Westminster Talking the Text
A Lectionary Podcast at Westminster Presbyterian Church
Westminster Talking the Text
Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, April 19, 2026 | Luke 24:13-35 | with Guy D. Griffith, Sarah Bird Kneff, Ashley Higgins, & Will Wellman
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Westminster Talking the Text Podcast for Sunday, April 19, 2026 | Luke 24:13-35 | with Guy D. Griffith, Sarah Bird Kneff, Ashley Higgins, & Will Wellman
Luke 24:13-35
Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Discover more about the welcoming community at Westminster Presbyterian Church! Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our worship, missions, programs, and the wonderful people who make our church a vibrant place to grow in faith.
Welcome to another talking the text. I'm Donovan.
SPEAKER_04I'm Ashley. I'm Sarah.
SPEAKER_01And I'm Will. And we have a long text from oddly, I think, Luke, since we've been doing such a long time in Matthew and John. And then we have this Luke text in this year A. And it's a long text. So on Sunday I'll just read the text and sit down. But we start in Luke 24, and we go from 28 to 35. Is that right?
SPEAKER_04That's correct.
SPEAKER_01No. It's 13 to 35. 35, yeah. It's a long text. All right. So let's have a word of prayer. Let's pray. Holy God, we are grateful for this time to gather and to be in your word, and we pray once again that your spirit be with us in the reading, the hearing, and in our conversation. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. All right, 2413. Now on that same day, the two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all the things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, What are you discussing with each other while you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad. And then one of them, whose name was Cleopus, answered him, Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days? And he asked them what things? And they replied, The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him. Then he said to them, Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared. Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory? Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things that about himself in all of the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if they were going on, but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, because it is almost evening, and the day is now nearly over. So he went in to stay with them. And when he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, and while he was opening the scriptures to us. That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven, and their companions gathered together, and they were saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon. Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been known to them in the breaking of the bread. The word of the Lord.
SPEAKER_06Our ears are open.
SPEAKER_01Right. So we've got this text from Luke, and uh I always think it has a lot of the themes of Luke. It's got that um repentance theme, I think. That the turning going from Emmaus and then turning back to Jerusalem, which um I always think of Emmaus as a road to nowhere.
SPEAKER_07Um just a road of like escape, like trying to escape your disappointment or like anywhere but Jerusalem.
SPEAKER_01And then while reading this, I was thinking, you know, they're reciting everything that Jesus had told them. That, you know, the Son of Man is going to be handed over to the chief priest, you know, but they forget the resurrection part. You know.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's interesting.
SPEAKER_01Right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So what is it about the r resurrection that is unrecognizable? And is that just is it the resurrected Lord is out of context or is it truly the spirit keeps the eyes from recognizing him?
SPEAKER_08Does it say the spirit kept their eyes in your are you in NRSV?
SPEAKER_01Um But they were kept from recognizing him.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05She doesn't know, she thinks he's the gardener, she can't. But then they know it's him with doubting Thomas this past week. Like he comes, you know, he comes through the locked door and they it doesn't take them long to know it's Jesus.
SPEAKER_02But it's it's the wounds, I think, for right?
SPEAKER_04Well, it doesn't make sense. I mean i Jesus said Jesus said it would happen, but that doesn't make that that isn't that is a thing that a human brain is gonna really struggle to compute, I think.
SPEAKER_00Will, any thoughts? I mean, the I feel like these resurrection passages have so much in them. Sometimes I just want to like uh I'm this wouldn't make a good sermon, but like hear the text and just shut up and think about it, right?
SPEAKER_01Maybe it would make the best sermon ever.
SPEAKER_00It's really easy to like come here uh and do the podcast and talk about a lot of the text that we go through. But these like resurrection text, um and I'm not saying this in like some kind of like sacrine way, but like they're just like they're hard to talk about in the sense of like it really like Ashley was pointing towards like how do we even conceive of this makes sense of it. And so I I read this and I think about it, and it's just like um it's just like so profound, so strange, so weird, uh, so shocking, so traumatic, like all the things you can think the disciples are going through, uh, and just like the complete 180 that happens between like running off scared, hiding, uh, like last week, right? They're they're literally hiding. And then uh and then they encounter the risen Jesus uh and they're still scared, right? Like it's not until Pentecost that they actually kind of start coming outside and getting to and getting to work. And so um when I read these texts, I just kind of like almost get I stop there. I just like I get caught in that in-between of like how fearful they were, and also just like how overwhelming it would be to encounter Christ. Um, just like how shocking uh it would literally upturn your world.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Is there is Luke doing a little apologetic with us that that you know, if you simply read the scriptures and do what the scriptures say, then the Lord will be made known.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell No, but that's not where they re recognize Christ.
