Musings for Easter 2

Sunday, May 1, 2011
Second Sunday of Easter

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Gary Lazenby

INTRODUCTION
In today's gospel the risen Christ appears to the disciples and offers them the gift of peace. Even amid doubts and questions, we experience the resurrection in our Sunday gathering around word and meal, and in our everyday lives. Throughout the coming Sundays of Easter the first two readings will be from the Acts of the Apostles and the first letter of Peter. Even as the early Christians proclaimed the resurrection, we rejoice in the new birth and living hope we receive in baptism.

Philip and James, Apostles
Philip was one of the first disciples of Jesus, and called Nathanael to "come and see." He later responded to an Ethiopian official's request for teaching and baptism. Little is known of James, the son of Alphaeus, called "the Less" to distinguish him from another apostle named James.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (ELW

Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith in you and receive the fullness of Christ's blessing,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

FIRST READING

Acts 2:14a, 22–32

After the Holy Spirit came to the apostles on Pentecost, Peter preaches the gospel to the gathered crowd. He tells them that Jesus, who obediently went to his death according to God’s plan, was raised from the dead by God. Finally, he appeals to scripture, quoting Psalm 16:8-11, to show that Jesus is the Messiah: though crucified, the risen Jesus is now enthroned.

^14aBut Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, ²²You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know — ²³this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. ²⁴But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. ²⁵For David says concerning him,
'I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
²⁶therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
²⁸You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
²⁹Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
'He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.'
³²This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

PSALM (ELW)

Psalm 16

In your presence there is fullness of joy. (Ps. 16:11)

¹Protect me, O God, for I take ref- ^| uge in you;

I have said to the LORD,

"You are my Lord, my good a- ^| bove all other."

²All my delight is in the godly that are ^| in the land,

upon those who are noble a- ^| mong the people.

³But those who run after ^| other gods

shall have their troubles ^| multiplied.

⁴I will not pour out drink offerings ^| to such gods,

never take their names up- ^| on my lips. R

⁵O LORD, you are my portion ^| and my cup;

it is you who up- ^| hold my lot.

⁶My boundaries enclose a ^| pleasant land;

indeed, I have a ^| rich inheritance.

⁷I will bless the LORD who ^| gives me counsel;

my heart teaches me night ^| after night.

⁸I have set the LORD al- ^| ways before me;

because God is at my right hand, I shall ^| not be shaken. R

⁹My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spir- ^| it rejoices;

my body also shall ^| rest in hope.

¹⁰For you will not abandon me ^| to the grave,

nor let your holy one ^| see the pit.

¹¹You will show me the ^| path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy,

and in your right hand are pleasures for- ^| evermore. R

SECOND READING

1 Peter 1:3–9

This epistle was written to encourage Christians experiencing hardships and suffering because of their faith in Christ. The letter opens by blessing God for the living hope we have through Christ’s resurrection even in the midst of difficult circumstances and surroundings.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, ⁷so that the genuineness of your faith — being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

GOSPEL

John 20:19–31

The risen Jesus appears to his disciples, offering them a benediction, a commission, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But one of their number is missing, and his unbelief prompts another visit from the Lord.

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.

REFLECTION:

Do you believe everything you are told? Sometimes good friends tell a story that is almost unbelievable. John’s Gospel was a time when the disciples were gathered in a room together and talking about how rumors were around that Jesus had risen from the dead. Thomas thought they were not true because he had seen Jesus die. He disbelieves what they are saying because it seemed too hard to believe. Thomas says that unless he can see the wounds, he would not believe. This is particularly interesting since Thomas was the disciple who accompanied Jesus when Jesus raised Lazarus from death. If Thomas had seen this, why could he not believe that Jesus, himself, could be raised from death? Imagine Thomas’ shock when Jesus actually joins the disciples in the room where they are hiding. Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Not all things we are told are untrue. It often depends on who is telling the story. When Jesus speaks to us, through his words in the Bible, we know them to be true. Jesus has been raised from the dead for us and we will join him. No doubt about it!

LET US PRAY:

• For those who have not seen yet believe.
• For those who doubt yet continue to believe.
• For those who strengthen their faith by questioning.
• For those who place their lives in the hands of God.
• For all who do not believe in the risen Christ.

QUOTE:

“When in doubt, don’t!” – Benjamin Franklin

Musings for Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Day

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Deb Johnson

INTRODUCTION

On this day the Lord has acted! On the first day of the week God began creation, transforming darkness into light. On this, the "eighth day" of the week, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. We celebrate this new creation in the waters of baptism and in the feast of victory. With great joy we celebrate this day of days, even as we begin the great fifty days of Easter. Filled with hope, we go forth to share the news that Christ is risen!

PRAYER OF THE DAY (ELW)

O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power of death. Make us die every day to sin, that we may live with him forever in the joy of the resurrection, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

FIRST READING Acts 10:34–43

Peter's sermon, delivered at the home of Cornelius, a Roman army officer, is a summary of the essential message of Christianity: Everyone who believes in Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection fulfilled the words of the prophets, "receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

³⁴Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all. ³⁷That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; ⁴⁰but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ⁴¹not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24

¹Give thanks to the LORD, for the LORD is good;

God's mercy endures forever.

