Unlocking Easter's Hope
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
This week’s lectionary gospel text opens with a stark description of the existential fear that gripped Jesus’ followers, even in the wake of the joyful news of the resurrection: “...the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews.” The panic they felt might seem a familiar emotion to us -- especially after we learned last week of the latest coordinated terror attack on a Western target, bombings at a train station and the airport in Brussels. Our feelings of revulsion and horror at the carnage visited upon innocent victims -- not to mention dread about when and where the next assault might occur -- were only intensified as it became apparent that this was the work of the same group that perpetrated the Paris attacks. As the world comes to terms with this outrage and its implications for the future, it is clear that much of what we are looking for is reassurance: reassurance that law enforcement entities will capture those responsible and bring them to justice, reassurance that intelligence agencies are penetrating terrorist cells to short-circuit other nascent plots, and reassurance that increased security measures might prevent future attacks.
In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating explores how the behavior of the disciples -- especially Thomas, who hears the news of the resurrection secondhand -- is driven by the same fear and desire for reassurance that we feel. Thomas hasn’t completely lost his faith -- instead, he embodies the skepticism of many modern Christians who want to believe but who cry “Lord, give me a sign” to reassure themselves. When Jesus offers Thomas the chance able to touch his wounds, Thomas enthusiastically responds “My Lord and my God!” Jesus, however, gently chides Thomas -- making the point that it’s even better if faith doesn’t depend on signs for reassurance. But as Chris reminds us, Jesus -- by his very presence -- gives us the only sign we need to reassure ourselves and to unlock the prisons of fear where we often confine ourselves.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the Acts text and the apostles’ stubborn insistence on continuing to teach and spread the gospel after the religious authorities have expressly forbidden it. They are dragged before the council (one can almost picture them being grilled at a hostile congressional hearing) and hectored: “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” As Dean notes, the authorities’ big problem is that they have been embarrassed. Yet Peter and the apostles remain unrepentant, telling the council that “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Dean examines the history and context of censorship in the culture and the church, and concludes that the best antidote is freedom of speech... in both the press and, more importantly, in the pulpit.
Unlocking Easter’s Hope
by Chris Keating
John 20:19-31
Huddled behind closed doors, the disciples dare not move. Sweat falls from their chins, which are lowered between their knees. Fear hangs low to the ground -- raising heartbeats, heightening awareness of even the slightest movement in the dark room.
It’s Easter, yet there is no joy in this room. The world has gone mad, and they are fearful that the violence of Jesus’ crucifixion might soon spread.
John writes that the disciples were locked away “for fear of the Jews,” an odd term that could easily be misappropriated in today’s context. What they feared was the ongoing rage in their society, a world that rejected the Word made flesh. Fear held them captive, locked away with the curtains pulled tight. There was no light, as darkness was trying hard to overcome it.
Until, of course, Jesus appears. He remains the light that darkness cannot overcome. Standing among the fearful, he says to them, “Peace be with you.”
That is the word we yearn to hear this Easter, especially in light of the terrorist bombings in Brussels that killed 35 persons and wounded more than 300 others. ISIS’ attacks were poignantly aimed at the heart of Europe, blasting a city that is not only the capital of Belgium but also the seat of many pan-European institutions. Vulnerability to terror is now part of its daily life, and an always-present fear of citizens of every country -- including our own.
Yet Jesus’ message of assurance breaks into the sweltering rooms of our fears, releasing hope and offering signs of peace. The resurrection is that word of assurance, spoken even to those, like Thomas, who are late arrivals to Easter’s joy. Jesus provides the sign we need. His presence among us unlocks the hope of Easter.
In the News
There’s a scent in the air this Easter, but it is neither spring rains or leftover lilies in the sanctuary. From Brussels to Lahore, from the steps of the United States Capitol to neighborhoods across the country, fear is in the air.
And the smell is not just a danger for individuals. It holds the potential to shut down all sorts of public spaces and networks essential to daily life. The Brussels airport bombing took place outside of the security zone, while the Pakistani explosion happened in a park. As John Judis observes, these sorts of attacks “create a consistent and growing level of public anxiety.”
Even worse, few practical solutions to eliminating terrorism emerge. Rhetoric alone is not likely to provide the sort of reassurance needed.
Terrorism’s toxic fetidity has created a mushroom cloud of rank and debilitating responses. Its plumage is spreading across the globe, and words of comfort are hard to find. The stagnant air of fear and worry presses down with each attack, dividing nations at a time when greater cooperation is needed. The world continues to wait for someone capable of hoisting open the closed windows in dank rooms of fear, rooting out the pungent aroma of waste, war, and anger.
It’s a stinky, stinky time.
In Brussels, officials cancelled Easter Sunday’s planned “March Against Fear” -- because of fear. The mayor of Brussels recognized the need for citizens to unite in refusing to be intimidated by terrorists. While hope gave way to fear, the mayor indicated that a march will happen in weeks to come. But as Daily Chatter editor Philip S. Balboni noted, the post-Brussels response indicates the smell of fear is nearly omnipresent:
After most terror attacks, locals come out. They wave the flag and do other patriotic things with their leaders leading the way. There is mourning. There is shared commiseration. Usually there is kindness because everyone feels a little raw, a little sad, a little vulnerable. And there is always anger and defiance, a vow to not allow terrorism to change things.
But in Brussels, officials cancelled a “March Against Fear” Sunday -- out of fear.
Stretched thin, the police -- whose credibility is under question because of serious mistakes -- worried over new attacks. So no march. Instead, right-wing thugs stormed the square. “Je Suis Coward” made the rounds on social media. And I wondered, what is wrong here.
What’s wrong is that fears have pushed the residents of Brussels indoors. On Sunday, one who was upset that the march had been cancelled came to a city square in Brussels to honor the victims. “We are afraid to go into the metro, on the trains -- we are afraid now to live our lives normally,” she told USA Today. “We need to speak out (against fear), we need to shout -- because we must be heard.”
Yet those shouts are choked by the fumes of terror.
As the world was trying to cope with the Belgium explosion, a suicide bomber detonated more terror in Lahore, Pakistan on Easter Sunday, killing 72 persons at a park. Many of the victims were women and children, Christians and Muslims mingling together on swing sets and park rides. The blast blew across the park, injuring at least 341 others. Members of a Taliban splinter group took responsibility for the attack, and said more attacks would follow.
Parks were closed, and the already icy tensions between Muslims and Christians heightened. It’s another sign that the fear of terrorism knows no boundaries. Globally, the number of risk managers who cite terrorism as their top insurance risk doubled in the past twelve months, with one insurance executive calling the “ever increasing unpredictability” of fear and terror the new normal for which organizations and businesses need to be prepared. “Business as usual is a thing of the past,” said Clements Worldwide president Chris Beck, referring to his company’s annual survey of global risk managers.
That concern has prompted much reaction from politicians and leaders -- though not much of it seems reassuring. Texas Senator and presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has called for police to “patrol and secure” Muslim neighborhoods in the United States -- a proposal derided by New York City’s police commissioner, who said that it’s “clear from his comments that Senator Cruz knows absolutely nothing about counter-terrorism in New York City.”
Donald Trump, on the other hand, ruled out internment camps for Muslims, though he has reiterated his concerns about controlling borders and abolishing NATO, which he calls “obsolete.” Secretary of State John Kerry called the GOP candidates’ comments on Muslims “embarrassing,” while also urging vigilance and awareness from citizens who are traveling.
That includes traveling to our nation’s important monuments and historic sites, as visitors to the United States Capitol discovered on Monday. A man reaching for what appeared to have been a gun was shot by Capitol police officers in the building’s crowded visitors center. The suspect was identified as a man known to Capitol police, and was involved in interrupting the House of Representatives in 2015.
In that incident, he shouted “I’m a prophet of God” from the chamber’s balcony. The 66-year-old man is the pastor of a church in Nashville, Tennessee.
