Title: Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life
Author: Henri Nouwen
Publisher: Doubleday
Year: 1975
162 pages
Using personal anecdotes as examples, Henri Nouwen, in his book "Reaching Out", offers hope to his readers that "Christian spirituality is worth the effort." In his effort to do so, he writes about the importance of reaching out to the world in three ways - internally, externally, and spiritually - in order to create the intimacy with God that is the basis for Christian spirituality.
In the first section, Nouwen speaks about a move from loneliness to solitude. The culture of the world in the 21st century is one of a "keep busy" nature. We tend to live on schedules and routines and when there is a blank spot in our calendar, we automatically assume that we have either forgotten to do something or that we need to fill that time. It doesn't feel natural to simply sit in silence, or to enjoy brief periods of "alone-time", or find time for prayer. According to Nouwen, building in time for quiet solitude into your daily, or weekly, schedule can help to increase your compassion, for self and others, as well as your connection to God, as he declares, "in a surprisingly new way" (p. 62).
Nouwen then goes on to write about hostility versus hospitality. He states, "our changing relationship to ourself can be brought to fruition in an ever-changing relationship to our fellow human beings" (p. 64). A large part of the Christian spiritual life is creating space for the stranger, which is hard to accomplish if you haven't created space for yourself. By developing self-compassion, one is able to form hospitable environments for other human beings, develop compassion for others' situations, and to learn how to reach out to one's neighbour with love.
In the final section of the book, Nouwen discusses the hardest part of the Christian spiritual life, our relationship with God. While it seems that having a relationship with God would be something that would be assumed and come naturally for anyone calling themselves a believer, it isn't always that easy. Learning how to pray is important yet difficult. We have hard questions to ask of God, the bible is full of descriptions of a violent and vengeful God, and sometimes it's hard to have a conversation with someone who doesn't respond in the way we would expect. In this last section, Nouwen discusses some ways to put prayer into your life, as well as speaking on the importance of having both an individual and community-based prayer life.
"Reaching Out" is an excellent book for anyone who is looking for some guidance to improve their relationship with themselves, with others, and with God. While Nouwen doesn't give outright answers (to which he does warn readers in his introduction), he has an amazing ability to relate to his readers through personal examples and thoughtful questions. I would recommend "Reaching Out" to anyone wanting to do an examination of their spiritual life.
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Let Faith Open Your Eyes
The Third
Sunday in Easter
**Please note this service is based on
the format of the Anglican Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all
prayers come from the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) and the hymns from the
Book of Common Praise (BCP). Other hymns and prayers have been sourced to give
appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the
readings, unless otherwise stated.
**This is for
personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship
but together we can worship in our own homes.
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, open
to us the scriptures; make our hearts burn within us while you speak. (Luke 24:32)
Living God,
Long ago,
faithful women proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, and the world
was changed forever. Teach us to keep faith with them, that our witness may be
as bold, our love as deep, and our faith as true. Amen. (Revised Common
Lectionary Prayers)
Opening Hymn – Lord, We Hear Your Word with
Gladness (BCP #447)
The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Alleluia!
Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
May his grace
and peace be with you.
May he fill our hearts with joy.
Collect for Purity
The Gloria
Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
O God, your
Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes
of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who is alive and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Readings
A reading from
the Book of Acts 2:14a,36-41
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. Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that
God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
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?” 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. 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.” And he testified with many other arguments and
exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those
who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand
persons were added.
The word of
the Lord.
Thanks be the God.
Psalm 116
I love the
Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *
because he has
inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him.
The
cords of death entangled me;
the
grip of the grave took hold of me; *
I
came to grief and sorrow.
Then I called
upon the Name of the Lord: *
"O Lord,
I pray you, save my life."
Gracious
is the Lord and righteous; *
our
God is full of compassion.
The Lord
watches over the innocent; *
I was brought
very low, and he helped me.
Turn
again to your rest, O my soul. *
for
the Lord has treated you well.
