Hospitality

4th Sunday After Pentecost Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 Hospitality Year C Opening Song Welcome (Personal note to self – mention communion and financial report) Call to Worship L: Praise be to God who has freed us from oppression! P: Praise be to God who has healed our wounded souls! L: Let our hearts rejoice at God’s redeeming love. P: Let our voices raise in songs of thanksgiving for all that God is doing for us. L: Come, let us worship the Lord with our whole hearts! P: May our praise and voices resound with joy! AMEN. (Nancy Townley for United Methodist Ministry Matters) Opening Prayer: Gracious God, mend our brokenness and our sadness. Give us spirits of joy and enthusiasm for service to you by serving others. Lift us and place us on your pathways of peace and hope, that with our lives we will witness to your redeeming love. AMEN. (Nancy Townley for United Methodist Ministry Matters) Song – America the Beautiful UMH 696 Passing the Peace of Christ (Luke 10) Jesus sent forth his disciples with a word of peace. We too are bearers of that peace as we greet others in Christ’s name. Please greet your neighbors with the blessing: “The peace of Christ be with you.” (Hans Holznagel – United Methodist Ministry Matters) Scripture Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 Sermon - Hospitality "Under God" and the Pledge of Allegiance The words "under God were taken from Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address, "…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth…" and were added to the Pledge of Allegiance on June 14, 1954 by a joint resolution of Congress, 243 (Public Law 83-396). (The Pledge was initially adopted by the 79th Congress on December 28, 1945, as Public Law 287.) On June 14, 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law the pledge: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which is stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." President Eisenhower gave his support to the Congressional Act, which added the phrase, "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance, saying: "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war." President Eisenhower then stood on the steps of the Capitol Building and recited the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time with the phrase, "one nation under God." French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!" Alexis de Tocqueville - He was a political scientist, historian, and politician, best-known for "Democracy in America," 4 vol. (1835–40), a perceptive analysis of the political and social system of the United States in the early 19th century. Today, we honor America as a great nation, but we also have to acknowledge that America is a divided nation. It seems that daily, there is an issue that comes forth. And there are varying ways of looking at the issue. And there will never be agreement about the right side of the issue will be. And yet the pledge reminds us that we are one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Our unity is in Christ. So, since on July 4th we celebrate our nation, it is good that on July 3rd – we spend time in church being reminded of the source of our strength- to be in mission with Christ. Our scripture for today comes from Luke. In this story – Jesus is on a mission to unite his nation, and to help people realize the love of God. In order to do that, he realizes that he must get to Jerusalem. But he also realizes that he cant do it alone. By this time he has already recruited 12 disciples, but there are so many people who need to hear the good news. This story is only told in Luke – but he also recruits 70 or some say 72 more deacons to do the work that must be done. Jesus does what Moses did centuries before. When Moses realized that he couldn’t do the work of God by himself, God told him to find 70 men and to commission them for service. The number 70 is significant – it represents completeness, it represents all of the nations of the world. But the number is not all that important, what is important is what Jesus wanted these people to do. He wanted them to spread the love of God, bring peace to the community, accept and give hospitality. As love and peace spread, the mission expands. They are sent our 2 by 2. They return to Jesus to tell him that there were some who listened and some who didn’t. But when they gave peace, it truly made a difference to their faith. During this commissioning service – Jesus hits upon one of our major complaints of the church. The harvest is plenty, the laborers are few. Since its beginning, the church has been one generation from disappearing. We are always complaining that there is not enough of us to do the work, but we forget that Jesus says that there are plenty of people out there who want to come to church if they just knew about it and felt welcome. When I hear this story, I wonder – where did Jesus find 70 people. There are only ---- here today – how do we get to 70? Where did Jesus find 70? The first thing that Jesus says during the commissioning service – appeal to God for the resources that you need. Prayer is the first step in the mission. I will start my illustration of this point with a childhood memory of my own. When I got old enough to use the phone and communicate on my own – my mother would always insist that I call or visit my older relatives. Today I cherish those moments with the older generation before they passed away. But at nine years old – keeping in touch with older relatives was just a chore. As a kid Elizabeth was required to visit a great-great aunt who lived nearby, every Sunday evening. The Rennies would take her a plate of cookies or some other treat. In return Auntie would always