For Sunday, April 16, 2023, Readings: Acts
2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31
For David says concerning him, "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken, therefore my heart was glad...my heart will live in hope." [Acts 2:25-26]
O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;
it is you who uphold my lot….You will show me the path of life; in your
presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for
evermore. [Psalm 16:5,
11]
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... [1 Peter:3]
[Jesus] said to them, "Receive the Holy
Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them; if you retain
the sins of any, they are retained."...Jesus said to [Thomas], "Have
you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and
yet have come to believe." [John
20:22b-23, 29]
Dear Thomas, what infamy you
have achieved, quite unfairly, I think. You have become a label ~ "a Doubting
Thomas"~ for those who don't believe something without concrete proof. You
watched him die, being taken down from the Cross, placed in the tomb. Who of us
would not be doubtful of the claim of the Resurrection in that moment? You are
saddled with all the blame for your disbelief until your eyes beheld the Risen
Lord and touched his wounds. And yet, you were far from alone in your
skepticism. The other Gospel accounts all tell of your companion disciples
doubting. Luke 23:11 tells of them dismissing the women's account as an idle tale, and in Mark 16:11, when Mary
Magdalene tells them she had seen the risen Jesus, they would not believe. My personal favorite ~ in defense of you ~ is in Matthew 28:17
that says even when they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
Whenever any of us are unsure or
questioning of this preeminent event in the life of Christ, despite the Gospel
accounts and the significance to the whole of Christian theology and practice,
we are in good company! For me the story of Thomas and the other disciples'
initial disbelief, humanizes these men and brings them into this current time,
as did Peter's denial of Jesus, and Judas' betrayal, remorse, and suicide. We
know these people in our own lives, we are some of them when we struggle to
accept and understand all that we are told in the Christian/New Testament and
by those who have taught us from the pulpit or in our families. Our own doubt
seems unfaithful to those who say and think they must accept it all on faith
alone. Yet key elements of true faith for me are to constantly learn more,
think more, wonder more, examine more, and discuss more with others. If we
aren't questioning the tenets of our faith at various times, it seems to me
that we haven’t really discovered the specifics of what it is that we do
believe and why.
These Gospel moments
allow us to be who we are in this present time and relate to those who were
with Jesus and still wondered what his movement was all about even as they
moved forward with him. Each time I read this Sunday’s and other accounts of
Christ’s life, teachings, death, and resurrection, or any part of any of the
Gospels and Epistles, I discover something new and often profound.
Whatever I believe about the Resurrection
and its significance to our Christian faith, in moments of human wavering or in
absolute certainty, I try to remember the words of King David from Peter's quotes in
Acts 2. David isn't known for unwavering fidelity to God's Commandments! Yet these words for me form the crux of
the message of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah which is to see the Lord always before me, to live in hope, and to follow the path of life He has shown me, as well as I can,
through all of this life's trials. There is no better time than this moment
to ponder those thoughts. The Presence of Christ is always within us, and our faith,
however shaky at times, is the vehicle that keeps us upright and guides our
thoughts and actions through trial and triumph. Un-doubt-edly in our human mistakes and wanderings, the writer of 1 Peter 1:4 reminds
us quite specifically that what we have been given by the resurrection is: an
inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading...
Dear Thomas, I firmly
believe that Jesus wasn’t scolding you, he was speaking to all present then and
all of us now, in love, compassion, and the utmost understanding of our human foibles and failings.
Whether seen or unseen, the results of living in faith, as
Christ teaches through the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40], will be a gift to
ourselves and to others in our mortal time and in the time to come, by receiving the
outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. [1 Peter 1:9]. I’m reminded of a title of a book by
the late Dr. Wayne Dyer, You’ll See It When You
Believe It. And even when we struggle in claiming our beliefs, our place in Jesus
is always saved. For now, for always, Christ IS Risen! Alleluia!
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O
Christ Risen! How often have we simply walked through the penitence of
Lent, the excitement of Palm Sunday, the passion of Holy Week, and the joyful
celebration of Your miraculous Resurrection, taking it all for granted because
it happens for us every year? In this and all times of trial, open our
hearts to truly REJOICE as if for the first time. You have suffered, died,
and Resurrected for each of us. Thomas saw and
believed, help us to simply believe in the gift of our
salvation.
Jesus, Messiah
RESPONSE:
Our Living and Eternal
Hope
~ O Christ Risen! Grant us
new courage to refresh our faith in eternal life, and the energy in this life
to challenge the leaders of this planet, this nation, and this community, to
provide a Just, Safe, and Mercy-filled life for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your
own petitions
Jesus, Messiah
Our
Living and Eternal Hope
~ O Christ Risen! Ease the
hearts of those who are sick, fearful, or life weary in mind, body, or soul,
and grant energy, strength, and resilience to all who give them care. We
now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Jesus, Messiah
Our
Living and Eternal Hope
~ O Christ Risen! Our joy
at Your resurrection is tempered with our grief at the loss of those we love.
Yet in faith we can rejoice knowing they are with You in the miracle of their resurrection
into Your eternal promise. We pray especially for… add your own
petitions
Jesus, Messiah
Our
Living and Eternal Hope
~ O Christ Risen! We pause in
this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
Jesus, Messiah
Our
Living and Eternal Hope
~ O Christ
Risen! Refresh and renew those who guide us in Your
Church as they seek and find ever more inspiring ways
to reach us with the continuing Good News of our own
salvation. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
Jesus, Messiah
Our
Living and Eternal Hope
The Celebrant adds: Creator
of All There Is, Seen and Unseen, shelter us when we retreat into
doubt, remind us to seek Your Path through this life, to set You always before
ourselves, and to forgive as we are forgiven by faith in the imperishable
inheritance of our salvation to come. We ask
this through Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life; and the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom
of our Souls; who together with You, reign as One God, forever and
beyond. Amen.
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