In the X Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Well, it’s Father’s Day so what would it be without a few Dad Jokes! You know what a dad joke is right? That short punny or pithy statement that results in an involuntary cringe, a muted chuckle, or a groan. So, here’s a few for you that’s sure to make your day a bit more special:

• After an unsuccessful harvest, why did the farmer decide to try a career in music? Because he had a ton of sick beets.
• My friend was showing me his tool shed and pointed to a ladder. “That’s my stepladder,” and I replied, “I never knew my real ladder.”
• What’s the difference between a well-dressed man on a unicycle and a poorly-dressed man on a bicycle? Attire. Alright…One more…
• If you’re feeling depressed, try drinking a gallon of water before you go to sleep. It’ll give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Families try to make some effort to show appreciation on this day maybe with a nice card, a gift, and a lunch. So, it’s only fitting on this Father’s Day that Jesus would have some special advice for families about fathers. However it might not be what you think it will be. Ok, here goes:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Well, what do you think of Jesus’ family values and Father’s Day advice? Funny I don’t believe I’ve ever seen these words on a decorative plaque or cross stitched and hanging on the wall. Their definitely not feel-good words, or what we might hear coming from Bible churches and the like who pride themselves on their primary ‘focus on family.’ We can glean at least two things from this passage: 1) There are many instances in scripture where the words aren’t meant to be taken literally – they are hyperbole, where there is an overexaggeration to make a point “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!” “If I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times…” Jesus is emphasizing our need to put God first and foremost in our lives above all others, even those we are the closest to (maybe especially them). In the day of this writing in the first century, the early Christians often paid a high price for following the Way of Jesus. To be a Christian meant that you could quickly become an enemy of both institutional religion and the instrument of the state. Organized religion of the day saw them as being in a cult, and while the state saw them as a threat with split loyalties and harboring antigovernment sentiment.

For some it meant being disowned or disinherited by their families. For others it might mean the loss of a livelihood, or career. Some were divorced by a spouse who wanted nothing to do with that sect called Christians. Some as we know from history, lost their lives in the coliseum, or by crucifixion, or burning at the stake. To follow Christ would mean that some would have to turn deaf ears to the pleadings or threats of their pagan fathers and mothers, or from their children’s tears. They weren’t trying to take over the government; they were trying to bring about the Kingdom of God in the midst of the kingdoms of the world. It was not so much about family values as it was Kingdom Values, and often Kingdom values were just the opposite of the family values of empire.

Some of the kingdom values of the early Christians included but were not limited to the following:

• Radical Generosity: There were no pensions or social security, and some believers lost livelihoods, so they often pooled resources and sold possessions to distribute the proceeds to anyone in need, seeking to eliminate poverty among the Christian community.
• Inclusive Fellowship: The early church fostered a counter-cultural egalitarianism, largely erasing traditional societal divides between Jews and Greeks, enslaved people and free people, and men and women. If you will turn to page _____ in your bulletin you will see a painting by contemporary artist Nathan Green called “The Family of God.” You will notice there are people of all ages, all races, all genders, all socioeconomic backgrounds. As one saint put it: The ground was always level at the foot of the cross.
• Mutual Support: Without Medicaid, Medicare, or insurance, they were responsible for caring for society’s most vulnerable—such as the sick, the poor, and widows—was a central pillar of their daily life.
• Corporate Unity and Worship: Communities met frequently, often in smaller “house churches” where they emphasized shared meals, common prayer, and the teachings of Christ and the apostles.
• Forgiveness over Retaliation: Operating within a harsh, shame-based and empire ruled culture, they taught and practiced forgiveness and did not seek revenge.¹

The empire of the day wanted to snuff them out, and stamp them out. The empires of today wants us to sell out so they can buy us out. The state courts the church’s favor and the church courts the states favor and if history has shown us anything this never goes well, for the sake of true religion, or for legitimate power of the state.

As Pilate interrogated Jesus and engorged with earthly pride said “Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19.10)
Jesus was under the authority of the Most High, and the purpose of the Kingdom would be fulfilled.

The followers of Jesus never have been about taking over the government, or colluding with the state for some type of theocratic monopoly, but working instead to being about God’s kingdom on earth of listening to our heavenly Father, and following the one upon whom the government is upon his shoulders, and whose Kingdom will have no end, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

“Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Wall in Westminster Abbey, London, UK photo: Carey Stone

1 https://www.google.com/search?q=what+were+some+of+the+communal+values+of+the+early+christians

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest… As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Amen. – Matthew 9

There is no doubt about it, the Church with a capital “C” is flawed, statistics highlight a decline in active members and financial resources, and it’s often viewed as irrelevant to the times. But I wouldn’t count it out. With all of its flaws, the church is still the best thing out there! The Church has proved over and over again that anytime, or anywhere a group of believers are gathered in Christ’s name, the Love of God can be shown to be stronger than anything the darkness can throw at it.

There are times when the beauty of the Church shines through, maybe not in spite of the flaws but because of them the Spirit is given room to work. As the modern-day Canadian bard Leonard Cohen so aptly put it,
“Ring the bells that still can ring,
Forget your perfect offering,
Everything has a crack in it,
That’s how the light gets in.”

