sermon archive 11

James Moore, the author of many Christian inspirational books tells the story of a distinguished professor at the University of Chicago who would often be visited by his preschool granddaughter. She loved to walk around the campus with her grandfather. “One day, the man was carrying his granddaughter around on his shoulders. They met a friend who had seen the little girl just the week before. The friend looked up at the little girl riding on her grandfather’s shoulders and, with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, said to her, `My goodness! Look at you! Look at how much you’ve grown since I saw you last week!’

“Of course, what she meant was, `I’m not really this tall. I’m not really this big. I’m riding on somebody else’s shoulders.’”[i]

This is a wonderful story, because it reminds us that throughout our lives we are riding on the shoulders of those who have gone before us, who have taught us, and all the great people of faith who have preceded us. We are carried through life on the shoulders of God and the Holy Spirit.

If we could go back in time to the day of Pentecost, we would marvel at what happened to Simon Peter. We would marvel that a man who had so recently denied even to a servant girl that he knew Jesus, would suddenly speak with such passion and conviction to a crowd of thousands. If we were to compliment Peter on his boldness and eloquence, he would, no doubt, respond, “Not all of this is me. Very little of it is me. It’s the work of God. I was merely the instrument of God’s Holy Spirit. I was riding on the shoulders of God’s Holy Spirit.”[ii]

This is the story of Pentecost; of the disciples being empowered and emboldened by the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is frequently called the birthday of the church. Following Peter’s impassioned speech, the Scripture tells us that more than 3,000 people came forward to be followers of Christ.

We are the church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, carried on the shoulders of the Holy Spirit. Whatever it is that we do as the church, or through the church, “not all of this is us.” Only the Holy Spirit can build a church. Only the Holy Spirit can empower the church. Only the Holy Spirit can sustain the church. A church without the Holy Spirit is no church at all.

Mr. Holland’s Opus is a movie about a dedicated music teacher named Glenn Holland. He became a teacher purely as a practical way to earn a living, while he waited to fulfill his dream of becoming a famous composer. Instead, he spends his entire career teaching music in a high school. He works tenderly with a red-haired girl with pigtails, who wants to play the clarinet. No one believes in her, no one helps her or encourages her except Mr. Holland. He works tirelessly with a student who wants to play the drums but can’t find the beat. He helps hundreds of students through the years acquire a love of music.

At the conclusion of the film, Mr. Holland retires. As he cleans out his music room, he tells his wife and son that he feels like a failure. He never accomplished his dream. With slumped shoulders he heads out of the school but hears a noise in the auditorium. When he opens the door he sees the auditorium filled with his former students. They give him a long, thunderous standing ovation. They have come back to express their love and appreciation to this wonderful man who gave so much of his life to them.

“Then the little girl with the red pigtails goes to the microphone. She’s all grown up now and is, in fact, the governor of the state. She says, ‘Mr Holland, we know that you never got to become the famous composer you dreamed of being, but don’t you see? You greatest composition is what you did with us, your students. Mr Holland, look around you. We are your great opus! Mr. Holland, we are the music of your life!’”[iv]

Our calling as a church is to be God’s music to the world, singing the song of the church’s great faith. But we can’t do that alone. The good news of the Christian faith is that we don’t have to do it alone; God is with us. The Holy Spirit is our strength, our guide, our inspiration, our comfort, our teacher. The Holy Spirit empowers us to build the church, liberates us to be the church.

When I think of Pentecost, I think of the story of the little boy on vacation with his family at the Grand Canyon. He stood for a long time looking out over the vista and the color and the sheer magnitude of it all. Finally he said quietly, “Something happened here.”[v]

Something happened there – something amazing. Men who had previously been in hiding because they were afraid of the Roman authorities, were suddenly standing on the street corner boldly proclaiming the story of Jesus the Christ. Rather than stepping backwards in awe or confusion, trying to figure out what happened we can step forward in faith and embrace the new and exciting thing that happened that day and that continues to happen today, a new and exciting thing that sets us free, liberates us to be the church of Jesus Christ in the world today.

On that Pentecost morning, Peter and the other disciples were anything but radiant believers faithfully singing God’s praises and proclaiming God’s word. The believers numbered about 120 men and women half-heartedly clinging to each other. Surely they were still scared and frightened and grieving. Good Friday and Easter and even all the post-Resurrection appearances had happened too fast. And then Pentecost came to them in Jerusalem.

The old betrayer Simon (Peter) would stand and preach with such a power that 3,000 would come to believe. Something happened here. At Pentecost it seems as Peter and the other believers have undergone an Extreme Makeover of the Holy Spirit variety that altered and changed their lives forever. Something happened at Pentecost that was God’s plan. Timid men became bold speakers. People from all parts of the world heard and understood the message. Three thousand believers were baptized that day.

The disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, take the resurrection to the streets; they go public. On earlier occasions they had seen Christ, but now they experienced the concrete and practical freedom of the resurrection. No political authority any place or any time can shut them down. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they could speak the truth regardless of the intimidation of the powers that be. Through the years, bold speaking followers of Christ have continued to do the same thing – sometimes supporting the governments of their countries, other times challenging them, and always remembering that our allegiance to God comes first.

Pentecost reminds us that our plans are not always God’s plans – but they could be and should be. Pentecost is our story – personally and as a community. It is about God’s plans and being willing to make our plans the same as God’s plans. This is a constant challenge in our lives. As individuals and as congregations, there is a temptation to go along making our own plans and then asking God to bless our plans, to help us succeed at what we want to do. Rather, Pentecost teaches us that God has a vision, a plan, a hope, a dream and when we are seeking to do what God blesses, rather than asking God to bless what we do, we will find ourselves empowered by the Holy Spirit. We will find ourselves able to do the things we never imagined we could do.

Peter would never have believed that he could have stood before so many people and spoken so clearly in witness to Jesus – but filled with the Holy Spirit he did it. Those with Peter on that day, certainly would have preferred staying inside whispering the good news, but they found themselves moved , filled, and empowered by the Holy Spirit and took the resurrection power and freedom to the streets. There are many among us who have found themselves surprised to discover that the Holy Spirit would empower them to teach a class, lead a Bible study, chair a committee, speak up for those who are oppressed, challenge an injustice, or do something else they wouldn’t have chosen by themselves.

As a congregation, you are facing a new and exciting day. During the last eleven years we have done some wonderful and exciting things together when we have been open to the leading and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The question now is what does the Holy Spirit have in mind for this congregation for the next eleven years? Are there people or groups of people in this town that God is calling this congregation to reach out to? Are there needs that we have not identified but which God wants this congregation to discover and then do something about?

One of the things that has always excited me about this congregation is that there have always been new people coming into the mix here. We have been gifted by the diverse talents and experiences that people have brought with them when they came here. People who were new to this congregation brought us the Advent and Lenten Devotional booklets that have become an important part of our spiritual formation. People who were new to this congregation introduced us to a clinic in Sierra Leone and the needs of that area and have led us in directions we never imagined we would be going. People who were new to this congregation have championed the shopping card program that is full of possibilities. People who were new to this congregation have brought us the energy and creativity that has blossomed into the spiritual formation workshops that have been held over the last two years. People who were new to this congregation have joined with people who have been here for longer periods to build a vital community of faith witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Soon there will be another new person – a new pastor, who will bring her the gifts and talents that God has given her. Combined with the wonderful talents and gifts already present in this congregation, the Holy Spirit should have a lot of fun calling you into places and ministries that you hadn’t thought about and responding to needs you haven’t yet recognized.

