May 10th, 2020
/Acts 7: 55 – 60 Psalm 31: 1 – 5, 15 – 16 1 Peter 2: 2 – 10 John 14: 1 - 14
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia
Collect: Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life:
Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Psalm 31 Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
1 In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
15 My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
The Gospel of St. John The Way to the Kingdom of God.
14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe[a] in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.”[c] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know[d] my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me[e] for anything, I will do it.
This is the day that we celebrate mothers and motherhood. For those of us blessed with loving mothers, today is a time of good memories and thanksgiving. As we watch our daughters’ mother their children, we rejoice in their strength and remember our own trials as we learned to be a parent. For those of us who endured at best indifference and at worst abuse from a mother, today is full of “what-ifs”. As I grew up, I often heard the comparison of the love of God to the love of a mother or father. But even then, I saw parents who seemed to have nothing of God’s love or grace or mercy in them. Many times, I told God that it was not fair for children to be hurt by parents they loved.
This past week, I have been telling God a few more times that IT IS NOT FAIR! We are staying away from each other, but the numbers of Covid-19 cases are not going down. Once more just south of us, an African American man has been killed by vigilante white men. Several mothers are wounded beyond words in that incident. News interviews carried many weary faces of doctors and nurses working around the clock to save lives in their communities. I kept hearing IT IS NOT FAIR! IT IS NOT FAIR!
Into this day, into my frustration, Jesus speaks these words:
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You believe in God, then believe in me. BELIEVE IN ME!
God is the faithful, gracious Father, the never-failing Father for each of us as God’s children. Whatever happens around us, God is never further than a breath away. God listens and hears us, loves and forgives us.
Some of us are much like Thomas: we hear, we see, but we are slow to accept. Belief for us comes after some thought. We ask questions. We want to be sure before we jump in. That is not a sin. God put us together that way, and God loves every soul God creates. Thomas hears Jesus saying that He will soon leave the disciples but that they know the way to be with Him. Thomas speaks his own truth: Lord, we do not know where You are going? How could we possibly know the way to get there? Personally, I am glad that Thomas asked the question, and I would bet you he was not the only disciple who did not know what Jesus was talking about.
Jesus answers Thomas with words we have repeated often:
I am the Way. I am the Truth. I am the Life.
The only way you can come to the Father is through belief in Me.
Jesus came looking for us so that Jesus could provide a way of reconciliation between us in our sin and God in God’s righteousness. Easter brings the assurance that Christ Jesus died and now lives to show us God’s grace. Jesus tells us the truth about who we are: beloved children of the Creator God who longs for our love and trust. Jesus shares with us the eternal life that God created us to share. Our faith is rooted in the CHOICE that Jesus made to offer himself as the sacrifice for our redemption.
This is the transition that we miss if we are not careful. It is not our faith, our belief that secures our relationship with God. Christ Jesus secures our relationship with God through Himself. Because Jesus is God’s Son, we are also God’s sons and daughters. Our faith is the evidence of our acceptance of the work God has done and is doing in us, not the glue that holds us close. Christ Jesus is our way, our truth, our life in God. We can accept or reject the gift of God’s love and salvation. Our acceptance opens the door for God to do God’s work in us. God listens to our every prayer and forgives our every sin the moment we say “I believe”. Amen.
Knowing that God loves us without fail, let us pray together, saying Lord, hear our prayer:
I bid your prayers for our church family wherever we are living.
Lord, hear our prayer.
I bid your prayers for every family grieving today for loved ones lost to the Covid-19 virus or struggling with isolation and lost jobs.
Lord, hear our prayer.
I bid your prayers for God’s holy church around the world as we each seek to serve God in these days.
Lord, hear our prayer.
I bid your prayers for mothers and their children for peace, safety, and healing.
Lord, hear our prayer.
And now as our Saviour taught us, we are bold to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be they name
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen
Alleluia! Let us go forth to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God! Alleluia!
