ declaration “My Lord and My God!”

One word from Jesus changed everything. Hearing her name on Jesus’ lips, there was a second resurrection that day. By just speaking her name Mary was raised from her emotional and spiritual death.

Her devastation over his treatment… her emptiness over his death…. Her anger at those who treated him with contempt… her fear of what would be… all changed. Mary’s spirit had died with Jesus and with one word… one personal word … life and light rushed back into her spirit.

The next time she saw Peter and John and the other disciples, she had a different message for them. Not the message of despair and hopelessness “His body y is missing and we don’t know where they have put him.” … but a joyful message of resurrection. “I have seen the Lord!” Not a word of death… he is missing… but a word of life I have seen him. It is hard for us to understand the transformation that happened in Mary in that split second. But let me try to unpack it.

 Let me use the two questions from the story

Why are you weeping? and whom do you seek.?

Let’s start with the first question… why are you weeping? Oh, I know, I don’t see any of you wailing this morning, but we all have reasons to weep. Mary wept because her hope had been killed.

Maybe you find yourself standing at the grave of someone you love begging for just one more moment.

Maybe you weep inside over a relationship… with your spouse, your child, your parent, or a friend, and yearn for forgiveness and for things to be the way they used to be.

Maybe something inside of you has died and you no longer have dreams or hopes.

Maybe someone you love, or someone you hardly know, cut your heart out with a sharp word of criticism.

Maybe you weep over what could have been if you had taken a different path.

Maybe your heart is broken for the homeless child, the malnourished child, the displaced family, the unemployed neighbor, the friend who just entered hospice, or the person you saw in the grocery store who was so weak and fragile from chemotherapy that they could hardly put one foot in front of another.

Why are you weeping?

Why are you weeping? We weep out of powerlessness and despair. We stand and weep because we have tried everything and there is nothing we ourselves can do.

What is it that you need most? What is it that you most wish you could fix? What is it that breaks your heart? What is it that kills your hope? Why are you weeping?

And then the second question is whom do you seek?

When you bend down to look in the tomb, what are you hoping to see?

Are you seeking hope, joy, love, peace, forgiveness, friendship, salvation?

Whom do you seek? If you are looking for a miracle worker in a white coat, it probably won’t come.

Whom do you seek? If you are hoping for a white night to come rescue you from this dungeon of death, it probably won’t happen.

Whom do you seek? If you are looking for the ability to solve your problem, you are probably barking up the wrong tree. If you could, you would have by now and you would not be weeping at the dark grave.

If you are seeking what has been; the old relationship that is now gone, the old job, the good old days, the days when you didn’t hurt, you are staring into an empty abyss because those things never coming back. Your wailing will just echo right back at you from inside that empty tomb.

For whom was Mary looking? Jesus.

Mary was looking for Jesus and met him face to face.

Mary was looking for Jesus, she heard her name, “Mary” in a familiar voice.

Mary was looking for Jesus and through her tears, she became the very first person to have a personal encounter with the risen Christ.

Even standing in that very dark place, Mary was the very first person to encounter the risen and victorious Christ.

Even with one foot in the tomb and no hope whatsoever, Mary was looking for Jesus and she was the first person to have a personal experience with the Christ who conquered sin that keeps us from being all that God wants us to be.

Even standing in a graveyard, Mary was the first to have a personal experience with the victorious Christ who conquered death, hell and the grave.

Mary was the very first person who sought to see Jesus after the resurrection.… but she was not the last. Through the last 21 centuries, millions have sought an encounter with the risen and victorious Christ and everyone who seeks him walks away changed.

 What about you? Whom do you seek ? Have you had an encounter with the risen and victorious Christ? Maybe not in the same way that Mary or the jihadist did, because Jesus comes to each and every one of us in a uniquely personal way. But have you had that encounter with the risen and victorious Christ? Have you heard Christ call your name?

The long running game show the price is right is famous for saying “come on down.” You’re the next contestant on The Price is Right!” What would you be feeling if you were in that audience, waiting your name? What emotions would you be going through? Fear? Joy? Excitement? Hope? Bubbling over with the potential to be getting lots of great things?

Perhaps none of us will ever be offered the chance to win big on a game show, But each of us is offered a chance to win big, to get things we don’t deserve, to be part of a wonderful plan. And each of us is guaranteed to win.

We are guaranteed that if we seek Jesus, he will come and call your name. If you cry out to him, he will call out your name and say “come on down”. <<< call some names… come on down>>>.

Jesus calls you by name to “come on down, “ not to play a game, but to experience life like you have never experienced it before. Jesus calls you by name to “come on down,” not to win a prize in which you can sit and drive away, but to win the prize of life with him that will drive away your hopelessness sand despair. Jesus calls you by name to “come on down, “ not to hug Drew Carey on national television , but to see the face of God, to be embraced by his nail pierced arms, and to walk away from the dark tomb and its dry bones. To walk with him toward the promise of eternal life starting right here and right now. Come on down.

