"The Peace of Christ is Present" - Adam Wade
Closing worship, International Young Adult Event
April 1, 2007

The Peace of Christ is present! Come on, let me hear it! Get the congregation to say the phrase “the peace of Christ is present.” Come on, you can do better than that.  The Peace of Christ is Present. Not good enough, come on! The Peace of Christ is Present! (Repeat) Do you believe it? Say it to convince me that you believe it...Quietly The peace of Christ is present. (Repeat) Whisper, Say it from your heart, let your soul speak it. (The Peace of Christ is present) 

The disciples are scared. In the scripture it says that the disciples had locked the door and were in a room for fear of the Jews. They were fearful of being man-handled, thrown in jail, or even killed. They had shut themselves in the room, had shut themselves off from the world, in order to protect themselves…This doesn’t really seem like the purpose Jesus was preparing them for. {Sarcastically} “Come, follow me, we’ll heal the lame and make the blind see, but then, when I’m gone, I want you to hide yourselves in the dark, where no one could find you, and in fact if they DO end up finding you, you will have locked the door behind you so they can't get in.” Somehow…no.

But the next part of the story in John is the cool bit. Jesus appears. Now it doesn’t say he walked through the walls sort of David Copperfield-style, or that he descended from the roof, no Jesus appeared in the room and the scripture states he said “Peace be with you!” Now, place yourself there for a moment. You are hiding in a dimly lit, first-century Middle-Eastern house, so it would probably have been a nice open-plan two-bedroom house, with clay walls, clay ceiling, clay floor, clay cups…and clay bowls. But you are scared, you are standing or sitting there really, really nervous. There are people out there to get you, to hunt you down and kill you! The shock of the retaliation that led to your leader and teacher’s arrest and death is just making your heart pound, and every noise, and murmur out in the street is making you quiver in fear. Everyone there is looking around at each other wondering what to do, and then (turn around)…”Jesus!” Perhaps this is where we get the term “to scare the living Christ out of someone.” You can just imagine Jesus “Hee hee hee, watch this, I’m going to sneak up on them and give them a heart attack…which is okay 'cause I can then raise them back from the dead.”

So after the initial shock, Jesus then proceeds to show them his body, displaying to them the wounds on his sides and the holes in his feet and hands. Now this is not Thomas. That doesn’t come for another week. No, this is multiple disciples in that room, and it says that ONLY AFTER the disciples saw they believed. All of them in that room were scared and did not believe.

I know what it is like to be scared. I know what’s it's like to be an unbeliever.

At the moment, I am currently enrolled in the Seminary program with Graceland University. So twice a year I fly over here and all day for three weeks I sit in classes and basically talk God. One of my classes I took this past January was History of Christian Thought with Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith. Now as part of their classes, Charmaine always likes to do these interactive activities where we get to experience the content at another level. SO, one night we turn up to class and at the back of the room is this huge table that has seats all around it. In the middle of the table there were different kinds of what I term ‘finger-food’ – hopefully that translates, but basically it was food that you can eat with your hands, or fingers, hence the term. There were crackers and flat pita bread with hummus dip, olives, grapes, food typical of the Greek culture of that time period.         

Now as the first-century Christians were under a great deal of pressure from the Jews, and then further persecution soon came in the second century from the Roman empire of the time, and so they would have to gather together in secret. So let’s go there for a second and try to imagine this.

You are a first-century Roman (this is a little easier for the Graceland guys due to toga parties) but you are a first-century Roman in a small home in the Middle East, with you wife, and seven children. Every Sunday, fairly early in the morning as you rise to burn incense to the local Roman god, you notice these people showing up at your neighbours' place next door. (Act out scenario) They sort of look around for a couple of minutes and then duck inside…

So this is what they used to have to do in order to worship as Christians. So of course, what starts to happen, even in our culture today, if we see someone acting kinda strange and a little secretive?? We start to try and figure out what they are doing, and the information we don’t know, well we just fill in the blanks logically! Ahh, thus the birth of “the rumour.”

And the rumours flow and, believe me, they are not that far of a stretch when you think about what was going on. First of all you have had a few brief conversations with these neighbours of yours, and these so-called “Christians” have explained that this once-a-week gathering is a “love feast.” Now, let me back up, when Tony and Charmaine said we were going to be participating in a love feast like the second-century Christians, well, we thought suddenly the class had changed!

And the Romans thought the same thing about these “love feasts.” Folks this is the tabloid stuff of the day. Britney Spears in rehab or Angelina Jolie adopting a baby is garbage when you have scandalous news like this! “Hey Haggikiah, see Peter’s house over there? They’re having another 'love feast'.”

