Finding Fellowship
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The resurrection was a startling event that completely turned the lives of the disciples upside down, and they reacted with a powerful mix of emotions. As they struggled with how to process this unprecedented experience -- a dynamic played out in the gospel text's account of Thomas, who wants to see the evidence of Jesus' wounds -- it's natural that they would turn to each other for support and help in understanding the fear and unbridled joy they're feeling. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Mary Austin discusses the theme of fellowship that runs through the lectionary readings for the Second Sunday of Easter... and the importance of our being connected with one another for healthy, productive living. The brief Acts passage may strike cynics as a utopian vision -- yet the opening verse of Psalm 133 summarizes the benefits of living in harmony: "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!" Centuries before Rodney King's plaintive cry of "Why can't we all just get along?" scripture outlines for us the benefits of finding fellowship rather than demonizing one another -- and Mary points out that it is a sign of God's power at work when we can manage the feat of caring for one another and working together peacefully.
This Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and team member Dean Feldmeyer offers some brief thoughts about how we might utilize that event in the pulpit, particularly on the subjects of human arrogance and skepticism, which dovetails well with the gospel text's account of "Doubting Thomas." While Thomas touches Jesus' wounds and affirms his belief, Dean notes that the events surrounding the Titanic are a stark reminder that skepticism in human affairs is hardly misplaced.
Finding Fellowship
by Mary Austin
Acts 4:23-37; Psalm 133
Solitary confinement has long been considered the most drastic punishment for inmates who are deemed difficult -- but the New York Times reported recently that some prison authorities are reconsidering the idea of solitary confinement. An article by Erica Goode reports that "studies suggest that the rigid control, absence of normal human interaction, and lack of stimulation imposed by prolonged isolation can cause a wide range of psychological symptoms including insomnia, withdrawal, rage and aggression, depression, hallucinations, and thoughts of suicide, even in prisoners who are mentally healthy to begin with." Lack of connection with other people wears down our mental health.
Whether in prison, our neighborhood, or at church, we need each other's company. The readings for this Sunday highlight the power of fellowship and our need for community with each other.
THE WORLD
Connection with other people is so important that some of us are designing our own communities, built around common interests, rather than leaving the selection of our neighbors to chance. CNN Money reports: "Whether it be a religious calling, a golfing itch, or Disney-inspired serenity, millions have found a way of life in communities that amount to miniature worlds." Some communities are only for people 55 and up, but others are organized around a shared Roman Catholic faith, a love of Martha Stewart décor, or the desire for a Disney-like neighborhood.
At the other end of the spectrum, prisons have developed a pattern of isolating inmates for convenience, punishment, or control. Human connection is so powerful that its absence is considered a punishment.
After a series of violent incidents in 2007 at Parchman Prison in Mississippi, prison officials realized that their strategy for keeping order wasn't working. As Erica Goode writes in the New York Times , "What was surprising was what happened next. Instead of tightening restrictions further, prison officials loosened them. They allowed most inmates out of their cells for hours each day. They built a basketball court and a group dining area. They put rehabilitation programs in place and let prisoners work their way to greater privileges."
Paradoxically, as Goode writes, "In response, the inmates became better behaved. Violence went down. The number of prisoners in isolation dropped to about 300 from more than 1,000. So many inmates were moved into the general population of other prisons that Unit 32 was closed in 2010, saving the state more than $5 million."
The same New York Times article notes that "Some states built special units to isolate difficult prisoners -- 'the worst of the worst,' prison officials said -- from the general prison population. Others retrofitted existing prisons or established smaller units within larger facilities. The federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, was locked down in 1983 after the murder of two prison guards, its inmates confined to cells 23 hours a day and then kept that way permanently. In 1989, California opened Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, a remote town near the Oregon border, specially designed to control inmates in conditions that minimize human interaction. By 2005, 44 states had supermax prisons or their equivalents. In most, inmates were let out of their cells for only a few hours a week. They were fed through slots in their cell doors and were denied access to work programs or other rehabilitation efforts. If visitors were allowed, the interactions were conducted with no physical contact."
This kind of life without regular human contact shapes people's lives even after they leave prison. The article reports that "some research has found that inmates released from supermax units are more likely to reoffend than comparable prisoners released from conventional maximum-security prisons, and that those crimes are more likely to be violent."
We are created for connection with each other, whether in prison or families or neighborhoods -- or faith communities.
THE WORD
Both the Acts and Psalm scriptures designated for today highlight community as a sign of God's presence. The Psalmist notes, with evident appreciation, "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1).
Acts tells the story of the post-resurrection community in Jerusalem. As Peter and John proclaim the good news of Jesus' resurrection, their preaching gets them arrested -- but the authorities can't figure out how to punish them and are forced to release them. In the wake of the resurrection, the followers of Jesus are filled with the power to preach and teach, and there is also an effect on the whole community. The shallowness of the world's power is revealed when Pilate and Herod and the crowds can't do anything about the spread of this dramatic good news. In contrast, God's power is both dramatic and dynamic.
For the community of believers, the story says, "Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:32-33).
As Mitzi Smith, Associate Professor at the Ashland Theological Seminary campus in Detroit, Michigan, writes on workingpreacher.org: "Like-minded people gathered together. Evidence of God's powerful presence in and among the people is not simply or conclusively joyous shouting and audible praise. The evidence is the new relationship created among the diverse people who experience the power of God. Like-mindedness should foster like-minded behavior; a power-filled life. This gathering was not one of people with a well-developed doctrine, a hierarchical infrastructure, a board of deacons, a newly printed hymnal, a dynamic well-trained choir, a magnificent 'house of God,' or a membership roster. We are summoned to be channels for God's power, pragmatically changing lives."
God's power shows up in community, in connection, and in how the followers of Jesus live together.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
The unity of the believers described in Acts is hard to imagine for those of us in churches where it's hard to agree on the color of the carpet, let alone how to live without individual possessions. It seems impossible to achieve and so it's clear evidence of the power of God at work. We could never manage it for ourselves, but the same power that brought Jesus from the grave is at work to create community.
