Dearest e-votees-
This Sunday is the what is known as Doubting Thomas Sunday (since every year the appointed gospel is John 20:19-31). It is also called by some Intern Sunday as often the pastoral intern (if there is one) gets to preach while the senior recuperates from Easter. You will most likely hear something on Thomas this Sunday in church.
For our time we will look at a portion of one of the other assigned readings.
May your week be a blessed one as we enter into the 50 day long Easter season.
Peace,
Karl
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This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from allunrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John 1:5-10, NRSV
Truthtelling, confessing sins and being in fellowship are connected.
We are called in scripture to speak the truth in love. This can be quite challenging at times as we might not want to offend others. The can be tough as we don't want to expose our own weaknesses and failings. This can be hard because we take a risk when we share a truth in terms of how it might be received.
Jesus came to speak the truth in love. He ended up causing offense. He ended up with his own mortality demonstrated for all to see. Jesus took a risk in offering himself for us. Through his work on that wretched tree we are grafted into the truth.
We are called to confess our sins. We are called to seek and extend forgiveness when (not if) transgressions occur. This is hard because sometimes we want to cling onto the bitterness towards one who has wronged us. This is hard because we might not receive the forgiveness we so desperately seek from people. This is hard because true confession demands an amended life.
Jesus came to enter into a sin-stained world. He was baptized to show his connection to us who are the ones who really need to be baptized. Jesus was able to forgive even as his accusers condemned him. Jesus led the life that we find so very difficult to live out ourselves. In our baptism we are connected with the life and death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
Being in fellowship can be challenging. We need to receive others who are different from us and challenge us. We need to receive others who are similar to us and threaten us. We need to open ourselves up to community which means we might get hurt. We need to receive people where they are not where we wish they would be.
Jesus came into the world to have fellowship with creation. He attended weddings and ate and taught and traveled with people. Jesus comes into the world to have fellowship with us. Whether we are saintly or sinful (truth is we are both) Jesus comes to be with us: Pharisee or publican, bold leader or wayward follower, idealistic youth or jaded one with a few more years under the belt. Jesus loves us. That is a truth we can and should confess.
God, you love the world so much that you gave your only begotten Son Jesus. He came to live and to die, to heal and to teach, to speak the truth and to bear the consequences, to evoke confession of our sins and to bestow forgiveness. Help us to lean hard into that abiding and reliable love. Amen.
This Sunday is the what is known as Doubting Thomas Sunday (since every year the appointed gospel is John 20:19-31). It is also called by some Intern Sunday as often the pastoral intern (if there is one) gets to preach while the senior recuperates from Easter. You will most likely hear something on Thomas this Sunday in church.
For our time we will look at a portion of one of the other assigned readings.
May your week be a blessed one as we enter into the 50 day long Easter season.
Peace,
Karl
--------------------
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from allunrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Truthtelling, confessing sins and being in fellowship are connected.
We are called in scripture to speak the truth in love. This can be quite challenging at times as we might not want to offend others. The can be tough as we don't want to expose our own weaknesses and failings. This can be hard because we take a risk when we share a truth in terms of how it might be received.
Jesus came to speak the truth in love. He ended up causing offense. He ended up with his own mortality demonstrated for all to see. Jesus took a risk in offering himself for us. Through his work on that wretched tree we are grafted into the truth.
We are called to confess our sins. We are called to seek and extend forgiveness when (not if) transgressions occur. This is hard because sometimes we want to cling onto the bitterness towards one who has wronged us. This is hard because we might not receive the forgiveness we so desperately seek from people. This is hard because true confession demands an amended life.
Jesus came to enter into a sin-stained world. He was baptized to show his connection to us who are the ones who really need to be baptized. Jesus was able to forgive even as his accusers condemned him. Jesus led the life that we find so very difficult to live out ourselves. In our baptism we are connected with the life and death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
Being in fellowship can be challenging. We need to receive others who are different from us and challenge us. We need to receive others who are similar to us and threaten us. We need to open ourselves up to community which means we might get hurt. We need to receive people where they are not where we wish they would be.
Jesus came into the world to have fellowship with creation. He attended weddings and ate and taught and traveled with people. Jesus comes into the world to have fellowship with us. Whether we are saintly or sinful (truth is we are both) Jesus comes to be with us: Pharisee or publican, bold leader or wayward follower, idealistic youth or jaded one with a few more years under the belt. Jesus loves us. That is a truth we can and should confess.
God, you love the world so much that you gave your only begotten Son Jesus. He came to live and to die, to heal and to teach, to speak the truth and to bear the consequences, to evoke confession of our sins and to bestow forgiveness. Help us to lean hard into that abiding and reliable love. Amen.
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