John 15:1-8

May 2, 2021

The Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

Rush United Methodist Church

John 15:1-8

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

| Centering Prayer |

Like the Good Shepherd from last Sunday,

Today’s image is another expanded metaphor of the infamous “I Am” statements

As quoted by Jesus in the Gospel of John.

“I Am,” Jesus draws from Hebrew scripture to remind his audience

Of God’s self-disclosure

Speaking directly to Moses on Mount Sinai, through a burning bush.

“I Am,” Jesus says,

“The bread of life.”

“I Am the light of the world.”

“I Am,” Jesus repeats, time and again,

“The door,”

“The good shepherd,”

And “the resurrection and the life.”

“I Am,” declares Jesus,

“The way, the truth and the life.”

And today, Jesus proclaims,

“I Am the true vine.”

(John 6:35. 6:48. 8:12. 9:5. 8:58. 10:9. 10:11. 11:25. 14:6. 15:1)

The extended true vine metaphor

Is very helpful in sculpting out the details of Christian life and faith.

Often times metaphors and parables begin to lose form

The harder one pushes.

“I Am the true vine” holds up wonderfully

Under the pressure.

Indeed, God presents it

With a longing desire for us to dig deeper.

So,

Grab your spiritual shovel

And join me in the dig!

Jesus is the TRUE vine, meaning there are false vines.

Beware, the world is full of quacks, charlatans, and snake oil salesman

Who all claim to be second coming of Jesus Christ.

They will promise you the farm

If only you buy what they’re selling,

Drink what they are peddling,

Believe what they are preaching,

Or follow where they are leading.

Beware, even the Devil quotes scripture.

False vines lead gullible and uninformed sheep to slaughter;

To a dark, damp spiritual alley to rob them blind and leave them for dead.

Many will claim insider knowledge,

Some divine divination,

Or will attempt to scare us with threats of assorted dark horsemen

From the impending apocalypse.

Tell them to talk to the hand!

Jesus is TRUE.

He is the only TRUE vine.

Listen and follow none other.

The Father is the vinegrower.

Our heavenly Father created the world and all that is in it.

God cleared the land,

Planted the seed,

Constructed the trellis.

And tends the vines.

God is not some absentee landlord

That created the vineyard then moved on to another project.

The hand of God

Touches his branches,

– touches us –

To thin us, to prune us, and to maximize the yield of fruit.

It is, after all, all about the fruit, isn’t it?

When Jesus abides in you,

And you in Christ,

You will bear much fruit.

All it takes is abiding in Christ;

Which means

Making your home in the love of Jesus.

Spread the Savior’s love extravagantly

To a world that would rather hate,

That is overflowing with hate,

That is burning to the ground with hate.

Center life in God’s love.

Dive in.

Splash.

Drink in the love of God.

This is what it means to “abide.”

When we abide in the Lord,

The one who is our divine gardener,

We can leave the rest up to Him.

Dead branches

Will be cut away and burnt.

Those under producing will be pruned back,

Appropriately pruned;

Not because of any failure on our part.

God prunes to maximize the harvest of fruit.

It is, after all, all about the fruit!

Here is an observation for you:

A branch cannot bear fruit

Simply by a force of will.

If it was my will,

Churches would be filled to overflowing.

Everyone would be engaged in Spirit led missions and ministries and the entire world would be on fire for Jesus Christ.

Many a church growth efforts have been launched in past decades

Only to sink before they ever exit the harbor.

All those leadership development and mega-church seminars have led to a few success stories

But at the expense of thousands of other local churches.

If you’re trying to force fruit,

You’re doing it wrong!

Attempting to force the production of fruit

Is the pinnacle of arrogance and a pathway toward idolatry.

Stop trying to force the fruit.

Be authentic.

Abide in the love of Jesus Christ

And let Christ’s love abide in you.

This is the sweet spot were the greatest and best fruit will be harvested.

When you and I can be the love of Christ living in this world

The rest will take care of itself.

There is great comfort,

Great confidence,

In trusting in our divine gardener.

It is by the efforts of the true gardener that fruit is produced,

Not by anything we have said or done.

Fruit happens organically

Because the vine is true, and the gardener is good.

Apart from Jesus you can do nothing.