SPEAKER_08Do the sacrament.
SPEAKER_00It's where they eat. Yeah. So I think it's not the scriptures.
SPEAKER_01Except there's a str the method, the strange warming of the heart, right? I mean the we're not our hearts burning within us.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Ross Powell Yeah, but but but it's not until they they break bread. And I think this is one of the most important parts. I'm not trying to dismiss scripture, but like they encounter this stranger, right? The the Greek is alien or foreigner. They're like, are you the only foreigner that hasn't heard about this? So it's like, you've got to be from out of town if you haven't heard this. And they recount the scriptures, uh, or they they recount the story, and then Jesus interprets the scripture in light of what they've said. Then comes the pivotal moment, I think, of this whole entire text. Um He walked ahead as if he were going on, but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us because it is almost evening and the day is over. They've encountered a stranger, they've recounted the story. They obviously haven't fully interpreted the story because he needs to give that to him. But then he's about to disappear and the hospitality comes and they invite him in.
SPEAKER_06Right.
SPEAKER_00That's when he reveals himself.
SPEAKER_06They invite the stranger in before he they knew it was Jesus.
SPEAKER_00Yes, exactly. And that's what Matthew 25 is about, right? Where were you when I was hungry? Where were da-da-da-da-da. Like I I I think that's the pivotal point here. And so, yes, the scriptures are important. Yes, talking about our faith is important, but the core of the gospel, the good news is the stranger becoming a friend, uh, the outsider becoming an insider or being brought in. Um, and in this sense, uh, that happens to be Jesus. It's like uh in Saint Benedict uh in his um in his rule, which is like the rule for all of Western monasticism, there's a passage in there. I can't quote it uh from memory, but it's something the effect of like um whenever a stranger comes to the door, uh you you welcome them as if you're welcoming Christ. Right. Because Christ is the stranger.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, like what if they had just let him keep walking? They would have never known that they were in the presence of Christ. Like, I think in my life I let the stranger keep walking a lot.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_08Like I don't but then it's over the breaking of the bread. And then the minute they s know that it's him, he's gone. So like in physical form, they can't recognize him. And when they recognize him, he's no longer in physical form. Like that that dichotomy feels tricky to me. I'm like, I just want him to be in physical form.
SPEAKER_00I I I think uh there's a deep parallel between this text and um Abraham and the strangers at Mira.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah. Right Sarah.
SPEAKER_00It's like you're entertaining angels unbeknownst. Right.
SPEAKER_02Except in this c case it's the incarnate one who's who's been resurrected.
SPEAKER_01So what the invitation to the stranger pulls in the breaking of the bread that we have seen the Lord.
SPEAKER_02Um what does that mean?
SPEAKER_04Well I think it could be helpful to to take a step back. I'm just thinking about with our families when we talk about telling reading scripture with our kids. We sort of say, like, the first question that we ask after reading a story is not what is what does it mean for us, but what does the story tell us about who God is? So uh you mentioned, well, you mentioned um Abraham and the the strangers. I actually felt like um this reminds me of Genesis when God is walking in the garden with Adam and Eve. I was reading something this morning, uh, it was a Beth Moore uh something that she had written, and she talked about she was talking about Genesis, um like the very anthropomorphic God walking in the in the the cool of the garden. And she talked about how um we our God is one that um chooses to walk with us rather than just watching us walk. And when I read that, I thought about this because I knew we were coming to this today. So I think it I think it's helpful to, you know, what does this story tell us about who God is? I think God continues to show up as a God who continues to walk with us rather than watching us just walk on our journeys. And this is a physical walking on a journey, but I sort of liked that imagery of you know, in the garden, Adam and Eve were with the serpent talking about God without God there, right? Like we talked about that a few weeks ago, and here um, you know, while they were talking and discussing, these two friends are walking and talking about God, seemingly without God there, and then God shows up in Jesus. And I just think there's a grace there and God being willing over and over again to show up and walk with us rather than just sit back and watch us like walk on this journey on our own.