For you have
rescued my life from death, *
my eyes from
tears, and my feet from stumbling.
I
will walk in the presence of the Lord *
in
the land of the living.
I believed,
even when I said,
"I have
been brought very low." *
In my distress
I said, "No one can be trusted."
How
shall I repay the Lord *
for
all the good things he has done for me?
I will lift up
the cup of salvation *
and call upon
the Name of the Lord.
I
will fulfill my vows to the Lord *
in
the presence of all his people.
Precious in
the sight of the Lord *
is the death
of his servants.
O
Lord, I am your servant; *
I
am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
you
have freed me from my bonds.
I will offer
you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and call upon
the Name of the Lord.
I
will fulfill my vows to the Lord *
in
the presence of all his people,
In the courts
of the Lord's house, *
in the midst
of you, O Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, *
and
to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in
the beginning, is now, *
and will be
for ever. Amen.
A reading from
the First Letter of Peter 1:17-23
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. You know that
you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with
perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ,
like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the
foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.
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.
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. You have been
born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and
enduring word of God.
The word of
the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hymn – He Comes to Us AS
One Unknown (Words from BCP #456)
The Lord be
with you.
And also with you.
The Holy
Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. 24:13-35
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of
Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon
The
people have just witnessed the passion and crucifixion of Jesus. Now what? Some
hang about waiting to see what comes next, because they have heard the stories
that Jesus was to be the saviour of the people. They weren’t expecting him to
die without accomplishing that feat.
The
majority of the people who had been present that fateful morning were not from
Jerusalem and are now making their way home.
That’s
what these two people in Luke’s account are doing; they are headed home to a
village called Emmaus, and they are talking about everything that had happened.
While
they were walking, a man suddenly appeared and asked what they were talking
about. The men couldn’t believe that there was anyone around that wasn’t aware
of everything that had happened in the last few days.
When
you read this passage, it easy to say “how did these two not know that it was
Jesus who was walking with them?”
But
Luke doesn’t say they didn’t recognize him. He says “their eyes were kept from
recognizing him”. It’s not like they wouldn’t remember what Jesus looked like.
They had just watched him die on a cross only 3 days prior!
“Their
eyes were kept from recognizing him” – Jesus has veiled his identity from the
two in front of him. He appears to them but he doesn’t allow them to recognize
that it is really him.
It’s as if Jesus wants to hear what
they have to say about him and about what happened.
Cleopas, the only of the two to be
named, told the story of the last three days, but in doing, reduces Jesus from
the Messiah to a prophet – “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a
prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.”
Cleopas has lost his faith, his
hope. To Cleopas, Jesus was to have been to saviour and redeemer of Israel but
three days after his death, nothing has changed in the world.
So he decided to leave Jerusalem and
go home, believing the Jesus had only been a prophet, not the promised Messiah.
Surprisingly, this is even after he
admitted the fact that he knew about the empty tomb, that he had heard the
story from the women who had visited Jesus’ tomb and found it empty.
Until this point, Jesus had been
listening patiently, knowing better than anyone what had happened at cavalry,
but once Cleopas admitted the fact that he still didn’t believe that Jesus was
alive even after receiving the report of the empty tomb and the message from
the angels, Jesus rebuked the men.
He rebuked them for their lack of
faith, for not believing the prophets who had come before Jesus. These men
would have known the scriptures. They would have heard the stories of Moses and
Isaiah and all the prophets who foretold of a Messiah who would have to “suffer
before entering into his glory.”
And yet, even after hearing stories
of Jesus’ life and ministry, after witnessing his death, and after receiving
the message from the tomb, Cleopas has chosen to not believe the prophets from
whom he would have grown up learning.
He is lacking faith.
Jesus called them foolish men and
could have stormed off in disgust. But he doesn’t.
He meets them where they are, in
their pain and their doubt, in their brokenness and their lack of faith. And
then evangelizes to them through the scriptures as they walked the road to
Emmaus.
