Sermon: May 29, 2011

Sermon “Real Royalty – YOU!”

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ May 29, 2011

Psalm 68:1-10 read responsively and I Peter 2:1-10

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Psalm 68:1-10 read responsively
Another “joyful noise” Psalm in which all of creation joins the people of God in praise and adoration.
1Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
3Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Selah
5Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him,
7who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
8Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard,
9who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.
10For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.

I Peter 2:1-10
People of all kinds find their way to church. They often feel like outcasts. The people to whom Peter was writing was a group of dispossessed people, people who had no unifying dignity and identity apart from being a church. What is the story that they hear when they arrive? Peter is telling them that they belong. You may know how they felt. Perhaps you have felt alienated or lost. But in Christ Jesus we are no longer out casts, but part of a Royal Priesthood.

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” 8and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

SERMON
William Loader writes about the imagery used in this passage that:
People together are sacred places and spaces, temples not made with hands. It defines the church not as the building in which we meet but as the building we have become. Our role is to be a space where people engage holiness and sense the presence of God… (Then the writer) draws on another favorite text by which Israel defined itself: a holy priesthood (see: Exodus 19:6.) Now not Israel, but the new believers drawn from among both Jews and Gentiles are to be a "priestly kingdom, a holy nation" or as our text put it: "a chosen people, a royal priesthood", (see: Isaiah: 43:21) a people formed (by) God (for God’s purposes).

Last month much of the world was entranced by another Royal wedding between England’s Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Everything Royal was examined by our avid curiosity. Royal refers to anything connected to a monarchy. We generally see monarchy’s as one hereditary ruler which governs a state: “chief boss,” so to speak. So what does a monarchy have to do with church? We elect our governing officers who make decisions for the life of the church for three to six years. I would never confuse an elder with a monarch. So who is the “chief boss” in the church? God! There is no question that God is monarch of the universe: Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent Creator. Yet God chose to dwell among us as a vulnerable human being named Jesus. We know our relationship with Jesus as God’s heir makes us children of God, heirs with him. So there is how we become real royalty.

So if I am part of the Eternal Royal Family, why don’t I have power to change the world? You know the answer. We do have enormous power for change! Every day, even every moment, you have the power to enact change as a child of the most Holy Monarch that ever existed.

When I picked up Nancy Forsyth from the hospital, she told me this wonderful story about a group of young people living in West Terre Haute. As you may know, West Vigo High School was out of power because of the storms. So there was no school. A group of twenty young people met at the school with chain saws and organized an assistance program of searching for people with downed trees on their property. That is what a royal priesthood does. Right now there are royalty searching through rubble for lost family and friends and others are filling a trailer to take supplies to Joplin, MO. But real royalty doesn’t wait for disasters. They work in food kitchens, bring flowers to a lonely neighbor, give rides, send cards, make phone calls, offer hugs, and just listen without judgment. They tell the story of their brother and Prince, who is called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Tomorrow we will remember those who made great sacrifices that we might live in freedom. May we remember that sacrifice is a royal privilege when we serve the great “I Am.” Amen.

RESOURCES
Easter 6, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
See: John 1:12, chapter 10, Romans 8:17 and Isaiah 9:6

Sermon: May 22,2011

Make a Joyful Noise!

May 22 – Recognition and thanks for our Choir and Sunday School

Baptism and Welcome of new member Tatiana Nicolaevna Letfullina

Psalm 66: 1-6 read responsively and Ephesians 5:8-20

INTRODUCTION SCRIPTURE
Psalm 66: 1-6 read responsively
When was the last time you celebrated with complete self-abandonment? When your team won the championship, the day of your wedding or birth of a child, peace is declared after a bitter conflict? All these are moments when we transcend our own needs and wants and just celebrate with joy. This is the kind of worship the psalmist sees all of creation offering up to God.
1Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
3Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Selah
5Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him.

Ephesians 5:8-20
Ephesians focuses heavily on discipleship: how we should live in light of the grace that has been given to us in Christ Jesus. It gives advice to communities trying to find their way between the paganism of the Gentile word and the church's role to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. The author of Ephesians seeks to set boundaries and ethics for life together as a community of faith, boundaries that call community members to pursue goodness, justice, righteousness, and truth. Today as we baptize Tanya as a new member, we honor the choice she has made to be one with us in this body of Christ.