exclaim, “Oh, aren’t you just an answer to prayer.” My wife says she didn’t feel like an answer to any prayer. She felt like an impatient kid, still sweaty from playing ball in the yard, and wanting to get back to it as soon as possible. But for her shut-in, ninety year old Auntie, Elizabeth was, in all her imperfection, an answer to prayer. “I now know that her prayer was not for cookies. Her prayer was for family, for fellowship, for the touch of love and compassion to come into her life.” All of us in attendance here today are an answer to an ancient prayer. That prayer is two thousand years old. It was a prayer uttered and answered in today’s gospel lesson. In that ancient prayer Jesus prayed that his Father would send him workers to “help bring in the harvest:” The harvest is plentiful, but he laborers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Luke 10:2) The fact that we are all here today is God’s answer to that prayer Jesus prayed. Do you get it? You are an answer to a Jesus prayer. Our presence is an answer to his prayer. Each of us is this generation’s sent “seventy.” Each of us that the Father has “sent” has been given special powers and projects. But our individual gifts are not the answer to prayer. The gift of building or baking, the gift of music or management, the gift of humor or horticulture, those are not answers to prayer. YOU are the answer. Your presence, your response to the call for “laborers” for the harvest, is the answer. All those who “labor” are, with every word and action, announcing that “the kingdom of God has come near.” That is why whether the prayer is for more rain in a drought-stricken plain, or drying sunshine for a flooded community - we are the answer to prayer. That is why whether the answer to prayer is for a cooling breeze during a scorching heat wave or for a warm shelter on a frozen winter night - we are the answer to prayer. That is why whether the answer to prayer is the community of companionship or for the silence of solitude - we are the answer to prayer. That is why whether the prayer is for a breath of fresh air or for the peace of stillness - we are the answer to prayer. That is why whether the answer to prayer is a purpose and a project or for the fullness of fallow time - we are the answer to prayer. We can always be “the answer to prayer” as long as we realize the real “prayer” we are answering is Jesus’ call for “laborers to bring in the harvest.” We are answers to prayer whenever we are working to reveal to the world that “the kingdom of God has come close.” We are not called to “build” the kingdom of God. As laborers enter the field to gather the crop, we are called to enter into the kingdom that is already here, to receive that kingdom, and to reveal its presence to others. And what is the kingdom? The kingdom is Jesus the Christ. That is the good news for us – all of us sitting here together today are an answer to prayer of those before us. Someone prayed for our church, for our mission, for our faith. And it was God who answered the call to send laborers. It is important for us to keep praying, keep pleading, so that God will provide in the future. We have to keep trusting on God to provide, keep going out, keep spreading peace. Every new day brings a new challenge, but it also brings a new opportunity to spread God’s love. The scripture is called the commissioning of the 70. Commission means to prepare for service, to give a job, to go on a mission. Com – means together and mission means work. Literally Jesus co missioned us. As Jesus set upon his mission, he invited us to work and walk with him. Not so much to go to Jerusalem, but to work and spread peace in our own community. God loves everybody – but there are only --- of us here? Where is everyone else? There are a lot of people in other churches today – but there are a whole lot more in bed, watching tv or doing some other mindless task this morning. They need to know about God’s salvation. Some will listen if we talk to them, others we have to listen to them, or sing a song, or feed them, or teach them a lesson, or bake them a cake, or show that we care. We have to do something to speak to their heart. We have to let them know that God loves them and that there is a place for them to use their gifts here. If we use our gifts, then God will do the rest. The mission of the church is God’s mission, not ours, we are just commissioners. We are commissioners with a lot of power. Jesus said that he saw the devil falling out of heaven because of the work of the 70. He said that we have the power to step on snakes and scorpions for the sake of the mission. We have the power to change the world, to spread peace, and to create a great nation. How will we use that power today? Song – America UMH 697 Prayer for the 4th of July God of all tribes and every nation, on this day of cookouts and fireworks, parades and pool parties, we pause to remember the best of our nation’s aspirations and values .We give thanks for those who made great sacrifices for the sake of the principles of equality and liberty, life and the pursuit of happiness. We lament the many ways and countless times that we have fallen short of the hopes of not only the founders of this nation, but of you, Lord of all. Forgive us for not fulfilling the great aims this country sought to represent to the world. Send your Spirit to help us become the country you call us to be. When we rest and play, eat and celebrate today, do not let us forget those unable to do likewise. Inspire in us a zeal for the equality in which you create all people, a passion to seek abundant life for all people, a relentless drive to provide liberty for all people, and a pursuit of happiness, not only for ourselves and those like