The Whole Truth
Stories
Contents
What's Up This Week
A Story to Live By: "We Are Family"
Good Stories: "The Whole Truth" by David O. Bales
"The Unseen Leader" by Robert Beringer
Sermon Starters: "Have I Killed Anyone?" by Terry Cain
"Too Good to Be True... or Perfection, and How I Attained It" by Terry Cain
What's Up This Week
The resurrection of Jesus is such a stunning event that it confounds our normal ways of communicating -- and that elemental truth is powerfully illustrated in this week's Good Stories. "The Whole Truth" portrays Luke's struggles with "writer's block" as he grapples with how to impart the full emotional depth of those remarkable events, while "The Unseen Leader" demonstrates how the spirit can alter perceptions to protect a furtive meeting of Christian believers. And in Sermon Starters, we offer a pair of thought-provoking stories delving into the week's readings from 1 John and Acts.
A Story to Live By
We Are Family
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now.
1 John 3:1-2a
Skyline Urban Ministries is a United Methodist-sponsored inner-city ministry in Oklahoma City. Executive director Reverend Dale Tremper tells a story that occurred at their 8th Street Center. For at least 18 months, "Bill" and "Tonya" lived across the street in a broken-down truck. They were drug addicts. Lacking sanitary facilities, water, money, and everything else, they often came to Skyline, asking for everything from a cup of coffee to companionship. Generally, they were appreciative. However, at times they were "high" and they didn't like each other, let alone anyone else. They were quite unpleasant to be around.
On one such occasion, one of the workers, Conna, had to ask them to leave. She went home troubled and reflected on what had happened. As she struggled with the incident, she felt God revealing to her that despite Bill and Tonya's troublesome behavior, they were children of God. Because of God's claim on their lives, they were in genuine need of assistance and encouragement toward eventually making better choices in their lives.
Conna shared her revelation with the other staff members and volunteers. They all agreed to treat the couple with greater acceptance. With the workers' change of attitude, an amazing thing happened. They noticed significantly fewer problems with the couple's behavior.
But as suddenly as the couple transformed their behavior, they suddenly disappeared.
Months later, Bill came back to the 8th Street facility, looking for Conna. He was no longer wasted and displayed a clearer look in his eyes. He explained that Tonya had been taken to jail for a parole violation. Afterward, he had enrolled himself into a drug treatment program. He had completed the six-month program a few weeks prior and now he was returning to simply say "thank you" to Conna and Skyline. He talked about plans for the future, but really came by to express words of appreciation and gratitude. He said, "I just wanted you to know that you all have been the closest thing I have had to family in Oklahoma City and I deeply appreciate everything you did for me."
Dale observes, "Family? We gave them access to the bathroom and water fountain, Vienna sausages and crackers now and then, and an encouraging word. That's really about all."
But "Bill" had it right. We are family because God has chosen to love us -- all of us, regardless of social status. In spite of our failures, God claims us and loves us as children. We sometimes forget our connection to God and one another. Let us remind each other by loving each other as children of God -- just as God has loved us.
(From Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit [Series IV, Cycle B] by Gregory Tolle)
Good Stories
The Whole Truth
by David O. Bales
Luke 24:36b-48
Luke was no slouch as a writer. He could compose long, convoluted Greek sentences that took half a page to complete. Then, dipping the stylus again into the ink, he could suddenly make words on papyrus sound like a stiff 300-year-old translation of Hebrew into Greek. He would subtly repeat themes and patterns of God's grace to help readers hear the Hebrew Old Testament echo in Jesus' life and teaching. The man was a master at clarity: never a word out of place, nor could anyone misunderstand his intent. If one only read his final draft, Luke seemed to be in full command of his subject.
His subject, however, was Jesus, and Jesus had been raised from the dead. No editing job as Luke rewrote Mark's Gospel would or should undo the central fact of Jesus' resurrection. Within a few decades the faith had grown out of Judea, and the new religion of Jesus was spreading through the eastern Mediterranean world -- even showing up in the city of Rome. This faith depended upon the truth of Jesus' resurrection.
Luke sat at his writing table. A good writer, yes; a careful historian, of course; a believer in the risen Jesus, always. But in his reporting of Jesus' resurrection appearances, he'd gotten jittery. Luke had his sources. He'd heard the stories passed on from the first eyewitnesses. Jesus' resurrection was the tip of God's new world invading human existence. But as an architect doubts his abilities when asked to design the most imposing structure in the world, so Luke the writer fumbled for words to describe Jesus' three resurrection appearances.
