We are not alone.

 Scripture: Acts 17:22-31  • Psalm 66:8-20  • 1 Peter 3:13-22  • John 14:15-21

This week Jesus tells his disciples, and us, two weeks before the Pentecost (birthday of the church) that we are not alone. He said he will ask the Father, and He will send another Advocate, the παράκλητος (paraclete), a helper, counselor, who provides guidance, consolation, strength, and support to us.

The Rev. Jason Cox, in "Paul: Appealing or Appalling" (I would have called it "Taking it to the Greeks," gives us insight into what God, and this Advocate, is like, as Paul appeals to the Greeks in Athens,  the birthplace of western philosophy, at the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in the shadow of idols of Greek gods and goddesses.  The Greeks, like us, were searchers, as is evidenced by their monument to the "unknown God." What did they, and do we search for? What idols stand in our way of seeing God, and receiving God's help. In what ways is God, and his Advocate present today?

In "Orphaned? Reflections on John 14:15-21," The Rev. Dr. Anna Hosemann-Butler, poignantly tells and shows us that we are not alone.

In this Sunday's Scripture, Jesus gives us a new commandment, Love one another. As I have loved you, love one another."  And then he tells us how to love one another, as he loves us. By keeping his commandments.  In "Love and Obedience," Debie Thomas says, "Everything else we say and do as believers in Christ comes down to this.  Prayer, evangelism, repentance, generosity, asking, seeking, alms-giving, truth-telling, honoring, serving, feeding, sharing… all of it, in the end, comes down to love.  The essential question, the searing question, is this: Do we love one another as Jesus has loved us?  Or do we not?  He says, 'Love one another as I have loved you.'  As in,  for real.  As in, the whole bona fide package.  Authentic feeling, honest engagement, generous action." Not just acting in rote obedience. But as she, and our other authors say, We don't have to do what seems impossible ourselves. We are not alone. As we say, and believe, when we reaffirm our baptismal covenant, "We will, with God's help." Thanks be to God.

Do you know the Way?

 Scripture: Acts 7:55-60  • Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16  • 1 Peter 2:2-10  • John 14:1-14

This week's readings contain the imagery of rocks and stones - the stoning of Stephen, the rock of refuge and fortress in Psalm 31, and living stones building a spiritual house, believing on the living stone which is the cornerstone the builders rejected. See "And then the Stones Cried Out, " by Native American writer Coyote Terry Aleck and Melanie Delva.

These passages are read together with this

week's gospel account in which Jesus tells us

he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and 

that he goes to prepare a house for us - that

in his Father's house there are many mansions.

That no one comes to the Father except by him.

What does he mean? What is the way?

What are false gods? Do you know the way? 

See Debie Thomas' "You Know the Way," and

 Susan Butterworth's "All We Need."

Is Jesus inclusive or exclusive in his statement

that no one comes to the Father except by him?

Consider "No Power Shortage Here, " by The Rev.

Dr. Fred A. Anderson.

The Gate of the Good Shepherd

 Scripture: Acts 2:42-47  • Psalm 23  • 1 Peter 2:19-25  • John 10:1-10

This is Good Shepherd Sunday in Lectionary Year A. This year we read the first part of the Good Shepherd story in John's gospel, verses 1-10. In Year B, we read verses 11-18. In this year's lesson, Jesus is telling his diverse audience about the shepherd who is the one who enters by the gate, who calls the sheep by name, whose sheep know him, and that he is the gate of the sheep. 

 At another point, Jesus says that he who enters by him (the Gate) will be saved. He leads the sheep in and out, and they will find pasture. Read this in conjunction with the 23rd Psalm. Jesus says that all who came before him were thieves and bandits, who came to destroy, but the sheep did not listen to them. In contrast, Jesus said he came that they might have life, and life abundantly.

Does this mean, as we hear so many Christians say, that Jesus only offers salvation and life to a select few? What does Jesus mean when he says he is the Gate? Read The Rev. Whitney Rice's "The Gate," and Debie Thomas' "I am the Gate."

Commenting on the passage from Acts, Dan Clendenin writes about finding the sacred in every day living in "Miracles and the Mundane."

The picture above is of the fence and Gate to Alex's garden. We worked together to clear, hoe, plant and sow the garden, and even to paint the fence and gate. Working in the garden helps me understand Jesus as the Gate, as well as the Garden of Gethsemane, the vine and the branches, the parable of the sower, and the 23rd Psalm.

Recognizing the risen Christ

 Scripture: Acts 2:14a, 36-41  • Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19  • 1 Peter 1:17-23  • Luke 24:13-35

As we read Luke's account of Cleopas and his friend on the Road to Emmaus, let us consider how we, like them, miss seeing the risen Christ. What blind spots do we have along the journeys of our lives which cause us to miss the fullness of the joy he brings, and the opportunity to welcome him into our lives. How often do we miss the opportunity to feed his sheep, and welcome the stranger.

