Dearest e-votees-
Call: Christ is risen!
Response: ____________
I trust you now how to fill in the blank. But perhaps it is seeming a little out of place. Wasn’t Easter over almost 4 weeks ago?!?
We are actually just about halfway through the 50 days of the Easter season. May God bless us as we continue to linger around the truth of the empty tomb even when the world starts trying to draw our eyes towards Professional Administrator’s Day or Mother’s Day or new episodes of our favorite TV shows now that the writers are back at work or __________. (I trust you know how to fill in that blank too)
The world can be a distracting and a troubling place. Our risen Lord Jesus continues to speak peace into it and into us. May we have ears and hearts to hear.
Peace,
Karl
--------------------
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 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? 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. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:1-6, NRSV
The text above is a portion of our assigned gospel text for this Sunday. It is a text is brought to bear on many funerals.
Death and grief and despair and separation and unresolved tension can have a deep troubling impact on our hearts.
The disciples are hearing from Jesus that he is going to be leaving them. Jesus has just washed their feet, sent Judas off to do his dirty deed and told Peter about his denial. It is just started to dawn on them the scope of the death and grief and despair and separation and unresolved tension that is coming their way.
Soon after the week of the passion begins Judas fully embraces his troubled heart by ending his own life.
Soon after the week of the passion begins Peter shows the depth of the troubles in his own heart by weeping bitterly after doing just what he said he wouldn’t fulfilling Jesus’ words. But he hangs on long enough (by God’s grace) to hear words of restitution and forgiveness at the breakfast on the beach.
In our liturgical year we are still pretty soon after the week of the passion. Are we more akin to Judas or to Peter? Is despair winning the day? Or by God’s grace are we hanging on knowing that Jesus will do as he said to come back and take us to the place he is preparing?
Our troubled hearts indeed need the peace that Jesus offers. In the midst of our own places of challenge and struggle are we able to hear the good news that Jesus brings?
Jesus has deep and abiding words to say to things like death, grief, despair, separation and unresolved tension. Jesus is indeed the Word that unseats death, grief, despair, separation and unresolved tension from their unholy thrones. When the world and our images in the mirror and the devil say “Lost!” and “Liar!” and “Death!” Our risen Lord Jesus still speaks “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life!” We can certainly give our ears and our attention to either side but only one is ultimately true.
Jesus, give us courage and strength to face that which is hard. Give us grace and compassion to reach into the lives of others to help them face what is hard. Help us trust in your ways and your truth and your life. You are risen! You are risen, indeed! Amen.
Call: Christ is risen!
Response: ____________
I trust you now how to fill in the blank. But perhaps it is seeming a little out of place. Wasn’t Easter over almost 4 weeks ago?!?
We are actually just about halfway through the 50 days of the Easter season. May God bless us as we continue to linger around the truth of the empty tomb even when the world starts trying to draw our eyes towards Professional Administrator’s Day or Mother’s Day or new episodes of our favorite TV shows now that the writers are back at work or __________. (I trust you know how to fill in that blank too)
The world can be a distracting and a troubling place. Our risen Lord Jesus continues to speak peace into it and into us. May we have ears and hearts to hear.
Peace,
Karl
--------------------
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 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? 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. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The text above is a portion of our assigned gospel text for this Sunday. It is a text is brought to bear on many funerals.
Death and grief and despair and separation and unresolved tension can have a deep troubling impact on our hearts.
The disciples are hearing from Jesus that he is going to be leaving them. Jesus has just washed their feet, sent Judas off to do his dirty deed and told Peter about his denial. It is just started to dawn on them the scope of the death and grief and despair and separation and unresolved tension that is coming their way.
Soon after the week of the passion begins Judas fully embraces his troubled heart by ending his own life.
Soon after the week of the passion begins Peter shows the depth of the troubles in his own heart by weeping bitterly after doing just what he said he wouldn’t fulfilling Jesus’ words. But he hangs on long enough (by God’s grace) to hear words of restitution and forgiveness at the breakfast on the beach.
In our liturgical year we are still pretty soon after the week of the passion. Are we more akin to Judas or to Peter? Is despair winning the day? Or by God’s grace are we hanging on knowing that Jesus will do as he said to come back and take us to the place he is preparing?
Our troubled hearts indeed need the peace that Jesus offers. In the midst of our own places of challenge and struggle are we able to hear the good news that Jesus brings?
Jesus has deep and abiding words to say to things like death, grief, despair, separation and unresolved tension. Jesus is indeed the Word that unseats death, grief, despair, separation and unresolved tension from their unholy thrones. When the world and our images in the mirror and the devil say “Lost!” and “Liar!” and “Death!” Our risen Lord Jesus still speaks “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life!” We can certainly give our ears and our attention to either side but only one is ultimately true.
Jesus, give us courage and strength to face that which is hard. Give us grace and compassion to reach into the lives of others to help them face what is hard. Help us trust in your ways and your truth and your life. You are risen! You are risen, indeed! Amen.
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