8For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— 9for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

15Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

SERMON
Today is a day of celebration. We give thanks for our choir’s leadership in worship, our teachers’ service that makes Christian Education possible here at Unity and Tanya’s choice to be baptized in the faith of her grandmother. Through the years we have weathered storms that seek to divide us, yet again and again God has called us to a ministry of reconciliation and love. Everyday we work to grow a community of believers who will be children of light in a dark and often dangerous world. How do we do that? By making a joyful noise. Sometimes it is like whistling in the dark. Or like from the song in the play “King and I”

Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my self erect, and whistle a happy tune, so no one will suspect, I'm afraid…

The result of this deception is very strange to tell, For when I fool the people, I fear I fool myself as well!

In the Jewish of Purim, you will encounter a certain amount of boisterous hissing, banging, stamping and rattling at the mention of the evil Haman or his sons during the public reading of the Megillah (Book of Esther). Of course the custom of making noise to drown out / scare away or ‘blot out’ evil has it roots in pagan religions. Israelites in ancient times blew the shofar (ram’s horn) and the hazozerah (silver trumpet) to, among other things, panic the enemy in battle. But I think it making noise to chase away evil goes back to our answers gathered around a fire and making noise to keep wild animals away.

It seems the author of Ephesians is using a similar concept that by making a joyful noise with “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” we chase away the evil that would inhabit our hearts and minds. Today we celebrate the gift of music that helps drive away evil. Tanya shared with the Session that when she first came to the USA she could speak very little English and she had no friends. Worse she had no piano to practice her music and for her music is air. When Unity opened its doors to her to practice on our pianos, it was like saving one who is drowning. I pray all that Unity does will rescue the drowning of the world.

We also celebrate those who teach us the way of life. Rick Kohr began about seven years ago teaching an Adult Bible study. Like many teachers in small congregations attendance was erratic. Preparation is not always award with numerous participants. But through the years his consistency has been blessed, so the class has now out grown the room in which they meet. The message is not to be discouraged by numbers. God will provide them through your witness.

Most of all today, we celebrate a God who gives us a choice to make. At Shechem where God had first promised the land to Abraham, Joshua gathered the people of God and asked them to make a choice:

14“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” 16Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

And you know what happened afterwards? The people sang and danced and made a joyful noise to the Lord. Notice it is a joyful noise not perfect harmony. God puts us loud often off key boisterous singers together with crying and giggling children and perfect pitch sopranos and deep basses with tapping feet and roars, squawks and chirps of creation; all together to make a noise that is pleasing to our God. It is what we do when our friends and family choose to serve the Lord. We celebrate with a joyful noise. Listen, I think I can hear the shofar blowing. Amen.

RESOURCES:
Margaret Aymer, Associate Professor of New Testament, Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA.  See: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=4/3/2011

JUDAIC STUDIES ACADEMIC PAPER SERIES Authored by Shelomo Alfassa, Paper No. 3.
Origins of Noise Making to Wipe Out the Evil Name on Purim, March 2008

Sermon: May 15, 2011

Abundant Life

Acts 2:42-47 read in Unison and John 10:1-10

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ May 15, 2011

Graduates Recognition

INTRODUCTION SCRIPTURE
Acts 2:42-47 read in Unison
Ultimately, it is God who saves and expands the community, but not without our cooperation. God worked in and through people willing to teach and be taught, to care for one another and together with God create a loving and growing community of faith.

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

John 10:1-10
In the previous chapters of John’s Gospel, people have been asking who Jesus is. Jesus answers their questions by using a simile or image that he is the gate of the sheepfold. He has also described himself as the good shepherd, the vine, the truth, the way and life. But this time his listeners do not understand and so he speaks as plainly as he can. Not only does he say who he is but why he has come.

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

SERMON
So why has Jesus come? His whole purpose is to give life and not just any life, but abundant life. So that begs the question, “What is abundant life?” The Greek word that is translated as “abundant” is perissos and it fits well the translation as it means “more than necessary” or “exceeding expectations.” We might think of an abundant life as one that has it all: wealth, health and power. Professor Lose points out “that ( ) we regularly make all kinds of sacrifices in the hope to earn or achieve or purchase this (abundant) life, and each time we fail it kills us just a little.” I think it kills that part of us that wants it all. That might be a good thing but it is never easy. But in our baptism we have died to the way of the world to be born anew in Christ Jesus.