Pentecost is our story. Soon I will be leaving you, but my prayer is that you will continue to be open to the breathing of the Holy Spirit in your lives leading you in new and exciting ways, challenging you to step out of your comfort zone, uniting you with your brothers and sisters, calling you to make God’s plans your plans. May you live and worship and work together so that those who see you will observe in awe and wonder, “Something happened here.”

[i] Moore, James W. Attitude is Your Paintbrush, Dimensions for Living, Nashville, TN, 1998, pp. 53-54.

[ii] Moore, p.54

[iii] Weems, Ann Reaching for Rainbows, “The Church Year”, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA 1980, p.81

[iv] Moore, p.59

[v] Lovette, Roger in “The Immediate Word for May 30, 2004” www.csspub.com

When one of my sons was about 5 we were driving through New York City. He looked at the tall skyscrapers and asked, “Mommy, are we in Heaven?” For a five year old, the tall buildings of New York City fit with the image that he had of heaven as somewhere up there. We may chuckle at that perception but for many of us there is still somewhere deep within us the idea that heaven is “somewhere up there.”

That concept is probably reinforced by scriptures like today’s that gives us the image of Jesus being “taken up into heaven.” Is heaven a physical space somewhere up there out in space? I don’t have the answer to that question and it is, indeed, a stumbling block for many people. But the reality is that the disciples experienced something that day so profound that they knew it was important to share with others. It was an amazing mountaintop experience.

What strikes me about this passage the most is the response that comes after they see Jesus being taken up into the heaven. A common family practice is to wave from the door or window and watch as someone drives away and then stand there for a few seconds longer just watching where they went. The disciples do the same thing. They stand and look into the heavens until two men in white robes ask, “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” Luke’s gospel tells us that “they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.”

They, and we, cannot spend our time looking to heaven. Jesus had given them instructions about what to do after he left – important instructions. In Luke’s gospel, he says, “it is written; that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” In Acts we read, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The good news in both cases is that before they are expected to be witnesses they will receive the Holy Spirit. Next week is Pentecost and we will hear the Scripture account of that experience. But for today, we think about the difference between looking up into the heavens looking for Jesus and being witnesses in “Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Some of you might remember a song by Johnny Cash called “No Earthly good.” It proclaimed , “You’re so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good.” Part of the song said, “You could give someone a cool drink if you would, you’re so heavenly minded and you’re no earthly good. … If you’re holdin’ heaven then spread it around. There are hungry hands reaching up here from the ground. Move over and share the high ground where you stood, So, heavenly minded and you’re no earthly good.”

He has captured an important part of the gospel message in the few words of a song. Don’t stand around looking to heaven, get out there and do what needs to be done. You may remember that in Matthew’s gospel Jesus talks with his disciples about the time of judgment and says to them clearly that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for those in need is evidence of putting our faith into action, it is the way we serve Jesus. We are called and sent not only to preach repentance and forgiveness but also to live this out by caring for those in need.

Robert Morgan in his book, Who’s Coming to Dinner? tells about being a guest preacher in a United Methodist Church in North Carolina. He said that when he arrived the first thing he noticed was a beautiful stained glass window over the front entrance. “The window depicted Jesus standing with his arms outstretched inviting all to come.” Later as stood inside greeting people who were leaving he discovered another feature of the window. “There was an open ceiling in the narthex and the widow was visible from the inside. Now Jesus seemed to be bidding the worshiper to go. Coming in from the outside the invitation was to come, and leaving the sanctuary the command was to go.” He discovered that the people of the church aptly called the window their “come and go window.” He notes, “I was reminded that Jesus never called anyone to come to him that he did not bid them to go.”[i]

It seems that Jesus is quite clear that while coming to him is important – it is only the beginning. The going is equally as important. His disciples – and that includes us – are expected to then go out and be witnesses of all that we have seen. That is the mission of the church. The Latin root for the word “mission” means “to go.”

Sometimes that part is scary. We might be willing to come. We may long for the time of coming to Jesus, of being intentional about spending time focusing on Jesus. Certainly Jesus is glad to have us come and welcomes us warmly. But we are also told to go. Now the really neat thing about “going” is that it doesn’t mean that we actually are walking away from Jesus. It doesn’t mean that we are leaving God behind. It means that we are going out into the world – the place we live, rather than standing as the disciples initially were doing staring into heaven looking for Jesus to come back.

The key is that standing looking up toward heaven is good for a time, but then it’s time to do something. In the spiritual life we move back and forth between moments of inspiration and our daily routine. Both the uplifting mountaintop and the hard work of faithful living are spiritual. The key is to channel the energy from one into the other. It’s important to recognize the temptation to continue gazing heavenward when there is work to be done. It is equally as important to recognize the danger in constant work without time to gaze into heaven.

The main work of Christian discipleship is about witnessing. Now before you think that I’m suggesting that we all go and stand out on the street corners preaching about Jesus, let’s think about how we are to witness. We are to witness to what we know and have experienced. We are to witness in the way that Jesus did. Yes, certainly Jesus preached and taught and for some of us we may be called to witness in that way, but that is only a part of witnessing. Everything in Jesus’ life pointed toward loving and caring for those who were broken, down trodden, or hurting. Even when Jesus encountered people who had done things that were wrong, there is no record of Jesus condemning them or ridiculing them, but rather his invitation was always to bring their brokenness to the table of reconciliation; his invitation was to change what needed to be changed and to move on.

There is so much brokenness in our world. Sadly, often within the church we give such mixed messages that too many people don’t see their community church as a place to go when they are facing difficulties or feeling broken. Too often people are afraid that they will be judged rather than loved, condemned rather than cared for; so they put on a smiling face when, or if, they walk through the doors of a church. A wise preacher once told me that you can be pretty sure that in almost every pew there is at least one broken heart. If your heart is not broken, you might be sitting next to someone whose heart is broken.

Jesus calls us to be witnesses to his love and compassion by opening our hearts to those who are hurting, by listening to the words behind the words, seeing the tears behind the smile and being a safe presence for those who need to have a safe place to be themselves. We can choose to ignore the needs around us or we can choose to engage those needs in the name of the love of Christ.

Remember that Jesus love was modeled in servant hood, in meeting the needs of others. On the night he was betrayed, when he gathered with his disciples for the last meal, he took on the role of servant and washed their feet. It is in giving to others that we receive. It is in sharing with others that we find ourselves fulfilled. It is in loving others that we experience love.

