Sermon 4th Sunday of Easter April 25, 2010 Nancy Meehan Yao
Acts 9:36-43
36Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” 39So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
I love this story. I love it because Dorcas is described using the feminine form of the word for “disciple”. And to the people who say that women did not have leadership roles in the early church, who say that women should not preach or teach, I say “have you met Dorcas?”
I love this story because it reminds me of my grandmother, who was widowed at a young age, and worked in the shirt factories in Troy, bent over a sewing machine all day, and then came home and sewed for her 11 grandchildren. She made my prom dress—I still have some of that fabric, made into a quilt. So I know what it is when someone sews for you out of love.
I love this story because it is so well crafted- only 6 verses, and yet the whole story is told.
I love this story because it reminds us of so many other stories- it reminds us of Elijah and the son of the widow of Nain, how that boy was restored to life, and it reminds us of the story of Elisha, in 2 Kings, bringing back the son of the Shunammite woman. It reminds us of Jesus, and the story of Jairus’ daughter. Remember, Jairus’ daughter had died, and Jesus went in to her, saying to Jairus’ “do not doubt, only believe” - and then Jesus took the girls’ hand, and said Talitha, cumi- that is, little girl, get up- and she did. It reminds us of Lazarus, restored to life, coming out of the tomb after three days. And it reminds us especially of Jesus, and his resurrection. In fact, the same word is used of Dorcas as is Jesus- that she was “raised up” .
I love this story because it gives me hope—
Anne Lamott writes about being a recovering addict and alcoholic in San Francisco. Newly in recovery, she was too skittery to be around people- and yet she heard these voices—these gorgeous, beautiful voices, from the windows of a church near where she lived—a Presbyterian church, I might add. And she was so shaky, so near to death, that she could not bring herself to go in. She would stand outside and listen, at first. And then, gradually, she eased in to the back, to sit on a folding chair- but only for the music- and she would leave before she had to talk to anybody else- the back row is good for a quick get away like that. But, eventually, she began to stay. And when, as a recovering alcoholic, she announced that she was pregnant, that she was about to be an unwed mother, the community surrounded her with love. These women, many of them widows and unwed mothers,. Many of them who knew about sorrow, with children in jail, or children who were alcoholics and addicts themselves, embraced her with love. And then, like Dorcas, “they devoted themselves to charity and good works.” These women who had so little would hug her- and slip some money into her pockets. Stealthily- without saying anything. One woman, who couldn’t afford any more, would save up her change, and put it in plastic baggies, and tie it tight with a twist tie, and give it to Anne. Anne writes that even after she began to be doing better, to begin making money with her writing, to be longer and longer in recovery, they would still slip her change in little twist tie baggies. Because it was what they could do. It was hope for Anne, and the baby, bound up in little packages.
But here’s what I struggle with. Dorcas, restored to life, will eventually die. And I know that there are people here today who have loved ones who have died, or who are ill. What do we do with this story? How are we to understand it- are we to think that miracles happened only in the old days, and the age of miracles has closed?
This story is written, in part, to show that even though Jesus has ascended, even though Jesus is no longer on earth, that miracles still happen. This story is about the power of God for restoration and life.
Earlier this morning, we read Psalm 23 all together. This Psalm is used often at funeral services. In fact, when families don’t know what to choose, don’t know any other scripture; this is the one they pick. “Yeah tho I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death” its says “I will fear no evil”. I will not fear evil for thou art with me, in the words of the Kings James version. I will not fear evil because Jesus has won a decisive victory over sin and death. Death does not have the last word.
The church stands at the intersection of memory and hope. We remember the stories- the stories of Dorcas, and Lazarus, and Jesus. And we tell those stories. When we baptized little Kyle Malecki two weeks ago, we said “you do not know these stories yet. But we will tell them to you until they are your own”. I take that pledge very seriously.
Last week we talked about vocation, as what God calls you to do. For Dorcas, God called her to show the love of God by caring for others, by sewing clothes for the widows. For the widow at Anne Lamott’s church, God’s love was shown in helping an unwed mother, and in singing and telling those stories. For us, the church, part of our vocation is to tell these stories- to ourselves, and to the next generations. To tell the stories of Dorcas, who devoted herself to charity, and the Good Shepherd, who leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. To speak of our memories, of where we have seen God at work, bringing life, and to speak of our hope, in Jesus Christ.
We remember those we love, and those we have lost, we remember the story of Dorcas, but we also remember Christ- who overcame sin and death for us. We remember the 23rd Psalm- and we look forward in hope to the one who leads us in the paths of righteousness, the one who is The Good News himself.
The story of Dorcas is a sign to us. A sign of hope. A sign that in Christ, death does not have the final word. We do walk thru the valley of the shadow of death, but we do not have fear. Because Christ has died, and rose, and brings new life. Alleluia- Amen.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Day
"The Earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein" says Psalm 24. Today is the 40th observance of Earth Day. Is the world, the ecology, in a better place than it was 40 years ago? Have we at least been able to slow down the spiral of pollution and degradation? God created the world good. Humans are to be caretakers of the creation. The Study Confession of the PCUSA teaches us this:
Question 22. What do you understand by God's providence?
