Chris Yaw

My young daughter and her friend started theater camp this week - with dozens of people they've never seen before.

Both of these middle schoolers talked about how hard it is to get to know the other campers. Everyone has come from other schools, different grades, and other neighborhoods - these girls talked about how awkward it is to break the ice with strangers.

Ya, we get it.

We all worry about what other people think of us, if we can really be accepted for who we are, and welcomed for the unique presence we bring.

In fact, when it comes to welcoming, the things we find easiest to welcome seem to be worry, anxiety, and fear. Our minds are constantly buzzing with the negative: not only about being accepted, but, Will things work out with my job? Will my relationships make it in the long run? What about the medical challenges I'm facing?

But Jesus has something important to say about the things we welcome: He asks us to welcome him and all the things he stands for.

That means we don't welcome fear, worry, anxiety, and pressure - we welcome abundance, possibility, blessing, hopefulness, and the power to overcome.

Today I'd like to invite you to welcome some of these things into your life.

What if we welcomed new relationships - seeing them as the blessings they can be?

What if we welcomed other people's advice - if we took a bite of humble pie and really listened to the guidance others may have for us?

What if we welcomed help, we know we'd rather give it than take it, but what blessings might await us if we took others up on their offers of assistance?

And what if we welcomed new opportunity, instead of shutting things down because we've never done it before, what if we were more open to new possibilities?

The abundant life begins by welcoming the right things into our lives.

Be welcoming, be blessed.

Little Rachel was born an only child to a pair of hard-working and socially prominent teachers. She grew up in a home that was constantly abuzz with visiting academics and local luminaries - entertained by bright, and committed parents whose schedules necessitated employing a full-time nanny named Hannah, to tend to little Rachel.

One day, Hannah noticed that young Rachel was exhibiting some troubling signs of maturity. She had begun to talk down to her friends. She was getting mean, bossy, and selfish. It seemed that Rachel had noticed how well-respected and recognized her parents were and it was going to her head.

Her nanny wondered what to do.

So one day, while walking through the park, Hannah steered Rachel over to an injured bird, lying on the ground, with a broken wing, unable to fly.

Hannah scooped up the bird in a shoe box, which immediately captivated young Rachel, who was shown how to feed and water the injured creature.

At every turn in the ensuing days, Rachel could be found caring for the bird, not just feeding, but singing, reading, and talking to this little feathered one. Rachel used her allowance to buy provisions and had given up video games and her iPhone to spend more time taking care of the sickly bird.

Weeks later, the bird was strong enough to fly and with great celebration, was released into a nearby park.

But not only had the bird's condition improved, so had Rachel's. Tending to that injured creature had produced a noticeable change in Rachel's demeanor - she was happier with herself, less critical of friends and more eager to be helpful and supportive of others.

It's as if she had discovered what you and I will learn this Sunday in the words of Jesus:

“If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me."

When we follow the world's advice of 'looking after number one' - ourselves, first, we sooner or later find out we've been sold a bill of goods.

It's not about the stuff: possessions, power, or prestige - history is littered with the tragic stories of people who spent their lives in full-throttle pursuit of them only to discover how unfulfilling they really are.

Don't live your life for that, it's a trap.

Almighty God is found in humble service.

The king is found in the servant, nobility in humility.

Go out and help somebody today.

Call a lonely friend.

Visit someone sick.

There's somebody in need just waiting to hear from you.

Losing yourself is the best way to find yourself.

Playing in the yard the other day we came across a Roly Poly.

It's one of those little gray insects with an armadillo back that curls up into a ball when frightened.

'Why does that bug do that?' asked the 4-year-old. 'It's how it survives,' came that answer. 'That's a prehistoric insect, it's been around for millions of years. God made that bug that way to play its important role in the ecosystem. It's thrived, multiplied, and helped this big, beautiful world become what it is today .'

Ever wonder why God made you, you?

Why did God give you your gifts?

Why are you so rich and powerful?

OK, maybe not a millionaire, governor, or CEO - but remember, 93% of the world does not own a car - so it's relative - but my point is that God has gifted us with all we have to equip us to play or own crucial roles in the health and vibrancy of our ecosystem.

This weekend we will hear Jesus talk with critics who are confused, like we can get, and think that their power and wealth might be used for status, and not service. They think their gifts of intelligence, health, and influence were given to them to solely make them better - when, of course, it was given to them to make the world better.

Friends, if you're wealthy enough to be watching this video, God has been good to you. God has blessed you. God has chosen you to play an irreplaceable role in the betterment of the world. May the good Lord give us the wisdom and courage to use our strength not for status, but for service.

When my niece was a toddler she asked her mother, "How does a car work?"

My sister-in-law took her to the garage and instead of popping the hood to explain how internal combustion, fuel injection, and alternators function, she pointed to the gas cap and asked her little daughter, "What's this?".