In "Joy for the Journey: Reflections on the Walk to Emmaus," by Alyce M. McKenzie, among other things, she tells us Jesus is our companion on the way, but we do not recognize him.

I love Dan Clendenin's perspective, drawing on famous paintings, literature, and poetry in recognizing the risen Christ. Enjoy his Dinner at Emmaeus.

I believe the author of 1 Peter gives us the best way to avoid missing the presence of the Lord when he says "...love one another deeply from the heart."

What if we are disappointed when what we hoped for seems lost? Read Debie Thomas' "But We Had Hoped." 

Scars, Doubt, Faith and Belief

 

Scripture: Acts 2:14a, 22-32  • Psalm 16  • 1 Peter 1:3-9  • John 20:19-31

This second Sunday of the Easter season we read about witnesses to the Resurrected Jesus - Peter, the disciples, and finally "doubting" Thomas. In fairness to Thomas, he, like us, wants to see the evidence in order to believe. He said he would not believe until he could put his fingers in the mark of the nails, and his hand in Jesus' side, which was pierced. When it came right down to it, Thomas did not have to do that when he experienced the presence of the Lord.

Two of our articles this week concern the scars of Christ. See Deacon Sil Galvan's "The Wounded Healer," and Katherine K. Whitley's "Jesus of the Scars" What is the significance of the scars Jesus bore?

 Three articles are about faith. The Rev. Katherine Walker's "Fairh: More than a five letter word," Debie Thomas' "Unless I See," which also considers the scars of Christ and what they can mean to us, and Kirk Kubicek's "Shalom: Faithful to the Dream of God."

We have spent a lot of time during Lent reading, listening and discussing the presence of Christ. In the context of this week's gospel, enjoy the delightful imagined story of the disciple Thomas answering his grandson's questions about his encounter with the resurrected Christ in The Rev. Dr. Laura Mendenhall's "Dealing with Mystery."

Jesus said "Blessed are those who have not seen, but yet have come to believe." What does it take for us to believe in the risen and present Christ?

He is risen! And among us.

 Scripture: Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6  • Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24  • Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43  

• John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10

Because of Easter, we are able to ask "Where will Jesus meet us?" Just as Jesus told Mary to tell the disciples that he was going ahead to Galilee, and he would meet them there, we are also invited to meet Jesus. Where, and what are the Galilees of our lives? Think about what happened in Galilee during Jesus' ministry. Will we recognize him? See Sister Kym Harris' "This Sunday's Exposition ."

This is a time to reflect on how we are blessed. Consider Jesus' sermon on the mount (or plain, depending on which gospel account you read), and Sister Harris' "Reflection. Notice who carries Jesus' message to the disciples.

Barbara Brown Taylor has some thoughts on where Jesus turns up. See her " Escape from the Tomb." The living one's business is with the living. He is among the living. Taylor reminds us not to be so focused on the tomb that we forget to speak with the gardener.

May you have a blessed Easter, and a blessed life. He lives!

Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday - Love Divine, All Love Excelling

 

Scripture: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29  • Matthew 21:1-11   • Philippians 2:5-11

We are invited this week to see things as God sees them. Jesus' triumphant entry into David's City riding on a young colt with its mother over coats and cut palm branches contrast with the martial display of occupying Caesar's troops. A contrast in power.

In "Victory," The Rev. Bernie Pearson's gives us a wonderful account of tge significance of the use of Palms on Palm Sunday, and tells us, "We as Christians are called to live in the light of this victory. Not by sugar-coating life and pretending it’s all hunky-dory, but by looking death in the eye and not flinching. We as Christians are called to see the sufferings of the world, and not run from them, but towards them — not to escape suffering, but to see how we can comfort, serve, and help. Where in your family, in your neighborhood, or in the world is someone battling sickness? How can you as a Christian be a comfort to them? Be an agent of their healing? Where is someone isolated and alone? How can you as a disciple of Jesus bring them joy? Where is someone hungry, homeless, anxious? How can you proclaim the victory of Christ by feeding them, sheltering them, and bringing them peace? We are called to live here and now, in a world of death and corruption, but also to wave our palms. To show sin, evil, and death that they no longer have power, but have been defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ, and that, at any moment now, the eternal victory celebration will begin."

In "Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday," Sara Miles tells us that Jesus willingly faced and absorbed all the hard truths of human violence, pride and weakness, and to love and stay with us anyway so that sin and death will have no more power over us. With her, let us pray that we may see how much we have in common with all of Jesus' beloved people. May we face the beauty and sadness of humanity, and not turn away. And that we may love and forgive in face of every hurt, betrayal, pain, sickness, mistake and failure. May we be Christ, be his love, to the world.