Halfway through recording Jesus' resurrection appearances, Luke had gasped, slammed his hands on the writing table, and stopped his writing. He'd let his manuscript sit for weeks. Years of work just laid upon a shelf. Daily he walked by the scroll and then quickly left the room. He had a few fingers' width of space remaining blank on the bottom of the papyrus for the writing of what seemed incredible.
Decades before, Paul the apostle had also stumbled around trying to describe the resurrection. He'd attempted to do so by talking about different kinds of bodies and the way seeds change after sprouting. Paul had struggled to explain what Luke now must portray in order to finish his Gospel.
Jesus had been alive and free of the tomb, talking to his students, and even eating with them. Luke was sure of this. He'd interviewed many of the first Christians. They'd told him about Jesus simply showing up in their midst. However, if they'd thought Jesus was a ghost, how could Luke, merely by writing, convince people otherwise? If Jesus' disciples assumed the resurrection was too good to be true, could Luke reduce it to papyrus and make it seem anything but untrue?
Talk about writer's block! He prayed, and he checked his notes and written sources again. He discussed the problem with his fellow Christians, and he waited -- almost like Jesus told his students to wait in Jerusalem for the power from on high.
Then early one Sunday morning, he had it. During a worship gathering a preacher had talked about Jesus' resurrection. Luke had watched Jesus' resurrection appearances in his mind as he heard them. Like a waking dream, he'd taken part in the disciples' experience of Jesus being alive again. By an answer to prayer or profound insight, whatever anyone wanted to name it, Luke realized he needed to tell the whole truth. In obedience to God he should record the entire story -- not just that Jesus came out of nowhere while the disciples talked, not just that he commanded them to touch him and reassured them that ghosts weren't made of flesh and blood, not just that he showed them his hands and feet, not just that he ate their broiled fish. Luke realized that, in order for readers to truly accept Jesus' final appearance to his disciples, he needed to record all the truth. Jesus' resurrection wasn't just about Jesus, but also about the people he appeared to. Luke must tell as much about what Jesus' friends experienced as about what Jesus said and did. He dashed into the room where his document about Jesus waited on the shelf.
Luke pulled out the notes about Jesus after his resurrection. He began to copy the events, but he would halt in his copying to include what he'd been told about Jesus' students. "They were startled and terrified, and thought they were seeing a ghost." He continued reporting Jesus' appearance, but he added that doubts arose in their hearts. He told of how Jesus dealt matter-of-factly with their amazement. Luke then inserted "in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering." There it was -- the whole truth. He continued the last sentences to describe Jesus' ascension. He pushed the scroll to the side, put his face in his hands, and wept. The whole truth about Jesus' resurrection was now written, and it was almost -- but not quite -- too good to be true.
David O. Bales is the pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Ontario, Oregon, and a freelance writer and editor for Stephen Ministries and Tebunah Ministries. He is the author of Gospel Subplots: Story Sermons of God's Grace (CSS).
The Unseen Leader
by Robert Beringer
Mark Thomas and his wife, Susan, were excited by the opportunity to live in the Middle East for two years while on assignment for Mobil Oil. The only real drawback to their new home was the government restriction on Christians gathering for either worship or study. Mark and Sue both missed their church and the experience of sharing Sunday worship together. There was some talk of lifting the restrictions, but no official government action had yet occurred.
As Easter Sunday approached that first year, Mark and Sue decided to risk inviting some of their Christian friends to gather in a basement room in their home. They soon found a number of other people who were willing to take the chance to gather for prayer and singing, in spite of the real risk they would face if discovered by the police.
The day arrived, and Mark and Sue's friends began arriving sporadically, so as not to attract attention. It was wonderful to be together, to listen to the story of that first Easter morning, and to sing "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today," even without accompaniment. They were huddled together in a small basement room with no windows, but the joy they felt in their hearts was like being in a great cathedral with crowds of Easter worshipers proclaiming Jesus' resurrection.
And then came the sound of footsteps and pounding on the door of the room where they were gathered! Suddenly two officers and a detachment of police with guns drawn burst into the room! Quickly, the officers dispersed the group with warnings that if such a gathering occurred again, all present would be expelled from the country. The Christians left, grateful that there had been at least some time to share their Easter faith and that there had been no arrests.