That God not only preserves the world, but also continually attends to it, ruling and sustaining it with wise and benevolent care. God is concerned for every creature: "The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Ps. 145:15).
We are to be caretakers with God of God's creation. We, as humans, are to nurture it and sustain it, in the way that God sustains and nurtures us.
Often people think there is a divide between ecology and the church. The PCUSA has long affirmed caring for creation as a mandate from God.
Information may be found at: http://www.presbyearthcare.org/
Question 22. What do you understand by God's providence?
That God not only preserves the world, but also continually attends to it, ruling and sustaining it with wise and benevolent care. God is concerned for every creature: "The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Ps. 145:15).
We are to be caretakers with God of God's creation. We, as humans, are to nurture it and sustain it, in the way that God sustains and nurtures us.
Often people think there is a divide between ecology and the church. The PCUSA has long affirmed caring for creation as a mandate from God.
Information may be found at: http://www.presbyearthcare.org/
Sunday, April 18, 2010
3rd Sunday of Easter
3rd Sunday of Easter April 19 2010 Nancy Meehan Yao
Revelation 5:11-14 p
11Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
John 21:1-18 p
21After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
What do you do, when your whole world has been turned upside down? What do you do, when all that you thought that you knew, all that you trusted in, has turned out to be different than you had planned? What do you do when you are so wracked by guilt and grief and confusion that you can barely breathe, much less raise your head?
Well, if you are Peter, you go fishing. Now this is not a leisurely day out on the lake in a boat. No, this is Peter, leaving Jerusalem, going back to the only thing he knows. He goes back to Galilee, his home. Because, as Robert Frost puts it, “Home is the place, where, when you go there, they have to take you in.”
Peter goes home and goes back to the only work he knows- fishing. Jesus has appeared to the disciples 3 times by now—first, to Mary, in the garden. Peter was there, saw the empty tomb, and went back to stay with the other disciples that morning. And then, in that locked room, Jesus appeared to the disciples two more times- saying “Peace. Shalom”.
But my guess is that Peter was not feeling peace. Remember, he denied Jesus three times—just a few hours after saying he would never deny him. And while Peter knows of the resurrection, has seen Jesus in that locked room, knows of the Good News, perhaps Peter doesn’t quite believe it is for him. Because Peter denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times. Peter was passionate in his love for Jesus, but denied him…..
And here he is, fishing—with no success. He has gone home, gone back to the family fishing business, and he is a failure at this as well- fished all night, sweaty and tired, and to pour salt on the wound, some yahoo on the beach yells out to him, in a way that leaves no doubt as to what the answer is: “Children, you have no fish, have you?”
But that voice turns out to be Jesus. And Peter, ever impetuous, ever dashing off in excitement, puts his clothes back on, jumps in the water, and swims towards the beach, where Jesus is.
Now, Peter has seen the empty tomb, has seen Jesus in that locked room- but we have no recorded conversation between him and Jesus since Peter denied him. So Peter, while eager to see Jesus, is also probably wracked with guilt and grief and fear…..because Jesus has risen, is there, with them…..what will Jesus say to Peter? What will Peter say to Jesus? What could he possibly say?
But, at first, it seems Jesus doesn’t say anything. Oh, he tells them to throw their net out on the other side of the boat, and he tells the fishermen to bring in some of the catch, and he feeds them. No questions asked, no discussions, no finger pointing or blame. Like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son, there isn’t even time for any apologies or explanations. Breakfast is ready! Come and eat!
And after breakfast, the time Peter has longed for, and has dreaded, is here. Jesus and Peter talk. Again, Peter doesn’t get a chance to say his well rehearsed apology and confession speech. Jesus, instead, gives him his orders, his work.
Feed my lambs, Peter. Tend my sheep- take care of them. Feed my sheep. Just a few short weeks ago, Jesus had knelt down, in that upper room, to wash the disciples feet. “I am among you as one who serves.” Here, Jesus has just fed and served the disciples. And Peter is to follow his example.
But in the midst of giving him his work orders, Jesus asks Simon Peter awkward but necessary questions.
Simon, do you love me? Three times, Jesus asks him this—to the point that Peter is hurt- Yes, Lord, you know I love you.
Now, the three times Jesus asks this question, to the point that Peter’s feelings are hurt, is seen as significant. Remember Peter denied Jesus three times. And in the first century society, saying something 3 times made it so—a man could divorce his wife or sell property by saying out loud, in public, something 3 times—
So Jesus has reversed Peter’s denial of him. And woven in are the things that Peter will now start doing. After every question and answer, are Jesus’ instructions. Peter is now to live a new life—“feed my lambs”.
In fancy theological terms, this is called “justification and vocation.” That is, Peter is now made right—forgiven, cleansed, made whole again. In his own way, he is restored to life. He can live again, breathe again, hold up his head again. And so what is he going to do next? Not go to Disneyworld,--that would be Vacation-- but live a life following Jesus. That will be his VOcation.
