We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, who are still here, and we honor with gratitude the land itself and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

We are in Eastertide until Pentecost

The word “Easter” comes from Eostre, the name of a Teutonic goddess associated with the return of the season of growth and fertility at springtime. The season of Easter was also connected with the Hebrew Feast of Weeks, which began at Passover and ended on the fiftieth day as Shavuot or Pentecost. This was originally an agricultural festival and later celebrated the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. In many countries the name of the Christian feast we call Easter is still called by its older Greek name, Pascha, which means “Passover.” It is this meaning as the Christian Passover that celebrates Jesus’ triumph over death and entrance into resurrected life that is the heart of Easter in the Christian church. For the early church, Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the Jewish Passover feast. Through Jesus we have been freed from the slavery of sin and granted entry to the Promised Land of everlasting life. The primary theme of Easter is the resurrection. 

Eastertide is the period of fifty days, seven Sundays from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. Easter is not a day but a season and it is one to examine the Resurrection, more broadly and deeply.  “Tide” is an old word meaning a festival and its season. Why fifty days ?After the resurrection, Jesus spent forty days on earth before he ascended, and then there were ten more days after that before the Day of Pentecost. 

Easter is also more than just an extended celebration of the resurrection of Jesus  and all that means for us, leading to the launching of the Christian Church and its mission on Pentecost.. In the early church, Lent was a season for new converts to learn about the faith and prepare for baptism on Easter Sunday. The initial purpose of the 50-day Easter season was to continue the faith formation of new Christians. 

Jesus physically appears in Easter 2 and 3 making the Resurrection tangible. Easter 2 is the story of Thomas.  Easter 3 this year is the journey to Emmaus.  The shepherding part of his ministry is explored in Easter 4. From Easter 5-7, Jesus must prepare the disciples for his departure. He is going to leave them. Jesus prepares his disciples for continuing his ministry without his physical presence. Themes explored include the holy spirit, the Prayer of Jesus and God’s glory through His Son and the church. 

Christ ascends on the 40th day with his disciples watching (Thursday, May 18th). The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost inclusive are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. These fifty days comes to an end on Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to all  peoples and nation.  

The Legacy of Thomas in India

The Legacy of Thomas in India

The National Geographic -"He traveled farther than even the indefatigable Paul, whose journeys encompassed much of the Mediterranean. Of all the Apostles, Thomas represents most profoundly the missionary zeal associated with the rise of Christianity—the drive to travel to the ends of the known world to preach a new creed."

"Thomas is said to have raised the first cross in India and performed one of his earliest miracles: When he encountered a group of Brahmans throwing water into the air as part of a ritual, he asked why the water fell back to Earth if it was pleasing to their deity. My God, Thomas said, would accept such an offering. He then flung a great spray into the air, and the droplets hung there in the form of glistening white blossoms. Most onlookers converted on the spot; the rest fled."

"St. Thomas still stands as the direct link between his converts in Kerala and the founding Christian story on the shores of the Mediterranean, clear across the known world of the first century. Unlike later Christian groups in Asia who were converted by missionaries, Thomas Christians believe their church was founded by one of Christ’s closest followers, and this is central to their spiritual identity. "They are an apostolic church," Stewart said, "and that’s the ultimate seal of approval for a Christian group."

"The community was historically united in leadership and liturgy, but since the 17th century have been split into several different church denominations and traditions. 

"Historically the Saint Thomas Christian community was part of the Church of the East, centred in Persia.They are a distinct community, both in terms of culture and religion. Though their liturgy and theology remained that of East-Syrian Christians of Persia, their life-style customs and traditions were basically Indian.  

"In the 16th century the overtures of the Portuguese padroado to bring the Saint Thomas Christians into the Catholic Church led to the first of several rifts in the community and the establishment of Syrian Catholic and Malankara Church factions. Since that time further splits have occurred, and the Saint Thomas Christians are now divided into several different Eastern Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, and independent bodies, each with their own liturgies and traditions." 

Lectionary, Easter 2, April 16, 2023

I.Theme –   "Peace Be With You"

 

 "Incredulity of Thomas" –  Duccio, di Buoninsegna (1308-1311)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:


First Reading – Acts 2:14a,22-32
Psalm – Psalm 16 Page 599, BCP
Epistle –1 Peter 1:3-9
Gospel – John 20:19-31

Jesus came back from the realm of the dead after only three days. He left the tomb behind, empty. The Apostles are still in their tomb, their emotional tomb, behind the locked doors of the house, after eight days. Theirs is a fear of the Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus and thus have no peace. Would they come after them? (Jn 15:18, 19). Would be accused of having stolen his body in some resurrection scam? The reality of Jesus execution has just hit them.  Jesus comes back and shows them his wounds. The fear appears real!

Jesus visits them and twice says “Peace be with you.” Then he says it a third time a week later. Eventually they do unlock the doors and know that they are sent.  There is the Gospel story this week of the Apostle Thomas ("Doubting Thomas") who wanted physical proof of Christ’s wounds before he would believe.

Alyce McKenzie writes that "peace be with you" was not just written in the New Testament by quoting the Psalms. "Peace is God’s gift of inner serenity to those who place their trust in God (Ps 4:8; Is 26:3, 12). Peace is both the goal (Ps 34:14) and the reward of righteousness (Is 32:17). Its presence will be a sign of God’s reign (Ps 85:10). Peace results when one loves and follows God’s law (Ps 119:165."

"This isn’t the first time Jesus has uttered this greeting. "Peace be with you," is the fulfillment of a promise Jesus made to his disciples in chapter 14 of John’s Gospel (Jn 14:18-28). The disciples were afraid that they would be "orphaned" (14:18). Jesus assured them that the Father, in his name, would send the Holy Spirit to both "teach and remind" them of Jesus’ message (14:26). He then promises them peace."