Pondering the challenges of the Sunday after Easter (or more properly, the Second Sunday of Easter) Andre Resner Jr. poses the question "What indeed are we to do for an encore?" [Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2, p. 389]. "The answer these texts give is: continue to proclaim the resurrection absurdity in the way we live together in caring community." The resurrection of Jesus has shaped everything about the common life of the believers, giving them an unusual kind of unity of thought and purpose. The resurrection story continues in how they live and in the example they offer to the people around them.
What indeed are we to do for an encore? Part two of our resurrection story is how we manage to live it in our own lives. We can pray that our own fellowship with one another gives evidence of the power of the resurrection, for any who might need to see more. "Doubting Thomas" is always in our midst, our unseen companion on the Sunday after Easter, even if we don't hear the reading from John's gospel in worship. The evidence of harmony and unity among believers should be ample evidence even for Thomas, and for his spiritual twins, that the power of the resurrection is alive among us.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Titanic Centennial
by Dean Feldmeyer
John 20:19-31
One hundred years ago this past Tuesday (April 10), the RMS Titanic left the port of Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage.
She stopped briefly at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland, and then headed out to sea toward New York City. Built from 1910-1911 in Belfast and operated by the White Star Line, she was the largest passenger ship that had ever sailed and was considered to be the very utmost in comfort and luxury with a gymnasium, a heated swimming pool, a library, state-of-the-art restaurants, one of the first wireless telegraphy systems in the world, and opulent cabins. She carried 2,224 people -- passengers and crew -- including some of the wealthiest and most famous people in the world as well as about 1,000 immigrants from Great Britain, Scandinavian countries, and across Europe seeking a new life in the United States.
A single first-class ticket cost $4,700 -- in today's dollars, about $50,000.
Over the course of the next five days Titanic would receive six telegraph warnings about icebergs in their path. She turned south to avoid the ice but not far enough south.
On the night of April 15, 1912, 100 years ago this Sunday, the RMS Titanic entered an ice field about 375 miles south of Newfoundland at the speed of 22 ½ knots and struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. The iceberg tore a horizontal rip in the side of the ship and caused the steel plates to buckle inward, opening five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the 31 degree Fahrenheit water of the Atlantic.
The crew had been told that Titanic was unsinkable so they did not panic; neither did they begin moving passengers to the lifeboats immediately. When they finally did sound the "abandon ship" alarm, panic broke out and many of the lifeboats were launched prematurely. Indeed, 472 lifeboat seats went unoccupied. But even had every available lifeboat seat been taken, the loss of life would have been high. With 2,224 passenger and crew, Titanic carried lifeboats for only 1,178 persons.
At 2:20 a.m., nearly two and a half hours after the initial iceberg impact, the Titanic broke up and sank with over 1,000 people still on board, nearly all of whom died from hypothermia within minutes of entering the frigid water.
About three hours later the RMS Carpathia entered the ice field doing about 9 knots and rescued 710 passengers from the lifeboats and one survivor from the water, a baker named Charles Joughin who was reported to have been drunk at the time. In all, 1,503 passengers and crew had died.
Since the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic in 1985 and the recovery of many of her artifacts, the great ship has been reborn as a cultural icon. Dozens of books and hundreds of articles have been written about her, and James Cameron's 1997 movie -- which is being re-released in 3-D this month -- still holds the record for the most awards of any film ever made.
The lessons that come from its story are legion, and the number of illustrations one might easily draw from Titanic trivia are endless. But the issue that links most conveniently to our scripture for this week is the issue of arrogance and skepticism.
Had the builders, passengers, and crew of the Titanic owned even a small measure of Thomas' skepticism, the great ship might easily have been saved. She had been warned six times about ice in the area but had ignored the warnings, often rebuking those who attempted to slow her down.
Thomas, when faced with evidence that he could not ignore, bowed before the master and the truth he represented. The helmsmen of the Titanic, upon hearing the warnings and seeing the ice, continued to plow on and entered an ice field going more than three times faster than the recommended speed for such a situation.
One might also choose to speak about the role and power of myth in our lives and the lives of Christians. What is more powerful -- history or myth? Which molds and shapes our image of ourselves and the stories we tell about ourselves?
The Titanic was never advertised as unsinkable and that claim was never made about her before she sailed on her maiden voyage. It was the American press who attached that description to her after the wreck on April 15.
Also, the story has always been told that the orchestra could be heard to play "Nearer My God to Thee" as the ship went down -- but just as many survivors distinctly heard the popular song "Autumn" being played.
We might also speak of an "appropriate" skepticism. Was Thomas' skepticism appropriate? On the morning of April 16, the New York Evening Sun headline read: "All Saved from Titanic after Collision."
However we decide to use the anniversary of the RMS Titanic and the memory of the 1,503 people who died, it is probably most obvious that while we are called by scripture to place our faith in God and God's Son, Jesus Christ, the most appropriate posture for dealing with the claims of our fellow human beings is a kind but firm skepticism.
ILLUSTRATIONS
This week's Acts passage sounds like a wonderful dream, and at the same time it sounds like what was once America's worst fear: communism. Living in harmony, none poor or rich, all in equality -- living in communion with one another. We share communion with one another Sunday mornings. Why wouldn't it work to live in communion as well? It's a beautiful dream, but not all dreams translate well in reality. We could begin a commune together, but would that further God's plan for us? We can shut ourselves away from the world to live in harmony, but the rest of the world doesn't go away. We should be out there in the chaos, working to bring harmony to those around us. Our church is our commune, and we reside in the love and equality there for a few hours each week to recharge for another week of making harmony with those around us in our chaotic world.
* * *
The community of faith is in itself a demonstration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. New life is at work as individuals lose themselves in service for the community. People are concerned for the needs of others, they share with one another, and they have support from the community of faith when it comes to bearing burdens.