SPEAKER_00Um, isn't that what like the Holy Spirit's about?
SPEAKER_04Well, I think first and foremost, like the whole uh I mean, that's what that's what um the incarnation is, right? And we're I mean, we're getting there. We're getting to, you know, the just letting loose of the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00But well, no, I I meant like from last week when the first words Christ says to him is like, peace be with you. And then he breathes on them the spirit. Yeah. Like it's that comforting companionship that you're talking about.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. Whatn't I think was it in T right? Was he has this thing where he thinks the there's some interpretations where the other disciple is the wife of Cleopas, like Mary, the wife of Clopus, that those names are so similar that maybe it is a married couple, like an uh, you know, the it's the next Adam and Eve, or they're walking with Jesus. Um this, I mean, maybe it's just me trying to isegete a lady into the text, but like but like I think that's that's helpful too. And like you have the where two or more are gathered, they're there, and then Jesus is with them. Yeah, they're going through scripture, they have the sacrament. It's kind of like the order of worship in its own way.
SPEAKER_00That I think that order is really important. It's like the interpretation. You know, I'm doing this class on the um on on biblical interpretation through through history and specifically looking at medieval. And I've been reading a lot of Paul McRakor, and one of the things he says is um uh essentially that like when we read the Bible, we're involved in what he calls like a hermeneutical circle. And and the sense is like you have to have belief to come to the text.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00Uh, and then through the text you get understanding. But in the other sense, you have to understand to believe, right? So they're they're feeding each other. It's not like one then the other. And so I I think the text is is showing this. It's like the encounter with the stranger begins. Then there's the interpretation, the engagement of scripture, the gospel narrative, which will become the gospel narrative, right? They're recounting what will become that. And then there's the invitation to the, to the to the stranger to share, and then the revelation of the risen one. And it's like this back and forth of like the ethical living out of this hospitality, but also the kind of more intellectual sense of trying to make sense of the tradition and the belief in this this unfolding story. And I think the text is showing that kind of back and forth in a way.
SPEAKER_04Well, and also, I mean, we saw this last week with you know I think it was you, Donovan, on the podcast last week. We were talking about, you know, doubting. He wasn't here.
SPEAKER_01I was it guy safely. I can't believe. I can't believe it.
SPEAKER_00Just felt Donovan, you're always in our hearts.
SPEAKER_04Okay, maybe it was Guy. Maybe it was me. I'll give myself credit. Um was talking about doubting Thomas and how like, man, maybe Thomas gets a bad rap. So the same thing, you know, Jesus who they don't know is him yet. And verse 25, you know, oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart. But I sort of think that proves the point. Like also in in the in this journey, like we can't do this without the spirit, right? Or without Jesus. So you can't like you can't we can't do this walk of faith without the revelation from the Holy Spirit or from Jesus. So I I mean, you know, I how foolish you are. I just sort of think they're proving the point. Right? Like we can't, yeah, but we can't do this without you. You know, ever. Like we'll never be wise enough, smart enough on our own enough to not need you, to not need like the revelation of who you are, of who God is through like your word or your presence. So actually, kind of, I think, I think Jesus saying that kind of proves the point of of all of it.
SPEAKER_08Well it's so human, like they they want. I mean, all of them have kind of stopped at the loss. Like they have the promise. Jesus has told them what's gonna happen, but now they're just sitting in this grief. And he's saying the the suffering is not for suffering's sake. Like the suffering, I've come not to get you to avoid suffering. I've come to redeem the suffering that you will experience, just as I experienced. And so that, which even today is like, I don't want to, I don't want to feel redem, I don't want to feel suffering. Right. Even if you're gonna redeem it, I don't want to, you know, that's some of the um uh what what's the gospel? Prosperity gospel. Like Jesus doesn't want Jesus wants you to be happy. Like that, that appeals to us in our humanity. And yet Jesus is saying, no, that had to happen. The Messiah had to suffer and die in order for these things, for for the redemption, for the resurrection. You can't have resurrection without death. I really wish Luke would have expounded on 27. Like he gives so much time to all of to different things. And I'm like, could you give us more detail? Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all of scripture. Would love to hear that. Like, why did we hear Jesus? Why did we leave that on the threshing floor?
