I love the way John 20:19-31 ends! It ends with so much mystery and yet so much assurance. “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.”
I imagine that you know at least a few people of faith who embody the phrase, “you may have life in his name.” One of those persons in my life is the Rev Terry Jo Crego. She was the Camp Director of our Presbytery’s camp when I was in seminary, and an early mentor of mine. Terry Jo recently put together a little video I want to share with you that may embody the feeling of disciples hunkering down in fear, and it might even connect with how some of us are feeling during this time of social distancing. [A clip of Terry Jo’s video is incorporated into the worship service posted below video. Click here for the original.]
I hope you enjoyed Terri Jo’s commentary on social distancing! She recorded that to blow off some steam, but also to spread some joy. As I’ve heard it said, “Spread happiness, not the virus!” Odd as it may have seemed to you, I think this video connects with what it means to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and to have life in his name. In fact, I think that spreading joy, in our current context of social distancing, is part of the essential work of those who follow Jesus.
Let’s look at our scriptures a little deeper and see where the Spirit leads, and let’s start with the disciples. This story is one of the most comforting stories for many people of Christian faith. Unfortunately it can also be a little confusing due to its mystical nature, and it has been used to justify some pretty terrible actions and attitudes toward those who are Jewish, even today.
We can’t really do much about the mystical part. You can take it on faith to have happened as it says or you can just view it metaphorically that God comes to us in our times of need in ways we don’t always understand. Either way, the story is what it is, and it was recorded in hopes that we might believe and benefit from it – not just here and now, but always.
We also can’t do anything about those that take it out of context to condemn those who are Jewish in Jesus name… or can we? That’s actually something that I think we can do, and we must. I say this because the idea that John’s gospel compels Followers of Christ to fear, and therefore hate, those who are Jewish is not a new idea, and it’s not going away. As anti-semitism rises in these United States, it is not enough to say that it isn’t our fault.
I imagine that you know at least a few people of faith who embody the phrase, “you may have life in his name.” One of those persons in my life is the Rev Terry Jo Crego. She was the Camp Director of our Presbytery’s camp when I was in seminary, and an early mentor of mine. Terry Jo recently put together a little video I want to share with you that may embody the feeling of disciples hunkering down in fear, and it might even connect with how some of us are feeling during this time of social distancing. [A clip of Terry Jo’s video is incorporated into the worship service posted below video. Click here for the original.]
I hope you enjoyed Terri Jo’s commentary on social distancing! She recorded that to blow off some steam, but also to spread some joy. As I’ve heard it said, “Spread happiness, not the virus!” Odd as it may have seemed to you, I think this video connects with what it means to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and to have life in his name. In fact, I think that spreading joy, in our current context of social distancing, is part of the essential work of those who follow Jesus.
Let’s look at our scriptures a little deeper and see where the Spirit leads, and let’s start with the disciples. This story is one of the most comforting stories for many people of Christian faith. Unfortunately it can also be a little confusing due to its mystical nature, and it has been used to justify some pretty terrible actions and attitudes toward those who are Jewish, even today.
We can’t really do much about the mystical part. You can take it on faith to have happened as it says or you can just view it metaphorically that God comes to us in our times of need in ways we don’t always understand. Either way, the story is what it is, and it was recorded in hopes that we might believe and benefit from it – not just here and now, but always.
We also can’t do anything about those that take it out of context to condemn those who are Jewish in Jesus name… or can we? That’s actually something that I think we can do, and we must. I say this because the idea that John’s gospel compels Followers of Christ to fear, and therefore hate, those who are Jewish is not a new idea, and it’s not going away. As anti-semitism rises in these United States, it is not enough to say that it isn’t our fault.
I would even say that the witness of scripture not only compels us to condemn such actions, it compels us to find a way to love those who offend. While there are many examples of former racists and other extremists converted by the love of a community of faith, I think we have an equally compelling example in our text through the example of the disciples.