The word vocation comes from the Latin “vocare” meaning called out—and we talk about it that way, saying someone has a calling—and we also say, usually, that vocation is the work that you do.
But I want us to think of it less of work, a profession, and more of a way of being. Vocation is the way that people often talk about their profession, but it is also the way the church has always talked about people who follow Jesus. In the monastic tradition, monks and nuns all have work to do. They might be farmers, or wine makers, or dog trainers, like the Monks of New Skete, or scholars and writers. But when the chapel bell rings, they stop what ever work they are doing, put down the rake, put down the pen, and go off to worship and prayer. Because, they feel, that that is their true vocation. To follow Jesus and to worship him.
Worthy is the Lamb we heard from the Revelation text this morning. Worthy is the Lamb to receive blessing and honor. All creation, every creature in heaven and on earth joins in this singing. And so do we- it is our vocation, too.
But that vocation, that call, shapes our whole life. So that we also are called to feed others, to tend lambs, to feed sheep.
Peter might have stayed in Galilee, fishing, and feeding people with his fish. He had been told, after all, by Jesus, “to feed my sheep.” And there was no end to hunger and poverty in Galilee. But Peter went on to Jerusalem, and was the founder of the church there. The early church lived in community, worshipping together, sharing what they had, taking care of the poor, healing the sick, and growing in number day by day.
“Follow me” Jesus says to Peter. Follow me, Jesus says to us. And this is the way it truly is- we, who have been forgiven, we who have been claimed by God and forgiven by God in Jesus Christ, we who have been washed in the water and fed at the Table, we are called by God, and we are called out by God. This is the way it truly is- we respond with our whole lives to the grace that first came to us. Vocation always follows justification- we respond to God, who first claimed us. Gratitude is the response to grace. That is our true vocation—to follow Jesus, to follow in the ways of Jesus, the Lamb who was slaughtered for us, to follow Jesus, the ruler of creation, who shows up on the beach to cook his friends breakfast, and says to us: Follow me.
Revelation 5:11-14 p
11Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
John 21:1-18 p
21After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
What do you do, when your whole world has been turned upside down? What do you do, when all that you thought that you knew, all that you trusted in, has turned out to be different than you had planned? What do you do when you are so wracked by guilt and grief and confusion that you can barely breathe, much less raise your head?
Well, if you are Peter, you go fishing. Now this is not a leisurely day out on the lake in a boat. No, this is Peter, leaving Jerusalem, going back to the only thing he knows. He goes back to Galilee, his home. Because, as Robert Frost puts it, “Home is the place, where, when you go there, they have to take you in.”
Peter goes home and goes back to the only work he knows- fishing. Jesus has appeared to the disciples 3 times by now—first, to Mary, in the garden. Peter was there, saw the empty tomb, and went back to stay with the other disciples that morning. And then, in that locked room, Jesus appeared to the disciples two more times- saying “Peace. Shalom”.
But my guess is that Peter was not feeling peace. Remember, he denied Jesus three times—just a few hours after saying he would never deny him. And while Peter knows of the resurrection, has seen Jesus in that locked room, knows of the Good News, perhaps Peter doesn’t quite believe it is for him. Because Peter denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times. Peter was passionate in his love for Jesus, but denied him…..
And here he is, fishing—with no success. He has gone home, gone back to the family fishing business, and he is a failure at this as well- fished all night, sweaty and tired, and to pour salt on the wound, some yahoo on the beach yells out to him, in a way that leaves no doubt as to what the answer is: “Children, you have no fish, have you?”
But that voice turns out to be Jesus. And Peter, ever impetuous, ever dashing off in excitement, puts his clothes back on, jumps in the water, and swims towards the beach, where Jesus is.
Now, Peter has seen the empty tomb, has seen Jesus in that locked room- but we have no recorded conversation between him and Jesus since Peter denied him. So Peter, while eager to see Jesus, is also probably wracked with guilt and grief and fear…..because Jesus has risen, is there, with them…..what will Jesus say to Peter? What will Peter say to Jesus? What could he possibly say?
But, at first, it seems Jesus doesn’t say anything. Oh, he tells them to throw their net out on the other side of the boat, and he tells the fishermen to bring in some of the catch, and he feeds them. No questions asked, no discussions, no finger pointing or blame. Like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son, there isn’t even time for any apologies or explanations. Breakfast is ready! Come and eat!
And after breakfast, the time Peter has longed for, and has dreaded, is here. Jesus and Peter talk. Again, Peter doesn’t get a chance to say his well rehearsed apology and confession speech. Jesus, instead, gives him his orders, his work.
Feed my lambs, Peter. Tend my sheep- take care of them. Feed my sheep. Just a few short weeks ago, Jesus had knelt down, in that upper room, to wash the disciples feet. “I am among you as one who serves.” Here, Jesus has just fed and served the disciples. And Peter is to follow his example.
But in the midst of giving him his work orders, Jesus asks Simon Peter awkward but necessary questions.
Simon, do you love me? Three times, Jesus asks him this—to the point that Peter is hurt- Yes, Lord, you know I love you.