"That's where the gas goes!" said the toddler.

Then her mom pointed to the ignition.

"That's where the key goes!" said her daughter.

Then her mom pointed to the car seats.

"That's where you go - and where I go!"

"That's right!" said her mom, "Cars are very complicated, but the important thing to know is that when everything is in the right place, the car runs pretty well."

"Oh, I get it!" said her daughter, who then added, "And mom, it's not that complicated!"

This weekend many faith communities commemorate Trinity Sunday. It's the only feast of the Church not dedicated to an event or a saint, but instead, a theological concept - our own feeble attempt at explaining God.

Yes, you've heard them all before, Patrick's 3-leafed clover, the Celt's overlapping 3 circles, the harmony of a 3-note chord, and the interplay of water - as liquid, gas, and ice - three forms of one element.

At the end of the day our human constructs are as summative as my sister-in-laws explanation of a car: we are able to understand the inner workings of God and the universe as well as my niece understands how an automobile works. Of course, this doesn't mean we shouldn't ask questions, nor get too frustrated when we find ourselves unable to understand everything we wish.

Instead, it's about resting in God - relying on God - trusting that, when everything is in its place, things run pretty well.

The first time I got drunk was with Jim Brose in Jr. High.

We made Harvey Wallbangers at his parent's minibar after they had gone out for dinner. Despite mixing two drinks together I did not like on their own, vodka and orange juice, the resulting concoction was palatable, and enough to make us very dizzy, then, suddenly, very open about sharing things we had never talked about - things that were close to my heart that might inspire negative judgements - like my crush on Lynn Mirabito or my fear that my high-pitched adolescent voice might not change.

The fact that alcohol lowers our inhibitions is well-known.

It may explain why, in our Bible reading this Sunday recounting the dramatic Pentecost event when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples who had been praying in a house not drinking in a bar, were accused of intoxication.

All of a sudden, these disciples were liberated and freed up to speak their hearts. Their inhibitions were lifted. They didn't care who knew or what negative judgements they might inspire.

No, the disciples were not pounding mimosas, drinking to escape, but praying, trying to be more present.

And the more present we are before God the less we care about what other people think.

Today you and I are awash in a fearful culture obsessed with the impressions we make on others. Social media posts are scrubbed from imperfections. The uptick in loneliness is fueled, in part, because we don't want to let people in for fear they won't like what they see.

But the Holy Spirit inside you and me is a liberating, gregarious force granting us gracious permission to be ourselves no matter what others think.

Pentecost is about letting you be truly yourself - letting that which is deepest within you, the love, kindness, generosity, and joy in your God-like soul, shine forth into our needy world with boldness and power.

Pentecost means total release from the prison of public opinion.

It is liberation from the incarceration of worldly protocols that inhibit us from doing the holy work of our hearts.

So saints, let us be free - to get on with moving outside of ourselves: to comforting the bereaved, standing up for the poor, providing for the homeless, visiting inmates, speaking truth to power - the power of the Holy Spirit is known by the love it has for others - we’re not drunk with wine - we’re overcome by love - let us not be shy in letting that love shine.

In the mid-1930's a missionary couple travelled to India.

They left behind their 11-year-old son in the care of relatives until he could finish out the school year before joining them in New Delhi.

However, World War II broke out, suspending this kind of travel, so it would be eight years before that missionary couple could return home. When that occasion finally arose they secured transport on a freighter, a train, then, finally a cab to arrive early one morning to the home where their son was staying.

Unable to contain her excitement, the boy's mother sprinted from the cab to the front porch where her now-19-year-old son was standing with open arms when she stopped short and exclaimed to her husband, "Just look at our boy! He's gone and looked just like you!"

This week the Church commemorates the departure of Jesus from this earth in an event called the Ascension. It's after the Risen Christ has spent weeks instructing his disciples, praying for them, blessing them, and now departing from them - leaving them with the same job you and I have: to look like Jesus.

Being generous, kind, and helping the poor-

Being patient, prayerful, and grounded in scripture -

Being mindful of injustice and speaking up on behalf of the marginalized -

These are some of the ways we go about looking like Jesus.

We remember how St. John famously wrote to an expectant audience, well-aware of the brevity of life and the priceless value of each day, 'for when he appears we will be like him.'

So friends, let us set aside life's detours and distractions and make haste in doing what is right, in imitating Christ, so that we too might bear an unmistakable resemblance to our father.

My 85-year-old friend Jane does not act her age.

She dresses in bright colored clothes in the latest styles, stays up late salsa dancing, and has been known to put the top down on her convertible in the winter.

Asked once about her counter-cultural behavior, Jane said, 'Everybody around me wants me to act my age. I prefer to act my spirit.'

Act your spirit not your age.