When Jesus finally reveals himself
to Cleopas and his companion, it is through his words at the table that were
identical to the words used at the last supper in the upper room. Jesus reveals
himself and then disappears, leaving the two to realize the burning fire of
faith renewed in their hearts.
Once that faith was restored, their
eyes were opened once again.
The fulfillment of the prophets did
not end with the resurrection of Jesus. It is happening every day as our faith
burns within us.
As he did with Cleopas and his
companion, Jesus walks with us through our pain and sadness, doubts and fear,
and even, or especially, our loss of faith.
It’s easy to lose our faith and to
be blind to what’s before us, especially in times of fear and sadness as we are
experiencing during this pandemic, mass shootings, poverty, war…
Jesus walks with us down our own
road to Emmaus and it is our faith in Jesus that will open our eyes to the
beauty and glory of his resurrection.
It’s okay to doubt. Doubt is not the
opposite of faith, in fact it is a requirement of faith. Honestly, in light of
all the death and trauma and disappointment and tragedy that colors every human
life, it’s not really surprising that we would have at least some difficulty
believing the promise that God not only raised one person, Jesus, from the
dead, but also promises new life and second chances and forgiveness and grace
to all.
But it is our faith in Jesus that
will give us the strength to keep moving forward, to support one another from
afar, and to be witness to the beauty that can be found in the world even in
the face of the horrific situation we currently find ourselves in.
Affirmation of Faith
Let us confess
the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:
The Prayers of the
People
Holy God,
You invite us
to bring our doubts and fears, our joys and concerns, our petitions and praise,
and offer them for the earth and all its creatures, (Revised
Common Lectionary Prayers) saying:
Lord, hear our prayer.
(From the
book of Intercessions for the Christian People) Let us pray.
For the church
universal and for this community of faith, that we may wholeheartedly devote
ourselves to the apostolic teaching, to common life, to the breaking of bread,
and the life of prayer, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
For all
nations and people of this wide earth, that we may be delivered from human devices
of oppression, and from false idols and futile ways, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
That all who
grieve or who are desperate or haunted by violence may know the hidden strength
of Christ present, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
For the homeless,
those without bread, those tempted by vengeance and driven to rage, that they
may find refuge and strength in the one who walks with them, let us pray to the
Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
For the
children of calamity, and for our own children, that they may come to know and to
claim the promises of God to all generations, near and far off, let us pray to
the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer.
Please take time to offer your own intercessions or to pray
in silence.
Living Jesus, whose
presence on our daily road we often fail to see; warm our hearts with fresh
confidence in your Word, so that, in making room for the stranger beside us, we
find your hospitality awaiting us, and the reassurance of your presence to
inspire us to tread the road again and to share the good news of your
resurrection life. Amen. (Posted on the Monthly Prayers page of the Christian Aid
website. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/)
Gathering our
prayers together, let us pray as Christ has taught us,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
And deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.
Confession and
Absolution
Dear friends
in Christ,
God is
steadfast in love and infinite in mercy; God welcomes sinners and invites them
to the table. Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
(Silence)
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against
you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left
undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our
neighbour as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake
of your son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we might
delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.
Almighty God,
have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and
strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The peace of
the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Prayer over the Gifts
**Although not physically at our church buildings to share
our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside
so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to
mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember
ministry is still taking place.
Let us pray.
Creator of
all, you wash away our sins in water, you give us new birth by the spirit, and
redeem us in the blood of Christ. As we celebrate the resurrection, renew your
gift of life within us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord.
Amen.
Blessing
May God,
who comes to
us
in the things
of this world,
bless your
eyes
and be in your
seeing.
May Christ,
who looks upon
you
with deepest
love,
bless your
eyes
and widen your
gaze.
May the
Spirit,
who perceives
what is
and what may
yet be,
bless your
eyes
and sharpen
your vision.
May the Sacred
Three
bless your
eyes
and cause you
to see. Amen.
