"When, Jesus, When?"
Acts 1:1-11
What to do with the Ascension? That used to be something I pondered. Actually, I suppose if I was honest I would have to admit that I didn’t even ponder it all that much. And I suppose that’s partially because it wasn’t dealt with much in the church I grew up in. I suppose it’s also because of my tendency not to put too much stock in taking stories in the bible too literally if they conflict with my way of perceiving the world through the lenses of modern science. That hasn’t always been the attitude of the church though.
In the Middle Ages, Ascension Day was considered one of the most important Christian holidays. It was a day celebrated with much pageantry. Churches in the Middle Ages were known for presenting the biblical stories on stained glass windows and with ornate altar carvings. It was that visual tradition that birthed the pageantry associated with Ascension Day.
The pageantry often featured a “mannequin representing the Rising Christ, hoisted by rope either up to the ceiling or through an opening in the roof. At times, the rising was followed by a basketful of rose petals poured back down to symbolize the later descent of the Spirit on Pentecost." (1)
In more recent years I’ve come to accept that there is more to the Ascension story than what happened physically to Jesus. If we spend too much time trying to reconcile the Ascension with our modern scientific way of viewing things, we miss the story’s real importance for the church historically and for us practically. The truth of the matter is that we have to reconcile ourselves with the fact that many of our theological positions were arrived at because at some point in history the church was dealing with a controversy that it felt needed a story/an event/an image to reflect how it was going to see its way forward - what was going to be the accepted belief - some have gone so far as to describe it as "correct" theology.
I’ve come to accept that the point of the Ascension story is that the early church had to come to grips with their future – that is, they had to come to the point where they understood that it was up to them to share the message, live out the faith, and that the message Jesus had shared and lived among them was for everyone. Basically, the Ascension jump-started the spread of Christianity. It prepared the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Ascension needed to happen in order for God’s plan for eternity, the rest of time, to be revealed and continued.
The physician Luke is credited with writing both the book of Acts and the Gospel of Luke. Both books were written to Theophilus. Now, Theophilus can also be translated “friend of God” which Bible scholars suggest means that it could have been Luke’s intention to share these things with either an individual named Theophilus or he could have intended to write them to anyone who was or is a friend of God’s. The point remains the same: there was a body of people who were eager to hear more about this Christian faith – its origin – its history
– its meaning. (2)
Basically, the Gospel of Luke is about the story of Jesus’ life upon the earth and his teachings. It is Volume One, if you will, of the story of Christianity. The Book of Acts is Volume Two and it’s the story of the birth of the church and its early growth. The two books are connected so that the one (Luke) ends with the same story with which the other (Acts) begins. And that story is the story of the Ascension.
One of the underlying biases surfacing in the early church was an awareness that the faith Jesus had proclaimed was meant for more than a remnant of Judaism – that it was a religion for everyone. In Barclay’s commentary he notes Luke’s including the story of Philip preaching to the Samaritans, Stephen being killed for attempting to make Christianity a universal thing, Peter accepting Cornelius into the church and being killed for his action, Paul traveling far and wide to win all kinds of people for Christ, and the report in Acts 15 of the church making
the great decision to accept Gentiles on equal terms with the Jews. (3) There is little doubt that one of the reasons Luke wrote Acts was to make a case for his belief that Christianity is a faith for all no matter what ethnic group or social group or economic group we are apart of.
However, it is the opinion of many that the primary reason Luke wrote Acts was to highlight the rapid growth of the Christian movement and the contributing factors that aided that mega-growth. In just thirty years the young religion and its message about Jesus Christ spread from the humble beginning in a tiny little corner of Palestine to the far reaches of the Roman empire and the most influential and most powerful city of that day – Rome. And it was the Ascension, as far as Luke was concerned, that changed that small disillusioned band of followers into an enthusiastic, empowered, energized, alive, hopeful, community of faith. (4)
According to the scriptural accounts Jesus appeared several times to the disciples during those forty days between his resurrection and the ascension trying to get them to understand the meaning of his life, death, and resurrection. He tried to introduce them to a proper understanding of the Kingdom of God and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Luke reported that the disciples were still confused even on this final day of Christ’s presence on earth, the day of Ascension, by his recording of the question they asked Jesus: “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom of Israel?” Despite all he had said to them, they still had in their minds that there was going to be a blood-bath – that there was going to be a military return of Jesus so that the ship would be righted and they would be saved from themselves and the Romans.
A number of years ago a red cow was born on a farm in northern Israel. The cow was named Melody. Some orthodox Jews went absolutely berserk over this because they claimed that it was the first red heifer born in Israel in 2000 years. They took her birth to be a “divine sign that the time is right for Yahweh’s intervention, for the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and the mosques that now occupy the Temple Mount, and the rebuilding of the Jewish temple.” They note the biblical appearance of the red heifer in the 19th chapter of Numbers which describes ritual cleansing using the ashes of a slaughtered red heifer. (5) The text reads: “A red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish and on which no yoke has been laid.”
“Lord, we see this red heifer. Is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” they ask. “When, Jesus, When?” “Now, Jesus?” “Is this the time, Jesus?”
Preacher Steven Mosley recalls in one of his books of a time when something strange happened to his grandmother. “A loud rumbling noise erupted throughout her neighborhood, and the night sky filled with a green and purple light. Steven’s grandmother was convinced that aliens were landing in her yard. And what was her first thought? That she needed to fix her hair. If she was receiving a visitation from anyone, human or alien, then she needed to look her best. But the aliens never knocked on her door. The noises and the green and purple lights came from an explosion at a nearby natural gas plant." (6)
There’s no question hers was a foolish reaction, but no more foolish really than our Christian brothers and sisters through the centuries that have acted upon their perceived date for Christ’s return. When will we take Jesus at his word: “Not even I am privy to such information. Only God knows such things.” “When, Jesus, When?” is not a question Jesus wants us to bother our minds with. Jesus wants his followers to get ready for the Holy Spirit and the ministry of witnessing instead of worrying about some future life or time of power or influence or relief.
To emphasize what he really wanted to have happen from then on, Jesus ascended – he went away in a real way. He dramatically, completely and emphatically answered their question. “It’s time for you to spread out – to go your separate ways and share the good news about the loving and forgiving God I have revealed to you. It’s time for you to go and do – go and share – go. And, in order for you to spread out and for me to remain with you, I have to get up in the press box and I have to put someone else in charge down here so that I can communicate with all of you wherever you go. And you will know what I want you to do and say because I will communicate it through the Holy Spirit God is sending to replace me. I will be able to fulfill my ministry of ruling over the whole world by going to be with God. You are now to move into the world to continue doing my work in my physical absence." (7) That’s the way Bishop William Willimon put it in his sermon “God Has Gone Up.”
Willimon went on in that sermon to make the point that the Ascension is about Jesus Christ changing locations of influence. He went in order to continue and to expand his influence and effectiveness. He’s still in charge – he still rules – he still calls the shots – only in a new way – from a new perspective. (8)
Perhaps the most important idea I want us to consider is the way the text ends. The disciples were described as looking skyward – towards where they last saw Jesus. And two men in white robes approached them and asked them a question: “Uh, why are you standing here looking out in space?” “Why are you lamenting his departure?” “Why are you spending time looking where he no longer is?" “Why are you standing around waiting?” And then they tried to both comfort and, I think by doing so, to prod the followers out of their lethargy. “It’s time for you to go and trust what he has told you and to do what he has instructed you to do.” “Trust him when he says that God is sending someone to be with you and go.”
I’m afraid it’s still a problem for us Christians – this feeling that we can’t do it on our own – this feeling frightened, confused, helpless, disappointed – this feeling that only when Christ returns will life be worth anything – this gazing off into space and waiting for something to happen in heaven – this being so heavenly bound that we’re no earthly good!
Erskine White, in his sermon Pie in the Sky, referred to such an understanding of the Christian faith as “pie in the sky in the sweet bye and bye” religion. He said, “When Jesus went to the cross on Calvary’s hill, He took our sins upon Himself, but not our responsibilities. He is asking us, ‘Why are you standing around looking at heaven?’ He is saying to us, ‘You’ve got a life to lead here on earth, so get busy with it!’ The problem with walking through life looking up at the heavens is that you can fall into a ditch and never see it coming." (9)
The problem with “pie in the sky in the sweet bye and bye” Christianity is that it often results in a Christianity that uses faith as a reason not to do anything about personal or world problems – it is used as an excuse for churches and Christians not to do anything. A standing around, gawking up at the sky church isn’t good for anything except taking up space. A church made up of star-gazers and heaven-watchers (as I referenced them in another sermon on this text) is a church destined to die or destined for at least irrelevance.
The Ascension is about challenging us to understand that the work of Jesus Christ is now ours to do – it’s about getting our eyes off the glories of the resurrection, the heavenly Jesus and refocusing our eyes on where Jesus is in our lives and in our world in our day – it’s about letting the Holy Spirit work within us and among us – it’s about getting us to not be so absorbed about life after death that we are no earthly good! God will take care of the future in God’s time – we need to be about ministering, living, sharing the good news today.
The purpose of the church, according to this portion of Acts, is to scatter – to share outside the walls – to recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence and help wherever we are. We are every one of us ministers and we are ministers wherever we are. That’s the reason the early church needed to emphasize the Ascension event.
The Clergy Journal, January, 2008, p. 34.
Homiletics, “No Way Jesus,” p. 43.
William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: The Acts of the Apostles (Edinburgh, Scotland: The St. Andrew Press, 1955), p. xvi.
Ibid.
King Duncan, “On Telling Time With Computers and (holy Red) Cows,” Collected Sermons Dynamic Preaching, 2005, 0-000-0000-20.
Steven Mosley, Secrets of the Mustard Seed (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2002), pp. 75-76.
William H. Willimon, “God Has Gone Up,” Pulpit Resource, April – June, 2002, p. 26.
Ibid.
Erskine White, Pie in the Sky.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
MEMORIAL DAY/ALS/HANDICAPPED MILITARY
MEMORIAL DAY/ALS/HANDICAPPED MILITARY
A day close to Memorial Day weekend seems like an appropriate time to share an uncomfortable, albeit intriguing, experience I've had on several occasions these last few years. Once in awhile when a person opens a door or steps out of the way to let me by or in some way attempts to recognize my being in a wheelchair, I've been left with the distinct impression they've done so because they believe I'm the way I am because of military service.
Now, it's not that it offends me or anything like that. It's just I feel a little uncomfortable, embarrassed that I'm being recognized for something that's not the situation. While I've been tempted on those occasions to wave them off or to carry on a conversation with them, I rationalize they mean well and I probably couldn't make myself be understood anyhow. Rest assured I appreciate the help no matter how it was intended!
The observation and reflection provides me the opportunity to share something interesting about this ALS and the military though. It's not really good news but it's helpful information. Persons who have served in the military are twice as likely to have ALS as persons in the general population! This statistic probably has a lot to do with the Department of Defense being the agency entrusted with the funds to share with ALS researchers and those responsible for the ALS National Registry.
A day close to Memorial Day weekend seems like an appropriate time to share an uncomfortable, albeit intriguing, experience I've had on several occasions these last few years. Once in awhile when a person opens a door or steps out of the way to let me by or in some way attempts to recognize my being in a wheelchair, I've been left with the distinct impression they've done so because they believe I'm the way I am because of military service.
Now, it's not that it offends me or anything like that. It's just I feel a little uncomfortable, embarrassed that I'm being recognized for something that's not the situation. While I've been tempted on those occasions to wave them off or to carry on a conversation with them, I rationalize they mean well and I probably couldn't make myself be understood anyhow. Rest assured I appreciate the help no matter how it was intended!
The observation and reflection provides me the opportunity to share something interesting about this ALS and the military though. It's not really good news but it's helpful information. Persons who have served in the military are twice as likely to have ALS as persons in the general population! This statistic probably has a lot to do with the Department of Defense being the agency entrusted with the funds to share with ALS researchers and those responsible for the ALS National Registry.
Monday, May 19, 2014
"ALS Advocacy and an Inside Look in DC"
"ALS Advocacy: An Inside Look at D.C."
We returned from the 2014 ALS Advocacy Conference a little over a week ago. In some ways it seems like a lot of time has passed since we were there; but because of how vivid and meaningful the experience was it sometimes feels like we're just returning.
Most of you know the story of our planning on going in 2013 but having to cancel at the last minute because of a drug reaction. We are so appreciative of being given a second chance to attend this significant advocacy event. Our son and daughter, Jeremy and Megan, helped with the driving which helped make it more manageable.