Their subsequent lives were not free of conflict, not even from conflict among themselves. He doesn’t give them a traditional peace -It is rather an inner calm in the midst of strife. Peace is calmly living on the edge, betwixt and between the ups and downs of life with Jesus walking by our side. As  Alyce McKenzie writes "It is a statement of fact, of present reality." The emphasis is that Jesus lives in all of us with the resurrection in our difficult circumstances.

Jesus called us not for a quiet, leisurely life, but for an active mission that faces challenges, problems, and various trials. He gives us first of all His Peace to carry out the mission. A true peace over and against fear, and doubt.  It is a mission to preach the good news of the Kingdom

He gives us His strength, His power, the Holy Spirit. The mission can be accomplished only through His Spirit. Jesus knew very well Thomas will not be able to fulfil the calling on his own, so He came back for him, to empower him also as He empowered the other disciples. So what is our mission ?

Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop writes about this mission – forgiveness. "The resurrection was an experience of forgiveness. The disciples had all abandoned Jesus, becoming complicit with his murderers. The fact that the resurrection was happening to them was an experience of forgiveness for them. "  So he gives them another chance to them extend forgiveness into the world.  Jesus demonstrated it by calling Saul (Paul) even though he was guilty of killing some of his followers.


II. Summary

First Reading –  Acts 2:14a,22-32

This selected passage is part of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost; it is his eye witness testimony to the fact of the resurrection (v. 32). It was a powerful, Spirit filled sermon winning three thousand new converts! It is centered on Scripture (Peter quotes from Psalm 16), and on the person of Jesus Christ, and on the fact of the resurrection! Peter brought into contrast all that was known about Jesus of Nazareth the man (v. 22) and all that Scripture, in this case Ps. 16 testified about Him, in conclusion he proclaimed that the two together pointed at the resurrection, of which he and the other apostles were all witnesses!

Luke has described the coming of the Holy Spirit, a divine intervention in the world, as best he can in human terms: it was “like the rush of a violent wind” (v. 2) and “divided tongues, as of fire” (v. 3). Now Peter, on behalf of the other “eleven” (v. 14) apostles (Matthias has been chosen to replace Judas) has begun interpreting the event to them, “devout Jews from every nation” (v. 5). He has recalled God’s prophecy made through Joel (vv. 17-21): that “in the last days” there will be cosmic signs (including “fire”), then “I [God] will pour out my Spirit”, and then people will “prophesy” (probably enthusiastically share the faith) and salvation will be offered to all “who [call] … on the name of the Lord”. The “last days” are the time of the Church (1:6-8).

Having demonstrated from Joel that the end times are at hand, and therefore salvation is also at hand, Peter now demonstrates how we have access to salvation. First he shows that Jesus is the Messiah, from Psalm 16 (the quotation in vv. 25-28). Jesus, “a man attested … by God with deeds of power” (v. 22) was turned over by Jews to the Romans to be executed – as part of God’s plan for saving humankind. But God did not “abandon” (v. 27) him (permanently) to death. In the resurrection, Peter sees fulfilment of a prophecy of David that “your Holy One” would not experience “corruption” (or death). David was not speaking about himself because we can see “his tomb” (v. 29) today! So he must have been speaking of Jesus, who was raised from the dead (v. 32). Therefore, Jesus the Messiah gives access to salvation, and the way to be saved is to repent, and be baptized in his name (v. 38). Peter’s sermon is the crux of the message of Acts: the Spirit has been poured out to give power to God’s people; the end times are here; the Messiah has appeared; and a message of salvation must be preached so that those who hear may receive new life in Christ. 

Psalm –  Psalm 16

This is a Psalm of David, his praise of the faithfulness and the might of God. David is still a refugee, but he already has been promised the kingdom, even though in his present circumstances it seems to be in the distant future, if at all, but David takes God’s word as good and as real as if he would sit on the throne already.

David’s heart is glad, and he is rejoicing in praise, and rests in security even as he is on the run, for he focuses with the whole of his being upon God, who is his only good thing. David is assured that the Lord will not abandon him even in the grave! He set the Lord always before him, as soldier looks at his officer, musician at the conductor, sailor at the captain, so does the believer set the risen Lord before himself in all circumstances

Vv. 1-2 summarizes the psalm. The speaker probably takes refuge in worship in the Temple; he sees God as supreme good (v. 2). He takes the members of the faithful community, “the holy ones” (v. 3) as models for living; he will not worship with those who choose pagan gods – and not even associate with them (v. 4). His fate and his future (“portion and … cup”, v. 5) are in God’s hands. The author compares his devotion to that of a Levite. For other tribes, there were “boundary lines” (v. 6) between tribal territories in Israel, but Levites received no land; the psalmist’s “chosen portion” (v. 5) is God himself. God gives him “counsel” (v. 7) and deep understanding (“heart”). God teaches him his ways. Because God supports him, he will not stumble (“be moved”, v. 8) in following godly ways. V. 10 is unclear: it may refer to immortality or just to living a full lifetime. “Forevermore” (v. 11) may be meant literally but is more likely to mean throughout the rest of my life.

