UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST in
Second Sunday of Easter -
Pacific Islander Asian American Ministries Sunday
Anne G. Cohen
For Our Reflection:
Doubt is the fuel of faith.
- Martin Marty,
Christian Century
Stop Making Sense
(An Unfinished Sermon)
I saw an expose on the news this week on the dangers of refilling and
reusing single serving water bottles sold by companies like Arrowhead
and Sparkletts and Crystal Geyser. Tests were
done on bottles reused
for a period of one week - by adults and children - and the results were
ghastly. The bottles themselves are made out of very thin plastic that
begins to disintegrate into the water. Germs from our mouths, hands and
the environment multiply.
The results were that water found in those bottles at the end of the
week was unpottable. If it was found in a city
water supply, they would
issue an order to boil the water before drinking it.
My response to this news item (especially after seeing the germs under
the microscope) was to immediately cease the refilling and reusing of
commercial water bottles. My husband,
Crystal Geyser sponsored the research." He has no intentions of
using a
bottle only once - until the research is corroborated by a neutral party
or three or four.
A college kid came to the door and gave us an estimate on painting our
house. I like the kid, liked his professionalism. He was African
American, had lived in
business. I was ready to sign the contract as soon as he had finished
eating some Mochi ice cream - which he hadn't had
since
who also liked this kid, asked for two weeks grace before signing and
insisted on getting two or more additional estimates. the
kids lost the
contract and we saved $1,500 on the job - with better guarantees.
Page Two
my thoughts - compartmentalization is not my strong point.
reference librarian - compartmentalization is his forte. He takes
information on mental slides and lays them over one another on a light
tray until there are enough similar characteristics that line up -
creating a clear picture - making sense.
leanings depending on the day, what I'm reading and who I'm talking
with.
Luckily,
And I appreciate financial savings and sincere questions about life, the
universe and who is sponsoring the research.
This may be why I married
Twin) intrigues me so.
Thomas speaks up for the first time in
decides to go back to
made enemies there and it is clear that he is risking his life to go
back. The disciples try to talk him out of it - all except Thomas (the
Twin) who says, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
Was he being sarcastic or serious? Did he listen to all of the
arguments, compute all of the risks, and decide they were worth it? Did
he think there was relative safety in numbers or unavoidable serious
consequences to returning to
(the Twin) is a rather complex man of deep loyalty and conviction - a
disciple that anyone would be lucky to have. But that's just my
instinct talking.
Thomas' next self-revelation is during a conversation with Jesus at the
Last Supper (14:5). Jesus is telling the disciples about his plans to
prepare a place for them in his Father's house. "You know the way to
the place where I am going." Thomas (the Twin) takes issue with this
and interrupts, saying, "Lord, we do NOT know where you are going.
How
can we know the way?" Is this an ironic question, "How could we
POSSIBLY know the way?" Or is this a sincere desire for information,
"How can we learn how to get there?" From Jesus' response, I
would
guess that it is the question of a man who relies on his senses,
moderates his convictions with logic, wants a road map or a compass in
order to stay the course. But that is just a guess.
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Thomas the disciple is identified over and over again as "Thomas also
known as The Twin." But his twin is never identified. If he is an
ACTUAL twin, who is his twin brother or sister? Is he or she alive
or
dead? If he or she is dead, did he/she die at birth or later in life?
If he/she is alive, are they identical or fraternal twins? Is the twin
following Jesus too or staying at home? Is the twin both rational and
convicted like Thomas or the opposite or the same in different
proportions?
If there is no external twin, why would Thomas be
referred to as The
Twin? Is it because he has these internal dialogues between his reason
and his passions? Is it because Thomas - like all of us - makes
decisions along percentages? (If he says yes, he means
51% yes and 49%
no. If he believes something with conviction, there is still a
reserve
of 32% doubt.)
Is Thomas a Twin because he has two distinct and recognizable
personalities that act out in different situations? Is it because he is
a "large" character and is recognized by his peers as a complex
thinker,
a conversation in monologue form, too deep and wide to be compared to a
single person? Or is it a derogatory nickname stemming from teasing as
a child, the recognition of his having a screw loose as he walked to the
market talking to himself?
These are questions I have yet to find the answer to. But the
contemplation of the questions certainly add to the discussion as we
look at the story from today's reading (
is absent when the post-resurrection Jesus brings a message of peace and
healing and fills the gathered "body" with the breath of the Holy
Spirit.
The group, as we established Easter morning, has been through a
traumatic experience that has yet to end for them. The man they thought
would lead them in a social revolution has been tortured and murdered by
the State. The women - below the notice of the social radar - have
stayed to witness the death and do the work of burial. The men - more
likely to die for complicity with Jesus - have run and hidden - gone
AWOL - and only now are finding their way back together. And there is
news that the grave itself has been violated so they don't even know
where the BODY is. (Ponder THAT for a moment.)
