The final day of summer camp in 1996 concluded in a large assembly on the hillside, the parents were invited, and the camp counselors and staff talked about the previous week, speaking of our turns on the zip-line and the blob, swimming, canoeing, worship in the evening, and devotions in the afternoon. As they spoke they did not simply describe what we did, they attached the word awesome to everything. The kids were awesome, archery was awesome, the campfires were awesome, the week, apparently, was Awesome. On the way home (and in years to come), I learned that my father was quite annoyed at the use of this adjective. It is not to say that the week was not fun and eventful, but was it really awesome? Two years later when I returned for a second week, the adjective was again in full force. The word has become a part of the camp culture, everything is awesome and the counselors, staff, and campers are not afraid to say so. However, from there my father instilled upon me the meaning of being awesome. When you stand in front of something and are truly inspired, amazed, humbled, and in honest awe, then you can call that awesome.
While awesome experiences occur in the most mundane and everyday settings, my recent trip to the Holy Land truly inspired me, humbled me, and forced me to reflect on the Holy grounds that Jesus walked. To stand on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Jordan River Valley, the beautifully tragic villages and the never-ending haze into the distance, was an image that is forever instilled in my mind. As we walked down the streets of the Old City, with vendors pushing their wares, tourists meandering through, and residents shopping for daily bread or meat, I couldn’t help but to imagine what this would have been like, nearly 2000 years ago. A bit more open, probably just as crowded at times, and I could really find out if Jesus touched the stone that they say he did. While his body was physically present then, I felt His presence amongst the tension and liveliness, knowing that the city is Holy, not only for Christians but for all of the Children of Abraham, and in those moments, I stood in awe. It wasn’t just in the surroundings I felt the presence of Christ, but in the people. I was told before we went, that it wasn’t just for the historical architecture or archeological artifacts, but that the trip would show us the living stones of the Holy Land, the people. Those that we met showed great courage, strength, hope, hospitality, and resilience. Over the past few weeks, you have heard stories of some of those we met. When dining with the Saadi family, I was in awe of their drive for something greater, they pushed their children into education, and kept their faith in Christ. Hanna, the father, talked about how much we as Christians are to love and welcome others into our home, something often hear said in the US, but rarely see practiced, or at least not practiced in the way his family showed to us. With the people of the Church of Hope in Ramallah, I realized how they too saw education and faith as cornerstones to life. I often grapple with my own struggles of faith, yet these people whose circumstances are beyond my reality, find ways to keep the hope alive through their faith, believing in the grace of God. It is with respect and awe that I look at the experience with both the people and the landscape.
And I don’t know about you, but Jesus appearing to the disciples in Jerusalem is pretty awesome. He comes to them saying “Peace Be With You,” but to see the Christ in the flesh stirs feelings of confusion, it was a lot easier (especially in that time, and even probably still today) to believe in ghosts than to believe that Jesus is again standing among you. Last week we heard of Thomas as he doubted Christ, but here in Luke we see Jesus immediately showing them his wounds, and eats the broiled fish, not only signifying that he is in the flesh and able to eat, but in eating during the Passover week, he demonstrates that the dawn of the Reign of God has come. The disciples are amazed, the One whose execution they saw and resurrection they witnessed is truly standing among them.
Jesus says to them that it is the fulfillment of the law and promises from the time of Moses that he appears to them and has suffered and died on the cross for the forgiveness of all sins. In the next few verses, Christ ascends to heaven. The physical body and works of Christ on Earth are finished, the liturgy is complete. Through the grace of the Father granted unto us, we carry the works of Christ forward. As it is written, we are to stay here, and are clothed with the power on high.
In Acts, we see Peter and John carry the work of Jesus forward, healing the cripple. This is done not through their own abilities but through the power of Christ’s death and resurrection and the grace of our Lord. He says to them that we are witnesses to our own condemnation of Jesus, as the people disowned him before Pontius Pilate, and handed him over to be killed. Yet it was by the faith that Peter had in Jesus that the cripple was healed. Through Jesus we are made strong and our faith in him allows us to be healed and to heal others. Peter again says to the people, that this was foretold in the prophets, echoing what Jesus said in Luke. God does keep his promises, and through the raising up of our Lord, so too shall we be raised up.
