"Not Seeing IS Believing" April 12, 2015

Acts 4:32-36 John 20:19-31 Before the days of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern, even before Casey Kasum the Radio talk show everyone listened to was the familiar twang of Oklahoma announcer Paul Harvey reading the daily news and his commentary: “The Rest of The Story.” Paul Harvey was a master story-teller, who provided context and back story to events we all think we know, as well as creating descriptive compound phrases like “Reaganomics.” Paul Harvey seamlessly flowed from one story to the next, into a commercial, accented only by his introduction of “Hello America” his turning the sheets of his Yellow-pad saying “Page 2” and concluding every broadcast by saying “Good Day!” This morning's passages are stories from the New Testament, so familiar we all think we recognize “Doubting Thomas” and the classic Stewardship Sermon that immediately after Barnabas sells his field sharing everything there is the story of Ananias and his wife who conspired not to and they died! We celebrate Easter, but this morning, consider “The Rest of the Story.” Because according to John's Gospel, Easter morning was the Resurrection, and Easter evening was Pentecost, when Christ shared his own breath, his spirit, his peace with the Disciples. And Acts describes the company were of One heart and soul, everyone shared everything they possessed. Diana Butler Bass is a friend who has been writing about NextChurch compared to Great Awakenings the first of which occurred in the mid 1700s in the Colonies, a crisis causing those already baptized Church members to question the depths of their faith/ their need for Salvation. The Second in the 1800s took place here in Central New York, reaching out to the unChurched. What Diana describes is that a Revival is aimed at attracting more number of people to the belief; an Awakening is brought about by a crisis, any crisis, causing us to See things differently possibly losing faith but possibly going far deeper than we ever have before. Seeing differently than we had seen previously, differently from those with whom we had been one. Things that seemed important even the day before, suddenly feel meaningless and we feel numb. When the Boston Marathon bombing happened, when September 11th happened, when our child was born. Diana believes, and I agree with her, that our culture is preparing for a next Great Awakening of Faith, not concerned with membership numbers but every person stopping to Breathe, to reflect and See our need for trust, for loving ourselves and one another. While we know there were an even dozen disciples, other than Peter, James and John, most of us remember the names of the 7 Dwarfs better than we do the names of Jesus' Disciples. Despite sharing meals and sharing experiences, the disciples were a diverse group, who co-existed without knowing each other intimately. Judas Ischariot and Simon Peter both denied and betrayed Jesus on Maundy Thursday; for the one, it led to an abandonment of God and abandonment of everything; to the other a crisis of faith that empowered him to have conviction, to commit to the faith he already espoused. PAGE TWO We have an earlier reference to Thomas, at the Last Supper. Jesus said “In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to take you to myself. You know the way I am going.” And Thomas said, “We do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus responded, “I am the way, the truth and the life. If you had known me, you would know the Father also, henceforth you know Him and have seen Him.” When Jesus was arrested and died on the Cross, all the disciples dispersed in crisis. Thomas dropped out becoming one of those like so many today who declare I require proof in order to believe. The problem being that belief can only be belief, when there is no proof, when you have to trust without evidence. On Easter, Thomas was not at the tomb before dawn, or in the evening in the Upper Room. Not that he was unafraid, but Thomas had lost his way. Last Sunday, after the celebration, after the doves were released and the organ had gone quiet, a little girl came into the Sanctuary looking around as if entering a room she thought she might not belong. Coming to Baptismal font she rubbed the colors as if making a wish. Just then she saw me, I winked at her and smiled. In this big space her voice sounded so small, so clear: “Is Jesus coming back?” It was as if wondering if Ronald might make an appearance at McDonalds, Wendy at Wendy's or Mickey at Disneyland. After a moment I said, you know how when Mom and Dad take you to School or Day Care they always come to get you? Sometimes it seems we have to wait and wait, but they come. God is coming. She said, but my Daddy does not come get me anymore, Daddy is in heaven. I sat down on the step beside her and said “So your Daddy is keeping God company, telling God all about you.” She asked, “But how do you know: if God is coming?” I responded, “You know how sometimes, your heart swells up in your chest because you are so excited, so filled with love and joy? Those are the times when God is with us, right with us in our hearts, and we know we are not alone, we are loved.” When asked what it will take for Thomas to believe, Thomas asks for a Scar Story. We each have Scar stories, the time I got bit by a dog. When my appendix burst. When we were arguing and I got burned by the dish coming out of the oven. The Car Accident. The Ski trip. Scars are proof of endurance, the remainder and reminder of an experience that changed you. There is an important irony here... When we die, our mortal bodies, with arthritis, disease, age and disability die. In the resurrection, we are spirit without body, as such we are without disability, without pain, without suffering. BUT Jesus body has an importance to us. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus spirit was with God in the beginning, then giving up divinity in order to become human. That life is important to us, because in the body we know Jesus was born, God incarnate with us. Jesus ate with sinners. Jesus touched people and healed them. Jesus suffered on the cross, and the suffering was atonement for all the sins of all the world. So the physical reality of that body, that is important. The scars, the holes in the hands, the spear laceration in his side, those scars are the vestige of the mortal wounds of the world. Where often we feel guarded and defensive of our wounds, we feel our scars are deformities, However when Thomas names this, Jesus willingly offers his wounds to be touched. Such is the devotion of our God. Touching a wound is an especially intimate vulnerability. As the toddlers describe, “This is an Ow-ie.” This is a wound, a reminder of hurt and pain. Allowing, inviting another to touch that wound, that hurt, is a conviction of trust. Rather than an image of power, glory and divinity, when Thomas does witness the wounded-ness of Jesus, when Jesus reaches out holding nothing back for Thomas to touch his wounds, Thomas provides the most powerful affirmation in the Gospels. Where the High Priests had declared that they had no King except Caesar, and that the charge against Jesus was Blasphemy for identifying himself as being God; Thomas replies to Jesus wounds: “My LORD and My God!” PAGE THREE Joseph, like Paul was included among the Apostles, although they had not been disciples of Jesus, had never seen him in the flesh. Joseph was a Levite from Cyprus, meaning he was Jewish but from the Great Diasopora, the Babylonian Exile, Joseph had learned to live in the world. Joseph received a new name as a Christian, he is called:“Son of Encouragement”: Barnabas. Whereas some kept possessions to themselves, because there was no restriction against it, there were some like Ananias and his bride Saphira who conspired together to lie to community, misrepresenting what they were sharing. Yet there were also those individuals like Barnabas, who encouraged the whole community by freely sharing everything they had. When, Saul was converted on the Damascus Road to become Paul of Tarsus, the community did not trust him. Barnabas is named as speaking on behalf of Paul to the Disciples. Barnabas, Son of Encouragement stood up for other people, offered the possibility of hope, offered his companionship. Barnabas became traveling companion and partner in mission with Paul to the Gentiles. When they set out on their first journey, they took along another young convert named John, who was called Mark. In the midst of this 1400 mile journey, Mark and Paul got into an argument and Mark left, went home. When Paul and Barnabas prepared for their second journey, Barnabas insisted on bringing Mark, and Paul said No. Their disagreement became so strong, Barnabas went with mark and Paul with Silas. Barnabas always seemed to work for the reconciliation and forgiveness of others. SO the two questions we are left to consider this morning are 1. DO you need a Scar Story, to see and touch the wounds and suffering, in order to believe, OR can you like Barnabas Trust, hoping and believing that faith will come? 2. DO you believe Christ will come? Do you believe you are all alone, or do you know what cannot be seen that God is with you? “Good Day”