His acts, whatever their origin, will not diffuse the odors of fear. They’re certainly the opposite of the assurance provided by Jesus’ appearance in John 20. Jesus enters the room, purging it of the fusty decay of the disciple’s fears -- providing our only true source of hope and reassurance.
In the Scriptures
In contrast to the aroma of global fear, the lection from John’s gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter offers a different sensory experience. Despite Mary Magdalene’s proclamation -- “I have seen the Lord” -- the disciples are huddled in fear. They heard the sermon, but still do not believe. Mary’s testimony is not sufficient. Instead, they seem to be waiting for hope that can be seen and felt.
It is, as Martin Marty notes, a reminder that in our world we so often long for evidence that can verify our experience. “Sight and touch make very strong impressions, and provide evidence to be tested.” Marty writes in Feasting on the Word [Year C, Vol. 2, Second Sunday of Easter, “Theological Perspectives”].
Lacking that reassurance, the disciples are shut down, huddled in fear.
“For fear of the Jews” can be easily misunderstood or even appropriated as an anti-Semitic statement. The disciples are sequestered out of fear of reprisal from religious leaders, or, as Frances Taylor Gench observes, out of fear from the larger unbelieving world (see Encounters with John [Westminster/John Knox Press, 2007], p. 134). The point is that it is fear which holds the disciples in captivity. Paralyzed, they are incapable of experiencing the resurrection -- despite Peter’s report of the empty tomb and Mary Magdalene’s graveyard testimony.
Jesus steps into this arena of fear, opening the blinds and letting resurrection light flood the darkened room. It’s evening, but his presence brings the joy of Easter morning to their fear-filled lives. “Peace be with you,” he tells them. It is the assurance they need to hear; his breath returns oxygen into the room.
Yet seeing and hearing is not sufficient -- especially for Thomas, who was absent from the reunion. Thomas needs more proof. He wants to see with his own eyes, touch with his own hands. He gets his chance a week later when Jesus once more enters the closed room. Despite attempts to castigate Thomas as a doubter, what’s clear from the text is that Thomas’ faith profession comes as he hears Jesus’ words. Whether or not he actually touches Jesus’ scars is not indicated, but we do know that as soon as Jesus speaks to him, Thomas responds by saying “My Lord and my God.”
It is a profound confession of faith. Nowhere in the story is doubt mentioned -- verse 27 more accurately reads “do not be unbelieving but believing.” (See Gail R. O’Day, “The Gospel of John,” The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary [Vol. IX], p. 850.) Jesus extends himself to Thomas, which is the only assurance he needs, and the greatest hope he could desire.
In the Sermon
John 20:19-31 is a sensory experience which invites disciples of all generations into an encounter with the risen Lord. It moves from the darkness of fear and uncontrolled chaos into the light of God that shines in the darkness, completing the signs and wonders John has testified about throughout his gospel. These verses speak to the counter-cultural reassurance which we long to experience in these fearful times.
Because of that, a sermon employing differing senses might resonate especially well with believers, including those who feel a particular affinity toward Thomas. How might we hear, smell, touch, and even taste the good news of this passage? It’s an intriguing opportunity that stands in marked contrast to the way we experience fear today.
We are locked up in rooms of fear, and searching for assurance. Like Thomas, we don’t need to really see the wounds; we just need to hear that voice which John told us the sheep will always remember.
Exploring the way Jesus’ assurance brings hope to these frightened disciples could help congregations experience the joy of resurrection today. Our world -- much larger and infinitely more complex than the room where the disciples were cloistered -- is pretty much clouded by fear. The air is stale. Yet Jesus breaks through the fear -- walls will not prevent him from immigrating into the very center of fear. His word of peace brings hope to those who have yet to sense the power of Easter.
Jesuit priest and author James Martin’s worthwhile essay in last week’s Wall Street Journal points out how resurrection changes everything. Jesus’ scars and wounds, says Father Martin, are the more than theatrical gestures. They are reminders of his humanity, and indicators that he has overcome the bonds of death. Martin concludes:
What difference does Easter make in the life of the Christian? The message of Easter is, all at once, easy to understand, radical, subversive, and life-changing. Easter means that nothing is impossible with God. Moreover, that life triumphs over death. Love triumphs over hatred. Hope triumphs over despair. And that suffering is not the last word.
No, it is not. Indeed, the resurrection brings new life to even the stalest and most torrid chambers of fear.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Freedom of Pulpit and Press
by Dean Feldmeyer
Acts 5:27-32
Censorship in the Culture
In 1633 the astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei published his book Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, creating an immediate firestorm in the Roman Catholic church. His intention had been to compare in his book two world views: one with the sun at the center of the solar system, and another with the earth at the center.
Church officials believed, however, that he gave too much weight to the “heliocentric” or Copernican, sun-centered world view -- which in their opinion was contrary to Holy Scripture and therefore blasphemous.
He was put on trial by the Inquisition, forced to recant (which saved him from being burned at the stake), and spent the rest of his life under house arrest until he died eight years later at the age of 77.
In November of 1992, Pope John Paul II posthumously pardoned Galileo and admitted that the astronomer’s observations about the nature of the solar system were, in fact, correct.
A mere 359 years after Galileo was convicted by the Inquisition, “John Paul said the theologians who condemned Galileo did not recognize the formal distinction between the Bible and its interpretation. ‘This led them unduly to transpose into the realm of the doctrine of the faith, a question which in fact pertained to scientific investigation.’ Though the pope acknowledged that the Church had done Galileo a wrong, he said the 17th-century theologians were working with the knowledge available to them at the time.”
In 1988 author Salman Rushdie published his fourth novel, a goal rarely achieved in the literary world. And not only did he write it and get it published, it became a best-seller. And it caused outrage around the world and put a target on Rushdie’s back when Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini called for his assassination.
The charge against Rushdie was “blasphemy.” His novel, The Satanic Verses, was partly based on the life of the prophet Muhammad. It was subsequently banned in India and burned in the United Kingdom.
And the controversy has not gone away -- it continues to hound him. In 2012, nearly 25 years after the publication of The Satanic Verses, he “pulled out of a speaking engagement at the Jaipur literature festival amid renewed calls for his assassination.”
Rather than use debate and argumentation to prove that the novel was not worth reading -- or was at least an inaccurate depiction of the prophet -- the leaders of radical, conservative Islam chose instead to quiet their adversary with threats of violence, consequently turned Rushdie’s book into a best-seller.
Censorship in the Bible
In this Sunday’s reading from Acts, Peter and the apostles have been dragged before the Sanhedrin, the theocratic court made up of the high priests of the temple. The charges against the apostles: heresy, blasphemy, disobedience, and embarrassing the high priests.
Verse 27 says that the Sanhedrin questioned them, but in the next verse what we hear is not a question but an accusation: “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”
Two things become evident here:
1) The Jewish leaders do not want the apostles teaching or preaching in Jesus’ name -- but instead of arguing their case, instead of pointing out to the people how the apostles are wrong and their claims are baseless, instead of showing how the priests’ point of view is right and that they are blameless in the death of Jesus, they take the easy road. They attempt to censor the apostles. They use their position of power to control and silence those who speak words of dissent, who preach a different message than their own.
2) And the reason the high priests are doing this, the reason they are trying to censor the apostles, is that the message the apostles are preaching is embarrassing. It makes the religious authorities look short-sighted, arrogant, and just plain wrong. It may even make them look evil.
So their message to the apostles is clear: You’d better stop embarrassing us with your teaching about Jesus, or there is going to be trouble for you. We can do for you what we did for him if you don’t watch what you’re about.
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Q.E.D. (Quod Erat Demonstrandum -- literally, “that which was to be demonstrated”). It is thus proven. In each of the above cases, people in power, who have the resources and the intelligence to enter into robust debate, chose instead to simply use their power to silence their opposition.
