Hello First Prez (Ko‘olau and The Vine)!

March 16, 2020

by Christopher Pan, Executive Director

It’s Chris Pan, the church’s Executive Director. I’m excited to write our inaugural daily devotional. Everyday, the staff will post a short, 300-word or less devotional about what we’re learning from God. We hope these will encourage you during this time. We may be keeping our “social distance,” but let’s keep growing closer spiritually, to God and to each other.  

So, on to today’s thought. My small group is currently reading Ruth Haley Barton’s book Life Together in Christ: Experiencing Transformation in Community. We’re only on Chapter 2, but the Intro and Chapter 1 are great! She writes about the transformative experience of the two disciples meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. The account is found in Luke 24:13-35.  Feel free to click the link and read the passage now. Go ahead. I’ll still be here when you get back. 

The part of that passage that stuck with me, that gave me chills, in a good way, were verses 28-29: 

“As they came near the village to which they were going, Jesus 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.”

“Stay with us.” Stay with us. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus urged Jesus strongly, “Stay with us.” I don’t know where Jesus was going, but I love the two disciples urging Him, strongly, to stay with them. They just want to remain in His presence. 

So, that has been my prayer this past week: Jesus, stay with us. Stay with me. I want to urge Jesus strongly (wherever He may be off to, and I’m sure He’s got important places to go) to stay with us, to stay with me. And the tremendous thing? He does. Jesus stays with those two disciples. The resurrected Jesus stays with them. And He stays with us too. 

Prayer:  Jesus, stay with us.