Opening Up

Throughout the 50 days of Easter, I would like to invite you to explore what it means for you to have an open heart and an open mind. We are using a theme verse from Acts 17:28; in him we live and move and have our being.

On this Sunday, April 19 in our gospel reading we hear the story of Jesus walking along side two of his followers, one named Cleopas. Jesus meets them along the way. 

At the beginning of our reading for this Sunday  April 19 in Luke 24:16 , we read  that the disciples eyes were “kept from recognizing him.” Something closed them up or closed them off. They were filled with sadness. Could that have been it? There are so many things these days that threaten to close us up,  shut us down,  keep us alone and lonely. 

During this Easter season, I invite you to keep open, awake, and aware of opportunities to make connections. How is it that the Spirit is inviting you to live and move and have your being in Christ? We are also using a theme of kites for the Easter season.  Flying a kite is much better when we have someone else to help us lift the kite up and help untangle the string. There is the beauty of connection when together we rejoice when a kit catches the wind. we don't yet have the date for our first kite flying event, and it will be coming soon. We have kites in our sanctuary and that photo above is one of the kites that is reminding us how the Spirit moves us and invites us to keep open hearts and open minds. 

Later in the gospel reading Luke 24:31, we hear that “their eyes were opened , and they recognized him” and they said to each other “were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 

There's something about shared adventures and opportunities for growing in faith together. I hope during this Easter season you'll consider some ways that you are being invited to grow in faith together with people in your community,  people within your family,  maybe someone here at church whom you haven't known before and you feel that nudge to introduce yourself even though maybe you think you should already know their name or they should know yours. 

The Easter season is a great opportunity to try out something new. We also hear in our gospel reading Luke 24:35 that Jesus was made known to his followers in the breaking of the bread. I hope you'll consider joining us at Lord of the Hills and breaking bread with us. We break bread every Sunday morning at both our 8 AM and 10 AM worship services. All our welcome and are invited. We also have a unique opportunity coming up on Sunday, April 26  at 12:15pm when we will break bread with our Muslim neighbors from the SEA community. I hope you'll consider joining in opportunity of loving one another through the breaking of bread.