Sing and invite others to sing) “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen. Nobody knows my sorrow. Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen. Nobody but Jesus.” We’ve all seen troubles and Jesus says to us, “Let not your hearts be troubled, let not them be afraid.” I’ve spoken those words at every funeral here at Living Waters these ten years. Why? We’ve all seen troubles, struggles and pain in our lives and in the lives of those around us and in the world.
These troubles distract us from keeping our eyes on the ball. There are so many things that distract us, so many troubles that cause us to be afraid and to loose our vision and direction. We gathered together yesterday at the Rookie baseball field to play and enjoy a nice afternoon and our first baseball game of the season. As an assistant coach, it was my role to stand in very shallow right center to help out our five outfielders. They would easily be distracted by other things, such as the dirt, an airplane going over head and the clouds. “Watch the ball”, I would say and then a few moments later they are gazing up to heaven (slowly turn and look upwards, kicking feet; repeat a few times). They were gazing up to heaven.
Stephen was gazing up to heaven in the lesson from chapter seven of the book of Acts. He gave this long sermon and they didn’t seem to like what he had to say. They are about to kill him when he gazes up to the skies and sees a vision of the Lord. His gaze was upon God as God’s gaze was upon Stephen during that troubling time. Stephen was about to go to that mansion in the sky where a room had been prepared for him and he offers the way of forgiveness to those who were killing him.
This is the way of Jesus. One commentary said that the way of Jesus brings these two things, truth and life. This way reminds us of the truth about ourselves and our human condition and the truth about God’s mercy and grace in Christ our Lord. This way also leads us out of greed and consumerism into life, abundant life. This is the way that leads us out of trying to do life on our own; just trying to be good enough to earn God’s favor. On our way home, we gather in the dwelling place of faith so that we may be strengthened in the dwelling in the world.
We gather in this dwelling place of community and Christian fellowship because Jesus said in John 14:2, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” It’s not that heaven has all these compartmentalized rooms where this group will live and that group that thinks they are the only ones in heaven will live. The dwelling place is about a gathering of people, as we remember many middle eastern homes at the time of Christ were one room homes where they all dwelt. We live now in a household of faith even as we dwell together even when we are apart. Yet there is a metropolis of places to reside and dwell in heaven and Jesus has prepared a place for us. The bed is made; the homecoming is set and the place to dwell has been prepared for us who are following the way. We dwell together along the journey in communion with God and with one another.
Doctor friend of Ravi Zackarius[i] from Norwalk, Ohio and his teenager daughter was coming from South America going through Miami airport; this young girl in her early teens; checking to see what time her flight comes; older man comes along side this teenager and asked her, “Can I help you.” She nervously said she was going to
In all of life God is with us and has prepared a place for us. The one who has created us and brought us forth in birth will drive us to our final destination where we will be reunited with all those who gather in the household of God. We can relax and laugh because we are in good hands.
Let us pray: Gracious God, Jesus Christ is showing us the way, the way that brings the truth about us and you; the way that bring us abundant life. You prepare a place for us, in the eternal home. Draw us more deeply into yourself, through scripture read, water splashed, bread broken, wine poured, so that when our hearts are troubled, we will know that your gaze is upon us, drawing us to look upon the grace of Christ who bring us life, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.
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