Let nothing disturb you

Let nothing frighten you

All things are passing away

God never changes

Patience obtains all things

Whoever has God lacks nothing

God alone suffices

–Teresa of Ávila

In Mark's Gospel bar-Timaeus (son of Timaeus) is the only person Jesus healed who is given a name. The blind beggar bar-Timaeus is also the first person in Mark's Gospel to identify Jesus as the Son of David. So who is Timaeus and why does it matter?

The problem that James and John and the rest of disciples had, was that they thought Jesus could be contained in their own ambitions and agendas; that Jesus could be contained in the systems and political structures of the world they already knew. But they were wrong. They were wrong because Jesus is the uncontainable Christ.

The faith of Abraham is a pilgrim faith that confesses the kingdoms of this world are all transitory and passing away, and that the only eternal kingdom is the kingdom of the heavens, where Jesus Christ reigns at the right hand of God.

Philip the Evangelist rode in a chariot with the Ethiopian Eunuch on the Gaza Road two thousand years ago. Brian Zahnd road on a train with Yu in Paris on the day Derrida died. The two stories are not entirely different.

No matter what cripples us, no matter what issues we have, no matter how many dark spirits afflict us, Jesus is the one who recalls us to life.

In The Chronicles of Narnia, Puddleglum tells the underworld witch, "I'm on Aslan's side even if there is no Aslan. I'm going to live like a Narnian even if there isn't any Narnia." In this story C.S. Lewis is doing more than telling a children's fantasy, he is portraying what it means to "walk by faith."

Bread on the table is ordinary, but bread in the hands of Jesus becomes extraordinary. Bread in Jesus' hands during the Passover meal became an extension of Jesus’ very flesh. During Jesus' teaching ministry, bread became a feast for 5,000 people. During a meal with two disciples in Emmaus, bread became a revelation of Jesus in their midst. And we are like bread. Jesus takes us, blesses us, breaks us, and gives us to the world making our lives extraordinary.

This sermon explores the transformative work of Christ to give us beauty for ashes and bring healing to our woundedness. As Henry Nouwen states: "Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not 'How can we hide our wounds?' so we don't have to be embarrassed but 'How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?' When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers."

Haven't seen you in quite a while

I was down the hold just passing time

Last time we met was a low-lit room

We were as close together as a bride and groom

We ate the food, we drank the wine

Everybody having a good time

Except you

You were talking about the end of the world

I took the money

I spiked your drink

You miss too much these days if you stop to think

You led me on with those innocent eyes

You know I love the element of surprise

In the garden I was playing the tart

I kissed your lips and broke your heart

You

You were acting like it was the end of the world

In my dream I was drowning my sorrows

But my sorrows, they learned to swim

Surrounding me, going down on me

Spilling over the brim

Waves of regret and waves of joy

I reached out for the one I tried to destroy

You, you said you'd wait

'Til the end of the world

Oh life is bigger

It's bigger than you

And you are not me

The lengths that I will go to

The distance in your eyes

Oh no I've said too much

I set it up

That's me in the corner

That's me in the spotlight

Losing my religion

Trying to keep up with you

And I don't know if I can do it

Oh no I've said too much

I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper, of every waking hour

I'm choosing my confessions

Trying to keep an eye on you

Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool

Oh no I've said too much

I set it up

Consider this

Consider this the hint of the century

Consider this the slip

That brought me to my knees, failed

What if all these fantasies come

Flailing around

Now I've said too much

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

That was just a dream

That was just a dream

That's me in the corner

That's me in the spotlight

Losing my religion

Trying to keep up with you

And I don't know if I can do it

Oh no I've said too much

I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing

I thought that I heard you sing

I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream

Try, cry, fly, try

That was just a dream

Just a dream

Just a dream, dream