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April 19, 2009 Sermon

"Peace Be With You?"
Acts 4:32-35; John 20: 19-31

Reverend Kerri Mesner

As we discussed in Bible study this week, it is always intriguing to see which passages our lectionary puts together each week. Why do we have these passages from Acts and John juxtaposed together? And where do we find ourselves in these stories? Where do you find yourself in these stories? Perhaps you find yourself in this story from Acts. A pretty unusual community by any standards- whether in their time or ours.

We are reminded in this month’s Observer just how countercultural Jesus’ message and call was... and once again we see this in Acts. I mean, here we have a little group of early Christians who have decided to follow this Way – a Way of Christ... and this is no small thing. They are following a way of life that some people question, others probably ridicule, and others, those in power, may well persecute them or even kill them for confessing. And yet something has called them together... something has brought all these individuals hearts together into one heart of community. And I love today’s reading from Acts- it’s pretty darned down-to-earth when you get right down to it. Everything they had, they shared in common. How would that kind of ethic fly in today’s world?

I have this crazy sort of imagining of us gathering everyone who lives, works, and survives within a – let’s say –a few mile radius of the DTES – gathering us all together and saying, hey, let’s pool our resources. What each of us has is now shared between all of us. What do you say? Now I’m not necessarily saying we should sell all our possessions as soon as we leave church today... but I guess I just want to remember the nitty-gritty kind of realism that was taking place in the Acts community... everything they had, they shared. And I want to remind myself of just how countercultural that practice, their community, their beliefs, their Way... was.

Maybe you find your community in this story from Acts. There is so much going on here at TUC that is wonderfully countercultural. I am struck again and again by just what a crazy, countercultural, wonderfully impossible thing “church” actually is! Look at what we do here... the ways we connect with each other and with the broader community... the incredible ministries and witnesses that come out of this mighty little church... Sometimes I think when we’ve been coming to a church for a long time, we might start to kind of take what we are doing for granted. And I guess today I want to remind you to look around you- really look around you, and see what an amazing thing this community is. Maybe that’s where you find yourself in today’s stories.

Or, maybe you find yourself in today’s story from John... where we have a group of disciples trying to make sense of the resurrection. Who do you identify with in this story? Maybe you can identify with the disciples... devastated by the loss of the person they loved most in the world... trying desperately to make sense of their grief, while fearing for their lives behind closed doors.

Or maybe you identify with Thomas. I have to confess, I have a bit of a soft spot for Thomas- I always have... and I think he gets a bad rap- and a pretty inaccurate one too- in many interpretations of this story. I mean, what is one of the most well-known phrases to come out of the Bible- that finds its roots here in this story? ... Yes, “doubting Thomas”. But let’s unpack that a little. I mean first of all, why does Thomas take all the blame in this story? Commentators remind us that in fact, he only asked for the same thing that the disciples had just gotten. Let’s think about it. Jesus comes in, spends time with them, breathes on them... gives them time to see and to feel and to know that it’s really him. And then later, after he’s gone, the disciples tell Thomas about it- and what does Thomas want? To see him, to feel him, to know that it’s really him. And just as an aside, while we’re defending poor Thomas here, what about the fact that the disciples gave Mary the very same- if not an even more disbelieving- response?

But “doubting disciples” certainly never made it into modern vocabulary! (I have to wonder if there is a bit of Biblical unevenness going on here because of the fact that Mary was a woman, and the first witness to the resurrection... but that’s another sermon!)

As a bit of an aside, do any of you watch Lost? I seem to keep watching it almost in spite of myself... Thomas reminds me a little of a moment in a recent episode ... (synopsis of story)... John: “then why are you so surprised to see me?” Benjamin: “because it’s one thing to believe it John, it’s another thing to see it!” I was watching it, and found myself thinking, that’s a Thomas moment! (though if you haven’t gotten hooked on Lost, you’re probably better off!)

We could probably spend our entire reflection looking at the beauty of Thomas’ questions.... the beauty of doubt in his journey... you know, I often describe myself as a “sceptical Christian”... and it’s not because I don’t believe in this Way and this walk... but it’s because for me, as long as I can remember, questioning has been a vital part of my faith journey. I value the questions, I value my doubts (even though they can be difficult sometimes!)... and I believe that God not only values my struggles and my questions, but welcomes them! I sometimes will say to folks, wrestle with this Bible... it can take it! And I believe that... I believe that Scripture... and the Christian walk itself- can take our questions, our doubts, our wrestling. And I suspect that something strong and powerful can come out of our questioning... much like I suspect it did for Thomas.

And I love Jesus’ response to Thomas... I think often we skip really quickly to the end bit ... “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe". But I love what Jesus does before this... he shows Thomas his hands, his self, his body... and he invites Thomas to touch him, to really hold him and to know that he is there, that it is him, Jesus. This isn’t some ethereal moment with clouds parting and violins playing and wisps of gossamer smoke... this is a very down-to-earth, embodied moment. Thomas touches Jesus... I like to imagine that they exchanged a very real and down to earth hug... whatever happened in that moment, it was an embodied moment... and Thomas believed. It was a deeply embodied moment when Jesus appeared to those other disciples as well... do you remember what he first did? ... he breathed on them. Sometimes I think we forget just what a deeply bodied moment that was as well.

He breathed on them. the Greek word in the Bible is “ephusao”... and this is the only place in the NT that this particular version of the word appears- it can translate as “to puff... breathe... to blow at or on”. Breathe... to blow at or on... Take a deep breath right now, and let it out... and again... noticing your own body as you do so. This was a very down to earth moment... Jesus breathed on them. And at the same time, it may well have been something else altogether... some commentators suggest that this was John’s equivalent of a Pentecost moment.

What happened to those disciples when Jesus breathed on them? What happened to Thomas when Jesus invited him to touch him? What happens to you, here, now, today, when you allow Jesus to breathe on you? To be touched by you? What happens to us as a community when we allow ourselves to know, to really know, that Jesus is here, with us, in this room, today? How might it change you? How might it change us? What call might it awaken in our hearts today? Perhaps this is one of the greatest joys and challenges of Eastertide... discovering what this resurrection calls you, me, us to, in this moment, today.

I’d like to close by sharing with you a poem that one of our community wrote a few years ago, about Thomas. I invite you to hear this poem as prayer.

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