Year C, Easter 2, 2019 – On the Road

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the show! Typically, the second Sunday after Easter is the day we all deal with Thomas’ doubt about the other disciples’ outrageous claim that Jesus had appeared to them. It’s a great story about our very human need for proof, especially when our hearts are involved. Remember, Thomas was ready to follow Jesus to Jerusalem to die with him and after the horrendous specter of crucifixion, he likely was ready to go home and start over. Who could blame him? Yet, we have decided to use a different Gospel story for this Sunday. The walk to Emmaus is also a compelling story of Jesus comforting – then surprising – sorrowing disciples. How will the Resurrection surprise you? Here is what we did three years ago with Year C, Easter 2. This includes the texts other than the John passage. For what we’ve done with that, you can look up Year A, Easter 2 and Year B, Easter 2. For previous work on the Emmaus story, check out Year A, Easter 3. Smarts of the Week – [01:59] EYE Smart – [03:59]Download NATURE Smart – [02:40]Download Texts for This Week Luke 24:13-35 – [05:39] Have you ever met someone “out of place”? David was busily stirring apple butter at a village fair a couple years ago, when he saw a woman walking through the crowd who looked a lot like someone he knew from high school. Then, he saw another one, and another one! He thought he might be having an out of body experience because these women didn’t live in the area so what were they doing here? The Emmaus experience may have shared some elements of this: the disciples did not recognize Jesus because he wasn’t supposed to be there. Do you have any stories like this? They would work well as an EYE smart illustration. Hiking or walking outdoors is a wonderful NATURE smart activity, so engage those people by describing the environment in which the disciples were walking. It was likely arid and had elevation changes; it would have been important to bring water! EYE smart – [10:45]NATURE smart – [07:46]Some etiquette rules for hikerswhere Emmaus actually was, maybe? Revelation 1:4-8 – [14:07] Game of Thrones is all the rage these days, so why not rework some visual advertisements with language from the Revelation passage as an EYE smart special effect? See the worksheet for David’s idea how to do this. Clouds are prominent in this passage, so for a NATURE smart illustration and special effect, display different types of clouds. Is Jesus returning on those large, dramatic thunderheads? Or maybe the wispy clouds high in the stratosphere? Will Jesus emerge out of a fog? Each of these types of clouds “set” different ways for Jesus to return, so have some fun exploring them! EYE smart – [15:30]NATURE smart – [18:38]Are the clouds symbolic or literal? I only just now saw these on Amazon! different types of clouds in a diagramsome pictures of cloud types Psalm 150 – [20:56] The Psalmist lists a variety of musical instruments so it would seem this passage is entirely given over to MUSIC smart. But, wait! For an EYE smart exercise, substitute the musical instruments with art media! Instead of trumpets and lyres, use canvas and paint! Instead of loud clashing cymbals, try bright vibrant murals! Maybe, even make some as the passage is read! The “firmament” is the way ancient people understood the overhead expanse of the visible world. I found a diagram for a NATURE smart illustration that may be what they had in mind. You might use the different biomes for a modern perception of the world. EYE smart – [26:44]NATURE smart – [21:42]a diagram of the firmamentpictures of the different biomes Acts 5:27-32 – [28:42] Peter and the apostles are taken to task for stirring up controversy when they continue to preach about Jesus. The council is upset because it puts them all in jeopardy. But Peter knows it is not possible for him or the others to stop what they are doing. For an EYE smart illustration, consider how artists continue to produce challenging work even when they suffer for it. Similarly, those who have advocated for more responsible stewardship of our planet have faced opposition and pressure. Yet, they also consider the underlying call of our world to be much more important and so continue to document the changes happening to urge those in power to do something. For a NATURE smart illustration, you could point to the many documentaries and organizations that have taken on this mantle. EYE smart – [30:28]See this or this or find your own collection of protest art.NATURE smart – [32:46]people who are trying to make a difference in our attitudes about climate change. Photo by Sarah Kilian on Unsplash. Used by permission.