Epistle – 1 Peter 1:3-9

Peter is overflowing with joy and praise! His letter is a letter of hope. He who denied Jesus, lost all hope when Jesus was crucified. But on Easter morning he ran to the empty tomb, his hope was awakened; and later at the Sea of Galilee he jumped into the water and swam ashore to meet his risen Master before anyone else! He has been given new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Christ! It was a life changing experience to him, as it should be to all of us! So Peter is looking ahead, forward towards that inheritance that now he has through Christ

Peter has addressed this letter to those “chosen and destined” (v. 2) by the Father and “sanctified” by the Holy Spirit in order “to be obedient to Jesus Christ” and to share in the forgiveness available through Christ’s sacrificial death (v. 2). (“Blessed be …”, v. 3, is a traditional Jewish prayer form.) The Father, in his mercy, has caused us to be born again (“new birth”, baptism) into a hope which is very much alive, “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. Our rebirth is also into “an inheritance” (v. 4): in the Old Testament, the inheritance was principally Palestine, but for the Church, it is heavenly. Palestine was lost in war, but our inheritance is “imperishable”, indestructible, free from sin (“undefiled”) and never lost. We, through our trust in God (“faith”, v. 5) are guarded by God’s power – for “salvation” – already accomplished but to be shown to all at the end of time (“last time”). In all of this (v. 6), the readers rejoice even if they have had to suffer “trials” (ostracism or persecution). These verify their faithfulness to God – as the purity of gold is tested by heating it. Such fidelity will be rewarded when Christ comes (to judge) at the end of time (v. 7). Their faith is such that they love him, believe in him and rejoice, even though they (unlike Peter) have never seen him (v. 8). Why? Because they are aware that they are being saved now – this being a logical and temporal goal of trust in God.

Key quote "Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."  

Gospel – John 20:19-31 

Early on Easter Day, Mary Magdalene has discovered that Jesus’ body is missing from the tomb; the door is open, so it looks as though someone has stolen it (v. 1). She has seen a man standing near the tomb. When he speaks to her, she recognizes him as Jesus. She has told the disciples: “I have seen the Lord” (v. 18).

Later the same day, Jesus joins the disciples, gathered behind locked doors. He shows them that he is the one who was crucified (v. 20). Jesus confers on “the disciples” (not including Thomas, but perhaps a group larger than the ten) “peace” (vv. 19, 21) and “the Holy Spirit” (v. 22). As God “breathed” life into Adam, the proto-human, so Jesus now breathes the new, spiritual, life of recreated humanity into his followers. Aided by the Spirit, they continue Jesus’ judicial role in the world, forgiving the sins of the faithful and holding others blameworthy (“retain”, v. 23) for their actions. Thomas is expected to believe without having seen, but he demands: show me the evidence! (v. 25) The next Sunday, the community gathers again (v. 26). Upon seeing, Thomas makes the most complete affirmation of faith of anyone in the gospel (v. 29). Henceforth the faith of all Christians in all ages will rest on the testimony of the first believers. Vv. 30-31 tell us John’s purpose in writing the book. His eyewitness account is intended to help us, who were not witnesses of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension to “come to believe” and thus “have life in his name”, eternal life.


This is the story of "Doubting Thomas." David Lose writing this week provides 3 reason why this is an unfortunate title:

"First, Thomas is not anywhere in John’s Gospel — the only gospel where he has his own scene, lines, or characterization — described as "the doubter." Rather, he is "the Twin," a name most of us have long forgotten. Further, when Jesus has declared his intention to return to Judea — and the other disciples try to dissuade him because they know it will mean his death — it is Thomas to urges the others to follow Jesus "so that we may die with him" (11:16). Thomas is not so much a doubter as he is a realist, and a few days earlier he’d encountered reality like never before as he saw his friend and lord nailed to the cross and die. Now, when his friends tell him that they’ve seen the Lord, he reacts with a realist’s skepticism, kind of like a terminally ill patient who has accepted his fate might react to news of a new "miracle cure."

"Second, did you ever notice that what Thomas asked for was exactly what all the other disciples got? When Jesus appeared to the other disciples he showed them his hands and his side and only then, John records, did the disciples rejoice "because they saw the Lord" (20:20). One conclusion we might draw is that, despite his bad rap, Thomas is no worse than the other disciples. More importantly, however, perhaps we’ve actually misunderstood the nature of faith altogether, assuming that the "more" faith we have the fewer questions we’ll ask

"Third, Jesus’ words at the end of this scene aren’t, I think, really about Thomas. After all, who are "those who have believed and not seen"? Well, it starts with the members of the early Christian community to whom John writes…and continues to include all of us. That’s right: Jesus isn’t so much rebuking Thomas as he is blessing us. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Lose concludes that doubt is an essential part of faith. "Once he (Thomas) has encountered Jesus, his faith is as realistic as was his skepticism, as he doesn’t merely believe but also makes the chief confession in John’s gospel, acclaiming Jesus not only as "my Lord" — the title reserved for Caesar in the first century — but also "my God," the highest praise of Jesus made in the New Testament and an echo of the opening line of John’s Gospel.

Thomas like all of us have difficulty believing God’s messiah would be crucified and the unheard of plan of salvation from this violence ?

The passage reflects the historical times it was written. At the time of this Gospel we know of a drift toward gnosticism, or docetism, the tendency to say that Jesus just seemed to be human. This emphasis on the hands and side is a way of saying that the crucifixion was a real death of a real human being.

III. Articles for this week in WorkingPreacher:

First Reading – Acts 2:14a, 22-32  

Psalm – Psalm 16   

Epistle  – 1 Peter 1:3-9 

Gospel  – John 20:19-31 

Sermon, Good Friday, April 7, 2023

Can you imagine being Mary, the mother of Jesus, that day? 

Mary stood there with her sister, with Mary the wife of Clopas, with Mary Magdalene and with the beloved disciple on that dusty, horrid hill, Golgotha, the Place of the Skull.  The most sordid of deaths, Roman crucifixions, took place there.  Criminals hung on crosses and gasped out the last hours of their lives, and finally, agonizingly, suffocated and died.

