“When Strangely Warmed Becomes the Norm” April 14, 2024
“When ‘Strangely Warmed’ Becomes the Norm”
Psalm 4/ Acts 3:1-11, 12-19
Luke 24:13-49 (36b-48)
From the website Wikipedia, we learn that “According to his journal, John Wesley found that his enthusiastic gospel message had been rejected by his Anglican brothers. And so with a heavy-heart, he reluctantly attended a group meeting that evening in a Moravian meeting house (the Fetter Lane Society) on Aldersgate Street in London. It was there, while someone was reading from Martin Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans, that he felt that his heart was “strangely warmed”. He describes it as:
“I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”
Daniel L. Burnett called this event Wesley’s “Evangelical Conversion”, even though he was already a priest. In 1739 Wesley broke with the Moravians and founded a new society, which would become the Methodist movement.”
And so it is that whenever May 24th rolls around, you will find Methodist churches around the world celebrating this singular event, usually designating the Sunday closest to this date as Aldersgate Sunday.
“And an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine,” Even mine. I don’t know, but for as many times as I have read this story, that’s the part that always gets me. “an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine,” Even mine.
Now, it may seem that I am jumping the gun just a bit here. After all, Aldersgate Sunday is 6 weeks away.
But after reading over Luke’s telling of the disciples on the Emmaus road… well, I couldn’t help myself. There just seemed to be too many similarities to pass up. But, more about that later.
As I explained last week, we are in the time of the Christian year called the Easter season or Eastertide: which is roughly the 50 day period between Easter and Pentecost. During this time we will be hearing about the many encounters that folks had with the risen Christ In the short time he walked earth after his resurrection. It’s interesting stuff. I mean, the reactions of ordinary people in ordinary times when they meet someone they thought was dead will always be interesting.
A few years back, I received a phone call asking me to come to Montana to officiate the memorial for a dear friend, So I hopped on a plane and was there within a day. Now, when I left Montana to move to Oregon I was living under the dark cloud of a very scary cancer diagnosis. We have since pushed this beast into remission, but not everyone was aware of that fact. So when an old acquaintance named Art Borchard thrust his arm out to shake my hand and said, “good God, Kenny, it’s good to see you. I thought you were dead,” I assured him that I was very much alive and it was good to see him too, But the whole encounter was awkward to say the least. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking to draw comparisons between myself and the Lord; That would be a stretch that could circle the globe. But there seems to be a common theme of doubt followed by joy that runs through our stories of encounters with the risen Christ, and Luke’s telling of the disciples on the Emmaus Road Is no exception.
I was told once that when reading the gospels and the stories of Jesus, try not to get hung up in the logistics of it . For example, we could do our research and find out that the town of Emmaus is about 7 1/2 miles from Jerusalem. Then, with that fact in mind, we might consider all the trips that these disciples made between the two cities And then begin to doubt. That’s 15 miles round trip! It sounds to me like a recipe for sore feet and worn out sandals. But you see, that’s what I mean by getting hung up in the logistics of it all. Besides, people in those days walked…. A lot. So it shouldn’t surprise us that these disciples who had witnessed the arrest of Jesus and the chaos Of the crowds and the awful crucifixion; it shouldn’t surprise us that these disciples didn’t hesitate to walk all the way back to Jerusalem once they had encountered the risen Christ. Their minds and their hearts had been opened and the choice was clear: they were going back to Jerusalem to share what they had seen and heard. Luke tells us how after Jesus left them upon breaking the bread(vs32) “They began telling each other how their hearts had felt strangely warm as he talked with them and explained the Scriptures during the walk down the road.” “their hearts had felt strangely warm as he talked with them and explained the Scriptures during the walk down the road.”
So I have to ask: how does this happen? How is it that the written word of stories and events from thousands of years ago could reach in and warm our hearts in such a way that we can’t deny that something is going on here. You know, there is poetry that has touched me in such a way, as well as certain authors whose description of the human condition have brought me to tears. But I have learned that throughout these 66 books that comprise what we call the Bible, there is plenty of poetry; plenty of heartbreak.
There is no end to the wisdom that can be found in scripture as well as an abundant commentary on the folly of the human condition. . That in itself. It’s no big deal. We have poets and philosophers and romance novelists To fit the bill in that regard. But when it comes to understanding and embracing the God of all creation, these ancient writings are all we’ve got. And if we truly believe that it was God’s intention that his word would be recorded for the generations to come, then they certainly take on new meaning and a power that sometimes will knock our socks off.
again, from verse 32: “They began telling each other how their hearts had felt strangely warm as he talked with them and explained the Scriptures during the walk down the road.”
So what is it that warms your heart? Is it the sound of a laughing baby? That will get me every time. Is it an exclamation of love, congratulations for a job well done, a simple phone call just to say hello; actions of concern or compassion or empathy? Chances are you would answer “all of the above.”
But I would have to say that the strangest most powerful warming of the heart happened to me at the end of a three day retreat put on by the Methodist Church called, ironically enough, the walk to Emmaus. For three days we prayed, took Holy Communion, listened to talks and testimonies, and sang so hard at times that our voices became hoarse. There was a continual emphasis on the value of scripture, the meaning of God’s love, and grace; it’s all about grace. At the end of the three days, the entire community showed up to show us what God’s grace and unconditional love feels like, and I have to say that not only was my heart warmed but I was toasty from head to toe. It was a life changing event.
At first, I had my doubts about doing such a thing. The idea of being cooped up with a bunch of men in the basement of a church for three days didn’t sound all that appealing. But once things got rolling, I was all in. Looking back, I realize now that it wasn’t the close quarters and the snoring and the body orders that were making me drag my feet. No, what scared me the most is that I would be vulnerable: vulnerable that under close scrutiny God might not find me worthy; that my faith was all a sham; and vulnerable that some of my deeply held beliefs were rooted only in the words of this earth and not the word of God which has been given to us for our benefit.
So, yes, that’s what I did. I opened myself up and allowed myself to be vulnerable. And, like I said, it literally changed my life. Like the men on the Emmaus road, I still have issues. I still have doubts about things such as the resurrection of the body, but I don’t let that hold me back. I still remain open to the word of God. I still remain vulnerable to the kind of unconditional love that seems to always bring me joy and warm my aching heart.
As Luke described the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: “Still, they Stood There Undecided, Filled With Joy & Doubt.” For those of us today who can relate to that feeling, there is no reason to fret. We will always have doubt. It is healthy and it molds our relationship with Christ to remain honest and always seeking for the truth. But as for joy- there can never be enough joy. That’s why I would like to see ‘a heart strangely warmed’ to be a permanent condition for those who seek the love of God. After all, how hard can it be? If we open our hearts and let ourselves become a little vulnerable why, who knows? It might be as easy as walking down the road.
amen&shalom
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