United Church in Tallahassee

This Sunday, April 13^th, is Good Shepherd Sunday.  It seems to me to follow the theme of last week’s reading of the walk to Emmaus (Matthew 24:13-49):  As Cleopas and another unnamed follower walk the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a stranger joins them and they begin to talk, not realizing that the stranger is the Risen Christ. 

“How many times,” I wondered as I read this passage from Matthew, do I walk with the risen Christ and not realize it?” 

The 23^rd Psalm is a continuation of the reminder that God is constantlypresent; walking with us, caring for us, present to and with us in trial and danger and comforting us in need.

 Not only is God present with us in comfort, the psalmist reminds us that God rejoices with us in feast and prepares a table of abundance for us.  

 I give thanks for Psalm 23 – a psalm of comfort and sanctuary and the assurance that “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “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.” John 19:25. 

It doesn’t matter that Thomas was no better and no worse than the average disciple who had difficulty believing that Jesus had risen.  It does not matter that tradition has him carrying the Gospel to India, where there still exists an order known as Christians of St. Thomas of India.  Nor does it seem to matter that this same tradition has Thomas suffering martyrdom for the faith.

Nope. Thomas will always be “The Doubter,” the on who demanded proof over faith.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe … (John 19:29)

Jesus’ response to Thomas is not necessarily scolding.

 I believe that tradition has made his response judgmental.   Blessed are those who mourn, blessed are those who thirst for righteousness … blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe …” Note that Jesus does not add “… and cursed are those who doubt …” 

So why does the Christian community put this negative “spin” on Thomas – and perhaps more importantly – on doubt?  I think perhaps that there have been those who look for easy answers.  Faith is not stationary, but moving and changing like a river.  Sometimes faith is easy.  …and sometimes faith is hard.

If we read through the Bible – especially the Psalms – we see evidence of our mothers and fathers in the faith doubting and questioning the acts of an always present God.

I think that the gift of Courageous Thomas, Honest Thomas, is his trust.  Thomas does not understand where the journey with Jesus will lead, but he is content in the assurance that Jesus will be with us on the trip.  His open questioning and doubt shows us that Jesus does not meet his doubts with scolding, but with grace. Doubts may not always lead to answers, but they almost always lead to growth.

 Thanks be to God for doubts, and fears and faith – and thanks be to God for the ways we live and grow and doubt and believe in humility and honesty and in the abundance of life. 

Christ is Risen!  Christ is Risen, indeed!

Goodness is stronger than evil;
love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness;
life is stronger than death;
victory is our through Jesus who loved us                                                                                                                                                   Desmond Tutu, South Africa

Good Friday
           Holy Saturday
                        “Were you there?”

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
We were the silence when no bird sang.
Were you in the garden when the disciples fell asleep?
We were the betrayal in Judas’s kiss.
Were you in the courtyard when the cock crowed three times?
We were the denial in Peter’s mouth.
Were you in Pilate’s chamber when he washed his hands of Jesus’ sentence?
We were the hatred of the crowd and the indifference in Pilate’s heart.
Were you there when the soldiers dressed Jesus as a king?
We were the mockery in the crown of thorns.
Were you among the onlookers at Golgotha?
We were the nails that pierced Jesus’ hands and feet.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
We were the silence when no bird sang.

John 13:34-35 ³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we remember the Last Supper of the disciples, the agony of Jesus in the Garden, and the betrayal by Judas. Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum novum; reminding us of the new commandment to loved as we are loved.  I remember a song we sang in Sunday School when I was a child.  The chorus:

             and they will know we are Christians by our love, by our love            yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love … This is a day to remember that new commandment … love one another as I have loved you …

The Hebrew Bible reading for Holy Week is Isaiah 50:4-9. (http://www.textweek.com/festivals/) We read this passage as we ended our 11am Palm Sunday worship, moving toward Holy week. Isaiah 50:4-9 4The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. 6I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. 7The Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; 8he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. 9It is the Lord GOD who helps me; who will declare me guilty? All of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. Today, March 19th is the five-year anniversary of the war with Iraq. A prayer written by the Rev. Yousif al Saka, an elder in the Presbyterian Church in Baghdad, offers one word, full of poignancy and promise: We beseech You, we humble ourselves for the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, to send your Holy Spirit to shade the land of Iraq, so that peace may prevail in its dwellings, and the acts of violence, kidnapping and persecution may cease; so that the displaced may return to their homes, the churches may reopen their gates without fear from shells and explosion; so that smiles may be seen again on the faces of children that have been stolen from them here in this difficult time; so that the elderly may lean back on their chairs in comfort and tranquility saying farewell to their children when leaving for school or work without anxiety or fear; so that mothers think only of happy, prosperous, and peaceful futures for their daughters and sons. O Lord, have pity on us, we Iraqis. Let the light of your face shine on us, bless us, strengthen our belief, and bestow patience upon us. We will pray for peace at our 12:10 Wed. meditation group, and at a special 5:30-6:00pm time of lament, meditation and prayers for peace; both in the UCT sanctuary Teach us to wage peace, loving God, teach us to wage peace.