I read about an aqueduct built in Spain by the Roman soldiers in 109 AD. “In was a magnificent piece of engineering. It continued in use for eighteen hundred years, serving the people of that city. Some years ago, however, the Spaniards decided that the ancient structure should be preserved for posterity and relieved of its centuries-old labor. So they laid modern pipelines, and the water ceased to gush through the old aqueduct. Soon it began to fall apart. The hot sun dried the mortar. The aqueduct crumbled and lay in ruins. As long as it served (humanity), it was preserved, but when it ceased to be useful, it crumbled.”[ii]

That happens to people too. It happens to Christians. When we become so focused on ourselves that we don’t have time for the people around us then our relationships start to fall apart. When we stand and look only at heaven then we miss the world and the people that Jesus loved, the people he came to heal and teach. When we focus only on heaven we are as Johnny Cash reminds us, “no earthly good.”

Jesus sends us out to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. For his disciples, those were real places. For us, they are more symbolic. Jerusalem for us is like our family, our neighborhood, those closest to us. Judea is more like our spheres of influence – our schools, our workplaces, the grocery store, the streets we drive. Samaria is the place where those “other people live” the people we don’t like or don’t want to be around. Samaria may be half way around the world or it might be next door. Samaria is different for each of us. The key is that we are called to be witnesses everywhere – both in the places where it is easy and in the places where it is difficult. Out witnessing is to be comprehensive and inclusive. There is no place that we go where we are not expected to be witnesses to Christ’s love, compassion, justice, grace and mercy.

We are not perfect. We bring our history and our personal experiences that to some extent influence the way we hear or respond to what takes place around us. However, we are also called to examine our lives in honest ways seeking God’s guidance so that we may identify, understand, and when appropriate change the ways that we respond. We are not perfect witnesses for Christ but we are still called to be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. We look to God and then we walk with God into the world as witnesses.

[i] Morgan, Robert C. Who’s Coming to Dinner? Jesus made known in the breaking of the bread., Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1992, pp.149-150

[ii] Morgan, p.157

When I was in Junior or Senior High, my church was preparing to build a new building. They were intentional about including as many people as possible in the planning stages. I was on a committee to help research and plan for the Sunday School class spaces. We visited other churches. We reviewed literature. I could tell you how many square feet were recommended per person for preschoolers, elementary age, teenagers, or adults. We worked hard and took our work seriously because we were building a church – and we wanted it to be a really nice church. Some of you have been involved in the building of a church or an addition to a church – and some have been involved in the building or this particular church or one of its additions. Do you remember what your focus was during that time? I don’t know about the adults, but I know that my focus was on the building – the best building we could build; a building that would make us proud; a building that would reach out to the community.

I realize now that I was missing something – the focus on the building was just that – a building. At that point in my life I wasn’t focused on what was required to help build the people involved into a spiritual house. I wasn’t focused on how to bring people from three or four different churches together and help them to truly be the Body of Christ – one body – in that location. Fortunately other people were paying attention to that.

Years later when I was appointed to serve a church as pastor it was in the process of building an addition for their Sunday School. The outside of the construction was finished by the time I arrived and all that was left was the finishing touches of the internal work. Shortly after the building was consecrated it was time for us to plan Vacation Bible School. As we prepared to decorate the various rooms according to the theme involved I watched in amazement as the chair of the building committee used tacks to hang a blue sheet from the ceiling of one of the new rooms to create a sky. Then I helped spread a tarpaulin on the floor to cover the carpet and the next thing I knew sand was being poured on the tarpaulin to create a beach. I was really glad that the person doing this was the chair of the building committee because otherwise I would have expected to find myself in the midst of a church war. The congregation was clear about why they had built this addition and new carpets and new paint didn’t distract them from their mission. I thought of another church where a room dedicated to the memory of a teenager who had died, was off limits to teenagesr who might make a mess or spill food.

Our Epistle reading for today speaks about building a spiritual house but this house is built of strange material. The material to be used is the people themselves. It suggests that we are the stones that are part of the building. We are not the planners or the designers, but we are the very stones that are part of the construction. The cornerstone is none other than Jesus the Christ. Today a cornerstone – when it exists – is more of a time capsule or an honorary stone indicating the date of construction or something like that. But in Jesus’ day, and in early masonry construction, the cornerstone was the first stone laid and it was in the northeast corner of the building. It was a crucially important stone because all other stones would be set in reference to this one so it determined the position of the entire edifice.[i]

So the cornerstone is none other than Jesus the Christ. It is based upon Jesus that everything else is to be constructed. It is based on Jesus, himself, that we are to be laid as additional stones in the building. Eugene Peterson’s The Message puts it this way, “Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.”[ii]

This is an important call issued to everyone. Yes, that means you. Just as the adults in my church were wise enough to know that the youth needed to be involved in the planning of the new church, so God’s call here comes to every person to be part of the building of a sanctuary that is vibrant with life. There is no distinction here between church leaders and other Christians. There is no distinction here between those who are priests or pastors and other Christians. In fact this tells us that in our baptism we all become priests not for ourselves, but for each other. Priests are simply people who are mediators or advocates between God and others, people who help to represent, share, show God’s grace to others – and who then need others to represent God’s grace to us.

Whenever you pray for another person you are acting as a priest, a mediator, an advocate praying to God on behalf of another. When you teach a Sunday School class you are representing to others the grace of God, teaching them, showing, advocating.

Within most of our churches we tend to formalize certain forms of ministry and so we set aside some for special training in theology, biblical studies, church administration and call them pastors or priests. That is one form of a specialized ministry. It does not make a pastor or priest different or better than other Christians. All of us are sinners in need of God’s grace. All of us are dependent upon the cornerstone of our faith – Jesus the Christ. If we are willing then each of us is being built into a “sanctuary vibrant with life, offering Christ approved lives up to God.” Yes, that means you.

In the United Methodist Church of which we are a part, a pastor is appointed to each church and charged with the responsibilities of preaching and teaching the word, administering the order of the church, and celebrating the sacraments of the Body of Christ. Because of that, through the years, people have sometimes tended to think of pastors as being separate from everyone else. Churches that are anticipating a pastoral change tend to draw upon their ideas of what a perfect pastor – or at least ideal pastor – would be like. Since Pastor Lori is here with us today, and since I will be leaving in a couple of months I thought I might share with you the composite description of an ideal pastor.

“The ideal pastor is 28 years old and has been preaching for 35 years. She has one brown eye and one blue. He parts his hair in the middle: blond and wavy on the left side, brown and straight on the right. She has a burning desire to be with teenagers and spends all her time with older folk. He makes sixteen calls a day upon church members and is always in the office to counsel or just to visit. She challenges and inspires, but never disturbs the status quo. He condemns sin but never embarrasses anyone.”[iii]

I can tell you that this “ideal” pastor is not a member of this Annual Conference and so wasn’t available for appointment to this congregation – or any other now or at any time, past, present or future. That is good, because the “ideal” pastor wouldn’t leave room for all of the other Christians in this place who are to be part of the building of this sanctuary. In other words for all of you.

There are many different kinds of churches, and the people who study them have developed some categories to help us understand how churches of different sizes tend to function. A very small church, generally less than 50 people in worship is sometimes given the title “family centered church”. Usually, there are people who have been around for a very long time and whatever happens in the church needs to have the approval of those people. Churches larger than that – about 50 to 150 in worship attendance – are sometimes called “pastor centered churches”. Essentially it means that everyone knows the pastor and the pastor knows everyone. The pastor knows most everything that is going on in the church and is probably present for almost every activity. For many years, this has been about where this church has been.

