Thomas Gets to Believe

John 20:26-29 The Message (MSG) 26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” 27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.” 28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!” 29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.” Poor Thomas, he gets such a bad rap.  I mean, think about it!  Mary told the disciples that she had seen the Risen Lord and they didn’t know what to make of it. (Mark 16:11, Luke 24:11)  But then they saw him with their own eyes and believed!  So why is it really so awful that Thomas, not being present with them, had a hard time believing?  Thomas, didn’t have to touch the scars to believe, he saw and immediately knows who Christ really is and he shouts it!  He recognizes Jesus and God as one. I used to think that last verse 29 was an admonishment to Thomas, kind of a little slap on the hands, but I actually think it was his commission to Thomas to go and tell.  Jesus was sending Thomas, as he did the others in our scripture yesterday, to go out into the world to forgive and share Jesus’ message and story. Loving God, Thank you for your patience with us, thank you for always giving us another chance to believe and share our belief.  Amen.

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Sent People

John 20:19-23 The Message (MSG) To Believe 19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side. 20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.” 22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?” There is just so much here! The fear behind the locked doors that turns to peace as soon as Jesus appears, the sending, the spirit! The disciples are locked away, afraid they might be next!  They fear the Jewish and Roman Authority, not simply the Jews, remember they are Jews themselves.  But then Jesus appears to them and suddenly seeing with their own eyes, they believed.  Then Jesus sends them.  I love that idea of sending.  Usually, we think of Jesus sending them out to share the good news but I love that it specifically says he sends them out to forgive!  As Christians, we are all ‘sent’ people, sent out to reconcile the world, that may require some repentance on our part too because really, what do we really accomplish by holding on to grudges?  We are sent people to go out into the world in forgiveness, offering forgiveness and asking for it too. Gracious, Holy God, Forgive our unbelief, forgive our holding on to past hurts.  Help us to answer the call to go and share the good news of forgiveness.  Amen.

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Psalm 118

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 English Standard Version (ESV) His Steadfast Love Endures Forever 118 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;     for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say,     “His steadfast love endures forever.” The Lord is my strength and my song;     he has become my salvation. 15 Glad songs of salvation     are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, 16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,     the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!” 17 I shall not die, but I shall live,     and recount the deeds of the Lord. 18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,     but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,     that I may enter through them     and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord;     the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me     and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected     has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord's doing;     it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made;     let us rejoice and be glad in it.   AMEN.

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Go and Tell

Acts 10:34-36 English Standard Version (ESV) Gentiles Hear the Good News 34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), My sermon Sunday ended with the words Go and Tell.  That’s the first command Jesus gave after the resurrection to Mary.  Go and Tell the others what you have seen.  Peter is doing just that in our scripture today.  He is sharing the Good News with those who were once excluded.  His eyes have been opened to see that God’s love is for everyone, that the Good News is for everyone and he is sharing it.  God calls us to do the same, to Go and Tell, share His story, his compassion, his love with everyone we meet.  “But I’m not a preacher!” you say?  You don’t have to be.  My daddy always said that our best witness is how we live our lives every day.  St. Augustine said, “preach the gospel always; when necessary, use words.” Gracious God, Give us courage to Go and Tell, to live lives that reflect you and your love always.  Amen.

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Hear and Answer

John 20:16-17 English Standard Version (ESV) 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Upon hearing Jesus speak her name, Mary immediately recognized him as her Teacher.  She had heard him speak her name before.  She had listened to him teach, read the scripture, and tell stories to help the people understand the scriptures better.  She had witnessed him heal people and love people.  She spent time with him.  Because of this relationship with him, she recognized his voice, his call.  We all have this same opportunity to listen to him teach and tell stories.  We all have this same opportunity to be in an intimate relationship with him so that when he calls our name we will recognize his voice and be able to answer him. Loving Lord, Draw us into this kind of relationship with you.  Draw us close to learn more from you by spending time with you so that when you call our name we hear and answer.  Amen.

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Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 English Standard Version (ESV) 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Resurrection, what a powerful word, and one that can be hard to imagine or understand.  We tend to think of it in terms of the after-life and how wonderful for us to know there is more, but I think resurrection is more than that.  We can experience it right here on earth.  When we let the old ways, the old ideas, the things that are holding us back from “holy perfection” die away, we can be resurrected to a newness of life, right here, right now.  We can be made new in Christ, through Christ.   Let us be made new.  Resurrected Lord, We often cling to the old ideas, the old ways.  We often have a hard time moving forward, we are comfortable where we are.  Help us to let go of what holds us back so that we can be made new in you.  Amen.

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Believe

John 20:8-9 English Standard Version (ESV) 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. It was a beautiful Easter here. New life was everywhere.  The birds were our accompaniment for our sunrise service.  The flowering trees were just a gorgeous backdrop.  Nature seemed to be singing and dancing with the good news of Easter!  In our scripture this morning, the other disciple saw and believed.  I can just imagine that as he saw the empty tomb, Jesus’ words played back in his ears.  He believed but he didn’t quite understand yet what it meant.  He wasn’t singing and dancing with nature just yet.  I imagine he was walking back home dazed and confused.  Sometimes, I think we are a lot like that in our faith. There are so many competing ideas and theologies out there, it’s no wonder!  But I think we can all agree that this Easter Story is a beautiful one and one worthy of remembering not just every year, but every day.  We can believe in the Resurrection story and know and understand God’s love for each and every one of us. Holy God, Thank you for the Easter story that brings us Hope and New Life. Help us to be like nature, singing and dancing the Good News, every day.  Amen.

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It's Friday... but it's not over yet!

Mark 15 Common English Bible (CEB) Trial before Pilate 15 At daybreak, the chief priests—with the elders, legal experts, and the whole Sanhedrin—formed a plan. They bound Jesus, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.” 3 The chief priests were accusing him of many things. 4 Pilate asked him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? What about all these accusations?” 5 But Jesus gave no more answers, so that Pilate marveled. 6 During the festival, Pilate released one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 A man named Barabbas was locked up with the rebels who had committed murder during an uprising. 8 The crowd pushed forward and asked Pilate to release someone, as he regularly did. 9 Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 10 He knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of jealousy. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead. 12 Pilate replied, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done?” They shouted even louder, “Crucify him!” 15 Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified. Jesus is tortured and killed 16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the courtyard of the palace known as the governor’s headquarters, and they called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They dressed him up in a purple robe and twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on him. 18 They saluted him, “Hey! King of the Jews!” 19 Again and again, they struck his head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt before him to honor him. 20 When they finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. 21 Simon, a man from Cyrene, Alexander and Rufus’ father, was coming in from the countryside. They forced him to carry his cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means Skull Place.23 They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he didn’t take it. 24 They crucified him. They divided up his clothes, drawing lots for them to determine who would take what. 25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The notice of the formal charge against him was written, “The king of the Jews.” 27 They crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29 People walking by insulted him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! So you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, were you? 30 Save yourself and come down from that cross!” 31 In the same way, the chief priests were making fun of him among themselves, together with the legal experts. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross. Then we’ll see and believe.” Even those who had been crucified with Jesus insulted him. 33 From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark. 34 At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?” 35 After hearing him, some standing there said, “Look! He’s calling Elijah!”36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 But Jesus let out a loud cry and died. 38 The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “This man was certainly God’s Son.” 40 Some women were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (the younger one) and Joses, and Salome. 41 When Jesus was in Galilee, these women had followed and supported him, along with many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him.

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