Dr. F. Eppling Reinartz, the late president of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina, used to say that people would often speak to him about their church. They would point out to him how they had a tireless pastor or an outstanding preacher, they would point to their new impressive facilities, and in some instances they liked to brag about the fact that they had the largest budget in the church's history and it was being overpaid. But Dr. Reinartz said that the most moving word he ever heard said about the church came from an elderly lady who told him, "I love this church. For when a person joins it, from that moment on they never have to bear another burden alone."
* * *
A small boy, experiencing his first symphony orchestra concert, marveled at the different musicians as they came onto the stage and sat down. They all seemed so different. Some were young, others were old. Some were thin, others were fat. Some had lots of hair, others were bald. There were some women, but many of the musicians were men. One by one they picked up their instruments and each began to play a few notes. It sounded like a terrible noise since they didn't seem to be playing the same music.
Then a man in a long black coat walked to the center of the stage. He raised a long, thin stick and the noise stopped. With a sweep of this man's hand, the musicians began to play again and the music was now very beautiful. It might be said that they "were of one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32).
This can be an analogy not only for the early church but also for the church today. It is made up of persons of many varied backgrounds but as they bring their lives into tune with Jesus Christ, they are "of one heart and soul."
* * *
James Cameron's original version of the movie Titanic, a fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, was released in 1997 and established the careers of stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, who portrayed members of different social classes who fell in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage.
Cameron felt that interspersing a love story with the human loss would be essential to achieving the goal of conveying the emotional and social impact of the tragedy.
Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which Cameron describes as "the Mount Everest of shipwrecks," he is re-releasing the movie using new technology provided by 3-D filming. In the new version only one scene has been altered, and that is a very short segment depicting the actual submerging of the ship below the ocean's surface. The rest of the movie remains the same, only now with special glasses one can see the movie in 3-D.
The question becomes: "What was wrong with the original version?" As an epic film, could not the original version of the Titanic stand alone without enhancement? Cameron, so endeared to his classic film, had to embellish the original story with new technology.
We are told by John that Jesus did many things "which are not written in this book." John was satisfied that the original story could stand on its own, absent of embellishment. We do not need extra gospels or a 3-D picture of Jesus to understand the message of the resurrection.
* * *
When the movie Titanic was released there was a great deal of discussion about how someone residing in first-class could ever fall in love with someone whose heredity placed them in steerage. Director James Cameron wanted a love story to show the pathos of the sinking -- and of course, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, being very photogenic, added to the movie's box office appeal.
But did a love story have to be invented for the three and a half hour epic? Is not truth stronger than fiction? There was the love story of Isidor Straus, a co-owner of Macy's department store, and his wife Ida, who refused to be separated and died together when the Titanic sank. If the Straus story had been used, the scene of DiCaprio painting a nude Winslet would have to have been edited from the movie but what would have been added was real love story, not a fabrication of the director.
When Jesus entered the Upper Room, John did not have to create characters for dramatic effect. Peter, Thomas, Mary, and the other followers were more than enough to bring forth the pathos of the story and the message of love and sacrifice. It is enough to let the gospel story stand on its own merits.
* * *
The release of the 3-D version of the Titanic is being greeted with acclaim across the country. Now we are not only going to be able to watch the movie, we will be able to live the movie as 3-D filming propels us into the screen.
That is, except me and everyone like me. If you were born with one weak eye, 3-D projections in movie theaters are ineffective. In fact, they cause greater eye strain, severe headaches, and disappointment. So there are many who have no interest in Cameron's resurrected child.
But does it matter to us? I, and most like me, I am sure, are very content with the original 1997 movie.
And is not this the message that comes from the story of Thomas? We don't have to see to believe.
-- Ron Love
* * *
In the shadow of the Licancabur volcano on a 16,597-foot plateau in Chile's Atacama Desert -- the driest desert on earth -- over a billion dollars is being spent on a massive astronomy project. It's located in such an inhospitable area because it's far away from the light pollution of cities and because there are no water droplets to absorb the radio waves being hurled into space from the 66 radio antennas located there in the Andes. The purpose of the international Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is to peer into the darkness of space. The project's aim is not merely to discover life on other planets but to find the origin of creation -- to unveil the mystery of the "cosmic dawn," what happened in the few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Spanish philosopher and scientist Jesus Mosterin says that this project is taking place at "the only time in history when the windows into the universe are being thrown wide open."
ALMA may be throwing the windows of the universe wide open, but only to a creation that God has already put in place. Whatever windows are opened by ALMA, it will never compare to the windows of the universe thrown wide open when Jesus stepped into the Upper Room and said, "Peace be with you."
* * *
Jesuit priest James Martin wrote an editorial for the Washington Post that he titled "Why Easter Changes Everything". He began his piece by discussing the difference between Easter and Christmas. Easter has no tree. Easter has no crazed shopping spree. Easter has no song that even unbelievers embrace. Easter has no special holiday sweaters. Easter has no specific date. Easter has no office parties. Christmas is important because in the incarnation the distant God entered into human history, Martin wrote, "But everything changed with Easter."
It is Easter that removes any "doubt" about who Jesus is. Martin confessed, "I've always loved thinking about how, after Easter Sunday, the disciples' abject fear turns into gobsmacked amazement and then into lasting courage. You could say that this is one of the most inadvertent 'proofs' of the resurrection: the otherwise inexplicable transformation of the disciples." On Good Friday, not knowing the end of the story as we do today, "they were cowering behind closed doors."
Then Martin went on to write, "But after Easter Sunday, they suddenly became bold proclaimers of the gospel, ready and willing to stake their lives on the truth of what they know and believe.... Only something as undeniably real as the appearance of the risen Christ standing before them could account for transforming terrified men and women into fearless apostles."
And Jesus said, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
* * *
In his brilliant essay The Courage to Be, Paul Tillich states that doubt is not the opposite of faith but an integral part of faith. The gospel writers and biblical interpreters down through the years have qualified the role of doubt for Thomas, even diminished it. John puts it into the words of Jesus: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." This interpretation has kept us from recognizing the importance of articulating our doubts in our own faith development. Thomas needed courage to articulate the doubts that he experienced. Jesus responded to Thomas' fear with love and understanding. "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side." Jesus accepts our doubts likewise with touching tenderness.
