The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads – sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!

· In some ways, the direct object of this active verb may not make much difference, until you understand that sheep and lambs are dependent creatures, and that they belong to Jesus.

· The text suggests that the cute little song is true: “All God’s creatures have a place in the choir.” But there’s more than “cute” to the song or to this text.

· A world slowly choked by its own polluting ways is certainly not only going to overlook its poorer citizens, but also the creatures that have a place in the choir.

· Amazing stories abound in the work of world hunger, of former enemies who hunted each other now converted by the gospel of Jesus into neighbors and friends of God.

· The places that come to mind are mostly in Africa, but not always so. Those who are persecuted—and their tormentors—come to us from every corner in the world.

· Conversion—only a half-turn, please—is about being and doing the opposite of who or what you used to be and do. That means that you face in a different direction and suddenly see what you missed before.

· “Illegal aliens” might turn out to be “economic refugees” like your forebears; people of other races might turn out to be brothers and sisters; people who are poor might turn out to be incredibly richer than you know.

· Part of the process of conversion may be as dramatic as fitful visions or mystical experiences in moments of high stress. Another element of conversion might be quiet conversations among people of faith about what they missed when they were turning in the other direction.

· One of the hardest parts of ministry among people who are poor is seeing them for the first time as they really are. A reorientation of our perspective, a shocking experience, scales falling off eyes.

· What would it take for you to face Jesus, to see the light, to be converted, or to stop persecuting those whom Christ loves?

1. Find the music for “All God’s Children Got a Place in the Choir,” and practice the song and its implicit character voice and/or motions. Sing (or teach) the song to children as an example of the ways in which the Revelations text brings appreciation for both praise and the praising creatures.

2. Find the music from The Messiah that connects with the Revelation text, and play it for children just for the sheer experience of hearing a great choir doing exactly what John envisioned.

3. The John text can be stretched just a little bit to cover a part of the hunger/justice semi-axiom, “Give someone a fish, and that person will be fed for a day; teach that person to fish and they’ll never be hungry.” Part of what Jesus does in this passage is both give his disciples something to eat as well as teaching them how to fish. Both ways they are enriched. This is exactly what the relief and development efforts of ELCA partners accomplish around the world. Yes, you can find those stories at www.lwr.org or www.lutheranworld.org

1. With some background research, you can examine the idea of “persecuting believers,” either in actual fact or metaphorically. Ask participants to see themselves as Paul, not as part of the group that’s persecuted. Whom do they oppress, persecute or hunt down in today’s world. Who do they rage and fume about? Who are the object of their seemingly righteous fury? Who do they disdain if only because the existence of these others threatens them?

3. Look at the heading for Psalm 30—it was apparently used at the dedication of the Temple—and think about this question after reading the psalm: “What does this psalm seem to suggest in the function of the ‘temples’ of our own religious heritage?” HINT: Who is kept from death, who is rescued, who is happy to be part of the temple group?”

4. Think together about this question: “After all their profound experiences with the living Lord, why would part of Jesus’ crew of followers go back to their former occupations?” Another way to ask this: “Once you’ve seen the power of the Resurrection, where’s the best place to play that out?” (And always add the follow-up question, “Why?” to participants’ answers.)

I’m writing from lovely Carson City, NV, where I’ve just experienced a most profound Tridium: On Maundy Thursday my father died peacefully in his sleep; on Good Friday my wife and I traveled in the “real world” while the church stopped to contemplate Jesus’ sufferings, and on this Easter Day I’m wondering which of the two choruses from The Messiah will catch up and carry my father’s off-key voice into the swelling praise of God. It’s been a good run for my father, the fisherman, and a sheep-feeding followers of Jesus for 91 years. It’s been a good day for me, too: I think I understand.