Jeremy drew the short straw and drove the first leg of the trip. We left on Tuesday, May 6 at 9:15 a.m. after a hospice aide gave me my morning shower - my last until the morning after our return on Saturday, May 10. (Good thing I don't do enough to sweat and my family loves me, but we were in DC!)
We arrived safely at the JW Marriott in DC around 6:00 p.m. after two short stops and one major restroom stop which included our first on-the-road transfer to the collapsable shower/commode wheelchair purchased for us for our trip to Florida by the PHAALS (Playing Hardball Against ALS) organization. We were also slowed somewhat by the DC rush hour challenge.
When we got to our room we were amazed! It was a corner room which allowed us to see a broad area of DC and a bonus view of the Washington Monument! Oh, and it was unbelievably spacious. Since I now sleep in my power wheelchair and we had two double beds Jeremy was able to stay with us.
Since the conference didn't begin until Wednesday afternoon we contacted my cousin, Suse, who spends a majority of her time in DC helping with her grandchildren, about her meeting us at the hotel for lunch. We had a wonderful visit! I love my cousins even though I don't get to see them near as often as I'd like.
Megan and her son, Evan, flew to DC and arrived mid afternoon in time for the session and have a brief visit with her brother. Jeremy handed us off to Megan and headed to the airport for his flight home. (Starting to sound like a travelogue, right!?)
O.K., ready for some info about the conference itself? Well, the first session was really an interesting and informative time with the presenters sharing about the important work of the Department of Defense getting out information about the National ALS Registry and the information they are gathering and the way that potentially will make future research more successful. I am a strong advocate of the National Registry as one of the most hopeful tools for determining if there are causes and thus ways we might structure our lives and research to better develop a cure or treatment or preventive measures! If you are a PALS and have not registered, please, please, PLEASE, register!!!!!
Then, we started our preparation for our visits on Thursday to the hill. The emphasis was on how important it was that we were there and that we told ouur first person stories. There were 130 PALS at the conference and about 800 others - caregivers, staff, family members, etc. We received our final instructions over a fantastically delicious dinner with the others from area ALS Association Chapters. Part of the highlight of this time was meeting fellow PALS I've been friends with on Facebook. Being face-to-face with my PALS both tugged at my heartstrings and strengthened my resolve to continue the fight as best I can! Our physical realities are so different and yet what it takes inside to do the dance is amazingly similar! If any of you are reading this, I am so impressed with you!
Thursday morning we were shuttled to the hill where we met with three representatives and two senators. In most cases we met with aides. It was interesting though. We were told in some ways they are who you want to talk with because they are the knowledgeable ones on the staffs. There was no question they were attentive and interested in what we had to say. They had tears in their eyes as I also did as I listened to the stories of others. Seeing all the people meeting with the members of congress and all the meetings they had on their agenda it's pretty impressive what all has to happen in order for legislation to get through. There's plenty of inertia to help things move slow.
There was one visit that stood out that I simply must comment on. Representative Steve Stivers left another meeting to meet with us personally and spent almost 45 minutes with us. He was obviously quite knowledgeable about the disease and stated his support of our agenda. It was quite uplifting to really feel like we were heard.
By the end of the day we were pretty exhausted. We even missed one of our scheduled appointments because I simply could not go anymore. After a good night's rest we were back at it on Friday for sessions dealing with what's going on with research - still no breakthroughs but plenty of discoveries and new methodology to provide hope - not for us but future generations.
After lunch and a fantastic speech by a woman unable to move any part of her body but who had been involved in a project where she was able to move a robotic arm with her mind, the conference ended with an Expo. Wheelchair companies, speech device companies, breathing machines, etc. all had their most recent products on display. I was especially impressed with an assistive device ALS staffer who showed me some possible other solutions to my iPad and losing the ability to type issues.
After the Expo we enjoyed a visit with one of my grown YFers from my Worthington Youth Ministry days. Courtney brought her two daughters with her and we spent a delightful hour together.
Thank you all for your continued support!
We returned from the 2014 ALS Advocacy Conference a little over a week ago. In some ways it seems like a lot of time has passed since we were there; but because of how vivid and meaningful the experience was it sometimes feels like we're just returning.
Most of you know the story of our planning on going in 2013 but having to cancel at the last minute because of a drug reaction. We are so appreciative of being given a second chance to attend this significant advocacy event. Our son and daughter, Jeremy and Megan, helped with the driving which helped make it more manageable.
Jeremy drew the short straw and drove the first leg of the trip. We left on Tuesday, May 6 at 9:15 a.m. after a hospice aide gave me my morning shower - my last until the morning after our return on Saturday, May 10. (Good thing I don't do enough to sweat and my family loves me, but we were in DC!)
We arrived safely at the JW Marriott in DC around 6:00 p.m. after two short stops and one major restroom stop which included our first on-the-road transfer to the collapsable shower/commode wheelchair purchased for us for our trip to Florida by the PHAALS (Playing Hardball Against ALS) organization. We were also slowed somewhat by the DC rush hour challenge.
When we got to our room we were amazed! It was a corner room which allowed us to see a broad area of DC and a bonus view of the Washington Monument! Oh, and it was unbelievably spacious. Since I now sleep in my power wheelchair and we had two double beds Jeremy was able to stay with us.
Since the conference didn't begin until Wednesday afternoon we contacted my cousin, Suse, who spends a majority of her time in DC helping with her grandchildren, about her meeting us at the hotel for lunch. We had a wonderful visit! I love my cousins even though I don't get to see them near as often as I'd like.
Megan and her son, Evan, flew to DC and arrived mid afternoon in time for the session and have a brief visit with her brother. Jeremy handed us off to Megan and headed to the airport for his flight home. (Starting to sound like a travelogue, right!?)
O.K., ready for some info about the conference itself? Well, the first session was really an interesting and informative time with the presenters sharing about the important work of the Department of Defense getting out information about the National ALS Registry and the information they are gathering and the way that potentially will make future research more successful. I am a strong advocate of the National Registry as one of the most hopeful tools for determining if there are causes and thus ways we might structure our lives and research to better develop a cure or treatment or preventive measures! If you are a PALS and have not registered, please, please, PLEASE, register!!!!!
Then, we started our preparation for our visits on Thursday to the hill. The emphasis was on how important it was that we were there and that we told ouur first person stories. There were 130 PALS at the conference and about 800 others - caregivers, staff, family members, etc. We received our final instructions over a fantastically delicious dinner with the others from area ALS Association Chapters. Part of the highlight of this time was meeting fellow PALS I've been friends with on Facebook. Being face-to-face with my PALS both tugged at my heartstrings and strengthened my resolve to continue the fight as best I can! Our physical realities are so different and yet what it takes inside to do the dance is amazingly similar! If any of you are reading this, I am so impressed with you!
Thursday morning we were shuttled to the hill where we met with three representatives and two senators. In most cases we met with aides. It was interesting though. We were told in some ways they are who you want to talk with because they are the knowledgeable ones on the staffs. There was no question they were attentive and interested in what we had to say. They had tears in their eyes as I also did as I listened to the stories of others. Seeing all the people meeting with the members of congress and all the meetings they had on their agenda it's pretty impressive what all has to happen in order for legislation to get through. There's plenty of inertia to help things move slow.
There was one visit that stood out that I simply must comment on. Representative Steve Stivers left another meeting to meet with us personally and spent almost 45 minutes with us. He was obviously quite knowledgeable about the disease and stated his support of our agenda. It was quite uplifting to really feel like we were heard.
By the end of the day we were pretty exhausted. We even missed one of our scheduled appointments because I simply could not go anymore. After a good night's rest we were back at it on Friday for sessions dealing with what's going on with research - still no breakthroughs but plenty of discoveries and new methodology to provide hope - not for us but future generations.
After lunch and a fantastic speech by a woman unable to move any part of her body but who had been involved in a project where she was able to move a robotic arm with her mind, the conference ended with an Expo. Wheelchair companies, speech device companies, breathing machines, etc. all had their most recent products on display. I was especially impressed with an assistive device ALS staffer who showed me some possible other solutions to my iPad and losing the ability to type issues.
After the Expo we enjoyed a visit with one of my grown YFers from my Worthington Youth Ministry days. Courtney brought her two daughters with her and we spent a delightful hour together.
Thank you all for your continued support!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
SERMON: "Doubters are Believers"
"DOUBTERS ARE BELIEVERS"
JOHN 20:19-31
HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOMEONE REFER TO YOU AS A "DOUBTING THOMAS" OR HAVE THEM CHALLENGE SOMETHING YOU ARE TELLING ABOUT BY REQUESTING THAT YOU "SHOW ME"? BOTH PHRASES HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN THIS GOSPEL STORY ACCORDING TO JOHN. THE DISCIPLE THOMAS WASN'T GOING TO ACCEPT SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE SAID IT WAS SO.
YEARS AGO I HAD TO MEMORIZE FOR THE GOD AND COUNTRY AWARD ANOTHER PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE WHICH HAD THOMAS AS ONE OF THE KEY PLAYERS. IN JOHN 14 JOHN HAS JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES HAVING ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR SUPPERS. "IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS: IF IT WERE NOT SO ... " - YOU ALL REMEMBER THE STORY? AND JESUS WENT ON WITH: "AND YOU KNOW THE WAY THAT I AM GOING." THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHEN I APPRECIATE THOMAS - WHEN I SENSE HOW MUCH LIKE THOMAS I AM.
NOBODY ELSE BREATHED A WORD - THOMAS SPEAKS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US WHO DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS JUST BEEN SAID, "UH, EXCUSE ME, LORD. WOULD YOU GO OVER THAT AGAIN FOR ME? I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS TALK ABOUT YOUR GOING SOMEWHERE. I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND I CERTAINLY DON'T KNOW THE WAY."
IF THOMAS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, HE WASN'T GOING TO PRETEND HE DID. HE WASN'T AFRAID OF APPEARING DUMB. HE HAD NO INKLING THAT HIS QUESTIONING/DOUBTING/CHALLENGING MIGHT REFLECT THE NOTION OF FAITHLESS. HE WASN'T GOING TO ACCEPT SOMETHING AS TRUTH JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE - EVEN PEOPLE HE ADMIRED AND RESPECTED - TOLD HIM IT WAS. "IT MAY BE YOUR TRUTH BUT I'VE GOT TO FIND OUT FOR MYSELF IF IT'S MINE." IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THOUGH THAT HIS PURPOSE FOR DOUBTING WAS NOT TO DENY THE TRUTH OR THE FAITH, BUT TO GROW IN THE FAITH - TO UNDERSTAND IT SO THAT HE COULD CLAIM IT AS HIS OWN.
WELL, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THE STORY. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE THAT HAPPENS IN THIS STORY LEADING UP TO THOMAS' EXPRESSION OF DOUBT AND FAITH.
SOMETIME BACK, FORMER TALK SHOW HOST JOHNNY CARSON VISITED HARVARD UNIVERSITY TO RECEIVE AN AWARD. AFTER THE CEREMONY HE AGREED TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PRESS. ONE REPORTER ASKED, "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE INSCRIBED ON YOUR TOMBSTONE?" CARSON THOUGHT FOR JUST A SECOND, THEN HE ANSWERED WITH THE WORDS HE USED BEFORE EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK ON HIS TELEVISION SHOW. "I'LL BE RIGHT BACK." (1)
JESUS HAD BEEN TRYING TO TELL THE DISCIPLES THAT HIS DEATH WASN'T GOING TO BE THE END OF THE WORLD - THAT HE WAS GOING TO ".. BE RIGHT BACK .. " - BUT THEY NEVER QUITE GOT IT. AND SO ON THE EVENING OF THE SAME DAY - ON THE EVENING OF EASTER SUNDAY - DESPITE WHAT MARY MAGDALENE HAD REPORTED TO THEM ABOUT HER ENCOUNTER WITH THE RISEN JESUS - THE DISCIPLES ARE IN HIDING - THEY ARE BEHIND LOCKED DOORS - PERHAPS THE SHADES ARE EVEN DRAWN - THEY HAVE HEARD THE REPORTS AND THEY ARE AFRAID - THEY FEARED THE HATRED AND HOSTILITY OF THOSE WHO DESTROYED JESUS - EVEN IF THEY BELIEVED MARY'S TESTIMONY, THEY STILL BELIEVED THAT "LYING LOW" WAS THEIR BEST STRATEGY. THEY WERE PROBABLY SPEAKING IN MUFFLED TONES TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OUT OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. EVERY TIME THEY HEARD A NOISE THEY THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE WAS COMING TO TAKE THEM AWAY TO PRISON OR WORSE.