More Is Better
The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States says this: “Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech...” In this country we are guaranteed, by the constitution, the right to speak our minds without fear of censorship or retaliation from the government. The answer to bad or inappropriate speech is more speech, better speech, more powerful and appropriate speech.
This philosophy is found not just in government but in all aspects of American life and American speech -- scientific speech, political speech, religious speech. We are guaranteed the right to speak our minds. But with that right comes the responsibility to let others speak their minds, even if their speech is offensive to us.
In a recent essay, conservative Washington Post political columnist Charles Krauthammer rightly points out that both sides in this year’s political campaign are guilty of choosing power censorship over free speech.
He is right when he says that when demonstrators shout and disrupt Donald Trump’s rallies so that he can’t be heard or the rally can’t continue, this is a form of censorship that is unacceptable in a free, democratic state -- and while his comparison of these demonstrators with Nazis and Bolsheviks is absurd, he is right in condemning their actions.
The demonstrators from the far left often excuse their actions by saying that Trump’s speech is dangerous and must be “shut down.” But far more dangerous is a country where those on the extreme ends of the political spectrum can silence their opponents through the use of verbal violence and physical intimidation.
Krauthammer also points out, however, that these same threats of violence and physical intimidation are not limited to the left. They saturate Donald Trump’s rallies, and he is doing nothing to correct that situation. In fact, he is feeding into it. When he talks about demonstrators being carried out on stretchers, smashing people’s faces, and paying the legal fees for those who do violence to those who challenge him, Trump is enabling the air of menace that has come to permeate our national politics.
The solution to that problem, however, is not to be found in censorship but in robust, civil debate.
Freedom of Press and Pulpit
I have been a professional writer for more than 30 years, and I have preached from a free pulpit for a decade more. I have benefited -- indeed, the church of Jesus Christ has benefited -- from the freedoms of expression that are guaranteed in the American constitution.
Oh, the church would go on even without those freedoms, as it did in Soviet Russia, Communist China, Nazi Germany, and the early Roman empire. It would operate underground and in secret. The people of God would come together to worship, sing hymns, eat together, and study scripture even if it meant risking arrest and incarceration -- for we are driven by a higher power, and like the apostles who stood before the Sanhedrin 2,000 years ago, we dare not keep that good news that is Jesus Christ to ourselves.
But the freedom of the pulpit and the press which we enjoy has contributed to the making of a strong and healthy Christianity in the United States, and for that reason we are loathe to close the door on freedom of speech for others.
We realize that if we shut down the speech of others because we find it offensive or dangerous, the same can be done to us if others find what we say to be offensive or dangerous, as has often been the case throughout our history.
The first time I heard the soundtrack from the musical The Book of Mormon, I winced and cringed. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone -- the same duo responsible for the popular but extremely edgy animated series South Park -- I thought, “How can they get away with this? There must be thousands of Mormons ready to march on New York City, picket the theater, and demand that the musical be condemned and stopped.”
But the reality was nearly the opposite.
The Book of Mormon, it turns out, has done a lot more for the Mormon faith than its creators perhaps intended. Parker and Stone’s salty, often obscene, and hilarious sendup of not just Mormonism but all of organized religion has been a huge hit, garnering several Tony awards. And the only sound we have heard from Salt Lake City, the state capital of Utah and home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is crickets chirping in the distance.
As it turns out, Mormons know how to take a joke. They have even bought advertising space in the musical’s program. But that’s exactly what Stone and Parker were expecting. “We grew up with Mormons, and their M.O. is to beat you by being kinder than you and higher than you,” says Parker.
All God’s children could take a lesson from the Mormons on this one. Let them talk, let them make jokes, let them ridicule, deride, and demean us. Let them disagree with us. Let them crucify us. We can take it.
Three days later, we’ll just rise again... and the joke will be on them.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Acts 5:27-32
Five University of South Carolina basketball players were placed on indefinite suspension for what coach Frank Martin vaguely described as a “conduct issue.” After two of them were arrested, it was revealed that they had shot a BB gun at an occupied automobile. They did not hurt any of the people in the car, but they did cause damage to the vehicle.
Application: If we are to be witnesses, then our behavior must correspond accordingly.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
SeaWorld made a surprise announcement that it will no longer breed killer whales in captivity and that soon the whales will no longer be making public appearances doing tricks. This was in response to continued public outcry about how animals are treated in captivity. SeaWorld Entertainment CEO Joe Manby said, “Society’s attitude toward these very, very large, majestic animals under human care has shifted for a variety of reasons, whether it’s film, legislation, or people’s comments on the internet.”
Application: Our witness for the resurrected Lord must accompany changes in society’s perspective and values, without compromising our message.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
Five University of South Carolina basketball players were placed on indefinite suspension prior to the team’s NIT game against High Point for what coach Frank Martin called a “conduct issue.” Despite the suspensions, the Gamecocks won the game 88-66.
Application: In our witness we can never be so haughty that we assume we are the only players on the team. Thus, we must take seriously that we are one of many members of the Body of Christ.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
In a Lockhorns comic, Loretta is sitting in her favorite chair talking on the phone while Leroy is standing in the kitchen just reading. Loretta says to her friend, “There’s nothing Leroy wouldn’t do for me... in fact, he’s doing nothing for me right now.”
Application: We can never be doing nothing, or perceived as doing nothing, when it comes to witnessing to the resurrected Lord.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
When President Obama recently visited Cuba, he declared an end to the “last remnant of the Cold War in America.”
Application: We would like to think the Cold War is over with Obama’s visit to Cuba, just as we would to think there is an end to sin with our witness to the resurrected Lord.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
Emojis are becoming prolific on the internet, especially for users of Facebook. These are pictorial representations of our feelings that words may not be able to convey. In fact, they have become so popular that the Oxford Dictionaries selected the Face with Tears of Joy -- a bright yellow happy face with a classic toothy grin as tears fall -- as their “word” for 2015. It is a picture that conveys a message of joy.
Application: When we witness for the Lord, there should be no need for interpretation of the joy being expressed behind our words.
*****
John 20:19-31
Shirley Temple was given a ring by her father when she was 12 years old, and Temple wore that ring for her entire life, both as an actress and as a diplomat. The ring -- a 9.54 carat blue diamond -- is now to be auctioned by Sotheby’s, for an expected price of $25 to $35 million.
Application: Shirley Temple realized the love with which the ring was given to her, so she never took it off her finger. As we witness to the resurrection, we witness to a love that has been freely given to us. It was a free gift, but the price exceeds $35 million.
*****
John 20:19-31
The Obama administration officially announced that the Islamic State is engaged in genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and Shiite groups, seeking to destroy anyone they consider to be apostates or infidels. In making the pronouncement, Secretary of State John Kerry used the Arabic term for the IS, saying: “Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions -- in what it says, what it believes, and what it does.”
Application: The disciples fled to the Upper Room in fear of reprisal by the Romans. What a joy it was for them to see the resurrected Lord.
*****
John 20:19-31
A Wizard of Id comic strip offers a new twist on the Humpty Dumpty story. The wizard approaches Sir Rodney with an egg that has been obviously cracked but glued back together. Rodney exclaims that Humpty is alive, yet wonders in bewilderment “But how?” With a big smile, the wizard explains, “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men ain’t never heard of krazy glue.”
Application: The joy and miracle of learning of the resurrection.
*****
John 20:19-31
In his daily devotional printed in newspapers across the country, Billy Graham recently reflected on Judas, considering the reasons why Judas betrayed Jesus to the authorities. In his closing statement Graham wrote, “Judas stands forever as a warning -- a warning of the dangers of stubborn unbelief.”
Application: Those who gathered in the Upper Room when Jesus appeared to them understood the joy of believing.
