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3 Easter, Year
B Acts
4:5-12 Inviting Jesus to Dinner “O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever Amen.” (Collect for today) The disciples knew the Lord Jesus when he broke bread with them. They knew him when he ate the piece of fish left over from their meal together. Where do we see Jesus in the ordinary circumstances of life? On many Thursday mornings, I go to Valdosta for a 7:00 a.m. communion service at Christ Church. After the service, most of those in attendance—ten to twelve of us—go to breakfast at the King’s Grill across from the courthouse. This gives me a chance to chat with my mentor and to have a good breakfast with people who love to laugh. The place has become very familiar to all of us. This past week we all arrived just as the cooks were getting there at 7:30. A couple of the people in our group went back to the kitchen and helped get the coffee and ice water. Our table fellowship is an extension of the fellowship we share as we stand around the altar to receive communion. I believe that Jesus is present with us in our laughter as we hear stories about grandchildren and funny things that happened at weddings or funerals. Jesus is there in the ordinary circumstances of life. In fact, I think he is having a good time with us. A lot peace and good will flows from our meetings. Those of us who have to leave there and go on to our place of business, do so with a smile. The love, peace, and joy that started at the altar at 7:00 a.m. carries with us into all our relationships throughout the day. The final result of this sharing is that we are not alienated from each other, and we are not alienated from God. Jesus’ redeeming work has a ripple effect. Let’s play word association. If I say “southern”, what is the next word that pops into your mind? If you thought “hemisphere” you have a wide-angle lens in your brain. Most of us would respond “southern hospitality.” When I think about southern hospitality, I think about the welcoming attitude that pervades this part of the world. There are boundaries, of course, that we all know we have to respect. But there is a noticeable generosity on the part of hosts, especially if they are good cooks. We experienced this when the Bishop came to visit a few days ago. The food, flowers, bread, and the beautiful desserts that you all provided said, “Welcome. Come and share this with us. I will sit down and eat with you.” This, in Christian terms, is an extension of Holy Eucharist. The table fellowship that we share at the altar is not the end of our sharing together. Eating together has a leveling effect on us as we recognize that we are all God’s children, and since we are human, we must eat to survive. My parents were good at hospitality, so I grew up experiencing what that felt like. My mother had a reputation as a generous cook. Mom and Dad were good gardeners and this gave them an opportunity to share God’s provision with others. Many times in my childhood, friends and neighbors would drop by unexpectedly at lunch time or dinner time. I would help get out the extra set of chairs, put the leaf in the dining room table, and set out more plates, napkins, and flatware. It was almost like having church—only better because we got to talk. The gathering of people together in the ordinary circumstances of life is a part of the redeeming work of Jesus. In our Gospel reading for today, we find the disciples huddled together talking about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Evidently they had been sharing a meal, because they had some leftover broiled fish. Suddenly Jesus appeared in their midst. Why is it that at every post-resurrection appearance of Jesus Christ, he has to calm down those present. Do they not expect him to appear on the scene? After he has calmed them and proved that it really is him in a flesh and bone body, there is always a set of marching orders that goes something like this: Go and tell the world what you have seen and heard. Don’t keep this a secret. Sing to the Lord a new song. However, there will be consequences. The disciples accepted the consequences, because never before had there been such a banquet for their souls. They had to share it. Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles picks up with the consequences of Peter and John’s furthering of the redeeming work of Christ. Jesus had said for his disciples to heal the sick and pronounce forgiveness of sins. Peter and John were in jail for the healing of a lame man in the name of Jesus. They were also in jail for proclaiming that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Already, they had gathered around them about five thousand believers. But when they went on trial, the question was not about resurrection. The question was about the power by which they healed the lame man: “by what power or by what name did you do this?” This gave Peter the opportunity once again to proclaim that Jesus was raised from the dead. He was trying to break through their preconceived notions about how God works. Peter and John were singing to the Lord a new song, as they practiced the presence of the risen Christ. Our hymnal, wealth of spiritual resource that it is, contains a hymn that we rarely choose because it takes a while to sing all seven verses of it. But verse six contains this gem that fits with our thoughts for today:
The wonder of Christianity for me is not simply that the Church has endured for two millennia. The wonder is also the other works of mercy that have streamed out into society at large with the people who know God’s presence in the churches. Hospitals come to mind, as do orphanages, schools and some civic organizations. Philanthropy is often organized around Christian principles. One of my favorite historical characters who practiced the presence of the risen Christ was a dear gentleman named Brother Lawrence. He entered a monastery of barefoot (Discalced) Carmelites in France in 1649. He did not become a priest or a monk. He became their cook. But he is probably the best-remembered person who lived in that monastery at that time. For what is he remembered? He is remembered for practicing the presence of God. Here is a word of advice from Brother Lawrence: “By practicing God’s presence and continuously looking at Him, the soul familiarizes itself with Him to the extent that it passes almost its whole life in continual acts of love, praise, confidence, thanksgiving, offering, and petition. Sometimes all this may merge into one single act that does not end, because the soul is always in the ceaseless exercise of God’s Divine presence.” [2] Brother Lawrence, the cook, simply invited Jesus to Dinner. Where have you seen Jesus lately in the ordinary circumstances of life? When we sit down to eat together, let’s recall the presence of the risen Christ. Then when we rise up and go about our daily work, we will carry the redeeming work of Jesus into the world with us.
On the grounds of Honey Creek
The Rev. Linda McCloud, Pastor |
