4th Sunday of Easter

Mid Week Musings
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Reflection by Pastor Macholz

INTRODUCTION
The gift of new life, of eternal life, is the gift of the risen Christ. It is the promise of Jesus. It was true for Dorcas in Joppa. It was true for those “who have come out of the great ordeal” in the Revelation vision. It is true for us and for all the baptized: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Mark, Evangelist
He was not numbered among the twelve apostles, yet Mark was probably a member of the early church community. The gospel that bears his name is the shortest and most direct, and many scholars think it was the first to be written.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)
O God of peace, you brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep.
By the blood of your eternal covenant, make us complete in everything good that we may do your will, and work among us all that is well-pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.


First Reading Acts 9:36–43
Dorcas was a faithful and devoted woman of charity in the community of Joppa. Her kindness and her work with clothing was well-known, especially to the widows in town. When she fell ill and died, Peter raised her back to life through the power of prayer.

36Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay." 39So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up." Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.


Psalm (ELW) Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. (Ps. 23:1)
1The LORD | is my shepherd;
I shall not | be in want.
2The LORD makes me lie down | in green pastures
and leads me be- | side still waters.
3You restore my | soul, O LORD,
and guide me along right pathways | for your name's sake.
4Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall | fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence | of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is | running over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days | of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the | LORD forever.


Second Reading Revelation 7:9–17
Christ is the shepherd who leads his faithful to springs of the water of life. Christ is also the lamb who vanquishes sin and suffering, in whose blood the saints have washed their robes and made them white.

9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing,
"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" 14I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal ; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Gospel John 10:22–30
Jesus responds to questions about his identity with the remarkable claim that he and the Father are one. Those who understand this are his sheep; they hear his voice, follow, and will never be snatched from his hand.

22At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. 30The Father and I are one."

Reflection
“No one will snatch them out of my hand.” It’s more than a promise, it seems to me a declarative statement backed up with force and power and might. “Go ahead, I dare you to try…” begins to come close but the promise remains steady, I will hold onto them always and forever.

It is in these words and this promise that I take much joy and refuge on the best and worst of days in life. There is an undeniable sense of connectedness and permanence that gets me through some days and sends me singing into others. To know that because of my baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection there is nothing that can separate me from the love witnessed in this Christ is all that I need to know this day, this moment, this time.

The shepherd calls, his voice rings of truth and promise and hope and he invites us to follow. Doing so can take us places we’d rather not be or into the lives of people we’d rather not know but….we do so with his presence and power alongside each step of the way.

It is the hope on which we lean and the promise into which we grow between here and eternity and it is enough. Listen for the voice, celebrate the hand holding, know that you are held tight.

Let Us Pray
For the ability to clearly hear the voice of the shepherd
To be able to listen to the insights of others we disagree with
That God would use us a God’s voice in a world desperate for truth
To let go of our agendas in order to follow God’s
For children, that we might help them grow and develop into their future

Quote
For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. ~ St. Therese of Lisieux

Musings for Easter 3

Sunday, April 18, 2010
Third Sunday of Easter
Midweek Musings

Reflection by Ann Patterson

INTRODUCTION
The disciples make a big splash and breakfast with the risen Jesus in the gospel. Wading in the water (remembering our baptism) and eating with Jesus (celebrating the holy communion) is our weekly encounter with the risen Christ. Jesus asks us, with Peter, again and again: Do you love me? And Jesus invites us, again and again, to follow him, bringing the Easter life to others.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Eternal and all-merciful God, with all the angels and all the saints we laud your majesty and might. By the resurrection of your Son, show yourself to us and inspire us to follow Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First Reading

Acts 9:1–6 [7–20]

Each of us has a story of meeting God's grace. Saul (later called Paul) was an ardent persecutor of all who followed the Way of Christ. This reading recounts the story of his transformation, beginning with an encounter with Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus.

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" ⁵He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." ⁷The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. ⁸Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
¹⁰Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." ¹¹The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, ¹²and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." ¹³But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; ¹⁴and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; ¹⁶I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." ¹⁷So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 30

You have turned my wailing into dancing. (Ps. 30:11)

¹I will exalt you, O LORD, because you have lift- ^| ed me up

and have not let my enemies triumph ^| over me.

²O LORD my God, I cried ^| out to you,

and you restored ^| me to health.

³You brought me up, O LORD, ^| from the dead;

you restored my life as I was going down ^| to the grave.

⁴Sing praise to the LORD, ^| all you faithful;

give thanks in ho- ^| ly remembrance.

⁵God's wrath is short; God's favor ^| lasts a lifetime.

Weeping spends the night, but joy comes ^| in the morning.

⁶While I felt se- ^| cure, I said,

"I shall never ^| be disturbed.

⁷You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong ^| as the mountains."

Then you hid your face, and I was ^| filled with fear.

⁸I cried to ^| you, O LORD;

I pleaded with ^| my Lord, saying,

⁹"What profit is there in my blood, if I go down ^| to the pit?

Will the dust praise you or de- ^| clare your faithfulness?

¹⁰Hear, O LORD, and have mer- ^| cy upon me;

O LORD, ^| be my helper."

¹¹You have turned my wailing ^| into dancing;

you have put off my sackcloth and clothed ^| me with joy.

¹²Therefore my heart sings to you ^| without ceasing;

O LORD my God, I will give you ^| thanks forever.

Second Reading

Revelation 5:11–14

The vision of John recorded in Revelation offers a glimpse of cosmic worship on the Lord's Day. At its center is "the Lamb who was slain."

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²singing with full voice,
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!"
¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
"To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!"
¹⁴And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Gospel

John 21:1–19

The risen Christ appears again to his disciples by the sea where they were first called. After echoes of the fishing and feeding miracles, he gives a final reminder of the cost of a disciple's love and obedience.