***************
From team member Mary Austin:
John 20:19-31
Thomas Isn’t the Only Doubter
Author Daniel Pink says that Bob the Builder, the children’s cartoon character, has the right attitude about doubt. Pink says that “the overall-clad, stop-motion animated construction executive -- who debuted on CBBC in 1999 and whose television program now reaches children in 240 territories and 45 languages -- is a management radical. His approach to directing projects, people and himself runs counter to the prevailing wisdom about business performance.” In a world of positive self-talk and cheery encouragement, Bob starts every project with a little bit of doubt. Pink says, “In asking his signature question -- Can we fix it? -- he introduces some doubt.” Social scientists have studied people with a problem to solve, and people who ask themselves a question before they begin solve more problems that those who start with the assurance that they can do it. “The self-questioning group solved significantly more [problems] than the self-affirming group.”
Perhaps our friend Thomas is on the right track after all, asking for reassurance of Jesus’ presence.
*****
John 20:19-31
A Little Doubt Is Good for the Soul
Author Susan Winter suggests that a little doubt is good for us. It makes us teachable, she says. Like Thomas, “We will all experience cycles in our life when we feel we’ve lost our way. Upon entering a new level of understanding, we won’t recognize the terrain.” Doubt and uncertainty lead us into what comes next. Thomas is willing to say what he needs to know. Winter says: “True empowerment is humble. As opposed to those who play the ‘I’m so together game,’ the truly powerful are aware of their own mixture of humanity while striving to become the best version of themselves possible. A truly empowered person can look at their shortcomings and seek improvement.... [They are] open to improvement, and focus their attention on self-development.” Or, like Thomas, on knowing more.
*****
John 20:19-31
From Doubt to Trust
Thomas begins with doubt and ends with an acclamation of trust. A few years ago, Akaya Windwood also chose to replace worry in her life with trust. There’s no room for doubt or worry, for her. As she says, “A number of years ago, my sister was diagnosed with MS. As you might imagine, that was a very scary time for our family. While we were trying to figure out how to best meet her changing needs, I was in touch with her often. I remember a week when I’d been traveling, when we’d not talked for several days, and I called her saying: ‘I’ve been worried about you! How are things going?’ To my surprise, she bristled and said, ‘Please don’t worry about me. You can pray, or send me good wishes or think about me, but worry doesn’t help -- in fact, it makes it harder for me.’ I was stunned. Here I was, trying to tell her how much I cared, and she got short with me. And then I thought about it.”
Windwood continues, “My sister was right. There was no way that my negative cloud of worry could have been beneficial to her, even if my intentions were good. As I further considered what she’d said, I realized that worry had never changed the outcome of whatever I was worried about. Not once. The only thing worry did was to affect how I felt and experienced what was happening. And it never made me feel better. Not once.”
She knew that doubting everything wasn’t going to work, but “it wasn’t enough to just not worry; I needed to replace the habit of worry with something else, and I chose trust.” Like Thomas, she chooses to see with clarity, and it leads her in new directions. “To my surprise, I found that not worrying increased my capacity to attend to what was in front of me. All that energy I’d been using to worry was freed up for me to use in much more creative and interesting ways -- like helping to change the world. I also found that I was much more available for my sister. That was the biggest gift.” Windwood adds, “There’s a saying that worry is a prayer invoking that which we don’t want. Imagine what could happen if instead of focusing on worst-case scenarios and fears, we put our attention on what we deeply desire and are working toward?”
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God is our strength and our might.
People: God has become our salvation.
Leader: There are glad songs of victory among the righteous.
People: The right hand of God does valiantly.
Leader: Open to us the gates of righteousness.
People: We shall enter through them and give thanks to God.
OR
Leader: God invites us into the holy realm of salvation.
People: We come, but we come with many questions.
Leader: God welcomes us with all our fears and doubts.
People: We admit that we do have many doubts and fears.
Leader: God’s love conquers all, even when doubts remain.
People: With faith in God’s love, we bow before our Creator.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
found in:
UMH: 138
H82: 645, 646
PH: 171
NCH: 248
LBW: 456
ELA: 502
Renew: 106
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
found in:
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELA: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
“All My Hope Is Firmly Grounded”
found in:
UMH: 132
H82: 665
NCH: 408
CH: 88
ELA: 757
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
found in:
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELA: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 455
Renew: 196
“Give to the Winds Thy Fears”
found in:
UMH: 129
PH: 286
“Trust and Obey”
found in:
UMH: 467
AAHH: 380
NNBH: 322
CH: 566
W&P: 443
AMEC: 377
“ ’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 462
AAHH: 368
NNBH: 292
AMEC: 440
“More Love to Thee, O Christ”
found in:
UMH: 453
PH: 359
AAHH: 575
NNBH: 214
NCH: 456
CH: 527
AMEC: 460
“Behold, What Manner of Love”
found in:
CCB: 44
“Learning to Lean”
found in:
CCB: 74
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
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who invites us into the scary life of faith: Grant us the courage to ask our questions, knowing that we are always held in your love; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
You invite us, O God, to walk the scary life of faith. It is difficult, and we often have questions. Send your Spirit upon us to fill us with enough courage to ask those questions as we trust always in your love. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our unwillingness to confront our own questions and fears.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We want to believe, but we find it hard. There are so many questions about the Bible and about life. We want you to reassure us that we are on the right track, but we are afraid of our own questions. Sometimes we fear what the answer might be; sometimes we fear because we know what the answer is; and sometimes we fear because we think there may not be an answer. Come into our presence once again and still our fears. Fill us with the courage that comes from knowing you as the God who is love. Amen.
Leader: God is indeed love and is greater than our fears. Receive God’s peace, as God receives us with all our questions and fears.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for you are love and out of love you created us and all that is.
(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. We want to believe, but we find it hard. There are so many questions about the Bible and about life. We want you to reassure us that we are on the right track, but we are afraid of our own questions. Sometimes we fear what the answer might be; sometimes we fear because we know what the answer is; and sometimes we fear because we think there may not be an answer. Come into our presence once again and still our fears. Fill us with the courage that comes from knowing you as the God who is love.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which your love has been made known to us. We thank you for all the ways you have loved us even though we were unaware of your presence. We thank you for those who help us with our questions and our fears. Most of all we thank you for Jesus, who comes and speaks to us in the midst of our tumultuous lives.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need. We pray especially for those who find themselves bound in chains of fear. Some fear disease and death. Others fear poverty and want. Some fear violence and pain. We all fear something. Help us to be your caring presence to others in fear.
(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
Talk to the children about being afraid. Tell them about a time when you were afraid. (Make it something they can relate to but that won’t scare them.) Talk about how fear is natural. It is God’s gift to help us stay aware of the things that can hurt us. But sometimes we get afraid of things that we shouldn’t be afraid of. No matter what happens, God is with us. God loves us. Nothing, no matter how scary, can stop God’s love.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Mary Austin
John 20:19-31
Invite the children up and tell them that while we usually talk about faith, today we’re talking about a very important part of faith -- doubt. Doubt is when we wonder if something is true or not, and it helps us know where we need to know more about something. It’s a way we can figure out what’s true and what’s not true. For example, if I said that a huge purple dragon was going to walk in here right now, would you say “Oh great”? Or would you say “I doubt it”? And what if I told you the church ceiling was going to open up and rain down gold coins? And what if I told you the ushers would be coming up the aisle riding on unicorns?
Then explain that this is how Thomas felt when the other disciples said they had seen Jesus raised from the dead. It was such an amazing thing to believe that he wanted to see it for himself. Thomas said that he wanted to see Jesus, and Jesus came and answered his prayer. Doubt helped him have even deeper faith.
Sometimes people think they shouldn’t ever have any doubts, but Thomas reminds us that doubt is an important part of faith.