Apart from Jesus you can do nothing.

Sadly, most of us assume that doing something is equated with

Wealth, power, status, property

And having a “Leave it to Beaver” type of perfect family.

This is not true.

We all know people who live their lives in the love of Christ

Yet, their poverty overwhelms them,

Cancer is overcoming them,

Or their families are a wreck.

Likewise, we all know people who live with such wealth

And with such disregard for others,

Yet, still find it possible to climb to the highest,

Most privileged seats in society.

What gives?

Apart from Jesus, you and I can do nothing.

It isn’t about doing something.

Jesus is speaking about abiding in his love.

He’s talking about making

Our home in His love.

Separate ourselves from the love of Jesus,

From the love of God,

And the world begins to reveal itself for its true nature:

Treasure rusts.

Property become dilapidated and returns to dust.

Families go their separate ways.

Estates are dispersed.

Status is forgotten as soon as the undertaker makes his house call.

Have faith in the divine gardener’s larger plan.

It is a plan which we cannot know.

Failure to abide in Jesus results in

Destruction and forgotten memories.

There is no future in focusing on fruitless branches.

There is no point in comparing ourselves

To other disciples or other communities of faith.

Our only future is to make our home in the abiding love of Jesus Christ.

We cannot discern what is happening to the rest of the vine.

The work of the other branches is the work of the Father.

Our sole responsibility to the rest of the branches is to love.

If you abide in Jesus, ask and it will be done for you.

Little doubt what a branch is to ask for.

Ask to be fruitful!

The purpose of abiding in Jesus,

Of living in His love,

And welcoming the love of Christ to take root and grow in our lives

Is simply to glorify the Father.

Our faithfulness will result in bearing much fruit.

Living in the love of Christ

And welcoming Him into every aspect of our lives

Will lead us

On our eternal journey that carries us

Directly to the center of His heart.

Glorify the Father.

Abide in Christ.

Live in His love.

Amen.

John 10:11-18

April 25, 2021 – Easter 4B

the Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

Rush United Methodist Church

John 10:11-18

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

| Centering Prayer |

Today’s Good News marks a

Post Easter shift

From eye-witness accounts of Jesus’ resurrection

• The empty tomb
• Twice to the Upper Room
• On the road to Emmaus
• On the shore on the Sea of Galilee
• To the moment of ascension

To reflecting upon who this resurrected Christ truly is and

What it means to us today.

This is a core characteristic of John’s Gospel.

John provides multiple witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel identifies beyond a shadow of a doubt

The human and divine identity of Jesus.

John challenges early Church Christians,

And us today,

To grow our relationship with Christ,

Deepen our faith, and

Witness to what we know.

Consider the grand opening of John’s Gospel.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”

– 1:1-5, 14

He speaks of God who existed before time began

And through whom all things came into being.

Jesus is the Word,

Became flesh,

And dwelt among us.

Using sweeping “I Am” statements

That echo the great “I Am” of the Torah and prophets

We hear Jesus saying

• “I Am the vine, you are the branches.” – 15:5
• “I Am the bread of life.” – 6:35
• “I Am the light of the world.” – 8:12
• And today, “I Am the good shepherd.” – 10:11

The reason for this shift

From witness to identity is simple:

John wants identity to become the seed

Of a personal relationship between you and Jesus.

Christ wants into your life.

…

The context for the Gospel today

Is a larger narrative of a man born blind,

Being outcast and isolated like so many of us have been

Isolated, quarantined, and locked down this past year.

The man didn’t lose his sight.

He was born without sight.

When asked if sin was the cause of his blindness,

Jesus stops,

Makes mud with his spit, 

Spreads the mud on the man’s eyes, and

Tells him to wash in the pool of Siloam.

Simple.

A gift of sight.

From the only source of sight.

Jesus gives him sight, something only a supernatural God can do.

The newly sighted man testifies only to his personal experience.

Pharisees investigates the man and his parents.

This only amplifies the man’s testimony of divine intervention at the hand of Jesus.

Jesus found him, gave him sight, brought him into the fold.

From begging by the side of the road, he is invited into the community, where there is safety and abundance.

This example right here, friends,

Is the work of a good shepherd.