Meanwhile, the two officers returned to the police station to file their report of the incident. They quickly discovered that their recollections as to who was the leader of the group and how many persons were actually there differed greatly. The senior officer insisted that Mark was the leader since the group met at his house, but the younger policeman insisted that the leader was a man who had stood in the shadows and had a radiant look on his face.
Nor did the two officers agree on the total number of men and women involved in the incident. The senior officer said he had counted a total of nine persons, but the younger officer was just as insistent that he had counted ten people in the room. Unable to agree, the two policemen left the station with the intention of completing their report the following day.
That night the younger officer was going over the day's events in his mind when he fell asleep. In his dreams, the man with the radiant countenance, whom he remembered as the leader of the Christian group, spoke to him softly, saying, "Where two or three gather in my name, there am I in their midst."
Robert A. Beringer is a retired Presbyterian pastor who served New Jersey congregations for more than four decades. Among his CSS titles are Bright Intervals and Turning Points.
Sermon Starters
Have I Killed Anyone?
by Terry Cain
The third chapter of Acts has two themes: there is the story of the disciples healing a lame man, and there is Peter's sermon accusing the Israelites of complicity in Jesus' death. Once in a while we hear an uncomfortable sermon about how our sins are also responsible for the death of Jesus. Are we guilty of being a part of the death of others? Do we support the death penalty? Does it bother us that our taxes and our support of the troops perhaps means we share some responsibility for the bombing and shooting that kill and maim little children in war? When we break driving laws on the highway, does that make us responsible in some way for highway deaths? These are questions this week's scripture passage (Acts 3:12-19) should provoke us to ask ourselves.
* * *
One night a young man in a small southern town was speeding on the highway and ran through a speed trap. The state patrol started in pursuit and chased him down the road. They radioed ahead for backup and a roadblock. The car they were chasing belonged to Billy the Kid, a moniker bestowed on Bill Cory, a local resident with a reputation for breaking the speed laws and outrunning the police. As Bill and the state patrol car approached the next town down the highway, the patrol car backed off, hoping that Bill would slow down as he entered the small town. As the highway entered the town it made a slow turn to the left. The turn was gradual; however, Bill had been traveling at about 100 miles per hour as he hit town. He attempted to slow down a little, but he was still going too fast to safely negotiate the curve. He left the road on the right and slammed head-on into a large tree in a yard. Billy was not alone in the car -- his girlfriend was riding with him. She somehow survived the devastating crash with non-life-threatening injuries. Billy lived for a while, but he died on the way to the hospital.
Pastor Susan had Bill's funeral four days later. Her funeral sermon before the very large gathering from the small town was the usual message concerning eternal life, God's love and forgiveness, and our hope for reunion in heaven some day. However, that evening at home she continued to mull over the thoughts that had been troubling her since the accident. She finally opened up to her husband Jeff. "I can't keep quiet about this situation, Jeff," she said. "I have to speak up and say something. It scares me and I don't want to, but I have to."
Her husband replied, "What do you mean?"
Sue went to explain what Jeff was already well aware of. She spoke of how Bill had been a local legend. He was a high school dropout, had difficulty holding jobs in the community, and had other related social problems. His one claim to fame was his daredevil driving. Everyone in town knew about his notorious skill at avoiding the state patrol. It was a too-common occurrence for Bill to run through speed traps and then outrun the state patrol. He would often take off on gravel or dirt county roads and give law enforcement the slip. Everyone in the community bragged about his talent and how the patrol couldn't catch him. When Billy walked down the street in town, some of the residents would greet him with such comments as: "Made fools of the state patrol again lately, Billy?" "You are too much for them!" "You sure can handle a car -- you ought to be a race car driver." Billy the Kid apparently had nothing going for him besides his ability to outrun the law, and he basked in his accomplishment.
Susan said to her husband, "I have to say in my sermon this Sunday, 'We killed Billy!' "
Jeff was stunned. "Are you sure you want to go there?" he asked.
Susan replied, "There are young persons in our community, any one of which could grow up to emulate Billy, even considering his tragic end. We all need to learn how to give support and encouragement for the safe and sound activities of our kids. We encouraged Billy in the wrong direction with our applause and accolades. It would be inappropriate if his family was in church; but they are not a church family and won't be there. I have been here long enough to build the kind of rapport that I think allows me to say some tough things. We need to hear some sermons we don't like once in a while."
"I'm behind you, whatever you do," Jeff said.
