Depending on your age, background, location, or a dozen other variables you may know the Second Sunday of Easter as Low Sunday or Holy Humor Sunday. For those of us who have regularly served as supply preachers, this is a day you can always count on for getting a gig. Whatever your story may be, you are here for some conversation and perhaps consolation, as you engage the texts for April 11th.
For those following the Revised Common Lectionary, Thomas is ready and waiting! The painting by Zoltán Joó is a wonderful depiction of a Doubting Thomas who finally had the opportunity to see the risen Jesus for himself. Thomas has become one of my favorite disciples over the years. I love that after all that fuss, he never actually touches Jesus. Plus he makes a great confession of Jesus as Lord and God. There is also a rich tradition of story related to Thomas’ missionary work to the people of South India.
If you’re into the Narrative Lectionary then it’s Cleopas and his plus one, meeting the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. (Is it his son or wife or friend?) And if you’re into holy humor, you may have chosen something completely different! As for me, I’m one of those preachers who is off this week, so I’ll be eager to hear what you have to say. So please add your comments, your questions, your ideas and sermon links (when available) in the comments below.
RevHRod also known as Heidi Rodrick-Schnaath is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America living in the Philadelphia metro area. She just completed a call and is getting ready to spend the summer finishing work on her DMin and training to begin interim ministry in the fall.
Doubting Thomas is by Zoltán Joó, a Hungarian artist who has given permission for the publication of this artwork under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
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Associate’s Sunday here. My colleague wanted to preach Thomas this year, so I am doing Emmaus and saving Thomas for her. I am grateful for the convergence of the narrative lectionary and those resources. I’m not sure exactly what I will say, but I think a brief reflection on our need to talk things through (that’s the part that is standing out to me this year) and then let the breaking of bread lead straight into communion. –Wendy
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Bookgirl- I like your take! We so often focus on the bread which is of course significant, but the warming of their hearts clearly started with the conversation. Some days it is only in the telling of the story that it becomes truly a part of us.
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The Revised Common Lectionary has Doubting Thomas as the gospel reading for Years A, B, and C! No fair! I preached on this last year!
So I am going with a different post-resurrection John text — John 21:15-19. Jesus and Peter on the beach, never talking about the elephant on the beach with them, but it’s there: Peter promised Jesus he’d never deny him, then in a matter of hours, he did — three times. Now the awkward moment when they are together again. I’ve preached on this before, and I’ve used the same sermon title before — “Unfinished Business.” But this will be a new sermon. Tied it with 1 John 1:5-10, in particular verses 8 and 9 that we use as a call to confession: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves…”
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“…after all of the fuss he never touches Jesus” – this feels like an “aha moment” for me because I’m not sure it ever registered with me before that he didn’t…huh…
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I was trying for more of a reflection, but I think somewhere along the way it became a sermon. It is done, and it will have to stand. –Wendy
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