IT REMINDS ME OF A FOOTBALL STORY. PENN STATE AND MIAMI WERE COMPETING FOR THE NATIONAL TITLE IN THE FIESTA BOWL. SOME MAY REMEMBER THAT PENN STATE EKED OUT A 14-10 VICTORY THAT INCLUDED A NAIL-BITING GOAL-LINE STAND IN THE CLOSING MINUTES OF THE GAME. SOMEHOW, PENN STATE'S STUBBORN DEFENSE MANAGED TO HOLD OFF MIAMI'S TALENTED QUARTERBACK, VINNY TESTAVERDE, ONE LAST TIME TO THWART THE HURRICANES' FINAL DESPERATE EFFORT TO PULL OUT THE VICTORY.
IN THE FRENZIED JUBILATION FOLLOWING THE FINAL GUN, TV CAMERAS ZEROED IN ON VARIOUS PLAYERS, INCLUDING ONE OF PENN STATE'S ALL-AMERICAN LINEBACKERS. HE CREDITED PENN STATE'S HARD-HITTING DEFENSIVE BACKS WITH THE VICTORY. "MIAMI'S RECEIVERS JUST DIDN'T WANT TO CATCH THE BALL," HE SAID. "THEY HEARD FOOTSTEPS ALL NIGHT LONG, AND THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT TO GET HIT." (2)
I GUESS WE COULD SAY THE DISCIPLES WERE HEARING FOOTSTEPS. THEY WERE FRIGHTENED. BUT THEN, SUDDENLY, OUT OF NOWHERE - DEMONSTRATING THAT HIS RESURRECTED FORM WAS NOT SIMPLY HIS OLD HUMAN BODY REANIMATED - JESUS SUDDENLY APPEARS IN THEIR MIDST - HE STOOD AMONG THEM - AND HE SAID "PEACE BE WITH YOU."
NOW, MY GUESS IS THAT THEIR RESPONSE WAS ANYTHING BUT PEACEFUL - NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHERE THEY WERE HIDING - HOW DID JESUS FIND THEM? AND HOW DID HE ENTER WITHOUT USING THE DOOR? THE DISCIPLES WERE ANXIOUS - THEY WERE AFRAID - THEY WERE UNCERTAIN - YET, HERE WAS THE MASTER RIGHT IN THEIR MIDST - ECHOING HIS WORDS AT THE LAST SUPPER - OFFERING THEM THE GREETING THEY LONGED TO HEAR: "PEACE BE WITH YOU." AND THEN HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND SIDE - THE PLACES WHERE THEY HAD LET HIM HAVE IT - AND THEY FINALLY KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE MASTER. AND THEY REJOICED BECAUSE NOW THEY TOO BELIEVED THAT THEIR MASTER WAS ALIVE AND THEY NEED NOT FEAR ANYMORE!
THEIR REJOICING WAS SHORT LIVED HOWEVER, BECAUSE WHEN JESUS AGAIN SAID TO THEM, "PEACE BE WITH YOU" HE ADDED, "AS MY FATHER SENT ME, EVEN SO I SEND YOU." HE WAS COMMISSIONING THEM TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT HE HAD BEEN DOING. JOHN GOES ON IN HIS ACCOUNT AND TELLS HOW HE BREATHED ON THEM AND SAID, "RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT." "I KNOW THAT WHAT I AM TELLING YOU TO DO WILL TAKE MORE THAN THE PEACE I HAVE OFFERED YOU. HERE THEN IS ALSO THE POWER I PROMISED YOU - THE HOLY SPIRIT." AND HE BREATHED ON THEM - HE UNLEASHED THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO THEIR LIVES. HE ENDS THIS EMPOWERMENT TRAINING SESSION BY TELLING THEM WHAT THIS BEING SENT AND RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT MEANS. "YOU HAVE THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS."
YOU SEE, THE PURPOSE OF THE RESURRECTION WASN'T JUST TO RELIEVE THEM OF THEIR FEARS OR TO ASSURE THEM OF THEIR ETERNAL LIFE BUT TO EMPOWER THEM FOR THE CONTINUATION OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY - TO SEND THEM INTO THE WORLD TO UNLOCK THE DOORS OF FAITH FOR OTHERS - AND HOW WERE THEY TO DO THAT? - BY FORGIVING SINS - BY LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THERE WAS RELIEF FROM THE GUILT THAT ENSLAVED THEM TO THEIR PAST MISTAKES - FORGIVENESS - IT IS OURS TO HAVE BUT IT IS ALSO OURS TO GIVE. OUR RESURRECTION INSTRUCTIONS ARE THAT WE OUGHT TO BE ABOUT THE TASK OF OFFERING TO GOD'S PEOPLE THE HEALING POWER - THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS. JESUS IS LIKE A COACH - "NOW GET OUT THERE AND FORGIVE THOSE SINS!"
NOW, THOMAS WAS NOT WITH THEM WHEN ALL THIS REVEALING AND INSTRUCTING WAS TAKING PLACE. WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHERE HE WAS - ONE COMMENTATOR, WITH TONGUE IN CHEEK I'M SURE, SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE HE WAS OUT HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE OR STROLLING THROUGH A NEARBY PARK WATCHING PIGEONS.
THE EXPLANATION I LIKE THE MOST IS THAT THOMAS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE PERSONS WHO FELT MORE COMFORTABLE DEALING WITH STRESS - WITH DIFFICULTIES - ALONE. ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO REMIND FAMILIES OF DURING THEIR DAYS OF GRIEF IS THAT ALL OF US HANDLE GRIEF DIFFERENTLY. SOME NEED TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE, SOME NEED TO CRY MORE TEARS, SOME NEED A TIME OF ANGER, SOME NEED TO LAUGH - BUT SOME NEED TO BE OFF ALONE - AND THAT'S OK TOO. THOMAS COULD HAVE BEEN SUCH A PERSON - HE COULD HAVE BEEN SO BROKEN UP THAT HE COULD NOT FACE THE EYES OF ANYONE ELSE.
NOW, DESPITE WHAT I HAVE JUST SAID, THAT IT IS OK AT TIMES TO SUFFER ALONE - THAT EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO GRIEVE IN THEIR OWN WAY - I DO THINK THERE IS A SPECIAL KIND OF HEALING TAKES PLACE WHEN WE SHARE OUR GRIEF - OUR SORROW - WITH THOSE WE LOVE AND WHO LOVE US. WHEN WE WITHDRAW FROM THE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP WE CUT OURSELVES OFF FROM ONE OF THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF SUPPORT AND THUS HEALING. ONE COMMENTATOR DESCRIBED IT THIS WAY: "WE MISS A GREAT DEAL WHEN WE SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM THE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP, AND WHEN WE TRY TO BE ALONE. WHEN SORROW COMES TO US, AND WHEN SADNESS ENVELOPES US, WE OFTEN TEND TO SHUT OURSELVES UP AND REFUSE TO MEET PEOPLE. THAT IS THE VERY TIME WHEN, IN SPITE OF OUR SORROW, WE SHOULD SEEK THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRIST'S PEOPLE, FOR IT IS THERE THAT WE ARE LIKELIEST OF ALL TO MEET HIM FACE TO FACE." (3) FOR WHATEVER REASON, THOMAS WASN'T WITH HIS FRIENDS THAT FIRST EASTER EVENING WHEN JESUS APPEARED AND HE MISSED OUT ON THE HEALING THEIR BEING TOGETHER WITH THE RISEN LORD PROVIDED.
WHEN HE RETURNED THEY ALL TOLD HIM WHAT HE MISSED. ON THE ONE HAND, THEY WEREN'T SURPRISED BY HIS REACTION. "UNLESS JESUS COMES BACK AGAIN AND SHOWS ME THE NAIL MARKS AND LETS ME TOUCH THEM, I'M AFRAID I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU. I THINK YOUR VISION IS THE PRODUCT OF WISHFUL THINKING OR SOME OPTICAL ILLUSION."
ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY HAD TO BE A LITTLE DISCOURAGED THAT EVEN WITH THEIR NEW INSTRUCTIONS AND POWER THEY FAIL AT THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT AT WITNESSING ABOUT THE RISEN CHRIST. THOMAS IS EVEN MORE STUBBORN THAN THEY EXPECTED. SOME SUGGEST THAT HIS RESPONSE IS ACTUALLY EVEN MORE NEGATIVE THAN MOST OF THE TRANSLATIONS PRESENT IT. THEY SUGGEST THE MORE ACCURATE AND ABRASIVE PHRASES MIGHT BE MORE LIKE: FOR "PUT MY FINGER" WE MIGHT WANT TO PICTURE SOMETHING MORE LIKE "JAB". AND WHEN HE INSISTS THAT HE "WILL NOT BELIEVE" - IT ACTUALLY MIGHT HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE EMPHATIC, LIKE - "I WILL NEVER BELIEVE".
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THIS PASSAGE'S INCLUSION IN OUR HOLY SCRIPTURES IS THAT OUR EARLY GATHERERS OF THE STORIES OF THE FAITH FELT THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT ACCOUNT. I THINK THEY KNEW THAT IN THE FUTURE THERE WOULD BE OTHERS WHO WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCEPTING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RESURRECTION AND THEY WANTED TO SAY THAT THAT WAS OK - THAT THERE WAS A PLACE IN THE KINGDOM FOR THOSE WHO STRUGGLED - THOSE WHO NEEDED MORE THAN SOMEONE ELSE'S ACCOUNTING - THOSE WHO DOUBTED. I HAD ONE PROFESSOR PHRASE IT THIS WAY: "DOUBTS ARE THE ANTS IN THE PANTS OF FAITH." WHAT HE MEANT WAS THAT OUR DOUBTS - OUR QUESTIONS - OUR CHALLENGES HELP KEEP OUR FAITH ALIVE AND MOVING AND VITAL. FAITH IS BELIEVING IN THE MIDST OF OUR DOUBTING. WHEN THE POSSIBILITY OF DOUBT, OF QUESTIONING, OF SEARCHING IS GONE - WE ARE NOT LEFT WITH FAITH BUT WITH THE RISK OF STAGNATION.
THERE'S A MOVEMENT IN SOME RELIGIOUS CIRCLES TO ALLOW A SELECT FEW TO DO THE THINKING FOR THE GROUP. "DON'T GIVE DOUBT ANY ROOM IN YOUR LIFE WHEN IT COMES TO RELIGIOUS MATTERS - DOUBTS ARE THE WORK OF THE DEVIL - LISTEN TO ME." BELIEVING SOMETHING TO BE TRUE JUST BECAUSE GRANDMA RUTH OR AUNT JANE OR REV. MICAH SAYS IT IS SO IS DANGEROUS. THE DANGER OF CULTS, OF TV PREACHERS AND MANY OF THE REST OF US PREACHERS - IS THAT WE THINK OUR ANSWERS SHOULD BE EVERYONE ELSE'S ANSWERS. "THE WAY TO GOD IS FOR YOU TO ACCEPT WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY TO YOU AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IT IS GOD IS SAYING. LET ME INTERPRET THE SCRIPTURES FOR YOU." WE NEED TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO THINK CRITICALLY - TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES - TO THEOLOGIZE - TO QUESTION - NOT TO BECOME DEVOTEES OF THE LATEST POPULAR BUZZ RELIGIOUS PHENOMENON. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT WE ALL NEED SOME EARLY GUIDANCE - SOME PARAMETERS OF THE FAITH - BUT WE DO OURSELVES A GREAT DISSERVICE IF WE SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME GIVING PEOPLE ANSWERS AND ASKING THEM TO REGURGITATE THEM RATHER THAN TEACHING THEM TO THINK AND TO SEARCH.
MANY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBERS THAT FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCHES AND PARA CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS AND TV EVANGELISTS DRAW AND THEIR CLAIM THAT IT'S BECAUSE THESE GROUPS ARE RIGHT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE AT ALL. I THINK THEY ARE PROVIDING ANSWERS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TAUGHT HOW TO EXAMINE RELIGIOUS ISSUES. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE MISREADING CONFIDENCE IN ONE'S BELIEF AS AUTHENTIC FAITH. AND THAT'S SIMPLY NOT HISTORICALLY TRUE.