…

John assumes a knowledgeable Hebrew audience who is

Well educated in Jewish law and tradition.

All would know the familiar 23^rd Psalm.

It begins with:

“The Lord is my shepherd.” – Ps 23:1

Who is Jesus?

He’s the good shepherd, John tells us.

At the same time

The Psalmist tells us

The Lord is my shepherd.

Therefore, Jesus is my Lord.

See how the Gospel of John lays his theological foundation?

This Psalm paints a picture of royalty,

Of a Lord

Who is powerful, steady, loving, understanding, comforting, providing.

Many in the crowd probably also knew

the conclusion of Psalm 79.

“… we your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” – Ps 79:13

Beyond the Psalms

One only has to turn to the prophet Ezekiel

To hear further echoes of John’s Gospel: 

“I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out …

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep,

and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God.”

– Ezekiel 34:11, 15

Who is Jesus?

He’s the good shepherd.

At the same time

Ezekiel reports

The Lord is the shepherd of his sheep.

Therefore, Jesus is my Lord.

QED, John completes the theorem.

Thus, it is demonstrated that

Jesus is Lord.

…

The question of Jesus’ identity

Is rooted in the Pharisees relentless, often paranoid inquiry

And the crowds enthusiastic curiosity:

Who are you and from where have you come?

The Pharisees had a good thing going

And they didn’t want any backwater redneck to throw a monkey wrench into the cogs of organized religion.

Organized religion was printing money for them hand over fist.

It was laying their golden eggs.

Likewise, the crowds eagerly sought a new Messiah,

A political solution to the Roman occupation and oppression.

They wanted to know if Jesus was the one

Who was sent by God

To save them from their captivity.

Quite patiently

John lays out the case for who Jesus is.

He is NOT an unreliable hired hand who runs in the face of danger.

Jesus stands up in the face of danger

And protects his sheep from all worldly perils.

Jesus calls his sheep,

Feeds and waters his sheep,

And tends to their every need.

Jesus knows each and every one of his sheep by name

And his sheep personally know him.

One-to-one.

With no intermediary.

Jesus is willing to give his life for his sheep,

And we know he eventually does.

Jesus ultimately is the one who

Will bring all sheep together,

Sheep in other folds tended by Jesus of whom we have no knowledge.

He will bring us together to make one flock.

All well and good, if we are to believe

The Good News was only relevant to Jesus’ followers,

His detractors,

And perhaps the first century Church.

That is an argument I’m not willing to sell.

My faith leads me to believe that

The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is also meant for us today.

John’s message about identity is meant for

Pharisees,

Followers,

Early Church Christians,

And for each of us today,

living out our Christian journey half a world away 2,000 years later.

“I Am the Good Shepherd” begs the question

Who is Jesus to you?

Who is Jesus and why has his life, death, and resurrection intersected with yours?

You’ve heard witness of his death and resurrection the past three weeks.

Now you are hearing the case John makes for his identity as shepherd and Lord.

Is Jesus the topic to be avoided at work and in social circles?

Is Jesus the one who is to be denied if pressed by inquiring minds?

Is Jesus the necessary consequence of doing the right thing by going to church on Sundays?

Perhaps Jesus is simply a historical character who models good moral behavior.

Perhaps Jesus is just the focus of a delusional Church.

Perhaps Jesus is a necessary psychological crutch that we need to get through life.

Everybody has an opinion, and believe me, I’ve heard them all.

…

I cannot tell you what to believe.

I am only able to witness to you

what I believe.

You are invited to make up your own mind.

Jesus is my shepherd, and he is good.

He has provided for my family and I every day of my life.

I have never been in want of food, drink, or shelter.

I have always been loved and cared for.

Jesus sought me

Just as he sought the man born blind.

Jesus brought me into the fold at my baptism

Just as Jesus gave the blind man the divine gift of sight

Bringing him out of isolation and into community.

I have come to know that

Jesus knows me through-and-through;

The good, the bad, and, yes, the ugly.

There is no hiding from him.

Jesus is the source of my healing when I’ve been broken.

Jesus is the one who judges me and forgives me, when I have sinned, confessed, and begged for forgiveness.

I fully anticipate Jesus will be the one who saves me into eternal life.