* * *
It's not his absence from an empty grave that convinces us. It's his presence in our empty lives.
-- Frederick Buechner
* * *
The sky turned black. Afraid. Unknowing. The Incas looked to the sun that had disappeared. The center of the sun had fully turned black. The only light that was visible was the outer corona. Panic and fear came upon the people.
Then the light began to slowly emerge upon the land. There was rejoicing. Then there was screeching. Dismay. Everyone -- man, woman, child, grandparent -- everyone was blind. Only a small portion of peripheral vision remained.
What did they do to make the sun angry? What did they do for the sun to strike them blind? The sun must be a god. The sun must be worshiped. Sacrifices must be made to the sun to prevent darkness from coming over the land, bringing permanent darkness to the eyes of all.
The story that the Sun God must be worshiped was told by the village elders. As they passed on and the younger generation matured to adulthood, the story was told to the next generation. For centuries the story was told. For centuries the sun was worshiped. Those who had never seen believed, because they believed in the story of the elders and the rituals of the priests.
It was not until Catholic missionaries integrated themselves among the Inca people and it was not until schools were established with the teaching of science that the Incas realized what was experienced centuries earlier was a complete solar eclipse. The sun was not an angry god.
They learned there was only one God, manifested in the incarnate Son. They learned there was only one life-sustaining miracle -- the resurrection.
How powerful is the spoken message passed on from generation to generation? If we are to turn people away from false gods to the God of the resurrection, then we must heed the words of John: "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you..." (1 John 1:5).
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: How very good and pleasant it is
People: when kindred live together in unity!
Leader: It is like the precious oil on the head,
People: running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron.
Leader: It is like the dew of Hermon,
People: which falls on the mountains of Zion.
OR
Leader: Come let us worship our God and Savior in unity.
People: But I don't always agree with others!
Leader: Let us join with all our sisters and brothers in praise.
People: But I don't know them very well!
Leader: They, like us, are the ones Christ was raised to save!
People: Let us join together in praise to God!
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"All Creatures of Our God and King"
found in:
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELW: 835
Renew: 47
"All People That on Earth Do Dwell"
found in:
UMH: 75
H82: 377/378
PH: 220/221
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
ELW: 883
"In Christ There Is No East or West"
found in:
UMH: 548
H82: 529
PH: 439/440
AAHH: 398/399
NNBH: 299
NCH: 394/395
CH: 687
LBW: 259
ELW: 650
"The Church's One Foundation"
found in:
UMH: 545/546
H82: 525
PH: 442
AAHH: 337
NNBH: 297
NCH: 386
CH: 272
LBW: 369
ELW: 654
"Help Us Accept Each Other"
found in:
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
"Jesus, United by Thy Grace"
found in:
UMH: 561
"Blest Be the Tie That Binds"
found in:
UMH: 557
PH: 438
AAHH: 341
NNBH: 298
NCH: 393
CH: 433
LBW: 370
ELW: 656
"Where Charity and Love Prevail"
found in:
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELW: 359
"I Am Loved"
found in:
CCB: 80
"Unity"
found in:
CCB: 59
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who dwells in mysterious communion as the Trinity: Grant to us who were made in your image the grace to dwell in communion with you and in fellowship with one another; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come to worship you, O God, who dwells in communion within yourself. We pray that as we worship you we may be shaped more clearly into your image so that we may be in communion with you and in fellowship with all your creation. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our reluctance to be open and accepting of all our sisters and brothers.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have created us all from the dust of the earth and filled us all with your own spirit-breath, and yet we see only the differences among us. We look for ways we can feel more talented, more gifted, more worthy than others. Forgive us and open our eyes and our hearts that we may see and accept others as your children and as our sisters and brothers. Amen.
Leader: God loves us even when we act unlovable. Know that God forgives us and receives us back into the family of God.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for your creative love that has made us in your image, proclaimed us your children, and made us all sisters and brothers.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have created us all from the dust of the earth and filled us all with your own spirit-breath, and yet we see only the differences among us. We look for ways we can feel more talented, more gifted, more worthy than others. Forgive us and open our eyes and our hearts that we may see and accept others as your children and as our sisters and brothers.
We give you thanks for all the blessings we have received from you. We thank you for the witness of scripture and the witness of those who have lived faithful lives, which have shown us your way. We thank you for the support of others and for the love and care of your church.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our needs and especially for those who feel estranged from you and your people. We pray for those who because of illness, poverty, oppression, or other reasons feel isolated and lost. We pray for those around us who are in need of our reaching out to them, even as we pray for ourselves that we might be faithful to that task.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children's Sermon Starter
Show the children an example of a family tree. (Your own would be most helpful, but you can use any.) Talk about how even though everyone on the tree is related, not everyone knows the other people. Some have died, some live far away, and so forth. But all are family. In God's family we are all God's children, even though we may not know each other or know that we are related. Everyone we meet is a child of God and someone for us to care about.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Peace!
John 20:19-31
Objects: a coin and a small, clear glass or glass container filled with water
Good morning, boys and girls! When Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples must have been scared. They didn't think Jesus would come back to life. No one had ever done that before. When someone dies and you bury them, the last thing you think they'll ever do is come back like they were. Jesus did. And Jesus loved his disciples so much that he said things to them to calm them down. Does anyone remember what Jesus said? (let the children answer) Jesus said, "Peace be with you," when he first appeared to them. He said it several times. Why do you suppose Jesus said that? (let them answer)
If I took this glass of water and put this coin in it, you could clearly see it. (do it) See how clearly you can see the coin by looking down through the water? (disturb the water with your finger or by shaking the glass) I can't see the coin very clearly when the water is all disturbed. Only when the water is calm and at peace can I see the coin clearly.
Jesus knew the disciples would not be able to understand things clearly so long as they were disturbed and upset. So he stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." He wanted the best for them. He wanted them to be calm and not upset. Jesus had come from death to life. It was an exciting time and Jesus wanted his followers to know that they could have peace even in exciting times.
