Our journey had advanced;
Our feet were almost come
To that odd fork in Being's road,
Eternity by term.

Our pace took sudden awe,
Our feet reluctant led.
Before were cities, but between,
The forest of the dead.

Retreat was out of hope,--
Behind, a sealed route,
Eternity's white flag before,
And God at every gate.

Today we are on a journey.  We join the resurrected Christ and Emily Dickinson “on the road.”  Where are the gates where we shall meet God.  This morning I invite you to pass through the “gates” of three popular tunes to join me in this “Caravan.”

Caravan

Caravan was written by Juan Tizol, trombonist for the Duke Ellington Orchestra.  Doesn’t it have an exotic feel to it?  I can picture in my mind’s eye a caravan of camels making their way over the desert, with the sun setting in the back, just approaching an oasis, where they will bed down for the night.

Think of the caravans in the Bible.

• Abraham and his family joining the caravan from Ur to Canaan.
• Jacob and his family on a caravan to Egypt.
• The greatest of all caravans with Moses in the escape from Egypt.
• The Wise Men, whom we associate with camels on their caravan to view the infant Jesus.
• Perhaps Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus participated in a caravan when they made the journey down to Egypt.

The Bible seems to be full of journeys, both physical and spiritual.  Not only did people make treks through the desert, but they also made great journeys of faith.

• Think of how someone like Joseph, the boy with the coat of many colors, grew from a self-absorbed teenager to a responsible administrator of the riches of Egypt and the faithful savior of his family.
• Think of how Peter grew from a sometimes thick-headed follower to a courageous and far-sighted leader of the early church.

 Now think of yourself.  On what caravans have you traveled?  Perhaps you have never been outside of Wisconsin, but you have made journeys of remarkable proportions.

Sometimes we participate in bicycle caravans or marches to raise money for CROP or the Highground.  These are worthwhile and important.  But our lives also are caravans of sorts, and we are in line with other faithful people of various ages, nationalities, and colors.

You older folks have faced the challenges of making a living, raising a family, keeping the faith in spite of discouragement.

You younger folks can also think of the caravan you are on right now.  Where is God calling you?  What tasks does God have for you to perform?

Our UCC motto:

“No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey you’re welcome here.”

We see life as an exciting and challenging journey, with many commas, but few periods.

In this Resurrection season, we remember what seemed like a period became a comma with the surprising victory of Jesus Christ over death.  This we celebrate today.

Hit the Road Jack

This was a Ray Charles tune about love and the disruption of love.  Those of you who have seen the movie “Ray” certainly know that Ray Charles hit the road throughout his life.  Like many musicians, this is the life he knew best.

He also had his share of failed love relationships.

He wasn’t much of a husband or father.

When I think of this tune I think of our Lord Jesus, who often “hit the road.”

He spent three years “on the road.”

I think of incidents in the Bible:

• His return to his hometown of Nazareth, when he spoke in the synagogue and was certainly told:  “Hit the road, Jack.  Don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.”
• We read in Luke 4 about Jesus reading scripture and making bold, unsettling claims.  Finally people became so upset that they almost threw him over the cliff, but Jesus walked away.

• What did he say about foxes and himself?

Matthew 8:20-21

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ²¹Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” ²²But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

• What did Jesus tell his disciples? 

Luke 10:5-6

⁵Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

• I think about people today who have been told to “hit the road.”
1. Here in Neillsville we have two families from the Democratic Republic of Congo who literally hit the road in fear of a marauding, out of control armies.  They made their way over dangerous roads through Uganda and to Kenya, then to the USA, and finally to Neillsville.
2. There are many other refugees in our world.  Through out gifts of OGHS we have helped them.
3. I also think of various people “on the road” who come to my office looking for help.  Often it is just for gas money to get to Marshfield.  But other times we have been challenged to help young couples newly arrived in town and without any support.  At such times I also think of a young couple named Joseph and Mary and how they “hit the road” to Egypt with their infant son.  Some kind people must have helped them along the way.

On this day in April we consider the “road” and all of its challenges.  We give thanks that there is one who “hit the road” before us.  He is our pathfinder and our guide.  Jesus the Resurrected One.

Peace Train

This song was popular back in the 1970s when a fellow once known as Cat Stevens wrote and sang it.

• A contemporary music group from South Africa has taken this name:

“Sharon Katz and Peace Train”

They literally took a “peace train” throughout South Africa in 1993.

Stopped in Pietermauritzburg to sing at the place where Ghandi was thrown off the train.

• What did Jesus say?

John 14:27

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

• The resurrected Christ met two disciples on a road and offered them his “peaceful presence.”  Luke 24

• At other times in the days after his Resurrection he appeared and simply said:  “Peace be with you.”  (Luke 24:36, John 20:26)

• But Jesus was also a “disturber of the peace.”  He upset the apple cart.  That’s what the temple leaders contended when they brought Jesus before Pilate.  His peace was not always easy to understand and was not easy to accept.

• “Peacemakers” is the theme of our Sunday School during this month.  We are learning about some peacemakers.  A few years ago a professor at UW-Oshkosh announced that he was writing a book on peace heroes.  There have been many books written about war heroes.  He contended that we need to study peace at least as much as we study war.

• On Friday our world witnessed the funeral of a great peacemaker, John Paul II.  He came of age during World War II, lived through the Cold War and helped to bring to an end, and then witnessed against other wars.  He died still hoping for reconciliation with the Russian Orthodox Church.

• Our challenge, of course, is to consider how we can hop on the “peace train.”  How are we willing to wage peace, even in this time of terrorism?  How can we be peacemakers?