DO YOU KNOW WHO THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE PEOPLE ARE TO THE ADVANCES OF THE CULTS? ACCORDING TO JOHNCOOPER, A PROFESSOR AT WINEBRENNER SEMINARY BACK IN THE SEVENTIES AND AUTHOR OF "NOT FOR A MILLION DOLLARS," IT IS THOSE WHO WERE RAISED IN DOGMATIC CHURCHES AND HOMES WHERE THEY WERE TAUGHT (DARE WE IMPLY DOGMATICALLY) WHAT TO BELIEVE. (4) WHAT HAPPENS, ACCORDING TO HIS RESEARCH, IS WHEN THEY GET AWAY FROM PREACHER BOB OR MOM AND DAD AND THEY ARE ASKED WHAT THEY BELIEVE OR SOMEONE CHALLENGES ONE OF THEIR BELIEFS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR SAY AND SO THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE COMES UP TO THEM AND REASSURES THEM THAT THEY ARE A PART OF A CHRISTIAN GROUP THAT BELIEVES IN THE BIBLE AND THE TRUTH AND OFFERS THEM A LOT OF ANSWERS AND LOVE - THEY ARE HOOKED. THEY HAVE REPLACED ONE DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP FOR ANOTHER AND THEY THINK THAT THE NARROWER THEY BECOME - THE SAFER THEY ARE - AND THE CLOSER TO THE TRUTH THEY MUST BE.
NOT THOMAS. THOMAS ABSOLUTELY REFUSES TO SAY THAT HE BELIEVES WHEN HE DOES NOT BELIEVE. HE WOULD NEVER SAY THAT HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND. THOMAS WOULD NEVER STILL HIS DOUBTS BY PRETENDING THAT THEY DON'T EXIST. THOMAS WAS NOT THE KIND OF MAN WHO WOULD RATTLE OFF A CREED WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT. TENNYSON ONCE WROTE:
"THERE LIVES MORE FAITH IN HONEST DOUBT,
BELIEVE ME THAN IN HALF THE CREEDS."
THERE IS GREATER POTENTIAL FOR FAITH IN PERSONS WHO INSIST ON BEING SURE THAN IN PERSONS WHO GLIBLY REPEAT THINGS WHICH THEY HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OUT AND WHICH THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER THEY BELIEVE OR NOT.
SO, A WHOLE WEEK GOES BY WITH THOMAS STRUGGLING WITH THE STORIES OF HIS FRIENDS. NOTICE THAT THEY MUST HAVE STAYED IN TOUCH WITH ONE ANOTHER - THEY DIDN'T RUN OFF AND START A NEW CONGREGATION OR AVOID ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THEY WERE AT DIFFERENT PLACES IN THEIR ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAITH. JUST BECAUSE THOMAS DIDN'T BELIEVE EXACTLY AS THEY DID, THE OTHER DISCIPLES DIDN'T EXCLUDE HIM FROM THEIR FELLOWSHIP. RATHER, HE WAS ALLOWED TO VOICE HIS DOUBTS WITHIN THE FAITH COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID JESUS HANDLE THOSE WHO DOUBTED? CAST THEM OUT OF THE CHURCH? CHARGE THEM WITH HERESY? EXCOMMUNICATION? DID HE GIVE UP ON HIM? NO! HE CAME AGAIN AND HE STOOD AMONG THE DISCIPLES AND HE GREETED THEM WITH "PEACE BE WITH YOU". THEN HE TURNED TO THE DOUBTER AND HE SAID: "THOMAS, PUT YOUR FINGER HERE; SEE MY HANDS. REACH OUT YOUR HAND AND PUT IT INTO MY SIDE. STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE."
THOUGH IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED, THERE APPEARS NOT TO BE ANY ATTEMPT ON THOMAS' PART TO TAKE JESUS UP ON HIS INVITATION TO FINGER HIS WOUNDS. INSTEAD, HE PROCLAIMS THIS UNQUALIFIED CONFESSION OF FAITH: "MY LORD AND MY GOD!"
THOMAS CAME TO BELIEF - TO FAITH - THROUGH HIS DOUBTS. FAITH AND DOUBTS ARE NOT OPPOSITES - BUT DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SAME COIN OF BELIEF. CHRIST INVITED THOMAS TO HAVE THE VERY EXPERIENCE WHICH IN HIS DOUBT HE DEMANDED. THOMAS' DOUBTS PREPARED THE WAY FOR HIS RECOGNITION THAT JESUS IS GOD. BUT JOHN PUSHES US EVEN FURTHER BY SPEAKING OF THE BLESSEDNESS OF FAITH WITHOUT SEEING.
PRAYER: O LORD OF US ALL, WE KNOW WE ARE RELATED TO THOMAS - THANK YOU FOR GIVING US SPACE TO GROW. USE OUR QUESTIONS LORD TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH. REVEAL UNTO US THAT WHICH WE NEED TO BELIEVE YOU ARE RISEN FOR US. AMEN.
1. King Duncan, "Unlocking the Doors," sermons.com.
2. Being the Best, (New York: Pocket Books, 1987). p. 157.
3. William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John, Volume Two (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 2001), ebooks.
4.. John Cooper, Not For a Million Dollars (Impact Books, 1980).
JOHN 20:19-31
HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOMEONE REFER TO YOU AS A "DOUBTING THOMAS" OR HAVE THEM CHALLENGE SOMETHING YOU ARE TELLING ABOUT BY REQUESTING THAT YOU "SHOW ME"? BOTH PHRASES HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN THIS GOSPEL STORY ACCORDING TO JOHN. THE DISCIPLE THOMAS WASN'T GOING TO ACCEPT SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE SAID IT WAS SO.
YEARS AGO I HAD TO MEMORIZE FOR THE GOD AND COUNTRY AWARD ANOTHER PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE WHICH HAD THOMAS AS ONE OF THE KEY PLAYERS. IN JOHN 14 JOHN HAS JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES HAVING ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR SUPPERS. "IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS: IF IT WERE NOT SO ... " - YOU ALL REMEMBER THE STORY? AND JESUS WENT ON WITH: "AND YOU KNOW THE WAY THAT I AM GOING." THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHEN I APPRECIATE THOMAS - WHEN I SENSE HOW MUCH LIKE THOMAS I AM.
NOBODY ELSE BREATHED A WORD - THOMAS SPEAKS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US WHO DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS JUST BEEN SAID, "UH, EXCUSE ME, LORD. WOULD YOU GO OVER THAT AGAIN FOR ME? I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS TALK ABOUT YOUR GOING SOMEWHERE. I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND I CERTAINLY DON'T KNOW THE WAY."
IF THOMAS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, HE WASN'T GOING TO PRETEND HE DID. HE WASN'T AFRAID OF APPEARING DUMB. HE HAD NO INKLING THAT HIS QUESTIONING/DOUBTING/CHALLENGING MIGHT REFLECT THE NOTION OF FAITHLESS. HE WASN'T GOING TO ACCEPT SOMETHING AS TRUTH JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE - EVEN PEOPLE HE ADMIRED AND RESPECTED - TOLD HIM IT WAS. "IT MAY BE YOUR TRUTH BUT I'VE GOT TO FIND OUT FOR MYSELF IF IT'S MINE." IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THOUGH THAT HIS PURPOSE FOR DOUBTING WAS NOT TO DENY THE TRUTH OR THE FAITH, BUT TO GROW IN THE FAITH - TO UNDERSTAND IT SO THAT HE COULD CLAIM IT AS HIS OWN.
WELL, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THE STORY. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE THAT HAPPENS IN THIS STORY LEADING UP TO THOMAS' EXPRESSION OF DOUBT AND FAITH.
SOMETIME BACK, FORMER TALK SHOW HOST JOHNNY CARSON VISITED HARVARD UNIVERSITY TO RECEIVE AN AWARD. AFTER THE CEREMONY HE AGREED TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PRESS. ONE REPORTER ASKED, "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE INSCRIBED ON YOUR TOMBSTONE?" CARSON THOUGHT FOR JUST A SECOND, THEN HE ANSWERED WITH THE WORDS HE USED BEFORE EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK ON HIS TELEVISION SHOW. "I'LL BE RIGHT BACK." (1)
JESUS HAD BEEN TRYING TO TELL THE DISCIPLES THAT HIS DEATH WASN'T GOING TO BE THE END OF THE WORLD - THAT HE WAS GOING TO ".. BE RIGHT BACK .. " - BUT THEY NEVER QUITE GOT IT. AND SO ON THE EVENING OF THE SAME DAY - ON THE EVENING OF EASTER SUNDAY - DESPITE WHAT MARY MAGDALENE HAD REPORTED TO THEM ABOUT HER ENCOUNTER WITH THE RISEN JESUS - THE DISCIPLES ARE IN HIDING - THEY ARE BEHIND LOCKED DOORS - PERHAPS THE SHADES ARE EVEN DRAWN - THEY HAVE HEARD THE REPORTS AND THEY ARE AFRAID - THEY FEARED THE HATRED AND HOSTILITY OF THOSE WHO DESTROYED JESUS - EVEN IF THEY BELIEVED MARY'S TESTIMONY, THEY STILL BELIEVED THAT "LYING LOW" WAS THEIR BEST STRATEGY. THEY WERE PROBABLY SPEAKING IN MUFFLED TONES TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OUT OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. EVERY TIME THEY HEARD A NOISE THEY THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE WAS COMING TO TAKE THEM AWAY TO PRISON OR WORSE.
IT REMINDS ME OF A FOOTBALL STORY. PENN STATE AND MIAMI WERE COMPETING FOR THE NATIONAL TITLE IN THE FIESTA BOWL. SOME MAY REMEMBER THAT PENN STATE EKED OUT A 14-10 VICTORY THAT INCLUDED A NAIL-BITING GOAL-LINE STAND IN THE CLOSING MINUTES OF THE GAME. SOMEHOW, PENN STATE'S STUBBORN DEFENSE MANAGED TO HOLD OFF MIAMI'S TALENTED QUARTERBACK, VINNY TESTAVERDE, ONE LAST TIME TO THWART THE HURRICANES' FINAL DESPERATE EFFORT TO PULL OUT THE VICTORY.
IN THE FRENZIED JUBILATION FOLLOWING THE FINAL GUN, TV CAMERAS ZEROED IN ON VARIOUS PLAYERS, INCLUDING ONE OF PENN STATE'S ALL-AMERICAN LINEBACKERS. HE CREDITED PENN STATE'S HARD-HITTING DEFENSIVE BACKS WITH THE VICTORY. "MIAMI'S RECEIVERS JUST DIDN'T WANT TO CATCH THE BALL," HE SAID. "THEY HEARD FOOTSTEPS ALL NIGHT LONG, AND THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT TO GET HIT." (2)
I GUESS WE COULD SAY THE DISCIPLES WERE HEARING FOOTSTEPS. THEY WERE FRIGHTENED. BUT THEN, SUDDENLY, OUT OF NOWHERE - DEMONSTRATING THAT HIS RESURRECTED FORM WAS NOT SIMPLY HIS OLD HUMAN BODY REANIMATED - JESUS SUDDENLY APPEARS IN THEIR MIDST - HE STOOD AMONG THEM - AND HE SAID "PEACE BE WITH YOU."
NOW, MY GUESS IS THAT THEIR RESPONSE WAS ANYTHING BUT PEACEFUL - NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHERE THEY WERE HIDING - HOW DID JESUS FIND THEM? AND HOW DID HE ENTER WITHOUT USING THE DOOR? THE DISCIPLES WERE ANXIOUS - THEY WERE AFRAID - THEY WERE UNCERTAIN - YET, HERE WAS THE MASTER RIGHT IN THEIR MIDST - ECHOING HIS WORDS AT THE LAST SUPPER - OFFERING THEM THE GREETING THEY LONGED TO HEAR: "PEACE BE WITH YOU." AND THEN HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND SIDE - THE PLACES WHERE THEY HAD LET HIM HAVE IT - AND THEY FINALLY KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE MASTER. AND THEY REJOICED BECAUSE NOW THEY TOO BELIEVED THAT THEIR MASTER WAS ALIVE AND THEY NEED NOT FEAR ANYMORE!
THEIR REJOICING WAS SHORT LIVED HOWEVER, BECAUSE WHEN JESUS AGAIN SAID TO THEM, "PEACE BE WITH YOU" HE ADDED, "AS MY FATHER SENT ME, EVEN SO I SEND YOU." HE WAS COMMISSIONING THEM TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT HE HAD BEEN DOING. JOHN GOES ON IN HIS ACCOUNT AND TELLS HOW HE BREATHED ON THEM AND SAID, "RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT." "I KNOW THAT WHAT I AM TELLING YOU TO DO WILL TAKE MORE THAN THE PEACE I HAVE OFFERED YOU. HERE THEN IS ALSO THE POWER I PROMISED YOU - THE HOLY SPIRIT." AND HE BREATHED ON THEM - HE UNLEASHED THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO THEIR LIVES. HE ENDS THIS EMPOWERMENT TRAINING SESSION BY TELLING THEM WHAT THIS BEING SENT AND RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT MEANS. "YOU HAVE THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS."