Susan sighed, "Remember how Peter claimed some of the crowd were implicated in Jesus' death? As uncomfortable as it makes us, we need to assess our part in Billy risking his life to show off for others. I believe that Jesus' statement -- about how when we do it to the least of them, we have done it unto him -- applies to us in this situation."
Too Good to Be True... or Perfection, and How I Attained It
by Terry Cain
There are certain scripture passages that are very divisive in Christendom. One example would be the idea that we need to be baptized to be saved -- some say yes, and some say no. Taken in aggregate, such scripture-based beliefs have so polarized the Christian church that conservative and liberal (or mainline and evangelical, or whatever the going terminology is today) clergy in many communities cannot even cooperate enough to socialize together -- you know, "Let's do lunch." One of the embarrassments of Christianity is our failure to make a common witness to our stressed-out world, to be a united force for Christ.
This week's epistle text (1 John 3:1-7) contains a very difficult section that is central to the entire passage, and we should not avoid dealing with it simply because it is controversial and difficult. We won't resolve it to everyone's satisfaction, but by spending some time praying over it and engaging in a little loving dialogue we might smooth down the rough edges. The names of the churches have been disguised, if not the persons.
* * *
"I'm glad you could get away for a break this morning, Jackie. I had a rough time with our catechism class this week, and I need a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen or something."
"Mary, you know how I try to avoid business on the few times when we get away for a walk in these woods. Just because we're both pastors, we don't need to be always talking shop. Nevertheless, I'm listening."
"We got sidetracked in our membership class this week; you know how 12-year-olds like to get a teacher off the subject. Only this time it wasn't frivolous. Joanie, one of our more thoughtful kids, ran into an uncomfortable discussion with her best friend. Her friend, Patty, attends the Church of the Cross, just down the street from us. It seems her pastor preached a sermon or taught a class or something on the passage from our Bible where it seems to say that if we are in Christ or saved or are a real Christian we will never sin again. I looked it up. It is from 1 John, the third chapter. Joanie is no slouch. I think you know her, and she had some strong ideas regarding the passage. She couldn't believe we could reach perfection if we are a true Christian and never sin again. The discussion got a little warm, and it seems their friendship is in danger. At least I think I helped her see that her beliefs shouldn't break up friendships. But Joanie tried to convince Patty that we are all sinners and no one is a pure saint. All of us, no matter how good, are still going to sin once in a while."
"Except you and me, of course," interjected Jackie in an attempt at humor.
"Patty was insistent that the scripture was very clear about it," went on Mary. "I, of course, side with Joanie on the issue; however, I don't want to disrespect her friend's beliefs. It would certainly seem that in this, and similar issues, both positions cannot be right. Either it is possible to reach a state of relationship with Christ where we no longer sin, or we are unable in this life to reach that kind of perfection; both can't be true. I know Joanie's frustration. She has firm convictions, and yet doesn't want to lose her friend."
"Well, Mary, I might say three things concerning this issue," Jackie answered. "We always want to be right. No one ever wants to be wrong. That means when we get into a serious discussion on any controversial issue, we feel the need to win the debate and be vindicated in our beliefs. After all, we are talking about our faith. Consequently, the two thoughts I would share with you are: first, we could put forth the idea that that particular scripture applied only to specific individual situations. At any given moment we can be sinless regarding certain choices, even if we can't be perfect in all things when it comes to sin. You and I believe that we need to pray for forgiveness each day as the Lord's Prayer directs us, and continue our struggle against sin. However sinless we can be for any given issue at any given moment, we remain generally in a state where we continue to sin at other times. Such an interpretation of this passage is not going to satisfy the folks at The Church of the Cross, but it is one small step in their direction. Second, it would seem Patty's belief places her in the position of necessarily assuming that any of us who do not agree with her belief are consequently not Christian -- an uncomfortable and very judgmental position to take, to say the least. The third thought is that the more important subject by far in this passage (and indeed strongly stressed in the entire book of 1 John) is that we are to love one another! Looking at the entire letter of I John, it is clear we all must be as loving as we possibly can and try our very best to follow Christ."
"Yes, Jackie, you have focused on the most important truth in this section of our scripture, and one we all can agree on while we are working out the other details in gentle and loving dialogue. This will make for an excellent discussion in our class this week."
"Keep me posted on how the class responds."
Terry Cain is a retired United Methodist pastor, and the author of the CSS titles Shaking Wolves Out of Cherry Trees and Lions and Cows Dining Together.