Two experiences raised my awareness this past week about our desire for abundance. One was an offer by a company that promised free merchandise for non-profit organizations. By reading furthered, I discovered there is a membership fee and then there are shipping and handling costs. I was reminded that even for churches there is “no such thing as a free lunch.” Last Sunday, Rob and I attend the final performance of “God’s Favorite.” This Neil Simon play is based on the Biblical story of Job. Our community theater gave the audience an abundant experience. The main character, Joe Benjamin, who by our cultural definition has it all, that desirable abundant life and then he loses it all. But what he never loses is his faith in God. Both he and the audience come to see what real abundance is. Life, abundant life, is imbued with a faith in God that makes every moment precious and wonderful.

Our graduates are each heading out hoping to find a good life, an abundant life. It is why celebrate this transition with them. We want them to have the best of everything: to be successful; healthy, wealthy and wise; and let’s be honest – rich and therefore happy. But all that can and sometimes does disappear in the blink of an eye. What they really need is fiath that can guide them when they seem to have it all as well as sustain them when they seem to lose everything they value. Jesus is the sheep gate to good pasture, but also to the sheepfold which offers protection and comfort during times of fear and loss.

In Jesus we are given an abundant life that defies the cultural values of wealth, health and power. In Christ Jesus we are given an abundant life formed in God’s mercy. Like was sung in our anthem today, this abundant life releases the song we are afraid to sing, lifts our burdens, breaks the chains that bind us, provides a place of loving welcome, eases the worry of waiting, feeds the hungry, and opens the closed heart to joy. This is true abundant life that no amount of wealth, health or power will fulfill and no amount of loss can destroy. This is the gift Jesus brings, we have just to receive it to have it all. Amen.


RESOURCES:
Mitzi J. Smith, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011
See: http://strongsnumbers.com/greek/4053.htm

David Lose, Marbury E. Anderson Biblical Preaching Chair of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. See: http://www.workingpreacher.org/dear_wp.aspx?article_id=475
Reference to Ann Weems’ poem “We Pray This Day” from Kneeling in Jerusalem, Westminster John Knox Press, 1992. The Anthem sung today was composed by Judy Brett with words from this poem.

Sernon: May 8, 2011

Seeking our Emmaus

Scripture: Psalm 116: 1-7 and Luke 24:13-35

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ May 8, 2011-05-05

Celebrating the Gifts of Woman and Mother’s Day

With the Birthday Offering

INTRODUCTION SCRIPTURE
Psalm 116: 1-7
The psalm begins with a member of the congregation giving a testimony. In the presence of the gathered people this person tells of an answer to prayer. We think of such testimony as witnessing to God’s actions in our lives. When was the last time you gave your testimony?
1I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
2Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
4Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
5Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
6The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
7Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

Luke 24:13-35
Through all the talking and walking that frame and shape this text there is a major change in these two men. They move from tellers of a sad story, to tellers of a story about having seen the Lord in the breaking of the bread. We all seek to see Jesus in our every day lives.

13Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

SERMON
If you are going to tell your story about Jesus’ place in your life, I would recommend keeping it simple. Most people will relate to a “road to Emmaus” more than the “road to Damascus.” Saul, who became Paul, was on the road to Damascus when he was struck blind by an encounter with the resurrected Jesus. A few of us have had lightning bolt conversions to faith but most of us have had encounters with the resurrected Jesus in quiet moments of scripture study, conversations with faithful people, or sharing a meal. Sound familiar? That is the journey that Cleopas and his companion have on the road to Emmaus. They don’t recognize Jesus until the breaking of the bread and then as they reflect back on their experience they see he was already with them.

Jesus is with us speaking to us everyday. We need eyes and ears to see and hear him. Sometimes we need reflection time. Looking back to our Emmaus journey and seeing Jesus on the road with us when we thought we were struggling all alone.

Throughout the year we at Unity focus on youth and children and celebrate their gifts. On Father’s Day we will rise up and celebrate the gifts of men in the church. Today is Mother’s Day and Unity has chosen this day to celebrate the gifts of women. Why celebrate the gifts of one particular group when we are all one in Christ Jesus? Human nature seems to need to put people in concrete rolls for future reference, expectations and control. In the church we are called to work against prejudice and encourage one another to try new things and stretch ourselves into new possibilities. Jesus wants us to walk beside the young single mother struggling with two jobs and let her know she is valued and worthy. He wants us to say that parenting is very important and so is sharing gifts of art, science and leadership. Our focus on the gifts of woman is so we do not forget that there are women in scripture and women in our congregation who regularly do beautiful things and are remarkable saints in the faith. They are our role models of faithful servants of Christ Jesus. When the church is caring and loving like a mother, people will look back on their lives and see Jesus in what the church has done and how we have cared: Cleopas and his companion, in their reflection saw Jesus revealed. Those the church walks with will look back and say:

When I was hungry, they brought me food. When I was alone and afraid, they came and visited me. When I was struggled with difficult decisions, they prayed for me.