I know that Jesus was willing to give his life for me, because he did.

I know that Jesus is at work bringing all of God’s people back into his one fold;

Into his eternal kingdom.

I know it, because I’ve lived it.

I know it, because I’m living it.

This is my witness to you.

Won’t you join me?

In your thoughts this week,

I’d like you to focus on this essential question:

Who is Jesus and why has he come into your life?

Make it be all about you.

This is one occasion where it’s good to make it “all about me.”

Who is Jesus to you?

Why is Jesus in your life?

Let me know where your thoughts and prayers lead you.

Let me know how you have been drawn closer

To our good shepherd.

Amen.

Luke 24:36b-48

April 18, 2021 – Third Sunday of Easter

The Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

Rush United Methodist Church

Luke 24:36b-48 http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=390623186

While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

| Centering Prayer |

Whenever a scripture passage begins with

“While they were talking about this, …”

The preacher better be prepared to talk about what this is.

This is what the disciples were talking about:

Cleopas and another disciple were walking to Emmaus earlier in the day

When the resurrected Jesus appeared and joined them.

Strange; they did not recognize Jesus.

It is as if he was unexpected.

They told the apparent stranger of all the events they had just experienced:

Arrest, passion, suffering, death, the burial of Christ.

They briefed him about the women’s report.

They said the tomb was empty.

They claimed to have met and spoke with two angels who told them that Jesus was alive.

The still unrecognized Jesus calls Cleopas and the other disciple fools for being

Slow of heart and

Not believing in the teaching of prophets (Ouch!).

Then begins to teach them about himself and the scriptures.

As they approach the village of Emmaus

It becomes apparent that the mysterious traveler intended to leave them.

Cleopas and the other disciple invite the unrecognized Jesus to dinner.

At dinner, during the hospitable act of breaking and blessing the bread,

Their eyes were opened.

They saw the Lord.

They recognized Jesus.

Miracle number one: Jesus rose from the dead.

Miracle number two: Jesus vanished from their sight.

They became so excited that

They immediately dropped everything,

Returned to Jerusalem, and

Told the other disciples all that had happened.

“While they were talking about this,” (24:36)

This is the this, our passage begins with today.

…

“Peace be with you,” Jesus begins. (24:36)

Like every ghost we have ever heard about,

Just as Jesus dematerialized

In the presence of Cleopas and the other disciple just hours earlier,

He now miraculously materializes right in front of the eyes all the gathered disciples.

This is something like right out of a scene of Star Trek.

The Gospel account in Luke is different than John.

In Luke, this is the first post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to all his disciples.

They are startled and terrified.

Already, they were locked away in the Upper Room

For fear of the Jewish authorities and crowds.

‘They came for Jesus.

They bagged their man.

They’re next coming for us,’

Or so they probably thought.

Already, their collective anxiety was through the roof.

When Jesus appears out of thin air,

They are startled and terrified.

Which begs me to asks,

What startles and terrifies you?

“Peace be with you,” Jesus says.

Jesus appears to correlate fear with doubt.

“Why are you frightened, and

Why do doubts arise in your hearts?” he asks. (24:38)

Perhaps, if we address our fears,

We might be able to better able to get a grasp

On our faith and our doubts.

Perhaps, we might be able to

Keep our doubts constrained,

At the same time, we might be able to

Deepen and broaden our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ.

What startles and terrifies us?

It is impossible for me to speak on your behalf

Or from your experience.

I can only speak from my personal experience of fear.

What do I fear? What terrifies me?

First, and foremost,

My greatest fear is harm coming to my immediate family,

Cynthia, Nicholas, or Christian.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus tells me.

Intellectually, I can think through the theological jungle gym;

God is watching over each of us in the family.

We should – I should – just trust in the Lord.

And leave the rest up to God.

Emotionally, I’m far more at peace

With my own passion, suffering, and death,

Than I am with the suffering and mortality of those I love.

Yet, every day, from my privileged point-of-view,

I experience faithful, God-fearing Christians

Being put through the wringer

Of a loved one’s passion, suffering, and death.

Frankly, I shake my head in awe

At the amazing capacity for faith that you, and others, show me

All

The

Time.