Now, Mary is watching her own son hang on the cross.  This is the man that she had carried in her body for nine months, and given birth to,  loved and cared for as a child.  She loved him as he grew up into the man in whom she had complete confidence.  She is watching him die an ignominious death on a Roman cross. 

What must she have been feeling? 

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Tenebrae Returned! April 5, 2023,

1. Background of the service Tenebrae is the opening of the Holy Week services for the church.

Unlike the other Easter services, Tenebrae doesn’t relate to a specific Holy Week event as Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.

“Tenebrae” is Latin for shadows. The purpose of the service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story. This is an unusual service with its own Liturgy. There is no music – the readings carry the service. And it’s not from the traditional Gospel readings.

It sets a mood and brings you through the Holy Week story through a set of “shadows”. The shadows move through the agony of last week- Betrayal, Agony of the Spirit, Denial, Accusation, Crucifixion, Death and Burial – symbolized by the lighted candles.

Each shadow generally has a reading from Luke, a Psalm and a hymn. The readings range from Lamentations in the Old Testament to commentary from St Augustine, and at last a reading from Hebrews, in which the theology of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ is presented for our consideration. The Psalms dominate the service. 

This service makes use of the power of light and sound to emphasize the darkness of death.  15 candles are lit and extinguished gradually throughout the service until one is left.   The candles are snuffed out as Jesus life was.  The candle in the end, the Christ candle, is taken away seemingly saying that evil won. However, dramatically a noise is heard at the end denoting the events of Good Friday and the Christ candle is brought back,  a solitary light in the darkness for resurrection into which we depart, indicating that Christ has triumphed.

2. Bulletin

3. Photo gallery

4. Service (begins at 10:11)

2. Bulletin

Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Triduum, the last three days of Holy Week, in which our worship flows in one continuous liturgy, beginning with the Maundy Thursday service. “Time is suspended as we ponder and celebrate the great mysteries of our redemption.” The word “Maundy” is derived from Middle English, Old French and from the Latin word mandatum, meaning “commandment,” the first word of the phrase “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos” (“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I have loved you”), the statement we hear from Jesus to his disciples in tonight’s gospel reading.

3. Description of Holy Thursday with the Bible readings and commentaries here. 

4. A photo gallery of the service from 2019 can be found here.

5. 2023 Sermon – Susan Mitchell

6. The Foot Washing

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Easter Lectionary, Year A

I. Theme –   Easter celebrates the  reality of Jesus’ resurrection in all its many aspects.  Hope, Transformation, Evangelism and a new life.

John’s Gospel shows the ability of the risen Christ to bring transformation and hope into the most difficult situations of human pain and grief is powerfully and movingly highlighted. With this encounter, John ‘leads the reader from the empty tomb to that which is the real meaning of the resurrection – the creation of a new relationship between Jesus and those who believe in him.’

The Acts reading emphasizes the broader nature of the resurrection spreads the message of Christ to all and in particular the Gentiles.  

The Psalms and Colossians speak to the type of life we receive in Christ. 

1. In death to sin, self, and the world (v.3a; cf. 2:20; Rom. 6:6-11)
2. In spiritual resurrection to newness of life (v.1a; cf. 2:12-13; Rom. 6:6, 11)
3. In new, spiritual life, aliveness to God (vv. 3b, 4a; cf. Rom. 6:11, 13)
4. In resurrection glory (v.4b; cf. Rom. 8:17-18; 2 Thess. 1:10) 

 
 “Noli Me Tangere” (Touch Me Not) – Correggio (1534) 

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Old Testament – Jeremiah 31:1-6 
Psalm – Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Page 760, BCP 
Epistle –Colossians 3:1-4
 Epistle- Acts 10:34-43
Gospel John 20:1-18
Gospel – Matthew 28:1-10 


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Sunday Links, Holy Week and Easter, April 9, 2023

  • Web site
  • YouTube St. Peter’s Page for viewing services
  • Facebook St. Peter’s Page

    • The week that changed the world continues to change our lives

  • The Psalms study Mon., April 3, 7:00pm Zoom link Meeting ID: 873 0418 9375 Passcode: 092098. We will cover Psalms 15-23 and concentrate on 22 since it is heard on Good Friday, coming up.
  • Ecumenical Bible Study, Wed., April 4, 10am-12pm in the Parish House.
    • Reading the lectionary for April 9, Easter Sunday

  • Holy Week Services. In the church and on YouTube, St. Peter’s Page

    • Wednesday, April 5, 7PM—TENEBRAE Description

    Thursday, April 6, 7PM—MAUNDY THURSDAY Description

    Friday, April 7, 7PM—GOOD FRIDAY Description

    Sunday, April 9, 7AM – EASTER SUNRISE at the home of Alex and Nancy Long

    Sunday, April 9, 11AM – EASTER SUNDAY HOLY EUCHARIST AT ST PETER’S Description

  • April, 2023 Newsletter
  • Stations of the Cross in our churchyard

    • Meditate on the last hours of Jesus’ life by walking the Stations of the Cross. Mary Peterman’s moving watercolors and the text for each station are on a series of fourteen banners which you will find placed outside the church for quiet meditation either in solitude or in small groups.

  • All articles for Holy Week and Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023

    • Matthew’s Passion Account

    Each of the Gospels stresses something different about the event according to Catholic writer Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.:

    • Mark: the suffering of Jesus, how he was tragically rejected, unfairly condemned, viciously beaten, horribly insulted, and cruely mistreated by multiple groups .
    • Matthew: the kingship of Jesus, how the de-facto ruling powers (esp. Pilate & Caiphas) conspired to get rid of someone they saw as a political threat.  
    • Luke: the innocence of Jesus, how Pilate said he did not deserve death, and others (Herod Antipas, centurion, repentant thief) also recognized his innocence.
    • John: the exaltation of Jesus, how he remains in charge, driving the all action, completing the will of the Father, and being glorified as he is lifted up.

