The Living Christ Revealed

Good Morning All!

Yesterday I opened the regional Commission on Ministry meeting with a devotional based on this past Sunday’s gospel reading from Luke 24, about the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus on the evening of Christ’s resurrection. Cleopas and his companion, as they walked along were met by a man they thought to be a stranger. “Their eyes were kept from recognizing” the stranger as Jesus. When they were about to reach their destination they invited the stranger to stay with them. And when they were at table, Jesus became the host as he took, blessed, broke and gave them the bread; and “their eyes were opened and they recognized him;” I so love this story and the example of how God comes to us over and over again in the ordinary activities of life; making the ordinary, the extraordinary…

This past Sunday, a stranger, who became a guest once he entered the doors of the sanctuary, took time to speak with me following worship. He told me how he appreciated the gospel reading and the story about the little boy having lunch in the park with God. But the exchange that followed was the best of all. He told me how he awoke one morning not feeling particularly well—sleepy, somewhat depressed—and how he asked God to guide him through the day and to see other people he would encounter, as God might see them. He recalled how he made the once grumpy woman behind the coffee shop counter, smile; how he engaged seemingly lonely or lost people in brief conversations that made them smile…and on he went through his day. He then said that by the time he returned home at the end of the day, his mouth was very tired because he had smiled so much :)

“Besides having a tired mouth, how did you feel?” “I know I was better for it; it was absolutely amazing how wonderful it is to see others as I think God sees them—people of worth when they don’t even recognize it! I enjoyed doing this and I want to do it again…” “Well, I would like to challenge you to do exactly that,” I replied; “Come back and tell me how it all went…”

After telling this story I asked each Commission member to share one experience with the Spirit of the living Christ since we last met in January:
· Marcie told about attending a John McCutcheon concert; how the words of the music helped her to see the presence of Christ in her life;
· J.O, who is African-American, told of his recent call to an all-white congregation to serve as their pastor in the midst of a community that has had a history of racial tension;
· John spoke of the living Christ as the power of connection—how the Spirit connects pastor to pastor; congregation to congregation; claiming our oneness in shared ministry;
· Mark, told about the laughter shared during a recent family dinner with his 2 young teenagers;
· I recalled having heard the “crucifixion story” told by a 4 year old who attended Covenant’s Maundy Thursday Tennebrae worship as she recounted her experience to her granddaddy later that same evening--“…somebody read the bible; candles were put out and the lights in the room went out…and then it was dark…and Bam! Bam! Bam! Jesus was dead!
· Louis shared his recent visit with a 97 year old uncle and how Christ’s Spirit was again revealed as his uncle shared his strong faith and his growing relationship with God;
· Lewis told about a woman in his congregation whose life is an example of Christ’s Spirit being revealed over and over again;
· Virginia shared her story of walking the outdoor labyrinth at Mill Creek Christian Church.

When have your eyes been recently opened and you recognized the Spirit of the living Christ? How has the ordinary become the extraordinary in your life? Where will you see the living Christ as this day unfolds? Open our eyes, Lord… Blessings, Joanne