SPEAKER_01Like well, that's the uh that's the message of uh the rich man of Lazarus, right? Go tell my brothers. Well, yeah. Hey, look. Yeah. They know they got the scriptures.
unknownOh gosh.
SPEAKER_01Right? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's true.
SPEAKER_00This is like a stranger sandwich sandwich with uh with scripture between the bread. That's beautiful. Yeah, thank you. That's my sermon.
SPEAKER_03Stranger. Stranger sandwich. That's the title of your sermon scripture in the middle.
SPEAKER_00Stranger they encounter the stranger, then there's scripture, and then they invite the stranger in. Right. Stranger sandwich.
SPEAKER_04Stranger sandwich.
SPEAKER_00Trademark that, Sarah.
SPEAKER_01And we have we have uh Cleopus and an unknown disciple. Once again, maybe it's John. Just kidding. That was for Guy.
SPEAKER_00One other thing that I think is beautiful about this, and I've really been thinking about uh with John's gospel, is the role of memory. And like there's the memory of what Christ has said, um, but it takes a kind of like encounter with the risen Christ to make sense of all of that. Right. Like they they they know these things, um, but they don't fully understand it. It's like they can call him Messiah, but they don't understand what Messiah is until after. Um, and the the the role of the church in keeping that memory alive today, and that memory is not like a static thing, but it's something that we're like constantly engaging and living into.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. The I mean, and the the the sacrament and like they notice him or they they know that it's him because he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, just as he did when he fed the five thousand, just as he did at the last supper.
SPEAKER_03Right, right.
SPEAKER_08And then like I remember growing up as a PK, I used to get so annoyed because dad would say the same thing every time we took communion. And I was like, spice it up a little bit, you know? But but he that was like the liturgy, that was the the rhythm, the routine that brought us back into community, into communion with each other and with God. And like, do y'all do communion every Sunday for do we do communion every Sunday through Eastertide? So we'll do communion this Sunday. So, like, which is beautiful, right? Like this idea that every time we come to the table, there's a reminder. It it jogs our memory, like you were saying, Will. Like it jogs our memory of who we are and to whom we belong.
SPEAKER_00Yes, and we're invited into that memory, right? Like it's a memory that's passed on. Like John's huge about this. Like there's way more things that happen, but these were written so that you can believe and believing have life. And like that life is that living memory, right? Like the Eucharist is the same thing and it's incredibly different each time because of who's there and who's participating. But everyone is getting to be a part of that memory. It's like, you know, we're that's what the scriptures are. It's like a living memory. Uh it's not some like static text. It's a, it's a it's a living word. What are you uh gonna focus on Sunday, Donovan?
SPEAKER_08Do you have a sermon title?
SPEAKER_01No, well, you keep uh changing my mind. I'm just sitting here thinking about um that's why we're here. Thanks. Um Yeah, I think you know, the eye the eyes being open to the resurrection. Um and thinking about memory and thinking about how you know, in communion with each other, um, whether real or metaphorical, I think, you know, when I use my memory, I think about times in which yeah, I would say, yeah, that's the risen Lord in this meeting, right? Which makes me go further. Um I was down in Ocean Springs, um, Mississippi, and at the William Anderson Museum, and I didn't know anything about William Anderson, but he's an artist and he had encephalitis and probably depression issues. And uh he ends up in a mental hospital in Jackson, I believe this is where the story happens, and um his wife comes and brings him a record of Beethoven, and he just he busts a record and runs out. And you know, she's upset and angry and you know, and then she goes out looking for warm and happens to see like blue jeans up in a tree, and he thinks she thinks he's hung himself. And so she the way she tells a story is beautiful, you know, he's running through the brand getting through the brambles, and then he kind of comes down like a monkey out of a tree. And his words were like uh you know, I was just thinking about you, and I knew you'd come back because in you forgiveness is you. And and I and I was like weeping when I was hearing this. I was like, wow, you know, to believe in forgiveness so fully that that you'd you know, you'd you'd you'd trust it, you know. And uh it's like, yeah, I think that's I think that's what this is about. But you know, how how do we how do we encounter that other than in communion?
SPEAKER_02Which, you know.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's like isn't that the whole thing we've been circling around? It's like opening yourself to the other opens yourself to God. Right. They open themselves to a stranger who just happens to be the resurrected Jesus.
