BE A GOOD ONE

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 29, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 10:22-30
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So 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.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

There was an article in National Geographic shortly after the great fires of Yellowstone National Park. It explained an interesting discovery made by the forest rangers who were assessing the inferno's damage.

One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick.

When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. Clearly, mother bird must have been aware of impending disaster and so she brought her offspring to the base of the tree and gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise and she could save them.

She could have flown to safety but she refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wing were enabled to live.

I think this story so beautifully illustrates what Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has done for us. When sin and death were threatening to destroy God’s beloved children, the Good Shepherd stepped in and allowed himself to be sacrificed, that we might live. Just like the mother eagle, he was willing to die in order to save his beloved. When Isaiah spoke of the coming of the Messiah, he worded it by saying: "He will feed his flock like a shepherd! He will gather his lambs into his arms." That’s exactly what he has done.

And our Good Shepherd continually calls to us. He calls to draw us near to himself, to beckon us into his arms, that he might lead us. Certainly that’s what we desire: a life led by Jesus.

The call of our Lord is sometimes difficult to hear, though, because we don’t know our shepherd as well as we ought and we don’t always know what we’re listening for—there are so many other voices crying out for our attention. Other would-be shepherds seek to draw us away from the Good Shepherd—away from his forgiveness and unconditional love.

I read a story about an American tourist, traveling in the Middle East, who came upon several shepherds whose flocks had intermingled while drinking water from a brook. After an exchange of greetings, one of the shepherds turned toward the sheep and called out, "Manah. Manah. Manah." (Manah means "follow me" in Arabic.) Immediately his sheep separated themselves from the rest and followed him.

Then one of the two remaining shepherds called out, "Manah. Manah." and his sheep left the common flock to follow him. The traveler then said to a third shepherd, "I would like to try that. Let me put on your cloak and turban and see if I can get the rest of the sheep to follow me."

The shepherd smiled knowingly as the traveler wrapped himself in the cloak, put the turban on his head and called out, "Manah. Manah." The sheep kept grazing as if they hadn’t even heard him. He cried out again and again, trying his best to emulate the shepherd’s voice, but try as he may, the sheep would not respond to the stranger's voice. Not one of them moved toward him.

"Will the sheep ever follow someone other than you?" The traveler asked.

"Oh yes," the shepherd replied, "sometimes a sheep gets sick, and then it will follow anyone."

So with the sheer, there are some who know the shepherd’s voice, who follow him and only him. And then there are those sheep who will follow anyone. We have seen that in humans, too, haven't we? Battered by the storms of life and distracted by voices urging them to go this way and that—they have lost their bearings and they don't know where they are or where they are going. When they become confused, spiritually, they will follow anyone who will promise a moment of happiness, a brief feeling of peace or forgetfulness, a sense that they are someone.

But the call of Jesus the Good Shepherd is, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." There is no better way, no greater truth, no deeper joy. Our Lord reaches out to us in love that we might follow him into pastures green.

Pablo Picasso is named by Guiness Book of World Records as the most prolific painter ever. He invented cubism and, now over 30 years after his death, his work remains popular and he will forever hold a vital place in art history. The story goes that Picasso once said: “My mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general; if you become a monk, you’ll end up as Pope.’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”
 
I’m sure he would have agreed with Abraham Lincoln inspirational saying that goes: “Whatever you are, be a good one.” And as the sheep of God’s pasture, we should strive to be good sheep. We should be the Piscasso of listeners when it comes to hearing God’s voice.

In this month’s bible study for women, we’ve talked about prayer and about how it involves listening. At both of cicles, the women had interesting conversations about the things God has done in their lives, of how they have heard the voice of their Sheherd in many and amazing ways. It was so powerful to hear these stories and I think we ought to be telling them to one another more often. How has God spoken to you? What have you done to tune your hearts to God’s voice? What blessings have come into your life as a result? I encourage you think carefully about these questions and I hope you find opportunity to share your answers with one another. As the church, we are to be here for one another—to provide support and encouragement in the faith.