Our age may tell us not to travel there, volunteer for that, listen to this, or start doing that. Your spirit would never say such a thing.

Acting our age implies our behaviors be dictated by others, by people who want to keep us safe, comfortable, and supportive of the status quo.

Acting our spirit means we listen to our hearts, even, as Jesus will teach us this Sunday, that holy presence inside of us. Acting our spirit often involves courage, trust, and faith - and prods us to improve and enliven ourselves and the world around us.

God put that unique, life-giving, love-seeking, self-liberating Spirit inside of you for a reason.

Don't be afraid to stand out.

Don't let cultural norms dictate who you are and what you do.

Listen more to your spirit, put it to the test, see if you don't feel more authentic, more fulfilled, more alive, by acting not your age, but your spirit.

When the twins, Hazel and Hannah, first arrived home they entered a nursery adorned with wallpaper sporting images of little violins.

No surprise. Both of their parents were concert violinists and instructors, who filled the house with violin music throughout their childhoods. It's no surprise that Hazel and Hannah would pick up the violin at a young age, grow to love practicing and playing, and themselves head off to college on music scholarships pursuing an instrument and a kind of music they had grown to deeply adore.

When people would hear them play in concert they would marvel at their knowledge, expertise, and skill - and how they could bring joy and happiness into the world. How did they know so much? How could they play so well? No surprise, it's because their entire world was sculpted and formed around the violin.

In Sunday's Gospel Jesus tells his disciples not to be anxious about what they're doing and where they're going. And when the disciples respond with worry and concern, he paints for them a picture of oneness with God, of a deep anchoring in love, of a sculpting and forming of their lives around a greater realization and conviction that God is in their midst.

Jesus wants his followers to know that we are greatly affected by the environments we create. Regularly calling to mind the reality of God with us, love watching over us, and charity showing us the way - is the kind of life he commends to his followers.

Friends, every moment of every day we take a vote on the kind of person we want to be. We do that as we choose the kind of things we listen to, the people we hang around with, the activities we pursue, the ways we spend our money, and the ways we spend our time. The challenge for you and me is to continually examine these things and evaluate them according to Jesus's ways. For his is the way of peace. His is a way of love. Like Hannah and Hazel, our environments make us who we are!

May we find ways to be more fully aware of the presence of Jesus, that his music may bring joy and happiness to all who hear it.

When we were going through COVID, didn't it feel like we were trying to live our lives while walking through water up to our necks? Every step was labored, time-consuming, life was exhausting.

We were scared, full of anxiety,

we were utterly dependent on others, thank God for essential workers,

and we were really clueless about where this whole thing was going.

Even now, while COVID is not the threat it once was, it still feels like we're walking through the water, maybe not up to our necks, but certainly up to our knees.

There's a lingering anxiety, dependency, and lack of awareness as to where things are going - and this is all now simply part of daily life.

This Sunday is called Good Shepherd Sunday, it is full of pastoral imagery of sheep and shepherds.

And while we are not reminded of how much sheep smell, or how warm their sweaters can be,

we are reminded that sheep are a very fearful and skittish sort.

We're reminded of how utterly dependent they are on the shepherd and on others to care for them.

And we're reminded of how unaware and unable they are to predict or even cope with the future.

Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it?

Fear, dependence, and a lack of awareness.

And what's curious is that Jesus's solution to these clueless sheep, is not to provide weapons or high walls to assuage fear,

Nor does he instantly provide a lifetime's worth of food and water,

Nor does he give the sheep superhuman intelligence and savvy insight to better predict the future.

No, Jesus gives himself,

He asks them, and us, to put our trust in his assurances of protection, his promises to provide for us, and his invitation to trust him for our future.

Fear, dependence, and a lack of awareness.

God knows who we are and gives us the shepherd to accompany us on the journey.

Let us entrust our fears, dependency, and futures to the Shepherd’s care.

Slaving away in some laboratory in San Diego, scientists tried and tried and tried to perfect a product that I love: WD-40.

It’s great for hinges, to loosen bolts, even to get oil stains off the car.

But it took some time to perfect -

In fact, it’s called WD-40 because the final product was the 40th iteration of their idea.

They tried to make this thing 40 times.

What if they’d given up at 35? Or 36? or 39?

This Sunday you and I will hear the story of Jesus, who shortly after his resurrection, joined a couple of his disciples walking on a road to a nearby town called Emmaus.

These disciples had no idea who this stranger was who was walking with them, and they peppered him with questions and were intrigued by his answers.

So when it began to get dark and the disciples were headed inside to stay the night - and Jesus wanted to keep going - these disciples strongly urged him to stay with them - to continue to talk with them - to continue to satisfy their spiritual curiosity.

Jesus did.

He stayed with them.

And shortly thereafter, they finally recognized him in the breaking of the bread.

But what if those disciples hadn’t invited Jesus in?