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How to Share Stories
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StoryShare, April 30, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
What's Up This Week
A Story to Live By: "We Are Family"
Good Stories: "The Whole Truth" by David O. Bales
"The Unseen Leader" by Robert Beringer
Sermon Starters: "Have I Killed Anyone?" by Terry Cain
"Too Good to Be True... or Perfection, and How I Attained It" by Terry Cain
What's Up This Week
The resurrection of Jesus is such a stunning event that it confounds our normal ways of communicating -- and that elemental truth is powerfully illustrated in this week's Good Stories. "The Whole Truth" portrays Luke's struggles with "writer's block" as he grapples with how to impart the full emotional depth of those remarkable events, while "The Unseen Leader" demonstrates how the spirit can alter perceptions to protect a furtive meeting of Christian believers. And in Sermon Starters, we offer a pair of thought-provoking stories delving into the week's readings from 1 John and Acts.
A Story to Live By
We Are Family
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now.
1 John 3:1-2a
Skyline Urban Ministries is a United Methodist-sponsored inner-city ministry in Oklahoma City. Executive director Reverend Dale Tremper tells a story that occurred at their 8th Street Center. For at least 18 months, "Bill" and "Tonya" lived across the street in a broken-down truck. They were drug addicts. Lacking sanitary facilities, water, money, and everything else, they often came to Skyline, asking for everything from a cup of coffee to companionship. Generally, they were appreciative. However, at times they were "high" and they didn't like each other, let alone anyone else. They were quite unpleasant to be around.
On one such occasion, one of the workers, Conna, had to ask them to leave. She went home troubled and reflected on what had happened. As she struggled with the incident, she felt God revealing to her that despite Bill and Tonya's troublesome behavior, they were children of God. Because of God's claim on their lives, they were in genuine need of assistance and encouragement toward eventually making better choices in their lives.
Conna shared her revelation with the other staff members and volunteers. They all agreed to treat the couple with greater acceptance. With the workers' change of attitude, an amazing thing happened. They noticed significantly fewer problems with the couple's behavior.
But as suddenly as the couple transformed their behavior, they suddenly disappeared.
Months later, Bill came back to the 8th Street facility, looking for Conna. He was no longer wasted and displayed a clearer look in his eyes. He explained that Tonya had been taken to jail for a parole violation. Afterward, he had enrolled himself into a drug treatment program. He had completed the six-month program a few weeks prior and now he was returning to simply say "thank you" to Conna and Skyline. He talked about plans for the future, but really came by to express words of appreciation and gratitude. He said, "I just wanted you to know that you all have been the closest thing I have had to family in Oklahoma City and I deeply appreciate everything you did for me."
Dale observes, "Family? We gave them access to the bathroom and water fountain, Vienna sausages and crackers now and then, and an encouraging word. That's really about all."
But "Bill" had it right. We are family because God has chosen to love us -- all of us, regardless of social status. In spite of our failures, God claims us and loves us as children. We sometimes forget our connection to God and one another. Let us remind each other by loving each other as children of God -- just as God has loved us.
(From Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit [Series IV, Cycle B] by Gregory Tolle)
Good Stories
The Whole Truth
by David O. Bales
Luke 24:36b-48
Luke was no slouch as a writer. He could compose long, convoluted Greek sentences that took half a page to complete. Then, dipping the stylus again into the ink, he could suddenly make words on papyrus sound like a stiff 300-year-old translation of Hebrew into Greek. He would subtly repeat themes and patterns of God's grace to help readers hear the Hebrew Old Testament echo in Jesus' life and teaching. The man was a master at clarity: never a word out of place, nor could anyone misunderstand his intent. If one only read his final draft, Luke seemed to be in full command of his subject.
His subject, however, was Jesus, and Jesus had been raised from the dead. No editing job as Luke rewrote Mark's Gospel would or should undo the central fact of Jesus' resurrection. Within a few decades the faith had grown out of Judea, and the new religion of Jesus was spreading through the eastern Mediterranean world -- even showing up in the city of Rome. This faith depended upon the truth of Jesus' resurrection.
Luke sat at his writing table. A good writer, yes; a careful historian, of course; a believer in the risen Jesus, always. But in his reporting of Jesus' resurrection appearances, he'd gotten jittery. Luke had his sources. He'd heard the stories passed on from the first eyewitnesses. Jesus' resurrection was the tip of God's new world invading human existence. But as an architect doubts his abilities when asked to design the most imposing structure in the world, so Luke the writer fumbled for words to describe Jesus' three resurrection appearances.
