3rd Sunday of Easter

Today's Link
My Road as I Travel It

Today's Saying
I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.... People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see God is always trying to please us back. ~Alice Walker

Today's Pictures
Ella in Sunday School and Handing out Bulletins

Today is the third Sunday of Easter in the liturgical churches. We continue to celebrate the good news that Christ is risen. The Gospel for today in the common lectionary is Luke 24:36-48. It is a text that describes one of the appearances of the Risen Christ.
I love this story because the disciples are seen as being so very human.
These men walked with Jesus.
These men who were taught privately by Jesus.
Jesus told them he would die and rise again.
You would expect them to be waiting for him to come.
Further a couple of their number had met Christ along the road and had shared that information.
But here they were still not knowing what to do or what to expect.
Then suddenly Jesus is there with them.
You might expect them to sing Alleluia.
To shout in joy. “Lord we knew you would come. We have waited expectantly.”
You would expect a room filled with joy.
But that isn’t what happens at all.
Instead they are terrified.
They are sure they are seeing a ghost.
Jesus has to convince them he really is alive.
He shows them his hands and side.
He says touch me and see that I’m alive.
He asks for something to eat because ghosts don’t eat.
Then he helps them to understand what has happened and find the peace he offers.
The disciples were ordinary human beings.
They heard Jesus say he would rise again but they ignored it.
We do that you know, ignore what we don’t understand or don’t want to understand.
Jesus said I’m going to die. They didn’t want to hear that so they ignored it and all that went with it.
They were just like us.
When Jesus came they were terrified.
I guarantee you if somebody I saw buried suddenly showed up in a room where I was I would not leap for joy.
I might even scream.
I would be terrified.
I would be terrified even if he had said “ John three days after I die you will see me”
That’s how we humans are.
The great part of this text isn’t the reaction of the disciples it’s the patience of Jesus.
He doesn’t rebuke them.
He doesn’t scold them.
He doesn’t say “ I expected better of you”.
No , he does what He has to do to calm them.
Then he opens the Scriptures to them.
Finally he gives them a task.
They are to be his witnesses.
They are to go and tell the story.
All of this happened to me.
When my brother died I rejected God.
I said He doesn’t exist.
But Jesus didn’t give up on me.
He sent people to me.
He kept loving me.
Until one day there He was and he opened the Scriptures to me.
So if you wonder why I witness.
He told me to and I love Him as best I can, imperfectly.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
Poor Pastor Joan has her work cut out for her this morning. How do you convince angry people who are fighting over bats in the church belfry that God has called them to be witnesses . How do you free them from the anger that consumes them . She has a very difficult task indeed. If only the followers of Jesus weren’t so human.
But she has to try so here is part of her sermon:
The followers of Jesus didn’t listen very well.
He told them he would come back to life but they weren’t ready.
They weren’t waiting for Him.
They were terrified when he came.
He could have gotten angry but he didn’t.
He went on loving them.
Today we are his followers.
We don’t listen well either.
He tells us to love one another.
But we don’t listen.
I can tell by the angry glares your giving each other we don’t listen.
We are going to fight over bats.
So much for the call of Christ to love one another.
So much for caring for the brothers and sisters in Christ,.
We are as poor listeners as the disciples.
But Christ still loves us.
He still forgives us.
When the last bat has flown away He will still love us.
Will we be witnesses to that love?

Wrap UP

Had a great day today. Church was wonderful. Pennie and Steve and I did a puppet sermon which went very well. The children put on a play with bell like instruments in the background. Pastor Steve preached a fine sermon. Melli shared our worship. The fellowship after was great.
In the afternoon we played two games of canasta and Betty and I lost both. Pat the boys left before the end of the first game.My sister Dawn called to tell me to stay away from crowds because of the swine flue. Now I need a breathing treatment .
GBYA

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