Things have changed. And
things are changing before our eyes. How we do community is
changing. How we do church is changing. How we do outreach is
changing. In some respects we are in a place reminiscent of the
disciples after the resurrection: locked behind closed doors,
grieving, scared, and wondering what tomorrow will bring.
It was then that Jesus
appeared and said, “Do not be afraid. Peace be with you.”
In the clergy meeting last
week we talked a lot about fear, courage, and peace. There are a lot
of definitions and examples for those three words, some of which I'll
put forth here.
Fear, rational or
irrational, can paralyze us. It can keep us from acting. But it
can also motivate and drive us to action. It can move us forward.
If the fear of the unknown outweighs the fear of the present threat,
we will remain in that locked room. But if the fear of the present
threat outweighs the fear of the unknown, we will act and move
forward.
Courage has many
definitions. Confucius said, “To see the right and not do it is
cowardice.” Napoleon said, “It takes more courage to suffer than
to die.” Rollo May said, “Courage is not the absence of
despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of
despair.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. said, “Have the courage to
act instead of react.” And there are many other quotes about
courage that have to do with fortitude, standing up to the wrong,
and other aspects of life.
It is now that Jesus
appears to us and says, “Do not be afraid. Peace be with you.”
Jesus appeared to the
disciples in that locked room, and in other places, and said those
words. The disciples were grieving and afraid. Everything they had
known was under siege and in the middle of being changed. But the
realization came to them that if they stayed in that locked room
everything they had done over the past three years would be for
naught. So, with courage, they confronted their fears, stepped out
of the house, and began proclaiming the good news of God in Christ.
And in their stepping out,
in putting their fears aside, in finding the courage, they also began
to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Peace be with you.”
Like fear and courage,
there are many definitions for peace. In the disciples' context, and
in our context today, peace is not an absence of conflict. It is,
rather, a sense of calm in the midst of trouble.
They were in the midst of
trouble and Jesus was telling them to be at peace. How, you may ask,
was this possible?
I remember hearing an
interview with Mike Post, the man who wrote the theme song for Hill
Street Blues. And in that interview I remember him saying that when
he watched the opening trailer – that first scene of police cars
scrambling out of the station with lights on as they sped toward a
“robbery in progress” – he was filled with a sense of peace,
and that led him to write the calm theme song that became famous.
There are times when we are in the midst of chaos and are surrounded
by peace.
I have experienced times
on a football field when a call is made and it seems like the whole
stadium is coming unglued. The crew gets together to talk things
over, and in the midst of the screams and chaos, there is a sense of
peace in that huddle. Maybe you've had a similar experience.
The disciples were in such
a time. We are in such a time. It seems as if chaos reigns. It
seems as if all hell is breaking loose. As it was then, so it is
now, that we need the peace of Christ to envelope us and calm us.
This is the peace that
allowed Jesus to remain silent before his accusers. This is the
peace that filled Jesus with the knowledge of where real power
resided. This is the peace that allowed the psalmist to write,
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall
fear no evil.” This is the peace that allowed, and allows, the
disciples and us to do good and great things in difficult times.
Those first followers of
Christ found themselves in new and and difficult circumstances. But
there were a few constants in their new environment. The lesson from
Acts tells us that they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching
and fellowship, and to the breaking of bread and prayers. They would
distribute financial proceeds to those in need. They broke bread at
home and ate with glad and generous hearts. Even in these difficult
times those are things we can do.
We can devote ourselves to
the apostles' teaching and fellowship. We are looking at how to
start small groups for book or Bible studies, or other things that
might be helpful. Fellowship doesn't necessarily have to be in
person, so we are also looking for ways to connect virtually. For
instance, the J2A group meets every Sunday for game night and every
Thursday for “Zoompline” (online Compline). We've begun
streaming the service earlier so you all have time to chat and catch
up, and we're letting it run longer for the same reason.
We are obviously missing
being a part of Holy Communion and our table fellowship. But could
we work to have virtual table fellowship with others? What if we
invited others to join us for a virtual dinner party? We wouldn't be
sharing the same meal, but we would be sharing over a meal.
And how is our prayer
life? This would be a good time for us to explore the BCP. For the
most part, we aren't going anywhere, so have you thought about
praying the Daily Offices, or any of the other wonderful prayers to
be found in that great resource? Keeping up on our prayer lives is
absolutely critical right now.
All of this brings me to
the mission of Saint John's. The mission of Saint John's is to
Worship, Welcome, Serve, and Encourage. That mission might be more
important now than ever before. That mission won't change, it can't
change, because of current circumstances, but we may change how we
accomplish that mission. Let us not fear the unknown future more
than we fear losing what once was. Let us have the courage to view
these changes as opportunities to move forward in how we Worship the
Lord, in how we Welcome people to be part of this branch of the Jesus
movement, in how we Serve those in need, and in how we Encourage
others.
In all of these things we
may experience some fear, and that's okay. Doing these things will
require courage. But in all these things – living in the current
crisis, continuing to be the Church, trying new things – let us
walk in the peace of Christ. Let us be comforted by him who suffered
for us. And let us not despair that the world is changing while
hiding behind locked doors, but let us fear no evil, let us live with
generous hearts, and let us have the courage to live in peace.
Amen.
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