Halfway through recording Jesus' resurrection appearances, Luke had gasped, slammed his hands on the writing table, and stopped his writing. He'd let his manuscript sit for weeks. Years of work just laid upon a shelf. Daily he walked by the scroll and then quickly left the room. He had a few fingers' width of space remaining blank on the bottom of the papyrus for the writing of what seemed incredible.
Decades before, Paul the apostle had also stumbled around trying to describe the resurrection. He'd attempted to do so by talking about different kinds of bodies and the way seeds change after sprouting. Paul had struggled to explain what Luke now must portray in order to finish his Gospel.
Jesus had been alive and free of the tomb, talking to his students, and even eating with them. Luke was sure of this. He'd interviewed many of the first Christians. They'd told him about Jesus simply showing up in their midst. However, if they'd thought Jesus was a ghost, how could Luke, merely by writing, convince people otherwise? If Jesus' disciples assumed the resurrection was too good to be true, could Luke reduce it to papyrus and make it seem anything but untrue?
Talk about writer's block! He prayed, and he checked his notes and written sources again. He discussed the problem with his fellow Christians, and he waited -- almost like Jesus told his students to wait in Jerusalem for the power from on high.
Then early one Sunday morning, he had it. During a worship gathering a preacher had talked about Jesus' resurrection. Luke had watched Jesus' resurrection appearances in his mind as he heard them. Like a waking dream, he'd taken part in the disciples' experience of Jesus being alive again. By an answer to prayer or profound insight, whatever anyone wanted to name it, Luke realized he needed to tell the whole truth. In obedience to God he should record the entire story -- not just that Jesus came out of nowhere while the disciples talked, not just that he commanded them to touch him and reassured them that ghosts weren't made of flesh and blood, not just that he showed them his hands and feet, not just that he ate their broiled fish. Luke realized that, in order for readers to truly accept Jesus' final appearance to his disciples, he needed to record all the truth. Jesus' resurrection wasn't just about Jesus, but also about the people he appeared to. Luke must tell as much about what Jesus' friends experienced as about what Jesus said and did. He dashed into the room where his document about Jesus waited on the shelf.
Luke pulled out the notes about Jesus after his resurrection. He began to copy the events, but he would halt in his copying to include what he'd been told about Jesus' students. "They were startled and terrified, and thought they were seeing a ghost." He continued reporting Jesus' appearance, but he added that doubts arose in their hearts. He told of how Jesus dealt matter-of-factly with their amazement. Luke then inserted "in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering." There it was -- the whole truth. He continued the last sentences to describe Jesus' ascension. He pushed the scroll to the side, put his face in his hands, and wept. The whole truth about Jesus' resurrection was now written, and it was almost -- but not quite -- too good to be true.
David O. Bales is the pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Ontario, Oregon, and a freelance writer and editor for Stephen Ministries and Tebunah Ministries. He is the author of Gospel Subplots: Story Sermons of God's Grace (CSS).
The Unseen Leader
by Robert Beringer
Mark Thomas and his wife, Susan, were excited by the opportunity to live in the Middle East for two years while on assignment for Mobil Oil. The only real drawback to their new home was the government restriction on Christians gathering for either worship or study. Mark and Sue both missed their church and the experience of sharing Sunday worship together. There was some talk of lifting the restrictions, but no official government action had yet occurred.
As Easter Sunday approached that first year, Mark and Sue decided to risk inviting some of their Christian friends to gather in a basement room in their home. They soon found a number of other people who were willing to take the chance to gather for prayer and singing, in spite of the real risk they would face if discovered by the police.
The day arrived, and Mark and Sue's friends began arriving sporadically, so as not to attract attention. It was wonderful to be together, to listen to the story of that first Easter morning, and to sing "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today," even without accompaniment. They were huddled together in a small basement room with no windows, but the joy they felt in their hearts was like being in a great cathedral with crowds of Easter worshipers proclaiming Jesus' resurrection.
And then came the sound of footsteps and pounding on the door of the room where they were gathered! Suddenly two officers and a detachment of police with guns drawn burst into the room! Quickly, the officers dispersed the group with warnings that if such a gathering occurred again, all present would be expelled from the country. The Christians left, grateful that there had been at least some time to share their Easter faith and that there had been no arrests.