As churches grow larger and take seriously the great commission to “make disciples of all nations” to go out into the neighborhood and the world, it becomes more difficult for one pastor to know everyone quite as well. It becomes more difficult for one pastor to be aware of and involved in everything that is happening within the church. We tend to call these churches “program-centered churches”. Frequently people will come to the church because of a community program. There will be more people involved in the leadership of programs, Bible Studies or group studies, educational programs, mission programs, evangelism efforts, administration, building maintenance and so forth. One of the exciting things about churches of this size is that it there really is room and opportunity for every person to be involved in the development and growth of the ways that they are church together. It is possible for people to really use the gifts that God has given them and develop ministries that will benefit from those gifts. It becomes possible for a group of people who have a similar need or concern to find others with whom to be in ministry. The church continues to become that “sanctuary vibrant with life, offering Christ-approved lives up to God.”

I have seen that happening more and more within this congregation. A 12 year old really started the ball rolling to bring Safiatu here to be with us. An 8 year old helped raise a significant amount of money to help that happen. Last week a goat showed up at church to help illustrate the importance of the Heifer Project mission. The enthusiasm of one person is helping others connect with Habitat for Humanity. A small group but growing group has helped bring us the spiritual formation mini workshops that have focused on so many different areas of our faith. A compassionate group of people provide a time of gathering and refreshments for families following a memorial service. A group of senior women enjoy special time together each week and also are intentional about reaching out to new widows in our congregation. A vibrant youth group includes youth not only from our church but from the community. Lay Speakers provide important worship leadership during the absence of the pastor. Shepherds are intentional about praying for the needs of others. The food pantry is a life-line for many in our community.

“The Christian Communications Laboratory relates the story of a small Midwestern weekly paper which ran a story saying, `We are pleased to announce that the cyclone which blew away the Methodist church last Friday did no real damage to the town.’ Kind of scary!”[iv] It might be an interesting reflection to ponder. If this church were destroyed, would it matter to people in our town?

Generally, when we get to this week in the church calendar, I tend to focus on the passage from John and the promises of peace that Jesus brings. In a world and a community where people are increasingly separated from church involvement it is even more important that there be people who are able to bring that word of peace and hope to others. That is the joyful responsibility of every Christian, to be the hands and feet that help others come to know the Risen Christ in our midst.

That’s really why I decided to talk about the church today. This congregation is going through a time of transition and it is important that each person really understand that you are part of that process. You are the living stones that God is using to help built a sanctuary of people in this location. Yes, you. You are a crucial part of God’s work here in this place.

Let me share with you the end of this passage from The Message, “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you – from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”[v]

Let me just share with you one more image. Many years ago, it is told, that a chapel was designed and built in a town. When the people arrived to see the finished product they discovered that there were no lights. Enraged they let the designer know of their displeasure. The designer calmer said to them, “Each of you is to bring a light with you when you come. When you are here, your light will shine to provide light for others and to witness to your presence and your faith. When you are missing, your light will be missing as well, and there will be darkness where there should be light.”[vi]

The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. We are the stones that God uses to build that church as a “sanctuary vibrant with life offering Christ-approved lives up to God.” We are the church – each and every one of us. “We are God’s people, … born of the spirit, established by the Word. Our cornerstone is Christ alone and strong in Christ we stand… We are a temple, the Spirit’s dwelling place, formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God’s grace. We die alone, for on its own each ember loses fire, yet joined in one the flame burns on to give warmth and light and to inspire.”[vii]

[i] Wikipedia

[ii] Peterson, The Message, 1 Peter 2:4-5

[iii] Bales, David O. et al, Sermons on the Second Readings, Series II, Cycle A, CSS Publishing, Lima OH, 2007, p.241

[iv] Hewett, James S. editor, Illustrations Unlimited, Tyndale House, Wheaton, Ill 1988, p.448

[v] Peterson, The Message, 1 Peter 2:9-10

[vi] I don’t remember the source for this story. It is told to the best of my recollection.

[vii] Leech, Bryan Jeffrey. “We are God’s People” The Faith We Sing, #2220

"On the gray morning of January 25, 1949," writes Catherine Marshall, "my world caved in. At 8:15 a.m., my husband's tired and damaged heart stopped beating. Five minutes later, the doctor called. The measured words coming through the telephone receiver were like physical blows from which I instinctively recoiled... 'Oh, no! Not that!' And then a deep breath, like that of a drowning person gulping for air... 'How? Why? Please tell me what happened!' "

This is how Catherine Marshall describes the death of her husband, Peter -- the famous preacher of Washington's New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. It is easy to imagine how, in the cold, gray shock of the doctor's announcement, she felt utterly and completely alone. "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen...."

Yet, there is somebody who knows. The spiritual goes on: "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen; nobody knows but Jesus." We may feel we are alone, that, in our worst moments, no one truly cares, but there is one who cares. His name is Jesus. He is the good shepherd.[i]

The 4^th Sunday of Easter is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. On that day we hear the familiar 23^rd Psalm and a section of John’s Gospel where Jesus talks about being the Good Shepherd. It is an image that would have been very familiar to the people to whom Jesus spoke, but it is increasingly an unfamiliar image for us today. One of the resources I read this week suggested that we might call Jesus our personal trainer. The Inuit people of Alaska – the ones often called Eskimos – use the term the “Good Hunter”. Regardless of the image that is used, there are some important truths being declared here – and despite its unfamiliarity the image of good shepherd is still an exceptionally good image for our relationship with God.

In today’s passage from John, Jesus talks about two shepherds – one is a false shepherd and the other is the true shepherd. The sheep will run away from the stranger or the false shepherd and will go only with the true shepherd. Despite their reputation for not being particularly bright, sheep do know the voice of their shepherd and will only follow the one whose voice they recognize.

The other day I picked up my granddaughter at Day Care. I’ve noticed that when I pick her up, she has a strange reaction. She looks at me and then looks hard at the day care provider almost as if asking if she should go with me. While she was with me her mother called on the phone and at the sound of her mother’s voice, she whipped her head around and started looking, and making sounds. Even though she knows me, the sound of her mother’s voice is the voice she instinctively turns toward. I suspect that when I pick her up at day care, she knows that I’m not the one who normally comes. Something is not as it should be and on some level I’m glad that she knows that. Even at her young age she knows who her mother and father are and they are the ones she immediately focuses upon.

Where do we instinctively focus? Do we turn at the sound of the voice of the Good Shepherd or are we distracted by other voices? One way to identify this is to look at the way we make decisions. When you need to make a quick decision or an important decision – where do you focus?

Some of us have the instincts of business men or women; we think about gain or profit, or how to save money. Others have the instincts of a reformer. The status quo must be challenged. The system is not working. Whatever promotes freedom and liberation from oppressive existing structures is good, and we must get behind such movements.

