April 12, 2015
Unlocking Our Faith
- John 20:19-31
- Dr. Teri Thomas
Last Sunday it was easy to be a believer.
All the music and the glitz, the sugar high from M&M peanuts and peeps,
the smiles, the sun was out, it was a great day
Of course Jesus rose from the tomb!
it is spring, everyone is happy, all is right with the world, why not believe.
But now life has gone back to normal
the beautiful river is gone from the front of the sanctuary
OGoHS the fish swam away to find more stories
the flowers have been planted somewhere else
people are in the hospital, people have died, there is work to do, problems to face
and here we are huddled together in our upper room
with the doors closed for fear of the outside world and we hear the words- We saw the Lord.
Yeah, sure. Hogwash. Wishful thinking.
You know the feeling.
Something awful happens and you don’t know how you will cope,
you are lost, afraid, alone, facing what you never wanted to face
and some well meaning soul looks you in the eye and promises- the Lord is with you.
Really? Prove it. Show me.
I have absolutely no evidence that would lead me to believe that right now.
Convince me.
Thomas wasn’t being difficult or even doubting, he was being honest.
and we’ve all been there.
If God is alive, If Jesus rose from the dead, show me.
A year and a half ago my life fell apart.
I’d put my heart and soul into my marriage thinking it would be forever.
Then he left.
So I ran away and hid for a few weeks.
Locked myself away for fear of what might happen
I sat in my locked room with my fear, my disappointment, my embarrassment and shame.
I brooded over all my mistakes, everything I had done wrong.
I nursed my resentments over what had been done to me, how unfair it was, I didn’t deserve it,
the broken promises, the shattered dreams.
I was terrified worrying about what people would think, what they would say, what might happen.
There was no risen Christ comforting me.
what good was all this faith nonsense when the real world knocked me on my keester
I was on my own to make sense of it and try and find a way out.
Then I came back here and told you what had happened
you said- we have seen the Lord and your sins are forgiven
You put your arms around me, you loved me in my brokenness, you held me as I healed
You shared your hope, your faith, your forgiveness, your acceptance
you showed me your scars and told me how you survived
and in the midst of you- I saw the risen Lord. I felt his presence and his peace.
But this morning’s lesson isn’t really about me.
It isn’t even about Thomas
This story is about God
God coming to us, no matter where we might be-
even if we are out on the far edge of faith that has forgotten how to believe
It is a story of God answering our most profound and desperate questions of life
not because we are seeking answers but because God is seeking us.
It is about how Jesus comes again and again to scared and confused disciples
stepping through walls that hardship has built
opening doors long locked by fear, or grief, or despair
offering love when grace seems nothing but a fairy-tale.
This is a common thread through the resurrection stories:
Jesus appears in the midst of those closest to him,
the people who know and love him, and they do not recognize him.
Mary Magdalene mistakes him for the gardener
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus
do not have the foggiest idea who this stranger is walking with them.
Peter and John don’t know the stranger on the shore, telling them where to fish.
So if the people closest to Jesus cannot recognize him,
how are we supposed to know when he shows up in our lives?
We will recognize God’s presence in those moments when peace is offered,
in the moments when life’s most brutal violence is honestly acknowledged,
and when we realize we are not alone, but have already been found.
In different times and seasons of our lives, Jesus’ appearance is sure to change
sometimes we simply won’t recognize him
particularly when hardship or distress have given us reason to doubt.
He might come dressed as a dear friend joining in a joyous celebration.
He may come looking like a refugee family seeking shelter and friendship.
or wrapped in the shawl of a wise old grandmother who holds us while we weep.
We may recognize Jesus in the face of a choir member singing God’s praises.
He may be across the table from you this Thursday at dinner as you explore the realities of homelessness and poverty
You might recognize the voice of our risen Lord in a story shared or a testimony offered.
Jesus, when he appears will not argue with us or try to convince us with logic or reason
but he will give us peace, a peace that centers in hope and in trust.
We will not all have the same experience of his presence
and we won’t all recognize him at the same time
That is why we come together here each week.
Some of us come here when we need to see the risen Christ.
Some of us come when we have seen him and we want to give thanks.
We come to support each other in prayer and fellowship.
We learn and teach the habits of faith.
We share our faith and we see it grow around us.
Thank God we don't need to have this all figured out before coming to church,
or helping out a neighbor, or feeding someone who is hungry, or caring for someone in need.
As people of faith we believe and we also doubt
and believing or doubting - we act -- we reach out, we feed, we care, we tend,
we struggle, we work, we love, all without any guarantees,
just a promise from the Lord
who continues to bless those who believe even when they cannot see.
We come here because Jesus keeps showing up.
We don’t want to miss out on the life and peace he gives
As he came back a week later for Thomas,
Jesus keeps coming back week after week among his gathered disciples…
in the word, the water, the bread, and the cup –
.
And he keeps sending us out of our safe, locked rooms,
into a world that, like us, so desperately needs his gifts of life and peace.
Peace be with you.
Thanks be to God
Amen