Now, the three times Jesus asks this question, to the point that Peter’s feelings are hurt, is seen as significant. Remember Peter denied Jesus three times. And in the first century society, saying something 3 times made it so—a man could divorce his wife or sell property by saying out loud, in public, something 3 times—
So Jesus has reversed Peter’s denial of him. And woven in are the things that Peter will now start doing. After every question and answer, are Jesus’ instructions. Peter is now to live a new life—“feed my lambs”.
In fancy theological terms, this is called “justification and vocation.” That is, Peter is now made right—forgiven, cleansed, made whole again. In his own way, he is restored to life. He can live again, breathe again, hold up his head again. And so what is he going to do next? Not go to Disneyworld,--that would be Vacation-- but live a life following Jesus. That will be his VOcation.
The word vocation comes from the Latin “vocare” meaning called out—and we talk about it that way, saying someone has a calling—and we also say, usually, that vocation is the work that you do.
But I want us to think of it less of work, a profession, and more of a way of being. Vocation is the way that people often talk about their profession, but it is also the way the church has always talked about people who follow Jesus. In the monastic tradition, monks and nuns all have work to do. They might be farmers, or wine makers, or dog trainers, like the Monks of New Skete, or scholars and writers. But when the chapel bell rings, they stop what ever work they are doing, put down the rake, put down the pen, and go off to worship and prayer. Because, they feel, that that is their true vocation. To follow Jesus and to worship him.
Worthy is the Lamb we heard from the Revelation text this morning. Worthy is the Lamb to receive blessing and honor. All creation, every creature in heaven and on earth joins in this singing. And so do we- it is our vocation, too.
But that vocation, that call, shapes our whole life. So that we also are called to feed others, to tend lambs, to feed sheep.
Peter might have stayed in Galilee, fishing, and feeding people with his fish. He had been told, after all, by Jesus, “to feed my sheep.” And there was no end to hunger and poverty in Galilee. But Peter went on to Jerusalem, and was the founder of the church there. The early church lived in community, worshipping together, sharing what they had, taking care of the poor, healing the sick, and growing in number day by day.
“Follow me” Jesus says to Peter. Follow me, Jesus says to us. And this is the way it truly is- we, who have been forgiven, we who have been claimed by God and forgiven by God in Jesus Christ, we who have been washed in the water and fed at the Table, we are called by God, and we are called out by God. This is the way it truly is- we respond with our whole lives to the grace that first came to us. Vocation always follows justification- we respond to God, who first claimed us. Gratitude is the response to grace. That is our true vocation—to follow Jesus, to follow in the ways of Jesus, the Lamb who was slaughtered for us, to follow Jesus, the ruler of creation, who shows up on the beach to cook his friends breakfast, and says to us: Follow me.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
2nd Sunday of Easter
Sermon 2nd Sunday of Easter Nancy Meehan Yao April 11, 2010 Hector Pres Church
Psalm 150 p 508
1Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
2Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
3Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
4Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
5Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! Praise the LORD
John 20:19-31 p 883
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear, Jesus came and stood among them and said: “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24But Thomas (who was called the twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “unless I see the mark of nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”28Thomas answered him: “ my Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “have you believed, because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have come to believe.” 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that, through believing , you may have life in his name.
Thomas has gotten a bad rap. Thomas, one of the Twelve, is known almost exclusively as “Doubting Thomas.” His name has become slang for anyone who exhibits lack of faith. Don’t think the team will make it to the Final Four? You’re a Doubting Thomas. Don’t think the car will make it to the gas station at the next exit? Doubting Thomas. Don’t think your brother-in-law will ever return the hedge clippers he borrowed three years ago? Well, then maybe you’re as realist- but still you would be called a doubting Thomas.
Thomas was one of the Twelve. Thomas was fully a disciple. In Matthew 10, he is listed by name as a disciple, one of the group who is given authority to heal, and cast out unclean spirits. But we know very little else about Thomas. When Jesus was talking about Lazarus being dead, Thomas, without knowing what he was really saying, said “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Later in John, when Jesus is talking about going away, Thomas blurts out what everybody else in the group is thinking: “But Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
Thomas is the one who says what everybody else is thinking, but is too afraid to say. Thomas is the kid in class who isn’t afraid to look dumb, Thomas isn’t afraid of being “uncool”- He asks the one thing we all don’t know in order to solve the problem.
And here, it is Easter evening. Except the disciples don’t know its Easter. They don’t understand what God has done. Oh, they’ve heard some idle tale from Mary, and Peter, about the stone being rolled away, and the body being missing. Mary told them about the man who called her name, who turned out to be Jesus, but they still don’t understand. They are locked in a room, together, but terribly afraid, afraid that what happened to Jesus will happen to them next. At this point, they are the doubting ones. Jesus appears to them, wounds still visible, and tells them “peace”- Shalom.
