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“The End As the Beginning”
Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35
Rev. Sandy Nuernberg
Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, WI
3rd Sunday of Easter
April 6, 2008
Please pray with me,
Lord, may the Words of our mouths in reading these scriptures, and the
meditations in our hearts and minds, allow your Holy Spirit to descend upon
us, burn within ourselves, and be acceptable in your sight, day after day,
again and again. O Lord, Our Redeemer, we pray in your Name. AMEN.
In pondering the Easter season and
all it continues to offer us, yes, we are declaring that “Christ is risen! ” We
are wandering beyond the tomb, hearing Mary and the disciples and others
confirming Jesus’ resurrection, yet we are wondering what to do with it
all? In the early Christian church at Eastertide there were, scriptures tell us,
gatherings with baptism, the apostle’s teaching, prayer and fellowship; we
continue today in our human responses of public praise and prayer, confessions,
communion together in worship, yet aren’t we being transformed through Christ’
presence?
There was then, and is now, a
different life in everything being upbeat here in Christ’ new presence. People
were talking and more gathered then; now it is spring, the flowers are bursting
into bloom, the days are growing warmer, our layers of clothing are fewer as we
venture out to see newness around us. A few days ago, a family was out for a
walk by our house; he claimed, “It sure looks great, all that you are doing
here!” We have been literally building our own house into newness (well,
others–construction people, have) as we have roofed, insulation with fascia
(eaves and water spouts!!), new siding in a different color, and windows and
doors afresh, even a new mailbox! We’ve chosen the colors, designs, all that fun
stuff!! But it’s newness, indeed!
What seemed different and perhaps
too great to comprehend in Jerusalem then, and now, for us, is the fact that for
some, this newness in the power of the Spirit was “burning within” them, even in
us today; Peter asks, “Brothers, (and Sisters), what should we do?” We can ask
that similar question; ‘is the end of Jesus’ life the real beginning of our
lives?’ How does Easter touch our lives differently and make sense to us? I
believe these texts speak to us about changed and transformed lives. There is a
natural response by us, as long ago, in our yearning to make sense of the end as
the beginning in the mighty actions of God in the resurrection of God’s Son,
Jesus Christ. Peter’s addressing the crowds and the two walking to Emmaus are
awakened to the ‘presence’ of Christ as the Lord, the Messiah; they relate how
the church, in faith, encounters Jesus as the risen Christ and how belief repels
disbelief. Yes, they tell us of how the Holy Spirit brings life from death into
new beginnings in transforming ways.
These disciple’s stories remind us
of our own encounters along the road to Emmaus, as I believe we all travel this
road in some way. The Spirit is beside us in times we may not imagine or
recognize, but I am a firm believer they happen; it may not be a close-by,
‘unrecognizable’ encounter like that of the disciples, but perhaps a hunch about
something, a personal quick beating of our heart, an ‘eye opener’ that we just
‘woke up’ about, or a dream come true.
I heard from a pastor friend who
told me some years ago that to hear or be told of an experience of the power of
the Spirit in our midst is not quite like that experience of a sacred moment
‘burning within’ ourselves. Have you ever had a sacred moment? For me, our
seasonal changes in Wisconsin are inspirational and transforming in ways I can’t
enjoy enough of or try to explain to others. Spring is a sacred time, I believe,
even though it may not be related to anything with church, I don’t think! As an
avid gardener I am enthralled this time of year in watching my perennials come
to new life, hearing and seeing the bird’s songs and their nests
( this is a must-read including gorgeous pictures of nests often missed
in passing–a real sense of wonder!!: Kaufman, Kenn, “True Nature/ Small
Miracles,” Audubon, March-April, 2008, p. 84-91) in our yard, the
star-magnolia ready to pop out in the backyard, and the farmlands deep in rich,
dark, wet soil now. Granted, Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal were all set this year to
have their young again in our front porch cedar pines; the outside workers
disrupted them fast a few weeks ago. I was crushed too, as Harry Potter (my cat)
and I love watching their beauty (red and brown contrasting colors) landing near
our front window to set up shop! There was nothing we could do to help
re-establish their nests away from the noise; perhaps they can rebuild next
year.
For me, it’s not one thing but to
enjoy these events; they’re different each year, and perhaps it’s these spring
days that make me realize my ‘motherliness’ in caring for my gardens and feeding
the birds and being with them all. In their beauty and flight and sound, perhaps
I am grateful because I never had experiences raising children, or loving my
grandchildren; really, in the light and force and power of God in the
resurrected Christ, I marvel that God will provide for these plants and birds,
like us, because God always does!
Let’s face it, Peter, and Cleopas
and his unnamed friend have no secret about their believing in the resurrection;
they just are able to move beyond Jesus’ experience and have a sacred encounter
or moment of their own. Ironically, the two walk on this same day of
resurrection to the village of Emmaus (seven
miles away from Jerusalem, but maybe toward Roman power; I read
this interesting piece from a fay theologian, Shea, John, “Sacrificing Into
Life,” The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and
Teachers, Matthew, Year A, 2004, p. 166-76), their eyes prevented
from recognizing Jesus, but let us remember that there isn’t any ‘physical’
recollection anywhere of Jesus in the gospels. Jesus is recognized as a
Person of Word and deed (Son of God) by Jesus’ actions, his teaching others and
us about our actions with each other. Not surprisingly, Jesus’ ministry is in
his journeys. Emmaus is the end of his journey–it’s what happens after his
death..
For them and for us, there is
sadness in Jesus’ asking ‘what things’ have been discussed and happened these
last number of days (Holy week). Of course Jesus is the only One who can know
ALL that has happened, and so Jesus tells of their foolishness and ‘slow of
heart’ beliefs, giving a lengthy history lesson going back to Moses and the
prophets. This truly is Jesus’ ability to connect, to bring relationship between
God and Christ, between the Jewish tradition and the risen Christ. Jesus is the
‘stranger in Jerusalem,’ but for them/us, as Jesus breaks bread, has hospitality
with them they recognize and believe; their/our food for thought, the ‘bread of
life’ is in the end as the beginning, in the remembrance of death and in
their/our attaining new life in Christ.
In their/our experience eating
together in fellowship, each time we are gathered at the table, the gospel’s
good news for us is that Jesus Christ and Christ’ hospitality in breaking bread
becomes known to them/us. Recognition for them and for us is sometimes not in
the experience that is ‘seen’ physically, but in the burning hearts within us of
the ‘unseen’ Person of God in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit. In honoring
our life’s sacred experiences and moments of the power and promise of the Holy
Spirit we are in recognition of the relatedness, and in the remembrance of
Christ as the great prophet of Word and deed, the Messiah; Jesus Christ as the
End in crucifixion, Jesus Christ as the Beginning in new life
Thanks be to
God. AMEN
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