Thomas was certainly not an extremist or even an enemy of the disciples. He was one of their own, yet I think the example of his defiance and their inclusion is a pretty good model to follow. Before that, though, we have the example of Jesus.
While the disciples were hiding and afraid, he came and stood among them. This was Jesus – the guy they abandoned to be crucified! No wonder the first thing he said was, “Peace.” They had to be terrified! Jesus came to them in their time of abject terror and said, “Peace.” Then he showed them his wounds and he breathed on them, giving them the Holy Spirit.
It’s odd how the intimacy of it all feels even more uncomfortable in a time of people wearing masks just to go to the store for groceries! Still, this is the Pentecostal moment for John’s Gospel. This is the moment when Jesus confirms to the disciples that they have a share in his ministry, and so do we! Just as Jesus forgives, on behalf of God, so do they, and so do we.
Suddenly, they realized that this was no longer just about the restoration of Israel. It was about the reconciliation of all of creation! Then Jesus leaves. It doesn’t say how, or if he promised to return. Then Thomas walks in. Imagine being Thomas and walking into that room! “Hey guys, I’m back from the market! Don’t worry Peter, I was super stealthy. No one recogni…. Wait. Why is everyone smiling like that? You saw who? He did what? Naw, you guys are...that’s not funny. No way will I believe it unless I see it, touch it, and hear it for myself!”
I can’t really blame him. In fact, I’ve always admired Thomas for being willing to say what others are not willing to say. He was still wrong, but he was authentically wrong. He was also willing to confess and to become reconciled to the others when he finally did see Jesus. Let’s also not forget the others, who responded to his rejection of their literal experience of the presence of God with, “Ok. That’s fine, but stay with us anyway.”
How many congregations have split or rejected one another over this same issue? I’m reminded here of the venerable Wes Cady, a saint of this congregation and a member of the church triumphant. She once told me that, when our congregation was in decline, we realized that we had to love and accept each other’s differences or else we would not be a church. As we grow, it is interesting how important that is. In fact, here we have the church in its infancy – just before its most essential time of growth – realizing the same thing!
Regardless of how you feel about the metaphysical, mystical, and clearly unhygienic nature of this story, here’s what matters: Jesus came to them in their time of fear and isolation and offered them peace. This peace formed them into a community that even accepted the doubts and fears that remained a part of their fellowship. The peace of Jesus also included them in God’s project of reconciliation for the world.
That same reconciling work is what Peter told the early church about when he promised them a “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus.” That same “new birth” is what our faith offers us every moment of every day! Our “living hope” is found in the potential of every choice and every moment, but it is also safeguarded by the knowledge that our salvation rests in God’s hands.
So, what do we do? What is the essential work of the church, even in a time of quarantine? I feel like that a lot when I read scripture, and that question always reminds me of a time when one of my brother’s friends had joined us for a family trip to my grandparent’s house. At mealtimes, they had a special blessing where we all held hands and at the end, everyone raised their hands together and shouted, “Weee!” My brother’s friend, Scott, had never seen anything like that, and the second time we sat down for a meal and held hands he looked around excitedly and said, “Ok! What do we do?”
I think that’s how a lot of us feel when we are new to faith, but it also happens when we are reminded of the importance of faith – especially when the going gets rough. That’s when we look to Jesus, who gave us the answer when he said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven then; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
That doesn’t mean that we have the power of God. It means that God is working in and through us, and what we do on a local level has eternal, cosmic level implications. If it helps, think of it in terms of “acting locally and living globally.”
Living in a way that demonstrates God’s love and invites others into it is the essential work that we are called to do in times of fear and isolation. There are certainly people whose physical work is more explicitly essential: health care workers, postal service, grocery store clerks and supply chains, but all of us who follow Christ have a responsibility to one another and to our neighbors in need.
Ok, so again, what do we do? That has been the hardest question for me, because the more we move about the more we spread contagion. That said, even though we can’t presently follow the example of Jesus literally, we can look to him for hope.