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. ²Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. ³Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
⁴Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." ⁶He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. ⁸But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
⁹When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." ¹¹So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹²Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." ¹⁶A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." ¹⁷He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

REFLECTION

Corinthians 9:1: Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?

Paul was not one of the Twelve. In fact, there is no evidence that he ever met Jesus. Nevertheless, he always maintained that he had "seen" Jesus on the road to Damascus. Throughout his life, he believed that this encounter had been very much like Christ's post-resurrection appearances to the disciples: "and last of all he appeared to me also." (Corinthians 15:8.)

Like Paul, the disciples put great emphasis on post-resurrection events. When they sought a disciple to replace Judas, they made a point of choosing someone who could personally witness to Christ's resurrection. This new member of their group needed to have "seen" Jesus before he ascended to heaven. (Acts 1:21-22)

Needless to say, as time went on, the availability of eyewitnesses must have diminished. It's probable that after a while only Christians who had talked with someone who had "seen" the resurrected Jesus remained. So it went, until there were only Christians who knew the oral tradition or had read portions of scripture regarding the resurrection.

That's the landscape we know. We haven't yet seen the resurrected Jesus as the disciples did or even as did Paul. Nonetheless in our own way, we "see" Jesus when we grasp the extent of God's mercy to our broken world. We "see" Jesus when we understand the miraculous nature of Christ's life, death and resurrection. Even more, we "see" Jesus when we accept the transformed life Christ offers during our time on earth and on into eternity.

QUOTE

God selects his moment to offer the most perfect alliance with each individual soul. - The Nun's Story, Warner Brothers, 1959

PRAYER

Let us be thankful for a God who offers us new life in Christ and pray

for those who struggle to find a relationship with God

for those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit;

for those who face loneliness, poverty or injustice

Musings for the Second Sunday of Easter

Sunday, April 11, 2010
Second Sunday of Easter

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Judy Lazenby

INTRODUCTION
In spite of all we have heard and all that we have seen, it is often hard to believe. Because it is hard to believe, we will invest ourselves in the Easter mystery for fifty days (a week of weeks). Because it is hard to believe, John the evangelist will provide sign after sign celebrating Jesus' victory over death. Because it is hard to believe, the Lord Jesus will return to us again and again in the mystery of the holy communion, inviting us to touch and taste his presence, and offering us his peace.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

O God of life,
you reach out to us amid our fears
with the wounded hands of your risen Son.
By your Spirit's breath revive our faith in your mercy,
and strengthen us to be the body of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.

First Reading

Acts 5:27–32

Peter has been arrested for proclaiming the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection. His response to the charges of the high priest summarizes the early church's proclamation of forgiveness of sin through repentance.

²⁷When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸saying, "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." ²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. ³⁰The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³²And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 118:14–29

You are my God, and I will exalt you. (Ps. 118:28)

¹⁴The LORD is my strength ^| and my song,

and has become ^| my salvation.

¹⁵Shouts of rejoicing and salvation echo in the tents ^| of the righteous:

"The right hand of the ^| LORD acts valiantly!

¹⁶The right hand of the LORD ^| is exalted!

The right hand of the ^| LORD acts valiantly!"

¹⁷I shall not ^| die, but live,

and declare the works ^| of the LORD.

¹⁸The LORD indeed pun- ^| ished me sorely,

but did not hand me o- ^| ver to death.

¹⁹Open for me the ^| gates of righteousness;

I will enter them and give thanks ^| to the LORD.

²⁰"This is the gate ^| of the LORD;

here the righ- ^| teous may enter."

²¹I give thanks to you, for you have ^| answered me

and you have become ^| my salvation.

²²The stone that the build- ^| ers rejected

has become the chief ^| cornerstone.

²³By the LORD has ^| this been done;

it is marvelous ^| in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day that the ^| LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be ^| glad in it.

²⁵Hosanna! ^| O LORD, save us!

We pray to you, LORD, pros- ^| per our days!

²⁶Blessed is the one who comes in the name ^| of the LORD;

we bless you from the house ^| of the LORD.

²⁷The LORD is God and has giv- ^| en us light.

Form a procession with branches up to the corners ^| of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and ^| I will thank you;

you are my God, and I ^| will exalt you.

²⁹Give thanks to the LORD, for the ^| LORD is good;

God's mercy en- ^| dures forever.

Second Reading

Revelation 1:4–8

The book of Revelation recounts a mystical vision of the risen Christ, experienced by a Christian prophet named John. Here he describes Christ as a timeless redeemer, the beginning, present, and end of all time.

⁴John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
⁷Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
⁸I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Gospel

John 20:19–31

The unprecedented events of the day of resurrection continue as the risen Jesus appears to his fearful disciples. A week later, after Thomas worships Jesus, Jesus pronounces that the blessings of the resurrection are also for those who "have not seen and yet believe."

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." ²⁸Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Reflections

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” This is one of the most important messages of the Easter season for me. It is the foundation of the leap of faith we must all make. The inability of those who can not believe without some type of proof is what separates us. We meet with countless instances in our every day life where we must believe in someone or in their actions even though we do not see or know them. We are people of faith and that ability to be trusting and faithful is part of our personalities and shapes our interactions for everyone with whom we come in contact. Let this blessing flow through you this Easter season and lift you up as you move forward to be sent out by Jesus and the Holy Sprit.

Quote

“Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.”
Saint Thomas Aquinas

Prayers

Let us pray for

victims of earthquakes.

the unemployed.

children without loving or safe homes.

those in harms way in service to our country.

women awaiting the birth of new life.