²Let Israel now declare,

"God's mercy endures forever."

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 punished me sorely,

but did not hand me over 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 righteous may enter."

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

and you have become my salvation.

²²The stone that the builders 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.

SECOND READING Colossians 3:1–4

Easter means new life for us as it first meant new life for Christ. His resurrection reshapes the entire focus and motivation for our lives, since we are now hidden with the risen Christ in God.

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, ³for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

GOSPEL Matthew 28:1–10

Sorrow gives way to "fear and great joy" when two women are sent by an angel to proclaim the good news: Jesus is risen!

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." ⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Reflection

When I received “the assignment” via email to muse on the lessons, I thought “This is easy. Folks know this story, and heck we are looking forward to the music, the flowers, the hymns we can sing with gusto, and for some something new to wear!” But alas I was called to the last verse of the Psalm “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Could this be a contradiction to these 40 days of Lent? The journey starts with a service of remembering that we are from dust and to dust we shall return. It continues and we are reminded to be contemplative. And this most holy of weeks we start our mornings in silent reflective worship and communion, to the Last Supper and the knowledge that Jesus will be betrayed, to the death on the cross, and a vigil. Let us rejoice and be glad in it? Yes, we can rejoice even in our deepest contemplation, our grief, and our loneliness. We can rejoice that we can feel them and know that we are not alone. For we know that there this too is part of the journey … just as the angel said “Do not be afraid … for he has been raised” and we are to “set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” So even in today’s contemplation, grief, fears and sorrows we can rejoice … because THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE.

As these 40 days come to an end rejoice in the story of Christ’s death, the waiting at the tomb, and of course the resurrection of our Lord.

Let us Pray

• For those who wait
• For the laughter of children these days
• For those imprisoned by self-doubt, anger, and greed
• For peace in all the world
• For our brothers and sisters who celebrate the resurrection around the world

Quote

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118: 24)

Musings for Lent 5

April 10, 2011

Lent 5

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Pastor Macholz

INTRODUCTION

Today’s gospel is the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. With Martha and Mary we stand at the graves of our beloved dead and hear Jesus say, “I am the resurrection and the life.” His words give hope to all who dwell in the shadows of death. But they are also words spoken next to the baptismal font, where we die to death and rise to life in Christ. In the power and presence of the risen Christ, Christians prepare to renew their baptismal promises and welcome new brothers and sisters at Easter.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Almighty God, our redeemer, in our weakness we have failed to be your messengers of forgiveness and hope in the world. Renew us by your Holy Spirit, that we may follow your commands and proclaim your reign of love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

GOSPEL John 11:1-45

The raising of Lazarus is presented as the last and greatest sign in John’s gospel. It reveals Jesus as the giver of life. But as John 11:45-53 makes clear, this sign leads to the plan to execute Jesus.

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ²Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. ³So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ ⁴But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ ⁵Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. ⁷Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ ⁸The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ ⁹Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ ¹¹After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ ¹²The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ ¹³Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ ¹⁶Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’ 17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, ¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ ²³Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ ²⁴Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ ²⁵Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ²⁷She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’ ²⁸When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ ²⁹And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³²When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ ³⁵Jesus began to weep. ³⁶So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ ³⁷But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ ³⁸Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.’ ⁴⁰Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ ⁴¹So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ ⁴³When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

REFLECTION

During a conversation over coffee with a colleague (Bob, not his real name) last week, I heard the story of how he had received a phone call seeking money to support a Sudanese family that had arrived in town unexpectedly early. The caller indicated that he had received my colleague’s name from another colleague, who he knew quite well. Following the conversation and gathering of further information, Bob decided he would give the man $250 toward the family’s needs. Another colleague, also at coffee, told the same story. Both found out shortly thereafter that they had been scammed. Did that ever happen to you? You tried to do something good and in retrospect it turned against you? I probably couldn’t count the times I’ve done that but I remember a few.

In this week’s Gospel Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been in the tomb for four days. He did it against the advice of folks surrounding him, in the face of ridiculous medical odds and as a final sign in John’s Gospel. It would be this sign, this new life given to a friend that would set in motion the process that would lead to Jesus’ crucifixion.

All of the signs in John’s Gospel, all of the miracles, point beyond themselves and toward the greatest and final sign of all, the crucifixion of Jesus, the word made flesh. It is on the cross that John clearly indicates the glory of God will be most clearly revealed. It is toward that end that Jesus inextricably moves throughout his ministry and raising Lazarus only hastens the process. But…that’s not the end!

Crucifixion ends his life, the power of the Father restores it and we will never be the same again. “I am the resurrection and the life” he tells Mary during this story and she believes it but…she truly has no idea what she is saying as she will witness that reality in the risen Christ. Rome meant to end the life of Jesus, God had other plans, bigger ideas, grander opportunities ahead.

Hear these words as promise and hope and know that even in the midst of death God can create life. They are full of power and hope!

LET US PRAY

-For all who mourn the death of a loved one, that they might be filled with the hope of the resurrection.

-That our journey to the cross might be accomplished with open eyes and hearts and ears

-That wars may cease and peace may reign

-For those who seek healing of body, mind and soul

-For the people of Japan as seek to recover from natural disasters

QUOTE

I do now want merely to possess a faith, I want a faith that possesses me. Charles Kingsley