As we celebrate the goodness of our Shepherd who has laid down his life for us, let us be inspired to work on being good sheep—to tune our hearts to hear his voice, that we may follow wherever he leads.

And now, may the peace which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

TAKE IT INTO THE WORLD

A Sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter
April 22, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 21:1-19
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon 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. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He 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. That 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. But 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. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So 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. Jesus 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. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When 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." A 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." He 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. Very 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." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me." (NRSV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today, on this Third Sunday of Easter, our Gospel tells us of an experience Peter and a group of other disciples have with Jesus. By this time, they have had several of these witnessing-the-risen-Christ experiences. Last Sunday we heard about how Thomas, who had missed the first appearance but not the second, learned a great lesson about faith. We would think that after these appearances—proof of Jesus' resurrection from the dead—the disciples would immediately have hit the road to proclaim the incredible news of the resurrection—that they would have been so charged up that they couldn’t wait another moment to begin their new lives.

Well, this hasn’t happened yet. In this last chapter of John's Gospel, and only a short time after the resurrection, we find the disciples gathered again on the shores of Galilee. This is exactly where they had been when they were found by Jesus three years earlier. What are they doing back there? Shouldn't they be doing something different with their lives after spending three years with Jesus and witnessing him in his astonishing resurrected form?

We don't know what was going through the minds of those disciples gathered on the beach. They have seen Jesus, they know he is not dead, but instead of doing something about it, they have returned to what they knew best, to what was most comfortable for them. Perhaps they were still trying to come to grips with what’s happened. Perhaps they needed to gather once more in a place that was familiar so they could work out some of their thoughts and questions by doing something they knew by heart: fishing.

Here the story sounds like one we have heard before. The disciples spent the night fishing but caught nothing. Just after daybreak they had heard someone call them from the shore, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" A strange question. Evidently the person standing on the shore knew they had no fish. "Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you'll find some." A strange command but, again, one we have all heard before. We know the rest of the story. They hauled in a boatload of fish, the net did not tear despite the weight of the catch, and suddenly they recognize the Lord.

Jesus is on the beach with breakfast ready for them. He instructs Peter to add a few fish from the catch they had just brought in. And as they share this simple breakfast on the shore, their lives change radically. In this moment captured in the Gospel we see them sharing a meal with Jesus, similar to the last supper they had with him before he died. This meal launches them into action to go out and begin spreading the Good News.

Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?”

Peter responds, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

Jesus says to him, "Feed my lambs."

Just when you think the conversation is over, Jesus asks him again, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter insists, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

Jesus says to him, "Tend my sheep."

But, my goodness, Jesus asks poor Peter the question a third time, “Do you love me?"

By now, Peter feels hurt because it seems like Jesus doesn’t believe him. Exasperated, he says, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

Jesus says again, "Feed my sheep.”

Now, I must admit, this part of the story has always bugged me. It just reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom would use this scripture against me. She would interrupt whatever I was doing and say, “Laura, do you love me?” and I would say “Yeah, Mom.” And she would say, “Clean your room.” And, believe me, this little routine of ours would usually go on more than three times until I would eventually be worn down and I would finally stop what I was doing and go clean my room.

So why does Jesus ask Peter that question three times? Is he trying to wear him down like my mother did to me? Doesn’t he believe him the first two times? Does it have to do with the fact that, at the time of the crucifixion, Peter denied Jesus three times? What?

Jesus, it seems, has a mission here. He knows that Peter is a sinner, an imperfect disciple who got going when the going got tough, but he also knows that he can use him to proclaim the gospel. But he demands of Peter that his love be not simply a warm feeling—but that his love be transformed into action to “feed my sheep”. Jesus’ work of sheep feeding has just begun. Now, it is up to Peter and the other disciples to take over the job. Following is about feeding.