Hosanna … Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! (Mt 21:9) Palm Sunday is a joyful, joyous day of celebration and confusion.  “Who is this?” the crowds were saying.  “Who is this, who comes on a lowly donkey, yet causes people to shout ‘Hosanna!’ and wave branches of palms in delight?” 

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Mt 21:10-11)

 “Who is this, who heals and comforts and challenges us to serve God and each other?”“Who is this, who welcomes the rejected and consoles the weary?”“Who is this, who calls me and gives my life hope and meaning?” We know what the week ahead will mean for Jesus and for us.  We know that there will be denial, betrayal and desertion by those who followed and those who loved him.   Yet we also know that hope is coming, hope is ours, and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Loving God, on this day of palms and rejoicing, we shout, we cheer, we rejoice that you have come to us and shared our common lot. Be with us as we rejoice and sing your name.  Be with us as we ‘praise you on the earth now,             joining with Creation and calling all the nations to your praise.’  Thanks be and bless your Holy Name.  Amen.

We are a wilderness people;

we are not a people of paved roads  and polished palaces.

It was not pleasant in the desert   as the people of Israel wandered through.

God  leads us toward a future in mission.

There will be tragic times

as well as

sinful, unpleasant, incidental, celebrative

and hope filled times.

Kennon Callahan, Effective Church Leadership

We are a wilderness people. 

We are also an Easter people.

The time of Lent is a time to reflect on the ministry of Jesus;

It is also a time to reflect on our own ministry

 and our special work in progress – ourselves.

… and it is a time to be joyous and give thanks.

O come, let us sing to the Lord let us make a joyful noise tothe rock of our salvation! Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving Let us make a joyful noise to God with songs of praise!

The Mennonite Weekly Review+ reports that instead of giving up chocolate or TV for Lent, some churches in the Harrisonburg, Virginia, area have pledged to use less fossil fuel.

The Less Oil for Lent campaign is intended to show concern for both the Iraq war and climate change and to call attention to the U.S. addiction to oil. 

Some suggestions they give for consuming less oil are to walk or ride a bike to church; reduce or eliminate the consumption of meat, which requires more oil to produce than grain; turn down the hot water heater to 115 degrees Fahrenheit; and use candles instead of electric lights on Sunday.

Our dependence on oil is real.  To give up chocolate for 40 days is hard; to reduce consumption of fossil fuels for 40 days is really hard.  Let’s share the ways we can stop our dependence on oil.

  +Jan. 30, 2008, cited Christian Century

We received this email from Kathy Lawes, Acting Association Minister, Prairie Association, Illinois Conference, UCC regarding the recent tragedy at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois.

“We Grieve Together.”

These are the words on the signboard in front of First Congregational UCC, DeKalb.

The ongoing shock is palpable in the community. The sense of security that we have enjoyed and even taken for granted has been shattered. Yesterday afternoon, as four news helicopters hovered over the NIU campus, other helicopters were transporting several of the injured students from our local hospital to hospitals that could better handle the particular injuries suffered. The air was thick with helicopters, fear and uncertainty; for a while it did indeed feel like DeKalb was under siege.

Local faith communities stepped forward quickly to assist students, faculty and parishioners sort through their own disbelief and horror. Candlelight vigils, prayer services, and community-wide gatherings of worship and remembrance have drawn people together in the face of tragedy. Dawn Jones, campus minister at NIU and in-care with Prairie Association, was been present on campus … and continues to offer comfort and care to many. Six large white crosses, draped with purple sashes, stand in front of the Lutheran Campus Ministry building in the center of campus, and the site of our United Campus Ministry outreach.

Thank you for the many expressions of love, concern and support during this horrific time. We are grateful in DeKalb for the outpouring of concern and care, for the promises of prayers, for the assurance that our pain here is shared and borne by others.

In this time of tragedy, John’s words are particularly poignant and comforting: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” It is the light of God’s love, who surely weeps with us; it is the light of Christ’s resurrection, the miracle of love that followed senseless violence; it is the light of the Holy Spirit reflected in the hearts of those who grieve, who seek not retribution, who work for healing among shattered people.

Your prayers are real to us. Thank you.