The same is true of us today. Jesus wants us to have peace. Even when we get excited about things, Jesus wants us to have peace. Jesus doesn't want us to be disturbed, worried, and upset. Jesus still gives people his peace. I'm so glad we know Jesus who gives us peace. I'm so glad we know Jesus who can calm us down so that we can see things clearly.
Prayer: Dearest Jesus, thank you for peace. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 15, 2012, issue.
Copyright 2012 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
This Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and team member Dean Feldmeyer offers some brief thoughts about how we might utilize that event in the pulpit, particularly on the subjects of human arrogance and skepticism, which dovetails well with the gospel text's account of "Doubting Thomas." While Thomas touches Jesus' wounds and affirms his belief, Dean notes that the events surrounding the Titanic are a stark reminder that skepticism in human affairs is hardly misplaced.
Finding Fellowship
by Mary Austin
Acts 4:23-37; Psalm 133
Solitary confinement has long been considered the most drastic punishment for inmates who are deemed difficult -- but the New York Times reported recently that some prison authorities are reconsidering the idea of solitary confinement. An article by Erica Goode reports that "studies suggest that the rigid control, absence of normal human interaction, and lack of stimulation imposed by prolonged isolation can cause a wide range of psychological symptoms including insomnia, withdrawal, rage and aggression, depression, hallucinations, and thoughts of suicide, even in prisoners who are mentally healthy to begin with." Lack of connection with other people wears down our mental health.
Whether in prison, our neighborhood, or at church, we need each other's company. The readings for this Sunday highlight the power of fellowship and our need for community with each other.
THE WORLD
Connection with other people is so important that some of us are designing our own communities, built around common interests, rather than leaving the selection of our neighbors to chance. CNN Money reports: "Whether it be a religious calling, a golfing itch, or Disney-inspired serenity, millions have found a way of life in communities that amount to miniature worlds." Some communities are only for people 55 and up, but others are organized around a shared Roman Catholic faith, a love of Martha Stewart décor, or the desire for a Disney-like neighborhood.
At the other end of the spectrum, prisons have developed a pattern of isolating inmates for convenience, punishment, or control. Human connection is so powerful that its absence is considered a punishment.
After a series of violent incidents in 2007 at Parchman Prison in Mississippi, prison officials realized that their strategy for keeping order wasn't working. As Erica Goode writes in the New York Times , "What was surprising was what happened next. Instead of tightening restrictions further, prison officials loosened them. They allowed most inmates out of their cells for hours each day. They built a basketball court and a group dining area. They put rehabilitation programs in place and let prisoners work their way to greater privileges."
Paradoxically, as Goode writes, "In response, the inmates became better behaved. Violence went down. The number of prisoners in isolation dropped to about 300 from more than 1,000. So many inmates were moved into the general population of other prisons that Unit 32 was closed in 2010, saving the state more than $5 million."
The same New York Times article notes that "Some states built special units to isolate difficult prisoners -- 'the worst of the worst,' prison officials said -- from the general prison population. Others retrofitted existing prisons or established smaller units within larger facilities. The federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, was locked down in 1983 after the murder of two prison guards, its inmates confined to cells 23 hours a day and then kept that way permanently. In 1989, California opened Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, a remote town near the Oregon border, specially designed to control inmates in conditions that minimize human interaction. By 2005, 44 states had supermax prisons or their equivalents. In most, inmates were let out of their cells for only a few hours a week. They were fed through slots in their cell doors and were denied access to work programs or other rehabilitation efforts. If visitors were allowed, the interactions were conducted with no physical contact."
This kind of life without regular human contact shapes people's lives even after they leave prison. The article reports that "some research has found that inmates released from supermax units are more likely to reoffend than comparable prisoners released from conventional maximum-security prisons, and that those crimes are more likely to be violent."
We are created for connection with each other, whether in prison or families or neighborhoods -- or faith communities.
THE WORD
Both the Acts and Psalm scriptures designated for today highlight community as a sign of God's presence. The Psalmist notes, with evident appreciation, "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1).
Acts tells the story of the post-resurrection community in Jerusalem. As Peter and John proclaim the good news of Jesus' resurrection, their preaching gets them arrested -- but the authorities can't figure out how to punish them and are forced to release them. In the wake of the resurrection, the followers of Jesus are filled with the power to preach and teach, and there is also an effect on the whole community. The shallowness of the world's power is revealed when Pilate and Herod and the crowds can't do anything about the spread of this dramatic good news. In contrast, God's power is both dramatic and dynamic.
For the community of believers, the story says, "Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:32-33).
As Mitzi Smith, Associate Professor at the Ashland Theological Seminary campus in Detroit, Michigan, writes on workingpreacher.org: "Like-minded people gathered together. Evidence of God's powerful presence in and among the people is not simply or conclusively joyous shouting and audible praise. The evidence is the new relationship created among the diverse people who experience the power of God. Like-mindedness should foster like-minded behavior; a power-filled life. This gathering was not one of people with a well-developed doctrine, a hierarchical infrastructure, a board of deacons, a newly printed hymnal, a dynamic well-trained choir, a magnificent 'house of God,' or a membership roster. We are summoned to be channels for God's power, pragmatically changing lives."
God's power shows up in community, in connection, and in how the followers of Jesus live together.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
The unity of the believers described in Acts is hard to imagine for those of us in churches where it's hard to agree on the color of the carpet, let alone how to live without individual possessions. It seems impossible to achieve and so it's clear evidence of the power of God at work. We could never manage it for ourselves, but the same power that brought Jesus from the grave is at work to create community.
Pondering the challenges of the Sunday after Easter (or more properly, the Second Sunday of Easter) Andre Resner Jr. poses the question "What indeed are we to do for an encore?" [Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2, p. 389]. "The answer these texts give is: continue to proclaim the resurrection absurdity in the way we live together in caring community." The resurrection of Jesus has shaped everything about the common life of the believers, giving them an unusual kind of unity of thought and purpose. The resurrection story continues in how they live and in the example they offer to the people around them.
