Year C, Easter 3, 2016 – Let’s Get Breakfast

MMMMmmmmmmm……. breakfast. Anyway, lessons for Easter 3, right. The Acts passage is the well known story of Saul’s conversion to Paul. The Lectionary suggests concentrating on only the first six verses, but tidbits from the second optional selection tend to seep into the telling of the story anyway. Find your balance as to how much of each to use. (If you choose to try the entire thing, we have a reader’s theater script you might consider using. See the links below.) The Revelation passage is a symphony of praise to Jesus and the possibilities are endless. Let your imagination go and be bold in what you attempt! The Gospel story is most likely an addendum  – but a meaningful one. How many times have we denied Jesus and wouldn’t it be a balm to the soul to have breakfast with him and talk it over? On a technical note, in listening to this episode you might notice (as it is hard not to) several loud noises a bit like a bass drum. We just got new boom microphone stands and, not being used to them, we knocked into them several times while recording. This resulted in a loud thump in the recording that was unnoticeable in real time. David tried editing the thumps out, but the hole it left behind was just as noticeable. We’ve repositioned the boom stands for next episode, so we should have fewer unintentional “booms” in the audio. Sorry for any annoyance.   This Week’s Texts: Acts 9:1–6, (7–20) [02:20] –  What would it take to grab your attention? The offer of pancakes and bacon obviously distracts me, and I suppose God could use that to draw me into service for the kingdom, but Saul of Tarsus needed something else. Being a person with intense determination to see a job done through to completion, Jesus needed to literally stop Saul in his tracks before he got to Damascus. What might it take to thoroughly capture the attention and imagination of your congregation? A flash of light? A 2×4? The aroma of freshly brewed coffee? We explore some options using Star Wars, Star Trek, Reader’s Theater, and yoga breathing. Smarts: Eye [03:39], Body [05:27], People [07:17], Self [08:15] Acts 9 worksheet   Revelation 5:11-14 [09:05] – John’s revelation is full of rich visual imagery. This selection for today is full of sound!! If ever there was a time to turn the speakers in your sanctuary up to 11, this is it. Try using the special effect for body smart while playing the music we suggest for word smart. Consider abandoning the sermon for a day (WHAT?!?) and sing your way through “Worthy is the Lamb That was Slain” instead. Open the windows in your sanctuary and let nature sing praises for the morning prayers. These verses cry out for as many opportunities for expression with as many of the intelligences as possible. Smarts: Word [09:47], Eye [11:03], Math [12:00], Body [13:25], Music [14:59], Nature [16:13], People [17:25] Revelation 5 worksheet   John 21:1-19 [18:18] – In this epilogue to John’s Gospel, the Risen Lord meets the disciples on the beach at daybreak. After a surprising haul of fish, the seven on the boat realize who is giving them advice on the shore and come back to find Jesus has made breakfast. Over the meal, Jesus takes the time to address Peter. In our illustrations and special effects for body and self, we wonder what may have been lurking in Peter’s heart as he ate with his Master and friend. I find it truly moving that as in so many other ways in other passages, Jesus touches the deepest places in people over a shared meal. We explore Peter’s need for redemption in body and self smart – maybe you are aware of people in your congregation who need a second chance, too. Smarts: Eye [19:34], Math [21:26],Body [22:12], Nature [24:00], People [25:01], Self [26:56] John 21 worksheet     Links: Acts: Flash blindness Reader’s Theater optional geek link: Star Trek episode Operation – Annihilate!   Revelation: Two options for the TV series You Are There or You Are There.2 because we like words, myriad defined Talmud quote Lux Aurumque an interesting interpretation of Handel’s Messiah as a staged version (warning: 2 hours and not everyone’s cuppa tea) Singing dads in worship Space sounds   John: image of a charcoal fire and one on a beach John’s other mention of a charcoal fire in the high priest’s courtyard why such a specific number of fish? possibly they caught biny fish….