I can only pray that

If, and when, I should have to go through such painful circumstances

That I will have a fraction of the faith and strength to endure my gale.

“Peace be with you,” the Body of Christ reassures me.

…

What startles or brings you fear?

For many, I’m confident that we share our greatest fear:

Harm, pain, or suffering coming to our family and loved ones.

I’m asking you to join me in deeper introspection.

What do you fear?

Some fear a pop quiz, a final exam, an end of semester grade.

Some fear that teacher, professor, confrontation, being misunderstood.

Some fear the prospect of changing majors, disappointing parents or peers.

Some fear there won’t be a job at the end of the line, only debt.

Some fear that they just don’t fit in, aren’t bright enough, or good looking.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus gives to you.

Some fear Covid19.

Some fear being ruined by the pandemic.

Some fear not being able to pay bills.

Some fear unemployment.

Some fear being forced to choose between food and their prescription medicine.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus says to you.

Some fear the government.

Some fear our government taking away liberties.

Some fear being racially profiled, pulled over, shaken down, and shot down by authorities.

Some fear our local, state, and national leadership.

Some fear war with China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus tells all who follow him.

What do you fear?

Some fear technology, social media, big data.

Some fear the loss of privacy.

Some fear being hacked, personal data and identity stolen, and bank account wiped clean.

Some fear being spied upon.

Some fear losing control of everything.

Some fear science, research, and innovation.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus says to you.

Some fear going to a nursing home, lingering long, becoming a burden.

Some fear pain and suffering.

Some fear disease, loss of cognitive abilities, becoming the victim of abuse.

Some fear falling off the wagon, having a mental health breakdown, overdosing.

Some fear going to the doctor.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus tells you.

Some fear our church will come out of this pandemic wounded, weak, and in decline.

Some fear our church growing, the loss of personal control, the awkward hassle of associating with new people.

Some fear handing over the reigns of leadership to the next generation.

Some fear the Holy Spirit taking control and driving this train!

“Peace be with you,” Jesus says to us.

Some fear prayer, opening a direct, intimate line with God.

Some fear judgment, punishment, wrath, going to hell.

Some fear making peace, ending old grudges and offenses.

Some fear the prospect of forgiving or being forgiven.

Some fear eternal life.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus says to us.

We are the Body of Christ;

It is our responsibility to extend the peace of Jesus,

Even as we are recipients of his peace.

Being vessels of Christ’s peace,

Stills our fears,

Lessens our doubt,

And strengthens our faith.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus materializes right in front of their eyes.

He brings recognition to some of his disciples,

Showing them his wounds.

For those still stunned, whirling, or questioning

Jesus gives them more.

“Have you anything here to eat?” (24:41)

Ghostly apparitions don’t have a functioning GI tract.

More importantly,

The hospitable act of breaking bread had become the signature act of Jesus and those who follow him.

Peace be with you.

Jesus brings assurance to his disciples

By opening their minds to understand scripture,

“That everything written about me in the law of Moses,

The prophets, and

The psalms must be fulfilled.” (24:44b)

Diving deep into scripture;

Academically, critically, emotionally, prayerfully, spiritually, worshipfully;  

Diving deep into scripture and drinking it in completely

Brings peace.

Peace be with you.

“You are witnesses of these things,” Jesus teaches his disciples then, even as he informs us today.

“You are witnesses in my name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (24:47b-48)

Disciples. Christ followers. That make you and me witnesses.

Witnesses testify.

If you’re not testifying to others about the risen Christ

And what he brings to the world,

You’re doing it wrong.

Christians witness and testify,

Some more, some less,

Some better, some not so certain,

All somewhere on the spectrum between absolute belief and doubt.

Oh, I forgot to add …

Some fear old school evangelism, knocking on doors, inviting people to church!

Some fear speaking up and giving a personal testimony about how God is interacting with your life.

Some fear the witness, the possibility of rejection, ridicule, confrontation.

“Peace be with you,” Jesus tells us.

Take a deep breath.

Start small.

Make a friend.

Be a friend.

Build a network of relationships and fill each full of love.

They will know we are Christians by our love.

Speak from your personal experience.

Marry your word with the hospitality of the table,

Exactly as Jesus did.

God stirs the souls of those who bring together Word and Table.