What indeed are we to do for an encore? Part two of our resurrection story is how we manage to live it in our own lives. We can pray that our own fellowship with one another gives evidence of the power of the resurrection, for any who might need to see more. "Doubting Thomas" is always in our midst, our unseen companion on the Sunday after Easter, even if we don't hear the reading from John's gospel in worship. The evidence of harmony and unity among believers should be ample evidence even for Thomas, and for his spiritual twins, that the power of the resurrection is alive among us.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Titanic Centennial
by Dean Feldmeyer
John 20:19-31
One hundred years ago this past Tuesday (April 10), the RMS Titanic left the port of Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage.
She stopped briefly at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland, and then headed out to sea toward New York City. Built from 1910-1911 in Belfast and operated by the White Star Line, she was the largest passenger ship that had ever sailed and was considered to be the very utmost in comfort and luxury with a gymnasium, a heated swimming pool, a library, state-of-the-art restaurants, one of the first wireless telegraphy systems in the world, and opulent cabins. She carried 2,224 people -- passengers and crew -- including some of the wealthiest and most famous people in the world as well as about 1,000 immigrants from Great Britain, Scandinavian countries, and across Europe seeking a new life in the United States.
A single first-class ticket cost $4,700 -- in today's dollars, about $50,000.
Over the course of the next five days Titanic would receive six telegraph warnings about icebergs in their path. She turned south to avoid the ice but not far enough south.
On the night of April 15, 1912, 100 years ago this Sunday, the RMS Titanic entered an ice field about 375 miles south of Newfoundland at the speed of 22 ½ knots and struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. The iceberg tore a horizontal rip in the side of the ship and caused the steel plates to buckle inward, opening five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the 31 degree Fahrenheit water of the Atlantic.
The crew had been told that Titanic was unsinkable so they did not panic; neither did they begin moving passengers to the lifeboats immediately. When they finally did sound the "abandon ship" alarm, panic broke out and many of the lifeboats were launched prematurely. Indeed, 472 lifeboat seats went unoccupied. But even had every available lifeboat seat been taken, the loss of life would have been high. With 2,224 passenger and crew, Titanic carried lifeboats for only 1,178 persons.
At 2:20 a.m., nearly two and a half hours after the initial iceberg impact, the Titanic broke up and sank with over 1,000 people still on board, nearly all of whom died from hypothermia within minutes of entering the frigid water.
About three hours later the RMS Carpathia entered the ice field doing about 9 knots and rescued 710 passengers from the lifeboats and one survivor from the water, a baker named Charles Joughin who was reported to have been drunk at the time. In all, 1,503 passengers and crew had died.
Since the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic in 1985 and the recovery of many of her artifacts, the great ship has been reborn as a cultural icon. Dozens of books and hundreds of articles have been written about her, and James Cameron's 1997 movie -- which is being re-released in 3-D this month -- still holds the record for the most awards of any film ever made.
The lessons that come from its story are legion, and the number of illustrations one might easily draw from Titanic trivia are endless. But the issue that links most conveniently to our scripture for this week is the issue of arrogance and skepticism.
Had the builders, passengers, and crew of the Titanic owned even a small measure of Thomas' skepticism, the great ship might easily have been saved. She had been warned six times about ice in the area but had ignored the warnings, often rebuking those who attempted to slow her down.
Thomas, when faced with evidence that he could not ignore, bowed before the master and the truth he represented. The helmsmen of the Titanic, upon hearing the warnings and seeing the ice, continued to plow on and entered an ice field going more than three times faster than the recommended speed for such a situation.
One might also choose to speak about the role and power of myth in our lives and the lives of Christians. What is more powerful -- history or myth? Which molds and shapes our image of ourselves and the stories we tell about ourselves?
The Titanic was never advertised as unsinkable and that claim was never made about her before she sailed on her maiden voyage. It was the American press who attached that description to her after the wreck on April 15.
Also, the story has always been told that the orchestra could be heard to play "Nearer My God to Thee" as the ship went down -- but just as many survivors distinctly heard the popular song "Autumn" being played.
We might also speak of an "appropriate" skepticism. Was Thomas' skepticism appropriate? On the morning of April 16, the New York Evening Sun headline read: "All Saved from Titanic after Collision."
However we decide to use the anniversary of the RMS Titanic and the memory of the 1,503 people who died, it is probably most obvious that while we are called by scripture to place our faith in God and God's Son, Jesus Christ, the most appropriate posture for dealing with the claims of our fellow human beings is a kind but firm skepticism.
ILLUSTRATIONS
This week's Acts passage sounds like a wonderful dream, and at the same time it sounds like what was once America's worst fear: communism. Living in harmony, none poor or rich, all in equality -- living in communion with one another. We share communion with one another Sunday mornings. Why wouldn't it work to live in communion as well? It's a beautiful dream, but not all dreams translate well in reality. We could begin a commune together, but would that further God's plan for us? We can shut ourselves away from the world to live in harmony, but the rest of the world doesn't go away. We should be out there in the chaos, working to bring harmony to those around us. Our church is our commune, and we reside in the love and equality there for a few hours each week to recharge for another week of making harmony with those around us in our chaotic world.
* * *
The community of faith is in itself a demonstration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. New life is at work as individuals lose themselves in service for the community. People are concerned for the needs of others, they share with one another, and they have support from the community of faith when it comes to bearing burdens.
Dr. F. Eppling Reinartz, the late president of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina, used to say that people would often speak to him about their church. They would point out to him how they had a tireless pastor or an outstanding preacher, they would point to their new impressive facilities, and in some instances they liked to brag about the fact that they had the largest budget in the church's history and it was being overpaid. But Dr. Reinartz said that the most moving word he ever heard said about the church came from an elderly lady who told him, "I love this church. For when a person joins it, from that moment on they never have to bear another burden alone."