Meanwhile, the two officers returned to the police station to file their report of the incident. They quickly discovered that their recollections as to who was the leader of the group and how many persons were actually there differed greatly. The senior officer insisted that Mark was the leader since the group met at his house, but the younger policeman insisted that the leader was a man who had stood in the shadows and had a radiant look on his face.
Nor did the two officers agree on the total number of men and women involved in the incident. The senior officer said he had counted a total of nine persons, but the younger officer was just as insistent that he had counted ten people in the room. Unable to agree, the two policemen left the station with the intention of completing their report the following day.
That night the younger officer was going over the day's events in his mind when he fell asleep. In his dreams, the man with the radiant countenance, whom he remembered as the leader of the Christian group, spoke to him softly, saying, "Where two or three gather in my name, there am I in their midst."
Robert A. Beringer is a retired Presbyterian pastor who served New Jersey congregations for more than four decades. Among his CSS titles are Bright Intervals and Turning Points.
Sermon Starters
Have I Killed Anyone?
by Terry Cain
The third chapter of Acts has two themes: there is the story of the disciples healing a lame man, and there is Peter's sermon accusing the Israelites of complicity in Jesus' death. Once in a while we hear an uncomfortable sermon about how our sins are also responsible for the death of Jesus. Are we guilty of being a part of the death of others? Do we support the death penalty? Does it bother us that our taxes and our support of the troops perhaps means we share some responsibility for the bombing and shooting that kill and maim little children in war? When we break driving laws on the highway, does that make us responsible in some way for highway deaths? These are questions this week's scripture passage (Acts 3:12-19) should provoke us to ask ourselves.
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One night a young man in a small southern town was speeding on the highway and ran through a speed trap. The state patrol started in pursuit and chased him down the road. They radioed ahead for backup and a roadblock. The car they were chasing belonged to Billy the Kid, a moniker bestowed on Bill Cory, a local resident with a reputation for breaking the speed laws and outrunning the police. As Bill and the state patrol car approached the next town down the highway, the patrol car backed off, hoping that Bill would slow down as he entered the small town. As the highway entered the town it made a slow turn to the left. The turn was gradual; however, Bill had been traveling at about 100 miles per hour as he hit town. He attempted to slow down a little, but he was still going too fast to safely negotiate the curve. He left the road on the right and slammed head-on into a large tree in a yard. Billy was not alone in the car -- his girlfriend was riding with him. She somehow survived the devastating crash with non-life-threatening injuries. Billy lived for a while, but he died on the way to the hospital.
Pastor Susan had Bill's funeral four days later. Her funeral sermon before the very large gathering from the small town was the usual message concerning eternal life, God's love and forgiveness, and our hope for reunion in heaven some day. However, that evening at home she continued to mull over the thoughts that had been troubling her since the accident. She finally opened up to her husband Jeff. "I can't keep quiet about this situation, Jeff," she said. "I have to speak up and say something. It scares me and I don't want to, but I have to."
Her husband replied, "What do you mean?"
Sue went to explain what Jeff was already well aware of. She spoke of how Bill had been a local legend. He was a high school dropout, had difficulty holding jobs in the community, and had other related social problems. His one claim to fame was his daredevil driving. Everyone in town knew about his notorious skill at avoiding the state patrol. It was a too-common occurrence for Bill to run through speed traps and then outrun the state patrol. He would often take off on gravel or dirt county roads and give law enforcement the slip. Everyone in the community bragged about his talent and how the patrol couldn't catch him. When Billy walked down the street in town, some of the residents would greet him with such comments as: "Made fools of the state patrol again lately, Billy?" "You are too much for them!" "You sure can handle a car -- you ought to be a race car driver." Billy the Kid apparently had nothing going for him besides his ability to outrun the law, and he basked in his accomplishment.
Susan said to her husband, "I have to say in my sermon this Sunday, 'We killed Billy!' "
Jeff was stunned. "Are you sure you want to go there?" he asked.
Susan replied, "There are young persons in our community, any one of which could grow up to emulate Billy, even considering his tragic end. We all need to learn how to give support and encouragement for the safe and sound activities of our kids. We encouraged Billy in the wrong direction with our applause and accolades. It would be inappropriate if his family was in church; but they are not a church family and won't be there. I have been here long enough to build the kind of rapport that I think allows me to say some tough things. We need to hear some sermons we don't like once in a while."
"I'm behind you, whatever you do," Jeff said.