Start local.

Gain traction.

Spread your witness and experience.

Watch it take off like wildfire.

Be assured,

Responsibility to witness doesn’t rest completely on any one disciple.

The responsibility to take the witness of Jesus Christ global

Is upon the network of friends and relationships we call

The Body of Christ.

“Peace be with you.”

Be not afraid.

Witness to your experience.

Simply be peace.

Simply believe.

Amen.

John 20:19-31

April 11, 2021

The Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

Rush United Methodist Church

John 20:19-31

When 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.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But 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 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.”

A 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.” Then 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.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But 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.

| Centering Prayer |

For a seven-year period

The bishop appointed me ‘beyond the local church’

To serve as the Director of Education for the Alzheimer’s Association.

I learned much about neurodegenerative diseases and how to care for people experiencing these devastating illnesses.

My staff and I taught professionals and family loved ones,

Throughout an eleven-county area.

We taught in nursing homes, group homes, churches, day programs, and firehouses.

We taught professional and lay care partners alike

How to care for people with dignity and respect regarding history, respect, culture, religion, core values, safety, and love.

The pathology and progression of a neurodegenerative disease,

Such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or ALS,

Correlates with a change in behaviors and the ability to communicate.

When the region of the brain that controls short-term memory is impaired,

We taught the value of routine: Establish a routine, maintain a routine, and God help those who disrupt the routine!

The value of getting in a rut is that you know where you are going.

As we age, many of us fear the loss of memory or recognition.

The normal slide, starting in our twenties, is called ‘Age Associated Memory Impairment,’ or AAMI.

It’s normal to experience a gentle, gradual, decline of cognitive ability.

A neurodegenerative disease is a sharp deviation from normal and not in a good way.

How does one tell the difference?

I run into a familiar person in public.

I look at their face, but I draw a blank.

It is even more difficult in this pandemic season when everyone is wearing a mask.

“What is his or her name?” I ask myself,

Hoping not to embarrass myself if caught in my failure to recognize.

Researchers and doctors taught us to teach you to perseverate.

Rack your brain for the next 24-hours.

Try to remember.

If you eventually remember, that’s generally a good sign that you can probably wait to report this to your doctor at your next regular appointment.

If, however, after a day of trying to put together a face and a name and you just can’t remember, call your doctor, make an appointment, and inform your doctor of your memory concerns.

You’re welcome.

…

Recognition.

I raise your awareness about recognition

Because of the difficultly disciples of Jesus had recognizing the resurrected Christ.

Today, John reports his disciples were locked away and fearful from the crowds on the evening of the first day of the week.

Locked down. Fearful.

Everyone of us living through this horrid pandemic should understand what they were experiencing.

Last Sunday we heard about the first two witnesses to the resurrection,

John, the disciple Jesus loved, and Mary Magdalene, the one who misidentified Jesus as the gardener.

John saw the empty tomb and believed. Period.

Mary recognized Jesus when he spoke her name. Mary believed.

In a parallel sort of way, today Jesus first appears to his ten disciples

(12 minus Judas and Thomas).

When he appears he fulfills his prior promise to fill them with the power of his Holy Spirit.

Jesus then appears to a skeptical Thomas a week later, when recognition of the resurrected Lord came when Jesus showed Thomas his wounds.

The disciples witnessed Jesus materialize right before their very eyes.

He kept his promise.

He had the wounds to prove it.

Jesus was alive.

“The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” (20:20)

Thomas, a week later, was invited to touch his wounds.

Thomas recognized the Lord, not by sight, but by examination of the laceration and puncture marks.

He recognized the Lord, with his witness and confession, “My Lord and my God!” (20:28)

Following today’s resurrection narrative, the Gospel of John reports Jesus appeared to seven of his disciples on the Sea of Galilee.

They failed to recognize Jesus until he gave them a fishing tip that resulted in a miraculous catch of 153 fish. (21:11)

It took a divine miracle brought recognition to those seven disciples.

…

What can be learned and applied to our lives today?

1. Christian disciples are all over the spectrum between belief and doubt in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It’s normal.

You’re normal.

(I’d say ‘I’m normal’, but there may be some who don’t believe me).

Strength of faith does not correlate with absolute belief.