YOU SEE, THE PURPOSE OF THE RESURRECTION WASN'T JUST TO RELIEVE THEM OF THEIR FEARS OR TO ASSURE THEM OF THEIR ETERNAL LIFE BUT TO EMPOWER THEM FOR THE CONTINUATION OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY - TO SEND THEM INTO THE WORLD TO UNLOCK THE DOORS OF FAITH FOR OTHERS - AND HOW WERE THEY TO DO THAT? - BY FORGIVING SINS - BY LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THERE WAS RELIEF FROM THE GUILT THAT ENSLAVED THEM TO THEIR PAST MISTAKES - FORGIVENESS - IT IS OURS TO HAVE BUT IT IS ALSO OURS TO GIVE. OUR RESURRECTION INSTRUCTIONS ARE THAT WE OUGHT TO BE ABOUT THE TASK OF OFFERING TO GOD'S PEOPLE THE HEALING POWER - THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS. JESUS IS LIKE A COACH - "NOW GET OUT THERE AND FORGIVE THOSE SINS!"
NOW, THOMAS WAS NOT WITH THEM WHEN ALL THIS REVEALING AND INSTRUCTING WAS TAKING PLACE. WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHERE HE WAS - ONE COMMENTATOR, WITH TONGUE IN CHEEK I'M SURE, SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE HE WAS OUT HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE OR STROLLING THROUGH A NEARBY PARK WATCHING PIGEONS.
THE EXPLANATION I LIKE THE MOST IS THAT THOMAS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE PERSONS WHO FELT MORE COMFORTABLE DEALING WITH STRESS - WITH DIFFICULTIES - ALONE. ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO REMIND FAMILIES OF DURING THEIR DAYS OF GRIEF IS THAT ALL OF US HANDLE GRIEF DIFFERENTLY. SOME NEED TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE, SOME NEED TO CRY MORE TEARS, SOME NEED A TIME OF ANGER, SOME NEED TO LAUGH - BUT SOME NEED TO BE OFF ALONE - AND THAT'S OK TOO. THOMAS COULD HAVE BEEN SUCH A PERSON - HE COULD HAVE BEEN SO BROKEN UP THAT HE COULD NOT FACE THE EYES OF ANYONE ELSE.
NOW, DESPITE WHAT I HAVE JUST SAID, THAT IT IS OK AT TIMES TO SUFFER ALONE - THAT EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO GRIEVE IN THEIR OWN WAY - I DO THINK THERE IS A SPECIAL KIND OF HEALING TAKES PLACE WHEN WE SHARE OUR GRIEF - OUR SORROW - WITH THOSE WE LOVE AND WHO LOVE US. WHEN WE WITHDRAW FROM THE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP WE CUT OURSELVES OFF FROM ONE OF THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF SUPPORT AND THUS HEALING. ONE COMMENTATOR DESCRIBED IT THIS WAY: "WE MISS A GREAT DEAL WHEN WE SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM THE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP, AND WHEN WE TRY TO BE ALONE. WHEN SORROW COMES TO US, AND WHEN SADNESS ENVELOPES US, WE OFTEN TEND TO SHUT OURSELVES UP AND REFUSE TO MEET PEOPLE. THAT IS THE VERY TIME WHEN, IN SPITE OF OUR SORROW, WE SHOULD SEEK THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRIST'S PEOPLE, FOR IT IS THERE THAT WE ARE LIKELIEST OF ALL TO MEET HIM FACE TO FACE." (3) FOR WHATEVER REASON, THOMAS WASN'T WITH HIS FRIENDS THAT FIRST EASTER EVENING WHEN JESUS APPEARED AND HE MISSED OUT ON THE HEALING THEIR BEING TOGETHER WITH THE RISEN LORD PROVIDED.
WHEN HE RETURNED THEY ALL TOLD HIM WHAT HE MISSED. ON THE ONE HAND, THEY WEREN'T SURPRISED BY HIS REACTION. "UNLESS JESUS COMES BACK AGAIN AND SHOWS ME THE NAIL MARKS AND LETS ME TOUCH THEM, I'M AFRAID I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU. I THINK YOUR VISION IS THE PRODUCT OF WISHFUL THINKING OR SOME OPTICAL ILLUSION."
ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY HAD TO BE A LITTLE DISCOURAGED THAT EVEN WITH THEIR NEW INSTRUCTIONS AND POWER THEY FAIL AT THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT AT WITNESSING ABOUT THE RISEN CHRIST. THOMAS IS EVEN MORE STUBBORN THAN THEY EXPECTED. SOME SUGGEST THAT HIS RESPONSE IS ACTUALLY EVEN MORE NEGATIVE THAN MOST OF THE TRANSLATIONS PRESENT IT. THEY SUGGEST THE MORE ACCURATE AND ABRASIVE PHRASES MIGHT BE MORE LIKE: FOR "PUT MY FINGER" WE MIGHT WANT TO PICTURE SOMETHING MORE LIKE "JAB". AND WHEN HE INSISTS THAT HE "WILL NOT BELIEVE" - IT ACTUALLY MIGHT HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE EMPHATIC, LIKE - "I WILL NEVER BELIEVE".
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THIS PASSAGE'S INCLUSION IN OUR HOLY SCRIPTURES IS THAT OUR EARLY GATHERERS OF THE STORIES OF THE FAITH FELT THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT ACCOUNT. I THINK THEY KNEW THAT IN THE FUTURE THERE WOULD BE OTHERS WHO WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCEPTING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RESURRECTION AND THEY WANTED TO SAY THAT THAT WAS OK - THAT THERE WAS A PLACE IN THE KINGDOM FOR THOSE WHO STRUGGLED - THOSE WHO NEEDED MORE THAN SOMEONE ELSE'S ACCOUNTING - THOSE WHO DOUBTED. I HAD ONE PROFESSOR PHRASE IT THIS WAY: "DOUBTS ARE THE ANTS IN THE PANTS OF FAITH." WHAT HE MEANT WAS THAT OUR DOUBTS - OUR QUESTIONS - OUR CHALLENGES HELP KEEP OUR FAITH ALIVE AND MOVING AND VITAL. FAITH IS BELIEVING IN THE MIDST OF OUR DOUBTING. WHEN THE POSSIBILITY OF DOUBT, OF QUESTIONING, OF SEARCHING IS GONE - WE ARE NOT LEFT WITH FAITH BUT WITH THE RISK OF STAGNATION.
THERE'S A MOVEMENT IN SOME RELIGIOUS CIRCLES TO ALLOW A SELECT FEW TO DO THE THINKING FOR THE GROUP. "DON'T GIVE DOUBT ANY ROOM IN YOUR LIFE WHEN IT COMES TO RELIGIOUS MATTERS - DOUBTS ARE THE WORK OF THE DEVIL - LISTEN TO ME." BELIEVING SOMETHING TO BE TRUE JUST BECAUSE GRANDMA RUTH OR AUNT JANE OR REV. MICAH SAYS IT IS SO IS DANGEROUS. THE DANGER OF CULTS, OF TV PREACHERS AND MANY OF THE REST OF US PREACHERS - IS THAT WE THINK OUR ANSWERS SHOULD BE EVERYONE ELSE'S ANSWERS. "THE WAY TO GOD IS FOR YOU TO ACCEPT WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY TO YOU AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IT IS GOD IS SAYING. LET ME INTERPRET THE SCRIPTURES FOR YOU." WE NEED TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO THINK CRITICALLY - TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES - TO THEOLOGIZE - TO QUESTION - NOT TO BECOME DEVOTEES OF THE LATEST POPULAR BUZZ RELIGIOUS PHENOMENON. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT WE ALL NEED SOME EARLY GUIDANCE - SOME PARAMETERS OF THE FAITH - BUT WE DO OURSELVES A GREAT DISSERVICE IF WE SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME GIVING PEOPLE ANSWERS AND ASKING THEM TO REGURGITATE THEM RATHER THAN TEACHING THEM TO THINK AND TO SEARCH.
MANY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBERS THAT FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCHES AND PARA CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS AND TV EVANGELISTS DRAW AND THEIR CLAIM THAT IT'S BECAUSE THESE GROUPS ARE RIGHT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE AT ALL. I THINK THEY ARE PROVIDING ANSWERS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TAUGHT HOW TO EXAMINE RELIGIOUS ISSUES. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE MISREADING CONFIDENCE IN ONE'S BELIEF AS AUTHENTIC FAITH. AND THAT'S SIMPLY NOT HISTORICALLY TRUE.
DO YOU KNOW WHO THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE PEOPLE ARE TO THE ADVANCES OF THE CULTS? ACCORDING TO JOHNCOOPER, A PROFESSOR AT WINEBRENNER SEMINARY BACK IN THE SEVENTIES AND AUTHOR OF "NOT FOR A MILLION DOLLARS," IT IS THOSE WHO WERE RAISED IN DOGMATIC CHURCHES AND HOMES WHERE THEY WERE TAUGHT (DARE WE IMPLY DOGMATICALLY) WHAT TO BELIEVE. (4) WHAT HAPPENS, ACCORDING TO HIS RESEARCH, IS WHEN THEY GET AWAY FROM PREACHER BOB OR MOM AND DAD AND THEY ARE ASKED WHAT THEY BELIEVE OR SOMEONE CHALLENGES ONE OF THEIR BELIEFS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR SAY AND SO THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE COMES UP TO THEM AND REASSURES THEM THAT THEY ARE A PART OF A CHRISTIAN GROUP THAT BELIEVES IN THE BIBLE AND THE TRUTH AND OFFERS THEM A LOT OF ANSWERS AND LOVE - THEY ARE HOOKED. THEY HAVE REPLACED ONE DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP FOR ANOTHER AND THEY THINK THAT THE NARROWER THEY BECOME - THE SAFER THEY ARE - AND THE CLOSER TO THE TRUTH THEY MUST BE.
NOT THOMAS. THOMAS ABSOLUTELY REFUSES TO SAY THAT HE BELIEVES WHEN HE DOES NOT BELIEVE. HE WOULD NEVER SAY THAT HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND. THOMAS WOULD NEVER STILL HIS DOUBTS BY PRETENDING THAT THEY DON'T EXIST. THOMAS WAS NOT THE KIND OF MAN WHO WOULD RATTLE OFF A CREED WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT. TENNYSON ONCE WROTE:
"THERE LIVES MORE FAITH IN HONEST DOUBT,
BELIEVE ME THAN IN HALF THE CREEDS."
THERE IS GREATER POTENTIAL FOR FAITH IN PERSONS WHO INSIST ON BEING SURE THAN IN PERSONS WHO GLIBLY REPEAT THINGS WHICH THEY HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OUT AND WHICH THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER THEY BELIEVE OR NOT.
SO, A WHOLE WEEK GOES BY WITH THOMAS STRUGGLING WITH THE STORIES OF HIS FRIENDS. NOTICE THAT THEY MUST HAVE STAYED IN TOUCH WITH ONE ANOTHER - THEY DIDN'T RUN OFF AND START A NEW CONGREGATION OR AVOID ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THEY WERE AT DIFFERENT PLACES IN THEIR ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAITH. JUST BECAUSE THOMAS DIDN'T BELIEVE EXACTLY AS THEY DID, THE OTHER DISCIPLES DIDN'T EXCLUDE HIM FROM THEIR FELLOWSHIP. RATHER, HE WAS ALLOWED TO VOICE HIS DOUBTS WITHIN THE FAITH COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID JESUS HANDLE THOSE WHO DOUBTED? CAST THEM OUT OF THE CHURCH? CHARGE THEM WITH HERESY? EXCOMMUNICATION? DID HE GIVE UP ON HIM? NO! HE CAME AGAIN AND HE STOOD AMONG THE DISCIPLES AND HE GREETED THEM WITH "PEACE BE WITH YOU". THEN HE TURNED TO THE DOUBTER AND HE SAID: "THOMAS, PUT YOUR FINGER HERE; SEE MY HANDS. REACH OUT YOUR HAND AND PUT IT INTO MY SIDE. STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE."
THOUGH IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED, THERE APPEARS NOT TO BE ANY ATTEMPT ON THOMAS' PART TO TAKE JESUS UP ON HIS INVITATION TO FINGER HIS WOUNDS. INSTEAD, HE PROCLAIMS THIS UNQUALIFIED CONFESSION OF FAITH: "MY LORD AND MY GOD!"
