Risen Lord, Come stand among us
3rd S. of Easter
Luke 24: 36....
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
The message title is " A Risen Christ, A Real Christ, A Real Life"
The reason that I start with the quote above is that it seems Jesus had to keep showing Himself to get the disciples to truly understand what had happened. I am not blaming them, but it does seem as though they were quite dull of heart. They did not think He was real. Was He a spirit? vs. 37 . They kept reasoning that it could not be real. They were troubled . He had told the disciples on the road to Emmaus in vs 25 that they were dull of heart not to believe what the prophets had already said.
I like what the Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually by David Adam prays, " Risen Lord, come stand among us,
Awaken us to your presence, Open to us the gate of glory, Show us the path of life, Help us to know you are with us now and always."
For example when we die our families are not usually very insightful either. The resurrection of the dead does not seem real to us when someone we love goes before us. We are in the mourning stage quite a while and the truths of Scripture are hard to comprehend. John says that Christ is real, " which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled."I John 1:1
Again CS Lewis, " “[To have Faith in Christ] means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
What does the fact that Christ is real and now in heaven where He sits at the right hand of the throne of God mean for my life and yours? Jesus appeared to His disciples and Luke says, " they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit." No, He was not just a spirit. " Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." 24:39 And He ate in their presence, a "piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb." vs 43
***
How can we know in our lives the reality of His presence?
---in all that I do. I Corinthians 10:31 " whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
---wherever I go. PS . 139 " O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up...and are acquainted with all my ways...where can I go from Your Spirit?"
---when I am alone. " only as I find time to live with myself and to love myself will I be able to live with others and love them as they need to be loved." Esther De Waal
---in the face of others " then He will answer them , saying, " Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to Me."
---Compassion for the poor ( I noted this in the psalms as I read them and the prominence of God's blessing on them)
---Compassion for the least " the thought that Christ may come to us in the very people who sometimes frustrate us the most---in the people we want to change--fills us with awe. How we respond to them is really our response to Christ." 12 Steps to Living Without Fear Lloyd Ogilvie
As we go on our way this new week, remember our risen living Christ, in our hearts by faith, present to us in others ( all including the high and the low), present to us in all our day, present to us in all we do , and wherever we go.
In the words of the ancient Irish prayer we conclude this meditation:"
I offer Thee , Every flower that grew, Every bird that flew, Every wind that blew . Good God!
Every thunder rolling, Every church bell tolling, Every leaf and sod. Laudamus Te!
I offer Thee, Every wave that moved, Every hear that ever loved Thee, thy Father's Well-beloved. Dear Lord!
Every river dashing, Every lightning flashing, Like an angel's sword. Benedicimus Te!
I offer Thee, Every cloud that ever swept, O'er the skies, and broke and wept, In rain, and with the flowerlets slept. My King!
Every communicant praying, Every angel staying, Before Thy throne to sing. Adoramus Te!
I offer Thee, Every flake of virgin snow, Every spring of earth below, Every human joy and woe, My love!
O Lord! And all thy glorious , Self o'er death victorious , Throned in heaven above. Glorificamus Te!
amen.
Luke 24: 36....
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
The message title is " A Risen Christ, A Real Christ, A Real Life"
The reason that I start with the quote above is that it seems Jesus had to keep showing Himself to get the disciples to truly understand what had happened. I am not blaming them, but it does seem as though they were quite dull of heart. They did not think He was real. Was He a spirit? vs. 37 . They kept reasoning that it could not be real. They were troubled . He had told the disciples on the road to Emmaus in vs 25 that they were dull of heart not to believe what the prophets had already said.
I like what the Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually by David Adam prays, " Risen Lord, come stand among us,
Awaken us to your presence, Open to us the gate of glory, Show us the path of life, Help us to know you are with us now and always."
For example when we die our families are not usually very insightful either. The resurrection of the dead does not seem real to us when someone we love goes before us. We are in the mourning stage quite a while and the truths of Scripture are hard to comprehend. John says that Christ is real, " which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled."I John 1:1
Again CS Lewis, " “[To have Faith in Christ] means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
What does the fact that Christ is real and now in heaven where He sits at the right hand of the throne of God mean for my life and yours? Jesus appeared to His disciples and Luke says, " they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit." No, He was not just a spirit. " Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." 24:39 And He ate in their presence, a "piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb." vs 43
***
How can we know in our lives the reality of His presence?
---in all that I do. I Corinthians 10:31 " whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
---wherever I go. PS . 139 " O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up...and are acquainted with all my ways...where can I go from Your Spirit?"
---when I am alone. " only as I find time to live with myself and to love myself will I be able to live with others and love them as they need to be loved." Esther De Waal
---in the face of others " then He will answer them , saying, " Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to Me."
---Compassion for the poor ( I noted this in the psalms as I read them and the prominence of God's blessing on them)
---Compassion for the least " the thought that Christ may come to us in the very people who sometimes frustrate us the most---in the people we want to change--fills us with awe. How we respond to them is really our response to Christ." 12 Steps to Living Without Fear Lloyd Ogilvie
As we go on our way this new week, remember our risen living Christ, in our hearts by faith, present to us in others ( all including the high and the low), present to us in all our day, present to us in all we do , and wherever we go.
In the words of the ancient Irish prayer we conclude this meditation:"
I offer Thee , Every flower that grew, Every bird that flew, Every wind that blew . Good God!
Every thunder rolling, Every church bell tolling, Every leaf and sod. Laudamus Te!
I offer Thee, Every wave that moved, Every hear that ever loved Thee, thy Father's Well-beloved. Dear Lord!
Every river dashing, Every lightning flashing, Like an angel's sword. Benedicimus Te!
I offer Thee, Every cloud that ever swept, O'er the skies, and broke and wept, In rain, and with the flowerlets slept. My King!
Every communicant praying, Every angel staying, Before Thy throne to sing. Adoramus Te!
I offer Thee, Every flake of virgin snow, Every spring of earth below, Every human joy and woe, My love!
O Lord! And all thy glorious , Self o'er death victorious , Throned in heaven above. Glorificamus Te!
amen.
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