I thought I was alone but was not my heart burning within me as the people of this church taught, prayed, provided and just showed that Jesus does love me?

God has called all of us together to be one in the Spirit. Our similar and different gifts can work together for the common mission of the whole body of Christ, which is to proclaim the Gospel of new life found in the redeeming love of Jesus. We are grateful for those women who use those God’s gifts to be good mothers, teachers, police, nurses, doctors, architects, childcare workers, fire-fighters, soldiers, song writers, song singers, musicians, painters, plumbers, lawyers, preachers and faithful prayer warriors. For all the women who work to smooth the hurts and reveal the person of Jesus in their very lives, we give God thanks.

We are all yearning for time with Jesus. Perhaps you will find yourself on a road to Emmaus and you may need to find a woman to ask for directions. Then she may say, “Sit down have a cup of tea and tell me where you are headed.” I pray you will take the time to reflect on God’s purpose in your life with a woman of faith. Amen.

Sermon May 1, 2011

Doubt and Faith All Rolled Together

John 20:19-31

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ May 1, 2011

With Celebration of our Lord’s Supper

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
I love the way Karoline Lewis describes John’s Gospel:
"This is a full sensory Gospel. Sometimes it's tasting (John 6), sometimes it's smelling (John 11), sometimes it's hearing (John 10), sometimes it's touching (John 13:23), and sometimes it is seeing. This is what it means to be human and to experience relationships as human beings. A full, intimate, meaningful relationship will encompass the entirety of who we are and what it means to be human. God wants nothing less than this kind of relationship with us"
Today as we reflect on this full sensory Gospel story, we prepare to celebrate our Lord’s Supper with a full sensory God.

19When 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.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

SERMON
We are all a combination of doubt and faith. Thomas gets a bad rap for what most of us at one time or another have asked to have. PROOF. Proof that our faith makes sense, that our faith is true, that our faith has meaning. But scripture tells us “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) So faith and proof do not necessarily go together. Yet Jesus returns to give Thomas just what he asked for, proof.

In Peter Woods’ blog he writes
"Like (Thomas) I have had moments of loss, confusion and chaos when I have shut down and denied the possibility and probability of any return from the dark desperate void of my own broken grief. My heart has shut down as securely as the locked doors of that upper room on that first Easter evening.

I am never sure how, or why, Jesus has come to me and stood in that sequestered place of fear and forgetfulness, but he has again and again. He is miraculously there despite my barricades and belligerence that often make Thomas sound tame."

What are the barricades, the conditions you have put up to having faith rule in your life? Control can be one. It is so nice to pretend we have control. We are blessed if we can control our own behavior let alone anyone else, including our children. We can influence but control is in God’s hands. Another barrier to faith is resentment. When we carry around anger or even more destructive hate, it eat away at our faith. Only love will overcome resentment and open a door to faith.

Woods is right that having faith is miraculous. It is as amazing as one of Jesus’ healings. Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit for those of us barricaded in our fear and doubt. We want proof that there is hope and that love is real. What does Jesus give us? He gives us what we need. He gives us stories that broaden our understanding of God and one another. He gives us this miraculous meal. It is about encountering that full sensory God, not with proof but with faithful devotion to all who doubt and at the same live in faith. Every so often as the bread is broken we really do see Jesus offering us his very life that we might let go of control and resentment, that doubt washes away and all that is left is faith that he has risen. He has risen indeed. And because of his sacrifice and resurrection we have life eternal. He gives us what we really need. He opens the door to God’s unconditional love. Let us walk through that door and embrace God. Amen.

RESOURCES
Karoline M. Lewis is Assistant Professor of Preaching at Luther Seminary, see:http://www.workingpreacher.org/

Is it Really You?” – Easter 2 posted by Peter Woods

SEE: http://thelisteninghermit.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/is-it-really-you-easter-2/