We, too, are charged with the same commission he gave the disciples: continue the work begun by Jesus. We too must realize that the good news is not just for me—it is for everyone. Remember, last week Jesus said to the disciples, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." We are part of that blessed group who have not seen Jesus in the flesh, and yet we do believe and want others to believe, too.

We have just been through the season of Lent and have celebrated the great Sunday of Easter. Lent is a time when we, like the early Christians, should consider the promises we have each made in our Baptismal Covenant. Have we been living out those promises? Where can we begin again to live them more faithfully? The eyes of our faith still need to be opened as we work on sharing Jesus' message with others.

The disciples had a long road ahead of them. They couldn't begin to imagine how their preaching and teaching would continue through the centuries. They couldn't imagine how society would change and how people would have to change with it—while still keeping the message of God's love constant and true.

We have many opportunities to further the reign of God today in our church and our world, to feed God’s sheep—but many things to distract us from it. We are called to continue in the apostles' teaching, to persevere in resisting evil, to proclaim by word and example the Good News, to serve Christ in all people, to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, many people are searching for hope and meaning. We wonder how we can find our humanity again when such barbarism occurs. We wonder how we can find peace in a violent world. Jesus says to us, “Feed my sheep.” Reach out to the hearts that are hurting and give them my love. Don’t keep it to yourself.

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, the story goes, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it." 

This is what Jesus says to us: My love is yours. You can enjoy and and find peace in it, but you can’t keep it to yourself. You’ve got a bigger call than that. You must take it to the world. Take it into the world, and let people hear it. 

And now, may the peace which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

HOLY HILARITY SUNDAY

A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter
April 15, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 20:19-31
When 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.”After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So 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.”
A 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.” Then 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.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 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.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But 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.(New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

Easter is God’s great joke on death. What is a joke? It is something that turns the tables on the expected, something that hinges on the unpredictable. The resurrection is comedy of the best sort, the unexpected reversal of expectations. What a wonderful surprise—Jesus isn’t dead as we expected! He is alive!!!

In fact. some have said that the empty tomb is the "banana peel" of the Christian faith. Easter is the cosmic pratfall as God pulled the rug out from under the powers of darkness and death by the resurrection.

We can imagine God laughing out loud on Easter morning. And we can laugh too! We can laugh at all the things that try to hold us back, to snuff out our joy, we can even look death in the face now...and laugh! Because it has no sting, no power over us any more.

Church historians tell us that there is considerable evidence that during the early centuries of Christianity, Easter celebrations went on for days and even weeks. And the tradition of Holy Hilarity Sunday, of post-Easter lightheartedness, goes back a very long way, and is especially rooted in the religious life of Eastern Europe.

Saint Paul wrote that we should all be "fools for Christ." The cross is foolishness to those who do not believe; it is salvation, hope, love, and joy to those who do. Some have argued that April Fool’s Day should really be included in our church liturgical calendar! How fun to know that we can be fools for Christ.

St. Francis of Assisi advised many years ago: "Leave sadness to the devil. The devil has reason to be sad." We don’t! And G.K. Chesterton wrote: "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly!” So, let's fly around with the angels for a moment by way of some levity!

Now, you’ve probably seen the funny church bulletin bloopers like: "the peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict," or "The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir."

Now my favorite Easter joke. Perhaps you’ve heard me tell this one before. If so, please bear with me and laugh loudly at the end.

Three blonds die and arrive at the gate of heaven. Saint Peter meets them at the gate and tells them they’d be allowed in if they can just answer this question: what is Easter all about?

The first blond quickly answers, “I know, I know, it’s when we all eat turkey and cranberry sauce!”

I’m afraid not, says Saint Peter, looking sad.

“Well, I know what it is about,” chimes the second blond. “It’s when you open presents around a decorated fir tree and sing carols and eat cookies.

“No, I’m afraid that’s not it either,” replies Peter, his head downcast.

