May 1 Sermon (2nd Easter)

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

These words were written by St Catherine of Siena and spoken by the Bishop of London at the Royal Wedding on Friday. It was a wonderful way to start that royal sermon for that beautiful couple, Will & Kate, and such wise words for them.

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

You could also picture Jesus saying this to his disciples in that locked room after Easter. Hidden away, fearful of their lives, Jesus comes into their midst. “Peace be with you.” And when they see him and his wounds, they finally feel his peace and their fear drops away. As Dietrich Bonheffer put it,

“Peace with you"—that means: he who himself is this peace, Jesus Christ, the crucified and resurrected, is with you. The word and sign of the living Lord bring the disciples joy. Community with the Lord, after anxious, dark days, has been found again.”

Even as they find joy in the community again, Jesus doesn’t want to leave them with just this peace, for Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Their time in the locked room is over; they are being sent out from that community to the world. For their joy and that Good news, needs to be shared with others. The first person they go and tell is the one who was missing from among them. Thomas.

But Thomas doesn’t just want to hear about their experience, he wants to feel it himself. To see the wounds, to know it is the Lord. And a week later he gets the chance; Thomas with the other disciples are in that same room, and Jesus comes again into their midst, and shows Thomas his wounds, Do not doubt but believe, he tells Thomas, and Thomas does believe.

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

The disciples leave that place and go tell others about Jesus; they start to do the ministry Jesus had called them to do and they began to set the world on fire. As we know, Jesus would appear to his disciples several times after his death & resurrection in order to give them instructions on how to continue the mission of God. And maybe another quote from Catherine of Siena might also be true of the journey of Thomas and the other disciples:

“Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.”

So what happened to Thomas? Tradition has told us that Thomas went to India. One story from an ancient Syriac manuscript called the Acts of Thomas:

As the story goes, after Easter, the disciples cast lots to see what regions of the world that they would go to. Thomas pulled out India but refused to go. Jesus appeared one night to Thomas in his own room to speak to him, urging him to accept his assignment. But Thomas still refused, saying he was a simple Jew who knew nothing about India or its people. It would be useless for him to go there. During the day Jesus appeared in the marketplace in Jerusalem. He approached a man named Habban, whose business was buying and selling slaves, a legal and very common occupation in those days. Now on this particular day, Habban happened to have an order from an elderly Indian king who needed an carpenter — a skill that Thomas just happened to have.

And so Jesus appeared out of the crowd and offered to sell his slave Thomas to Habban. Habban agreed to buy Thomas and a bill of sale was written and Habban said, "I'll buy the man if we go to him together and if he admits in front of us both that you are his rightful owner." And as Thomas strolls down one of the winding streets of Jerusalem just after the first Easter, Jesus points to Thomas, walking up the street. Habban runs and takes the startled disciple by the arm. Habban gestures to Jesus: "Is this man your master?"

Thomas looks up in adoration and answers, "Yes, yes, my only Lord and Master." Thomas in that upper room who wanted proof is now the disciple who freely calls Jesus Lord & Master. And Habban said: I have bought you from him. And Thomas held his peace. The next day, Thomas prayed: I will go where you go, Lord Jesus: your will be done.

And Thomas agrees to the sale and finally accepts the mission and off he goes to India, where the seeds of the Gospel would be planted and the Christians of India still see Thomas as their disciple to this day. Sometimes, Jesus has to get us out of our locked rooms, our stubborn selves, the “I can’t do that,” to help us find that true peace and joy, just as he had done with his disciples, including Thomas.

So what will our story be? What remains locked for you, preventing you from following God’s call in your life? (Jenna & Julia) & for all of us gathered here this morning, let us in this Eastertide be led by the Spirit so that we can indeed set the world on fire by being the person who God meant each of us to be. Let us pray.

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised though you well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. (A Prayer of St. Chrysostom)

Sermon for March 30: The Mystery of Easter

The children of our Godly Play class move towards the Mystery of Easter by taking 7 classes to hear the stories of Jesus’ journey to the cross and resurrection. Using 7 pictures of Christ (from Godly Play), it all begins…

Jesus’ Birth & Grown (I)

In the beginning a baby was born. God chose Mary to be his mother. And the Mother Mary & Father Joseph kept the baby close and gave that baby everything he needed to grow.

Jesus is Lost & Found (II)

The baby grew and became a boy. When Jesus was around 12, he accompanied Mary & Joseph and many others from Nazareth to Jerusalem for one of the high holy days. After the celebration, the Nazareans went home through the great high gate, but Jesus was not there. Mary & Joseph searched for him & finally found him in the temple with the rabbis/priests. "Didn't you know I would be in my father's house?"

Jesus’ Baptism & Blessing by God (III)

Jesus grew and became a man, and around the age of 30 was baptized in the river Jordan by his cousin, John. He didn’t want to, but Jesus persuaded him and as he came out of the waters, they saw a dove and heard a voice, "this is the beloved." Jesus then went into the desert, where he stayed 40 days & nights to learn more about who he was and what his work is going to be.

Jesus’ Desert & Discovery Experience (IV)

In the desert there was little to eat or drink and there he was tempted: stones to bread, jump to test God, King over all kingdoms. Jesus said, No to all the temptations. After this, he went back across the Jordan to do his work.

Jesus as Healer & Parable-Maker (V)

His work was to come close to people, especially those no one else wanted to come close to. Healing the blind man. When Jesus came close to people, they changed, they became well. He also told parables to the people.

Jesus offers the Bread & Wine (VI)

Jesus went to Jerusalem one last time. As he rode a humble donkey, he was greeted by people waving palm branches, laying down branches and their garments on the road. In an upper room, the disciples and Jesus shared a last meal. Jesus took some bread and wine and gave it to them, each time telling them whenever they gather, to break bread and drink wine, to do it in remembrance of him.

The One who was Easter & Still Is (VII)

After supper, Jesus went with his disciples to Gethsemane, there he was betrayed, arrested and taken to Jerusalem for his trial. That next day, outside the city walls, Jesus was crucified. Afterwards, he was laid in a tomb. On Sunday, they went to the tomb, found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Jesus who died on the cross, had arisen, and was still with them, esp. in the bread and wine.

One side of the picture is Easter, the other crucifixion. You cannot take them apart, you cannot have one without the other and that is the mystery of Easter.

And that is where the story remembers Thomas, doubting Thomas. Always the last to know. But Thomas is important for you and me. He wants to experience Jesus. The others had, they had seen Jesus, experienced him after the cross. Thomas would not believe until he has own experience. A second time, Jesus appears to the disciples, the doors are shut (a week before they were locked) but there Jesus is with them. He shows Thomas his hands and his sides. Touch ‘em. Don’t doubt but believe. Jesus says. My Lord and my God, says Thomas.

In this Eastertide, as we experience Spring bursting forth, let us remember Christ who burst from the tomb, who entered into a room through locked and shut doors, all to help others know that he is arisen. At every Eucharist we gather together, Christ is here with us and we know him in the breaking of the bread and in the Scriptures from his birth, through his life, death and resurrection. Christ is Risen. Alleluia! Amen.