Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the sermon I preached on 4/8 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church and St. Mark Lutheran Church. The gospel text is John 20:19-31 . I learned a lot in seminary. One thing, however, that always sticks with me is about how we are to understand and interpret scripture. We need to remember that God is always the One doing the acting in the Bible. When we hear today’s gospel lesson, don’t we end up concentrating on “doubting Thomas?” I know that’s what happens to me and so we think that’s what the lesson is all about, but it isn’t. We need to return to the maxim that God is always the One who is doing the action. That being the case, we will look at today’s gospel through the lens of what God is doing and what kind of response that should elicit from us. First of all, we need to realize that there are many, many things God is up to, while we’ll only focus on a few. You have to admit that Jesus makes quite an entrance. Here is this group of his followers huddled toget...

This is the message I preached to God's people at Bethel Lutheran Church in Portville, NY on Sunday, April 27. The text is John 20:19-31.  Let’s use our imaginations today as we look at today’s gospel reading. We’re going to jump into a time machine and go back to Jerusalem later in the day after the resurrection. How do you think we’re going to find the disciples? Are they going to be ecstatic? Are they going to be boldly walking around the temple area telling the Pharisees, “We told you so. He’s baaaaaaaaaaack.” Were they telling everyone they met that Jesus is risen? Were they spreading the news and the faith?  No. They were hidden in the large room behind locked doors scared out of their wits. Would we be in any better shape? Just a few days before, their master and Lord was crucified. Yes, he rose on that Sunday morning—we know that, the women who went to the tomb know that, but just because some women had told the disciples about it doesn’t necessarily mean ...

"We are resurrection people who pray first, walk together and change lives" is the mission statement of the Upstate New York Synod, the synod to which I now belong. These words have been going through my mind especially now that it is Easter and we are celebrating the resurrection. This coming Sunday's gospel is from John 20:19-31 . As I have been reading, studying, and meditating upon it, I keep hearing that mission statement. Should our focus be on Thomas or should it be on what Jesus is doing? If we embrace this text in terms of God's action in Christ, then we will can be the kind of active resurrection people that God is calling us to be...and lives will change.