Finally, the third blond steps forward and says confidently, “Easter comes at the same time as the Hebrew holy day of Passover. The Roman Soldiers crucified Jesus after mocking him and putting a crown of thorns on his head. He was buried in a cave and a large stone was placed over the entrance.”

St. Peter smiles approvingly, nodding in spite of himself.
She continues, “And then, once a year, they roll the stone away and Jesus pops out and if he sees his shadow, we’ll have six more weeks of winter!”

And then, of course, we have some Easter egg jokes:

Q: Why shouldn’t you tell an Easter egg a joke?
A: Because it might crack up!

Q: Why did the Easter egg hide?
A: He was a little chicken

And some Easter bunny jokes:

Q: What is the best way to send the Easter bunny messages?
A: hair mail

Q: What do you call rabbits that marched in a long sweltering Easter parade?
A: Hot, cross bunnies.

Q: What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards?
A: a receding hareline.

Q: What is the difference between an irate rabbit and a counterfeit bank note?
A: One is bad money and the other is a mad bunny!

There’s a one-liner about the Easter story. A neighbor asked Joseph of Arimathea why he gave his beautiful hand-hewn tomb to the followers of Jesus to bury him there. Joseph replied, "Well, he only needed it for the weekend."

Then there are true stories to make us laugh. One pastor recalls a time he as trying to get his congregation excited about Easter and so he invited everyone to sing and shout out whatever would make them joyful such as "Praise the Lord!" or "Thanks be to God!" One small boy had his own prescription for joy; he yelled right out, "I want to go home."

Another story goes that a pastor’s wife wanted to impress her husband by teaching their children to respond to the Easter cry of “Christ is Risen!” by saying “He is risen, indeed!” But her young son got so excited that Easter morning, he ran into his parents room, shouting “ Daddy, daddy, God’s back!”

This morning, we heard the story of doubting Thomas. Poor Thomas, though he went on to do such good work, we always think of him as Mr. Doubtful. The other disciples have seen the risen Christ and so they believe. But they tell Thomas and since he wasn’t there, he just won’t believe that Christ is risen. He tells 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.”

Perhaps Thomas' real problem was that he was so devastated by what had happened that he could not see the wonderful reversal that God has accomplished in the resurrection. He was blind to the miraculous power of God. Even his friends shiny, happy faces could not convince him. Thomas could not connect to their joy.

No doubt there are some of you here today in the same boat. Life has dealt some crushing blows — financial struggles, loss of loved ones, insurmountable problems, diseases, depression, the list goes on and on. We so desperately want to be Easter people we look around and at times, it looks a lot more like Good Friday. Hope seems to have dried up and our joy is no where to be found.

The message of the story of Thomas is: open your eyes! You might not see it at first, you might doubt it, but the resurrection is real! The resurrection if for you! Celebrate! Go ahead and laugh!

We need this reminder so much. Life can be so hard and we can get so down that we forget which way is up. And then along comes Holy Hilarity Sunday and we are given the chance to have laughter and light-heartedness, for comedy and silliness. We can throw our hearts into celebrating the victory of the resurrection. The psalmist says that God "sits in the heavens and laughs," and I believe God invites us to do join in the heavenly laughter. God wants us to have joy.

So here’s one more bit of Holy Humor to close my sermon. It was following the resurrection and disciples were still scattered about Jerusalem and the surrounding villages. John finds Peter and runs up to him. Excitedly he says, "Peter, Peter! I've got some good news and some bad news."

Peter takes hold of John and calms him down. "Take it easy, John. What is it? What's the good news?"

John says, "The good news is Christ is risen."

Peter says, "That's great! But, what's the bad news?"

John, looking around, says, "He's really steamed about last Friday."