As we move forward in this Easter season, let us not forget that Christ has died for our sins and been resurrected, fulfilling the promises of the Father. Too often in my life, and I doubt that I am the only one, I lose trust in the promises of God, and worry that things just won’t turn out. But it is truly powerful and amazing that Jesus has been resurrected, and if I can put my faith in this, then certainly I can trust that God is omnipotent and omniscient. As it is written in the reading in Acts, God is the author of life, a name to me which brings comfort, awe, and respect. He has fulfilled his promises and continues to love us and work in our lives. When I ask what will happen next, or where will I go to school, where will I live, and so forth, I must remember to put my trust in God. Coming from the University as a twenty-something student, I often get the message that I am to be self-sufficient, independent, strong, and powerful. And while yes, I can be, and work to be all of these things, I can’t forget that it is through Christ that I am given the power to serve my community and live my life.
The readings and the Gospel today tell us that God is powerful, and the appearances of Christ are awesome. These awesome experiences and the powerful results go hand in hand. To witness something awesome, there is little doubt in my mind that the power of God has played a role. Whether it is in nature, or in acts of kindness, relationships, or occupation, the inspiration and power comes from the grace of God.
These are fitting ideas as many of the graduates move past our protective Ann Arbor bubble and into the world. As the disciples continued to a life without Jesus beside them, as do we continue on in our lives without the physical presence of the community of Lord of Light. Reflecting on my past few years at here at Lord of Light, I thank you, the congregation, for your support, encouragement, and kindness as I have found my spiritual home in Ann Arbor. There were Christmas parties with gingerbread house making and gag-gifts (though that $2 buck chuck was the best one out there), brunches with fellowship and guidance, and evening services where I found a way to center my life in the whirlwind of the university surrounding me. I encourage those of you who haven’t participated in these other events to give them a try, go to a Tuesday evening service or a Bible study when you can. With the people at Lutheran Campus Ministry, I have traveled to Louisville, Kentucky and the Holy Land, experiences that could each get hours of conversation on their own. These experiences have taught me that a spiritual community exists not only for our own faith, but to promote learning, understanding, and the sharing Christ’s love in service to others. As many of the graduates prepare to leave our homes in Ann Arbor, I ask that you pray for our guidance, safety, compassion, and faith, that we may serve our new (or same) communities in ways that honors or faith. Lord of Light is not just a stepping stone as we move on to other ventures, it is a grounding, a foundation, and a gem in Ann Arbor that I am sure that we will not forget.
Jesus accompanies us on our walks, no matter how far we go away from the Church, both physically and spiritually. The promise has been fulfilled; we are to carry the works of our Risen Lord into our homes, communities, and the world. May we never lose the wonderment of His deeds and keep faith in the true and awesome God. Amen.
Back (l to r): Collen Jensen, Kelle Parsons, Rebekah Vanwieren, Max Wineland
A Visit with Bishop Younan
People are herded through what can only be described as human cattle chutes that lead to turnstyles that are turned on and off for brief periods of time. Sometimes, 6 can get through, at other times only 3. It all depends on who is operating the gates at the time. We, who needed only our US passports to go through (and, in fact, could have simply driven through the checkpoint), chose to go through the process that the Palestinians must endure day after day. It took 1 hour and 15 minutes to get through the checkpoint. I’m sure many were wondering why we were subjecting ourselves to this experience but we really wanted to know firsthand what it is like. Here's the view from inside one of the chutes.
A master plan is now in place but the areas of the village included are quite limited. They were able to build a new mosque (to replace the tent-mosque that they were using when I was there in 2006) but it was immediately slapped with a demolition order. The fate of the village school, its pride and joy, is uncertain.
Currently, David's son, Ashraf, is filling in with preaching and other duties, including teaching religion class in the school and tutoring an Islamic man who wishes to convert to Christianity. After enjoying lunch with the Tannouses, we went on to visit the tomb of Yasser Arafat.
