The Second Sunday In Easter April 19th

SACRED SCARS/PEACE BE WITH YOU

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A

April 19, 2020

John 20:19-31

19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Sermon

Jasmine Waring, Intern Pastor

I have a scar over my left eyebrow. You can only see it up close or you notice the crease it makes when I raise my brow. I got it fifteen years ago when on vacation visiting my extended family in Chile when I was 18 years old. I went with my cousins one night to a nightclub party in a town not too far away. Clubs were never really my scene, so I didn’t want to go…but then I thought to myself, “C’mon, Jaz! Try something new. Get over yourself and have fun!”. 

So we went out and actually had a pretty good time. Then my cousins and their friends decided that they wanted to leave early and hang out at a friend’s home. We all got into their friend’s extended cab pick up truck…all 13 of us. I sat with my two cousins and a couple of their friends in the bed of the truck, with my back against the cab. It was about two in the morning when we left, and the cold winter air whipped through our hair as we rode down an empty two lane highway through the country. We were singing songs really loudly to help distract us from the cold and our nervous bellies, and held on tightly. I knew the driver was going too fast. 

The next thing I knew, the truck was swerving down the road side to side. I still remember looking up to the stars in the night sky as I prayed, and then see the stationary stars swirl in a circle then turned black.The driver had lost control of the vehicle and drove through a wire fence, small bushes and trees, and flipped on its back onto a V-shaped irrigation canal dug from the earth. Miraculously, the shape of the canal caught the flipped truck which kept it from crushing me and the others underneath it. I remember my body log rolling down the hill and landing on all fours with runoff water rushing up to my elbows. When I found my grounding I crawled out and was pulled out of the canal by some bystanders. I was soaking wet and cold from the runoff water, but then I felt the warmth of my own blood drip down my face. I don’t remember how it happened, but the doctors suspected I hit my head on a rock or the spare tire when I tumbled out. 

It could have been so much worse. Miraculously everyone walked away from the wreck with just bumps and bruises, one girl broke her collar bone and I had to get some liquid stitches. I thought about that night every single day for a year after. Although the memories and the alternative scenarios my PTSD likes to bring up and haunt me with every once in a while, I am still overwhelmed with gratitude and am ever aware of how close we ride the line between life and death.

We all have scar stories. Some have ordinary scars from bike accidents, from cooking, from burning ourselves with a curling iron. Some of us have deeper scars from injuries, from removing cancer, from C-sections delivering babies. I have transgender friends who have scars on their chests from undergoing double mastectomies aka top surgeries to help them feel more at home and at peace with their bodies. These are all sacred scars.

We also carry hidden scars…emotional scars that result from betrayal, a break up, and grief. The collective trauma we are all experiencing at the moment is going to leave a mark. 

When the risen Christ appeared to his disciples, he had a scar story to share. I find it so interesting that in all of his risen glory, Christ still had wounds on his body. Why wouldn’t he come back completely healed, without a trace of trauma? 

Perhaps his scars were there to remind us that we can’t skip over death and sacrifice in order to live in resurrection glory. We have a tendency to focus and hold tightly onto the fruits of the resurrection: health, abundance, equity; but we don’t want to do the internal work of sacrifice, justice and death, which brings meaning and purpose to resurrection. Christ’s scars show us that we too can go through suffering and sacrifice, and come through the other side transformed for the better. Our scars are evidence of what we have been through, and we have the potential to find healing and wholeness on the other side of it.

What I find even more interesting is when Jesus said, “Peace be with you” three times in this passage. “Peace be with you” was one of the last things he said to his disciples before he died, and it was the first thing he said to his disciples after the resurrection. So this means it is important and we need to pay attention to it. 

Peace in Hebrew is translated to shalom. Shalom doesn’t necessarily only mean the absence of fear or conflict, but it also means wholeness…nothing missing or nothing broken. I like to think of peace as the unity of all the parts of ourselves: body, soul and spirit.This kind of peace finds meaning in our past, helps us stay in the present, and gives us hope when the future is uncertain. This wholeness also refers to how we experience community. When we gather together in unity, and share our stories, we experience vulnerability and solidarity with one another…and that brings us peace. It is important to note that unity does not mean we all think or look or act the same, but rather the unity we find in peace sees our uniqueness as a gift to all of us. All of our scars are different, and they all are uniquely suited to bring peace and solidarity to others.The peace we experience in community makes our lives richer, and holds us  tightly together like a net.

