What Do You Believe - John 20 - Easter 2A

What do you believe

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Psalm 16, John 20:19-31, 1 Peter 1: 3-9

Happy Easter … times 2! And Peace be with you!

After a week of anxiety and fear, sitting on the edge of seats and wondering how this war saga was going to unfold after the ranting and profanity displayed.  There are still plenty of questions, anxiousness and unsettling as a result. When is there other shoe going to drop and what is that going to look like??

Thus, this Gospel story couldn’t be more appropriate!

Familiar story of questioning Thomas but something remarkable happens around this that we often overlook.

Jesus has appeared to the women at the tomb and to the disciples behind closed doors. Thomas doesn’t want to miss out. 

In telling this portion, the Gospel is also the telling of the resurrection as a day of Pentecost x 2.(Pentecost incidentally is on weekend of my birthday.)

More ways to celebrate Easter and holy days !

Jesus breaks forth into their world and the first word is “Peace.” Jesus offers peace.

Despite doors being locked, despite fear and credible concerns, Jesus comes to them where they are.

This is reassuring and it is inviting. For whoever we are on our journey Jesus can come into our lives, and bring us peace. 

Yet not all were present and not all believe this. Still Jesus shows and in different ways.

Regardless of shut doors and regardless of questions, Jesus comes and breathes peace.

Still, there are people in disbelief. How can this be?

Did you see what what I saw? Do you see and hear what I see?  Do you have to hear it and see it the way I do ?

People can have their own Jesus moment. Even if you don’t even know who Jesus is, there is something that is offered to you. You who witness and display the love and grace in your life are a witness to divine love too. 

The Spirit blesses with peace and invites you into the presence of love and grace.

Beloved, the question is laid there for you and me, what do you believe? What would it take for you to believe ? What would happen if you did believe?   Or do you need to see injuries and the wounds in order to determine for yourself and your speculation? 

Take your own wounds for examination and let the Spirit heal you.

We often think about the resurrection and Easter as the physical manifestation but forgetting that Easter is more than chocolates, rabbits or cute outfits we wear on a spring day.  Resurrection isn’t some private event even or only for a few.  Jesus meets us where we are. 

Resurrection is spiritual - manifestation of birth and - rather - rebirth of what we forget. Rebirth of hope, of faith, of love, of grace in our lives - despite the anxiety, edge-of-seat fear . Resurrection is peace for you and me - a respite from all of the world for us to find the divine in our lives.

The resurrection happens and it can happen to you - as Richard Rohr suggests, we don’t have to wait until our own death to witness it. We like Thomas may have not been there the first time, but God is ready to break forth into your life and now - regardless of the questions - even especially because of the questions !

There are many things in our lives that warrant questions and cynical consideration, but God’s gifts are ready for us as an answer to our fears and our isolation.

God’s gifts, blessing and our witness of that is for us to truly understand life. “That life exists and identity- that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.”

These words from Whitman encapsulate that fear and those questions as well the divine answer to the question. 

This then is a living answer through resurrection as a new birth of hope and faith for you and me. 

These words also are what Jesus assigns to them in the room. Not only do you have God’s blessing and the witness of God, but you are to go into the world and share that blessing, share the forgiveness , share the blessing and witness so that others might experience this grace breaking forth into their lives.  

It isn’t for us to hoard and keep in boxes for a single Sunday or even a season, but for us to live and witness in our lives as part of our lives and our interactions with people.  

You don’t have to hear it, see it or witness this presence in the same ways.  Be invited to seek out the truth, to feel, - to be assured in our way.  

Ask the question, seek and you will have an answer given.  Your witness does not have to be the same as mine, but let your witness be of truth. Let your witness of the divine spirit move you and show you. Let the Spirit send you into the world with that love and forgiveness on your heart so that you and I can teach others the power of that love and forgiveness .

Then perhaps negotiations for wars are unneeded because when we go with that in our hearts, there is no blame and there is no fight. There is no worry because we share that which has been blessed upon us and that which is blessed upon all. 

With divine love and forgiveness, we have no blame, no fight and no war.

Beloved Children of God, Receive the Holy Spirit and go with peace into the world!

Peace be with you! Amen

When Jesus Arrives - Matthew 21 - Palm Sunday Year A

When Jesus Arrives

Tony E Hansen

Reflection based upon Matthew 21:1-11, Psalm 118

Opening prayer

What is it like to go somewhere and suddenly see a parade procession… I can tell you from my experience putting together events, I am amazed at the events of Matthew’s gospel. This usually takes quite a bit of planning and permits these days. 

There is something- someone different here.