Susan sighed, "Remember how Peter claimed some of the crowd were implicated in Jesus' death? As uncomfortable as it makes us, we need to assess our part in Billy risking his life to show off for others. I believe that Jesus' statement -- about how when we do it to the least of them, we have done it unto him -- applies to us in this situation."
Too Good to Be True... or Perfection, and How I Attained It
by Terry Cain
There are certain scripture passages that are very divisive in Christendom. One example would be the idea that we need to be baptized to be saved -- some say yes, and some say no. Taken in aggregate, such scripture-based beliefs have so polarized the Christian church that conservative and liberal (or mainline and evangelical, or whatever the going terminology is today) clergy in many communities cannot even cooperate enough to socialize together -- you know, "Let's do lunch." One of the embarrassments of Christianity is our failure to make a common witness to our stressed-out world, to be a united force for Christ.
This week's epistle text (1 John 3:1-7) contains a very difficult section that is central to the entire passage, and we should not avoid dealing with it simply because it is controversial and difficult. We won't resolve it to everyone's satisfaction, but by spending some time praying over it and engaging in a little loving dialogue we might smooth down the rough edges. The names of the churches have been disguised, if not the persons.
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"I'm glad you could get away for a break this morning, Jackie. I had a rough time with our catechism class this week, and I need a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen or something."
"Mary, you know how I try to avoid business on the few times when we get away for a walk in these woods. Just because we're both pastors, we don't need to be always talking shop. Nevertheless, I'm listening."
"We got sidetracked in our membership class this week; you know how 12-year-olds like to get a teacher off the subject. Only this time it wasn't frivolous. Joanie, one of our more thoughtful kids, ran into an uncomfortable discussion with her best friend. Her friend, Patty, attends the Church of the Cross, just down the street from us. It seems her pastor preached a sermon or taught a class or something on the passage from our Bible where it seems to say that if we are in Christ or saved or are a real Christian we will never sin again. I looked it up. It is from 1 John, the third chapter. Joanie is no slouch. I think you know her, and she had some strong ideas regarding the passage. She couldn't believe we could reach perfection if we are a true Christian and never sin again. The discussion got a little warm, and it seems their friendship is in danger. At least I think I helped her see that her beliefs shouldn't break up friendships. But Joanie tried to convince Patty that we are all sinners and no one is a pure saint. All of us, no matter how good, are still going to sin once in a while."
"Except you and me, of course," interjected Jackie in an attempt at humor.
"Patty was insistent that the scripture was very clear about it," went on Mary. "I, of course, side with Joanie on the issue; however, I don't want to disrespect her friend's beliefs. It would certainly seem that in this, and similar issues, both positions cannot be right. Either it is possible to reach a state of relationship with Christ where we no longer sin, or we are unable in this life to reach that kind of perfection; both can't be true. I know Joanie's frustration. She has firm convictions, and yet doesn't want to lose her friend."
"Well, Mary, I might say three things concerning this issue," Jackie answered. "We always want to be right. No one ever wants to be wrong. That means when we get into a serious discussion on any controversial issue, we feel the need to win the debate and be vindicated in our beliefs. After all, we are talking about our faith. Consequently, the two thoughts I would share with you are: first, we could put forth the idea that that particular scripture applied only to specific individual situations. At any given moment we can be sinless regarding certain choices, even if we can't be perfect in all things when it comes to sin. You and I believe that we need to pray for forgiveness each day as the Lord's Prayer directs us, and continue our struggle against sin. However sinless we can be for any given issue at any given moment, we remain generally in a state where we continue to sin at other times. Such an interpretation of this passage is not going to satisfy the folks at The Church of the Cross, but it is one small step in their direction. Second, it would seem Patty's belief places her in the position of necessarily assuming that any of us who do not agree with her belief are consequently not Christian -- an uncomfortable and very judgmental position to take, to say the least. The third thought is that the more important subject by far in this passage (and indeed strongly stressed in the entire book of 1 John) is that we are to love one another! Looking at the entire letter of I John, it is clear we all must be as loving as we possibly can and try our very best to follow Christ."
"Yes, Jackie, you have focused on the most important truth in this section of our scripture, and one we all can agree on while we are working out the other details in gentle and loving dialogue. This will make for an excellent discussion in our class this week."
"Keep me posted on how the class responds."
Terry Cain is a retired United Methodist pastor, and the author of the CSS titles Shaking Wolves Out of Cherry Trees and Lions and Cows Dining Together.
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StoryShare, April 30, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
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