    Year A, the current church year, features Matthew’s story of the Passion. Matthew’s account portrays Jesus as a regal figure, a king who suffers and dies for his people. His purpose in coming into the world was to save his people from their sins (1:21). In his gospel, Matthew shows that Jesus is an obedient, faithful seeker of God’s will in his life, and that Jesus pays heed to the Torah. Jesus carries out his role as the obedient Son of God, innocent of any wrong; yet he is crucified. He goes willingly to the cross.

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    Lectionary, Palm Sunday, Year A

    I.Theme –   "Strength is concealed in humility, pain is hidden in triumph, victory, in defeat, life, in death, God, in human form" -Diedrik Nelson

     

    "Palm Sunday" – Giotto (1305-06)     "Betrayal & Arrest of Christ" – Fra Angelico (1450)

    The lectionary readings are here or individually: 

    Old Testament – Isaiah 50:4-9a
    Psalm – Psalm 31:9-16 Page 623, BCP 
    Epistle –Philippians 2:5-11 
    Gospel – Matthew 26:14- 27:66 

    "Borg and Crossan (The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’s Final Days in Jerusalem) imagine not one but two political processions entering Jerusalem that Friday morning in the spring of AD 30. In a bold parody of imperial politics,  Jesus descended the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem from the east in fulfillment of Zechariah’s ancient prophecy: "Look, your king is coming to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Matthew 21:5 = Zechariah 9:9). From the west, the Roman governor Pilate entered Jerusalem with all the pomp of state power. Pilate’s brigades showcased Rome’s military might, power and glory. Jesus’s triumphal entry, by stark contrast, was an anti-imperial and anti-triumphal "counter-procession" of peasants that proclaimed an alternate and subversive community that for three years he had called "the kingdom of God."

    This week has two liturgies – Liturgy of the Palms and Liturgy of the Passon.

    "The church is called to reckon with paradox on this week: triumph and rejection, death and rebirth." So writes Melinda Quivik in Working Preacher. The week begins with Jesus triumphant arrival and by the end of the week he is killed.  Next week we trace the path day by day.  God is sacrificed by those he brings life. 

    "Strength is concealed in humility, pain is hidden in triumph, victory, in defeat, life, in death, God, in human form" -Diedrik Nelson 

    The theme is established by the first lesson The servant is disciplined by suffering so he may bring strength and refreshment to the oppressed, but there are those who oppose him. Willingly he submits to those who torture and humiliate him. But God is his helper, so he is not disgraced or shamed. God vindicates him, no one can convict him.

    The servant willingly suffers humiliation at the hands of his adversaries. He is not disgraced or put to shame because Yahweh vindicates him and helps him; no one can declare him guilty.

    The servant of the Lord is opposed (Isaiah), is obedient to death (Philippians). He is betrayed, tortured and crucified by those who should have listened to him, and is recognized as Son of God by a centurion (Matthew). He will be vindicated (Isaiah), exalted by God (Philippians), and honored by the unexpected (Matthew).

    The Passion story can be broken down in the following scenes

    1. Jesus is anointed by an unnamed woman at Bethany.

    2. Judas agrees to betray Jesus.

    3. The disciples are instructed to prepare for the Passover meal.

    4. Jesus shares a “last supper” with his disciples.

    5. Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him three times.

    6. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.

    7. Jesus is arrested.

    8. Jesus is interrogated by the high priest and his council. Peter denies Jesus three times.

    9. The high priest and his council find Jesus to be deserving of death; they hand him over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

    10. Jesus is tried by Pilate.

    11. The crowd, given a choice between Jesus and the bandit Barabbas, choose to have Barabbas released and Jesus crucified.

    12. Jesus is manhandled and mocked by the Roman soldiers.

    13. Jesus is crucified and dies on the cross.

    14. Jesus is buried in a tomb provided by Joseph of Arimethea. 


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    The Animated Ezekiel

    This week in Lent 5 we have the “dry bones” story of Ezekiel. Here is an overview video on the second part of the book of Ezekiel, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Among the exiles in Babylon, Ezekiel shows that Israel deserved this judgment, and also that God’s justice creates hope for the future.

    Lectionary, Lent 5 Year A

    I.Theme –   Death and Resurrection

     "Raising of Lazarus" – Giotto (1304-1306)

    The lectionary readings are here  or individually:


    Old Testament – Ezekiel 37:1-14
    Psalm – Psalm 130 Page 784, BCP
    Epistle –Romans 8:6-11
    Gospel – John 11:1-45

    Death and resurrection are the themes that permeate the lessons today. The image is that of forgiveness and redemption certified by resurrection and new life. The Psalmist awaits Yahweh’s redemption both for himself and for Israel. Ezekiel witnesses and even participates in the reanimation of dead Israel in preparation for her return to her land. The promise to new life for those filled with the Spirit of the Lord is the resurrection of Jesus. And Lazarus points ahead from his resurrection to the greater, more complete and dynamic resurrection of Jesus.

    Contrast is used in this readings. Ezekiel’s story is that of the "dry bones" where we see lifeless, nake bones being reconstituted. Paul contrasts the life of the flesh, which draws from sin and leads to death, with the life of the Spirit, which draws from the Spirit of Christ and leads to righteousness.  In today’s gospel, we hear the story of the death and raising of Lazarus, a foretaste of Jesus’ own death and resurrection and of what all of us buried and raised with Christ in the sacrament of baptism both acknowledge (their own spiritual “stinking deadness”) and freely receive (the gift of new and eternal life). 