(From In
the Sanctuary of Women, copyright © Jan L. Richardson. Posted on the painted prayerbook. http://paintedprayerbook.com/)
Closing
Hymn –
You Are Salt for the Earth (BCP #502)
Dismissal
Go forth into the world, rejoicing in
the power of the Spirit. Alleluia!
Thanks be
to God. Alleluia!
Friday, April 17, 2020
Thomas: Doubter or Realist?
Second Sunday of
Easter
**Please note this service is based on the
format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise
indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and
other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit to the best of my ability.
**This is for personal use at home as
the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can
worship in our own homes.
Introduction to the day
In today’s gospel the risen Christ
appears to the disciples and offers them the gift of peace. Even amid doubts
and questions, we experience the resurrection in our Sunday gathering around
word and meal, and in our everyday lives. Throughout the coming Sundays of
Easter the first two readings will be from the Acts of the Apostles and the
first letter of Peter. Even as the early Christians proclaimed the
resurrection, we rejoice in the new birth and living hope we receive in
baptism.
GATHERING
The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.
CONFESSION AND
FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who forgives all our sin,
whose mercy endures forever.
Amen.
God of all mercy and consolation, come
to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give
us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your
forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence
of God and of one another.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we are captive to sin
and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and
deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved
you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the
sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and
lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the
glory of your holy name.
Amen.
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus
Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins.
As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his
authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins,
in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the
Holy Spirit.
Amen.
THANKSGIVING
FOR BAPTISM
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
the fountain of living water,
the rock who gave us birth,
our light and our salvation.
Amen.
Joined to Christ in the waters of
baptism,
we are clothed with God's mercy and
forgiveness.
Let us give thanks for the gift of
baptism.
We give you thanks, O God,
for in the beginning your Spirit moved
over the waters
and by your Word you created the world,
calling forth life in which you took
delight.
Through the waters of the flood you
delivered Noah and his family.
Through the sea you led your people
Israel from slavery into freedom.
At the river your Son was baptized by
John and anointed with the Holy Spirit.
By water and your Word you claim us as
daughters and sons,
making us heirs of your promise and
servants of all.
We praise you for the gift of water
that sustains life,
and above all we praise you for the
gift of new life in Jesus Christ.
Shower us with your Spirit,
and renew our lives with your
forgiveness, grace, and love.
To you be given honor and praise
through Jesus Christ our Lord
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now
and forever.
Amen.
GATHERING SONG All Creatures
Of Our God And King
Performed by The Tabernacle Choir
All creatures of our God and kingLift up your voices and with us sing
Alleluia, alleluia
Thou burning with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in heaven a long
Alleluia, alleluia
Thou rising morn in praise rejoice
Ye light of evening find a voice
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Thou flowing water pure and clear
Make music for thy Lord to hear
Alleluia, alleluia
Thou fire so masterful and bright
That gives to man both warmth and light
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be
with you all.
And also with you.
KYRIE
Have mercy on us, Lord, and hear our
solemn prayer.
We come to hear your living word; it
saves us from despair.
Have mercy on us, Christ, and wash away
our sin.
Pour out your grace and make us whole
that new life may begin.
Have mercy on us, Lord, make sin and
shame depart.
Renew us with your saving pow’r; create in us new hearts!
PRAYER OF THE
DAY
Let us pray.
(silence)
Almighty and eternal God, the strength
of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not
seen, have faith in you and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
A reading from the
Book of Acts 2:14a, 22-32
After the Holy Spirit comes to the apostles on Pentecost, Peter preaches
the gospel to the gathered crowd. He tells them that Jesus, who obediently went
to his death according to God’s plan, was raised from the dead by God. Finally,
he appeals to scripture, quoting Psalm 16:8-11, to show that Jesus is the
Messiah: though crucified, the risen Jesus is now enthroned.
14aPeter, standing with the eleven, raised
his voice and addressed [the crowd], 22“You that are
Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to
you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him
among you, as you yourselves know—23this man, handed over to you according
to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the
hands of those outside the law. 24But God raised him up, having freed him
from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25For 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;
26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29“Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
‘He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.’