Now if that wasn’t enough, the Christians also referred to each other as “brother” and “sister,” some even called their wives “sister.” So, stay with me, now we have a love feast with our brothers and sisters…hmmm. So basically people thought the Christians were getting together, eating and drinking to excess and then turning off the lights and love feasting with anyone who came along, maybe even their brother or sister!

Now they knew there was eating and drinking because they spoke of the love feast as an opportunity to partake in an event known as "communion." Communion was even more secretive, as non-members would have to leave the feast and could not share in the meal. So more rumours occurred as a result. Now this one is my favourite. Since X spoke of being nourished by the body and blood of Christ, and since they also spoke of him as a little child…some came to the conclusion that, as an initiation rite, X concealed a small child in a loaf of bread, a small baby inside the loaf itself, and they then ordered the new member to cut the loaf. This was the rumour. And then, when this was done they all joined in eating the warm flesh of the infant, and thus the new member who had committed the crime unwillingly, was forced to remain silent in order for the others to keep his crime secret.

We know now that none of these were in fact true, well we are pretty sure, but even at that time these rumours were pretty easy to squish, as Christians showed and acted in ways completely contradictorily to these wild imagings. Instead, they gathered together to share in the celebration of the love that Christ and God had brought to their lives. They gathered together to remember and rejoice in their decision. So in our seminary class, this is what we did also.

So around the table we sat as a class, and participated in the feast. Not a feast of explicates or weird practices, but simply to share together in a meal and fellowship. We ate, chatted amongst ourselves, and experienced second-century community. After a little while, Charmaine called for our attention and explained that part of the feast was to tell and share personal experiences with one another across the table relating to their faith. She made it very specific however, and asked us to reflect on just the last 24 hours, and tell of a moment in that short time period where we have seen or noticed God.

So around the table we went. One person shared how they spoke to their wife and re-connecting with them and how that helped them see God. Another shared about taking a moment just to pray early that morning (probably about passing one of Tony and Charmaine’s little "quizlets.") Another shared about a conversation they had with their mother that night as they recalled what they had learnt. It continued with similar things being shared until it came round to Mike. What Mike shared was not in any way similar to everyone else. Mike begun in a fairly reserved voice and told us that in the last 24 hours, his grandfather had passed away. He shared in the peaceful Holy Spirit that was felt as they sat together in the hospital in the last few hours before he departed this life. He shared how his family were present and blessed by those precious few moments of a memory shared, a gentle smile, a final touch of hands, and then finally, the physical passing of someone dear and close to our hearts moves on.

There was quite a pause in the circle around that table, until the sharing again continued around. The short 24 hour reflections then finished as the sharing came back to Tony, at which point he said, "Is there anything else someone would like to say?"

Instantly, and I mean straight away, as I was sitting there in silence, clear, distinct words came into the front of my mind, as clear as those spoken by someone beside me, "You need to pray for Mike. You need to pray for Mike….(etc)." And I was scared.

"No I can’t do that, what can I say?"

"You need to pray for Mike."

"But all the others here would be much better at it, they are the experienced ministers…I don’t even know where to begin."

"You need to pray for Mike."

"I’ll sound dumb and…"

"You need to pray for Mike.  You need to pray for Mike.  You need to pray for Mike."

And then… Tony said "OK, let’s move back to our proper seats and we will continue with the class."

God tapped me on the shoulder, and all I did was sit there and ignore it, refusing to hear the Christ saying “Peace be with you.” I refused to turn around. I refused to believe God was giving me insight into that moment.

For the last few years in the New South Wales Mid-North Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, we have held annual Youth and Young Adult witnessing trips, and Craig Woodward – the other Young Adult minister in Australia and I have been the leaders. Now the purpose of the trips is twofold; for the youth and young adults to gain experience in sharing their personal testimony and to provide visiting ministry to church members or friends.

 Now those of you who have been on a similar type of trip will know that, although all the visits are valuable and meaningful, there is always one visit that for whatever reason sticks out in your mind as the best for the day. "Oh, Margaret gave us the most awesome food, we had chocolate and strawberries dipped in chocolate, and chocolate cake, oh it was great!" or “"We went and saw Bill and Betty and their kids, and it was awesome. We sat down and read Noah's ark to the kids, and then Bill shared his testimony about why he was a part of the church." So there is always what I like to call a 'stand out.'

So it was the end of the Friday, nearing the end of the week long visiting trip, and my group made it back first to our meeting point – one of the congregations a little way out of Sydney. I was hanging out at the church with my group for about 30 minutes waiting for the other group to come back, and I even remember wondering if they had gotten lost.

Well as I pulled out my mobile (cell) phone to ring Craig, his car pulled up the driveway and the guys clambered out of the car. I walked up to Craig and asked him how it went and he said 'best of the week – by far.'

