Readings for Easter 2A
Psalm 16; Acts 2:14-32; John 20:19-31
March 30, 2008
The Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
“O God…You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.” [Psalm 16]
* The devil called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said:
“We can’t keep Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from seeking a relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches. Let them convene endless meetings. Let them have their potluck dinners. However, steal their time so that they don’t have the time or energy to develop a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. Keep their religious convictions superficial.”
“So this is what I want you to do. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout the day by keeping them busy in the non-essentials of life. Invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds. Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children, so they won’t be able to teach their children the ways of the Lord. This will make the children grow up to become a source of sadness and constant worry for them. As their families fragment, soon their homes will offer no escape, peace, or love from the pressures of work.”
“Over-stimulate their minds so they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or their ipods whenever they drive. Keep the TV, DVD player, cell phones, and computers going constantly in their home. See to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-religious music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with news 24 hours a day. Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas and the Easter bunny so they won’t talk about the meaning of resurrection, hope, and the possibilities of new life.”
“Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their vacations exhausted, too exhausted to even attend church. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God’s creation. Instead, send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies. Keep them busy, busy, busy. And when they actually do meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip, small talk, and triangulation. Encourage them to talk about the property, the clergy’s wardrobe, or their latest vacation, leaving no time to talk about their personal relationship with God. Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from the Holy Spirit. Soon they will be working from their ego strength alone, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”
It was a quite a plan. The demons went eagerly to their assignments, tempting people to become busier and busier, over-stimulating their minds, encouraging Christians to seek bigger, better, and faster, slowly tearing away at the fabric of their spiritual lives….
[* taken from the internet]
Today is the first Sunday after Easter. It is the day on which we hear the story about Thomas who was absent when Jesus first appeared to the apostles. Because he hadn’t seen him with his own eyes, Thomas did not believe that Jesus had risen. And so this apostle has come to be known as “doubting Thomas.” But if we were to take a serious look at Thomas’ response, perhaps we would give him a different name such as: the thoughtful one, the careful one, the scientist, or the one who would not be easily persuaded by the latest theology or fad. After all, the actual resurrection of Jesus was something new, something not fully understood, something usual, something that had not been previously experienced in Thomas’ religious tradition. In summary, Thomas did not want to engage in wishful or magical thinking and so he waited for more evidence before jumping on this latest theological bandwagon.
I actually admire Thomas’ thoughtful reflection and initial resistance. Like Thomas, I also believe that it is important not to be tempted to jump on the latest theological fad or to be influenced by the prevailing values & culture of the day. In my own religious journey, it has taken me quite awhile to integrate the fullness of the resurrection & to understand its relevance in my daily life. I still have a ways to go. Doubt is part and parcel of a life of faith. The greatest threat to a life of faith is not doubt but rather indifference.
Remember, Jesus is a big boy and can take our doubts and uncertainties. So don’t be afraid to question but do be willing to honestly grapple with the questions. When struggling with theological concerns, I often ask: Can this lead me into wholeness and abundant life? What has it done for other people who have embraced this way or truth? I then hold these questions tenderly in my heart, waiting for insight from the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth.
It is so tempting to be overly influenced by the ways of the world and to believe that what God had to say to us in Jesus Christ is no longer relevant. There are so many competing voices out there, which promise to make us healthy, wealthy, and wise, and so we try this and that, becoming overly busy, stimulated, and exhausted. But are any of these voices true? Do any of them lead to wholeness and abundant life? Are we truly engaging in honest discernment or are we being swept along with the prevailing culture of the day?
The devil called a second worldwide meeting of demons. In this opening address he said:
“I think the clergy are onto our plan to distract, over-stimulate, and keep Christians busy, busy, busy. Many of them are exposing our plan of darkness and exhaustion by preaching challenging sermons. So, we are going to have to turn up the heat and attack the clergy directly. We certainly don’t want those Christians to see the light or to grow beyond a superficial understanding of the faith. This is what we will do. We will convince the clergy that the best way to grow and flourish in their churches is by adapting a business model of leadership. Keep the clergy focused on numbers, the parochial report, stewardship campaigns, strategic planning, goal setting, emails, diocesan responsibilities and endless reports. Convince them to attend countless seminars on growth and evangelism and to spend most of their time attending meetings. This way, they will have little time to practice the spiritual disciplines and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Once this happens, their churches will lose their spiritual edge.”
“Make the clergy feel guilty if they miss a meeting or try to take off more than one day per week. Make sure they feel responsible for all the failures in the parish. Keep them so busy and tired that they become frustrated with disappointment. Make them believe that if they just worked harder, smarter, and longer, they will eventually be successful. Leave little time for them to study or pray or think about what God might be calling them to do. When they do try to schedule a Bible study or offer a special mid-week service, make sure there are too many other things going on in the parish for people to attend.”
Today is my last Sunday before I begin my sabbatical. I will be gone until August 1st. It is good that I go away to renew my vocation and to rest, refresh, and spend an extended time listening to God’s voice. Like you, I have been tempted to follow the ways of the world, believing that if I just worked harder, smarter, and longer, all would be well and we would grow in faith and in numbers. At times, I forgot that it is the Holy Spirit who is responsible for growth. At times, I worked so hard and became so tired, that I could no longer see the risen Christ in my presence. It is tempting to adopt a business model for the church. After all, many churches that have done so, have been very successful. But we are not called to be successful. We are called to be faithful. In 1993, I was ordained to be a pastor, priest, and teacher; “to proclaim by word and deed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” At that time, I made a vow to nourish Christ’s people from the riches of his grace, and to strengthen them to glorify God in this life and in the life to come. [BCP 531]
So the focus of my sabbatical is on becoming a blessed leader. A blessed leader is one who bears the love, joy, grace, and wisdom of Christ. It is a leader who is radically open to God, leading from a place of faith in accordance with God’s will. When such a leader arises, God’s grace flows through her in a way that can lead a congregation into blessedness. A blessed church is one that is open at its foundation to God’s purpose, presence, and power. It is a church that is spiritually deep and healthy on all levels, one that experiences and encounters God in its community life. Becoming a blessed church requires that its leaders be spiritually alive, healthy, and grounded in practices that lead people to spiritual health.
The primary focus of my sabbatical is rest, renewal, and spending time with God. I fully expect to see the dampened fires of joy flare up in me again. As I become an icon of God’s grace, I envision St. Jude’s becoming a more spiritually vibrant, God centered community. Finally, I see my renewed spirit and joy lifting up the spirits of those I relate to: within this congregation, within our diocese, and with those I know as partner, family, and friends. Please pray for me during this time away as I will pray for you.
“O God…You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.” [Psalm 16]
| Updated April 1, 2008 |
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