We can realize that Jesus comes to us in our time of need offering peace, forms us into communities of love, and calls us to offer hope to those who are estranged and isolated out of fear. Peace, love, and hope – those three words have a lot of power when you open yourself up to what God can do through them!
If you look around, you can see it happening all around you. There are some amazing stories of neighbors helping neighbors and even strangers in this time of need. As I’ve said before, we certainly need to look to our local authorities and organizations that are already geared up for things like food distribution and healthcare. Any effort that draws people together also draws contamination, but those efforts that are careful, relational, and connectional are becoming the sacred spaces where Jesus steps in and says, “Peace.”
If you haven’t seen them, just ask your friends. I asked for people to share examples on Facebook of people helping each other, and it was like an avalanche of kindness, and it really gives me a sense of hope! I can’t share them all, but here are a few.
A nurse got locked out of her car and a stranger gave her his Prius while he waited on a locksmith. A young girl organized a food drive in her neighborhood by putting boxes in her yard. Delivery was coordinated with a local organization that used precautions for safe delivery. There’s a gofundme campaign for restaurant workers in our community whose income depends on tips. Someone is delivering fresh eggs, that could otherwise be sold, to a low income Sr. housing facility. Who knows how many thousands of masks have been produced in households around America?!
I tell you who knows. God knows, and God wants you to know that whether you can sew, or be that person who constantly reminds others of the importance of social distancing, or safely deliver food to someone in need, or simply be the person that helps others smile through reading stories or singing silly songs or making funny videos, you are proclaiming peace. You are living in hope. You are being the presence of love for someone else.
None of this is new. All of it is needed every day. Right now is just a time that we are becoming more aware, more able, and more willing. While we must continue to pray for those who suffer, we cannot lose hope, and we must give thanks and glory and praise to God – always and everywhere – for this is the essential work of those who believe in Jesus.
Amen.
[The service is provided in entirety below, however, if you go to youtube.com/c/fpclafayette.org you can interact with us live during the premiere.]
Thomas was certainly not an extremist or even an enemy of the disciples. He was one of their own, yet I think the example of his defiance and their inclusion is a pretty good model to follow. Before that, though, we have the example of Jesus.
While the disciples were hiding and afraid, he came and stood among them. This was Jesus – the guy they abandoned to be crucified! No wonder the first thing he said was, “Peace.” They had to be terrified! Jesus came to them in their time of abject terror and said, “Peace.” Then he showed them his wounds and he breathed on them, giving them the Holy Spirit.
It’s odd how the intimacy of it all feels even more uncomfortable in a time of people wearing masks just to go to the store for groceries! Still, this is the Pentecostal moment for John’s Gospel. This is the moment when Jesus confirms to the disciples that they have a share in his ministry, and so do we! Just as Jesus forgives, on behalf of God, so do they, and so do we.
Suddenly, they realized that this was no longer just about the restoration of Israel. It was about the reconciliation of all of creation! Then Jesus leaves. It doesn’t say how, or if he promised to return. Then Thomas walks in. Imagine being Thomas and walking into that room! “Hey guys, I’m back from the market! Don’t worry Peter, I was super stealthy. No one recogni…. Wait. Why is everyone smiling like that? You saw who? He did what? Naw, you guys are...that’s not funny. No way will I believe it unless I see it, touch it, and hear it for myself!”
I can’t really blame him. In fact, I’ve always admired Thomas for being willing to say what others are not willing to say. He was still wrong, but he was authentically wrong. He was also willing to confess and to become reconciled to the others when he finally did see Jesus. Let’s also not forget the others, who responded to his rejection of their literal experience of the presence of God with, “Ok. That’s fine, but stay with us anyway.”
How many congregations have split or rejected one another over this same issue? I’m reminded here of the venerable Wes Cady, a saint of this congregation and a member of the church triumphant. She once told me that, when our congregation was in decline, we realized that we had to love and accept each other’s differences or else we would not be a church. As we grow, it is interesting how important that is. In fact, here we have the church in its infancy – just before its most essential time of growth – realizing the same thing!