Happy Holy Humor Sunday! Be joyful. Let us never live another day as if Jesus were dead. Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed, so let’s laugh! Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

ALIVE & AHEAD OF US

A Sermon for Easter Sunday
April 8, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

In the midst of the early morning darkness, Mary Magdalene makes her way to Jesus’ tomb. She is devastated by his death. She would rather the horrific event of his crucifixion had never happened. Now, all she has are the memories of him and this grave to tend.

And then, a turn of events occurs. The resurrected Jesus appears to her in one of the most devastatingly moving moments of the bible. Her first instinct is joy that he has returned to life. Now things can be like they used to again. His whole death and burial can fade into her memory like nothing more than a bad dream. His body has not been taken to some unknown location, he is here with her. She grabs a hold of him, overjoyed that her life makes sense again. Mary doesn’t even stop to ask questions about how he came back to life or what it all meant, she just clings to him.

But Jesus gently tells her, “Do not hold onto me, for I have not yet ascended.” Do not hold on to me? What does this mean? Jesus returns to her but now she can’t hold onto him. Why is he going on another journey? Hasn’t he had enough journey already?

Jesus is trying to tell his befuddled disciple that things aren’t like before. He has not come back to just pick up where they left off. Now that he has passed from life to death and back to life again, something amazing has happened and things can never be as they were before. Mary wants a nostalgic return to the past, but Jesus wants to lead her into the future.

We are prone to the same attitude about Easter as Mary demonstrated on the first Easter. We love to think about the Easter Sundays of the past. We gather each Spring for Easter worship, but do we gather to celebrate the resurrection or simply to relish in the nostalgia of this holiday—remembering our childhood traditions of Easter: the Easter egg hunts, the new outfits, the chocolate bunnies, the Easter brunch, the family gatherings? We cling to the tradition of Easter rather than the message of Easter. In the end, however, this attitude reduces Easter to nothing more than a Kodak moment, like the resurrected Jesus is just another pleasant picture in the family photo album. This clinging to the past lops off the power of Easter. B.B. Taylor once wrote: “You can’t nail Jesus down. We tried once but he got loose.” Jesus did not spring from the tomb just so we could eat chocolate bunnies!

But we, like Mary, are unsure about the uncertainty of the future Jesus talks about. We’re not sure what he means about going to the Father. We like to cling to the comfort of what we know, rather than the uncertainty of a new life in Christ. We must accept that Jesus is not dead and behind us but he is alive and ahead of us. This is the good of the good news—we no longer have to remain as we are! But because Jesus lives and is going to the Father, we have a chance at finally becoming the people we have been created to be.

If we limit our understanding of Jesus and reduce him to a series of old memories, then we limit his power in our lives. If he can’t be for us the risen Christ, then we cannot benefit from his resurrection. Easter is a time to grow, blossom, advance—to be Easter people.

When I was a child, playing on the banks of the Mississippi, my sister and I used to love dragonfly season. For a couple of days each summer, ugly prehistoric looking bugs clumsily trudge out of the river. They perch on a rock or a wall and then their backs begin the bulge like some monster in a science fiction movie. And then, suddenly, a big-eyed dragonfly face pops out. In a little bit, its wings unfurl and it pulls itself the rest of the way out of the old shell and flies away. Big, beautiful, dramatic dragon flies come out of goofy looking bugs! You can hardly believe it unless you see it for yourself. And the shell they leave behind looks just like their old selves, except that it is hollow and can be crumbled in your fingers.

As I think about being an Easter person, I am reminded of the metamorphosis of the dragonfly. While, we long to cling to the old shells of our lives, of the people we used to be, Christ compels us to be the transformed dragonflies. He wants us to be free and joyful and filled with new life.

To be Easter people means that our lives can no longer be business as usual. We must throw our lives into the hands of our resurrected Savior. We must have the courage of Mary who followed her Lord’s command to go and tell the others, the share the good news that Jesus is alive and will always be alive. Jesus is not dead and behind us, he is alive and ahead of us—freeing us to be all that we were created to be. He is leading us into an unknown, but marvelous future. If we must cling, let us cling not to things that are fleeting but to the power of the resurrection and our own new lives!