32This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.”
‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29“Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
‘He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.’
32This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 16
1Protect me, O God, for I take
ref- | uge in you;
I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good a- | bove all other.”
2All my delight is in the godly that are | in the land,
upon those who are noble a- | mong the people.
3But those who run after | other gods
shall have their troubles | multiplied.
4I will not pour out drink offerings | to such gods,
never take their names up- | on my lips.
5O Lord, you are my portion | and my cup;
it is you who up- | hold my lot.
6My boundaries enclose a | pleasant land;
indeed, I have a | rich inheritance.
7I will bless the Lord who | gives me counsel;
my heart teaches me night | after night.
8I have set the Lord al- | ways before me;
because God is at my right hand, I shall | not be shaken.
9My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spir- | it rejoices;
my body also shall | rest in hope.
10For you will not abandon me | to the grave,
nor let your holy one | see the pit.
11You will show me the | path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for- | evermore.
I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good a- | bove all other.”
2All my delight is in the godly that are | in the land,
upon those who are noble a- | mong the people.
3But those who run after | other gods
shall have their troubles | multiplied.
4I will not pour out drink offerings | to such gods,
never take their names up- | on my lips.
5O Lord, you are my portion | and my cup;
it is you who up- | hold my lot.
6My boundaries enclose a | pleasant land;
indeed, I have a | rich inheritance.
7I will bless the Lord who | gives me counsel;
my heart teaches me night | after night.
8I have set the Lord al- | ways before me;
because God is at my right hand, I shall | not be shaken.
9My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spir- | it rejoices;
my body also shall | rest in hope.
10For you will not abandon me | to the grave,
nor let your holy one | see the pit.
11You will show me the | path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for- | evermore.
A reading from the
First Letter of Peter 1:3-9
This epistle was written to encourage Christians experiencing hardships
and suffering because of their faith in Christ. The letter opens by blessing
God for the living hope we have through Christ’s resurrection even amid
difficult circumstances and surroundings.
3Blessed 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, 4and into an
inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for
you, 5who are being
protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, even if now for a
little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7so that the
genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though
perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and
honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Although you have not seen him, you
love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and
rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving
the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL
ACCLAMATION
Alleluia! Lord and Savior: open now
your saving word.
Let it burn like fire within us; speak
until our hearts are stirred.
Alleluia! Lord, we sing for the good news that you bring.
The holy gospel
according to John 20:19-31
Glory to you, O Lord.
The risen Jesus appears to his disciples, offering them a benediction, a
commission, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But one of their number is
missing, and his unbelief prompts another visit from the Lord.
19When it was evening on that day, the
first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met
were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
“Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his
hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them
again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said
this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins
of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained.”
24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.”
26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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.
24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.”
26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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.
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Homily
Thomas is one of those disciples that we don’t really hear
much about. He only comes up a few times, but his story, heard on the second Sunday
of Easter in all three lectionary years, is quite a significant one.
Here’s the lowdown.
After Jesus is crucified, the boys hunker down in the upper
room where they last feasted with Jesus, locking themselves away from the
authorities. They are hiding out, waiting for things to blow over.
And they are grieving.
Well, most of them are anyway. Obviously Judas isn’t there,
but strangely neither is Thomas.
While they are hiding, Jesus appears to them saying “Peace
be with you”. Jesus shows them his wounds as proof that it really is him.
Not that the disciples should have needed proof, if they
had been listening to everything Jesus had been saying to them leading up to
his death.
But I digress.
Now John, in his Gospel, doesn’t tell us why Thomas isn’t
there but sermon after sermon has assumed that Thomas was a doubter and lost
his faith when Jesus died on the cross.
Try to put yourself in Thomas’ shoes.
How would you feel after watching your teacher, mentor, friend
die such a gruesome death?