We see God in other ways now, but when we’re feeling doubtful we can ask God to help us, like Thomas did... and then watch to see how God shows up. God may work through a teacher, or a neighbor, or a family member -- but we can count on God showing up.
Let’s pray together:
God, we thank you for your presence in our lives, and for Jesus, who shows us your love and wisdom. We thank you for times when we doubt. They feel hard, but they also lead us closer to you. Help us to see the presence of Jesus in our lives too. We give you thanks in his name, Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 3, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 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.
In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating explores how the behavior of the disciples -- especially Thomas, who hears the news of the resurrection secondhand -- is driven by the same fear and desire for reassurance that we feel. Thomas hasn’t completely lost his faith -- instead, he embodies the skepticism of many modern Christians who want to believe but who cry “Lord, give me a sign” to reassure themselves. When Jesus offers Thomas the chance able to touch his wounds, Thomas enthusiastically responds “My Lord and my God!” Jesus, however, gently chides Thomas -- making the point that it’s even better if faith doesn’t depend on signs for reassurance. But as Chris reminds us, Jesus -- by his very presence -- gives us the only sign we need to reassure ourselves and to unlock the prisons of fear where we often confine ourselves.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the Acts text and the apostles’ stubborn insistence on continuing to teach and spread the gospel after the religious authorities have expressly forbidden it. They are dragged before the council (one can almost picture them being grilled at a hostile congressional hearing) and hectored: “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” As Dean notes, the authorities’ big problem is that they have been embarrassed. Yet Peter and the apostles remain unrepentant, telling the council that “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Dean examines the history and context of censorship in the culture and the church, and concludes that the best antidote is freedom of speech... in both the press and, more importantly, in the pulpit.
Unlocking Easter’s Hope
by Chris Keating
John 20:19-31
Huddled behind closed doors, the disciples dare not move. Sweat falls from their chins, which are lowered between their knees. Fear hangs low to the ground -- raising heartbeats, heightening awareness of even the slightest movement in the dark room.
It’s Easter, yet there is no joy in this room. The world has gone mad, and they are fearful that the violence of Jesus’ crucifixion might soon spread.
John writes that the disciples were locked away “for fear of the Jews,” an odd term that could easily be misappropriated in today’s context. What they feared was the ongoing rage in their society, a world that rejected the Word made flesh. Fear held them captive, locked away with the curtains pulled tight. There was no light, as darkness was trying hard to overcome it.
Until, of course, Jesus appears. He remains the light that darkness cannot overcome. Standing among the fearful, he says to them, “Peace be with you.”
That is the word we yearn to hear this Easter, especially in light of the terrorist bombings in Brussels that killed 35 persons and wounded more than 300 others. ISIS’ attacks were poignantly aimed at the heart of Europe, blasting a city that is not only the capital of Belgium but also the seat of many pan-European institutions. Vulnerability to terror is now part of its daily life, and an always-present fear of citizens of every country -- including our own.
Yet Jesus’ message of assurance breaks into the sweltering rooms of our fears, releasing hope and offering signs of peace. The resurrection is that word of assurance, spoken even to those, like Thomas, who are late arrivals to Easter’s joy. Jesus provides the sign we need. His presence among us unlocks the hope of Easter.
In the News
There’s a scent in the air this Easter, but it is neither spring rains or leftover lilies in the sanctuary. From Brussels to Lahore, from the steps of the United States Capitol to neighborhoods across the country, fear is in the air.
And the smell is not just a danger for individuals. It holds the potential to shut down all sorts of public spaces and networks essential to daily life. The Brussels airport bombing took place outside of the security zone, while the Pakistani explosion happened in a park. As John Judis observes, these sorts of attacks “create a consistent and growing level of public anxiety.”
Even worse, few practical solutions to eliminating terrorism emerge. Rhetoric alone is not likely to provide the sort of reassurance needed.
Terrorism’s toxic fetidity has created a mushroom cloud of rank and debilitating responses. Its plumage is spreading across the globe, and words of comfort are hard to find. The stagnant air of fear and worry presses down with each attack, dividing nations at a time when greater cooperation is needed. The world continues to wait for someone capable of hoisting open the closed windows in dank rooms of fear, rooting out the pungent aroma of waste, war, and anger.
It’s a stinky, stinky time.
In Brussels, officials cancelled Easter Sunday’s planned “March Against Fear” -- because of fear. The mayor of Brussels recognized the need for citizens to unite in refusing to be intimidated by terrorists. While hope gave way to fear, the mayor indicated that a march will happen in weeks to come. But as Daily Chatter editor Philip S. Balboni noted, the post-Brussels response indicates the smell of fear is nearly omnipresent:
After most terror attacks, locals come out. They wave the flag and do other patriotic things with their leaders leading the way. There is mourning. There is shared commiseration. Usually there is kindness because everyone feels a little raw, a little sad, a little vulnerable. And there is always anger and defiance, a vow to not allow terrorism to change things.
But in Brussels, officials cancelled a “March Against Fear” Sunday -- out of fear.
Stretched thin, the police -- whose credibility is under question because of serious mistakes -- worried over new attacks. So no march. Instead, right-wing thugs stormed the square. “Je Suis Coward” made the rounds on social media. And I wondered, what is wrong here.
What’s wrong is that fears have pushed the residents of Brussels indoors. On Sunday, one who was upset that the march had been cancelled came to a city square in Brussels to honor the victims. “We are afraid to go into the metro, on the trains -- we are afraid now to live our lives normally,” she told USA Today. “We need to speak out (against fear), we need to shout -- because we must be heard.”
Yet those shouts are choked by the fumes of terror.
As the world was trying to cope with the Belgium explosion, a suicide bomber detonated more terror in Lahore, Pakistan on Easter Sunday, killing 72 persons at a park. Many of the victims were women and children, Christians and Muslims mingling together on swing sets and park rides. The blast blew across the park, injuring at least 341 others. Members of a Taliban splinter group took responsibility for the attack, and said more attacks would follow.
Parks were closed, and the already icy tensions between Muslims and Christians heightened. It’s another sign that the fear of terrorism knows no boundaries. Globally, the number of risk managers who cite terrorism as their top insurance risk doubled in the past twelve months, with one insurance executive calling the “ever increasing unpredictability” of fear and terror the new normal for which organizations and businesses need to be prepared. “Business as usual is a thing of the past,” said Clements Worldwide president Chris Beck, referring to his company’s annual survey of global risk managers.
That concern has prompted much reaction from politicians and leaders -- though not much of it seems reassuring. Texas Senator and presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has called for police to “patrol and secure” Muslim neighborhoods in the United States -- a proposal derided by New York City’s police commissioner, who said that it’s “clear from his comments that Senator Cruz knows absolutely nothing about counter-terrorism in New York City.”
Donald Trump, on the other hand, ruled out internment camps for Muslims, though he has reiterated his concerns about controlling borders and abolishing NATO, which he calls “obsolete.” Secretary of State John Kerry called the GOP candidates’ comments on Muslims “embarrassing,” while also urging vigilance and awareness from citizens who are traveling.
That includes traveling to our nation’s important monuments and historic sites, as visitors to the United States Capitol discovered on Monday. A man reaching for what appeared to have been a gun was shot by Capitol police officers in the building’s crowded visitors center. The suspect was identified as a man known to Capitol police, and was involved in interrupting the House of Representatives in 2015.
In that incident, he shouted “I’m a prophet of God” from the chamber’s balcony. The 66-year-old man is the pastor of a church in Nashville, Tennessee.
His acts, whatever their origin, will not diffuse the odors of fear. They’re certainly the opposite of the assurance provided by Jesus’ appearance in John 20. Jesus enters the room, purging it of the fusty decay of the disciple’s fears -- providing our only true source of hope and reassurance.