The peace of the risen Christ we experience at an individual and communal level is built upon the work of the cross. Christ’s scar story invites us to see and touch his wounds and in turn we too can be vulnerable and brave with our story, which spreads peace.Christ’s scars tell us that he went through unbelievable suffering, and he made it to the other side! He has gone before us and is leading us to resurrection. The holes in his hands and feet can now walk alongside us in solidarity when we too are suffering.This is a peace that surpasses all understanding and guards our heart and minds. As we collectively walk through uncertainty and challenges in the months ahead, let us be united by Christ’s sacred scar story as we share our own and declare that the peace of Christ is with us.

When you step outside the doors of your home, peace be with you.

When your grief is overwhelming, peace be with you.

When you see empty shelves at the grocery store, peace be with you.

When your partner and your kids are on your last nerve, peace be with you.

When you feel alone and your life feels empty, peace be with you.

When you miss hugs and are hungry for physical affection, peace be with you.

When you feel like there is no hope or end in sight, peace be with you.

When share your saved scars with community, peace be with you.

May the peace of Christ, the love of God and the communion of the holy spirit be with you all, now and always. 

Amen.

Easter 2020!

First Lutheran Church

April 12, 2020 + Easter

Matthew 28:1-10  After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.  For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.  But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples, "He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you."  So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Sermon

Easter feels very different this year!  I’m standing here in the middle of an “empty” church, wanting to proclaim to you the good news about an “empty” tomb, and it all feels kind of “empty,” - it just doesn’t feel right.  In fact, for me it’s not even Easter yet!  I am pre-recording this video sermon on Friday, so you can watch it on Easter morning.  And to be honest it’s kind of hard to preach Easter - on Good Friday.   And for you too, even though you may be watching this service on Easter morning, I’m sure it feels different.  And we all know why! 

This is supposed to be a festive day; the day when we gather to once again sing “alleluias” with great joy, a day when we dress up a little, a special day when family comes to visit, a day we look for eggs filled with candy and other good things, a day that usually ends with a great feast.  And this year, most likely, none of those things are really happening, certainly not the way we expected, and perhaps not at all.  Things are really different this time around.  In fact, I’m willing to bet that some of you are sitting at home watching this Easter Service in your pajamas and robes, with your feet up, and drinking your coffee, maybe even sipping a mimosa.  (Video church does have a few perks!)  To be honest, that’s probably what I am wearing, and probably what I am doing, in this moment while you’re watching this video.  Heck I may even still be asleep!

And ultimately that’s ok, at least this time around.  As I have said to you over and over again during the past few weeks, this is what we have been called to do, to faithfully stay at home, and do our part in the fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic.  But what happens to Easter in the process?  Will it still happen if we don’t get dressed up?  Will it still happen if we don’t go to the church?  Will it still happen if we don’t participate in all the traditions? Will it still happen if everything is “all messed up?”  What will happen to Easter this year?

Well, here we are, it’s Easter morning.  And even though almost everything about today is not what we wanted, not what we expected, and certainly not ideal; it strikes me that we still have “the one thing” that we really need, - the story.  We still have the story that has been faithfully handed down age after age, the story that comes to life wherever and whenever it is proclaimed, the story that bears witness to the truth about what happened on that first Easter morning over two thousand years ago.  And that’s something, - actually that’s everything! 

So today we’re going to stay “very close to the story,” we’re going to try to let go of everything else that we’ve added to Easter over the millennia; all the fanfare, all the liturgy, all the art, all the music, all the traditions, all the food, all the “things;” the wonderful adornments and the not so wonderful trappings, that we have added to this holy day. Because frankly, that’s all we have today, all we have is the story. 

And in the end, for today, that’s good; because what we really need “now” in this difficult time, is not the embellishments of Easter, - we just need the story, simple and straight forward.  The plain and simple story of Easter is messy, it’s frenzied, it’s confusing, and it’s terrifying.  And it’s not complete, nobody really understands what’s really happening.  It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, feelings, and actions; hiding and running, chaos and peace, grief and joy, doubt and belief, hope and uncertainty, courage and fear.  Theologian Debie Thomas describes it as, “Faith waiting in the shadows for understanding.”  I don’t know about you, but that really describes the way I’m feeling on “this” particular Easter morning, in the midst of this difficult time.  Because of the COVID-19 virus there’s just so much uncertainty, speculation, and unknown in our lives.   And even though I am “so far removed” from that first Easter morning, still the story resonates with me, “Faith waiting in the shadows for understanding.”

So where might we make a meaningful connection with the Easter story this morning, where does the Easter story connect with us, and what difference might that make in our lives? Here’s a few things that stand out for me.

The story in Matthew begins at dawn, “as the first day of the week was dawning.”  In the Gospel of John, it is described as “While it was still dark.”  Easter and the resurrection unto a new and abundant life begins at a time when we are not always fully awake, it begins in that hazy fog of that first hour, it begins when we are perhaps still stumbling around in the dark, it begins while we are still “sleep walking,” it begins before we are fully aware, - it begins before that first cup of coffee.  As they often say, “it’s darkest before the dawn.”