What if they’d said, ‘Hey, great conversation, see you around!

And never pursued their, spiritual quest?

Friends, as we bask in the glory of the Easter miracle - we are bidden to keep on keeping on in our pursuit of Jesus.

Don’t be satisfied with what we know or where we are - but to keep on keeping on in our pursuit of the spiritual life.

What does that look like to you?

In what ways are we too ’settled’ with God?

And how might we pursue the spiritual life even more deeply -

So many of the problems that plague us, the issues that roil us, the challenges that overwhelm us, can usually be handled much better when we are at higher levels of spiritual fitness.

Easter is a time to get in touch with our true self, our spiritual self, that self that recognizes Jesus all around us, all the time.

My friend bought a new car recently and remarked, ‘Wow, I didn’t know how many cars were out on the road that were just like mine!’

And an old, Latin phrase came to mind:

‘Whatever is received is received according to the manner of the receiver.’

In other words, we take biases into our perception of reality.

We have our own lenses - through which we perceive things:.

We get a new car - we immediately see others that look like it.

Bias, preconceptions, ingrained habits - these all come to mind when we turn to that perennial ’Sunday after Easter Story’ of Doubting Thomas.

When the Risen Christ comes to the disciples, while Thomas is out at Starbucks, we see several biases at work when, upon his return, they tell him that Jesus has appeared - and Thomas doesn’t buy it - and when he rejects the idea of the Risen Christ, we see his biases coming to light.

We see Confirmation Bias, which is when our brains welcome information that confirms what it already thinks, and resists information that disturbs or contradicts.

We see his Complexity Bias, the proclivity of our brains to reject a complex truth, in exchange for a simple untruth.

And we see his Convenience Bias, which is when our brains welcome information that keeps us happy and complacent, but rejects information that causes us to work or embrace discomfort.

Thomas’ is a story about facing our biases - being open to new paths - to possibility, openness, in order to make room for God.

Jesus knows this - and here’s how he addresses it:

Notice how he appears to his disciples?

Not arrayed in white light, ascending as a regally clothed Deity saying, “I told you so!”

No - Jesus comes among them pointing to his wounds.

Jesus calls attention to the marks of his suffering, his humiliation, his fraternity with everyone who has, is, and will ever live - by connecting with our suffering.

Ask people when they’ve felt closest to Jesus, and I always get the same answer - “When I was down, when I was out, when I was at my lowest."

Jesus comes to us at our lowest, in his lowliness, to help us climb higher.

Jesus transcends human bias in the humility of the cross to show us the strength of vulnerability.

He shows us how we build fraternity in our woundedness, and strengthen our bonds in the admission of our frailties.

Ours is an authentic God - asking us to be who we are - and bidding us to come to him as we are - laying our preconceptions aside - walking in a humility he mirrors, in pain and inadequacy he feels, that we might be strengthened enough to show other walking wounded, where they too might find healing.

Go through the day today humbly and not afraid to connect with the wounds of others - with our own wounds.

Humility is not a sign of powerlessness, but of true power.

Somebody famous was arrested this week.

Yep, everybody expected it.

In, fact, things were so tense, authorities worried a riot would break out.

So they meticulously orchestrated it, and made sure plenty of armed enforcement was on hand.

As the accused surrendered to his fate, some celebrated, some booed, some called it justice, others scorned it as a travesty.

Some wanted to set him free, others wanted to kill him.

In the end, he willingly gave himself up to authorities.

He stood silently before his accusers.

He didn't answer anybody's questions.

- although he was very, very rich -

- although he was very, very powerful.

And if we want details, we can read about it in any newspaper in the world.

Indeed, for some, Donald Trump's legal battles have become an obsession.

But in this holy week, there's another arrest story vying for our attention.

This is a story you know quite well because down through the years it has brought you, and untold billions of people, life, peace, healing, restoration, and salvation.

And, like every year, the recounting of this story is never convenient or easy.

It means putting aside other stories,

Paying less attention to other priorities,

Making a serious effort to set the story of Jesus above all others.

So friends, in this Holy Week, fight off the distractions,

Make Holy Week the powerful engine room to a life ablaze with hope and possibility!

At this very moment, there are people languishing in prisons, scrounging through garbage cans looking for a meal, one million of our public school children are homeless, thousands of people will be evicted from their homes today.

And the solutions to these big, looming problems always begin with small, seemingly insignificant decisions - the resolve to live outside of ourselves and to help others, as Jesus taught us to do. And the stories we make room for in our minds will determine the actions we take to live the selfless, charitable, and loving lives we want to live.

Headlines will come and go.

Distractions and detours will always abound.

But in this story we find the keys to eternal life, the foundation stones to the healing of the world.

Make room for that story this week.

Open your hearts anew to its message.

Draw closer to God, and God will draw closer to you.

Chris Yaw

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