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Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Just Love: Year B, Easter 5
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Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:25-31
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8
This Week's Reflection:
One of the first things I read this morning was a quote in an email from my sister. A pastor herself, she sends disciple-building quotes every day along with a list of prayer concerns. Today's was from Anthony Robinson from http://www.inwardoutward.org.
"We have imagined that Christianity itself is a religion of virtue. But no, Desmond Tutu reminded us, 'Christianity is not a religion of virtue; it is a religion of grace.' And there's a difference. A religion of virtue says, 'If you are good, then God will love you.' A religion of grace says, 'God loves you.' God loves you despite your foibles and failures, not because you're so good but as a sinner in need of mercy. God loves you; live then as one who is beloved, who has been forgiven."
I have found myself asking over the weeks since Easter what in the world the creators of the lectionary were thinking. I mean we had forty L O N G days of Lent gearing up for the big day to celebrate Resurrection and then almost immediately after Easter, we are back to reading images of the lamb being brought to slaughter. I guess it is true that there aren't many resurrection appearance stories to choose from, so what are you gonna do?
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So I read that quote this morning and then I read the lectionary texts with all the craziness of Philip telling the story only to be transported, it would seem, in a manner not unlike being beamed up by Scotty and the gospel throwing a whole new metaphor at us with Jesus providing a Gardening for Dummies lesson. It is that 1 John text that is resonating with me most right now.
Why do we have to continue to go back to an image of Jesus as the lamb laying down his life even as we sing the Hallelujahs on Sunday? Because it is such a powerful image of love. And, God is love. We find ourselves returning to these images again and again because through them we are reminded that our virtue gets us nowhere, but the grace of Jesus Christ frees us for living the resurrected life.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Joyful Disbelief: Year B, Easter 3
This Week's Lectionary Texts:
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48
This Week's Reflection:
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48
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| "Disbelieving Joy" |
The phrase from the gospel lesson for this week that stands out to me is "While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering . . ." I just love this idea of being full of joy even in the midst of disbelieving and wondering. I mean, come on, Jesus was dead and now he is appearing to his friends in all kinds of places. Who wouldn't still be filled with wonder and some feelings of disbelief that it is all just too good to be true?
I think about the first few days after we brought my son home from the hospital. He was our first born and ended up staying in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for a week. It was the absolute worst week of my life and when we finally had our new baby home, while I should have been overjoyed and at peace, I found myself scared to death something was going to go horribly wrong. I was filled with joy. There is no doubt about that. And, at the same time, it seemed too good to be true and I found it difficult to believe that it would be smooth sailing from then on. I wondered if everything would be okay or if we would find ourselves back at the hospital - or worse.
This third week of Easter leads us through this kind of feeling. We are experiencing the resurrected Christ, but it feels too good to be true. We are reminded through Acts and 1 John that forgiveness and life that is really life can be ours, but we hold our breath waiting for something to go wrong. I like to think that this is a natural reaction. Like the disciples who were able to be filled with joy while struggling through their disbelief and wonder, we journey with Jesus as we struggle through our own disbelief.
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| Work by Hi Qi |
The really wonderful thing is that Jesus honors this, moves forward by asking for something to eat, and sits with us as we arrive at the truth that is sitting in front of us. I love that he honors my disbelief and gives me permission to be filled with joy even before I have all the answers. In fact, he lovingly opens our minds to the scriptures and guides us gently along. Too good to be true? Yes, yes it is. And, it is true nonetheless.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Street Theater: Palm Sunday, Year B
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| Palm Sunday Procession |
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Mark 11:1-11 or John 12:12-16
This Week's Reflection
I once preached a sermon for Palm Sunday where I used the analogy of street theater to describe what happened as Jesus entered Jerusalem. It makes perfect sense to me with all the shouting and waving of palms. I wondered before stepping into the pulpit if some would view this as sacrilege. While I have a high view of actors, traditionally in the Church they have been lumped in with liars and thieves.
