"You shall be my witnesses" Jesus - book of Acts
Witnessing to Jesus sounds good, at least at first. But many of us have bad experiences with people who do witness either in our lives and on our screens.
Yet we are not given permission to abandon this task of witnessing to Jesus. What might this look like? Pastor Rob focuses on the hands that Jesus raises to bless his disciples at his ascension. These hands of blessing bear witness to the cross but also the ultimate reign of God.
"I zoo, and therefore you will too" Jesus, Gospel of John (14:19)
When Jesus tells his disciples they will "live" the word in Greek is "zoo." A reminder that our life in Jesus is wild!
Pastor Rob reflects on the wild and crazy life that Jesus brings us, a life that we don't dictate or control!
This wild life does have a shape though, a shape found in the command to love, the community of faith and person of Jesus.
"I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly," Jesus Christ, Gospel of John (10:10)
Abundance does not necessarily mean "more." In fact, there is a deception of "more", that comes whenever we are told that "IF we do "more" of X, Y or Z, then we will have "more" of happiness, security and joy - the fundamental goods of life."
The reason why it is the deception of "more" is because "more" never works out is because the goal posts of "more" are always moving; it is never enough and never going to deliver the fundamental goods.
The good news is that Jesus has come to offer us abundant life, life that doesn't begin with "IF" but "I am the Good Shepherd."
A reflection then on what the abundant life looks like and how we can distinguish between the "Deception of More" and the invitation to the abundant life.
After walking with them on the road to Emmaus, Jesus is invited into the homes of his disciples, even though they don't recognize him (yet!). While they break bread together for the evening meal. Jesus reveals himself. While a surprise to them, it is not a surprise to us because the resurrected Jesus routinely appears to his disciples over meals; throughout the Gospels he is eating with people.
Today St Paul has four baptisms of children and Pastor Rob offers that the cradle of faith is the dining table. It is where prayer is taught; it is where we can begin processing our stories and see God at work in our lives.
Eventually, our children - the next generation - leaves our dinner table, but they remain our companions, both around the Lord's table and ultimately the feast that has no end.
We live in a throwaway culture, in which things are discarded, ideas canceled, and people ghosted.
The story of Jesus returning from the grave to meet the fearful disciples and then again to meet Thomas (John 20:19-31) shows that God is interested neither in ghosting us, nor canceling us nor discarding us. God doesn't ghost.
The forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body proclaimed in this story beautifully show how God will never let us go, even in the darkest of times.
Note: There is a bit of a coda at the end of the sermon, which includes some words I said to the congregation at the end of the sermon about a pastoral care visit I would make that afternoon.
The women walked away from the tomb with fear AND great joy. (Matthew 28:8)
Life is often lived to the crossroads of fear and joy. Graduations, new jobs, diagnoses, pregnancies all give rise to both fears and joy. Easter as well brings both joy... but also comes with some fears too.
It is tough to live at this crossroads because our culture constantly pummels us with messages of fear. Like the soldiers at the tomb, we can become paralyzed be fear. Yet, the risen Christ comes to us and declares to us "Rejoice!"
It turns out the one saying "Rejoice" isn't running away from the tombs or the problems of the world, but knows them -- knows them in his body -- and has overcome them.
A message for all those who find themselves living at the crossroads of fear and joy.
The Palm Sunday story of people pouring out into the streets to shout "Hosanna" reminds us that "God talk" in public is biblical. We should not confine our praise to our homes and churches but it should flow into all aspects of our lives.
The Palm Sunday gospel, as told by Matthew (Matthew 21:1-17) points to the fundamental way in which talking the talk must though be connected to walking the walk: the bolder we talk to talk, the more humbly we must walk the walk. Ultimately, our talking the talk must be grounded in Christ having walked to walk.
