SERMON - THINGS I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT

THINGS I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT



I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU NOW,
THINGS ABOUT WHICH I KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

IN SCRIPTURE STUDY WE ARE TOLD
THAT ANYTHING WHICH WAS ORDINARY IN LIFE
LIKE EATING, DRINKING, WALKING, SLEEPING
WERE NOT MENTIONED
ONLY WHATEVER WAS CONSIDERED
BY THE SCRIPTURE WRITERS
AS EXTRAORDINARY WERE MENTIONED.

LET ME TELL YOU OF THINGS
I FEEL FROM THE HEART
ABOUT THOSE SOME THINGS I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.

FIRST MY HEART TELLS ME
THAT THE FIRST PERSON JESUS SAW
AFTER HIS RESURRECTION
WAS HIS MOTHER.
I SAY THIS
NOT FROM MY HEAD
BUT FROM MY HEART,
FROM OUT OF MY OWN EXPERIENCE.

I CALLED MY MOTHER
WHEN SHE WAS ALIVE
WEEKLY,
NOT SO MUCH TO ASK HOW SHE WAS,
BUT TO TELL HER
THAT I WAS WELL.
SHE WORRIED ABOUT OUR WEATHER,
THE SNOW, THE STORMS,
WERE WE WARM, WAS I HAPPY.
NO MATTER
THAT SHE HER SELF
WAS SICK,
SHE WANTED TO KNOW
THAT HER SON WAS SAFE.
SO I CALLED HER AND
TOLD HER
THAT I WAS MUCH LOVED
BY MY WIFE
AND BY THE MEMBERS
OF THE CHURCH TO WHICH I BELONGED.
AND MY MOTHER RESTED EASY.
HER SON WAS SAFE.

MY HEART SAYS,
JESUS SAW HIS MOTHER
TO TELL HER HE WAS WELL.


SECOND MY HEART TELLS ME
WHAT JESUS SAID TO PETER
WHEN THEY FIRST MET AFTER THE RESURRECTION.

IN MY HEART THE CONVERSATION GOES LIKE THIS.

FORGIVE ME LORD.
PETER, FEED MY LAMBS.
I AM TRULY SORRY LORD.
PETER, FEED MY SHEEP.
HOW CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME LORD.
PETER I LOVE YOU.


I HAVE SHARED WITH YOU THOUGHTS
ABOUT WHICH I KNOW NOTHING.

I DO NOT KNOW WHEN JESUS MET HIS MOTHER,
OR WHAT JESUS SAID TO PETER.

BUT THIS I DO KNOW.
THAT THERE ARE THREE THINGS I AM SURE OF.
THEY ARE.

THAT JESUS LOVED HIS MOTHER.

THAT JESUS LOVED PETER,
BEFORE, DURING AND EVER AFTER HIS BETRAYAL.

AND THAT JESUS LOVES US,
NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE
OUR JOURNEY HAS
TAKEN TO THIS MOMENT.
NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE
OUR JOURNEY WILL TAKE
AS WE GO ON.
JESUS HAS, DOES AND ALWAYS WILL LOVE US.

FINALLY I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THOMAS.

POOR THOMAS,
NO MATTER HOW LONG HE WOULD LIVE
OR HOW MUCH HE WOULD ACCOMPLISH
HE WOULD BE KNOWN AS DOUBTING THOMAS.

MY HEART SAYS
I WOULD HAVE LIKED
TO HAVE BEEN LIKE MARY MAGDALENE
WHO LOVED JESUS WITHOUT QUESTION,
WHO RAN FROM THE TOMB
WITH SUCH EXCITEMENT
THE MEN THOUGHT HER HYSTERICAL.
I WOULD HAVE
LIKED TO HAVE BEEN LIKE MARY.

BUT MY ENGINEERS HEAD
SAYS I WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE THOMAS.

MY HEAD SAYS,
IT MUST BE PROVEN IN THE LAB,
IN THE WIND TUNNEL,
BY TEST FLYING THE AIRPLANE.

IT IS THE WAY OF MEN TO MEASURE.
THE BOOKKEEPER ADDS HIS NUMBERS,
THE SHOPPER FIGURES COST,
THE STOREKEEPER ADS PROFIT,
THE LAWYER ASSESSES LOSS,
THE MOTHER COUNTS THE MEALS,
THE TRAVELER WONDERS HOW FAR.

WE MEASURE THINGS AS MEN.
EVEN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL POEMS
IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPEAKS OF LOVE THIS WAY.

HOW DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS.
I LOVE THEE TO THE DEPTH AND BREADTH AND HEIGHT
MY SOUL CAN REACH WHEN FEELING OUT OF SIGHT
FOR THE ENDS OF BEING AND IDEAL GRACE.
MEN MEASURE.
PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE,
BY SIN, DEATH
CAME INTO THE WORLD.
AND THE DAYS OF OUR LIFE ARE LIMITED.
SO WE MEASURE
EVERYTHING AGAINST THE FINAL NIGHTFALL.

I WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE THOMAS.

AND JESUS SAYS,
THAT'S ALL RIGHT
I LIKE YOU, JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.
I WOULD HAVE YOU BETTER,
BUT I LOVE YOU,
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.


I WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE THOMAS,
I WOULD HAVE LIKED
TO HAVE BEEN
LIKE MARY MAGDALENE
WHO LOVED JESUS PASSIONATELY,
WITHOUT QUESTIONS.

BUT LISTEN, TO WHAT HE SAYS TO HER,
IN HIS HASTE, TO BE WITH US.
HE SAYS TO HER
DO NOT CLING TO ME,
BUT GO TELL MY DISCIPLES,
I AM COMING".

HE WAS EAGER
TO BE WITH THE ONES
WHO NEEDED HIS LOVE,
THE EMPTY, BROKEN, HURTING PEOPLE.
MARY KNEW SHE WAS LOVED,
THE OTHERS STILL WERE IN DARKNESS.
HE HAD TO BE WITH THEM.

WITH PETER WHO BETRAYED HIM
WITH THOMAS WHO DOUBTED HIM
WITH ALL THOSE WHO HAD RUN AWAY.

GOD ALWAYS SEEMS TO PICK
BROKEN PEOPLE FOR HIS WORK.

HE PICKED MOSES WHO STUTTERED
DAVID AN ADULTERER AND MURDERER
JACOB WHO STOLE AND CHEATED
NOAH WHO DRANK AND GOT DRUNK

GOD'S ALMOST PEOPLE.

HE SAYS,
WITH YOU I WANT TO BE.
MY ALMOST PEOPLE.

WHY GOD,
WOULD YOU WANT TO BE WITH US.
WE ARE BETRAYERS, DOUBTERS, IMPERFECT,
ALMOST PEOPLE.
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE WITH US.

BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, HE SAYS.

IN THE LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN WE SAY,
HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE US GOD.

IN THE LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN
HE REPLIES, THIS MUCH. (EXTEND ARMS)