Sermon for Easter 1 of Year C, 2016

The (NRSV) text for this sermon can be found here. Even if you have read it before, I encourage you to read it again. Perhaps God wants to tell you something new about or through it!

Jesus said to them again, "'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.'" John 20:21

      May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, Eternal God, Holy One.

     Today’s Gospel lesson contains the story of Jesus’ second and third post-resurrection appearances as documented by the Gospel of John. The third appearance is also the story of how Thomas earned the nickname doubting. I invite you to join me in dialoging with the story. What questions come from it? Which questions can it answer, and which remain unanswered? Was Thomas as faithless as tradition portrays him? Should we take a warning from his lack of acceptance? Or is there another, better lens through which to understand the story?

     As I read and re-read this story over the past few days, I discovered there are a number of possibilities not evident from the text. The first is who was present, which I believe influenced the participants’ reaction to the event. In the writing of this time, women and children were generally excluded from descriptions and counts of groups. Since here the term “disciples” rather than “apostles” is used, I conclude that women as well as men were present, perhaps even families with children. Another question is why: for what reason are the disciples locked in this room, away from the rest of the community? The text states they are fearful of the Jews. I want to be clear that throughout this Gospel, this refers not to Judaism as a whole but to the leadership of the Jewish community in Jerusalem at this time, during the first century.[i]  This leadership, in collusion with their Roman overlords, was responsible for crucifying the disciples’ Rabbi and Lord. Of course the disciples in today's story were fearful; what was to say they would not be next? Their fear was real and justified. The fact that the group hid together in close quarters also begs the questions: Why was Thomas absent? Where had he gone? Was he the only one brave enough to venture out to gather needed supplies? Had he drawn the short straw that day, taking his turn procuring the group’s needs? By default of his being absent from the group’s safe haven, Thomas was excluded from the experience of the rest of the disciples. He was about to be surprised by an experience uniquely his own.

            Based on the newness of what God did in the Resurrection of Jesus, reactions of shock and disbelief from those who first experienced it should come as no surprise. We’ve heard the story so many times, we assume the ending is a given. It was not so for those who first lived it. Doubt is found to some degree, from various participants, in all four of the Gospels.[ii] And isn’t it completely reasonable that such an unexpected surprise would lead to “paralyzing astonishment,”[iii] and the related reaction of doubt? While the text says the disciples accepted Jesus’ post-crucifixion appearance, I wonder how long it took them. As I read the story, I imagine a very pregnant pause and some hanging jaws. When Mary Magdalene encountered the resurrected Jesus near the tomb only a few days earlier (in the section immediately before today’s reading), John’s Gospel details how it took several moments for her mind to understand what her eyes saw. When she returned to the disciples with her tale, I doubt she was accepted at her word. Why should Thomas’ reaction show any less surprise, or be subject to the judgment that disbelief equals unfaithfulness?

     Was Thomas as faithless as tradition portrays him? Or should we understand his response as a normal human reaction, a part of his God-given intellectual capacity? I think God wants us to be gentle with Thomas just as God wants us to be gentle with ourselves. God did a new thing in the Resurrection of Christ, and continues to do new things in our lives today. In spite of the disciples surprise and doubts, they were commissioned by Christ. “Peace be with you!” He tells them. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” I believe this commission speaks to us today just as it spoke to the disciples two thousand years ago. We are each called as a whole person – doubts and all – to be engaged in a relationship with the Living God and to serve those around us.

Bibliography

Hendricks, Jr., Obery M. The Gospel According to John in the New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 2001.

Most, Glenn W. Doubting Thomas. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2007.

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End Notes

[i] Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. p 180NT

[ii] Glenn W. Most. Chapter entitled Before Thomas: the Synoptic Gospels in Doubting Thomas.

[iii] Ibid, p 21-22.

Sermon for Good Friday of Year C, 2016

The text for this sermon was the Passion Gospel found in John. You can read the full text of the Gospel here.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable to you, O Christ, our God and our Redeemer.

At the end of today’s gospel, we are left with an empty cross. To those who first lived the Jesus story, this was its horrible climax. Their Rabbi, their Lord, their promise of a future filled with hope, was executed by their Roman overlords. Hope was destroyed with the death of their leader and teacher. With Jesus’ end, everything was finished. Or so it seemed.

As I was preparing for this sermon, I found myself thinking about symbols of faith. One of those symbols is the cross, which remains an essential symbol of our faith. Without it and its brutal suffering, the empty tomb would not have been possible. Yet it is not the only symbol of faith. There is the bread which we shared yesterday evening, a commemoration and a celebration of the bread which Jesus shared with His disciples. You can probably think of other symbols of faith important to you.

Another symbol which comes to my mind is that of stone – not that of the tomb, but that found in the Garden of Gethsemane. You may recall that in January I spent two weeks in the Holy Land. One of the sites we visited was the church commemorating Gethsemane. We don’t know whether it is the exact place where Jesus and his disciples waited in what would become the last night of His earthly life. But we do know, based on the geography of Scripture, that it was somewhere in the immediate vicinity. It is situated in a valley which looks up to the Temple Mount and the surrounding city of Jerusalem. Behind it is a steep hill. Today that hill is covered with Jewish graves, some of which were there in Jesus’ day and centuries before. He had only to walk up the hill and out of town to safety. He probably had a good idea of what was coming. The Romans used crucifixion not only as a punishment, but as a deterrent, hanging the dying along well-used public roads for all to see. Like other prophets before Him, He followed the call to question the powers-that-be in His community. He knew from His Scriptural heritage it had not ended well for those prophets, either.