THOMAS CAME TO BELIEF - TO FAITH - THROUGH HIS DOUBTS. FAITH AND DOUBTS ARE NOT OPPOSITES - BUT DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SAME COIN OF BELIEF. CHRIST INVITED THOMAS TO HAVE THE VERY EXPERIENCE WHICH IN HIS DOUBT HE DEMANDED. THOMAS' DOUBTS PREPARED THE WAY FOR HIS RECOGNITION THAT JESUS IS GOD. BUT JOHN PUSHES US EVEN FURTHER BY SPEAKING OF THE BLESSEDNESS OF FAITH WITHOUT SEEING.
PRAYER: O LORD OF US ALL, WE KNOW WE ARE RELATED TO THOMAS - THANK YOU FOR GIVING US SPACE TO GROW. USE OUR QUESTIONS LORD TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH. REVEAL UNTO US THAT WHICH WE NEED TO BELIEVE YOU ARE RISEN FOR US. AMEN.
1. King Duncan, "Unlocking the Doors," sermons.com.
2. Being the Best, (New York: Pocket Books, 1987). p. 157.
3. William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John, Volume Two (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 2001), ebooks.
4.. John Cooper, Not For a Million Dollars (Impact Books, 1980).
Sunday, April 27, 2014
"Serenity House"
"Serenity House"
Serenity House was the name we chose for the coffeehouse a couple of us decided to make available in Ottawa in the summer of "68." It had a short, one-summer lifespan. As I remember it, Horse and I were the primary owners with lots of help from "Big Dave" and Mud and some others as their political persuasions allowed (nicknames intentionally used to mask the identity of those involved except for those who knew us best by those names). There's no doubt in my mind we worked a lot harder getting the first floor of the old Gulker building presentable for business than we did the whole rest of the summer! (Let me clarify alittle. I was referenciung the work at the coffeehouse - I worked third shift at Sylvania also: first unloading the tubes from the ovens, then salvage)! The only reason we were ever able to open was because of Big Dave's construction knowledge and work ethic!
Several of our views about the world experienced some tweeking during our just completed first year in college. We thought differently about race relations and the Viet Nam war and the plight of the migrant worker and authority and religion and .... a lot of other stuff. Our primary intent for opening the coffeehouse was to provide a safe place for people to exchange ideas over the summer. The warm and soft light from candles sat on the card tables we had borrowed from our homes and picked up at garage sales. We were going for a sense of sereneness.
Well, while there was plenty of conversing, poetry reading, folk singing and political discussions that went on around the candles in the coffeehouse we observed that there wasn't always an atmosphere of serenity created as a result. We'd been warned by our more seasoned friends at school and had been part of such scenes on and off campus ourselves. So, we weren't all that surprised or disappointed with what happened inside the Serenity House.
No, our real disappointment and pain was the result of the reaction outside the walls of the Gulker building. It was rumored that we had prostitutes on the second floor and the coffeehouse was just a front. The truth being we had only ventured up there once and refused to go up there again because of the amount of pigeon poop all over - think of Bill Cosby's comment to God by Noah for a picture of the reality: "Have you looked in the bottom of the ark, Lord? Seriously, who's going to clean that up?! Not me, no siree!!"
It was also rumored that we sold drugs - I guess because I had longer hair than when I graduated and the popular image of what people associate with coffee houses. The only things we sold were snacks, coffee, and flavored teas. We've been teased over the years about our unique Lifesaver flavored teas!
Probably the thing that disturbed me the most though was that some guys who had returned from Nam were commenting on what they would do to me if they met me on the streets. One of them was engaged to one of my friends, a friend since the first grade. I wanted to meet with him. More than one friend suggested that I not pursue it - that it would only heighten the tension. My desire to meet with him was not to try and discuss our positions about war but to reassure him that my attitudes and ideas were based on political and religious beliefs and not a criticism of military personnell who risked their lives for the nation and for all of us. I wanted to make a case for being able to have differing points of view and to do so civilly. I wanted to make a friend, not an enemy; build bridges, not destroy them. Our paths never did cross that summer nor have they in the years since.
It was a long, hot summer. I was supposed to gain 20 lbs. for football that summer. I drank a banana milkshake from Tony's every day! I also worked the ovens at Sylvania and worked out every day and got very little sleep, I returned to football practise at ONU two lbs. heavier!
It was not a wasted summer by any means though. I learned a lot about myself and other people. It was another one of those stepping stones that helped clarify my call to ordained ministry and shape some of the tenets that would guide me in that ministry. I'm not sure I could have vocalized it then, but it certainly influenced adjusting my way of dealing with my beliefs and those of others. At some point along the way thoose early years I decided that my role was not to convince people of the rightness of my way of thinking - religious, politics, or whatever - but, a desire to be more open to exploring with others their ideas, opinions, dreams, and hopes with the intent that they develop their own path through life. And yes, that meant some chose atheism (I have a real problem with fellow Christians who choose to make jokes about the serious-minded ones it's been my honor to count among my friends), some are racist, some are republicans, some are Steeler fans, some are conservative, some are liberal, some blame the poor for all the problems in our world and specifically our country, some blame the same on the rich, etc.
Have I been true to that principle 100% of the time? No, I'm as hypocritical at times as all of us. But, I don't want to be. In fact, I think I need to attempt to refriend someone on Facebook I defriended a few weeks ago!
Bye! Oh, and it wasn't the most serene summer of my life!
Serenity House was the name we chose for the coffeehouse a couple of us decided to make available in Ottawa in the summer of "68." It had a short, one-summer lifespan. As I remember it, Horse and I were the primary owners with lots of help from "Big Dave" and Mud and some others as their political persuasions allowed (nicknames intentionally used to mask the identity of those involved except for those who knew us best by those names). There's no doubt in my mind we worked a lot harder getting the first floor of the old Gulker building presentable for business than we did the whole rest of the summer! (Let me clarify alittle. I was referenciung the work at the coffeehouse - I worked third shift at Sylvania also: first unloading the tubes from the ovens, then salvage)! The only reason we were ever able to open was because of Big Dave's construction knowledge and work ethic!
Several of our views about the world experienced some tweeking during our just completed first year in college. We thought differently about race relations and the Viet Nam war and the plight of the migrant worker and authority and religion and .... a lot of other stuff. Our primary intent for opening the coffeehouse was to provide a safe place for people to exchange ideas over the summer. The warm and soft light from candles sat on the card tables we had borrowed from our homes and picked up at garage sales. We were going for a sense of sereneness.
Well, while there was plenty of conversing, poetry reading, folk singing and political discussions that went on around the candles in the coffeehouse we observed that there wasn't always an atmosphere of serenity created as a result. We'd been warned by our more seasoned friends at school and had been part of such scenes on and off campus ourselves. So, we weren't all that surprised or disappointed with what happened inside the Serenity House.
No, our real disappointment and pain was the result of the reaction outside the walls of the Gulker building. It was rumored that we had prostitutes on the second floor and the coffeehouse was just a front. The truth being we had only ventured up there once and refused to go up there again because of the amount of pigeon poop all over - think of Bill Cosby's comment to God by Noah for a picture of the reality: "Have you looked in the bottom of the ark, Lord? Seriously, who's going to clean that up?! Not me, no siree!!"
It was also rumored that we sold drugs - I guess because I had longer hair than when I graduated and the popular image of what people associate with coffee houses. The only things we sold were snacks, coffee, and flavored teas. We've been teased over the years about our unique Lifesaver flavored teas!
Probably the thing that disturbed me the most though was that some guys who had returned from Nam were commenting on what they would do to me if they met me on the streets. One of them was engaged to one of my friends, a friend since the first grade. I wanted to meet with him. More than one friend suggested that I not pursue it - that it would only heighten the tension. My desire to meet with him was not to try and discuss our positions about war but to reassure him that my attitudes and ideas were based on political and religious beliefs and not a criticism of military personnell who risked their lives for the nation and for all of us. I wanted to make a case for being able to have differing points of view and to do so civilly. I wanted to make a friend, not an enemy; build bridges, not destroy them. Our paths never did cross that summer nor have they in the years since.
It was a long, hot summer. I was supposed to gain 20 lbs. for football that summer. I drank a banana milkshake from Tony's every day! I also worked the ovens at Sylvania and worked out every day and got very little sleep, I returned to football practise at ONU two lbs. heavier!
It was not a wasted summer by any means though. I learned a lot about myself and other people. It was another one of those stepping stones that helped clarify my call to ordained ministry and shape some of the tenets that would guide me in that ministry. I'm not sure I could have vocalized it then, but it certainly influenced adjusting my way of dealing with my beliefs and those of others. At some point along the way thoose early years I decided that my role was not to convince people of the rightness of my way of thinking - religious, politics, or whatever - but, a desire to be more open to exploring with others their ideas, opinions, dreams, and hopes with the intent that they develop their own path through life. And yes, that meant some chose atheism (I have a real problem with fellow Christians who choose to make jokes about the serious-minded ones it's been my honor to count among my friends), some are racist, some are republicans, some are Steeler fans, some are conservative, some are liberal, some blame the poor for all the problems in our world and specifically our country, some blame the same on the rich, etc.
Have I been true to that principle 100% of the time? No, I'm as hypocritical at times as all of us. But, I don't want to be. In fact, I think I need to attempt to refriend someone on Facebook I defriended a few weeks ago!
Bye! Oh, and it wasn't the most serene summer of my life!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
2014 ALS Advocacy Letter Info
Dear Family and Friends,
Most of you are aware that due to a drug interaction I had to cancel going to Washington D.C. last May for the 2013 National ALS Advocacy Conference. Fortunately, we were able to deliver 380 letters from many of you to both Senator Rob Portman and Senator Sherrod Brown (and to other senators because of friends all over the U.S.) by dropping them off to The ALS Association's Central & Southern Ohio Chapter's executive director, Marlin Seymour, the night before her departure. We've been informed it left quite an impression.
Well, Dorothy and I have been given a second chance to share our story with our senators! We've again been invited to attend this year's event representing the area ALS Chapter. We worked out the kinks for traveling with our trip to Florida in February and with the help of Jeremy & Megan, our children, are going to make it happen this year. We believe we represent many voices when we go and we want to properly represent yours by delivering another stack of letters to our senators!
To that purpose the third page of this email is a form letter written by the national office seeking to change a very important decision that was made by CMS to no longer purchase speech generating devices and changing to a per month rental (you can read about the concerns this raises for those of us who depend on such equipment in the letter). If you only have time to sign two letters to Portman and Brown, that's fine. Feel free to email them back to me at bcroy22@gmail.com, or snail mail them to me at 2700 Unbridled Ct., Powell, Ohio, 43065. PLEASE RETURN THEM TO ME BY SUNDAY, MAY 4!
Now, a good friend of ours who has quite a bit of experience with lobbying efforts shared with us recently that letters are even more effective if there are some words different in each letter. The second page of this email is what we are going to send as an example. If you have the time and are willing, we invite you to consider doing this. At the very bottom of this email is a short note from Marlin in response to my questioning if this effort is worth it.
Again, we cannot thank you enough for your support in all of our advocacy efforts! Feel free to forward to your family and friends as well. (Oh, my apologies if you are the recipient of more than one email. I combined numerous lists I have compiled and while I tried to catch duplications, I'm sure I missed many.)
We love and appreciate you all,
Bill & Dorothy Croy
Dear Senator Rob Portman, Dear Senator Sherrod Brown, (two separate letters!)
I'm very concerned about the decision, effective April1, made by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changing the manner in which it pays for speech generating devices (SGDs). This decision potentially took away the voices of thousands of people living with Lou Gehrig’s Disease who rely on SGDs to communicate. I was fortunate enough to have needed mine over a year ago and cannot begin to tell you how vital it has been for communicating with others for my caregiving, staying in touch with people, and developing a blog about my journey as a form of personal advocacy. My blog is "Giving Wings to Thoughts": http://wcroy22.blogspot.ca/.
As you may know, ALS is a fatal neurological disease that robs people of the ability to control their muscles. They lose the ability to walk, use their hands and arms and ultimately the ability to breathe. The disease is fatal in an average of two to five years following diagnosis and there is no effective treatment available to slow or stop its progression. As the disease progresses, people often lose the ability to speak and therefore rely on SGDs for all of their communications needs. SGDs become a person’s window to the world. Without it, they are isolated and awake, trapped inside a body they cannot control and unable to communicate even a single word.