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| Fringe Festival Street Performer |
I was fortunate enough to attend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as I stage managed a show appearing in that festival one year. For an entire month each year, the city of Edinburgh is home to actors, directors, and performers from all across the world. For the most part, the locals leave town and give it over to the likes of men painted blue and fire wielding witches on stilts. Every space that is large enough for a few chairs becomes a theater. There are hundreds of shows each week and each company wants to be seen by the thousands of people attending the festival. For that to happen, they have to get some attention. In order to get attention, on every corner of the city at any given moment in the day, a tourist can witness all kinds of street theater, little glimpses of what the companies have to offer. They don't perform the entire show, of course. The whole purpose of the street theater is to grab the attention of potential audience members, to get them to come see the real show.
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| Clandonia 17 |
Jesus and his band of actors paraded into Jerusalem as the crowds were gathering for the Passover. And, he performed this amazing bit of theater. There was comedy as he rode in on a donkey instead of a stallion, there was suspense as the people cried out, "Save us!," and there was drama when leaders tried to shut down the performance. But, the whole purpose of this performance was to grab their attention and to invite them to come to the real show.
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| Fringe Festival Street Performer |
If your congregation does not hold services during Holy Week, be sure to find ways to allow them to see the real show. There are three acts and you don't want them to miss any of it. Palm Sunday is just the preview. Maundy Thursday is Act I. Good Friday is Act II. And, Easter Sunday is the final Act. And, like any great play, skipping to the end just won't allow us to appreciate the entire story in the same way.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Year A, Easter 3: Slow Hearts, Same Grace
Photo © Kristi CorbinThis Week's Reflection
Jesus was brutally killed and buried. Now, some folks are spreading a rumor that he is alive and coming to visit his followers. Then, Cleopas, the only named disciple in the gospel text, has this bizarre encounter with the Risen Lord who first exegetes all the scriptures, then breaks bread, then disappears before they can even ask to see those wounds that Thomas was adamant about seeing for himself.
I'm a theme kind of a person. Some weeks, trying to pull a unified theme from the lectionary readings is not easy. If I had to title the theme that stands out to me this week, I would call it "Slow Hearts, Same Grace."
I was astounded that in the encounter with Thomas, Jesus honors his doubts, his questions, his need for better understanding. And, I am astounded that the risen Christ continues to honor these questions, these doubts, by appearing to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus may very well be frustrated by a lack of understanding in his disciples; however, that does not keep him from providing for their needs. "In this broken bread, you are reminded of me." And, in that encounter, the grace bestowed on the first disciples to believe that he was alive is bestowed upon those who are "slow of heart" all the same.
In the Acts reading we see Peter preaching to folks, calling them out for not following Jesus at all, for, in fact, c0ntributing to his death. Instead of writing them off as lost, Peter shares with them the good news and gives them the opportunity to become followers of Christ as well. Slow of heart, they may be, but they receive the very same grace of Jesus anyway.
The patience of God may be what astounds me the most. I often feel slow of heart. I, like Paul, do those things I know I shouldn't and refuse to do what I know I should. And, yet, God continues to bestow upon me the same grace that was provided to Mary right outside the tomb. Slow heart, same grace. Thanks be to God!
This Week's Lectionary Texts
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
2:14a: But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.
2:36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."
2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"
2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2:39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him."
2:40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
2:41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
116:1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
116:2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
116:3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
116:4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, save my life!"
116:12 What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
116:13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
116:14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
116:16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
116:17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.
116:18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
116:19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
1 Peter 1:17-23
1:17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile.
1:18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,
1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
1:20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.
1:21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
1:22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.
1:23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
Luke 24:13-35
24:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
24:14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,
24:16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
24:17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad.
24:18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?"
24:19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
24:20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.
24:21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.
24:22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,
24:23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.
24:24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him."
24:25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!
24:26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?"
24:27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
24:28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.
24:29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them.
24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
24:31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
24:32 They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"
24:33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
24:34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!"