We shouldn’t judge others who express doubt as being weak or flawed.

We should be patient and love those who have normal doubts and applaud their courage to express them openly.

Likewise, I suggest you go easy on yourself if you find yourself somewhere on the spectrum sliding between absolute faith and complete doubt.

Faith is hard work, and doubt is difficult to ignore.

There is no shame or guilt for doubt, regardless of amount or duration.

I recognize doubt as the environment …

… the people, the place, the time, the circumstances …

That are necessary for you and I to have an interaction with Jesus,

To recognize ‘Christ has died. Christ is risen! Christ will come again!’

Recognition results in our confession and witness to the world

That Jesus is my Lord and my God.

2. We each have diverse motives and needs to recognize Jesus.

Each of us are different,

Shaped by our life experiences, childhood development, values, parents, and faith community (or lack, thereof).

For some, recognizing and believing in the resurrection of Jesus comes as easy as water off a duck’s back.

Others need to hear Jesus call us by name.

Others need to see his apparition.

Yet others, require the awareness of the Holy Spirit dwelling within and empowering their life.

Others, like Thomas, need to be able to physically touch Jesus to believe he is alive.

And others need a full-fledged, over-the-top, water-into-wine kind of miracle to open their eyes.

The Gospel of John recognizes the diversity of Christians

And intentionally lays out numerous ways for us to come to recognition.

Doubt is expected and is normal.

God’s grace meets us where we are at.

Grace does not require us to be a square peg pounded into a round hole of doctrine, theology, or belief.

It is by grace alone that we are drawn to that day of Christian perfection, when we, too, will recognize and proclaim, “My Lord and my God.”

3. Faith comes to those who perseverate.

How does this work?

Make your faith and commitment to follow Jesus a priority in your thoughts as you go about your day and make your way through the week.

Perseverate on Jesus;

His life,

His teachings,

His actions, behaviors, and motives,

His love,

His death and resurrection.

Recognition comes to those who perseverate about Jesus.

Facing a difficult test or paper?

Consider the role of Jesus.

He will love you regardless of the outcome.

Fail to study one subject or topic sufficiently?

Jesus is the author of forgiveness and redemption. Study harder next time, like Jesus did when he was a youth left behind at the Temple and was found learning from the Rabbis.

Knock that test out of the park and earn a top grade?

That exceptional grade is just a taste of the salvation offered by a resurrected Lord.

Recognition of the resurrected Christ comes to those who perseverate about him.

Facing the end of life?

Consider the end of Christ’s life.

Can you associate your personal suffering with his suffering, abuse, passion, and death?

He cared for his mother while on the cross.

Consider how Christ is leading you to care for your family for your eventual absence.

Think about Christ’s death, his ability to wholly and completely surrender to the will of his heavenly Father.

Carrying a heavy load of sin or regret to your grave?

Jesus paid your bill and didn’t even leave a receipt.

Atonement for sins?

His permanent scars on his hands, feet, and side

Are a reminder that atonement isn’t a one-and-done proposition.

Atonement is a moment-by-moment, ongoing, intimate relationship with Jesus.

Perseverate your thoughts on Jesus.

Make him a priority in your thoughts as you face every challenge in your life.

Thinking about Jesus all the time does not turn you into a Jesus freak or a holy roller.

Thinking persistently about Jesus Christ creates a worldview that provides the opportunity to address issues of evil and suffering, trauma and pain, war and peace, righteousness and justice, healing and grace.

4. Take time to linger; hang around with Jesus.

Mary lingered outside the empty tomb.

The disciples lingered, a week later in the upper room.

Lingering around Jesus creates space for recognition to happen.

Lingering, watching, waiting is a rhythm that is like that of Advent; The season of anticipation; waiting for Jesus to be born; waiting for Christ to come again.

…

The God of my experience leads me to believe the day is coming when I will meet Jesus face to face.

Will I recognize him? I hope so.

I’ve been preparing for a lifetime

To grow my faith, deepen my belief, focus my life on Jesus

With the hope and prayer that I have come to recognize my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and enthusiastically witness to his name, that all may come to believe, “and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (20:31)

Are you prepared to meet Jesus face-to-face?

There is no time like the present to start making preparations.

Amen.