Under the change implemented by CMS in April, called “capped rental,” people with ALS who need SGDs will be required to rent them over a 13-month period, after which time they will own the device. Under the previous policy, people with ALS had the option to purchase SGDs up front, which is how over 99% of them obtained SGDs. While this switch may seem to be a minor change in policy, it may have significant impacts on patients. Those impacts include:
Access: If people have an extended hospital stay, are in hospice or a nursing facility while they are in the 13-month rental period, Medicare will not cover the rental fees. Instead, the device must be returned to the manufacturer while the patient either will have to obtain a new one from the hospital, hospice or nursing facility, or pay the entire monthly rental fee out-of-pocket. This will result in patients losing access to SGDs while they are institutionalized, during a time when their health is at the highest risk and when the devices are most needed to communicate with medical staff. These institutions and facilities do not have access to SGDs, are not funded to supply the devices and do not typically have staff experienced in providing SGDs. In addition, because SGDs are highly customized devices, designed and adjusted to meet the specific medical needs of each individual patient, they cannot readily be substituted with “off the shelf” technology.
Cost: People who rent SGDs for the full 13-month rental period will pay 5% more out-of-pocket than if they had purchased the device up front.
The ALS Association is working with Members of Congress to oppose this regulation and give a voice to people with ALS. I urge you to work with The Association in this fight. ALS robs people of so many things that most people take for granted. Please work with us to ensure that CMS polices do not also rob people of the ability to communicate. Please contact The ALS Association at advocacy@alsa-national.org if you would like to join this fight in support of your constituents living with ALS.
Sincerely,
Name: ________________________________________________________________
Street Address:________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:_______________________________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________________
Dear Senator Rob Portman, Dear Senator Sherrod Brown, (two separate letters!)
On April 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changed the manner in which it pays for speech generating devices (SGDs) and in the process took away the voices of thousands of people living with Lou Gehrig’s Disease who rely on SGDs to communicate.
As you may know, ALS is a fatal neurological disease that robs people of the ability to control their muscles. They lose the ability to walk, use their hands and arms and ultimately the ability to breathe. The disease is fatal in an average of two to five years following diagnosis and there is no effective treatment available to slow or stop its progression. As the disease progresses, people often lose the ability to speak and therefore rely on SGDs for all of their communications needs. SGDs become a person’s window to the world. Without it, they are isolated and awake, trapped inside a body they cannot control and unable to communicate even a single word.
Under the change implemented by CMS in April, called “capped rental,” people with ALS who need SGDs will be required to rent them over a 13-month period, after which time they will own the device. Under the previous policy, people with ALS had the option to purchase SGDs up front, which is how over 99% of them obtained SGDs. While this switch may seem to be a minor change in policy, it may have significant impacts on patients. Those impacts include:
Access: If people have an extended hospital stay, are in hospice or a nursing facility while they are in the 13-month rental period, Medicare will not cover the rental fees. Instead, the device must be returned to the manufacturer while the patient either will have to obtain a new one from the hospital, hospice or nursing facility, or pay the entire monthly rental fee out-of-pocket. This will result in patients losing access to SGDs while they are institutionalized, during a time when their health is at the highest risk and when the devices are most needed to communicate with medical staff. These institutions and facilities do not have access to SGDs, are not funded to supply the devices and do not typically have staff experienced in providing SGDs. In addition, because SGDs are highly customized devices, designed and adjusted to meet the specific medical needs of each individual patient, they cannot readily be substituted with “off the shelf” technology.
Cost: People who rent SGDs for the full 13-month rental period will pay 5% more out-of-pocket than if they had purchased the device up front.
The ALS Association is working with Members of Congress to oppose this regulation and give a voice to people with ALS. I urge you to work with The Association in this fight. ALS robs people of so many things that most people take for granted. Please work with us to ensure that CMS polices do not also rob people of the ability to communicate. Please contact The ALS Association at advocacy@alsa-national.org if you would like to join this fight in support of your constituents living with ALS.
Sincerely,
Name: ________________________________________________________________
Street Address:________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:_______________________________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________________
Bill, I have seen letters have a tremendous positive effect on Members and their staff and particularly if we can walk in and physically HAND a stack of letters directly to them at the meeting -- I think it is worth it.
Regarding wording, yes, I would agree that having different wording would be the best. However, I've seen the process slowed down greatly or letters never written, if it takes too much time for someone to accomplish. I think it helps the "advocate" to not have to start with a "blank slate" so we like the idea of providing the "body" and then asking the writer to personalize the letter in at least one paragraph and to do it near the beginning of the letter. If they have limited time and you are trying to get the task out to the masses, this is the way to go. If it is a group that has more time available to them to write a compelling personal letter, all the better!
Thank you for taking this on - - my opinion is that it is definitely worth the effort.
I worked for my Member of Congress from TN on the Hill and I can tell you that we paid attention when someone walked in with a stack of letters on a particular issue and they were signed and had handwritten names and addresses included -- it was then a priority to be put before the Member to at least look at for consideration.
M.
Marlin K. Seymour
Executive Director
The ALS Association Central & Southern Ohio Chapter
1170 Old Henderson Road Ste 221
Columbus, Ohio 43220
Phone: 614-273-2572 ext. 102
Toll Free: 866-273-2572 ext. 102
Fax: 614.273.2573
mseymour@alsohio.org
Most of you are aware that due to a drug interaction I had to cancel going to Washington D.C. last May for the 2013 National ALS Advocacy Conference. Fortunately, we were able to deliver 380 letters from many of you to both Senator Rob Portman and Senator Sherrod Brown (and to other senators because of friends all over the U.S.) by dropping them off to The ALS Association's Central & Southern Ohio Chapter's executive director, Marlin Seymour, the night before her departure. We've been informed it left quite an impression.
Well, Dorothy and I have been given a second chance to share our story with our senators! We've again been invited to attend this year's event representing the area ALS Chapter. We worked out the kinks for traveling with our trip to Florida in February and with the help of Jeremy & Megan, our children, are going to make it happen this year. We believe we represent many voices when we go and we want to properly represent yours by delivering another stack of letters to our senators!
To that purpose the third page of this email is a form letter written by the national office seeking to change a very important decision that was made by CMS to no longer purchase speech generating devices and changing to a per month rental (you can read about the concerns this raises for those of us who depend on such equipment in the letter). If you only have time to sign two letters to Portman and Brown, that's fine. Feel free to email them back to me at bcroy22@gmail.com, or snail mail them to me at 2700 Unbridled Ct., Powell, Ohio, 43065. PLEASE RETURN THEM TO ME BY SUNDAY, MAY 4!
Now, a good friend of ours who has quite a bit of experience with lobbying efforts shared with us recently that letters are even more effective if there are some words different in each letter. The second page of this email is what we are going to send as an example. If you have the time and are willing, we invite you to consider doing this. At the very bottom of this email is a short note from Marlin in response to my questioning if this effort is worth it.
Again, we cannot thank you enough for your support in all of our advocacy efforts! Feel free to forward to your family and friends as well. (Oh, my apologies if you are the recipient of more than one email. I combined numerous lists I have compiled and while I tried to catch duplications, I'm sure I missed many.)
We love and appreciate you all,
Bill & Dorothy Croy
Dear Senator Rob Portman, Dear Senator Sherrod Brown, (two separate letters!)
I'm very concerned about the decision, effective April1, made by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changing the manner in which it pays for speech generating devices (SGDs). This decision potentially took away the voices of thousands of people living with Lou Gehrig’s Disease who rely on SGDs to communicate. I was fortunate enough to have needed mine over a year ago and cannot begin to tell you how vital it has been for communicating with others for my caregiving, staying in touch with people, and developing a blog about my journey as a form of personal advocacy. My blog is "Giving Wings to Thoughts": http://wcroy22.blogspot.ca/.
As you may know, ALS is a fatal neurological disease that robs people of the ability to control their muscles. They lose the ability to walk, use their hands and arms and ultimately the ability to breathe. The disease is fatal in an average of two to five years following diagnosis and there is no effective treatment available to slow or stop its progression. As the disease progresses, people often lose the ability to speak and therefore rely on SGDs for all of their communications needs. SGDs become a person’s window to the world. Without it, they are isolated and awake, trapped inside a body they cannot control and unable to communicate even a single word.
Under the change implemented by CMS in April, called “capped rental,” people with ALS who need SGDs will be required to rent them over a 13-month period, after which time they will own the device. Under the previous policy, people with ALS had the option to purchase SGDs up front, which is how over 99% of them obtained SGDs. While this switch may seem to be a minor change in policy, it may have significant impacts on patients. Those impacts include:
Access: If people have an extended hospital stay, are in hospice or a nursing facility while they are in the 13-month rental period, Medicare will not cover the rental fees. Instead, the device must be returned to the manufacturer while the patient either will have to obtain a new one from the hospital, hospice or nursing facility, or pay the entire monthly rental fee out-of-pocket. This will result in patients losing access to SGDs while they are institutionalized, during a time when their health is at the highest risk and when the devices are most needed to communicate with medical staff. These institutions and facilities do not have access to SGDs, are not funded to supply the devices and do not typically have staff experienced in providing SGDs. In addition, because SGDs are highly customized devices, designed and adjusted to meet the specific medical needs of each individual patient, they cannot readily be substituted with “off the shelf” technology.
Cost: People who rent SGDs for the full 13-month rental period will pay 5% more out-of-pocket than if they had purchased the device up front.
The ALS Association is working with Members of Congress to oppose this regulation and give a voice to people with ALS. I urge you to work with The Association in this fight. ALS robs people of so many things that most people take for granted. Please work with us to ensure that CMS polices do not also rob people of the ability to communicate. Please contact The ALS Association at advocacy@alsa-national.org if you would like to join this fight in support of your constituents living with ALS.
Sincerely,
Name: ________________________________________________________________
Street Address:________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:_______________________________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________________
Dear Senator Rob Portman, Dear Senator Sherrod Brown, (two separate letters!)
On April 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changed the manner in which it pays for speech generating devices (SGDs) and in the process took away the voices of thousands of people living with Lou Gehrig’s Disease who rely on SGDs to communicate.
As you may know, ALS is a fatal neurological disease that robs people of the ability to control their muscles. They lose the ability to walk, use their hands and arms and ultimately the ability to breathe. The disease is fatal in an average of two to five years following diagnosis and there is no effective treatment available to slow or stop its progression. As the disease progresses, people often lose the ability to speak and therefore rely on SGDs for all of their communications needs. SGDs become a person’s window to the world. Without it, they are isolated and awake, trapped inside a body they cannot control and unable to communicate even a single word.
Under the change implemented by CMS in April, called “capped rental,” people with ALS who need SGDs will be required to rent them over a 13-month period, after which time they will own the device. Under the previous policy, people with ALS had the option to purchase SGDs up front, which is how over 99% of them obtained SGDs. While this switch may seem to be a minor change in policy, it may have significant impacts on patients. Those impacts include:
Access: If people have an extended hospital stay, are in hospice or a nursing facility while they are in the 13-month rental period, Medicare will not cover the rental fees. Instead, the device must be returned to the manufacturer while the patient either will have to obtain a new one from the hospital, hospice or nursing facility, or pay the entire monthly rental fee out-of-pocket. This will result in patients losing access to SGDs while they are institutionalized, during a time when their health is at the highest risk and when the devices are most needed to communicate with medical staff. These institutions and facilities do not have access to SGDs, are not funded to supply the devices and do not typically have staff experienced in providing SGDs. In addition, because SGDs are highly customized devices, designed and adjusted to meet the specific medical needs of each individual patient, they cannot readily be substituted with “off the shelf” technology.
Cost: People who rent SGDs for the full 13-month rental period will pay 5% more out-of-pocket than if they had purchased the device up front.
The ALS Association is working with Members of Congress to oppose this regulation and give a voice to people with ALS. I urge you to work with The Association in this fight. ALS robs people of so many things that most people take for granted. Please work with us to ensure that CMS polices do not also rob people of the ability to communicate. Please contact The ALS Association at advocacy@alsa-national.org if you would like to join this fight in support of your constituents living with ALS.
Sincerely,
Name: ________________________________________________________________
Street Address:________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:_______________________________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________________
Bill, I have seen letters have a tremendous positive effect on Members and their staff and particularly if we can walk in and physically HAND a stack of letters directly to them at the meeting -- I think it is worth it.
Regarding wording, yes, I would agree that having different wording would be the best. However, I've seen the process slowed down greatly or letters never written, if it takes too much time for someone to accomplish. I think it helps the "advocate" to not have to start with a "blank slate" so we like the idea of providing the "body" and then asking the writer to personalize the letter in at least one paragraph and to do it near the beginning of the letter. If they have limited time and you are trying to get the task out to the masses, this is the way to go. If it is a group that has more time available to them to write a compelling personal letter, all the better!
Thank you for taking this on - - my opinion is that it is definitely worth the effort.
I worked for my Member of Congress from TN on the Hill and I can tell you that we paid attention when someone walked in with a stack of letters on a particular issue and they were signed and had handwritten names and addresses included -- it was then a priority to be put before the Member to at least look at for consideration.
M.