This group of terrified, grief-stricken, deeply disappointed idealists
could have experienced a mutually generated, intense vision or feeling
of PRESENCE - the presence of their incomprehensibly departed leader
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who is not yet dead to them. They could have had a miraculous
visitation and vision that could only be explained in this rather lame
ghost story genre.
They could have made up the story together in order to maintain hope and
establish a sense of purpose in the wider community. It could have ALSO
been an elaborate practical joke - a way of making Thomas feel foolish
about being the last running man to return to the group.
Any one of these possibilities would be problematic for a man like
Thomas (the Twin) who, perhaps, prefers to verify facts before
committing himself to an idea. You have to consider the source, you
know.
We are not told WHY Thomas wasn't there for the first alleged visit from
Jesus. Was he still in hiding or on the run? Was he taking care of
family business? Was he in contact with his actual twin - making sure
they were both safe in dangerous times - verifying stories circulating
in
next? Was he held for questioning by the Romans and released due to his
excellent obfuscation of his relationship with Jesus - or released
because he turned out to be a simple man who talked to himself in
complicated ways?
Was Thomas deliberately excluded from this initial gathering of
disciples after their mini-diaspora? Did the disciples
conspire to
create a post-resurrection story and, knowing Thomas, decide to use him
as an experiment in believability? Or was his absence due to a mere
miscommunication about the time or the day of the week or the exact
location of the gathering? Does the reason for Thomas' absence even
matter for the purposes of the story? Inquiring minds might ask such
questions as these. But we might also miss the whole point - which may
not make sense when looking at just the facts.
*********
Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them
when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him "We have seen the
Lord." But [Thomas] 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."
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and [THIS TIME]
Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and
stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." [This was a
rerun of
his previous announcement.] Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger
here and SEE my hands."
***********
Page Five
"Put your finger here and SEE my hands," Jesus says. Thomas,
blinded
somehow - by reason or by insanity - by grief or by fear - by the
conspiracy of comrades or by the absence of a frame of reference for
this experience - Thomas the Twin, blind to the truth or the meaning or
the reality of this spiritual experience - is invited to touch and see,
see and believe, believe and be convicted.
Thomas then declares this PRESENCE to be his God - something the Gospel
of
Gospel seeks to invite the community to attest to. It is the belief
that brought censure from orthodox Judaism in the wake
of the
destruction of the
believer apart from the rest of the world, the belief that binds the
believers together. It is a belief not to be believed by reasonable
people - especially if it is taken literally. It is a belief that does
not make sense, in spite of this ghost story. And yet, we are told,
Thomas finally "sees" and believes.
But what is Thomas actually seeing with his hands - if indeed he
actually TOUCHED the apparition before him? And by seeing - what does
Thomas mean when he declares the post-resurrection Jesus to be God?
Thomas does not say that he needs to SEE JESUS to BELIEVE he is alive.
He says he WILL NOT BELIEVE unless he SEES and FEELS the WOUNDS. Given
the opportunity to SEE and FEEL the WOUNDS, Thomas comes to the
conviction that this post-resurrection Jesus is God. But
WHY? Why the
WOUNDS?
In one sense, wounds are proof that a person is alive. When we are
dead, it is understood that there is no more pain, no more wounding.
Wounds and bleeding and pain and scars are proof of life.
Wounds are also points of entry. They are our vulnerabilities, the
places where something or someone got to us. They are the gateways to
our insides, causes and sources of strong feelings.
Wounds are symbols of our mortality - reminders of that thin skin
between life contained in the body and life leaking out or stolen from
us through unnatural openings. Wounds keep us mindful of the fragility
of life and the miracle of health and sound body and mind.
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Wounds are also the beginning of our sensitivity to the pain and
wounding of others. Just as old wounds can ache when it rains or remind
us of injuries we do not with to repeat - these ruptures and scars,
damaged tissues and physical memories can sensitize us to these
experiences in others. Our wounds often lead us into advocacy for
others, political action, establishment of laws, fund raising for
research into little known diseases. Wounds can lead us into ministry,
into compassionate living.
And wounds, sustained on behalf of others, often bring us to recognition
of something larger than ourselves at work in the world. Wounds
sustained in battle have been designated "badges of honor."
Wounds
received in defense of another person are often declared heroic or even
super-human. In some cases, taking on the suffering of others has been
seen as divine - an act of God through a mortal vessel. It has been
very easy for orthodox Christianity to take this to its literal limit -
suggesting that Jesus' death on the cross was an intentional act of God
- reconciling humans to their Maker after a long and serious
separation.
But I believe that a literal reading of the Easter event sucks the
meaning from its bones. Suffering in and of itself is not redemptive.
But our relationship to the cycles of wounding and healing, dying and
living, grieving and advocating - the growth and insight that happen in
that intersection - are signs of something larger than ourselves at
work.
And it was that relationship that Thomas the Twin was after. He wanted
proof that Jesus lived - through the wounds that had killed him. He
wanted an opening - an unnatural entryway - into the mystery of life
after death. He needed to gain insight into the meaning of recent
events, the loss of a beloved teacher, the power of his lingering
presence - still so alive to him in the midst of such an obvious and
enormous tragedy. Thomas demanded proof of life in death for the
foundation of his belief that God was at work in this situation.
