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April 11, l999 Thomas missed Jesus. He was absent from Jerusalem at the end, thus missing Jesus’ first Resurrection appearances. There are many ways to miss Jesus. So many are never even introduced to him. I missed Jesus completely until I was a teenager when I finally met him. The meeting was casual by way of a few sentimental hymns about Jesus at Sunday night youth fellowship. But it was a meeting, and it must have counted, because here I am nearly 50 years later counting myself a friend of Jesus. Many are introduced to Jesus but something goes wrong in the friendship. The Rev. Susan Andrews, writing in a recent Christian Century article, says that even though raised in a family and church steeped in Christian tradition, she always seemed, like Thomas, to be absent when Jesus arrived. Why? She writes "because the absurdity of the resurrection rumor had sent me away. I could not see the mark on Jesus’ hands or touch the wound in his side. So I moved down the street to the Unitarians. Their faith made sense, with its distant and daring God. Its passionate witness for justice, its bold support for inclusive ministry. Yes, theirs was a doing faith, a touchable faith, an energetic faith. And I didn’t have to sit around waiting for a dead God to reappear." But then a strange thing happened to Susan Andrews. "I found myself restless and filled with sadness. I missed Jesus." I read this week that Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in France. Catholic France hasn’t been very catholic, nor very Christian, for more than a century. The traditions are around but Jesus is missing so millions of French have retreated into skepticism or now try out Buddhism to find solace and salvation. Doubting Thomas does not shock us, does he? He resembles us. Many of us suffer from what might be called the human wisdom or prejudice, which are often the same. "Missouri Syndrome." Show me! We are raised to expect confirmation of our ideas. We are always tempted to escape from a relationship with God into a debate with Him. We become so self-preoccupied that we can miss Jesus. And churches often don’t help because we have an institutional way of hiding Jesus. We say Jesus is love but often congregations are loveless. We say Jesus is liberating truth but how often do churches deny His truth to cling to human wisdom and prejudice, which are often the same. It’s common enough for churches to host Alcoholics Anonymous and Addicts Anonymous, and now that we have our church office I hope that we can host one of the l2 step groups. But it would equally constructive for churches to sponsor Fundamentalists Anonymous and try and help the many who have been deeply wounded by rejection, ignorance and judgement through the churches in which they were raised. Instead of those who have been wounded going to the Unitarians and the Buddhists or becoming spiritual drop outs, we might help to reintroduce them to Jesus so they can move toward forgiveness toward those who have hurt them. The prayer of St. Francis, "where there is injury let me sow pardon" works with Alcoholics Anonymous and with Fundamentalists Anonymous. Of this I am sure, Jesus can be ignored and seemingly forgotten but he keeps coming back. History informs us of his survivability. Jesus came through the first millennium despite all the historical forces that aimed to destroy him. Powerful forces like Islam and the European nation states. Jesus has survived this second millennium despite all the forces - rationalism, scientism, totalitarianisms, and hateful schisms among Christians and in the Church itself - which should have driven him in despair away from us. But Jesus keeps coming back, passing as in John 20 through doors and walls closed to him and presenting his person before those who doubt or have forgotten him. He appears especially when we most need to meet him. It must have something to do with those wounds in his hands and side which he still had when he appeared to Thomas. When we are fretting, he is with us to say fret not because God loves you. When we are faint in body or faith, he comes to say God is holding you up. When we are afraid, he comes around to say fear not because God keeps you and as proof I am with you. And the comfort of his unseen presence is real just because he is risen but still bears his wounds to share with our wounds. Of course, we have to accept the fact that we do not see Jesus in the flesh this Sunday or any other time. Although we don’t see him in the flesh, he is here nonetheless. When we gather for worship, true to his promise, Jesus is here in the midst of us. Every Sunday is Easter. Jesus wants to bless us in worship and at other times. When we call upon Jesus to be with us, we shall have the blessing of the Holy Spirit with us. Jesus breathedthe holy spirit into his followers at John’s Pentecost. It is the same Jesus who gives us the Spirit this morning to do whatever the Spirit will do. For some it may a quiet presence; for others it may stir up; for some the Spirit reassure; for others it may disturb. Imagine Jesus breathing into your lungs the Spirit, just as we have an image of the Creator breathing life into the first humans. The breath of Jesus fills us with the Spirit of life. We discover we are a new creation each week filled with new life from God. As we worship we are bold to expect to feel Jesus breathing the Spirit into us, until the Spirit fills this entire place, creating a sacred space for our renewal. In First Peter the apostle tells us in Jesus we have an "IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED AND UNFADING" inheritance. He is our living hope that keeps appearing in the locked corners of this defiled world. Have you had that startling experience of Jesus coming to you as he did to the disciples and breathing on you. I have. It is startling and it is inspiring to go and be hope for others. Peter continues: ALTHOUGH 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 FOR YOU ARE RECEIVING THE OUTCOME OF YOUR FAITH, THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS. Like Thomas and the disciples, when we sense the presence of Jesus beginning to shine forth in our gathering, our frailties lessen because together we become the body of Christ in the world. As we experience God we can become what we can never be alone…the people who keep meeting Jesus again and again and are filled with Easter hope.
Pastor Gene Preston
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The Rev. Gene R.Preston14th Floor, Blk 36, Lower Baguio Villa Tel : 25516161 Fax: 25512114E-mail : gpreston@netvigator.com |
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