Thomas is not there. We don’t know where he is- the text doesn’t tell us. Maybe he wasn’t as afraid as the others. Maybe he was more courageous. Or maybe he was just the one who drew the short straw and had to go out and buy them something to eat, while they hid away. We don’t know. But when Thomas comes back, they tell him that Jesus has appeared to them. And Thomas says his famous line: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
Thomas says what a lot of us would say, in the same situation. “What? No way. You’re crazy. I don’t believe it- I can’t believe it”
Thomas has heard now 2 experiences of the resurrection- one from the women and Peter, early that morning, and one from the group gathered in that upper room. But are those disciples, those witnesses acting any differently? NO- they are still huddled together, locked away from the world. Thomas doesn’t ask for much more than what the other apostles had already experienced- look back at the text- “Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you. After this, he showed them his hands and his side.”
A week passes. We don’t know what they did in that first week. We do see that they are still in the same place- locked in that house—they have SEEN Jesus, but they haven’t moved much at all. They haven’t gone anywhere. Jesus said to them: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” But they are still in that same room. But here’s the interesting part, I think—the important part. This time, Thomas is with them. And this time, Jesus comes again.
Jesus comes to them, and comes to Thomas, and says the same thing: “Peace be with you”. The disciples haven’t put Thomas out—they include him in their gathering. They don’t reject him for his doubts, or for his questions. And this time, when Jesus appears, Jesus doesn’t reprimand Thomas. There are no words of shame—Jesus comes to Thomas, and meets him exactly where he’s at—“Put your finger here, and see my hands. Reach out your hand, and put it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe.” Jesus knows what Thomas needs—and does it.
This time, Thomas gets it. “My Lord, and My God” he says. Thomas gets it, and gets it all- that Jesus is both his Lord, his Master, and God. Thomas is the first theologian- he makes the first claim about just who this Jesus really is. He calls Jesus “my Lord and my God”
My Lord- a Lord who descends and condescends, who meets him right where he is. A Lord who became human, suffered, and died—a Lord who rose, and came back to give peace and the Holy Spirit to the early church. A Lord who comes to us, who claims us in baptism, before we can really know what is going on.
And then Jesus has a word for us, too—“Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have come to believe.”
The Gospel of John was written to the early church, after it had been put out of the synagogue. The earliest Christians were first, Jews, and when they tried to tell their fellow Jews- friends and family-about Jesus, they were thrown out of the synagogue, threatened, cast out of society. So this text is a comfort to them- even the ones who were not there, the ones who were not part of the original Twelve, are blessed.
“Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have come to believe.”
And this is God’s word for us, today.
Blessed are you when you believe, even though you have not seen. Blessed are you who doubt, because I will come to you, Jesus says. Blessed are you, church, when you include people who struggle with their faith, when you do not put out the ones who say out loud the questions that we all are thinking. Blessed are you, whose faith is flagging and weary, you who have seen things that take away faith, you who have questions, you who want to know “why?” Blessed are you when you are locked in a room made of fear and doubt. Blessed are you who don’t know where Jesus is going, even if you know Jesus is the Way. Blessed are we, people of God, for Christ has come to us, and has given us the Holy Spirit.
And Thomas? He got a bad rap. When Portuguese missionaries traveled to India in the 1600’s, they found a group of Christians already there. They were called the Mar Thoma church. Legend has it that Thomas, Doubting Thomas, traveled through Persia, to India, preaching and witnessing as he went, and was martyred for his faith in India, near the close of the first century.
So maybe we need to rename Thomas. Maybe we need to call him- Faithful Thomas. Or Passionate Thomas. Or Truth telling Thomas. Or maybe we just need to claim him as our own, as one of us. Maybe we need to see ourselves as Thomas.
Amen.
Psalm 150 p 508
1Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
2Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
3Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
4Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
5Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! Praise the LORD
John 20:19-31 p 883
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear, Jesus came and stood among them and said: “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24But Thomas (who was called the twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “unless I see the mark of nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”28Thomas answered him: “ my Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “have you believed, because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have come to believe.” 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that, through believing , you may have life in his name.
Thomas has gotten a bad rap. Thomas, one of the Twelve, is known almost exclusively as “Doubting Thomas.” His name has become slang for anyone who exhibits lack of faith. Don’t think the team will make it to the Final Four? You’re a Doubting Thomas. Don’t think the car will make it to the gas station at the next exit? Doubting Thomas. Don’t think your brother-in-law will ever return the hedge clippers he borrowed three years ago? Well, then maybe you’re as realist- but still you would be called a doubting Thomas.
Thomas was one of the Twelve. Thomas was fully a disciple. In Matthew 10, he is listed by name as a disciple, one of the group who is given authority to heal, and cast out unclean spirits. But we know very little else about Thomas. When Jesus was talking about Lazarus being dead, Thomas, without knowing what he was really saying, said “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Later in John, when Jesus is talking about going away, Thomas blurts out what everybody else in the group is thinking: “But Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
Thomas is the one who says what everybody else is thinking, but is too afraid to say. Thomas is the kid in class who isn’t afraid to look dumb, Thomas isn’t afraid of being “uncool”- He asks the one thing we all don’t know in order to solve the problem.