24:35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
___________________________________________________________________Jesus was brutally killed and buried. Now, some folks are spreading a rumor that he is alive and coming to visit his followers. Then, Cleopas, the only named disciple in the gospel text, has this bizarre encounter with the Risen Lord who first exegetes all the scriptures, then breaks bread, then disappears before they can even ask to see those wounds that Thomas was adamant about seeing for himself.
I'm a theme kind of a person. Some weeks, trying to pull a unified theme from the lectionary readings is not easy. If I had to title the theme that stands out to me this week, I would call it "Slow Hearts, Same Grace."
I was astounded that in the encounter with Thomas, Jesus honors his doubts, his questions, his need for better understanding. And, I am astounded that the risen Christ continues to honor these questions, these doubts, by appearing to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus may very well be frustrated by a lack of understanding in his disciples; however, that does not keep him from providing for their needs. "In this broken bread, you are reminded of me." And, in that encounter, the grace bestowed on the first disciples to believe that he was alive is bestowed upon those who are "slow of heart" all the same.
In the Acts reading we see Peter preaching to folks, calling them out for not following Jesus at all, for, in fact, c0ntributing to his death. Instead of writing them off as lost, Peter shares with them the good news and gives them the opportunity to become followers of Christ as well. Slow of heart, they may be, but they receive the very same grace of Jesus anyway.
The patience of God may be what astounds me the most. I often feel slow of heart. I, like Paul, do those things I know I shouldn't and refuse to do what I know I should. And, yet, God continues to bestow upon me the same grace that was provided to Mary right outside the tomb. Slow heart, same grace. Thanks be to God!
This Week's Lectionary Texts
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
2:14a: But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.
2:36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."
2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"
2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2:39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him."
2:40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
2:41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
116:1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
116:2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
116:3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
116:4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, save my life!"
116:12 What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
116:13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
116:14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
116:16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
116:17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.
116:18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
116:19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
1 Peter 1:17-23
1:17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile.
1:18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,
1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
1:20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.
1:21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
1:22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.
1:23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
Luke 24:13-35
24:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
24:14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,
24:16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
24:17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad.
24:18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?"
24:19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
24:20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.
24:21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.
24:22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,
24:23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.
24:24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him."
24:25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!
24:26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?"
24:27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
24:28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.
24:29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them.
24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
24:31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
24:32 They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"
24:33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
24:34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!"
24:35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
This Week's Art
Some artwork that resonates for me with the texts this week.Clicking on the artists will take you to their websites.
Believe
© 2011 Kathleen Tennant
Misty Stream
© Sharon France
© Kristi Corbin
Thursday, April 28, 2011
What Now?
While the Easter season continues right up until the Day of Pentecost, following the big celebrations of Resurrection Sunday, I find myself asking, "What now?" I'm preparing my spirit for the "After Easter Let-Down" on Sunday and just saw the attached picture at textweek.com. My eye was first drawn to the finger of Thomas actually inserted into the wound in the side of Jesus. My first reaction was disgust.What now? What now that Jesus is alive? What now that death has been conquered? What now? Well, what happens now is a lot of doubt. What happens now is a whole lot of questions. What now? - is a whole lot of us Thomas-like folk saying, "I'll believe it when I see it for myself."
And, here is the thing with that. After I realized that I was disgusted by the picture, I suddenly felt myself drawn upward. First, to Jesus' eyes as he gazes gently down at Thomas and then to his hand that is actually guiding Thomas' own hand as he searches for the answers to his questions in the very body of the risen Christ.
What now? What happens after all the fanfare is over? What happens after all the eggs have been accounted for? What happens when the flowers on the crosses fade away? Doubt and questions happen. And, when those questions arise as if out of a dark tomb, Jesus is there gently guiding us further and further into his risen self.
What now? Yes, we must keep asking, "What now?"
_____________________
Image: Caravaggio at Hermanoleon
DOUBTS
Image Source Page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravishinglife/4011399439/
This is a scene from a television show that was on in the 90's called "Nothing Sacred." I've never forgotten this!
This is a scene from a television show that was on in the 90's called "Nothing Sacred." I've never forgotten this!
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