Maybe Thomas preferred to grieve alone so chose not to go
to the upper room with the rest of the guys?
Every week, I get an email from a blog called In the Meantime,
written by David Lose. His message about Thomas’ story was different than any I’ve
heard before, and it makes sense to me.
What if Thomas, after watching Jesus die on the cross, wasn’t
in the room with the others because he had already gone back to his life?
Through the last few weeks, as we do our own hunkering down
because of COVID-19, there is a lot of chatter about the “new normal”, how it
will be nice to “get back to normal”, and “what will normal look like” after
all this is finished.
I have doubts about many things these days like will this
ever end, and what will like look like in a few days, weeks, months?
How many of us will have doubt about re-entering the world
after we are given the “all clear”?
Perhaps Thomas’ absence from the upper room that day Jesus
first appeared wasn’t about doubt and having lost faith.
As Mr. Lose ponders, “Maybe
it’s because, unlike the other disciples who are hiding behind locked doors,
Thomas has already accepted what has happened, has moved on, and is now out and
about rebuilding his life from the fractured pieces that were left to him after
the horrific events of Good Friday.”
Even though Thomas has been labelled as the doubter, he
does show courage in his few portrayals in the Gospels, including being the
only one urging the disciples to follow Jesus to Jerusalem, even though it may
mean their death (John 11:16).
Thomas is also a realist. He accepted Jesus’ death at face
value, grieved in his own way, and went back to life.
Thomas watched his friend die an agonizing death, so is it
really a surprise that he doesn’t believe his friends when they tell him what
happened in that room, when they tell him they have seen Jesus?
Mr. Lose has this thought about Thomas’ reaction: “his noticeable change in tune is less about
simply coming to faith and more about realizing that, after the resurrection,
reality itself had changed and there would be no normal to go back to.”
Thomas declares his acceptance “my Lord and my God!” and by
all appearances, Jesus rebukes him, but really Jesus is blessing both immediate
believers and future believers, and then challenging us all to live in a post-resurrection
“new normal”.
Pieces of us have died as our isolation continues. We are
grieving the loss of regular activities, whether work or play, community
groups, coffee with friends, and dinners with family.
Our Holy Week and Easter looked nothing like “normal” and Easter
dinners were almost non-existent.
We are grieving, and that’s okay.
We have doubts about the future, and that’s okay.
We also have faith that Jesus is with us through all of it,
that God is present in our lives even as we question the world around us.
Jesus walks with us through the pain of figuring out what
normal is now and what normal will be tomorrow, next week, next month, next
year.
When
we resurrect from this pandemic, nothing will be the same.
And I say Amen to
that, because changes were needed!
Let us take up Jesus’ challenge together and
find the blessings that exist, even in these strange and isolating times.
(Silence)
HYMN OF THE
DAY “I Will Not Be Shaken” by Steve Bell
CREED
Let us confess the faith of our baptism as we say:
We believe in one God,
the Father, the
Almighty,
maker of heaven and
earth,
of all that is, seen
and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of
the Father,
God from God, Light
from Light,
true God from true
God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the
Father;
through him all
things were made.
For us and for our
salvation
he came down from
heaven,
was incarnate of the
Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly
human.
For our sake he was
crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and
was buried.
On the third day he
rose again
in accordance with
the scriptures;
he ascended into
heaven
and is seated at the
right hand of the Father.
He will come again in
glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will
have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the
Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the
Father and the Son,
who with the Father
and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken
through the prophets.
We believe in one
holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one
baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the
resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the
world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS OF
INTERCESSION
Uplifted by the promised hope of healing and resurrection, we join the
people of God in all times and places in praying for the church, the world, and
all who are in need.