Others have the instincts of a conservative: we have always done it that way here at church and here in our community, so why change the system? Still others are pragmatists or politicians. We should do whatever it takes to keep everybody happy; don’t rock the boat. [ii]

Do you perhaps recognize a little of yourself in one or more of these approaches? I know that I recognize myself in some of those ways of focusing. There’s one thing that they all have in common. All of these ways of approaching a decision or a problem focus at some deep level on what is best for me, what do I feel most comfortable doing?

We might be surprised to realize that our instincts are not always the best guide to making decisions. Mark Ellingson in a reflection upon today’s Gospel poses the probing question, “To the degree that our decisions are made with reference to our personal preference, are any of us really making Christian decisions in the way we are living our lives? Are we just throwing our faith aside most of the time, even if we are here Sunday mornings? Have we lost our way? Have we been throwing away the "abundant life" that Jesus promises us in our gospel lesson (John 1O:1Ob)? How can we get it back?”[iii]

You know, that’s a good question for us to ponder. Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” And the way to have this abundant life is by following the True Shepherd, not the one who would lead us astray. One of the reasons that the image of the Good Shepherd is so important is that it reminds us that a good shepherd, the owner of the flock would defend the sheep against enemies even if it put his own life in danger. The true shepherd cares for his flock. Jesus, the true shepherd cares about us.

That is why although initially Catherine Marshall felt utterly alone when her husband died, she came to realize that she was not alone – that she was surrounded not only by the love of Christ but by the love of Christ’s followers. That is an experience that is very common when someone we love dies. We may feel utterly alone, but soon discover that the Good Shepherd is right there with us and so are the other sheep.

The true shepherd is the one who stands by us no matter what happens. This is not only good news – it is great news! This is God’s word of grace to us. Jesus is saying that no matter what happens to us, he will never leave us. No matter how much difficulty comes Jesus is with us. No matter how hopeless, frazzled, disappointed, discouraged, or tired you may feel, the good shepherd is right by your side. He will not desert you because the True Shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep.

But as I indicated that’s not all. The True Shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him. It is not uncommon for flocks of sheep to get intermingled out in the pasture or at a watering spot. But when it is time to move on, the sheep hear the voice of their shepherd and follow. This is not at all unlike a mother or father immediately hearing their child’s voice on a crowded playground, or a child recognizing a parent’s voice above all others.

Of course, those of us who have parented teenagers may wonder what happens to that ability when it sometimes seems as if our children hear every voice except ours. Do not despair, your voice is still heard but sometimes we do not know that for many years. When our children seem to pay more attention to voices other than ours, we can begin to understand on some level how God feels when we listen to the many other voices calling to us, instead of listening to the voice of the True Shepherd.

As I indicated we instinctively listen to different voices; voices that try to govern our actions by causing us to act instinctively rather than really thinking about the best course of action. When we react out of our instincts, or our personal preferences, we are in danger of not making the best Christian decisions.

As John’s gospel continues with this theme of the True Shepherd, we hear again, that the sheep know the voice of the shepherd but there is a second part to that. “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (John 10:14) As comforting as it is to know that Jesus knows us and does not ever leave us, there is more to it. The sheep also know the shepherd and follow the shepherd.

That may mean making decisions that may be somewhat uncomfortable for us personally but are best for all of God’s people. We need the shepherd’s guidance to help us make the decisions that might cost us a little more money but will provide the necessities of life to those who cannot provide them for themselves. We may need the shepherd’s voice to remind us that we have a responsibility to take care of the earth and to preserve the resources of the earth for future generations. If we have been listening to our own instincts or to false shepherds rather than the voice of the True Shepherd, then we are missing out on the abundant life that Jesus promises. The abundant life is not recognized by possessions, power, status, or any other human measurement. The abundant life is one lived in harmony with the One who calls us by name and will lead us only in the paths of righteousness. Enter through the gate of the One who offers us abundant and eternal life. We need to train ourselves to hear the voice of the True Shepherd first until that voice is the one that we hear instinctively and follow.

[i] Marshall, Catherine, To Live Again, (Reading, UK: Spire Books, 1957) cited in “The Immediate Word” www.sermonsuite.com

[ii] Ellingson, Mark, Preparation and Manifestation, Sermons for Lent and Easter Year A, featured on www.sermonsuite.com

[iii] Ellingson, Mark www.sermonsuite.com

“In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.”[i] In the middle of our conversations and our questions, Jesus comes up and walks along with us. Sometimes we recognize him but I think often we do not.

Cleopas and his companion did not recognize Jesus. They were focused on their despair – the hope that they had for the future was gone. The One they had believed would deliver Israel was dead. Hear from The Message what they said to the one who had joined them on their walk: “But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.”

Why didn’t they recognize Jesus when he walked with them? There are many possible explanations for this, but I think the most obvious is that they didn’t expect to see him. They didn’t expect the One who was dead to be alive. And even if they had somehow believed that he was alive, they would not have expected Jesus to appear to them. We don’t know anything about Cleopas except this story. His name doesn’t appear anyplace else in the Bible, but clearly he had believed and hoped that Jesus was the Messiah for whom Israel was waiting. We know even less about his companion who is not identified at all. By the way the lack of a name here has led some to speculate that his companion might have been “Mrs. Cleopas”.

On some level I’m actually glad that his companion is not identified, because that allows me to imagine and to believe that I am that companion and that you are that companion. It invites us into the story and to believe that the risen Christ appears to each of us in one way or another.

The risen Christ has came alongside and walked with me daily, but there are times when I have not always been aware of my companion and there are times when I have had a heightened awareness of his presence. I remember one time in particular. Years ago, I was driving to the church I was serving at that time. I had received word that morning that a 14 year old in our church was probably not going to live through the day. A baptism required that I be in worship.

As I drove to church, I prayed, I thought, and I said, “I guess we are out of miracles.” Immediately, I heard the response, “There is one miracle left, and you know what it is.” Of course, I knew. It was the miracle of resurrection. It was the promise of eternal life. I was comforted and continued my journey. Immediately following worship I drove to the Boston hospital. I entered his room just after Jared had died. A Catholic priest was beginning to pray. At the time I remember feeling both that I had let them down because I had not been there and great relief because I, too, was in tears. I had no words. When the prayer was ended the priest disappeared – almost literally. I do not remember seeing him at all after the prayer. I had received a gift, another visit from the risen Christ in the person of this priest allowing me to become centered before I began again to provide the pastoral care that was needed.

George Walters-Sleyon is a legal immigrant from Liberia. He has been studying to be a United Methodist Pastor and for one year was part of a pastoral team serving one of our urban churches. This week he was traveling to New York to talk with denomination officials there about a new ministry. I do not know all the details but he was detained by Homeland Security and sent to the detention center in Buffalo. George has a valid Visa. He is here legally, and as I understand it is in process to become a citizen. None of this made any difference. George was more fortunate than many. He has known the presence of the risen Christ alongside him. I learned of this at a cabinet meeting. His superintendent was working to try to raise the $2500 bail needed to get him released until a hearing.