And here, it is Easter evening. Except the disciples don’t know its Easter. They don’t understand what God has done. Oh, they’ve heard some idle tale from Mary, and Peter, about the stone being rolled away, and the body being missing. Mary told them about the man who called her name, who turned out to be Jesus, but they still don’t understand. They are locked in a room, together, but terribly afraid, afraid that what happened to Jesus will happen to them next. At this point, they are the doubting ones. Jesus appears to them, wounds still visible, and tells them “peace”- Shalom.
Thomas is not there. We don’t know where he is- the text doesn’t tell us. Maybe he wasn’t as afraid as the others. Maybe he was more courageous. Or maybe he was just the one who drew the short straw and had to go out and buy them something to eat, while they hid away. We don’t know. But when Thomas comes back, they tell him that Jesus has appeared to them. And Thomas says his famous line: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
Thomas says what a lot of us would say, in the same situation. “What? No way. You’re crazy. I don’t believe it- I can’t believe it”
Thomas has heard now 2 experiences of the resurrection- one from the women and Peter, early that morning, and one from the group gathered in that upper room. But are those disciples, those witnesses acting any differently? NO- they are still huddled together, locked away from the world. Thomas doesn’t ask for much more than what the other apostles had already experienced- look back at the text- “Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you. After this, he showed them his hands and his side.”
A week passes. We don’t know what they did in that first week. We do see that they are still in the same place- locked in that house—they have SEEN Jesus, but they haven’t moved much at all. They haven’t gone anywhere. Jesus said to them: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” But they are still in that same room. But here’s the interesting part, I think—the important part. This time, Thomas is with them. And this time, Jesus comes again.
Jesus comes to them, and comes to Thomas, and says the same thing: “Peace be with you”. The disciples haven’t put Thomas out—they include him in their gathering. They don’t reject him for his doubts, or for his questions. And this time, when Jesus appears, Jesus doesn’t reprimand Thomas. There are no words of shame—Jesus comes to Thomas, and meets him exactly where he’s at—“Put your finger here, and see my hands. Reach out your hand, and put it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe.” Jesus knows what Thomas needs—and does it.
This time, Thomas gets it. “My Lord, and My God” he says. Thomas gets it, and gets it all- that Jesus is both his Lord, his Master, and God. Thomas is the first theologian- he makes the first claim about just who this Jesus really is. He calls Jesus “my Lord and my God”
My Lord- a Lord who descends and condescends, who meets him right where he is. A Lord who became human, suffered, and died—a Lord who rose, and came back to give peace and the Holy Spirit to the early church. A Lord who comes to us, who claims us in baptism, before we can really know what is going on.
And then Jesus has a word for us, too—“Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have come to believe.”
The Gospel of John was written to the early church, after it had been put out of the synagogue. The earliest Christians were first, Jews, and when they tried to tell their fellow Jews- friends and family-about Jesus, they were thrown out of the synagogue, threatened, cast out of society. So this text is a comfort to them- even the ones who were not there, the ones who were not part of the original Twelve, are blessed.
“Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have come to believe.”
And this is God’s word for us, today.
Blessed are you when you believe, even though you have not seen. Blessed are you who doubt, because I will come to you, Jesus says. Blessed are you, church, when you include people who struggle with their faith, when you do not put out the ones who say out loud the questions that we all are thinking. Blessed are you, whose faith is flagging and weary, you who have seen things that take away faith, you who have questions, you who want to know “why?” Blessed are you when you are locked in a room made of fear and doubt. Blessed are you who don’t know where Jesus is going, even if you know Jesus is the Way. Blessed are we, people of God, for Christ has come to us, and has given us the Holy Spirit.
And Thomas? He got a bad rap. When Portuguese missionaries traveled to India in the 1600’s, they found a group of Christians already there. They were called the Mar Thoma church. Legend has it that Thomas, Doubting Thomas, traveled through Persia, to India, preaching and witnessing as he went, and was martyred for his faith in India, near the close of the first century.
So maybe we need to rename Thomas. Maybe we need to call him- Faithful Thomas. Or Passionate Thomas. Or Truth telling Thomas. Or maybe we just need to claim him as our own, as one of us. Maybe we need to see ourselves as Thomas.
Amen.
Eastertide
In the church's understanding, Easter is not just one day. The Good News of Christ's resurrection is far too large to be contained just in one morning or even in one day. That is why we celebrate the time in the church year called Eastertide. This time extends from the first "Alleluia" on early Easter morning to the fire and excitement of Pentecost Sunday. It is a time lasting 50 days, and is considered a single joyful feast, one "great Lord's day." After 40 days of Lent, we have 50 days to intentionally and joyfully celebrate Christ's overcoming sin and death for us. Alleluia!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Easter Sunday
Isaiah 65:17-25
17For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. 20No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. 21They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD— and their descendants as well. 24Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD
John 20:1-18
20Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.
11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and sisters and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Rejoice and be glad! Christ is Risen!- but perhaps, in your journey, that is not quite where you are.
Perhaps this is what your life feels like now: an empty shell. Oh, things may be tidied up, there may be things neatly folded and put away, but still, it is empty and dark., and much too quiet.