Of course I wanted to know more. He went on to explain to me that it was an elderly lady who hadn’t been to church for a number of months because, Craig said, that basically she was dying. Craig offered her administration and shared with her, as she too shared in her frailty which permitted only few words. Within that visit, he said, there was a real sense of peace in the room.

As I finished this conversation I walked over to where Al was standing (actually Al is here, give a little wave, Al). Anyway, he had two or three of the guys around him explaining that what was meaningful for him was that after the administration, even though a prayer had just been offered, he still felt compelled – led by the Spirit – that he needed to offer prayer as they left, which he did. His testimony was the great sense of being led by the Spirit in that moment and in that prayer for that dying lady.

I was thinking this was great, even that moment alone makes a whole trip worthwhile.

So I went and found Kate, the second of three youth on that particular visit. Kate at that time was not baptised, but she had been attending camps and worships for a number of years, as well as IYF. When I found her, Kate was still processing the experience, but she said the moment she stood outside the door, waiting for someone to answer their knocking, a strong, deep feeling came over her that she had never experienced in her life before. She said she was scared, yet excited, yet overawed, and somehow knew something significant was about to happen behind that door. To me, it sounded as though she felt the presence of God in that moment, preparing her for what was about to occur. She broke into tears and said she just really couldn’t explain it, it was something she had never felt before, and she was just a wash of emotions and privilege felt in that moment.

So away I walked, two for two, gnarly, two deep meaningful spiritual experiences. The Spirit was moving!

So with some sense of assumption, I walk up to the third person who had been present, as he was sitting on the front steps of the church, looking contemplative. I sat down and said "Hey, sounds like it was a pretty powerful visit?"

He buried his face into his hands and began to cry. I put my arm around his shoulder to comfort him as he continued to sob and said to him "wow it must have been really powerful for you."

But the reply coming through the tears was a shock.

"No, it wasn’t! That’s the problem! Here I was in this lady's house who never has any visitors and was close to dying, but all I could think about was getting out of there! I kept thinking about how long it was taking, how bored I was, that I was hungry and wanted dinner, and all I wanted to do was leave! When I got into the car and heard the others, I realised I had missed something. And because I am so selfish and all I could think about was myself, I have missed out on the best visit of the witnessing trip because I wasn’t present."

Friends, the Spirit of Christ is present, but the question is, are you? Are you fully present in this moment or have you locked your true self away in a room? Are you hiding?

Well let me tell you something, even if you are, God WILL still appear there. Are you fully aware of God’s peace and love for you right here and now or are you too scared, too afraid to turn around?

God is tapping you on the shoulder right now and granting you peace. The Peace of Christ is present, but will you chose to respond to the call, that sense of the Spirit in your life, or are you just going to sit there and let that opportunity go by?

Believe that the piece of Jesus Christ is present. It is through this meal, this communion table, {pick up bread} this PIECE of Christ that is present, that the many of us become joined as one in the Spirit.

But the many is not yet enough. It is only you that is going to bring young adults into this church, not these guys, they only know a few young adults and most of them are their kids, so it is YOU that needs to invite them to this table. If you want your peers to be sitting next to you, for them to experience the peace of Christ then you need to ask, you need to invite them and say "come, come and share in the peace of Christ I have present in my life." Because through this meal, we are assured that the Peace of Christ is present.

 But it is not just here, at this place where we are one. From here we go back home, to our own individual congregations wherever that may be, so let me tell you this today.

You are NOT the future of this church. That’s right you heard me, you are not the future of this church! And another thing, this church doesn't need you. Hear me clearly, you are not the future of this church and the Community of Christ doesn't need you.

You see, when you are needed, you simply attend out of expectation, or guilt, or you go out of a sense of liability. “"The church needs you or else it will die!"

No, the church doesn't need you, the Church WANTS you. You are wanted. Because being wanted means that you are called, you are important, you make a difference, and because the church changes and is exciting with you there. God yearns for you to be an active part of this church.

You see, you are not the future of this church, you ARE the church. You are the church! Whether or not your butt is in that chapel on Sunday, church will go on, with you present or not. But when you are there, because you are there, it goes on WITH you, and you are the church because you help to shape it. You leadership, your work, your testimony, and your presence makes the church. You make the church in your home branch, you make the church when you share the peace of Christ with another, you make the church when you reach out to help the poor, the oppressed, the socially disregarded of our world. You make this Community of Christ.

Come, come to this table with your inner doors unlocked, don’t just sit there and let the opportunity to pass… Come, be filled, so that you too may go and fill others with the Peace of Christ. We are one, so share the reason why we are one, and let’s make the many increase. The peace of Christ is present. Shalom.