And as if that’s not enough dis-orientation, as if “just before dawn” is not enough, the story continues, “suddenly there was a great earthquake!”  Even as Californians, even as seasoned earthquake riders, we know that when the ground shakes, - it messes up your senses.  The ground is not supposed to shake.  The foundations of life are not supposed to move.  Yet every so often it does, especially when things are getting ready to change, and on Easter morning everything is going to change dramatically.  “And suddenly there was a great earthquake,” all things are becoming new.

And all “that,” all that early morning disorientation, opens the door to fear.  Matthew tells us that in fear “the guards shook and became like dead men.”  Even the might of Rome becomes afraid.  And fear is like death.

So it is, the stage for the story is set; it’s early in the morning when confusion reigns, the earth is shaking, and fear has taken over.  I probably don’t have to make the connection for you, but I will, once again the story speaks to the context in which we find ourselves living today.  A nation-wide, world-wide, pandemic has sparked confusion, our everyday landscape has changed dramatically, and many of us are, understandably - afraid.  We know this story.

Thankfully, however, this is not where the story ends; - it’s where it actually begins!  In the second half of the story God becomes present.  An angel appears and exhorts us, “Do not be afraid.”  One of the most frequent commands in the bible, one of the most basic of encouragements from God found in the bible, and one thing you should remember every day, is, “Do not be afraid.”  In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible the phrase, “Do not be afraid,” appears 149 times; the phrase, “Have no fear,” appears 225 times; and the words, “fear not,” appear 424 times.  God does not want us to live out of fear, God does not want us to be motivated by fear, God does not want us to make choices based on fear; - God does not want us to be afraid.  And it’s one of the first things the angels say on that first Easter morning.  And in doing so they remind us that “Jesus is not here,” Jesus is not to be found in the places where fear resides, instead Jesus is to be found in the place where love abides.

And as the women “turn” from the tomb on that first Easter morning, as they run from the place where fear resides, as they run to share the good news that Jesus has risen from the dead; it is then, that they encounter the risen Christ.  St. Mathew writes, “Suddenly Jesus met them.”  And he tells them again, “Do not be afraid,” and then he tells them where he can be found in the future, “Go and tell my followers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

So, what’s back in Galilee?  Why does Jesus want to meet them there?  For the disciples, it means that they must first leave the place where they have been hiding away in fear ever since Jesus was arrested, condemned, and executed.  They must walk away from fear, “Be not afraid.”  And then they will arrive back to the place where Jesus taught them about the kingdom, back to the place where Jesus healed the sick, back to the place where Jesus reached out to the marginalized, back to the place where Jesus practiced and lived out the great love of God, back to the place where Jesus first called them, back to the place where Jesus laid claim on their hearts. 

The region of Galilee was home to a humble and diverse population.  They were farmers, fisherman, traders, and shop keepers.  They were the people of Jesus parables, simple, hard-working, and down to earth.  After the resurrection Jesus is not found on the pinnacle of the temple with a holy band of angels but rather he has gone back to Galilee, gone back to a simple yet profound presence among people, where they work and play, where life is lived, where bread is broken.

So, where do we connect with the second half of today’s gospel?  It begins with resisting the urge to respond to this pandemic from a place of fear.  Note that I said “respond,” because we are going to be afraid, we should be afraid, it’s natural to be afraid, - but let us not act out of our fear.  Instead let us remind each other that God is present in the story, and that we are loved.  Let us encourage each other to be calm, to stop and breathe and access that “peace that passes all understanding.”  And finally let us encourage each other to love, to love as Christ loved, to love by serving others.  This will not be easy in this time of social distancing, but we can pick up the phone and check up on each other, we can write notes and letters, and we can pray for each other.  We are not alone, let us be reminded, let us remind each other, that the risen Christ is present with each of us, in all of us, together.

And that brings us to Galilee.  The disciples return to Galilee to get a fresh start where it all began, to go back to the basics of the faith, they go back for a hard reset!  And that’s where they will find Jesus.  We too will find Jesus back in Galilee.  Easter, this time around, is reminding us not to take the simple things of faith and life and love for granted.  This year, all the extra things of life, the excess of life, has been stripped away revealing to us what is really important, - love.  On Maundy Thursday Jesus left us with these words, as he washed his disciple’s feet, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”  On this Easter morning we are reminded that, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Today we give thanks for the Easter story, for the opportunity to hear it anew, to hear it simply without any distractions, and to hear in it - the timeless story of God’s love for each of us and for all of creation.  In the midst of all the confusion that is so loudly spoken, in the midst of the uncertainty we face each day, and in the midst of all the fear that constantly swirls around us; May God, Grant us grace to hear your word, “Be not afraid;” Grant us courage to turn towards love, to go back to the beginning; Grant us faith to serve one another, to practice servanthood love in our community;  Grant us hope to see all things made new, that we might set our minds “on the things that are above,” and Grant us peace, the assurance of Christ’s risen presence each and every day, and forever more.  Amen.

