This past week, I attended Stephen Minister's Leadership training in St. Louis, MO. Some of you may be aware and others of you may not be aware that Elim has a Stephen's Ministry. We have people who have completed 50 hours of training to become Stepehen's Ministers. (Have Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers stand up.) Their training allows them to provide a ministry of care, presence and listening to people inside our community of faith as well as people who are part of our greater community. What they do is an invaluable part of our caring ministry here at Elim. And you will be hearing more about the Stephen Ministry at Elim in the weeks and months to come.
     While I was at the conference, it became very apparent that Stephen's Ministry has had a profound effect on many who were present at the training. There were many examples of people who had come full circle through the ministry. In other words, their first experience with Stephen Ministry had been as a care receiver. They had been in a situation in their life when they needed a Stephen Minister - when they needed to have someone walk with them through a difficult time. Once these folks had come through their own time of struggle, they realized that their Stephen Minister had been so helpful to them that they wanted to be able to help someone else in the same way. So, they went through the process to become a Stephen Minister themselves. After helping others as a Stephen Minister, finally they were here at this training, learning leadership skills to train others in their congregations for this ministry. They will go back to their congregations now and be in house trainers, facilitation group leaders or fill in in a variety of other leadership positions. One gentleman summed up Stephen's Ministry in this way: Find the lost; Teach the found; Send the taught. That really struck me. Find the lost; Teach the found; Send the taught. It is what Stephen's Ministry does. It is what we are asked to do as Christian people. It is what Jesus himself does in the Gospel for today.
     It is near evening on that first Easter. And Cleopas and another of Jesus' disciples are lost. Now, I don't mean physically. They don't need mapquest or GPS. They know they're on the road to Emmaus. But they are lost, just the same. Lost in their disbelief. Lost in their lack of hope. Lost in their own expectations of how they thought Jesus was going to redeem Israel. As they walk to Emmaus, their backs are to Jerusalem. They are pointing away from where Jesus was found missing that morning by the women at the tomb. They are lost. And Jesus seeks them out. Jesus finds them on that road and walks with them. He asks them questions. He lets them talk. He listens. Jesus finds the lost.
     But he's not satisfied in simply finding them. He knows he needs to equip them to find their way again. He knows he needs to teach them. And he does. He teaches them in word, first. Out on that road, he brings up Scripture. But, he doesn't just quote it randomly; he connects it to their lives. He connects Scripture to himself. He tells them how he is the fulfillment of all that has been prophesied. Their hearts burn within them, but they don't recognize him. Still, they invite him to stay with them for the night. As they sit down to share a meal together, Jesus teaches them in action. He breaks bread with them and blesses it, and they finally get it. They finally recognize him. Jesus teaches them in word and action that he is their Messiah. He is, indeed, all he seemed to be and more. He is their Risen Lord. Jesus teaches the ones he finds.
     And then the taught get sent out. In the Gospel for today, Jesus disappears without officially sending these disciples back to the 11, but they go anyway. These disciples don't need further instruction or even an invitation to go out. They have incredible news to share. It can't wait 'til morning. "The Lord has risen indeed!"
     Find the lost; Teach the found; Send the taught. Jesus sets an incredible example for his disciples in the way he comes to these two men on the road to Emmaus. It's an example that I pray we will follow as his disciples in this time and place.
     I pray we will find the lost - within and outside of this community. Just because you're here, doesn't mean you're not lost. I know that. I know every single one of us at one time or another gets lost in our doubt, in our faith. The world picks at us and pulls us in a million different directions. And we get turned around. We get lost. I hope we can find each other in our lostness. I hope we can find the ones outside of these walls who are pointing their lives away from Jesus. I hope we can proclaim to each other with great conviction that no matter how lost we feel, Jesus always knows where we are. Jesus is always on his way towards us, calling for us to turn and face him once again.
     As the lost are being identified and found, I pray we can also be a place of teaching. Teaching in word as we continue to grow our education ministries - Sunday School, Confirmation, Adult Education, Vacation Bible School. Teaching in word as we connect people with resources that make Bible study exciting. And teaching in action as we do things like equip our Stephen's Ministry with more care givers and receivers. Teaching in action as we go out to live our lives and put our faith in motion - in other words, make what we do coincide with what we say.
     I pray we find the lost and teach the found so that we can all be sent. Each of us has a story to share. Each of us has been asked to be the light of Christ in the midst of the darkness that many people are experiencing. No matter who you are - whether you feel lost or know you are found - you are sent. No matter how much you think you know about the Bible, theology, spiritual discipliplines or whatever - you are sent. Jesus depends on you and the words you have to say. He depends on you and the actions of love, care and grace you have to share. He depends on you to make sure the whole world knows that he has Risen, indeed. Amen.

Kid's message
Ask parents to share a time when their child was lost. What did they do? Did the child even know he or she was lost? Most every parent will say they looked until they found their child. That is what Jesus does, too. Like he sought out the disciples on the road to Emmaus, he seeks us out when we are lost or turned around. He puts us on the right track again.