The body of Christ mobilized. The money was made available. Bishop Weaver has given me permission to share the rest of the story with you. He made some phone calls and located the pastor who serves the United Methodist Church in Batavia, New York close to the Buffalo Regional Detention Center. Pastor Sherry Schaus responded immediately and made contact with the Detention Center. Twenty four hours later, George was released Pastor Sherry was there waiting for him. The plan was for her congregation to provide a place for him to stay and for them to meet whatever other needs he had.

The primary need was to know that he was not alone – and that was met overwhelmingly. Not only did his strong faith sustain him, but he was surrounded by the Risen Christ in the persons of people here, his superintendent, our Bishop, a pastor and congregation in New York who don’t know him but are serving the Risen Christ in that area. In the middle of all of the talk and all of the questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. Unlike the two on the Road to Emmaus, in this case, Jesus was recognized.

I wonder sometimes how we recognize Christ. The experience with George – whom I will probably never meet – helped make me more aware of where and how we see Christ. I thought especially of what it must be like to know that you can be questioned and detained for no reason other than the way you look. Some of you know what it is like to have people make assumptions about you based on the way you look, the clothes you wear, or the color of your skin. I have been mostly fortunate not to have experienced that although I have some experience with having people make assumptions about whether or not I am fit to be a pastor because I am a woman.

In Matthew’s gospel, in the 25^th chapter, we have the wonderful and disturbing image of the coming judgment. Jesus’ words to those who were following him were, “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me – you did it to me. …. Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me – you failed to do it to me.”[ii]

This week has marked the 40^th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. While we were waiting to hear about George, I was aware that although we like to believe that much has been accomplished in these 40 years, too much still remains the same. Let me share with you a few words from a couple of his sermons. In “Pilgrimage to nonviolence”, he wrote, “A religion that professes a concern for the souls of men (and women) and is not equally concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social situations that cripple them, is a spiritually moribund religion.”[iii] Moribund by the way means at the point of dying or at the point of extinction. If our faith is to be alive then we have to care. We have to be part of the body of the Risen Christ walking alongside our brothers and sisters in all areas of life.

If we want to believe and claim that Christ walks with us and helps and sustains us in our times of trial and difficulty then we must also be willing to walk with Christ into the lives of others who need to know his presence.

God is able to give us the resources – both interior and exterior – that we need to confront the trials and difficulties of life. Martin Luther King Jr, describes one of his experiences of encountering the risen Christ, of knowing that God is able, and that we do not walk alone. There came a time when he realized that the threats were serious not just idle words from hotheads. He found himself faltering and growing in fear. One night he received a phone call with yet another hate-filled threat. He writes, “I hung up, but I could not sleep. It seemed that all of my fears had come down on me at once. I had reached the saturation point. …. In this state of exhaustion, when my courage had almost gone, I determined to take my problem to God. My head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud. The words that I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory. `I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.’

“At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never before experienced him. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, `Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth. God will be at your side forever.’ Almost at once my fears began to pass from me. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything. The outer situation remained the same, but God had given me inner calm.

“My experience with God had given me a new strength and trust. I knew now that God is able to give us the inner resource to face the storms and problems of life.”[iv]

The risen Christ comes alongside us and walks with us. Let me close by sharing a few more words from King’s sermon “Our God is able.” “Only God is able. It is faith in him that we must rediscover. With this faith we can transform bleak and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of joy and bring new light into the dark caverns of pessimism. Is someone here moving toward the twilight of life and fearful of that which we call death? Why be afraid? God is able. Is someone here on the brink of despair because of the death of a loved one, the breaking of a marriage, or the waywardness of a child? Why despair? God is able to give you the power to endure that which cannot be changed. Is someone here anxious because of bad health? Why be anxious? Come what may, God is able.”[v]

Christ came to the two on the road, and Christ comes to us. They recognized him in the breaking of the bread. When our eyes are open, we meet him in the breaking of the bread and in our daily walk.

[i] The Message, Luke 24:15-16

[ii] The Message, Matthew 25

[iii] King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love “Pilgrimage to nonviolence” Fortress Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1963, 1981, p.149

[iv] King, “God is Able” p.114

[v] King, “God is able” p.113

Have you ever been so frightened that you locked the doors and cowered afraid that someone would show up at the door? It may not be an experience that you’ve had but it is still an all too common experience. I remember sticking a chair under the doorknob once to prevent access without my being aware of it. It’s a horrible feeling, not feeling safe. That’s kind of what the disciples were experiencing on that Sunday night when Jesus appeared to them.

There were rumors. Peter and John had been to the tomb and it was empty. Mary Magdalene had come to them and proclaimed, “I have seen the Lord!” Who could make sense of this? But in the midst of all of this confusion, was a greater fear – the fear that the knock would come on the door, or the door would burst open and Jewish authorities would be there – and they would be the next ones taken off for trial. In the middle of their fear, and their confusion, Jesus came and stood among them.

The locked doors didn’t mean anything to Jesus. While some of us grew up on the painting of Jesus standing at the door and knocking, that wasn’t the case here. This was one time when Jesus didn’t wait to be invited in. He just showed up, stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

There are two important messages there – the first “Peace be with you.” The second, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” These are two almost impossible messages; Impossible from the perspective of the disciples, but definite realities when God shows up. Peace: even in the midst of fear. Peace: even in the middle of sorrow. Peace: even in the throes of confusion and turmoil. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” These men huddled together behind locked doors would soon be proclaiming the message in the crowds. They would be willing to be imprisoned and even killed for the reality that they had come to know as the truth.

By the way, this is for me one of the greatest proofs – if we need such – of the reality of the resurrection. I remember a time when it was popular to assert that the resurrection was a scam pulled off by the disciples. I simply cannot imagine that these men, confused and scared, locked behind closed doors could have pulled off a scam that has survived for 2,000 years. Whatever else we choose to believe, there was a definite and real change in these men and women and I can only believe that it came because of their real encounter with the resurrected Christ. It is the kind of encounter that continues to change the lives of people today and helps us experience a peace that the world cannot give, and sends us out into the real world to share what we have experienced. But back to the disciples.

Absent at the time of Jesus’ appearance was Thomas. Thomas has gotten a bad rap for what happened next. When he returned and was told what had happened, his response was, “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.” For this, Thomas has been saddled with the moniker, “Doubting Thomas”. Isn’t it amazing how the actions of a moment can be used to define who you are? I was watching a movie the other night. I think it was set in the 60’s or 70’s. In the movie a woman was challenged for allowing her young teen daughter to associate with a young woman who was described as having gone off to New York and gotten pregnant. The rest of the details including a husband who had abandoned her were considered irrelevant. The mother of the teenage girl said, “She is one of the hardest working women that I have ever met. She is a devoted mother and I’m pleased that my daughter can be with her when I’m at work.” She challenged the description of this young woman based on only a piece of her story.

I would challenge the moniker “Doubting Thomas” given to the disciple who was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. I wonder where Thomas was. While the others were hiding behind locked doors, Thomas was out somewhere. He might have been off alone because he couldn’t stand to be around others or he might have been the only one with enough courage to go out and purchase food from the market.

