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Sermon - March 30, 2008

“First You Leap, and Then You Grow Wings”

By Rev. Nancy Foran
(assisted by Ali Gordan and Molly Keane-Dreyer)
John 20:19-31
Clergy fondly refer to the Sunday after Easter as Low Sunday - but not for any deep theological reason or because we feel low or sad that the hoopla of Easter is over. No - it is because worship attendance is usually one of the lowest of the calendar year.

Last week we had 110 people here at RVCC, but this Sunday is different. We still have a good number, though I suspect that has less to do with people flocking back to hear about the resurrection again and more because we are privileged to have our Youth Group assume significant roles in today’s service.

When you think about it, however, it is odd that people come to church from hither and yon to commemorate the day that the tomb was found empty. After all, as Mary Magdalene concluded last week, an empty tomb signifies nothing and really emphasizes Jesus’ absence from the world – an event hardly worth celebrating, particularly today in a time when we need Jesus and his message of compassion and reconciliation more than ever.

One would think that people would flock to church this week and at least for the next couple of Sundays as well – because today is when the fun really starts.

Today we begin to celebrate Jesus’ presence in the world. As Kenneth Samuel so aptly noted, “Jesus' presence with his disciples is just as amazing and worthy of broadcast as his absence from the dead.”

You see, today we begin to ponder the significance of the empty tomb. Today we are reminded that Jesus appeared to his disciples, and, it was at that point that they faithfully proclaimed that Christ is risen, Christ is risen indeed. Christ lives.

Just like the resurrection, the physical mechanics of Jesus’ appearances is beyond our rationality, but that is OK because we do not understand the physical mechanics of any sort of religious experience, be it a vision or simply a feeling of that peace which passes all of our understanding which floods through us at times and in places when and where we least expect it.

Now our Gospel reading today is John’s account of the first of these appearances by the living Christ. In his narrative, the disciples are hidden away behind locked doors somewhere in downtown Jerusalem because, John tells us, they were afraid.

As the story goes, one minute Peter, James, John, and most of the rest of them were alone with their fears – and the next Jesus was with them, offering first, peace at a time they thought they would never have peace, then forgiveness at the instant that forgiveness seemed out of the question after all they had done – or not done. After all, how could they ever shake the shame that gnawed away at them for all the denials and little ways each one had betrayed him and abandoned him?

But all that is apparently past history, water under the bridge, because Jesus fills the disciples with the Holy Spirit and sends them out to preach the Gospel message of forgiveness. As Susan Andrews writes, “Jesus appears, breathes, sends and commissions -- all in one burst of holy energy. God's warm and palpable presence startles and unsettles and stirs up the disciples. And they are never the same.”

Thomas, of course, misses it all and so ends up portrayed as a whiner and doubter, insisting on his own personal resurrection appearance before he will believe. Unfortunately, Thomas also fuels some preachers into heaping a lot of guilt on congregations by giving doubt a bad name and proclaiming it faith’s opposite. However, I believe that it is only through doubt that we move into rich and enduring faith. It is only through questioning that answers are revealed to us.

However, I am not talking about Thomas this morning. Instead I want focus on Jesus shooing the other disciples out to spread the word – the word of justice, the word of compassion, the word of forgiveness, the word of the Gospel Message.

You see, that is where we – you and I - so often get hung up. We get through the empty tomb part and somehow fit it into our rational minds – and we even are OK with the appearance stories, in spite of the fact that we wonder how they could be real. It is the going out and spreading the word that often stumps us.

Let’s be honest. How often have we convinced ourselves that spreading the message in a verbal way was a task for the disciples? Or, if not the disciples, then surely it is the pastor’s job – I mean, that is what we pay her for, right?? She has made that leap of faith. That is what they do in seminary, right?? She has worked it all out in her mind.

In order to spread the word, you need to have made that leap of faith, right?? It needs to all make sense, right?? You need to feel 100% secure not only in your beliefs, but also in your ability to share those beliefs, right?? This leap of faith business – that’s gotta be the pastor’s job, right??

Not really. As William Sloane Coffin wrote, “It is terribly important to realize that the leap of faith is not so much a leap of thought as of action. For while in many matters it is first we must see, then we will act; in matters of faith it is first we must do, and then we will know: first we will be and then we will see. One must, in short, dare to act wholeheartedly without absolute certainty. I love the recklessness of faith. First you leap, and then you grow wings.”

Jesus challenges us to grow wings. That is what John wants us to understand as at least part of the truth of this appearance story. Jesus sends us out – we who call ourselves his followers - to proclaim his message.