us, but for all people. May our country truly be a refuge for the tired, the poor, and those yearning to be free — free from fear, free from poverty, free from oppression, free from exploitation, free from violence, free from war, free from suffering and hopelessness. May our nation truly be a place of justice, tranquility and welfare for all people. Amen. (Jill Duffield – Presbyterian Pastor) Children’s Sermon (Do not print)Hello, children of God! Happy Fourth of July!!! It’s Independence Day! What does that mean, do you think? What are we celebrating on this holiday, anyway? (Allow for responses) Well, when we honor the independence we have as a nation, we usually talk about how awesome it is that America is its own country, not ruled by another country. We have freedom in the United States to make choices. We can choose how we worship, where we attend church, where we go to school, what we want to wear…we have rights to live as free people. Well, what do you think it means to have freedom in Christ? There are a couple of very important things that we celebrate when we discuss our freedom as Christians: For one thing, God gives us choices. He loves us and He wants us to love Him, but He doesn’t force it. He gives us the free will to obey or disobey Him. Yet, it really makes a lot more sense to choose to put our trust in Him, because in Him we have freedom from sin! When we do things that our wrong, it sort of tangles up our lives. God offers to set us free from that, and give us joy instead. You see, Jesus wants to help us and make our lives better. He promises to give us rest and peace, if we will allow Him to. Have you ever carried a backpack? Maybe you have one like this (hold up bag or backpack, if using) for school. This one is pretty heavy. It can be quite tiring to carry this around all day. Now, let’s say I had a teacher who offered to carry it for me. If my teacher gave me the choice of hauling the big backpack, or letting someone else do it, wouldn’t it make sense to choose the lighter load? Why would I insist on doing it all myself, if someone was willing to help? Well, that’s what Jesus does for us. He offers to carry our burdens. We can get tired out because we worry, and we think that we need to do things all on our own. We try to carry our own struggles, or we think that we somehow need to earn our salvation from God. But Jesus gives it freely. There’s nothing we have to do, except trust Him and willingly let go of our cares. He won’t make us do it. We are free to continue carrying the weight of our guilt and sin and shame, to feel fatigued by our stresses. That doesn’t sound like a great way to live, does it? Isn’t it a blessing that we can let Jesus take care of things and bear our burdens for us? He promises rest, and gives us free lives, now and forever. That’s even better than fireworks! Why don’t we say a prayer of thanks to God, and let Him know that we trust Him to carry our burdens? Children’s Prayer Moment Dear God, Thank you for giving us freedom from sin Thank you for carrying our burdens and giving us life Help us to trust you and cast our cares on you Remind us what it means to be free in Christ Thank you for your love We love you, God! In Jesus name, Amen! (By Kristin Shmidt) Stewardship Moment All you need to print is the Prayer of Thanksgiving Moment for Stewardship (inspired by Galatians 6) As we in the northern hemisphere move into full summer, we recognize the growing crops in farm fields and home gardens. Paul’s words echo: “you reap whatever you sow”. We cannot sow corn and expect to reap beans. We cannot sow stinginess and expect to reap generosity. Rather, when we sow generously with our tithes and offerings, we can expect to reap generosity at harvest time! Do you know the story of Hattie May Wiatt? In 1886 she lived near a church in Philadelphia where the Sunday School was very crowded. Despite wanting to attend, she could not find a seat. When the minister saw her, he assured her one day they would have buildings big enough to allow every child to attend who wanted to come. Later, Hattie May Wiatt became sick and died. After the funeral, the girl’s mother told him Hattie May had been saving money to help build a bigger church. She gave him the little purse in which Hattie had saved 57 cents. That minister turned into gift into 57 pennies, told the congregation the story of Hattie May and sold the pennies for a return of about $250. Some of the members of the church formed the Wiatt Mite Society, dedicated to making Hattie May’s 57 cents grow as much as possible. A house nearby was purchased with the $250 that Hattie May’s 57 cents had produced and the rest is history. The first classes of Temple College, later Temple University, were held in that house. It was later sold to allow Temple College to move and the growth of Temple, along with the founding of the Good Samaritan Hospital (Now the Temple University Hospital) have been powerful testimonies to Hattie May Wiatt’s dream. (https://www.truthorfiction.com/hattiemaywiatt/) Eager to sow, and eager to reap, let us share our tithes, gifts and offerings. Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous God, thank you for all you provide for us day by day. Receive these gifts and help us transform them into opportunities for generosity as we share Good News here and beyond our congregation. Inspire us to sow well and eagerly anticipate all we will reap in the Life you offer us. AMEN Invitation to Communion (Do not Print) Many health-focused individuals seek ways to eat wisely. Perhaps you have experienced the positive change in your life when you were able to choose healthy food, good exercise and adequate rest, leading you to sense you had a whole new lease on life. Paul encouraged the believers in Galatia to recognize the power of a new creation which we experience when we focus on, and become avid followers of, Jesus Christ. He eagerly declares his intention to never boast of anything except the cross, by which the world was crucified to him, and he was crucified to the world. As we come to this Table, we find simple elements: a tiny piece of bread and a thimble-full of juice. Yet in these gifts, we find a whole new lease on life! We step into the new creation as we claim our identity as disciples (learners) of Jesus Christ. You are welcome at this Table. May sharing in this feast give you reason to boast: you are a disciple of Jesus! Come! Take your place, and receive the peace of Christ! Communion UMH 13 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Do not grow weary in doing what is right, for you will reap a great harvest if you do not give up. Sow in the Spirit and reap the blessings of God. Go in peace. (Hans Holznagel for United Methodist Ministry Matters) Community Time Quarterly Financial Report Benediction Lord, as we go from this place, surround us with your peace and love, that we make take healing and hope to others in your holy name. AMEN. Nancy Townley for United Methodist Ministry Matters) Additional Illustrations Relationship Evangelism There is an old story told about a man by the name of Ali Facid. He had a small farm and a family. One day, the story goes, a Buddhist priest came by and said to Ali Facid: You know, there are valuable stones called diamonds, and if you get one of these you could be a wealthy man." Ali Facid went to bed that night, but the words of the old priest haunted him. He was so obsessed that he felt that he must find him one of these diamonds so that he could become a ruler. He sold his farm, put his family out to neighbors and went out to find his acres of diamonds. Months passed. He was broken in body and spirit. His funds were gone. And at the Bay of Barcelona, he threw himself into the water, never to walk this earth again. Meanwhile, the man who bought his farm bent over one day and picked up a little stone. He laid on the mantle that night not knowing what it was. A few days later the old Buddhist priest came by and saw it and exclaimed: Ali Facid must be back from his search. No, came the response. Then where did that diamond come from? The farmer replied: I was out plowing in the garden and found it there. And friends, did you know that from that very garden, for this is not a legend but a true story, came the jewels and diamonds that today adorn the crown heads of Europe and Russia. In Ali Facid's own back yard there were acres of diamonds and he knew it not. My friends, I know that the [your church's neighborhood] is not like [name two neighborhoods in your area that are experiencing growth] in terms of extensive growth. But, I also know that there are acres of diamonds right here in our own back yard. There are people right here in our area that do not have church families, who are not committed to Christ, and who are waiting to be asked. We don't have to look to other areas of the city. All we have to do is pick up the diamonds that are right beneath us. Staff, www.Sermons.com Evangelism An executive hirer, a "head-hunter" who goes out and hires corporation executives for other firms, once told me, "When I get an executive that I'm trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he's all relaxed. Then, when I think I've got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, "What's your purpose in life?" It's amazing how top executives fall apart at that question. "Well, I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, 'What's your purpose in life, Bob?' And he said, without blinking an eye, 'To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.' For the first time in my career I was speechless." Josh McDowell Jesus and Moses Both Delegated Delegation is more difficult than it sounds. Delegation is especially difficult for talented and extraordinary leaders, and even more difficult for leaders who seem to have a special calling from God. That was the case with Moses some 13 centuries before Christ. After successfully leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt toward freedom in the Promised Land, Moses had problems with a somewhat rebellious and cantankerous group. So he complained to God, "I am not able to carry all these people alone, the burden is too heavy for me" (Numbers 11:14). In fact, Moses was so discouraged he asked God to kill him unless he helped him. So God asked Moses to gather 70 men whom he knew to be natural leaders and officers and to bring them to the tent of meeting, where God manifested his presence. God said, "I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take some of the spirit which is upon you and put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone" (Numbers 11:17). So God's spirit did come upon the 70 and Moses had people to whom he could delegate responsibility and leadership. Thirteen centuries later, Jesus uses the same number -- 70 -- to recruit men to help him spread the word about the new kingdom of God. If Moses and the 70 elders were developing the Old Israel, Jesus and the 70 were about to develop the New Israel. Maurice A. Fetty, The Divine Advocacy, CSS Publishing Company The Ignored Task of the Church: Evangelism "Evangelism" is a beautiful word that has lost its winsomeness [or effectiveness]. Somehow on its journey from the Jerusalem of yesterday to the Jericho of today it has fallen among thieves that have wounded it and stripped it, departed, leaving it half dead. It takes a rather rash Samaritan, therefore, to dare turn aside to set this poor chap upon his beast and take him to an inn and take care of him. This is especially true because a veritable procession of Priests and Levites are passing by, not only refusing to lend a hand, but, we fear, inwardly chuckling at the plight of the poor fellow, and secretly hoping that they are soon to see the last of him. Clovis G. Chappell, Evangelistic Sermons of Clovis G. Chappell, Abingdon 1973, p. 40. 