Sunday Message
April 25, 2004
Robert D Bohnsack
Text: Luke 24:13-35

Allow me to introduce you to a new favorite comic strip, Pearls Before Swine. It involves four characters: Rat, Pig, Goat, and Zebra.

It seems that Rat is talking with a chicken he knows. The following conversation ensues:

Rat: Hey, Chicken, how goes it?
Chicken: Bad. Farmer Jake is oppressing us. We live in squalor, while he parades around in his two-door sports car.
Rat: What are you going to do?
Chicken: All of the chickens are going to rise up, kill Jake, and claim his car in the name of the revolution.
Rat: A coup by the coop for the coupe?
Chicken: Something like that. ¹

I do caution you against trying to connect this comic strip with the rest of the sermon. They really have nothing to do with each other.

Last weekend three of your high school students journeyed with me to Kirkmont Center, your Presbyterian Camp, in Zanesfield, Ohio, for the annual Senior High Rally. We journeyed to Kirkmont not knowing a lot about the weekend. None of us had been to Kirkmont Center, and none of us had ever been to a Senior High Rally at Kirkmont Center. The theme for the weekend was, "Life is an Expedition." The four of us journeyed to Kirkmont hoping to experience God, meet new people, have fun, and explore the idea that, "Life is an expedition."

The two travelers in today's Gospel lesson were on a journey as well. They were traveling to the village of Emmaus on the third day, Sunday. While on the Emmaus Road the two discussed the events of the past week. They talked about how they watched Jesus of Nazareth die. They talked about how they watched a noble teacher, friend, and man of God be crucified for doing nothing wrong. These travelers journeyed without hope for they, like us, put human limitations on things. They assumed that the hope they had in Jesus died when he died on the cross. They knew of no one who had ever conquered death. The journey was over.

In Fall of 1960, author John Steinbeck embarked on a journey around the United States. He later wrote a book about his journey entitled, "Travels with Charley, In Search of America."

"Steinbeck's course took him through almost forty states: northward from Long Island to Maine; through the Middle West to Chicago; onward by way of Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana (with which he fell in love), and Idaho to Seattle, south to San Francisco and his birthplace, Salinas; eastward through the Mojave, New Mexico, Arizona, to the vast hospitality of Texas, to New Orleans and a shocking drama of desegregation; finally, on the last leg, through Alabama, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey to New York." ²

Charlie, in case you are wondering, was John Steinbeck's distinguished French poodle. Steinbeck began to wonder if he had lost touch with America, and thus set out to rediscover America. ³ Steinbeck traveled his nation, our nation, in a 3/4-ton pickup truck and attached camper. Steinbeck named his truck, Rocinante, the name of Don Quixote's horse. ⁴

Life certainly is an expedition. While most of us do not have the opportunity to tour this magnificent nation in the same manner as John Steinbeck, we do take many journeys. We journey through childhood and adolescence. We journey through college, work, family, and our hopes and dreams. We journey through history. We all journey through life. Life's journey is not always on smooth roads and well lit paths. We often find ourselves going uphill, walking in deep snow, or being whisked away on a very turbulent river and feeling completely out of control. Yes, sometimes we do find ourselves on the clear well lit path with a gentle breeze.

As Christians, as members of the body of Christ, we believe that we do not travel life's journey alone. We are guided by the Holy Spirit, and comforted by the love and grace in Jesus Christ. More than that, we believe that we travel the gravel roads, paths, interstates, and waters of life with our sisters and brothers in Christ. The two on the Emmaus Road did not travel alone. They had each other. Even John Steinbeck had Charlie.

As a community of faith, we travel a path set by God. We do not travel alone. We travel with Christ. Just as the two travelers invited Christ to sit down at table with them, we, people who proclaim the saving grace of Jesus Christ, invite Christ to join us on our journey. We invite him to share in our triumphs, and failures. We invite him to walk with us. We invite him to guide us.

