We are the world!

Luke 24:36b-48

Earth Day

Today is earth day! All over the world extra trees are being plants, school age children are getting a refresher on the importance of recycling and the evils of littering. The debate over global warming heats up this time of year. Its that time of the year when we folks of the developing world stop and attempt to listen to the reminder that this world is bigger than us and that we not only make an impact on the earth and but we also have a responsibility for the earth.

And now you and I here in church and the bible is telling us something about this earth, our prayers and other elements of worship today will point to and illuminate God's creation and our place in it. But the connection between us as humans and the earth is a complicated one, and the relation held between Divine Creator and us as mere humans is worth a moment, or a lifetime of reflecting upon.

More and more people all over our country, and especially here in the Pacific Northwest have various reasons as to why they do not attend church or find themselves a part of any faith community. One of those reasons sounds something like this, “Why would I go to church on a Sunday morning when I can experience God right here in my fishing boat, or on the hiking trail or fill in your favorite outdoor recreation.” And to some extent, I agree! There is little else I find as restorative to my soul then stepping onto a lush hiking trail, feelings the shade of massive trees, hearing the roar of a waterfall, seeing the countless systems of nature that grow, reproduce, bloom, die and sustain. My faith is reassured when I consider God's hand in sustaining this creation and God's creative and playful side is shown in wildflowers and bubbling brooks. This is the side of nature that we lift up today, God made it and said it was good and we are prone to agree! So, I understand the person who says they will more clearly encounter the Divine on Mt. Hood then in the sanctuary today, in fact, on sunshiny days like today...I'm even a little jealous.

Because on a day like today it would be easy to step outside, view the glorious flowers and say, “Yes this is God's hand! This is beautiful and creative! Amen!” But that is just one side of nature...the perfect, calm, docile image of the creation God called good. There are other aspects to this nature: the nature that offers ticks and poison oak, the nature that infects and harms. The divine fishing boat can suddenly turn into a sinking weight and the inspiring hike can lead to harsh exposure to the elements we do not stand a chance against. This is the other side of nature – the side that is much more difficult to encounter and say “Yes, this is God's hand! Amen?”

Nature, from a glorious distance, is inspiring and does remind us of God's divine and creative power to make life. Yet, up a little closer we are also reminded of the darkness and harmful powers of our world to cause suffering and death. This is what we call, the hiddeness of God, not the full nature of God, but the hidden side. The side of God that seems to stay silent as nature rages against humanity, or the side of God that is difficult to feel during the times we feel so vulnerable to all we are exposed to.

So, if we do not fully know and encounter God in the beauty of nature and the awe-inspiring creation that we celebrate today...then where? Where is this God, not hidden, but known and revealed? We know God through Jesus Christ. It is just two weeks after Easter and in our gospel story today there was another scene of the disciples who are scared and doubting and so confused by all that has happened. How can they know where to go next? How can they know how to walk away from death and destruction towards new life?

Jesus comes to these scared and confused disciples already knowing them fully. Before the disciples can speak a word, asks, “Why are you afraid? Why do you doubt? Didn't you know I'd be back?” Already Jesus is setting up this relationship with his followers to be a person one, a relationship that recognizes emotions and fears and addresses them.

This is different than our earth and all the creation it holds. You see we cannot become fully engaged with nature, because nature will bite back, eventually the wilderness acts up with a force and power that is stronger than we are – that is why God is considered hidden in that nature. Certainly God is present, but that is not where and how we can be up close and person with God, creation is not where we are known and loved by the Creator.

Jesus comes to the disciples and says – touch me, feel my wounds and scars. Jesus then asked for a bite to eat...never mind the manners, Jesus was engaging every sense available to the disciples – hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling and taste – every part of Jesus being was brought to new life, just as every part of us will be brought to new life in Christ. Jesus invites those who love him to get up close and personal, taste – touch – see – hear – feel, this is where we connect, this is where we see God, in the risen Christ! And there is nothing calm or docile about this encounter with God – it is real and intimate, it is love come up close and personal to us, even us with all our fears and doubts.

So often in church we sanitize our encounters. The only touch comes during the passing of the peace, we sit in our nicest clothes and have ordered our worship space with straight pews all facing the same direction. Our worship does not quite reflect the nature of our relationship with God through this risen Christ. Jesus says we are to taste – touch – see – hear – feel the new life given to us.

Did you hear the word today?

Will you taste it as you gather around the table?

Did you see the risen Christ is the face of a stranger or a loved one today?

Did you hear the good news as you sang or in the innocence of a child?

Did you touch someone with the grace and love of God the creator, who created us for touch and connectedness?

Bust out of the church walls and sanitized encounters. Serving God's earth and all the people in it includes messiness, intimacy, real love flowing from God, through our hands and feet to the world the earth, the whole creation. As people who believe in this risen Christ we are not supposed to be overly sanitized, all our sense are to be engaged as we follow our Savior! We are sitting outside today to be reminded that these walls are not a fortress, they are penetrable, our leaky roof is reminding us of that! We are sitting outside today to be reminded that engaging with the world like Jesus did is uncomfortable, noisy, distracting, annoying – and it requires a dedicate and focused faith that dares to be known and loved by God so that we may share this relationship and love of God through Christ Jesus with the creation!

Look around – this is the creation God is calling us to. Do not miss the words of the Psalmist...

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars that you have established; 4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   mortals that you care for them?”

God, creator of heaven and earth, Jesus the skilled fisherman comes to us this morning and wants to be known by us. God does not want to be known by the destructive power of creation, but by the transforming power of the risen Christ! God does not want to be known by the destructive power of creation, but by the transforming power of the risen Christ!

Creation is a worthy reminder of life here on this earth and the need for a humble and gentle touch as we talk this earth. However, God's creation, the hiking trail, the fishing boat, is not to be worshiped, lest we begin to sink. Only in Jesus Christ do we know and experience the reminder of life beyond this earth, full and loving life everlasting. And God saw that all that was made, from the smallest flower, to the tiniest child, from the massive oak to the mighty human – all that was made and saw that it was good, it was so very good.

May you experience the transforming power of the risen Christ today – taste, touch, feel, hear, see all that God has done and all that you may do in God's name. Amen.