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

NO HANDS BUT YOURS

A Sermon for Maundy Thursday
April 5, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry


John 13:34-35
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (New Revised Standard Version)





Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There is an old story about a statue of Jesus that stood outside a small village in Normandy. It was wrecked by the shelling during the war . Well, it wasn’t totally destroyed, but the hands were. And this statue was the pride and joy of the village and so after the war, the villagers debated at length on what to do about the damage. One group argued that it was so badly damaged that it should be trashed and a new one erected it its place. Another group objected, arguing that the village artisan—whose specialty was the restoration—could easily take care of the job. Finally, a third group came up with a proposal that ultimately carried the day: that the statue be cleaned up, but remain handless; and that a plaque be placed at its base with the inscription: “I have no hands but yours.”

When I think of this Maundy Thursday gospel lesson from John, I always think of this story. This is, indeed, Jesus’ message to his disciples and to us: I have no hands but yours.

It is clear from John’s Gospel that Jesus knows exactly what is about to befall him—not one of the coming events will take him by surprise. Knowing it is their last evening together, Jesus has a lot to tell his disciples in these final hours. So how does he begin this important last supper together? By washing their feet! This is an unbelievably humble thing to do—for to do so, Jesus behaves like a slave and not just any slave, but the lowest slave in the household. It is shocking for the disciples to see Jesus take on such a lowly role. So why, why would he do such a thing?

Jesus explains a few verses later when he tells them: I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Not only is his foot-washing stunt an example of humility and love for us, but it foreshadows his final act of love: his self-sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus does not beat around the bush. He commands his disciples to love in the same way that he has loved. And why wouldn’t he? His whole life centered around this message. The love of Christians for all people should be the distinguishing mark by which the world recognizes them as followers of Jesus.

So if Jesus’ commandment is so clear: that we are to love one another, why aren’t we Christians more focused on that task? Why is it that this priority sometimes take a back seat to less important issues—even within the church? How is the world going to know that we are Christians if we do not love? This annual service of Maundy Thursday is always an important reminder that love is our highest calling.

There was a movie that came out in 1996 called “Marvin’s Room.” Diane Keaton got an Oscar nomination for her role in this film. Her character, Bessie, is a middle-aged woman who has spent twenty years of her life being the sole caretaker of her ill father and an ailing aunt. Then she finds out that she, too, is ill—she is suffering from leukemia, and with no available bone marrow donor, she realizes she won’t be able to care for her family by herself anymore. Even in this moment of painful realization, Bessie’s voice trembles with joy as she says to her sister, “I have had so much love in my life.” Her sister patronizingly responds, “Yes, Bessie, there are a lot of people who love you.” But Bessie says, “No I mean, I have given so much love.” Bessie’s life was full—it was overflowing with love because she had given so much love. She became the hands of Christ to her family and friends, she took on the servant’s role and this is what filled her life with meaning and love.

Following Jesus’ command to love one another is perhaps the most difficult undertaking of our lives. And it is easy for us to get hurt when we strive to be loving. It is a dangerous business—we cannot do it without God’s help. In the popular children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, there is a profound conversation between a toy rabbit and a skin horse:

“What is REAL?” asks the Rabbit one day. The horse replies, “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” “Does it hurt?” The Rabbit asks. “Sometimes,” responds the horse with honesty. “It doesn’t happen all at once,” says the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Like the Velveteen Rabbit, we too can get pretty ragged in the business of love, but when we are in God’s wonderful will for our lives, it doesn’t matter. It makes us real!

There is no greater calling than to be Christ’s hands—to love one another, generously, recklessly, without counting the cost. That’s why Jesus spent his very last evening on earth washing his disciples feet and emphatically issuing this new commandment—a commandment which speaks to us as loudly today as it did then. It compels us to invite God to fill our hearts with love, that we may share it with our hurting world.