As we sing because he lives, I invite you to come on down to the altar rail for the first or the 101st time--- to commit or recommit your life to the one who calls you to come on down and encounter the risen Christ. If you want time just you and Jesus kneel anywhere. If you want someone to pray with you, just come and kneel right next to me.

Live Wet April 3, 2016 Confirmation and Baptism

Live Wet

April 3, 2016

Confirmation and Baptism

   “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.”

That’s part of the trouble with Christians today. Jesus is living water but we are dying of thirst. There is abundant life, but we choose death.

Jesus was on his way to Galilee from Jerusalem. In order to get there he had to go through a region called Samaria. Now the Samaritans and the Jews worshipped the same God, but just like modern denominations, they disagreed about some things. Specifically, the Samaritans had at one time intermarried with non-Jews, and believed that God should be worshipped on Mount Gerazim instead of Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Frankly, they adhered to the Torah (the first 5 books of our Old Testament) more closely than the Jews did. But the two groups had a deep seated and long running hatred of each other. (That is why the story of the GOOD Samaritan was so scandalous to the Jews.)

Jesus could have gone around Samaria, but that was a much longer trip, and it seems that he had a point to make. He spots a woman at Jacob’s well and asks for a drink. They banter about Jews and Samaritans for a moment and then Jesus tells her,     “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked and he would have given you living water.”  He went on to say     “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drinks of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty… it will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life..”

   Jesus is talking about life and death here. Remember he lived in a desert region. In the desert, water is as good as gold. And living water (that is flowing water, not well water) is even better. It is fresh, and clean, and cold, and ever-renewing. At least 60% of the adult body is made of water and every living cell in the body needs it to keep functioning. Water acts as a lubricant for our joints, regulates our body temperature, and removes waste. The longest a person can go without water seems to be a week — but 3 days would be more typical.

   Baptism and confirmation, which is a baptism renewal, brings us  Jesus’ gift of that living water, that life giving water, that  water that gushes up to eternal life. It should not be somber, formal, occasions.    Going to a baptism or confirmation should be more like going to a water park, than a funeral. We should have that tickle in our tummies that comes with a great water slide. We should come out dripping with joy, and soaking wet in grace. So let’s LIVE WET!

Baptism is celebration of the gift of living water. Baptism and confirmation is a celebration that “the water gushing up to eternal life” is gushing up in our youth. So let’s celebrate… let’s LIVE WET!

How do we do that? What does it mean to LIVE WET?

 First LIVING WET means jumping in head first and splashing around in God’s grace. LIVING WET means letting the ever-nourishing, ever-refreshing, and ever-cleansing, and ever-life-giving, living water of Christ continually flow over us and through us. Biologically we cannot live without H20. Spiritually we cannot live if we are not bathed in, soaked in, and showered with the living water that is Jesus Christ. 

Katie was being baptized, but her three-year-old brother, Peter saw the pitcher of water and spent the entire baptism asking for a drink. When it was over Peter finally got his drink. Before anyone could stop him, he picked up the pitcher in both hands and brought it up to his mouth, and he was immediately soaked in the waters of baptism.

Oh if we could all be that anxious to be bathed in living water!!

In practical terms, LIVING WET means staying close to the source of living water, Jesus himself, so that you can experience his love, know his word, and grow in Discipleship. It means that we immerse ourselves deep of the refreshing waters of prayer, and the nourishing waters of Bible study, the invigorating waters of worship and communion, and let the love giving waves of Christian community wash over us again and again. We come up for air, but we do it all over again. Enjoying the living water of Christ is a lifelong effort that leads to a lifelong, life giving relationship with Jesus himself.

 Second LIVING WET means dripping living water everywhere we go. Leaving wet footprints of God’s grace in your living room and kitchen. Leaving wet footprints of God’s love in your school and your job. Leaving wet footprints of  justice and compassion on the streets and in the stores. Leaving wet footprints of love and forgiveness in all of your friendships and with every stranger you meet.  Leaving wet footprints of the Kingdom of God all over the world, anywhere you go outside of these doors.

Living wet… is my way of saying that we have to be the hands, and feet, and heart of Christ. Living wet is all about living as Christ would have us live. Living wet requires that we remember that we have been given the power to forgive, comfort, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, act with justice, love tenderly, serve others, and to walk humbly with God. Living wet means that we drip the fruits of the spirit wherever we go:  a drop of love here, dribble of joy there, a puddle of peace there, a sprinkle of patience, a pool of kindness, a shower of goodness, a spray of faithfulness, a spurt of gentleness, and more than a few drops of  self-control. Living wet is to dribble God’s love all over our families, community, and our world.

 Today we stand knee-deep in the waters of baptism. We have a choice to make, whether we should dive in headfirst or make a quick retreat to the safety of the pew. In other words, confirmands, there is still time to escape … but if you stay… and I hope you will… It’s time to take a chance. It is time to take a chance and LIVE WET, dive in head first into the deep cool pool of God’s love and grace.

Come on in the water’s fine… last one in is a rotten egg!