Good Friday

First Lutheran Church

Good Friday + April 10, 2020

“The Seven Last Words of Jesus”

I. "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."

Luke 23:32-38

32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’38 There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

Reflection

It’s not surprising that the first words of Jesus from the cross are words of grace and forgiveness.  Jesus came into the world not to judge and condemn but rather to reconcile all of creation unto God and reconcile each of us to one another.  Jesus came into the world to end the vicious cycles of scapegoating, to end the violent cycles of revenge, to replace and eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, - with grace, peace, mercy, and forgiveness.

II. "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Luke 23: 39-43

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah?  Save yourself and us!’ 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ 43 He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

Reflection

Jesus’ grace and mercy are not just idle words.  His words of forgiveness are followed by words of absolution and proclamation.  He tells the thief hanging next to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”  These words are spoken not to a disciple, not to a man who had showed interest in following Jesus, not even to a man who was able to demonstrate some kind of repentance, but rather to a man who only admits that he is guilty and deserving of his death sentence.  In his promise from the cross Jesus proclaims that God still loves this thief and that in death he will not be alone, that ultimately he is not just a thief but a beloved child of God, and that in the end nothing in all of heaven and earth can separate any of us from the love of God fully present and revealed in Christ Jesus.  God’s love for all of us is stronger than sin and the bonds of death.

III. "Woman, here is your son." "Here is your mother."

John 19:25-27

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ 27 Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

Reflection

In his third word from the cross we are reminded that Jesus was truly human, that he was born into a family, and that his friends, his follower had become like family to him.  Jesus gathered everyone up and into the family of God.  Around Jesus there were no strangers, no foreigners, no immigrants, no insiders and no outsiders, no castaways, - just family.  Jesus proclaimed that all are welcome in the family of God.  In this word from the cross we are comforted that we too, in – with – and through Christ, are members of God’s beloved family.  And we are challenged to keep extending our love, the circles that make up our family to include those who are marginalized, those who are forgotten, those who are strangers to us, and even those who may appear to be enemies.

IV. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Matthew 27:45-46

45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ 

Reflection

I find these words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me,” to be the most powerful words spoken from the cross.  It reveals the true humanity of Christ.  It reveals that while Jesus had put all his hope and trust in God, he was still walking as yet by faith, walking in the frailty of fragile human faith, perhaps even walking in our shoes, along the same path we must walk.  In these words, spoken from the cross, we hear some fear, and perhaps even some doubt?  I am comforted and inspired by this “very human Jesus” who trusts in God even when he might not fully know the outcome with absolute certainty!  This Jesus knows what its like to be human, he knows our hopes and our fears because he has been there, he has been here, and therefore we do not walk alone in this life.  May God grant us all a portion of the faith and courage of Jesus.

V. "I am thirsty."

John 19:28-29

28 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’ 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 

Reflection

In the end, as he suffered the cruel punishment of the cross, as life was being drained from his body, Jesus was thirsty.  Thirst was nothing new for Jesus.  From the beginning he was thirsty for the kingdom of God, for peace and justice.  And he was eager to share with those who were thirsty, proclaiming to be “living water” that would quench the world’s enduring thirst forever.  He turned water into wine celebrating the kingdom, and he encouraged us to share a simple drink with “the least of these.”  Jesus thirsted for the kingdom of God.  As he speaks these last words, we are prompted to ask ourselves, “For what do we thirst?”

VI. "It is finished."

John 19:30

30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Reflection

It is finished, - yet our salvation has just begun!  Jesus runs the race that has been set before him.  He does not let the cup pass but instead drinks deeply from it.  He puts his trust in God, in the power of love, and resists the fear that the power of death instills in so many of us.  “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.” 

VII "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."

Luke 23:44-46

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. 

Reflection

In his darkest hour Jesus is able to trust in God.  When all seems lost, when the light is disappearing, and hope is fading away, Jesus knows that he is not alone.  In the end he does not give up, he does not bargain with the devil, he does not look for an easy way out, he does not seek a theology of glory but instead remains committed to a theology of the cross; he remains fully incarnate, focused not on his will but on the will of God, he remains faithful to his calling, to the power of love, to the Kingdom of God.  And in doing so, the separation between humanity and God is closed, the temple curtain is torn open, and creation is reconciled once again with its creator, we are reconciled to each other, and in the great of love of God, in God’s amazing grace, we are finally and forever reconciled with God.