At the front of the church at the Garden of Gethsemane, at the foot of the altar, is a large stone. Pilgrims swarm near, to kneel and touch it. It is expansive, flat and cool. It has been smoothed along the edges, shining from the touch of generations of pilgrims. As I knelt among the swarm, I felt quiet in spite of them. I imagined Jesus lying on the cool stone, praying that the worst may be withheld. Though is disciples are nearby, they are asleep and unaware. Jesus is alone, perhaps more alone than he has ever been. He could have risen and walked up the hill. Instead, he stayed.

That stone has become, for me, a symbol of faith.

Yesterday, Jesus celebrated with his friends. Today, we are left with an empty cross. With Jesus’ end, everything was finished. Or so it seemed…until God had the last word. 

Immersion in Israel

Dear Family and Friends,

During two weeks in January, I, along with a group of other seminarians from VTS, have the privilege of participating in a course at Saint George's College, Jerusalem. I invite your prayers for us during this time, from January 8th to January 25th. 

The itinerary is a combination of study tour and pilgrimage. If you would like to follow our journey, I invite you to follow my "Seminary Adventures" Facebook page at bit.ly/erinzsemadventurefb. I plan to post links of interest on this blog during our journey, and a photo slide show after we return home. 

Contributions towards the cost of this pilgrimage are welcome. While the seminary pays the cost of tuition, we are responsible for our own airfare and incidental expenses. (If I happen to receive more than the amount of these expenses, funds will be put towards needed but unexpected car repairs.) 

If you have any questions about this immersion, please comment on this or subsequent posts. If you would like more information about donating, please contact me. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Blessings!

Erin

2015 Camping: Iowa

Last August, I stayed at a campground near the Amana Colonies in Iowa. This enclave of seven villages is the result of a moving story of faith and determination. 

The villages were established by a group of Pietists known as the Community of True Inspiration. Founded in the early eighteenth century in Germany, they sought to renew their faith through prayer, reflection, and Bible study. They also expected the Holy Spirit would inspire individuals to speak and provide inspiration, or prophecy, to the community. 

The Inspirationists, as they were also known, were persecuted for their beliefs. They eventually began living in several self-sustaining communities in central Germany, where they remained for over a century. In the mid-1830's, persecution and economic depression again forced the community to move, this time to New York State. As the growing community found the farmland originally purchased insufficient, they moved to twenty-six thousand acres in Iowa. 

In exchange for sharing all property and resources, community members were provided housing, food, medical care, and other necessities. Communal kitchens provided the colonists with three meals plus two snacks every day. They became famous for their high-quality craftsmanship, which was viewed as a "testament of both their faith and their community spirit."

The colonies' religious role came to an end at the onset of the Great Depression. In addition to the economic conditions, a ruinous fire at the flour mill and cultural changes within the colonies led to its collapse as religious society. Its cultural and economic traditions are still maintained by the Amana Society, Inc, and one of the seven original churches remain open, but the community's government and economic life are now separate from its religious one.

The faith tradition continues on a smaller scale. I visited the one remaining village church during my time in the colonies. The people were friendly and interested in getting to know visitors. They were clear that there was to be no side talking in the sanctuary, either before or during their services. (Episcopalians cannot do this, especially the "before" part.) They offer a smaller anteroom where visiting is allowed before and after the service. The interior of the church was very simple. There were benches in the old style (perhaps built when the colonies were young). The lighting, though electric, was made to look like old-fashioned kerosene lamps. No cross hung in the sanctuary, for the cross is "written on the heart." Hymns were sung a cappella. 

If you would like more information on the Amana Colonies, the visitor bureau's website is here. My source, in addition to my experience as a visitor, is found on pages four and five of the Visitors' Guide.

Campground staff went out of their way to beautify the campground...

...I also suspect one of them rounded up a group of gentlemen to help me set up my tent in the dark and in the rain!

There is a lovely bike path which runs between the colonies. This section includes extensive and beautiful marsh land. 

2015: Beginnings

Every adventure needs a starting point. This past summer, my journey back to seminary began in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Here are some of the sights and smells of my hometown. The first set was taken at Black Sheep Coffee House, which includes an in-shop, German-made roaster. The next set is of Falls Park, home to my hometown's namesake. Special thanks to Gnomie for being my model.

A Remedy Against the Cold??

As we in the Upper Midwest (and many other places) blanket and bundle ourselves against the winter's snow and chill, I am thinking about memories of warmer times. Over the next few days, I will share memories of the past two summers' camping trips. Please check back soon!

These photos were taken after seventeen inches of snow fell over less than two weeks in my hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Clockwise from the bottom left: My aunt Sandy's mailbox; My mother's snowman bird feeder; accumulation on the tree above the feeder.

Arrived! Let the Middler Year Begin

Dear Family and Friends,

I am pleased to report that I have made it safely to Northern Virginia, after having many adventures along the thirteen-hundred miles of my trek. I am also pleased to introduce a new friend, Gnomie. Gnomie will introduce you to places and people in both Northern Virginia and South Dakota. We hope you enjoy this sampling of pictures, and invite you to come back to this site later in the week for more photos and stories of our adventure.

Love and Blessings,
Erin & Gnomie










Understandably, Gnomie feels a bit overwhelmed by this Iowa cornfield.


Gnomie was a bit cramped by our driving accommodations, though I am grateful we had transportation, as well as time to camp, sight see, and experience!



And yet, there is always time to relax, if one is mindful about making it. And we were!