Thomas had shown before that he was a man devoted to Jesus and not afraid to face danger. The first time that Thomas appears is in the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-16). When Jesus announced that he was going to Bethany most of the disciples saw this as something close to a suicidal act on Jesus' part. They came very close to abandoning him; but the normally silent Thomas spoke up. "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Thomas saw only danger and disaster ahead of them, but he was determined to be faithful to Jesus, even if it meant death. Thomas was a man of courage.

Thomas was also a man who was not afraid to ask questions. Near the end of Jesus' life, when Jesus was trying to explain the Cross to his disciples, Thomas was the one who piped up with the question, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? (John 14:1-6) It was to Thomas, that Jesus replied, "I am the way, the truth and the life."

Thomas could not live with an unasked question, and he had the courage to ask the questions. In Jesus' reply to him, Jesus was saying to Thomas, to the disciples, and to us, "I know you don't understand. No one does. But no matter what happens, you have me." In this world, the bottom line is that in order to believe, we don't need an analysis, or an argument, but rather a presence. Arguments seldom convince anyone. What Jesus offers is not an argument, but himself.

William Barclay in his book The Master’s Men says that the story of Thomas tells us two very important truths. The first is that Jesus doesn't blame anyone for wanting to be sure. Jesus never says, "You shouldn't have doubts." Instead Jesus says, "Don't profess a faith of which you are not absolutely sure, and you must fight your battle until you are certain." But please notice that Thomas didn't become convinced because of an intellectual argument but through firsthand experience of the power and the presence of Jesus Christ. Thomas didn't become sure of things about Jesus; he became sure of Jesus himself.

I’ve been preaching for a few years now, and I realized something new about this story. This is one of the few Gospel readings that appears in the Lectionary every year. The story of Thomas is always the Gospel reading for the first Sunday after Easter. I think that’s significant. I think it says that there are important things that we need to hear about this every year.

It is important to hear that even in the times when we are behind locked doors – literally or figuratively – we are not alone. Christ comes to us in those times and offers us the peace that passes all human understanding. At the same time, Christ reminds us that what we know is not a big secret to be kept for ourselves but something to be shared with others.

This story also tells us that it is okay to have doubts. It is okay for us to ask questions. One of the things that I hope our children and youth and adults hear is that it is okay to have doubts. It is okay to debate, to wonder, to speculate. Like Thomas, we don't become convinced of things about Jesus. We become sure of Jesus himself, and this certainty is most likely to come in the fellowship of believers. "When Thomas was alone, he was doubly alone." When he cut himself off from the fellowship of his friends, he also cut himself off from fellowship with Jesus. "It was when he came back into that fellowship that he met Christ again."

This doesn't mean that we can never find Christ in solitude and silence, but it means that we are most likely to find Christ when we are in the company of others who love Christ. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why we come together week after week - to help us remember and to see Christ in our worship and in each other. When we surround ourselves only by skeptics we are less likely to be open to see the ways that God's love is shown to us.

We meet Thomas one more time. Thomas was with the disciples when Jesus met them beside the Sea of Galilee after they had been fishing. (John 21:2) From now on he was one with the fellowship of believers, and he was there when Jesus" appeared to them.

There’s one more piece of this story that always demands my attention. It is striking to me that the proof that Thomas thought he needed in order to believe involved the nail marks and the spear wound in Jesus' side. But what is even more surprising is that the resurrected Jesus had those marks in his hand and the wound in his side. If this were only a psychic ecstasy as some claim, wouldn't it make more sense for Jesus' resurrected body to be perfect, completely healed, showing no scars and no sign of the wounds?

Those nail marks and the wounds became part of Jesus' resurrected body, the body that showed new life. They were not just part of his past. They are the signs of his great love for us. Thomas, in some way, must have recognized that. These wounds were proof that the glorified resurrected one was identical with the one who was crucified.

I think the nail marks say something to us about the places in our lives where we have been wounded. The recovery from our wounds is like a little resurrection. It is part of the same power that erupted in its purest form on Easter. Yet, like Jesus, we carry with us the scars from our wounds; they become part of who we are.

If substance abuse is part of your past, you carry that with you no matter how many years you remain substance free. It gives you an understanding of addiction and its power that can never be completely grasped by someone who has not walked that path. If you have been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused that is part of who you are. Regardless of the amount of healing of memories and emotions that you may have experienced, you also carry with you a sensitivity to others who have been abused that can be a real gift in ministering to others.

If someone you have loved greatly has died, you may still carry the pain of that loss. But that same pain and understanding is what makes it possible for one widow to help another, or for one mother to help another through the grief. If you have experienced the pain of a marriage that failed and the heartbreak of divorce the scars may become life giving to someone else as you listen in a special way. If you have suffered from a chronic illness, from poverty, unemployment, or any other pain or sorrow, you carry the scars that with Christ's help can make you a stronger or wiser, or more compassionate person than you were previously.

Easter tell us that on the other side of pain is resurrection and new hope. The question for us often is, can we go through the pain, can we face it? Jesus faced the pain, the death, the humiliation, and came out of the tomb with a new life and the wounds in his hands and side. We can come out of the pain in our lives with new life and with the signs of the wound that led us to the new life.

Our wounds may also be a witness or a way for someone else to come to see and believe. It was the very fact that Thomas believed with such difficulty that convinced him to believe with a fierce intensity once he was convinced. It is our willingness to persevere in the face of doubts and questions that can lead us to a stronger faith. Thomas again and again made the discovery that every Christian has to make - that by (ourselves) everything is impossible, but with God nothing is impossible."

Thomas, the doubter, turned confessor at the sight of the wounds in the body of the resurrected one as he proclaimed, "My Lord and My God." Jesus then pronounced a blessing not only upon Thomas, but upon all of those who believe without benefit of the signs and sights demanded by Thomas.

We cannot see the nail marks in Jesus' hands or place our hand in the wound in his side, but we can believe. God still provides the signs for those of us who need them. We have the witness of the disciples who locked themselves in the room because they were afraid, and then became outspoken courageous witnesses because of their encounter with the risen Christ.

We can experience the love of Christ for us in the companionship and love and support of others who have come to know the reality of the risen Christ in their lives. And we can go out as witnesses to the love we have found, and to the reality that it's okay to ask questions and to be honest about our struggles to believe. Jesus came to Thomas in his doubt, and will come to us in ours, not in exactly the same way, but just as surely. Jesus told Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Easter is one of those days that reaches deeply into the very core of our being. Like Christmas it is a time when the attendance at worship services swell; when more people than usual make the effort to participate in worship and celebration. There is something about the Easter and Christmas story that call to us, make us want to be in community and fill us with a yearning to reach out and be part of something greater than we are – something that offers hope and promise for our lives and the lives of those we love.

Last week when I was talking to the children about Palm Sunday and Holy Week and Easter, one of the children said that “Jesus was magic”. We adults might point out that magic is really an illusion, a slight of hand, a trick, but you know that’s not a bad way of putting it. In the church we use the word “miracle” but we are still talking about something that we can’t really understand but somehow believe happened.

The story is told of a young boy “who came home from Sunday school and showed his mother a picture. When she asked, `What is it?’ he replied proudly, `It's Easter!’ Pleased that her son was learning about the resurrection but having difficulty with the details of the drawing, she asked, `What did your teacher say about it?’

