Loading...In an interactive sermon, the preacher begins with a brief introduction of one of the readings for the day, usually the Gospel. Following the introduction, the preacher will offer a statement or pose a question for personal reflection and then invite participants to respond.
The interactive sermon for Sunday, May 10, is as follows.
We are all feeling a little shaky right now. The ground does not feel solid anymore. Everything has changed and we don’t know what it will look like when all of this is over. Our Gospel today comes at a good time.
Jesus is speaking to his disciples who are also experiencing a troubling time. It is part of his "Farewell Address”. He is preparing his disciples for the time when he will no longer be with them in the flesh. But Jesus assures them that even though their relationship is changing, it is not ending. Even though he will no longer be with them in the flesh, they will remain connected.
Jesus gives them this advice, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me”. The disciples had reason to be troubled. They could feel their world being shaken and the ground becoming less solid. Jesus was telling them that he would be leaving them. They had just found out that one of them would become a traitor. Nothing was like it was supposed to be. What was happening to their hopes and dreams?
Jesus never told his disciples, either those of the past or us now, that our lives would be without trouble. But he did promise that if we put our trust in him, he would set our hearts at ease.
It is Jesus’ invitation to us today, to put our trust in God and to find peace in Jesus.
Jesus calls us, his disciples, to believe, not because of the situation we find ourselves in but in spite of it. He wants us to have the kind of faith that Abram had that allowed him to follow God without knowing his destination.
Today we read another of the seven “I AM” statements found in the Gospel of John. Last week we read that Jesus is “the Gate” for his sheep. This week Jesus said “I Am the way, the truth and the life. “
If I ask someone for directions and they only tell me the way to go, I am very likely to get lost. But if they tell me to follow them, and they lead me, I will definitely get where I want to be. Jesus does not simply point to God — he leads us there, and his life becomes our path to follow.
Jesus helps us stay strong and focused. He is here to hold us up when we fall.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus tells us to hang on, to keep going. Jesus will help us find solid ground again. We cannot get lost because God won’t let go us of us.
For our reflection today I ask that you think about ….
What brings you peace when you are afraid?
What helps you put your trust in God?
What does following Jesus’ path look like for you?
