Only a few lilies remain. Some may discern an echo of brass, a linger of handbells. And is that a sigh of relief from the Church Office?? Some of us are delving the depths of the famous sermon barrel, while a privileged few have already departed for a week in sunnier climes… What shall we say to the faithful remnant, the week after Easter? As the original disciples waited for further instruction, today’s Church needs these reflective days to develop Faith. Scriptures for these worship times allow the hearers to sift their own experiences, hopes and fears in the light of the Risen Christ.
The Acts of the Apostles is intended to be Volume 2 of Luke’s Gospel. In this reading, 4:32-35, the post-Easter crowd is caring for one another as they explore their mission. Verse 33 is central: “With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” Here is the powerful Source in which ministry through the centuries has been rooted. Here is that “great grace” which sustains our abiding and unfolding vision.
The First Letter attributed to John can be daunting, especially to us who crave form and logic. The assigned reading is Chapter 1 to Chapter 2:2. I’m gonna focus on the first four verses, which seem to me as a working Confession of Faith: “we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us…” Supposed to be written late in the First Century, this passage is far enough removed from the historical Jesus that various concepts have emerged about his presence. Some have already left the “official” Church, rejecting the bodily resurrection and claiming that Jesus was pure spirit. Despite Luke’s Incarnation tradition, to them Jesus transcends normal human anxieties. John’s Letter affirms the revelation of a physical Jesus, and urges his readers to so believe.
The Gospel reading is familiar: the story of “doubting” Thomas (John 20:19-31). To me, Thomas’ validation is in his honesty! He was John’s anointed foil to ask the hard question the rest of us wanted to ask–“is it really you?” The answer demonstrates who JESUS is, not Thomas. “It is here…that we find the real point of the Gospel narrative–a tale about God’s coming to us, wherever we might be.” (Serene Jones, in FEASTING on the WORD, B 2:402) Two preaching points present themselves: first, that it’s really OK to ask honest questions without castigation; and second, that Jesus continues to trivialize locked doors of all kinds in order to invite us to believe.
“Low” Sunday is supposedly named because it shouldn’t compare with the glories of Easter–but most of us think that it refers to the sudden drop in worship attendance. Even so, there may well be some there whose souls were illumined on Easter, and who seek to know more. It’s these who can be our target-audience, for these especially will receive that “great grace” and “great power”. May we all be so blessed!
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My thoughts on Scripture lessons assigned to the upcoming weekend may be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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