And this is the awesome part! He doesn’t say what we do must be perfect. And he doesn’t say we have to completely understand it. He just says – go and do it. “First you leap, and then you grow wings.”

For us, I think that means that we - pastor and lay person – are encouraged to wonder about, reflect upon, and most importantly, talk about the meaning of Jesus’ stories and parables and adventures. Could not that be the first step to putting our faith and our beliefs into action?

And the wonderful thing about it is that, as I mentioned before, we do not need it all sorted out in our heads first. That is the beauty of a church community, especially a community like this one. Here we encourage you to leap – and then grow wings.

The bottom line is that it does not have to be me up here all the time. In fact, it should not be. The pulpit ought to be a place where you can be comfortable sharing your stories, your thoughts, your reflections, your faith, and even your doubts.

That is why I am so excited that Molly and Ali wrote brief reflections to share this morning. I have no idea what they are going to say, but I trust that it will be thoughtful and thought-provoking and that it will be both from the heart and the head. I also trust that Ali and Molly will be excellent role models for the rest of you who are reticent to take that leap and grow those wings and who still believe that the pulpit is really only for the pastor.

REFLECTIONS
By Molly Keane-Dreyer
As the majority of you know, my family went through a really hard time a couple of years ago. During this time it felt like God had abandoned me, and so I began to doubt him.

As time went on, I began to appreciate and notice the little good things that would happen to me. That’s when I began to realize that God never abandons anyone, but he wants his children to learn and to remember. He gives us little things to show he’s still there, and it’s up to us to notice them and appreciate them.

REFLECTIONS
By Ali Gordan
Molly and I both have reflections on the story of Thomas, or Doubting Thomas as he is often called.

Both of these passages from John have a very special meaning to me. To me, the story of Jesus coming to his disciples after he had risen from the dead, signals the beginning of Christianity. Jesus is kind of commissioning the disciples to carry on his message: “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” What a powerful moment this must have been for them, but probably also a little scary. They were already somewhat afraid that their association with Jesus would get them into trouble. What is so touching to me is that after all he suffered and endured, his message to his disciples was one of peace, just like the message of Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes was a few minutes ago.

The passage I appreciate and relate to the most, though, is the story of Doubting Thomas. I think this passage is incredibly powerful, because it always reminds me to trust in God. Even when problems seem insurmountable, or when I feel overwhelmed, or I feel as though there is a huge weight on me, this passage reminds me to just have faith. Just believe! That is when I remember how powerful and soothing prayer can be. Whenever I get caught up in all the activities of my life, and feel like things are out of control, praying always calms me down. Just knowing that I can always trust in God to help me and to always love me brings tranquility and serenity to my life.

I remember a time in my life when I felt kind of like Thomas. It was right around sixth and seventh grade, and we were living in Raymond but still going to church in Gorham. Many of the kids I knew from school in Raymond felt it wasn’t cool to go to church. Even many of my friends in Gorham had stopped going very regularly – they had other things to do on Sunday like soccer or just sleeping in. I didn’t feel like making the drive to Gorham to be there for 8:30 Sunday School. I just felt like something wasn’t right – something wasn’t fitting for me, even though I really liked many of the kids that I had known there in Sunday School. Then something tragic happened. First my Nana’s neighbor, Sharon, died. Then my grandfather died. I really wondered if there could be a God if two people who were so nice and so special to me had to die. Certainly he couldn’t be a loving God and make them suffer as they both had. It was very confusing and difficult when they were sick and fighting so hard to beat cancer, but it was really hard after they died. However, even with all of that, what I felt most was worry for my grandmother. My grandfather used to go to church on Sunday, but had not been for a while. But Nana’s church buddy was Sharon and now Sharon and Papa were gone and she was alone. I decided to start going to church in Raymond to support my Nana. I just didn’t want her to have to go to church by herself. My parents would drive me to Nana’s and then drive to Gorham to take Cassi to Sunday School there. It wasn’t as though going to church here was a big deal, but it did give me more time to spend with her. As I continued to go to church with Nana that year, I discovered something wonderful. The closeness of family – but a different kind of family. The church opened its arms to me and to my grandmother, and it made me want to go even when my Nana wasn’t there.

Thomas and I had something in common. We both doubted the existence of something wonderful. We both lost something special and refused to believe that something good could in fact come out of it. How lucky for Thomas - and for me - that the spirit of a loving God helped us to have faith and to believe.




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