Jesus arrives with a normal group of people. Couple disciples fetch a colt and donkey.

Jesus gets on them and they proceed to go to the city. Before they go into the city, there is a crowd of people outside the walls. The outcasts, those without privilege, those who beg and more. Along the way to the gate of the city, these people just organically toss whatever they have before Jesus. They toss cloaks down, take branches and put them along the way.  

Suddenly, they burst into chants from Psalm 118. “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord…” This whole scene is lifted from the psalm. With blessings and love proclaimed for everyone. It is a festival today. It is a great day and a joy to be in the presence of divine (even if we or they don’t know it)

Perhaps a poor person’s way to greet and welcome to a city.  

Think about it, Not everyone in the crowd knew who Jesus is or was.  Not everyone heard the same stories or had the same hopes.  We don’t know what has been said, whether true or exaggerated or otherwise. Like today today, people may have heard of Jesus - have you?

You could be like me and be the last person in the room to hear about the person - the birthday girl!  (After all, we were invited via friends or spouse. )

The Romans had a particular way of announcing and processing to demonstrate their greatness before the conquered people. Usually with large armies, icons of the emperor, conquered in cages, and people expected to “make way!” 

There is something quite different here.  No emperors, no soldiers , no weapons, no trumpets and drums, No heralds on the street announcing nor caged conquered to be mocked. 

There is Jesus. The man, the myth, the mystic, the legend, the savior, the hope! We don’t know all of the stories people heard about Jesus, but heard about Jesus they have. Finally, in living presence there for all to see and in such subdued procession.

How do we greet Jesus ? If we have people telling us “hey that’s him”, would we would “make way?”  

What would go through our minds and what are we thinking, given the opportunity to meet and see Jesus - right there before us? What do we think when we witness the divine presence? 

Brush it off as nothing? Ignore the Spirit as happenstance? 

When we see others doing the work, reaching out, and celebrating the life and the divine they see, do we celebrate with them ? Do we really have to be of the same beliefs? 

For some, Jesus represents hope, for some Jesus represents respite from oppression - the possible, a way out of this existence. Jesus is everything we hope and everything we need. 

Why not celebrate? Besides, we should stand against the corruption of the powerful, the privileged, those with status and those who want to go to war using our children and our labor.  

In this moment, we can have some life in our lives. We can be with Jesus right here, right now. How great is that?

No speeches, no costumes - just people spontaneously celebrating. Sometimes, we need that. Sometimes we need to just let loose and let the moment take us. For our days are full of griefs and work, why not spend some time with joy - with grace - a sabbath for all. 

Yes the Lord’s steadfast love endures and will be forever, as the psalmist writes. The Lord enters through the gate of our lives, but question for us is, are we ready to receive this blessing?  Are we ready to proclaim, or are we too skeptical? Cynical? Or flat out rejecting?

We don’t know backgrounds of the people or why they are there, whether the ethnicity, religious beliefs, piety, labor, or what not. We don’t know if they will be part of those that turn on Jesus later. 

It is worthy to note how fickle crowds can be and how dangerous people can influence crowds to do the wrong. That could be you or me in this crowd and the ones turning on him later. 

Don’t believe me?  How many times have you witnessed God’s grace in the homeless, the youth, the scared, the poor but turned away? 

Let us witness Jesus today in our hearts and let that carry us .

In this moment, Jesus is here and now! 

Jesus is there and they are celebrating. Maybe we should thank God for our Blessings today. Lets be grateful for what God does for us!

In the moment of Lent, for all of the struggle, the repentance, waiting for expectations, what we have given up, there is respite, there is hope, there is life today and now. 

Beloved let us give thanks!

Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord !

We say “You are my God and I will give thanks to you...”

Amen. 

What Happens Next - John 11 - Lent 5A

What Happens Next

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon John 11; Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130; romans 8: 6-11

Opening Prayer

When I was a young boy, ABC broadcaster a movie called “The Day After.” For those of you who never saw it. Let me give you some context.  At the height of the Cold War, there were genuine scares due to missiles in Cuba and then we had this movie in the early 80s. 

This movie went beyond the “what-if” questions and showed, in spectacular gruesome detail, what could be possible if the Americans and Soviets launched nuclear war.  Set in Lawrence, KS as well as Kansas City made this instantly recognizable and even more scary how close this could get; how places I knew could turn to ash, farms turned worthless, animals dead in fields, millions evaporated, and structures vanish. 

No one stops it nor protects us from what happens next.

We can turn off the video or TV and then go about our day like nothing happened; but this movie did not shy from the idea that all life, all places and all people (even the rural middle of America) are impacted by war. 