In the Scriptures
In contrast to the aroma of global fear, the lection from John’s gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter offers a different sensory experience. Despite Mary Magdalene’s proclamation -- “I have seen the Lord” -- the disciples are huddled in fear. They heard the sermon, but still do not believe. Mary’s testimony is not sufficient. Instead, they seem to be waiting for hope that can be seen and felt.
It is, as Martin Marty notes, a reminder that in our world we so often long for evidence that can verify our experience. “Sight and touch make very strong impressions, and provide evidence to be tested.” Marty writes in Feasting on the Word [Year C, Vol. 2, Second Sunday of Easter, “Theological Perspectives”].
Lacking that reassurance, the disciples are shut down, huddled in fear.
“For fear of the Jews” can be easily misunderstood or even appropriated as an anti-Semitic statement. The disciples are sequestered out of fear of reprisal from religious leaders, or, as Frances Taylor Gench observes, out of fear from the larger unbelieving world (see Encounters with John [Westminster/John Knox Press, 2007], p. 134). The point is that it is fear which holds the disciples in captivity. Paralyzed, they are incapable of experiencing the resurrection -- despite Peter’s report of the empty tomb and Mary Magdalene’s graveyard testimony.
Jesus steps into this arena of fear, opening the blinds and letting resurrection light flood the darkened room. It’s evening, but his presence brings the joy of Easter morning to their fear-filled lives. “Peace be with you,” he tells them. It is the assurance they need to hear; his breath returns oxygen into the room.
Yet seeing and hearing is not sufficient -- especially for Thomas, who was absent from the reunion. Thomas needs more proof. He wants to see with his own eyes, touch with his own hands. He gets his chance a week later when Jesus once more enters the closed room. Despite attempts to castigate Thomas as a doubter, what’s clear from the text is that Thomas’ faith profession comes as he hears Jesus’ words. Whether or not he actually touches Jesus’ scars is not indicated, but we do know that as soon as Jesus speaks to him, Thomas responds by saying “My Lord and my God.”
It is a profound confession of faith. Nowhere in the story is doubt mentioned -- verse 27 more accurately reads “do not be unbelieving but believing.” (See Gail R. O’Day, “The Gospel of John,” The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary [Vol. IX], p. 850.) Jesus extends himself to Thomas, which is the only assurance he needs, and the greatest hope he could desire.
In the Sermon
John 20:19-31 is a sensory experience which invites disciples of all generations into an encounter with the risen Lord. It moves from the darkness of fear and uncontrolled chaos into the light of God that shines in the darkness, completing the signs and wonders John has testified about throughout his gospel. These verses speak to the counter-cultural reassurance which we long to experience in these fearful times.
Because of that, a sermon employing differing senses might resonate especially well with believers, including those who feel a particular affinity toward Thomas. How might we hear, smell, touch, and even taste the good news of this passage? It’s an intriguing opportunity that stands in marked contrast to the way we experience fear today.
We are locked up in rooms of fear, and searching for assurance. Like Thomas, we don’t need to really see the wounds; we just need to hear that voice which John told us the sheep will always remember.
Exploring the way Jesus’ assurance brings hope to these frightened disciples could help congregations experience the joy of resurrection today. Our world -- much larger and infinitely more complex than the room where the disciples were cloistered -- is pretty much clouded by fear. The air is stale. Yet Jesus breaks through the fear -- walls will not prevent him from immigrating into the very center of fear. His word of peace brings hope to those who have yet to sense the power of Easter.
Jesuit priest and author James Martin’s worthwhile essay in last week’s Wall Street Journal points out how resurrection changes everything. Jesus’ scars and wounds, says Father Martin, are the more than theatrical gestures. They are reminders of his humanity, and indicators that he has overcome the bonds of death. Martin concludes:
What difference does Easter make in the life of the Christian? The message of Easter is, all at once, easy to understand, radical, subversive, and life-changing. Easter means that nothing is impossible with God. Moreover, that life triumphs over death. Love triumphs over hatred. Hope triumphs over despair. And that suffering is not the last word.
No, it is not. Indeed, the resurrection brings new life to even the stalest and most torrid chambers of fear.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Freedom of Pulpit and Press
by Dean Feldmeyer
Acts 5:27-32
Censorship in the Culture
In 1633 the astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei published his book Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, creating an immediate firestorm in the Roman Catholic church. His intention had been to compare in his book two world views: one with the sun at the center of the solar system, and another with the earth at the center.
Church officials believed, however, that he gave too much weight to the “heliocentric” or Copernican, sun-centered world view -- which in their opinion was contrary to Holy Scripture and therefore blasphemous.
He was put on trial by the Inquisition, forced to recant (which saved him from being burned at the stake), and spent the rest of his life under house arrest until he died eight years later at the age of 77.
In November of 1992, Pope John Paul II posthumously pardoned Galileo and admitted that the astronomer’s observations about the nature of the solar system were, in fact, correct.
A mere 359 years after Galileo was convicted by the Inquisition, “John Paul said the theologians who condemned Galileo did not recognize the formal distinction between the Bible and its interpretation. ‘This led them unduly to transpose into the realm of the doctrine of the faith, a question which in fact pertained to scientific investigation.’ Though the pope acknowledged that the Church had done Galileo a wrong, he said the 17th-century theologians were working with the knowledge available to them at the time.”
In 1988 author Salman Rushdie published his fourth novel, a goal rarely achieved in the literary world. And not only did he write it and get it published, it became a best-seller. And it caused outrage around the world and put a target on Rushdie’s back when Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini called for his assassination.
The charge against Rushdie was “blasphemy.” His novel, The Satanic Verses, was partly based on the life of the prophet Muhammad. It was subsequently banned in India and burned in the United Kingdom.
And the controversy has not gone away -- it continues to hound him. In 2012, nearly 25 years after the publication of The Satanic Verses, he “pulled out of a speaking engagement at the Jaipur literature festival amid renewed calls for his assassination.”
Rather than use debate and argumentation to prove that the novel was not worth reading -- or was at least an inaccurate depiction of the prophet -- the leaders of radical, conservative Islam chose instead to quiet their adversary with threats of violence, consequently turned Rushdie’s book into a best-seller.
Censorship in the Bible
In this Sunday’s reading from Acts, Peter and the apostles have been dragged before the Sanhedrin, the theocratic court made up of the high priests of the temple. The charges against the apostles: heresy, blasphemy, disobedience, and embarrassing the high priests.
Verse 27 says that the Sanhedrin questioned them, but in the next verse what we hear is not a question but an accusation: “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”
Two things become evident here:
1) The Jewish leaders do not want the apostles teaching or preaching in Jesus’ name -- but instead of arguing their case, instead of pointing out to the people how the apostles are wrong and their claims are baseless, instead of showing how the priests’ point of view is right and that they are blameless in the death of Jesus, they take the easy road. They attempt to censor the apostles. They use their position of power to control and silence those who speak words of dissent, who preach a different message than their own.
2) And the reason the high priests are doing this, the reason they are trying to censor the apostles, is that the message the apostles are preaching is embarrassing. It makes the religious authorities look short-sighted, arrogant, and just plain wrong. It may even make them look evil.
So their message to the apostles is clear: You’d better stop embarrassing us with your teaching about Jesus, or there is going to be trouble for you. We can do for you what we did for him if you don’t watch what you’re about.
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Q.E.D. (Quod Erat Demonstrandum -- literally, “that which was to be demonstrated”). It is thus proven. In each of the above cases, people in power, who have the resources and the intelligence to enter into robust debate, chose instead to simply use their power to silence their opposition.
More Is Better
The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States says this: “Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech...” In this country we are guaranteed, by the constitution, the right to speak our minds without fear of censorship or retaliation from the government. The answer to bad or inappropriate speech is more speech, better speech, more powerful and appropriate speech.
This philosophy is found not just in government but in all aspects of American life and American speech -- scientific speech, political speech, religious speech. We are guaranteed the right to speak our minds. But with that right comes the responsibility to let others speak their minds, even if their speech is offensive to us.
