On the road again

From Pastor Randy's Sermon

Though our lives are sometimes shattered, The Gospel event of Christ can bring us back together again.  It may not be in the same way it was before, it may not always be how we think it should be, but yet it comes.  Sometimes, God is at work in our lives and we don’t even know it.  Sometimes our eyes don’t recognize it at the time.  Sometimes we too are blind like the two traveling on the road to Emmaus.

What do the two disciples do in response to discovering the risen Lord?  They got on that same road.

The road that had been marked by defeat,

 marked by shattered hopes, had been transformed. The road was full of possibilities. 
Hope was alive.  

It was the same road – but a different destination; the same road – but a different conversation; the same road – but different observations; the same road –but a different realization.  Hope was restored. Their dream had come true.  He was alive! They went back to Jerusalem to be witnesses to the resurrection – to tell everybody the good news.

From Pamela:  

I have known several friends who walked gracefully and faithfully to their last mortal breath.  Although the situations varied and the rate of their walk to death was according to each one's terminal condition, there was a similarity.  They ALL became more excited about what God was about to do as they came closer and closer to death.   Their faith told them that God's final surprise for them was that death would not have the final say in their life.   

It can be very difficult to wrap the head around that reality -- whether we are talking about physical death or the death of a dream, hope, relationship or life chapter.  We don't know "how" God will rebuild life in the midst of the rubble of death; and people often feel most secure in the presence of facts. People are more likely to be convinced by the details of what is to come than by the faith statement that God WILL bring new life from death.  

I wonder, can we get excited in the midst of sorrow about something that is dying?  We don't need to ignore or discount grief about what is lost -- but can we gather around the hope that what God has promised (life!) God will accomplish?