* * *
A small boy, experiencing his first symphony orchestra concert, marveled at the different musicians as they came onto the stage and sat down. They all seemed so different. Some were young, others were old. Some were thin, others were fat. Some had lots of hair, others were bald. There were some women, but many of the musicians were men. One by one they picked up their instruments and each began to play a few notes. It sounded like a terrible noise since they didn't seem to be playing the same music.
Then a man in a long black coat walked to the center of the stage. He raised a long, thin stick and the noise stopped. With a sweep of this man's hand, the musicians began to play again and the music was now very beautiful. It might be said that they "were of one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32).
This can be an analogy not only for the early church but also for the church today. It is made up of persons of many varied backgrounds but as they bring their lives into tune with Jesus Christ, they are "of one heart and soul."
* * *
James Cameron's original version of the movie Titanic, a fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, was released in 1997 and established the careers of stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, who portrayed members of different social classes who fell in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage.
Cameron felt that interspersing a love story with the human loss would be essential to achieving the goal of conveying the emotional and social impact of the tragedy.
Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which Cameron describes as "the Mount Everest of shipwrecks," he is re-releasing the movie using new technology provided by 3-D filming. In the new version only one scene has been altered, and that is a very short segment depicting the actual submerging of the ship below the ocean's surface. The rest of the movie remains the same, only now with special glasses one can see the movie in 3-D.
The question becomes: "What was wrong with the original version?" As an epic film, could not the original version of the Titanic stand alone without enhancement? Cameron, so endeared to his classic film, had to embellish the original story with new technology.
We are told by John that Jesus did many things "which are not written in this book." John was satisfied that the original story could stand on its own, absent of embellishment. We do not need extra gospels or a 3-D picture of Jesus to understand the message of the resurrection.
* * *
When the movie Titanic was released there was a great deal of discussion about how someone residing in first-class could ever fall in love with someone whose heredity placed them in steerage. Director James Cameron wanted a love story to show the pathos of the sinking -- and of course, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, being very photogenic, added to the movie's box office appeal.
But did a love story have to be invented for the three and a half hour epic? Is not truth stronger than fiction? There was the love story of Isidor Straus, a co-owner of Macy's department store, and his wife Ida, who refused to be separated and died together when the Titanic sank. If the Straus story had been used, the scene of DiCaprio painting a nude Winslet would have to have been edited from the movie but what would have been added was real love story, not a fabrication of the director.
When Jesus entered the Upper Room, John did not have to create characters for dramatic effect. Peter, Thomas, Mary, and the other followers were more than enough to bring forth the pathos of the story and the message of love and sacrifice. It is enough to let the gospel story stand on its own merits.
* * *
The release of the 3-D version of the Titanic is being greeted with acclaim across the country. Now we are not only going to be able to watch the movie, we will be able to live the movie as 3-D filming propels us into the screen.
That is, except me and everyone like me. If you were born with one weak eye, 3-D projections in movie theaters are ineffective. In fact, they cause greater eye strain, severe headaches, and disappointment. So there are many who have no interest in Cameron's resurrected child.
But does it matter to us? I, and most like me, I am sure, are very content with the original 1997 movie.
And is not this the message that comes from the story of Thomas? We don't have to see to believe.
-- Ron Love
* * *
In the shadow of the Licancabur volcano on a 16,597-foot plateau in Chile's Atacama Desert -- the driest desert on earth -- over a billion dollars is being spent on a massive astronomy project. It's located in such an inhospitable area because it's far away from the light pollution of cities and because there are no water droplets to absorb the radio waves being hurled into space from the 66 radio antennas located there in the Andes. The purpose of the international Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is to peer into the darkness of space. The project's aim is not merely to discover life on other planets but to find the origin of creation -- to unveil the mystery of the "cosmic dawn," what happened in the few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Spanish philosopher and scientist Jesus Mosterin says that this project is taking place at "the only time in history when the windows into the universe are being thrown wide open."
ALMA may be throwing the windows of the universe wide open, but only to a creation that God has already put in place. Whatever windows are opened by ALMA, it will never compare to the windows of the universe thrown wide open when Jesus stepped into the Upper Room and said, "Peace be with you."
* * *
Jesuit priest James Martin wrote an editorial for the Washington Post that he titled "Why Easter Changes Everything". He began his piece by discussing the difference between Easter and Christmas. Easter has no tree. Easter has no crazed shopping spree. Easter has no song that even unbelievers embrace. Easter has no special holiday sweaters. Easter has no specific date. Easter has no office parties. Christmas is important because in the incarnation the distant God entered into human history, Martin wrote, "But everything changed with Easter."
It is Easter that removes any "doubt" about who Jesus is. Martin confessed, "I've always loved thinking about how, after Easter Sunday, the disciples' abject fear turns into gobsmacked amazement and then into lasting courage. You could say that this is one of the most inadvertent 'proofs' of the resurrection: the otherwise inexplicable transformation of the disciples." On Good Friday, not knowing the end of the story as we do today, "they were cowering behind closed doors."
Then Martin went on to write, "But after Easter Sunday, they suddenly became bold proclaimers of the gospel, ready and willing to stake their lives on the truth of what they know and believe.... Only something as undeniably real as the appearance of the risen Christ standing before them could account for transforming terrified men and women into fearless apostles."
And Jesus said, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
* * *
In his brilliant essay The Courage to Be, Paul Tillich states that doubt is not the opposite of faith but an integral part of faith. The gospel writers and biblical interpreters down through the years have qualified the role of doubt for Thomas, even diminished it. John puts it into the words of Jesus: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." This interpretation has kept us from recognizing the importance of articulating our doubts in our own faith development. Thomas needed courage to articulate the doubts that he experienced. Jesus responded to Thomas' fear with love and understanding. "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side." Jesus accepts our doubts likewise with touching tenderness.
* * *
It's not his absence from an empty grave that convinces us. It's his presence in our empty lives.
-- Frederick Buechner
* * *
The sky turned black. Afraid. Unknowing. The Incas looked to the sun that had disappeared. The center of the sun had fully turned black. The only light that was visible was the outer corona. Panic and fear came upon the people.