In a recent essay, conservative Washington Post political columnist Charles Krauthammer rightly points out that both sides in this year’s political campaign are guilty of choosing power censorship over free speech.
He is right when he says that when demonstrators shout and disrupt Donald Trump’s rallies so that he can’t be heard or the rally can’t continue, this is a form of censorship that is unacceptable in a free, democratic state -- and while his comparison of these demonstrators with Nazis and Bolsheviks is absurd, he is right in condemning their actions.
The demonstrators from the far left often excuse their actions by saying that Trump’s speech is dangerous and must be “shut down.” But far more dangerous is a country where those on the extreme ends of the political spectrum can silence their opponents through the use of verbal violence and physical intimidation.
Krauthammer also points out, however, that these same threats of violence and physical intimidation are not limited to the left. They saturate Donald Trump’s rallies, and he is doing nothing to correct that situation. In fact, he is feeding into it. When he talks about demonstrators being carried out on stretchers, smashing people’s faces, and paying the legal fees for those who do violence to those who challenge him, Trump is enabling the air of menace that has come to permeate our national politics.
The solution to that problem, however, is not to be found in censorship but in robust, civil debate.
Freedom of Press and Pulpit
I have been a professional writer for more than 30 years, and I have preached from a free pulpit for a decade more. I have benefited -- indeed, the church of Jesus Christ has benefited -- from the freedoms of expression that are guaranteed in the American constitution.
Oh, the church would go on even without those freedoms, as it did in Soviet Russia, Communist China, Nazi Germany, and the early Roman empire. It would operate underground and in secret. The people of God would come together to worship, sing hymns, eat together, and study scripture even if it meant risking arrest and incarceration -- for we are driven by a higher power, and like the apostles who stood before the Sanhedrin 2,000 years ago, we dare not keep that good news that is Jesus Christ to ourselves.
But the freedom of the pulpit and the press which we enjoy has contributed to the making of a strong and healthy Christianity in the United States, and for that reason we are loathe to close the door on freedom of speech for others.
We realize that if we shut down the speech of others because we find it offensive or dangerous, the same can be done to us if others find what we say to be offensive or dangerous, as has often been the case throughout our history.
The first time I heard the soundtrack from the musical The Book of Mormon, I winced and cringed. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone -- the same duo responsible for the popular but extremely edgy animated series South Park -- I thought, “How can they get away with this? There must be thousands of Mormons ready to march on New York City, picket the theater, and demand that the musical be condemned and stopped.”
But the reality was nearly the opposite.
The Book of Mormon, it turns out, has done a lot more for the Mormon faith than its creators perhaps intended. Parker and Stone’s salty, often obscene, and hilarious sendup of not just Mormonism but all of organized religion has been a huge hit, garnering several Tony awards. And the only sound we have heard from Salt Lake City, the state capital of Utah and home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is crickets chirping in the distance.
As it turns out, Mormons know how to take a joke. They have even bought advertising space in the musical’s program. But that’s exactly what Stone and Parker were expecting. “We grew up with Mormons, and their M.O. is to beat you by being kinder than you and higher than you,” says Parker.
All God’s children could take a lesson from the Mormons on this one. Let them talk, let them make jokes, let them ridicule, deride, and demean us. Let them disagree with us. Let them crucify us. We can take it.
Three days later, we’ll just rise again... and the joke will be on them.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Acts 5:27-32
Five University of South Carolina basketball players were placed on indefinite suspension for what coach Frank Martin vaguely described as a “conduct issue.” After two of them were arrested, it was revealed that they had shot a BB gun at an occupied automobile. They did not hurt any of the people in the car, but they did cause damage to the vehicle.
Application: If we are to be witnesses, then our behavior must correspond accordingly.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
SeaWorld made a surprise announcement that it will no longer breed killer whales in captivity and that soon the whales will no longer be making public appearances doing tricks. This was in response to continued public outcry about how animals are treated in captivity. SeaWorld Entertainment CEO Joe Manby said, “Society’s attitude toward these very, very large, majestic animals under human care has shifted for a variety of reasons, whether it’s film, legislation, or people’s comments on the internet.”
Application: Our witness for the resurrected Lord must accompany changes in society’s perspective and values, without compromising our message.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
Five University of South Carolina basketball players were placed on indefinite suspension prior to the team’s NIT game against High Point for what coach Frank Martin called a “conduct issue.” Despite the suspensions, the Gamecocks won the game 88-66.
Application: In our witness we can never be so haughty that we assume we are the only players on the team. Thus, we must take seriously that we are one of many members of the Body of Christ.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
In a Lockhorns comic, Loretta is sitting in her favorite chair talking on the phone while Leroy is standing in the kitchen just reading. Loretta says to her friend, “There’s nothing Leroy wouldn’t do for me... in fact, he’s doing nothing for me right now.”
Application: We can never be doing nothing, or perceived as doing nothing, when it comes to witnessing to the resurrected Lord.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
When President Obama recently visited Cuba, he declared an end to the “last remnant of the Cold War in America.”
Application: We would like to think the Cold War is over with Obama’s visit to Cuba, just as we would to think there is an end to sin with our witness to the resurrected Lord.
*****
Acts 5:27-32
Emojis are becoming prolific on the internet, especially for users of Facebook. These are pictorial representations of our feelings that words may not be able to convey. In fact, they have become so popular that the Oxford Dictionaries selected the Face with Tears of Joy -- a bright yellow happy face with a classic toothy grin as tears fall -- as their “word” for 2015. It is a picture that conveys a message of joy.
Application: When we witness for the Lord, there should be no need for interpretation of the joy being expressed behind our words.
*****
John 20:19-31
Shirley Temple was given a ring by her father when she was 12 years old, and Temple wore that ring for her entire life, both as an actress and as a diplomat. The ring -- a 9.54 carat blue diamond -- is now to be auctioned by Sotheby’s, for an expected price of $25 to $35 million.
Application: Shirley Temple realized the love with which the ring was given to her, so she never took it off her finger. As we witness to the resurrection, we witness to a love that has been freely given to us. It was a free gift, but the price exceeds $35 million.
*****
John 20:19-31
The Obama administration officially announced that the Islamic State is engaged in genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and Shiite groups, seeking to destroy anyone they consider to be apostates or infidels. In making the pronouncement, Secretary of State John Kerry used the Arabic term for the IS, saying: “Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions -- in what it says, what it believes, and what it does.”
Application: The disciples fled to the Upper Room in fear of reprisal by the Romans. What a joy it was for them to see the resurrected Lord.
*****
John 20:19-31
A Wizard of Id comic strip offers a new twist on the Humpty Dumpty story. The wizard approaches Sir Rodney with an egg that has been obviously cracked but glued back together. Rodney exclaims that Humpty is alive, yet wonders in bewilderment “But how?” With a big smile, the wizard explains, “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men ain’t never heard of krazy glue.”
Application: The joy and miracle of learning of the resurrection.
*****
John 20:19-31
In his daily devotional printed in newspapers across the country, Billy Graham recently reflected on Judas, considering the reasons why Judas betrayed Jesus to the authorities. In his closing statement Graham wrote, “Judas stands forever as a warning -- a warning of the dangers of stubborn unbelief.”
Application: Those who gathered in the Upper Room when Jesus appeared to them understood the joy of believing.
***************
From team member Mary Austin:
John 20:19-31
Thomas Isn’t the Only Doubter
Author Daniel Pink says that Bob the Builder, the children’s cartoon character, has the right attitude about doubt. Pink says that “the overall-clad, stop-motion animated construction executive -- who debuted on CBBC in 1999 and whose television program now reaches children in 240 territories and 45 languages -- is a management radical. His approach to directing projects, people and himself runs counter to the prevailing wisdom about business performance.” In a world of positive self-talk and cheery encouragement, Bob starts every project with a little bit of doubt. Pink says, “In asking his signature question -- Can we fix it? -- he introduces some doubt.” Social scientists have studied people with a problem to solve, and people who ask themselves a question before they begin solve more problems that those who start with the assurance that they can do it. “The self-questioning group solved significantly more [problems] than the self-affirming group.”
