Sermon from Sunday ,May 4, 2014. Filmed live on location at Trinity Metropolitan Community Church located at 11604 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, Florida 32608. For more information please, visit the church's website at www,mccgainesville.org or our Facebook page at Trinity MCC Gainesville. Follow us on Twitter: @Trinitymccgnv #gaychurchgainesville Student Clergy Jes Morgan's sermon is based on the following scripture readings: A reading from Robert Holden's "Happiness Now: Time-less Wisdom for Feeling Good Fast": "Like a fragrance to a flower, true happiness is an expression of your unconditioned Self -- the real You. True happiness is...very attractive in that it literally attracts great things. Happiness...encourages trust, spontaneity, optmism, and enthusiasm—all of which bring great gifts. In particular, when you dare to be happy, you find that people instinctively gravitate to you and like you, although they may not know why. Maybe it's something to do with your smile. Whatever it is, your happiness is an inspiration and a gift to everyone. Every-one benefits from true happiness -- everyone benefits from YOUR happiness. No matter how low, hurt, hopeless...fearful, or how awful you feel, the potential to experience peace and happiness never goes away. Just as clouds in the sky can eclipse the sun but not destroy it, so too can fear and pain eclipse your happiness but not destroy it. The potential for happiness is with you permanently." Luke 24: 13-15, 17-24, 28-35: Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; [Jesus] asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" ″What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road...?" They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