    II. Summary

    Old Testament -Ezekiel 37:1-14

    It is likely that Ezekiel was among those deported when the Babylonians first took Jerusalem, in 598 BC. He opposed a political solution to Judah’s woes, espousing instead the notion of Israel as a community faithful to God in religious observance and obedience.

    Ezekiel prophesies in Babylon from 593 to 571 BCE among Judean exiles who have witnessed wholesale death, destruction of culture and stresss of dislocation. The selection is a word of comfort and assurance

    Ezekiel is desperate to shake his people out of their spiritual complacency.

    1 Jerusalem is destined to be destroyed for its sin, and nothing can be done to save it. There can be no talk of salvation until after the judgment has occurred

    2 After Israel has been punished, God will be faithful to the promises made to David and will restore Jerusalem’s status as the eternal divine dwelling place. . God is a God of justice, faithfulness and redemption and will not abandon his people.

    The reading here is a prophecy or vision. The scene are dry bones are in a valley an arid place, perhaps the site of a battle. It is not clear why they weren’t buried. The bones are “very dry”, long lifeless; they symbolize the exiles, who lack hope of resuscitation of the kingdom of Israel. For Israel this vision spoke of moral and spiritual bankruptcy. . Ezekiel was a man of vivid imagination and symbolism; a man of deep spirituality and holiness, preaching the need for personal spiritual renewal and penitence and that of the nation.

    Contrasting with the dead bones are “breath” and “spirit.” The prophet declares the divine message in which Yahweh declares his intention to cover the bones with flesh and skin and fill them with breath. God will renew the covenant, restoring Israel – but probably spiritually rather than literally. It is the Spirit of God of course which brings about this resurrection. 

    Psalm -Psalm 130

    This is a prayer for deliverance from personal trouble, but it ends with a message to all people. The “depths” are the chaotic waters, separation from God – as in Jonah’s prayer from the stomach of the great fish. This is an unusual psalm of despair and anguish as well as hope

    Psalm not only helps vocalise that despair but gives blessed assurance and reassurance that God’s constant love not only forgives all wrongs but will carry us through everything.

    “From the depths of my despair, I call to you,” says the Psalmist in verse one, speaking of the Hebrew belief in Sheol the land of the dead, into which the dead were believed to sink never to reappear. He is in hell at that moment. And longs for God to carry him through as God allowed the people to pass through the waters of the Red Sea.

    May God be attentive to my pleas. God forgives, so he shall be “revered” (v. 4). If God were to record all our misdeeds, how could anyone face him? He is merciful by nature, so I eagerly await his help, his “word” (v. 5), a prophecy from him. I wait as do watchmen guarding a town from enemy attack (v. 6). Perhaps (v. 7) the psalmist has now received a prophecy of salvation which he tells to all Israel: wait in hope for God; he offers unfailing “love”, freedom from grievous sin. 

    Epistle -Romans 8:6-11

    Paul has written that, as a result of God’s love shown in the liberating act of Christ’s death and resurrection, we are empowered to live a new life, one of freedom from sin, from the finality of death and the Law. As experience shows, the Christian is able to live a life for God, in the Spirit. Christian life is bound up in the Spirit, and not by the desires of the flesh.

    Life and death; physical and spiritual; the way of the flesh or the way of the Spirit are the themes of these few verses,.two very different mindsets (v. 6). A person whose mind “is set on the flesh” (v. 7), whose view is limited to the natural world, is at enmity with God because he is fundamentally unable to obey God’s law – he lacks the power to transcend his inner conflicts, and “cannot please God” (v. 8).

    The Spirit filled life is full of creativity, energy and intimacy with our God now and always. It is a life lived with the immense power of God – the power that raised Jesus from the dead. To Paul the choice is frustratingly easy – Choose life and live by and with the Spirit

    Christians are in the Spirit (v. 9) and the “Spirit … dwells in you”, i.e. the Spirit fills and motivates our lifestyle. Attachment to Christ (belief in him) is only possible in this kind of relationship: Christ and the Spirit come together.

    Vv. 10-11 say: if Christ (or the Spirit) is in you, though you may be a corpse because of all the wrong you have done, you are actually very much alive – because of the Spirit. If God’s Spirit is in you, God will resuscitate your bodies (from being corpses) through the Spirit, in raising you to new life at the end of time. We want to choose life but the way of the flesh often drowns out the voice of God

    The Covenant Promise of Israel was to a life of security in the land promised from Moses time. Life in Christ is very different as it is personal as opposed to that of the Community or nation; life for Paul is life in all its fullness here and through all eternity; death means separation from God.

    Throughout his letters we can see how important it was to Paul how we live here and now. We can either “live in Christ” and have “Christ live in us”, or unthinkably we live without Christ.

    Gospel – John 11:1-45

    The raising of Lazarus is the event which is the climax and conclusion of Jesus’ public ministry. It is also the 7th sign in John’s second part of his Gospel. It has been said that John starts with a wedding (Cana) and ends with a funeral (Lazarus).  This particuarly story is only a part of John. John’s Gospel is all about the power of God which Jesus used in all his miracles and signs proving that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, The Son of God.

    Who is Lazarus ? He is most likely the guardian of his sisters at the time of his death. His death would seem, thus, to bring with it the specter of economic difficulties for the women.

    Why 4 days? At the time of Jesus it was believed that the life force of the body stayed in close proximity for 3 days. So the repeated statement (Verses 17 and 39) that Lazarus had been in the tomb for 4 days stresses that he is beyond all hope of life.