Marlin K. Seymour
Executive Director
The ALS Association Central & Southern Ohio Chapter
1170 Old Henderson Road Ste 221
Columbus, Ohio 43220
Phone: 614-273-2572 ext. 102
Toll Free: 866-273-2572 ext. 102
Fax: 614.273.2573
mseymour@alsohio.org
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
?SERMON?: "Tears and Cheers"
"Tears and Cheers"
John 11:32-44
Another one of the PALS from our ALS support group passed away recently. She was diagnosed about the same time I was. She and her husband are one of the couples we've known the longest dealing with this reality of being one who is continually getting worse physically and the one providing the caregiving. They were such a positive and supportive couple - open about their situation and able to both laugh and cry in the group.
She stopped coming to group maybe about two years ago. He continued to come by himself for awhile. They began to use the help of hospice and their experience was probably one of the most influential reasons we decided to do the same last fall - a decision we haven't regretted. We have stayed in touch as Facebook friends. They are also the ones who recommended that we contact the Liberty Township Fire Department when we moved to the Powell area because of the special needs program they have. We did and it's a fabulous asset to the community and to our sense of comfort and security.
Her visitation was on Wednesday night and funeral on Thursday. One of the limitations of ALS is I tire and there's simply no way we can go to everything we want to. Especially frustrating is not being able to go to all the visitations and funerals for former church members, relatives of friends, etc. Because the visitation was in nearby Mt. Sterling and despite not having one of my best weeks physically or emotionally - perhaps partially because of her somewhat surprising death, perhaps partially because of having numerous health care visits, perhaps .... who knows - we decided we wanted to give it a go.
A side benefit was the opportunity to drive on out to Deer Creek State Park and spend a few hours in one of our favorite Ohio lodge lobbies. For two hours we sat next to each other (I still was in my wheelchair), sipping our Diet Cokes (no Diet Pepsi available!), and read books on our iPads. The Deer Creek State Park lobby is so warm, inviting, and comfortable. It doesn't provide the greatest water hole to look at, but the lobby makes up for it. It also brought back several memories of church workshops and family outings.
And then it was time to drive back into Mt. Sterling for the visitation. We saw numerous deer on the drive which added to a really nice afternoon. When we arrived at the funeral home just a few minutes after the start of visitation, there was no place to park. Sure it's what happens in small towns, but I think it also had a lot to do with the very special woman she was and that her family is. There were tears and there was laughter as family and friends came to comfort and remember. That's what communities do - communities of faith, family and friends - we cry together and we celebrate the well-lived lives of our loved ones.
The 11th chapter of the Gospel of John records the story of an episode in the life of Jesus and his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The three were siblings and close to one another as well as to Jesus. The only part of this lengthy and theologically inviting text I want to reference in this reflection is that verse often referenced in trivia games as the shortest verse in the Bible - "Jesus wept."
The two sisters had gone to Jesus to inform him that his friend and their brother, Lazarus, was not well. I guess Jesus didn't consider Lazarus' illness to be very serious because he took two more days finishing what he was doing. When they arrived in Bethany, the hometown of the trio, they were informed that Lazarus had been dead for four days and stunk. All of the siblings' friends were grieving with Mary and Martha - including Jesus. His grief was so great, he cried - wept.
It's what we do as a community of supporters/friends/caregivers - we grieve together - we shed tears about our loss, our common pain. And I'm not referencing here only communities of faith. It doesn't matter whether our community is made up of neighbors and friends, a bunch of people we worked with, people from the different towns we've lived in, family members, friends of our loved ones, past or present members of social or recreational groups we met with regularly, or even those who just knew of the deceased because of reputation in the community or world. I cried when Nelson Mandela died. I cried when members of my congregations died. I cried when parents of my high school or college friends died. I shed tears when I was informed of the sudden death of a classmate and then asked to do his memorial service. I mourn every time I hear of the death of another PALS, even if I only knew them as a fellow contributor on our "Living With ALS; for PALS Only" Facebook page.
"Jesus wept." This passage ordains tears as a proper response when we lose a friend or relative. The one who referred to himself as “the resurrection and the life” was sad about losing a friend. It is not a sign of a weak faith or a weak person to grieve. It simply is not true, as some of our faith seem determined to portray, that “real Christians” should only be joyous about everything that happens – that tears should never be shed, because pain is caused by God for our own good (Ugh! Sorry, just ugly untruth). We grieve – we are sad – we weep in the face of death because we are fully human just as our Savior Jesus was fully human. Healthy human beings grieve when painful things happen. Jesus cried because even if death does not speak the last word, it does speak a painful and hard word. The empty tomb is testimony that death is defeated, overcome, but not abolished.
“Jesus wept.” There’s nothing wrong with grief. There’s nothing wrong with shedding tears. It is a part of what it means to be human. It is expected of Christians as it is of all human beings. It’s one of the things we do with one another when someone important to us dies or even suffers.
But communities - all communities again - do something else very important with one another when someone dies. We hold funerals, more commonly and I happen to think appropriately referred to today as memorial services or services of celebration. We get together to remember and celebrate the life of the one who is no longer physically a part of our community. Sometimes we hold these events in funeral homes, sometimes in churches, sometimes in people's homes, sometimes in a favorite park or restaurant or bar, and sometimes in a school or a cemetery. And most of the time our tears are coupled with some cheers. Oh, not "Rah, rah" cheering, but laughter and hugs and words of encouragement and smiles and joy and hope as we remember the good times and the uniqueness of our loved ones - quirks and all. (True, it doesn't always happen. There are those occasions which are just too sad, too painful, too senseless. I don't want to ignore those realities even as I try to paint a picture of what is my most common experience. Please forgive me all those who've experienced such a tragedy in their life.)
When I think of the cheering role of our communities during the time after the death of a loved one, I cannot help but think of the passage in Hebrews (Hebrews 11 & 12) when the author provides this litany of folks who make up the "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) cheering us, encouraging us on our life journeys. I've often described that cloud of witnesses as our cheering section - usually as those who've gone before and play this role in the heavenly realms, but today I'm thinking it's helpful to consider our physical, living, communities who surround us in our day-to-day living.
As a community, we are those who live in the tension of shedding tears and cheering – we live as those who are able to shed tears and cheer at one and the same time – we are those who grieve deeply while deep inside us percolates this joy for the life lived by the one we loved. I think that's what was going on in that funeral home on Wednesday night as those who loved our friend and her family gathered. There were plenty of tears flowing, but there were also some cheers being offered - words of encouragement and hugs and laughter. May we all be mindful of our shared ministry of crying and cheering as we continue on this path of life together.
John 11:32-44
Another one of the PALS from our ALS support group passed away recently. She was diagnosed about the same time I was. She and her husband are one of the couples we've known the longest dealing with this reality of being one who is continually getting worse physically and the one providing the caregiving. They were such a positive and supportive couple - open about their situation and able to both laugh and cry in the group.
She stopped coming to group maybe about two years ago. He continued to come by himself for awhile. They began to use the help of hospice and their experience was probably one of the most influential reasons we decided to do the same last fall - a decision we haven't regretted. We have stayed in touch as Facebook friends. They are also the ones who recommended that we contact the Liberty Township Fire Department when we moved to the Powell area because of the special needs program they have. We did and it's a fabulous asset to the community and to our sense of comfort and security.
Her visitation was on Wednesday night and funeral on Thursday. One of the limitations of ALS is I tire and there's simply no way we can go to everything we want to. Especially frustrating is not being able to go to all the visitations and funerals for former church members, relatives of friends, etc. Because the visitation was in nearby Mt. Sterling and despite not having one of my best weeks physically or emotionally - perhaps partially because of her somewhat surprising death, perhaps partially because of having numerous health care visits, perhaps .... who knows - we decided we wanted to give it a go.
A side benefit was the opportunity to drive on out to Deer Creek State Park and spend a few hours in one of our favorite Ohio lodge lobbies. For two hours we sat next to each other (I still was in my wheelchair), sipping our Diet Cokes (no Diet Pepsi available!), and read books on our iPads. The Deer Creek State Park lobby is so warm, inviting, and comfortable. It doesn't provide the greatest water hole to look at, but the lobby makes up for it. It also brought back several memories of church workshops and family outings.
And then it was time to drive back into Mt. Sterling for the visitation. We saw numerous deer on the drive which added to a really nice afternoon. When we arrived at the funeral home just a few minutes after the start of visitation, there was no place to park. Sure it's what happens in small towns, but I think it also had a lot to do with the very special woman she was and that her family is. There were tears and there was laughter as family and friends came to comfort and remember. That's what communities do - communities of faith, family and friends - we cry together and we celebrate the well-lived lives of our loved ones.
The 11th chapter of the Gospel of John records the story of an episode in the life of Jesus and his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The three were siblings and close to one another as well as to Jesus. The only part of this lengthy and theologically inviting text I want to reference in this reflection is that verse often referenced in trivia games as the shortest verse in the Bible - "Jesus wept."
The two sisters had gone to Jesus to inform him that his friend and their brother, Lazarus, was not well. I guess Jesus didn't consider Lazarus' illness to be very serious because he took two more days finishing what he was doing. When they arrived in Bethany, the hometown of the trio, they were informed that Lazarus had been dead for four days and stunk. All of the siblings' friends were grieving with Mary and Martha - including Jesus. His grief was so great, he cried - wept.
It's what we do as a community of supporters/friends/caregivers - we grieve together - we shed tears about our loss, our common pain. And I'm not referencing here only communities of faith. It doesn't matter whether our community is made up of neighbors and friends, a bunch of people we worked with, people from the different towns we've lived in, family members, friends of our loved ones, past or present members of social or recreational groups we met with regularly, or even those who just knew of the deceased because of reputation in the community or world. I cried when Nelson Mandela died. I cried when members of my congregations died. I cried when parents of my high school or college friends died. I shed tears when I was informed of the sudden death of a classmate and then asked to do his memorial service. I mourn every time I hear of the death of another PALS, even if I only knew them as a fellow contributor on our "Living With ALS; for PALS Only" Facebook page.
"Jesus wept." This passage ordains tears as a proper response when we lose a friend or relative. The one who referred to himself as “the resurrection and the life” was sad about losing a friend. It is not a sign of a weak faith or a weak person to grieve. It simply is not true, as some of our faith seem determined to portray, that “real Christians” should only be joyous about everything that happens – that tears should never be shed, because pain is caused by God for our own good (Ugh! Sorry, just ugly untruth). We grieve – we are sad – we weep in the face of death because we are fully human just as our Savior Jesus was fully human. Healthy human beings grieve when painful things happen. Jesus cried because even if death does not speak the last word, it does speak a painful and hard word. The empty tomb is testimony that death is defeated, overcome, but not abolished.
“Jesus wept.” There’s nothing wrong with grief. There’s nothing wrong with shedding tears. It is a part of what it means to be human. It is expected of Christians as it is of all human beings. It’s one of the things we do with one another when someone important to us dies or even suffers.
But communities - all communities again - do something else very important with one another when someone dies. We hold funerals, more commonly and I happen to think appropriately referred to today as memorial services or services of celebration. We get together to remember and celebrate the life of the one who is no longer physically a part of our community. Sometimes we hold these events in funeral homes, sometimes in churches, sometimes in people's homes, sometimes in a favorite park or restaurant or bar, and sometimes in a school or a cemetery. And most of the time our tears are coupled with some cheers. Oh, not "Rah, rah" cheering, but laughter and hugs and words of encouragement and smiles and joy and hope as we remember the good times and the uniqueness of our loved ones - quirks and all. (True, it doesn't always happen. There are those occasions which are just too sad, too painful, too senseless. I don't want to ignore those realities even as I try to paint a picture of what is my most common experience. Please forgive me all those who've experienced such a tragedy in their life.)
When I think of the cheering role of our communities during the time after the death of a loved one, I cannot help but think of the passage in Hebrews (Hebrews 11 & 12) when the author provides this litany of folks who make up the "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) cheering us, encouraging us on our life journeys. I've often described that cloud of witnesses as our cheering section - usually as those who've gone before and play this role in the heavenly realms, but today I'm thinking it's helpful to consider our physical, living, communities who surround us in our day-to-day living.
As a community, we are those who live in the tension of shedding tears and cheering – we live as those who are able to shed tears and cheer at one and the same time – we are those who grieve deeply while deep inside us percolates this joy for the life lived by the one we loved. I think that's what was going on in that funeral home on Wednesday night as those who loved our friend and her family gathered. There were plenty of tears flowing, but there were also some cheers being offered - words of encouragement and hugs and laughter. May we all be mindful of our shared ministry of crying and cheering as we continue on this path of life together.
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