Burton Joyce Community Church
Sunday 18 April 2021
With Nottingham North East Circuit of the Methodist Church
Prepared this week by Deacon Helen Snowball for use at home
Hymns in Songs of Fellowship
Opening Psalm 133
Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell in unity. It is like vistas seen from atop the mountain or like the stillness of a sunset after a long day’s work. It is like a rainbow breaking through a summer rain.
(Psalms for Praying. Nan C Merrill)
Hymn: SoF 6
Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord.
Let’s pray
Loving God, for all your creation, we give you thanks. For the seas and the stars, the trees and the flowers. For the refreshing rain and the heat of the sun. For our family and friends, into whose lives you have placed us, we give you thanks. For the freedoms we have, in worship, in government, in speech, we give you thanks.
It would be wrong, Lord, for us to say we have no doubts, for this world is trying to deny all we hold dear and is insistent in its cry. There are times when, like Thomas your dear friend, we need to reach out and touch your hand that has led us these long years, to see the place where spear and nails have made their mark. Forgive our doubts and, in times of temptation, be our confidence to see that, like Thomas we might joyfully declare ‘My Lord and my God.’
The love you show us is our inspiration. The light you give is our illumination along the path we walk with you this day. It is our witness to the world to be of one mind, heart and soul, a blessing to friend and stranger bringing your grace to those in need and good news to the lost and the seeker. For love, light and all the blessings of this life, we offer our grateful thanks.
Amen.
First reading: 1 Peter 1:3-12
Let’s sing again: SoF 1575
Wait for the Lord
Second reading: John 20:19-31
Reflection
Years ago, I went to Turkey with work. I used to work for a property developer in Turkey and it was my first trip over there, and after a guided tour of our property developments, I was given another guided tour of some of the regional tourist and historical attractions. My guide was an employee of the company called Hassan, and he was incredibly patriotic and immensely proud of Turkey’s history.
He told me about Mount Ararat, we talked about Troy & about the rich history of Ephesus – he knew all about St Paul & his journeys.
I didn’t see Istanbul on that trip although I have been there since, but he told me about Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, the Byzantines and the beautiful Blue Mosque. Then on the road back to Didim from Gulluk, Hassan pulled the car over to show me a tree. It was a small road, only slightly bigger than a lane, lined on either side by huge ancient trees. Hassan pointed to one of the trees and told me that after the flood, this was the very tree from which the Dove plucked the twig to take back to Noah.
Me being me, asked the questions that seemed completely obvious to me. ‘How do you know?’ It was clearly an ancient tree and a wonderful example of nature, of creation. But did Hassan really believe that the dove had told Noah which tree the twig came from? His parents had told him, their parents had told them. He had been told by people he trusted, why would they lie?
Thomas had heard from people he trusted that they’d seen Jesus, and I just wonder if Thomas wasn’t in a bit of a huff. Jesus knew he was a Disciple, surely if he could come back from the dead, he could see which Disciples were present? Couldn’t he have waited? And anyway, who would believe that without seeing it – even of Jesus? But then, when Thomas does meet the Risen Christ, he utters the words no one else has ever said ‘My Lord and My God’. Thomas has connected Jesus directly to the person of God.
John Chapter 1 says this ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ Thomas finally saw that the Word is Jesus. That Jesus is God. Chapter 1 of his gospel has John trying to explain how Jesus came to be. John wants to get to the heart of the matter – Jesus – God, one and the same. The son of the father, here on earth for our salvation. And these few complex verses that John has tried to grapple with, are resolved neatly by Thomas, towards the end of the Gospel, by his simple declaration ‘My Lord and My God’. He’s gone from calling him Jesus, Lord, Son of God, to directly linking Lord and God together.
Thomas had always been a loyal – if pessimistic – Disciple. He was the one who suggested they all go with Jesus when Lazarus died, even if it meant they would also die. He may have been the last Disciple to see and believe – but he was the first to acknowledge Jesus as God.
There’s a famous painting, Caravaggio I think, that depicts the meeting between Jesus and Thomas &, behind Thomas, peering over his shoulder, two Disciples, keen to see what’s going on.
Perhaps deep down, we all wonder - we all doubt a little. And there’s nothing wrong with that. God knows that we doubt, that’s why he appeared to Thomas in front of the others. Thomas was brave enough to say it. ‘I don’t believe, and I won’t until I see it for myself’. People don’t come back from the dead. I suspect there may have been other Disciples who felt the same, and that they were grateful to Thomas for showing his honest doubt.
When Jesus appeared to the Disciples, he greeted them, ‘Shalom’, meaning Peace. And he breathed on them. The Greek word for breathed used here is the same word used in Genesis when God breathed life into Adam, and also in Ezekiel when God gave him the breath to raise the dry bones. So, this isn’t a general ‘breathed on’, like you might breathe on glass to remove a smudge. This is a specific ‘giving new life’ type of ‘breathed on’. Jesus was renewing them all. He was raised, but he still needed the Disciples to help with the mission, and so he renewed them too.
Peter also knew about doubt. He followed Jesus sincerely, but he did display doubt. Jesus told him to cast his net on the other side of the boat. Peter said, ‘well I will because you say so, but it won’t work’. He doesn’t say, ‘yes of course and we’ll have a huge catch’. He attempted to walk on water but his brain overcame his faith and he sank into the water. But Peter learned his lesson and, in the reading, he mentions hope. The people he wrote to had not seen Christ. They had heard of his salvation and, from Peter, they heard more of the living hope, found only in the Living Christ. We are protected by God and we are guided by the Holy Spirit.
Thomas’ doubt was ended when he saw the Risen Christ. Peter’s doubt was ended over the course of his experiences with the Risen Christ. So where does that leave us? We have not seen Jesus but we see his actions in our lives and feel his direction and strength. How do we know any of this is real? Only by faith. We see it in our lives and in the actions of others. We experience it in worship, in our prayer times and in our fellowship. But mostly, we banish doubt, gain hope & increase our faith as we grow in our relationship with Christ. As we do that, our lives are enriched by his presence, we grow in confidence of his presence, of his peace.
Thomas, even though he may not have the greatest name in history, Doubting Thomas, has become a beacon for hope: he proves Jesus’ compassion and understanding. Jesus knows that sometimes some of us doubt, that sometimes we wonder if anyone is listening, but we know, that when we accept the peace of Christ, and thank God for his mercy and grace, we are able to mean it when we say, in the words of Thomas, My Lord and My God.
Amen.
Prayers of intercession
Pray for the world, countries in war, drought, flood or fire.
Pray for free speech, to speak without causing hurt to others.
Pray for our government, making big decisions that affect all of us.
Pray for the NHS, as it continues to work so hard for all of us.
Pray for our families and friends, especially those who are struggling.
Lord’s Prayer
Our final hymn: SoF 62
Christ triumphant
Blessing
May you be filled with surety of God, of his love & grace within you.
May you know the love of the Son in your life every single day.
May you feel the Holy Spirit, strengthening, nurturing, guiding.
May you know the love & power of the Trinity every day of your life. Amen.
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