Perhaps our friend Thomas is on the right track after all, asking for reassurance of Jesus’ presence.
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John 20:19-31
A Little Doubt Is Good for the Soul
Author Susan Winter suggests that a little doubt is good for us. It makes us teachable, she says. Like Thomas, “We will all experience cycles in our life when we feel we’ve lost our way. Upon entering a new level of understanding, we won’t recognize the terrain.” Doubt and uncertainty lead us into what comes next. Thomas is willing to say what he needs to know. Winter says: “True empowerment is humble. As opposed to those who play the ‘I’m so together game,’ the truly powerful are aware of their own mixture of humanity while striving to become the best version of themselves possible. A truly empowered person can look at their shortcomings and seek improvement.... [They are] open to improvement, and focus their attention on self-development.” Or, like Thomas, on knowing more.
*****
John 20:19-31
From Doubt to Trust
Thomas begins with doubt and ends with an acclamation of trust. A few years ago, Akaya Windwood also chose to replace worry in her life with trust. There’s no room for doubt or worry, for her. As she says, “A number of years ago, my sister was diagnosed with MS. As you might imagine, that was a very scary time for our family. While we were trying to figure out how to best meet her changing needs, I was in touch with her often. I remember a week when I’d been traveling, when we’d not talked for several days, and I called her saying: ‘I’ve been worried about you! How are things going?’ To my surprise, she bristled and said, ‘Please don’t worry about me. You can pray, or send me good wishes or think about me, but worry doesn’t help -- in fact, it makes it harder for me.’ I was stunned. Here I was, trying to tell her how much I cared, and she got short with me. And then I thought about it.”
Windwood continues, “My sister was right. There was no way that my negative cloud of worry could have been beneficial to her, even if my intentions were good. As I further considered what she’d said, I realized that worry had never changed the outcome of whatever I was worried about. Not once. The only thing worry did was to affect how I felt and experienced what was happening. And it never made me feel better. Not once.”
She knew that doubting everything wasn’t going to work, but “it wasn’t enough to just not worry; I needed to replace the habit of worry with something else, and I chose trust.” Like Thomas, she chooses to see with clarity, and it leads her in new directions. “To my surprise, I found that not worrying increased my capacity to attend to what was in front of me. All that energy I’d been using to worry was freed up for me to use in much more creative and interesting ways -- like helping to change the world. I also found that I was much more available for my sister. That was the biggest gift.” Windwood adds, “There’s a saying that worry is a prayer invoking that which we don’t want. Imagine what could happen if instead of focusing on worst-case scenarios and fears, we put our attention on what we deeply desire and are working toward?”
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God is our strength and our might.
People: God has become our salvation.
Leader: There are glad songs of victory among the righteous.
People: The right hand of God does valiantly.
Leader: Open to us the gates of righteousness.
People: We shall enter through them and give thanks to God.
OR
Leader: God invites us into the holy realm of salvation.
People: We come, but we come with many questions.
Leader: God welcomes us with all our fears and doubts.
People: We admit that we do have many doubts and fears.
Leader: God’s love conquers all, even when doubts remain.
People: With faith in God’s love, we bow before our Creator.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
found in:
UMH: 138
H82: 645, 646
PH: 171
NCH: 248
LBW: 456
ELA: 502
Renew: 106
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
found in:
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELA: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
“All My Hope Is Firmly Grounded”
found in:
UMH: 132
H82: 665
NCH: 408
CH: 88
ELA: 757
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
found in:
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELA: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 455
Renew: 196
“Give to the Winds Thy Fears”
found in:
UMH: 129
PH: 286
“Trust and Obey”
found in:
UMH: 467
AAHH: 380
NNBH: 322
CH: 566
W&P: 443
AMEC: 377
“ ’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 462
AAHH: 368
NNBH: 292
AMEC: 440
“More Love to Thee, O Christ”
found in:
UMH: 453
PH: 359
AAHH: 575
NNBH: 214
NCH: 456
CH: 527
AMEC: 460
“Behold, What Manner of Love”
found in:
CCB: 44
“Learning to Lean”
found in:
CCB: 74
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
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who invites us into the scary life of faith: Grant us the courage to ask our questions, knowing that we are always held in your love; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
You invite us, O God, to walk the scary life of faith. It is difficult, and we often have questions. Send your Spirit upon us to fill us with enough courage to ask those questions as we trust always in your love. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our unwillingness to confront our own questions and fears.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We want to believe, but we find it hard. There are so many questions about the Bible and about life. We want you to reassure us that we are on the right track, but we are afraid of our own questions. Sometimes we fear what the answer might be; sometimes we fear because we know what the answer is; and sometimes we fear because we think there may not be an answer. Come into our presence once again and still our fears. Fill us with the courage that comes from knowing you as the God who is love. Amen.
Leader: God is indeed love and is greater than our fears. Receive God’s peace, as God receives us with all our questions and fears.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for you are love and out of love you created us and all that is.
(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. We want to believe, but we find it hard. There are so many questions about the Bible and about life. We want you to reassure us that we are on the right track, but we are afraid of our own questions. Sometimes we fear what the answer might be; sometimes we fear because we know what the answer is; and sometimes we fear because we think there may not be an answer. Come into our presence once again and still our fears. Fill us with the courage that comes from knowing you as the God who is love.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which your love has been made known to us. We thank you for all the ways you have loved us even though we were unaware of your presence. We thank you for those who help us with our questions and our fears. Most of all we thank you for Jesus, who comes and speaks to us in the midst of our tumultuous lives.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need. We pray especially for those who find themselves bound in chains of fear. Some fear disease and death. Others fear poverty and want. Some fear violence and pain. We all fear something. Help us to be your caring presence to others in fear.
(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
Talk to the children about being afraid. Tell them about a time when you were afraid. (Make it something they can relate to but that won’t scare them.) Talk about how fear is natural. It is God’s gift to help us stay aware of the things that can hurt us. But sometimes we get afraid of things that we shouldn’t be afraid of. No matter what happens, God is with us. God loves us. Nothing, no matter how scary, can stop God’s love.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Mary Austin
John 20:19-31
Invite the children up and tell them that while we usually talk about faith, today we’re talking about a very important part of faith -- doubt. Doubt is when we wonder if something is true or not, and it helps us know where we need to know more about something. It’s a way we can figure out what’s true and what’s not true. For example, if I said that a huge purple dragon was going to walk in here right now, would you say “Oh great”? Or would you say “I doubt it”? And what if I told you the church ceiling was going to open up and rain down gold coins? And what if I told you the ushers would be coming up the aisle riding on unicorns?
Then explain that this is how Thomas felt when the other disciples said they had seen Jesus raised from the dead. It was such an amazing thing to believe that he wanted to see it for himself. Thomas said that he wanted to see Jesus, and Jesus came and answered his prayer. Doubt helped him have even deeper faith.
Sometimes people think they shouldn’t ever have any doubts, but Thomas reminds us that doubt is an important part of faith.
We see God in other ways now, but when we’re feeling doubtful we can ask God to help us, like Thomas did... and then watch to see how God shows up. God may work through a teacher, or a neighbor, or a family member -- but we can count on God showing up.
Let’s pray together:
God, we thank you for your presence in our lives, and for Jesus, who shows us your love and wisdom. We thank you for times when we doubt. They feel hard, but they also lead us closer to you. Help us to see the presence of Jesus in our lives too. We give you thanks in his name, Amen.
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The Immediate Word, April 3, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 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.