400 Advisers I read the following in a church newsletter: A preacher in the Midwest tells of a woman who called him to speak of her dissatisfaction with the program of the Church. He invited her to come to his office and talk the problem over with him. She accepted the invitation and brought to his attention some of the things that were needed and could be done. He gratefully acknowledged the wisdom of her ideas. He then said, "This is wonderful that you are so concerned and interested in this. You are the very person this Church needs to head up this program. Will you take the job?" Her reply was just as immediate. "Oh, no, I don't want to get involved. With my club work and the hours that I put on some other things, I just don't have the time. But I will be glad to advise you any time." The preacher's answer was classic and well put: "Good, gracious, lady, that's the problem now. I already have 400 advisers. I need someone who will work." Almost everyone in a congregation says that they want it to grow. (Some put a limit on the growth, "I'd like to see us have about 500 members and then stop.") If people want growth, if God promises a good harvest, why aren't more congregations growing? What is stopping the growth God wants to give? Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes "The Paradox of Our Time" The paradox of our time in history is that: We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years! We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. Author Unknown "In reading over the Constitutions of all fifty of our states, I discovered something which some of you may not know: there is in all fifty, without exception, an appeal or a prayer to the Almighty God of the universe…. Through all fifty state Constitutions, without exception, there runs this same appeal and reference to God who is the Creator of our liberties and the preserver of our freedoms." - D. James Kennedy It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." - George Washington The Inscription on the Statue of Liberty, written by Emma Lazarus Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door. Sermon Opener - Liberty and Civility - Galatians 5:1-15 The United States of America will be 243 years old on July 4. That’s a long time for a nation to remain free. But, when you look at our history in the context of world history America is just a CHILD among the nations. Egypt, China, Japan, Rome, Greece all make America’s history seem so short. Consider what a brief time we’ve really been here as a nation: When Thomas Jefferson died, Abraham Lincoln was a young man of 17. When Lincoln was assassinated, Woodrow Wilson was a boy of 8. By the time he died Ronald Reagan was a boy of 12. There you have it. The lives of four men can take you all the way back to the beginning of our country, 243 years ago. We are so young. And yet we stand tall among these nations because of the principles on which we were established: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Thus begins the Declaration of Independence, which we celebrate every year. And do not let anyone fool you. Freedom ought and need be celebrated. So many churches and ministers today loathe patriotism in the pulpit. I am not one of those. I celebrate today with you the freedoms which God has blessed this great nations of ours. Now I cannot tell you whether God has blessed us with liberty and therefore we are free or we have wisely and simply built our liberty based on biblical principles. In any case our freedom is from God. Now let me temper our celebrations with a caution: With freedom comes great responsibility. We are not free to live excessive lives. We are not set at liberty to pursue selfish ends. Our independence should not make us infidels. As Paul so eloquently puts it: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.” What is true for the church is true for the nation: Liberty demands civility. Freedom requires righteous behavior. On July 4th let’s celebrate Freedom and Civility. 1. First Let’s Celebrate Freedom 2. Second Let’s Celebrate Civility. The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty." So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel. Preaching, November-December 1985 A True Reference One of the best letters of reference ever received at the University of Alabama Medical School, according to the Director of Admissions, came from an old mountaineer. The letter read: I’ve known this kid from the day he was born. He played with my kids, helped me with the chores. I don't know if he has sense enough to make it in medical school, but I know he will be the kind of man I'd like to come here to take care of me and my folks. (Don Shelby, Final Evaluations) Isn't that beautiful? And it hints at what I am saying. We can be so at one with Christ that Christ will live and act through us. Maxie Dunnam When Disney World opened in 1971, Walt Disney was not present to witness the grand opening of his greatest dream come true — he had died five years earlier. Dur¬ing the spectacular opening ceremonies, the host of the festivities introduced Walt's widow, Lillian Disney, who would say a few words on stage for the occasion. "Mrs. Disney," the host beamed with reverence, "I wish Walt could have seen this." Lillian stood up, walked over to the podium, adjusted the microphone, and said, "He did." And then she sat down. That simple statement said it all.2