Question: Why are we so willing to send kids into harms way? For politicians’ egos? Why talk? Bomb them instead… Why see other people as real, loving people - as loving parents, brothers and sisters? (Besides, let’s put our good expensive equipment to use.) 

It doesn’t have to be nuclear annihilation. Some person is driving a truck to work - suddenly is burning rubble. Kids at school don’t come home to parents. Your home and business destroyed; food supply reduced to a trickle: a military-induced famine.

What are people supposed to feel ? Thanks I needed that. Just take one-on-the-chin from bullies? Usually, one side gets mad - retaliates. I mean: how dare someone retaliate? 

Is that how we should feel if a bully attacks us? 

What happened in response to 9-11? Did we take time to learn anything or turn the other cheek? Like most, I wanted to punch back! Someone has to pay for my grief, my shock!

While people were still crying from rubble, and questions were many, America responded with missiles, with invasive laws, with invasions. That continues today in Iran. Why? To prove America is tough? 

When does it end? Mutual Annihilation? 

Are we safer or looking around the corner ? -> No is the answer. Further, we trade liberty for false security. 

The problem is that violent attacks perpetuate the next violence.  (You may have knocked me down now, but revenge will be served.)  That is how bullies create their future terrorists: even bullies’  own demise. 

(Interesting how movies, like KarateKid, romanticize these themes, but we never see ourselves as instigators.)

Lessons get lost in anger. Again, someone has to pay for sore pain and grief. Osama hit us; we responded in full force and beyond eye-for-an-eye for more than 20 years. We use that attack to justify wars upon unrelated people without the slightest concern for future repercussions. 

Instead of shepherding the world into Christ’s vision of cooperation and welcome, America took more sinister route - submitted to devilish temptations. Now, as the bully, there will be retaliation, vindication. 

War consumes.

Unlike the sensation of explosion videos, there is no escape from war. 

When we ignore the divine lessons, that continues. 

In John’s gospel, we witness the familiar text of Jesus raising his friend (Martha’s and Mary’s brother) Lazarus.

When the tower of Siloam fell, Jesus showed grief in discussing the tragedy. That was death from afar.  Yet death happens and grief surrounds death.

Unlike casual death from afar, there is no escape from death or grief.

There are powerful, real emotions that surround grief. 

Denial: “Lord if he has fallen asleep, he will be alright…” 

Anger - questioning:  “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have..”

Loss and weeping. Even Jesus couldn’t stop from crying over this experience.  

For some the anger turns to hate and revenge - someone needs to pay…

Why? Death is real and inevitable for us mortals, and like Paul says, flesh will die. That is unavoidable truth. It is part of our lives to witness death around us.

What happens then? We are living now. We can witness the stories reported, but are we just spectators? Our response ought to consider whether we use raw emotions (the flesh) or lean into the Spirit.  

Jesus, the Lamb, could not escape death or the grief that surrounds it. 

Jesus doesn’t judge Mary, Martha, or the disciples for their grief . He does not link sin to the events. No false purity test of righteousness.

Jesus doesn’t rattle off nonsensical rhetoric to pacify but perhaps leans into the story of Ezekiel and how the four winds resurrected dry bones in a valley.

Jesus does not mince words, “Lazarus is dead…” Jesus consoles. Despite threats of violence and more, Jesus goes to be with them. 

He is grieving, especially upon seeing the sisters swimming in emotion. Jesus leans into the Spirit, consoles and lifts up.

The sisters also lean into their faith and trust.  What happens next is a sign of their faith. Lazarus wakes up and is present.

Instead of turning our hurt and pain into hostility, anger and hate of violence, we can do something else. Instead of looking for someone to blame… 

We ought to be helping others lift up the fallen, hold ones stricken with sorrow, and guide vengeful anger towards compassion and forgiveness. 

I wonder what the world would look like if America paused, before sending bombs and troops, to ask if we should and how far we should go? 

I wonder what our world would be like if we spent the money used on the bombs and military gear instead upon people and lifting up people. 

Seems like DOGE could have found significant savings along with global goodwill, and American idealism by redirecting money for violence sake towards values for Christ’s sake.

When we do that, then thoughts of nuclear holocaust are just a movie and perhaps an old idea needing to be retired.  I fear, instead, we may have reminded the world what unrestrained violence and unmitigated bullying does.

Let us pray that we remember Jesus example before its too late and that the coming retaliation be merciful in execution. Let us pray we heed the lessons of history and Ezekiel’s witness of dry bones after war and restoration. May God breathe into our dry bones and hearts the living Spirit. 

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

Amen