I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like I'm just catching my breath from the marathon of Holy Week, and here it is, time to go again. Fortunately, our readings (found here) provide us with lots of choices as we regroup and live into the power of the resurrection we just celebrated.The reading from Acts is one of those passages that makes us squirm with the notion of sharing everything in common; it's a passage I love but it can be a hard one to preach. The epistle from 1 John is full of beautiful imagery and familiar phrases ("...if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;" "...God is light and in him there is no darkness at all."). And finally we have John's version of the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the tale of poor doubting Thomas.
So where are you headed this week, preachers, as you reenergize for Eastertide? Are you going off lectionary? Starting a series? Doing something different for "Low Sunday?" Please share your thoughts, your inspirations and your questions.
Finally, a prayer to remind us what we're about:
Living God,
long ago, faithful women
proclaimed the good news
of Jesus' resurrection,
and the world was changed forever.
Teach us to keep faith with them,
that our witness may be as bold,
our love as deep,
and our faith as true. Amen.
I'm here physically...at least. Direction for Sunday...TBA. I shared a bit of humor at my place
ReplyDeleteJust starting to think about Sunday. I like your image-- is there information about it? This is my first year through with my congregation, but the insistence of the RCL of putting Thomas the Sunday after Easter does get a little snoozable. How many times can we say, "Thomas wasn't really such a bad guy.. he was a lot like us..." and not nod off?
ReplyDeleteBecky, if you click on the link to the readings, you'll find a link to "art" -- that's where I got both the images.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, Thomas again does get old. I may go with Acts. I love the notion of the early church "sharing all in common" but them, I'm a socialist at heart :)
Sunday, yes time to get my head into gear after a few days off. Bible - possibly the 1 John reading, though the Emmaus reading from Easter evening is also possible. we are baptising this Sunday and I wonder what we hand on to this little one, and how we will help her to recognise the Christ walking with her - so both would fit.
ReplyDeleteI'm not preaching this Sunday, but in the past I've gotten a little more mileage out of Thomas by talking about the "little Pentecost" embedded in the story where nobody notices. Another tack is to examine the stance of the other disciples, them and their "WE have seen the Lord [and just too bad about you, Tom]"...
ReplyDeleteI'm preaching from John. Working on the theme of "practicing resurrection." reminding people it's still Easter! What are the ways we practice resurrection beyond Easter?
ReplyDeleteI thought I was preaching on Thomas...but 6 weeks ago (when I was not in the midst of Holy Week/Easter) I planned to preach just on the first part of the John text...the Holy Spirit and Peace I give. Next week is Thomas. Had to do a major re-group yesterday.
ReplyDeleteWe do not do the passing of the peace but I may have then practice that. What I have noticed is that when I am in communities that do pass the peace...no one looks at you...at your face. So, I thought I would have them find a partner and do it that way...without looking at the person's face. And then do it a second time...looking at the person and saying the words.
I am Using the Acts passage, Using material from a lab I shared in this fall. Main point: the Acts community had limited resources, people and finances, yet they went out to change the world. We need to stop using those excuses. We, too, are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
ReplyDelete