According to the story, he got it.
And every once in a while, we get it too.
When my aunt was killed in a car accident a few years ago, I couldn't
believe she was dead until I was standing in the funeral parlor in
completely real - there were no visible wounds, no indication that this
person was even alive once, let alone dead now.
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I believed she was gone - perhaps 60%. But I reserved 40% for disbelief
and shock and the feeling that she was just about to walk into the room
- the victim and perpetrator of a very bad cosmic joke.
Six months later, in a dream, I walked into her new house. The back
doors were French doors that opened out onto lawns with trees and
fountains. It was beautiful and warm and welcoming. My aunt hugged
me
and said into my ear, "You are God." I was embarrassed and
said, "I am
not!" She released me from the hug gently and said, "But you
will be."
Ever since that dream I have known that she is truly dead. I have also
experienced her as more alive than before - inside of me - around me -
in her children and grandchildren - in a house that opens to beautiful
lawns and gardens I've only seen once in a dream. I've seen her body,
I've buried her ashes. And I've seen her alive again. She has told
me
that we are all God - or we will be. And I believe her.
And perhaps each one of us knows who Thomas' twin is - or could be
convinced to a 51% certainty - if we examined our own wounds - and quit
trying to make sense of it all...
**********
Bulletin
Music for Gathering
Welcome and Perspective on the Day
Musical Preparation for Worship - A Time for Centering
+ Call to Worship (responsive)
One: Come! Bring your doubts, your hopes, your faith.
Many: Christ
is risen! Alleluia!
One: Come! Bring your questions, your wonderings, your
misgivings.
Many: Christ
is risen! Alleluia!
One: Come! Bring your fear, your sorrow, your joy.
Many: Christ
is risen! Alleluia!
One: Come, let us worship God.
Many: Christ
is risen! Alleluia!
+ Story Hymn These Things Did Thomas
Count Hymnal # 254
+ Statement of Faith - I do not believe
(unison - feel free to speak only what you do - or do not - believe)
I do not believe God wills hunger and poverty for the planet's children.
I do not believe God organizes the death of anyone, young or old.
I do not believe God hates our questions and detests our doubts.
I do not believe God wishes us to accept everything without debate.
I do not believe God likes the status quo that denies people liberty and
freedom.
I do not believe God is silent in the councils of government.
I do not believe God approves what we have done to religion.
I do not believe God speaks only through words.
I do not believe God can be understood only through the interpretation
of scholars.
I do not believe God is limited by human description.
I do believe God loves us.
I do believe God loves us so much that death was crushed and life began
anew.
I believe what I can grasp, and hold, and touch,
and also what I cannot grasp but know deep within.
I have not seen the empty tomb but I believe that Christ is alive.
I believe. God help my unbelief. Amen.
Time for Silent Reflection
One:
My soul waits in silence.
All:
God is my rock and my fortress. I will be at peace.
Silent
Reflection
The
Assurance of Good News (unison)
God loves us so much that death was crushed and life began anew!
Sung Response
"Hallelujah. God be praised!"
Conversation with Our Children "Rocks and
Light" a story from Hawaii
Reading from the Christian
Gospels
+ Hymn of Faith Not With Naked Eye, Not With Human Sense Hymnal#406
Teaching and
Proclamation Stop
Making Sense
Intercessions, Celebrations and Encouragements
Call to Prayer Be still and know that I am
God Hymnal # 743
Time for Silence
Our Joys and Concerns and an Offering of Prayer
Sung
Response
In Solitude Hymnal #521 vv. 1 & 2
We Offer Our Gifts So That Our Lives May Be Our Prayer
Offertory
Prayer of
Dedication (unison)
By giving, we open ourselves to the possibilities of being a healing
presence in the world. By giving, we open ourselves to the holy task
of bringing God's light into the lives of others. By giving, we create
options and bring newness to old and tired expectations. May God
bless our giving with new meaning. Amen.
+ Sending Hymn Peace I Leave With You My Friend Hymnal
# 249
+ Commissioning (unison)
Let us go our ways,
knowing not the answers to all things,
yet seeking always the answer
to one more thing than we know.
+ Sung Response Hymnal # 236
Halle, halle, halle - lu - ja,
Halle, halle, halle - lu - ja,
Halle, halle, halle - lu - ja,
Halleluja, halleluja.
+ Postlude
WORSHIP NOTES:
The cross marks (+) in the order of service are an invitation for those
in
the congregation who are able to stand to do so.
The New Century Hymnal or "Hymnal" has a black cover.
The Chapel Songbook is a blue, looseleaf notebook.
Call to Worship is adapted from Seasons of the Spirit Curriculum for
Statement of Faith - I do not believe Ibid.
Conversation with Our Children Ibid.
Commissioning is by John W. Brigham #687
Singing the Living Tradition