Or perhaps your life is like Mary’s- sadness and and grief and confusion. Mary had seen her own brother, Lazarus, die—and be restored to life by Jesus. But Jesus, apparently, couldn’t, or wouldn’t, save himself, and so she is standing in a cemetery, crying, and people are asking her “woman, why are you weeping?” Well- her beloved teacher has just died, and with him, her future. The Romans had him put to death like a condemned criminal—and there’s a good chance they will be coming for the rest of the disciples as well. Even showing up at the garden is a risk- the Romans didn’t like it when people publicly grieved a condemned criminal—gave others the wrong idea. And we’ve seen what happens when the Roman authorities don’t like you.
Or perhaps you are like Simon Peter, or the other disciple, racing about through life. They even have a foot race to the tomb, a competition, to see who gets there first. The other disciple, not Simon Peter, looks in, and sees, and believes—altho we are left wondering just what it is he believes. That Jesus is risen? That the body has been stolen? That something new has happened? We don’t know- He and Simon Peter go back home. And maybe that is what you are like—you believe, but aren’t really sure what you believe.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, this story is full of good news- if only we have eyes to see it.
The tomb is empty—and the grave clothes are neatly folded. This is a sign to us that this time, it will be different, that it is different. Lazarus was brought back to life, but he was still wrapped up in the cloths. Jesus had to say to the onlookers “Unbind him”. Here, the cloths are neatly folded, each in its own place. Because they will not be needed anymore.
The empty tomb is suddenly full—of people. There are two men there, speaking to Mary. Now, ordinarily, women did not speak to strange men—but Mary answers them. And then, suddenly, a third man is there. And when he speaks Mary’s name, she immediately knows who it is- Jesus, her beloved teacher, her Lord.
God tells us in the book of Isaiah- “No more shall the sound of weeping be heard, or the cry of distress…”
Mary stops weeping, and runs and tells the followers what she has seen and heard. She is the first preacher, and what she tells is this “I have seen the Lord”
I have seen the Lord…..
Where in your life have you seen the Lord? Where in your life has there been newness of life, growth instead of death, peace where there was no peace, a way when there was no way? Where do we, as the community of faith, the church gathered here, see the Lord?
One of the places is right here. At the Table. Jesus was famous, or infamous, for eating—and always, it seemed, eating with the wrong people—tax collectors, sinners, women, unemployed riff raff that traveled around with him. This Table may be familiar to you. Or it might be strange and new. But it is the Risen Lord who calls us here, who feeds us here. It is at this table, that we see a glimpse of God’s future. We say that this feast, this Lord’s Supper, is a foretaste of what life in the Kingdom of God will be like.
Chuck Campbell, a minister and professor, volunteered in a ministry with homeless people in Atlanta. Chuck talks about the heartbreak of having to be the guy who stood at the door, giving out lunch tickets, and of having to tell hungry men and women, who had stood for hours, waiting, that there was no more food, no more tickets, that they would not be fed there that day. He also tells this story, about what the Kingdom of God looks like.
“Shortly after Labor Day, I was standing on a platform waiting for a subway train in Atlanta. As I was waiting, a homeless man whom I had met hailed me from across the platform and came to stand with me. He reminded me of his name, Michael (like the angel), and we struck up a conversation. Michael told me about his ongoing search for a job and gave thanks for the many ways God was caring for him. When the train arrived, we boarded, sat down together, and continued our conversation.
At one point I asked Michael where he had eaten lunch on Labor Day—a difficult day for homeless people in Atlanta because many services are closed. He told me he had eaten lunch at "910" (shorthand for the Open Door Community, a Christian community that serves food to about 400 people each Labor Day). Michael's eyes widened as he described the large helpings of "real pinto beans" and the generous portions of corn bread—"this thick," he showed me, holding his thumb and forefinger about two inches apart. When he paused, I asked him how many people were at the meal. He stared at me for a moment, and then announced in a loud voice for everyone to hear: "Thousands! There were thousands! They came from the north and the south and the east and the west. There were thousands!"
Michael proclaimed the Word, [and] exposed the authority of Christ over death”
And as he spoke in that crowded subway car, the powers were put in their place, and we were set free, even if only for a moment, from the bondage of Death. God has already begun doing something new!
Like Mary, who ran and said “I have seen the Lord”. Michael the homeless man, tells of a whole new world, a new creation. It is here, even if we don’t always see it. God has done a new thing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are unbound, we are set free from death and sin. The Kingdom of God is at hand! Alleluia! Amen!
17For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. 20No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. 21They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD— and their descendants as well. 24Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD
John 20:1-18
20Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.
11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and sisters and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Rejoice and be glad! Christ is Risen!- but perhaps, in your journey, that is not quite where you are.
Perhaps this is what your life feels like now: an empty shell. Oh, things may be tidied up, there may be things neatly folded and put away, but still, it is empty and dark., and much too quiet.