    The purpose of the miracle is so that the people might believe that God has sent Jesus. Death in John is separation from Christ. Jesus can not keep people from dying; but that Jesus will raise up the dead and that (physical) death will never separate believers from God

    Lazarus can do nothing for himself. All he can do is receive the power of God to give him new life. A similar illustration is given in the first lesson from Ezekiel 37. The call to faith is a call to die, so that God’s power might be manifested in giving us life.

    After this event Jesus retreats to wait for the coming of the Passover, his hour, and the climax of his life (John 11:54). The irony is that by saving Lazarus’ life it will lead to Jesus. The presence of many Jews (v. 19) will become witnesses to the miracle and then believe in Jesus (v. 45), which scare the chief priests and the Pharisees into the decision to kill Jesus in order to save the nation (vv. 48-52).

    The actual raising of Lazarus occurs only at the end of the passage. Many authors suggests entire passage is centered on the theme of faith rather than resurrection or life. There are only 6 verses about the event but 20 about Lazarus sisters, Mary and Martha

    Lazarus can be seen as a symbol of baptism. He submitted to the death and the days in the tomb, and then was raised to a new life by Jesus. Baptism is a symbolic death to our old life and a re–birth into a new life in Christ, which is precisely what happens with Lazars

    Theologically, we died in baptism and we die in daily repentance, and God raises us to new life. However, sometimes after God has given us new life, we still want to keep ourselves wrapped up and bound in our grave clothes — signs of the old life. We can keep ourselves bound up by holding onto those sins from which Jesus has freed us and has forgiven us

    Situation -Jesus is beyond the reach of the Jewish religious authorities, across the Jordan when Martha and Mary (in “Bethany”, near Jerusalem) send a message to him (v. 3): Lazarus, a follower, is ill. Jesus says that his illness is not terminal, rather it will show the “glory” (v. 4, power and authority) the Father has bestowed on the Son. Jesus delays two days

    As with a number of John stories, there is a amount of confusion leading to Jesus to clarify the situation.

    Disciples don’t understand about Lazarus condition They misunderstand Jesus’ words about "sleeping". When Jesus says that Lazarus is "asleep," they don’t get that he means he is dead. When Jesus suggests a journey to "wake him up," the disciples question his judgment. After all, if Lazarus is sleeping, they figured that that’s a good sign that the worst of his illness has past, and, besides, doesn’t Jesus realize the danger that awaits him in Judea? They are reluctant to go with Jesus, because they might die. Jesus replies with a parable: there is still time (“hours of daylight”, v. 9) to do God’s work; harm will not come to him “during the day

    The disciples are not great models of faith. Restoring Lazarus to life will be a greater opportunity (than just healing him) for strengthening the disciples’ faith in Jesus (v. 15).

    The second part of confusion are the sisters of Lazarus. . Perhaps Martha sets out to warn Jesus of the rites while Mary receives mourners Both his sisters are somewhat miffed Jesus didn’t get there earlier. The exploration of faith is really with Lazarus two sisters, Mary and Martha. For the time, it is exceptional that Jesus is evening having a conversation with a woman

    Mary and Martha both start out the same way. Why didn’t you get here earlier but it becomes more affirming and understanding. Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day" though she did not expect sooner. When Martha is pressed by Jesus to go beyond the understandings current in the Judaism of the day (expressed in 11:24), she makes a confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (a messianic term), and as the one coming into the world. “Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."”

    Jesus identifies himself as he who raises believers from death (“resurrection”, v. 25) and who is the principle of “life”. Physical death is normal, even so life in Christ will continue, and this life cannot be taken away by the death of the body 

    She comes to a full understanding of Jesus though she may not know Lazarus will be raised earlier than the last day. This is an endorsement of both the need for faith and the need to strive for a fuller understanding of the meaning of the faith. Yet even at the moment of the opening of the tomb her faith is not enough to believe that her brother, really will “come forth”. (verse38)

    She discerns that Jesus wishes to speak to Mary. She tells Mary “privately” (v. 28) either so she can escape from the visitors or to shield Jesus from any who plot against him. The visitors see Mary leave, and follow her

    Mary is more emotional and expresses concern about Jesus delay but that’s about as far as she gets. She doesn’t utter all the proper phrases like Martha about the all-powerful Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God or any belief about the resurrection of the dead. Mary just cries.

    A very important theme in this gospel surfaces in this lesson. This is the idea of Jesus’ glorification, which is first mentioned here in 11:4. The reference here is to a future event, which we are well aware is the event of the crucifixion.

    III. Articles for this week in WorkingPreacher:

    Old Testament – Ezekiel 37:1-14

    Psalm – Psalm 130  

    Epistle  – Romans 8:6-11 

    Gospel  – John 11:1-45 

    Art for 5th week in Lent

    Commentary is by Daniella Zsupan-Jerome.

    Death threatens life in the story of the raising of Lazarus, and János Vaszary’s Resuscitation of Lazarus invites us into the scene. This 1912 painting is a striking collision of styles: the figures recall the standardized style of Byzantine icons, while the background, color, and expression have a modern, vivid quality. This is revered tradition unfolding in the here and now, much like the Gospel message seeks to imbue our present day.

    Vaszary isn’t as much telling the story as inviting us into the heart of it. Instead of a narrative, he offers three key realities symbolized by these figures. On the left, the women crying and imploring are Martha and Mary folding us into the sorrow of fear and loss as their brother is consumed by illness. In the middle, Lazarus hangs naked and limp in the arms of an imposing figure in red—Death. Lazarus’s body brings to mind the body of Christ off the cross, an anti-Pietà with a body that is held here not by a sorrowful mother but a triumphant and defiant Death. On the right, Jesus and the disciples enter to stop him.