As we move further into our Holy Week journey with Jesus to the cross, may we recognize that the central ideal which he held up was this mandate to love. May we seek to promote this ideal with our lives, too. May we have the courage to embody the compassion of God wherever and whenever we can, for Christ has ascended and it now up to his followers to carry on his work. And so tonight, he says to us, “I have no hands but yours.” Amen.

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.


© Laura E. Gentry 2007

PASSION SUNDAY DRAMA

A Dramatic Reading of the Passion Story
Luke 22:14 - 23:56 (New Revised Standard Version)

Narrator: When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them,

Jesus: I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Narrator: Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said,

Jesus: Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.

Narrator: Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,

Jesus: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Narrator: And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying,

Jesus: This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!

Narrator: Then they began to ask one another, which one of them it could be who would do this. A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them

Jesus: The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

Narrator: And he said to him,

Simon Peter: Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!

Narrator: Jesus said,

Jesus: I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me. When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?

Narrator: They said,

Simon Peter: No, not a thing.

Narrator: He said to them,

Jesus: But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted among the lawless’; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.

Narrator: They said,

Simon Peter: Lord, look, here are two swords.

Narrator: He replied,

Jesus: It is enough.

Narrator: He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them,

Jesus: Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.

Narrator: Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,

Jesus: Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.

Narrator: Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them,

Jesus: Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.

Narrator: While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him,

Jesus: Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?

Narrator: When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked

Crowd: Lord, should we strike with the sword?

Narrator: Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said

Jesus: No more of this!

Narrator: And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him,

Jesus: Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!

Narrator: Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said,

Servant Girl: This man also was with him.

Narrator: But he denied it, saying,

Simon Peter: Woman, I do not know him.

Narrator: A little later someone else, on seeing him, said,

Crowd: You also are one of them.

Narrator: But Peter said,

Simon Peter: Man, I am not!

Narrator: Then about an hour later still another kept insisting,

Crowd: Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.

Narrator: But Peter said

Simon Peter: Man, I do not know what you are talking about!

Narrator: At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and kept asking him,

Soldier: Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?

Narrator: They kept heaping many other insults on him. When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. They said,

Crowd: If you are the Messiah, tell us.

Narrator: He replied,

Jesus: If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.

Narrator: All of them asked,

Crowd: Are you, then, the Son of God?

Narrator: He said to them,

Jesus: You say that I am.

Narrator: Then they said,

Crowd: What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!

Narrator: Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying,

Crowd: We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.

Narrator: Then Pilate asked him,

Pilate: Are you the king of the Jews?

Narrator: He answered

Jesus: You say so.

Narrator: Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds,

Pilate: I find no basis for an accusation against this man.

Narrator: But they were insistent and said,

Crowd: He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.

Narrator: When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.
Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them,

Pilate: You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him.

Narrator: Then they all shouted out together

ALL: (shouting intermittently) Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!

Narrator: Barabbas was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder. Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting

ALL: (shouting intermittently) Crucify, crucify him!

Narrator: A third time he said to them

Pilate: Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.

Narrator: But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified

ALL: (shouting intermittently) Crucify, crucify him!

Narrator: and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.

WOMEN: (wailing sounds) Jesus! No! This cannot be! etc. Someone stop this!

Narrator: But Jesus turned to them and said,

Jesus: Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?

Narrator: Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said,

Jesus: Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.

Narrator: And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,

Crowd: He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!

Narrator: The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying,

Soldier: If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!

Narrator: There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,

First Criminal: Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!

Narrator: But the other rebuked him, saying

Second Criminal: Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong! Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Narrator: He replied

Jesus: Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

Narrator: It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said,

Jesus: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Narrator: Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said,

Centurion: Certainly this man was innocent.

Narrator: And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.

ALL: (wailing sounds) Oh Jesus! He cannot be dead! No! etc.

Narrator: But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.