Or perhaps your life is like Mary’s- sadness and and grief and confusion. Mary had seen her own brother, Lazarus, die—and be restored to life by Jesus. But Jesus, apparently, couldn’t, or wouldn’t, save himself, and so she is standing in a cemetery, crying, and people are asking her “woman, why are you weeping?” Well- her beloved teacher has just died, and with him, her future. The Romans had him put to death like a condemned criminal—and there’s a good chance they will be coming for the rest of the disciples as well. Even showing up at the garden is a risk- the Romans didn’t like it when people publicly grieved a condemned criminal—gave others the wrong idea. And we’ve seen what happens when the Roman authorities don’t like you.
Or perhaps you are like Simon Peter, or the other disciple, racing about through life. They even have a foot race to the tomb, a competition, to see who gets there first. The other disciple, not Simon Peter, looks in, and sees, and believes—altho we are left wondering just what it is he believes. That Jesus is risen? That the body has been stolen? That something new has happened? We don’t know- He and Simon Peter go back home. And maybe that is what you are like—you believe, but aren’t really sure what you believe.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, this story is full of good news- if only we have eyes to see it.
The tomb is empty—and the grave clothes are neatly folded. This is a sign to us that this time, it will be different, that it is different. Lazarus was brought back to life, but he was still wrapped up in the cloths. Jesus had to say to the onlookers “Unbind him”. Here, the cloths are neatly folded, each in its own place. Because they will not be needed anymore.
The empty tomb is suddenly full—of people. There are two men there, speaking to Mary. Now, ordinarily, women did not speak to strange men—but Mary answers them. And then, suddenly, a third man is there. And when he speaks Mary’s name, she immediately knows who it is- Jesus, her beloved teacher, her Lord.
God tells us in the book of Isaiah- “No more shall the sound of weeping be heard, or the cry of distress…”
Mary stops weeping, and runs and tells the followers what she has seen and heard. She is the first preacher, and what she tells is this “I have seen the Lord”
I have seen the Lord…..
Where in your life have you seen the Lord? Where in your life has there been newness of life, growth instead of death, peace where there was no peace, a way when there was no way? Where do we, as the community of faith, the church gathered here, see the Lord?
One of the places is right here. At the Table. Jesus was famous, or infamous, for eating—and always, it seemed, eating with the wrong people—tax collectors, sinners, women, unemployed riff raff that traveled around with him. This Table may be familiar to you. Or it might be strange and new. But it is the Risen Lord who calls us here, who feeds us here. It is at this table, that we see a glimpse of God’s future. We say that this feast, this Lord’s Supper, is a foretaste of what life in the Kingdom of God will be like.
Chuck Campbell, a minister and professor, volunteered in a ministry with homeless people in Atlanta. Chuck talks about the heartbreak of having to be the guy who stood at the door, giving out lunch tickets, and of having to tell hungry men and women, who had stood for hours, waiting, that there was no more food, no more tickets, that they would not be fed there that day. He also tells this story, about what the Kingdom of God looks like.
“Shortly after Labor Day, I was standing on a platform waiting for a subway train in Atlanta. As I was waiting, a homeless man whom I had met hailed me from across the platform and came to stand with me. He reminded me of his name, Michael (like the angel), and we struck up a conversation. Michael told me about his ongoing search for a job and gave thanks for the many ways God was caring for him. When the train arrived, we boarded, sat down together, and continued our conversation.
At one point I asked Michael where he had eaten lunch on Labor Day—a difficult day for homeless people in Atlanta because many services are closed. He told me he had eaten lunch at "910" (shorthand for the Open Door Community, a Christian community that serves food to about 400 people each Labor Day). Michael's eyes widened as he described the large helpings of "real pinto beans" and the generous portions of corn bread—"this thick," he showed me, holding his thumb and forefinger about two inches apart. When he paused, I asked him how many people were at the meal. He stared at me for a moment, and then announced in a loud voice for everyone to hear: "Thousands! There were thousands! They came from the north and the south and the east and the west. There were thousands!"
Michael proclaimed the Word, [and] exposed the authority of Christ over death”
And as he spoke in that crowded subway car, the powers were put in their place, and we were set free, even if only for a moment, from the bondage of Death. God has already begun doing something new!
Like Mary, who ran and said “I have seen the Lord”. Michael the homeless man, tells of a whole new world, a new creation. It is here, even if we don’t always see it. God has done a new thing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are unbound, we are set free from death and sin. The Kingdom of God is at hand! Alleluia! Amen!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Holy Week
"Jesus walked that lonesome valley, He had to walk it by Himself..." and yet every year we journey through Lent and Holy Week, following the texts that tell us about Jesus' life and movement through Galilee, to Jerusalem, through the city, to the Cross, and, finally, to the newness of life at Easter. We remember his saving life, death, and resurrection, and we proclaim his Resurrection on Easter morning.
During this Holy Week may you find grace, and peace, and newness of life in and through Easter.
Anne LaMott writes that "we are Easter people in a Good Friday world". No matter what life is handing you right now, no matter what you are going through, Christ has brought newness of life and hope-- to you. And to the world. Amen.
During this Holy Week may you find grace, and peace, and newness of life in and through Easter.
Anne LaMott writes that "we are Easter people in a Good Friday world". No matter what life is handing you right now, no matter what you are going through, Christ has brought newness of life and hope-- to you. And to the world. Amen.
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