    Jesus, hand held up in blessing, stops Death in his tracks. As his disciples look to him in wonder, Jesus looks out at us, with a steady confidence that humbles Death’s assumed triumph. Christ addresses us, the viewers, with eternal truth: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”

    A notable expression of the modern style of this icon is the background. Instead of solid gold, we see a dawning sky, another sign of the awakening that is taking place. In the Gospel passage, Jesus teaches the disciples about walking by day versus stumbling at night. With the dawning sky, we can anticipate a steady road ahead, a sure way that leads to salvation and fullness of life. There is powerful symbolism here as Christ’s own path will soon lead him to Jerusalem, Golgotha, and the cross. Knowing the way ahead, Jesus’ act of faith is profound encouragement to dare to look further down the road and trust in God as the Author of Life.

    On this fifth Sunday of Lent, we may be at different points along the way: wailing with the women in our sorrow, in the grip of death like Lazarus, wondering at the possibility of faith like the disciples, or facing a hard road ahead. Christ engages us from the painting directly: I am the Way; follow me to the fullness of life.

    Seeing Differently -Lent 4

    Seeing like Jesus makes the difference. That is implied in every story about Jesus in the New Testament. Still, we should ask, what does it mean to see like Jesus? One way to answer that question is to look at a particular story from John’s gospel. It’s a miracle story. Jesus gives sight to a man born blind. It’s messy, spit and mud are a part of the process. But when you need to be healed you’re open to the unconventional.

    Jesus’ friends and the community at large look at the blind man’s infirmity and see punishment from God because of the sins of his mother and father. Jesus sees things differently. He sees the man’s infirmity as an opportunity for God’s glory. That is, for the shine and celebrity of God to burn a little brighter. They see a punishing God; Jesus sees a God of healing and opportunity. That’s how Jesus sees our world, limitations, obstacles, and family of origin issues- as the perfect precondition for the wonderful restorative impulse of God to showcase themselves, You could say, that seeing like Jesus is to receive, keep and increase a sensitivity to light, especially in the darkest times, places, and circumstances. Seeing like Jesus is to see your healing as a part of being sent.

    Lent 4, Year A

    I.Theme –   The emphasis this week is on the themes of light, vision and insight. Samuel is given insight to anoint a shepherd boy to be king. Paul urges the church to be people of light. In the Gospel a blind  man is given sight to see Jesus the Messiah.

    Healing the Blind Man - El Greco<

    “The Miracle of Christ Healing the Blind” – El Greco (1560) . The man in the foreground with his wife may be the blind man’s parents

    The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

    Old Testament – 1 Samuel 16:1-13
    Psalm – Psalm 23
    Epistle –Ephesians 5:8-14
    Gospel – John 9:1-41 

    In the Old Testament , The problem was, who shall succeed King Saul who was rejected by Yahweh The Lord sends Samuel to Jesse’s home where there were eight sons. One of them Yahweh wants as the new king. One by one seven sons are passed by. David is called home from caring for his father’s sheep. At once Samuel is given insight that David is God’s choice. Here is a case similar to the Gospel’s account of Jesus’ giving the healed man the insight that he was the Messiah 

    Psalm 23 is the Psalm of the Day. It harmonizes with the miracle’s account of Jesus’ compassion for a blind person. He becomes one of Jesus sheep.  Like the sheep, the blind man hears Jesus’ voice. Like the shepherd, Jesus finds the blind man when he has been cast out (9:35). Jesus provides for the man born blind much more than sight–he provides for him what he, as the good shepherd, gives all of his sheep–the protection of his fold (10:16), the blessing of needed pasture (10:9), and the gift of abundant life (10:10).

    In Ephesians, the Epistle reacing,  Christians are people of the light according to Paul. Before accepting Christ they lived in the darkness of sin. Christians are to shun the works of darkness and to live in the light of goodness and truth. In the Gospel miracle account Jesus, the light of the world, brings light to a blind man both physically and spiritually. 

     The Gospel account is one of not one but two miracles and is the story of the “Man Born Blind.” The first miracle is told in the first seven verses. The rest of the chapter deals with human reactions to the miracle: the healed man, his parents, the Pharisees and Jesus. The second miracle is the insight the healed man was given enabling him to confess Jesus as the Son of man, Messiah. The chapter begins and ends with blindness. At the beginning a man was physically blind. At the end, the Pharisees were spiritually blind because of their sin. The healed man experienced a double miracle: sight and insight.

    Confronted by the blindness of the world, a blindness encapsulated in the man born blind, Jesus said to his disciples, “we must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.”  This scripture can be seen as a call to us to practice evangelism, providing light to others.   It is there, through faith, that they will find life eternal.  


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    The Annunciation celebrated March 25

    Annunciation– Fra Angelico (1426)

    Here is a video that describes this scene in the painting above displayed in the Prado museum in Madrid.

    In the first chapter of Luke The Annunciation(Luke 1:26-38) is described. We read how the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Christ, and how Mary answered, “Here I am, the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me as you have said.” It is reasonable to suppose that Our Lord was conceived immediately after this. Accordingly, since we celebrate His birth on 25 December, we celebrate the Annunciation nine months earlier, on 25 March.

    For many centuries most European countries took 25 March, not 1 January, as the day when the number of the year changed, so that 24 March 1201 was followed by 25 March 1202. If you had asked a Christian of that time why the calendar year changed so awkwardly partway through a month, he would have answered: “Today we begin a new year of the Christian era, the era which began X years ago today when God was made man, when He took upon Himself a fleshly body and human nature in the womb of the Virgin.”

    Here is another description of the event