Open the doors we close, O God, when we
fear those who worship you in different ways. Guide us to unity and harmony so
that we may come to respect and cherish our commonalities. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Open the paths we ignore, O God, when
we prioritize financial gain and convenience over listening to the groaning of
the earth. Inspire all to care for the world you have made so that living
things might thrive. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Open the rooms we lock, O God, to those
who live without a homeland or place of safety. We pray that generous nations
offer refuge and peace for all. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Open the hearts we close, O God, to the
cries of those in pain. We pray for those isolated physically or emotionally
through incarceration, addiction, mental illness, chronic suffering, grief, and
all in need (name aloud or in your hearts all those for whom need your
prayers). Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Open the ways of love, O God, in the
pursuit of peace throughout the world, and bless the efforts of missionaries,
healthcare professionals, activists for women and children, and relief workers,
especially those who find themselves in harm’s way. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Open the way to eternal life, O God, as
we remember those who have died in faith. Free us from the fear of death, that
we embrace the peace you have promised. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
With bold confidence in your love,
almighty God, we place all for whom we pray into your eternal care; through
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
OFFERING
** Although not physically at our
church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set
your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the
church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make
donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.**
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with your free Spirit.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with your free Spirit.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
OFFERING
PRAYER
Let us pray.
Blessed are you, O God, ruler of heaven
and earth. Day by day you shower us with blessings. As you have raised us to
new life in Christ, give us glad and generous hearts, ready to praise you and
to respond to those in need, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
PREFACE
It is indeed right, our duty and our
joy,
that we should at all times and in all
places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty
and merciful God,
for the glorious resurrection of our
Savior Jesus Christ,
the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself
to take away our sin;
who in dying has destroyed death,
and in rising has brought us to eternal
life.
And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter
and all the witnesses of the resurrection,
with earth and sea and all their
creatures,
and with angels and archangels,
cherubim and seraphim,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
HOLY, HOLY,
HOLY
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heav’n and earth are full of your
glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest,
hosanna in the highest.
LORD’S PRAYER
Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your
name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in
heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from
evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are
yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Let us pray.
Life-giving God, in the mystery of
Christ’s resurrection you send light to conquer darkness, water to give new
life, and the bread of life to nourish your people. Send us forth as witnesses
to your Son’s resurrection, that we may show your glory to all the world,
through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.
Amen.
BLESSING
The God of steadfastness and
encouragement
grant you to live in harmony with one
another,
in accordance with Christ Jesus.
Amen.
The God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The God of all grace ☩ bless you now and forever.
Amen.
SENDING SONG Alleluia!
Christ Is Arisen (ELW 375)
Performed by
the National Lutheran Choir
Listen Here
Refrain
Alleluia! Christ is arisen.
Bright is the dawning of the Lord's day.
1 Run, faithful women, to the grave-side.
Marvel, the stone is rolled away!
Hear from the angel, "He is risen."
Christ goes before you all the way. Refrain
2 Rise, Magdalena, from your weeping;
Christ stands before your very eyes.
Quickly return to the disciples;
bear the good news: "He is alive." Refrain
3 Gather, disciples, in the evening:
suddenly Christ your Lord appears.
"Look, it is I, your wounded Savior.
Peace be with you, and do not fear." Refrain
4 Thomas, where were you on that evening?
"I'll not believe unless I see."
Christ comes again, and ev'ry Lord's day:
"Touch me and see; have faith in me." Refrain
Refrain
Alleluia! Christ is arisen.
Bright is the dawning of the Lord's day.
1 Run, faithful women, to the grave-side.
Marvel, the stone is rolled away!
Hear from the angel, "He is risen."
Christ goes before you all the way. Refrain
2 Rise, Magdalena, from your weeping;
Christ stands before your very eyes.
Quickly return to the disciples;
bear the good news: "He is alive." Refrain
3 Gather, disciples, in the evening:
suddenly Christ your Lord appears.
"Look, it is I, your wounded Savior.
Peace be with you, and do not fear." Refrain
4 Thomas, where were you on that evening?
"I'll not believe unless I see."
Christ comes again, and ev'ry Lord's day:
"Touch me and see; have faith in me." Refrain
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Share the good news.
Thanks be to God.
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