"`Well,’ he slowly began, `after they nailed Jesus to the cross, he was hurt real bad, so when the Special Forces finally rescued him from the cross, they rushed him to the trauma center at St. Luke's. They worked on him for hours in the ER but couldn't get a heartbeat and gave up. They moved Jesus' body to another room, heavily guarded by soldiers with a German accent. Just then, when no one was around, there was a blip on the heart monitor and Jesus woke up. He radioed for help and his buddies came with plastic explosives, wiped out the soldiers, blew open the door, and carried their buddy, Jesus, fireman style, across enemy lines to an awaiting helicopter where they would evac Jesus back to his dad.’

“The mother put her hands on her hips and said, `Is that what your teacher taught you?’ Sheepishly the boy confessed, `Well, no. But if I told you what she said, you'd never believe it.’ He has a point, you know. Who would have believed it?”[i]

Easter is about a miracle, about something that our rational minds have trouble believing – and yet, I believe that it is about something that is true. Our age is sometimes called a time of cynicism, but we don’t have a corner on that market. Remember that even though Jesus had told his disciples and his followers what would happen, that possibility, that reality couldn’t penetrate their being. Instead of waiting outside the tomb for Jesus to come back to life, the disciples were in hiding. The women who came to the tomb that morning came in sadness to pay their respects to the corpse of their friend and teacher not in anticipation of meeting a living Jesus.

This past year for many of us has been a time of both sorrow and joy. Many of us have experienced the death of someone we love. Our congregation was shaken by two such deaths within the last few weeks. At the same time, we have also experienced times of great joy. I don’t often talk about my personal life, but sometimes the specifics of our experience point to the greater human experience. In the past nine months my father died, my first grandchild was born, one of my sons married, I accepted a new appointment that will take me away from here and yesterday my mother celebrated her 90^th birthday but because of her Alzheimer’s didn’t really understand all that was happening. Each of those events was impacted by all of the rest. Each of them contained a mixture of joy and sorrow, celebration and sadness, excitement and frustration, confusion and understanding – all those things that are part of life.

In the midst of that, we hold onto the Easter event. In that event – in that miracle – is a light that shines the way for us during this conglomeration of events that we call life. When I picture Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb that morning I picture her head down, her shoulders slumped, and her feet dragging. I imagine that it was an effort to put one foot in front of the other. We know what that’s like, don’t we? We know how hard it can be to keep going sometimes.

Something unexpected happened that morning; something that changed her life forever; something that changes our lives. There is something powerful in remembering the story – and in reenacting it in some way. Some of us choose to do that by participating in Sunrise services. That was one of my father’s favorite things and it became one of mine. I was probably 7 or 8 years old when he and I started attending Easter sunrise services. Even today that is one of the few things that motivates me to get out of bed and go stand outside in the cold and dark knowing that something magical – something miraculous is about to happen.

When we gather to worship we remember the story and we experience it again in ways that touch our souls. Songs that proclaim the wonder and majesty move our spirits and touch us on a level that connects with all that is true. Hearing the gospel story affirms a “yes” within us that gives hope and meaning to our lives. Easter lilies and the presence of others remind us that we are not alone. God enters into each of our lives and speaks our name.

When Mary found the stone rolled away from the tomb, she tried to make sense of it in the only way she knew how. Someone had come and stolen Jesus’ body. Even when she saw Jesus she did not recognize him. It was not until he spoke her name that she knew who he was. In the midst of the most horrible times in our lives, God speaks our names and we discover that we are not alone. In God’s presence there can be found a peace that passes all understanding – a peace that the world cannot give – a peace that comes only from the presence of God – a peace that could be promised only by the One who was about to enter into the valley of the shadow of death – the One who was about to die but whose resurrection would change us and the world.

I have spent much time thinking about Jesus’ words to Mary that morning. “Do not hold onto me.” We often try to hold on, don’t we? We hold on to relationships. We hold on to our children when we know we need to let go. We hold on because we are afraid of letting go. I remember a wonderful poster with a picture of a bird being released from someone’s hands. The words said, “If you love something let it go. If it comes back to you, it is yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.”

Instead of holding on, Jesus told Mary to “go and tell” the disciples. Go and tell. And she did. She went to the disciples who were still in hiding and she told them, “I have seen the Lord.” In the midst of the sorrow of life, we can see the Lord. In the midst of the pain of life, we can see the Lord. In the midst of the death of someone we love, we can see the Lord. In the birth of new life, we can see the Lord.

The message of Easter is one that cannot be squashed. It cannot be destroyed. It is a message of hope and promise. It is a message of peace and comfort. It is a message of strength and courage. It is a message of life.

You probably do not remember the name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin. During his day he was as powerful a man as there was on earth. A Russian Communist leader he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution 1917, was editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda (which by the way means truth), and was a full member of the Politburo. His works on economics and political science are still read today. There is a story told about a journey he took from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly on the subject of atheism.

Addressing the crowd he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity hurling insult, argument, and proof against it. An hour later he was finished. He looked out at what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men's faith. "Are there any questions?" Bukharin demanded. Deafening silence filled the auditorium but then one man approached the platform and mounted the lectern standing near the communist leader. He surveyed the crowd first to the left then to the right. Finally he shouted the ancient greeting known well in the Russian Orthodox Church: "CHRIST IS RISEN!" En masse the crowd arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of thunder: "HE IS RISEN INDEED!"[ii]

I say to you this morning: CHRIST IS RISEN! (congregational response should be: HE IS RISEN INDEED!). Alleluia! Amen!

[i] Suscovik, Scott “You Wouldn’t Believe It!” in The Immediate Word, sermonsuite.com

[ii] www.esermons.com

We do love a parade. We love the excitement, the pageantry. We would love to go from the joy of Palm Sunday to the magnificent glory of Easter, but you can’t get there from here. Not without going through Holy Week. We can’t get to Easter without the drama of the Last Supper, the confusion of the disciples, the praying in the garden, the devastation of crucifixion, the sorrow of death. We can’t get to the magnificent glory of Easter without going through the passion and pathos of Holy Week.

The crowd that gathered on that day to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem was a mixed lot. In our character reflections we heard several different questions and concerns being raised – ones that were probably reflected that day – ones that are often part of our lives.

There were those who were threatened by Jesus. His words and his actions challenged the status quo. They reacted as people of power often react when they are afraid of losing their power. They planned a way to get rid of him. He was a dangerous person in their eyes because he saw things the way they really were and others might begin to see things the same way. In all fairness to the Pharisees and temple authorities, I don’t think that they believed they were doing anything wrong. They thought that Jesus was the one who was wrong. I suspect that they weren’t really trying to silence the voice of honesty, but rather what they perceived to be a dangerous voice that they believed was wrong. This might alert us to the need to pay attention to those who would challenge the way we perceive things. They just might be right – and they just might be speaking the word of God. Pay attention.

There were some who recognized that Jesus was bringing good news of peace; people who were grateful for what Jesus had done in their lives, in their