SPEAKER_01Right. And then to me in this, you know, the Luke text to me is like you you make this U-turn back to Jerusalem. You know, the end of Luke is uh and they worshiped with him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Joy, which is Luke. And they were continually in the temple blessing God, you know, so it sets up the Acts Pentecost thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you're kind of in the middle of this worshiping community, waiting for the Spirit and trusting in the resurrection, right? So it's this kind of inward belief before you're sent. And then then I then I was wondering while we were reading this text, you know, then are we are we the are we the body of Christ finding people on the road to nowhere and again telling the scriptures and but then you know, then it has to be the invitation all that kind of stuff. It's just fascinating to me how I like that question.
SPEAKER_04It reminds me, you said earlier they're recounting everything, but they forgot the resurrection. They forgot that piece. I think that's really powerful. That which feels very much a question for today. Like what part of the story are we telling? And are we telling the whole story? Like, have we forgotten the resurrection and then are being invited into that piece, right? Like, where are we stuck, right? Like, are we inviting people uh off of the road to nowhere or are we them, right? Like have we because if you if if the story stops, if what we're if what we're selling stops before the resurrection, if we if we can admit that like we we don't trust that right now, right, then then we're them, then we're them on the road to nowhere, you know? Um I love that.
SPEAKER_01And to me, you know, the resurrection is you know what can separate us from the love of God, right? So then it becomes you know, do I trust in God's love, God's mercy, God's forgiveness, all those things over against my ability to not believe or just like the impossibility of those things.
SPEAKER_00Right. Because they all seem impossible. Yes. Right. Yeah. I was thinking about um Easter this this year was just uh really meaningful for me in ways I I I don't really fully understand. But it was just one of those sermon. No, the sermon was uh Okay. It's never the sermon. Okay, thanks. Uh uh But I was just thinking about like um you know, it's easier to hear resurrection this year for me. Things are good. I'm I'm in a good place. Uh but I remember uh like six years ago when um uh when co COVID happened and we didn't have Easter. Right. And uh I was not in a good place, like many people, uh, and I was also having some serious health issues at the time. And I told Taylor, I was like, I have to to do something to like mark this. And I got up and uh I drove over to St. Pete to my parents' house, and I got on my kayak at like five in the morning, and I kayaked out into the bay, and it was like windy as hell. It was like rough. I was tired. I'm like, what the hell am I doing? This is just stupid. The the it's just so nasty. I mean, it was like two-foot waves weather, and I this isn't where I thought the story was going. Well, I get out there and the sun breaks on the horizon, and it was just like the most peaceful, beautiful sun. And it was like that dichotomy of just like the chaos of life, uh, and the good news that breaks into it. Right. The waves were gonna be there on the way back. Like I had a crappy battle on the way home. Uh, but like I was sustained by seeing that light. So it's like that, you know, the that's it was like you were talking about, Sarah. It's like all this suffering is still here. Right.
SPEAKER_08Uh and then the sunlight wouldn't have been as powerful had you just glided out into the water.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but I don't like I don't want to like instrumentalize like bad weather. Like they don't have a point and purpose in themselves.
SPEAKER_07That's true.
SPEAKER_00Like they're just there, like just like suffering's there, right? But like the good news is that like in spite of this, uh, Christ overcomes death and we get to participate that partially with the hope that like ultimately the impossible of all impossibles will happen.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah, yeah. If we can if we can hold on to it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And that's community, right? Like we do that for each other.
SPEAKER_04We cannot do it alone. Yes, right. We say sometimes, like, hey, I'm gonna hold on to this until you can hold on to it for yourself. Yeah. Because one day I'm gonna need for you to hold on to it for me. Yeah. Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01All right. Sarah, you got a prayer for us?
SPEAKER_03Oh, yes.
unknownDidn't get that.
SPEAKER_01Oh that's Siri, Sarah.
SPEAKER_04Siri, we should ask Siri to pray us out one week. That would be really Lord Christ.
SPEAKER_08Um, we thank you for the gift of your word. We thank you for the ways that you invite us into um into the story that it is living, that it is breathing, that we can continue to trace the ways that you um that you have worked and that you continue to work in us and through us. And so we pray, oh God, that this text would just settle in our hearts, that maybe just a nugget of this conversation would take root, that we would live lives differently, lives of love to you and to neighbor, even the stranger.
SPEAKER_00Amen. Amen.