Then the light began to slowly emerge upon the land. There was rejoicing. Then there was screeching. Dismay. Everyone -- man, woman, child, grandparent -- everyone was blind. Only a small portion of peripheral vision remained.
What did they do to make the sun angry? What did they do for the sun to strike them blind? The sun must be a god. The sun must be worshiped. Sacrifices must be made to the sun to prevent darkness from coming over the land, bringing permanent darkness to the eyes of all.
The story that the Sun God must be worshiped was told by the village elders. As they passed on and the younger generation matured to adulthood, the story was told to the next generation. For centuries the story was told. For centuries the sun was worshiped. Those who had never seen believed, because they believed in the story of the elders and the rituals of the priests.
It was not until Catholic missionaries integrated themselves among the Inca people and it was not until schools were established with the teaching of science that the Incas realized what was experienced centuries earlier was a complete solar eclipse. The sun was not an angry god.
They learned there was only one God, manifested in the incarnate Son. They learned there was only one life-sustaining miracle -- the resurrection.
How powerful is the spoken message passed on from generation to generation? If we are to turn people away from false gods to the God of the resurrection, then we must heed the words of John: "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you..." (1 John 1:5).
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: How very good and pleasant it is
People: when kindred live together in unity!
Leader: It is like the precious oil on the head,
People: running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron.
Leader: It is like the dew of Hermon,
People: which falls on the mountains of Zion.
OR
Leader: Come let us worship our God and Savior in unity.
People: But I don't always agree with others!
Leader: Let us join with all our sisters and brothers in praise.
People: But I don't know them very well!
Leader: They, like us, are the ones Christ was raised to save!
People: Let us join together in praise to God!
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"All Creatures of Our God and King"
found in:
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELW: 835
Renew: 47
"All People That on Earth Do Dwell"
found in:
UMH: 75
H82: 377/378
PH: 220/221
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
ELW: 883
"In Christ There Is No East or West"
found in:
UMH: 548
H82: 529
PH: 439/440
AAHH: 398/399
NNBH: 299
NCH: 394/395
CH: 687
LBW: 259
ELW: 650
"The Church's One Foundation"
found in:
UMH: 545/546
H82: 525
PH: 442
AAHH: 337
NNBH: 297
NCH: 386
CH: 272
LBW: 369
ELW: 654
"Help Us Accept Each Other"
found in:
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
"Jesus, United by Thy Grace"
found in:
UMH: 561
"Blest Be the Tie That Binds"
found in:
UMH: 557
PH: 438
AAHH: 341
NNBH: 298
NCH: 393
CH: 433
LBW: 370
ELW: 656
"Where Charity and Love Prevail"
found in:
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELW: 359
"I Am Loved"
found in:
CCB: 80
"Unity"
found in:
CCB: 59
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who dwells in mysterious communion as the Trinity: Grant to us who were made in your image the grace to dwell in communion with you and in fellowship with one another; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come to worship you, O God, who dwells in communion within yourself. We pray that as we worship you we may be shaped more clearly into your image so that we may be in communion with you and in fellowship with all your creation. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our reluctance to be open and accepting of all our sisters and brothers.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have created us all from the dust of the earth and filled us all with your own spirit-breath, and yet we see only the differences among us. We look for ways we can feel more talented, more gifted, more worthy than others. Forgive us and open our eyes and our hearts that we may see and accept others as your children and as our sisters and brothers. Amen.
Leader: God loves us even when we act unlovable. Know that God forgives us and receives us back into the family of God.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for your creative love that has made us in your image, proclaimed us your children, and made us all sisters and brothers.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have created us all from the dust of the earth and filled us all with your own spirit-breath, and yet we see only the differences among us. We look for ways we can feel more talented, more gifted, more worthy than others. Forgive us and open our eyes and our hearts that we may see and accept others as your children and as our sisters and brothers.
We give you thanks for all the blessings we have received from you. We thank you for the witness of scripture and the witness of those who have lived faithful lives, which have shown us your way. We thank you for the support of others and for the love and care of your church.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our needs and especially for those who feel estranged from you and your people. We pray for those who because of illness, poverty, oppression, or other reasons feel isolated and lost. We pray for those around us who are in need of our reaching out to them, even as we pray for ourselves that we might be faithful to that task.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children's Sermon Starter
Show the children an example of a family tree. (Your own would be most helpful, but you can use any.) Talk about how even though everyone on the tree is related, not everyone knows the other people. Some have died, some live far away, and so forth. But all are family. In God's family we are all God's children, even though we may not know each other or know that we are related. Everyone we meet is a child of God and someone for us to care about.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Peace!
John 20:19-31
Objects: a coin and a small, clear glass or glass container filled with water
Good morning, boys and girls! When Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples must have been scared. They didn't think Jesus would come back to life. No one had ever done that before. When someone dies and you bury them, the last thing you think they'll ever do is come back like they were. Jesus did. And Jesus loved his disciples so much that he said things to them to calm them down. Does anyone remember what Jesus said? (let the children answer) Jesus said, "Peace be with you," when he first appeared to them. He said it several times. Why do you suppose Jesus said that? (let them answer)
If I took this glass of water and put this coin in it, you could clearly see it. (do it) See how clearly you can see the coin by looking down through the water? (disturb the water with your finger or by shaking the glass) I can't see the coin very clearly when the water is all disturbed. Only when the water is calm and at peace can I see the coin clearly.
Jesus knew the disciples would not be able to understand things clearly so long as they were disturbed and upset. So he stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." He wanted the best for them. He wanted them to be calm and not upset. Jesus had come from death to life. It was an exciting time and Jesus wanted his followers to know that they could have peace even in exciting times.
The same is true of us today. Jesus wants us to have peace. Even when we get excited about things, Jesus wants us to have peace. Jesus doesn't want us to be disturbed, worried, and upset. Jesus still gives people his peace. I'm so glad we know Jesus who gives us peace. I'm so glad we know Jesus who can calm us down so that we can see things clearly.
Prayer: Dearest Jesus, thank you for peace. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 15, 2012, issue.
Copyright 2012 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