When we scrape and paint a home on Spring Street we do so in the name of Christ. When we rake leaves, pick up stones, baby-sit, and wash cars to raise money for the American Cancer Society we do so in the name of Christ. When we gather on Sunday mornings and sing praises to God we do so for the sake of Christ. When we hear God's word proclaimed we do so because we believe in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes our journey goes off course. Sometimes we miss the signs God sends. Just as the two travelers did not immediately recognize Christ in their midst we do not always recognize Christ in our midst. We can sometimes be so focused on budgets, what we did in the past, and procedures that we do not see the signs Christ is sending us. We even focus on what we cannot do, are afraid to do, or do not believe we can do. We limit Christ. We fail to see what Christ has done, is doing, and will do. We fail to see how we can be a part of that. We fail to recognize Christ in our midst.

We hear these words from Proverbs:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." ⁵

John Steinbeck says this of journeys, "The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." ⁶ If we believe we can control our journey as part of the body of Jesus Christ we are certain to be wrong. Jesus Christ guides our journey, and we need to be open to places Christ takes us. Christ can and will change our course. That does not mean that we are abandoned, or that our church has broken down. It means that we are open to being directed to serving the whole church that is Jesus Christ.

The prophet Isaiah tells us:

"And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'" ⁷

When Steinbeck began to explore America he also began to explore himself. Steinbeck is an American, and thus could not explore this nation without examining himself. The same goes for the church. We invite Christ to help us serve hungry, lonely, and oppressed. Jesus tells Peter in John's gospel: feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and again, feed my lambs. ⁸ We too are the lambs of God. We need to invite Christ into our church and problems we face. We need to invite Christ into our pews, Session and Deacon meetings, committee meetings, Sunday School, Youth Fellowship, and wherever we gather and ask him to help us serve his church. For we are told that "for where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." ⁹

Gracious Christ, we are a loving church. We want to share our love for you with others. Loving Christ, we are concerned about our church. We invite you to walk with us as we explore different ways of doing ministry, as we let ourselves be open to you changing our course. Help us be your light in Lima, Ohio. Help us hear you saying, "This is the way, walk in it." Amen.

Something else Steinbeck discovered on his journey across America was that everywhere he went he encountered people with "a burning desire to go, to move, to get under way, anyplace, away from any Here. They spoke quietly of how they wanted to go someday, to move about, free and unanchored, not toward something but away from something." ¹⁰

We also encounter people everyday who are yearning to be free. They are yearning to be free from sin. They are yearning to go someplace. They are yearning to be free in Christ. They are yearning to go to Christ. They are yearning to hear the good news. They are yearning to be fellow travelers on the journey that we have in Christ. There is always room for more on the journey. The bus is big enough, and every bridge we cross can handle the extra weight.

After the two travelers invited Christ to sit down at table with them, "Christ took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him." ¹¹ Immediately the two travelers realized what happened to them and returned to Jerusalem. They had traveled at least seven miles to Emmaus on foot, and then turned around and traveled at least seven miles back to Jerusalem. The news they have cannot wait. How could they sleep with this news? How could they do anything but go to the disciples and proclaim, "The Lord is risen indeed." They proclaim to the disciples, we believe that Jesus rose from the dead, we believe the prophesies of the Old Testament, we believe that Jesus conquered death and sin for the world. We believe.

Friends, the Word of God has been proclaimed. I now invite you to stand and witness to each other. For if we cannot witness to each other, if we cannot invite each other to be a part of the journey how can we witness to the world? The two travelers walked back to Jerusalem at least seven miles to witness to the disciples and their companions. I invite you to stand and turn to your neighbors, walk across the sanctuary and witness to each other saying, "The Lord is risen indeed."

1. Pastis, Stephen. "Pearls Before Swine."
2. Steinbeck, John. "Travels with Charlie, In Search of America." New York: Curtis Publishing. 1961. jacket liner.
3. Ibid.
4. Steinbeck, John. "Travels with Charlie, In Search of America." New York: Curtis Publishing. 1961. p6-7.
5. Proverbs 3:5-6.
6. Steinbeck, John. "Travels with Charlie, In Search of America." New York: Curtis Publishing. 1961. p4.
7. Isaiah 30:21.
8. John 21:15-17.
9. Matthew 18:20.
10. Steinbeck, John. "Travels with Charlie, In Search of America." New York: Curtis Publishing. 1961. p10.
11. Luke 24:30-31.