Happy Thursday,
Outcast God,
born into poverty in an occupied land,
driven from your land as your family fled violence,
living alongside the marginalized and the oppressed.
dying between criminals to the jeers of the crowd,
Open our eyes,
that we who seek to follow you may recognize your face
in the faces of those who are enslaved.
Open our ears,
that we who seek to hear your word may recognize your love
in the stories which are often drowned out.
Open our hearts,
that we who seek your way of life may be bold in witnessing
to your longing for justice and peace. Amen
We need your presence on the long road, Lord.
The road between fear and hope,
the road between the place where all is lost
and the place of resurrection.
Like the disciples walking the road to Emmaus,
we are in need of your company!
Jesus, stand among us, in your risen power,
let this time of worship, be a hallowed hour
Jesus, our Risen Lord, we recall how you walked with the disciples in their grief and uncertainty on the road to Emmaus. Unable to believe what the women told them, they walked without hope, the light having gone out of the world.
But the tomb was empty! You were not there! How can such an amazing truth be hidden from our eyes?
Lord, we see what we want to see, only able to comprehend what we already know. How is it that after experiencing your miracles, we so easily fall back into our old expectations? Why do we rely on the wisdom of the world, which is foolishness to you?
Jesus, create in us the awe that expects a miracle. Let our grief and uncertainty become the channel to seeing you anew. Astound us with your presence and fill us with your love. Teach our hearts to burn with your Word so that we may believe it and live it in the world.
Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died!
Christ has risen!
Christ will come again!
Good Morning and Happy Sunday!
I hope that your Monday is going well. As I sit here, the eclipse has just concluded. It was pretty amazing even though we didn’t get a huge amount of darkness. I had my approved glasses on and was kind of taken back by what I go to see. Amazing … our entire country glued to the skies, all of one mind, to see this act of nature. I was chatting with a friend who traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to witness the eclipse within the path of totality. Her response:
“I was a reminder, that there is a presence so much bigger and brighter than us. Perfect, amazing, because we as humans, had nothing to do with it.”
A whole lot of truth in that observation. All we had to do was enjoy it! Oh, that we could live our lives led by this ideal … “There is a presence so much bigger and brighter than us.”
With that in mind, the eclipse also made me think about science. We live in a world where science has done so much for each and every one of us. The progress we have made, even in the last 30 years is impressive. I mean, where would we be is we did not have smart phones. Are you with me? So … when scientists can tell us exactly where and when an event like this will take place, to amazing accuracy, it boggles my mind that there are folks who disregard science on so many levels. Science is a gift from God. And what is so wonderful is that with all of the knowledge we have, we also know that this “presence so much bigger and brighter than us,” is at the center of it. Hmmmm … Science and Faith? … a great, divine and holy combination.
This coming Sunday we will visit another amazing post-Easter Jesus sighting story, the Road to Emmaus. It is a road that many of us travel. Metaphorically, it is a road of disappointment, sadness, grief and confusion. I pray that this road reveals for you what Jesus was able to reveal to these grieving disciples.
“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord;
Open the eyes of my heart, I
want to see you, I want to see you.
To see you high and lifted up,
Shining in the light of Your glory.
Pour out you power and love,
As we sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
I look forward to seeing you this weekend in worship. Being the company of our beloved community is what makes my heart smile and gives me the “umph” to waltz into another week. I love being your pastor.
Holding you close and lifting you high!
Pastor Greg
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