Regardless of how you feel about the metaphysical, mystical, and clearly unhygienic nature of this story, here’s what matters: Jesus came to them in their time of fear and isolation and offered them peace. This peace formed them into a community that even accepted the doubts and fears that remained a part of their fellowship. The peace of Jesus also included them in God’s project of reconciliation for the world.
That same reconciling work is what Peter told the early church about when he promised them a “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus.” That same “new birth” is what our faith offers us every moment of every day! Our “living hope” is found in the potential of every choice and every moment, but it is also safeguarded by the knowledge that our salvation rests in God’s hands.
So, what do we do? What is the essential work of the church, even in a time of quarantine? I feel like that a lot when I read scripture, and that question always reminds me of a time when one of my brother’s friends had joined us for a family trip to my grandparent’s house. At mealtimes, they had a special blessing where we all held hands and at the end, everyone raised their hands together and shouted, “Weee!” My brother’s friend, Scott, had never seen anything like that, and the second time we sat down for a meal and held hands he looked around excitedly and said, “Ok! What do we do?”
I think that’s how a lot of us feel when we are new to faith, but it also happens when we are reminded of the importance of faith – especially when the going gets rough. That’s when we look to Jesus, who gave us the answer when he said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven then; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
That doesn’t mean that we have the power of God. It means that God is working in and through us, and what we do on a local level has eternal, cosmic level implications. If it helps, think of it in terms of “acting locally and living globally.”
Living in a way that demonstrates God’s love and invites others into it is the essential work that we are called to do in times of fear and isolation. There are certainly people whose physical work is more explicitly essential: health care workers, postal service, grocery store clerks and supply chains, but all of us who follow Christ have a responsibility to one another and to our neighbors in need.
Ok, so again, what do we do? That has been the hardest question for me, because the more we move about the more we spread contagion. That said, even though we can’t presently follow the example of Jesus literally, we can look to him for hope.
We can realize that Jesus comes to us in our time of need offering peace, forms us into communities of love, and calls us to offer hope to those who are estranged and isolated out of fear. Peace, love, and hope – those three words have a lot of power when you open yourself up to what God can do through them!
If you look around, you can see it happening all around you. There are some amazing stories of neighbors helping neighbors and even strangers in this time of need. As I’ve said before, we certainly need to look to our local authorities and organizations that are already geared up for things like food distribution and healthcare. Any effort that draws people together also draws contamination, but those efforts that are careful, relational, and connectional are becoming the sacred spaces where Jesus steps in and says, “Peace.”
If you haven’t seen them, just ask your friends. I asked for people to share examples on Facebook of people helping each other, and it was like an avalanche of kindness, and it really gives me a sense of hope! I can’t share them all, but here are a few.
A nurse got locked out of her car and a stranger gave her his Prius while he waited on a locksmith. A young girl organized a food drive in her neighborhood by putting boxes in her yard. Delivery was coordinated with a local organization that used precautions for safe delivery. There’s a gofundme campaign for restaurant workers in our community whose income depends on tips. Someone is delivering fresh eggs, that could otherwise be sold, to a low income Sr. housing facility. Who knows how many thousands of masks have been produced in households around America?!
I tell you who knows. God knows, and God wants you to know that whether you can sew, or be that person who constantly reminds others of the importance of social distancing, or safely deliver food to someone in need, or simply be the person that helps others smile through reading stories or singing silly songs or making funny videos, you are proclaiming peace. You are living in hope. You are being the presence of love for someone else.
None of this is new. All of it is needed every day. Right now is just a time that we are becoming more aware, more able, and more willing. While we must continue to pray for those who suffer, we cannot lose hope, and we must give thanks and glory and praise to God – always and everywhere – for this is the essential work of those who believe in Jesus.
Amen.
[The service is provided in entirety below, however, if you go to youtube.com/c/fpclafayette.org you can interact with us live during the premiere.]
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