Yesterday at the cathedral those who were present witnessed a thing of beauty, we saw the light shining through all the cracks from top to bottom, from the bishop all the way down to the youngest child, we experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit. We saw how God works through very flawed human beings to assemble a community that imperfectly reflects the perfect image of God. When Jesus looked out on a crowd, he had compassion for them, and that they were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” We have been given the same Good News that’s for any who know themselves to be flawed they have a place in the kingdom: “As you go proclaim the good news, the Kingdom of heaven has come near!” Yesterday, at the ordination of Michael Mitchell, St. Luke’s showed itself to be very much a part of the work of the Kingdom of Heaven! I’m glad to report that out of all the diocesan parishes represented St. Luke’s had the largest representation! (Make sure to look at out two Facebook pages for photos).

We as a congregation, in collaboration with our bishop and diocese have been involved in raising up and sending a laborer into the harvest to a town called Hope where the Rev. Michael Mitchell will commence his ministry as a Deacon-in-charge at St. Mark’s church! Michael is Good News and in July will be bringing that good news to a rural town in need of the love and hope he brings! Who can tell the harvest that will come as a result of the seeds that he will plant. We rejoice with Michael and all the newly ordained! But are you aware that we have all been ordained? Look with me in the red book of common prayer in your pew racks and turn with me to page 855. Here we are asked:
Q: Who are the ministers of the Church?
A: The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons. At our baptisms we are ordained as ministers in the Church.
Looking to the left on p.854 we find more detail:

Q: How is the Church described in the Bible?
A: The Church is described as the Body which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People of God, the New Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth.

Now back to p. 855 where each order of the ministers of the church along with their particular roles are described. While each order of ministry is different, they all begin with the same directive:
The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church…The ministry of a bishop is to represent Christ and his Church…The Ministry of a priest is to represent Christ and his Church…The ministry of a deacon is to represent Christ and his Church.

Turning to p.856:
Q: What is the duty of all Christians?
A: To follow Christ; to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God.

If that is our duty, then what is our mission?

Turn to page 855 at the top:
Q: What is the mission of the Church?
A: The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

Q: Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?
A: The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.

I’d like to share two stories to bring all of this home, both involve Trinity Cathedral.
There is a person that I knew several years ago who came to an afternoon chapel service where I was presiding. They entered the chapel weeping. After the service they began to describe the downward spiral, they were in and “the mess” they had made of their lives. I asked how they decided to come to the service that day. They said, “My family didn’t attend church but every time I had a sleepover at one of my friend’s houses they always invited and took me to church at Trinity Cathedral. The family were some of the nicest people I had ever met and the people at the Cathedral were so welcoming. I have never forgotten the way they treated me and the way I felt when in the church service. I thought maybe God is who I need, and maybe God can help me straighten out my life.” This person eventually joined an Episcopal Church, and ended up serving as Senior Warden! The family had no idea what their small seeds of love would produce; the cathedral had no idea what fruit their kindness would produce. This person found unity with God, themselves, and with their neighbors.
The following happened to me yesterday at the ordination. I was walking to the back of the cathedral and suddenly I was approached by someone that society tends to look down on. They asked, “Are you a priest?” Perhaps my collar was the giveaway, they asked “Will you hear my confession?” I said sure and we went to the back pew where they described how they had hatred towards God for the way God had made them. I had the privilege of representing Christ and his Church by hearing their confession before God, then declaring on behalf of the Church that they were forgive and then to tell them the incredibly good news that they were God’s beloved child!
Episcopal evangelism may not be as high pressure as some of our Evangelical brothers and sisters but it is nonetheless effective. Two sheep that were lost had been found. Through the seeds of beauty of architecture, holy scripture, traditional liturgy, prayer, and hospitality a harvest is being gathered.
I’ll give noted author an Episcopalian, Madelein L’Engle the last word today:
“We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.” Madelein L’Engle, Walking on Water (Waterbrook Publishers, 2001).
Amen!

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” Amen. – from Matthew 9.12-13

What story did you bring with you to church today? Maybe it’s a story of a recent success, or something else that’s calling for celebration. But often the stories we bring are the stories are the ones that revolve around people, places, and situations we are trying to manage, fix, control, face, or escape from. These are the stories that keep us up at night, and are the ones that, no matter who we are, where we are from, and no matter what we are doing, are never far from our thoughts.

Back in 2012 Chick-fil-a developed an ad campaign based on this phenomenon. It opens with these words: “Every Life Has a Story” followed by a camera operator walking throughout the restaurant filming customers who were there eating. As the camera focused over an individual/s, a thought balloon would appear over their heads revealing the story they were carrying around with them. The camera tightens onto a man in his 40s and his story read: “Fired from his job and worries how he will provide for his family.” The camera then turns to a young woman with her young child; the balloon appears with this: “Single mom raising family alone & trying to make ends meet.” They then throw in a couple of positive ones, a woman in her 50s had this appear: “Immigrated to America when she was 12, and recently received her citizenship.” Then there is an older couple with this one: “After years of fighting cancer he is now, cancer free.” Then a 6-year-old little girl is shown with this: “Mom died during childbirth and dad blames her.” A business man came next with this one: “Only son was just deployed to a war zone.” The last one in the commercial was of a 75-year-old woman, her balloon read: “Husband of 49 years died last month. Today would have been their 50th anniversary.” The commercial ends with the following words: “Every Life Has a Story…If we Bother to Read It.”¹

Jesus being both human and divine was (and still is) able to read the thought bubbles over everyone’s heads.

In today’s gospel we see Jesus walk up to Matthew, a despised tax collector and asks him to follow him – Matthew gets up and does it! What might the thought bubble be over Matthew’s head? “I’m so hated and feel stuck! Even though I’m extorting extra money it’s not making me happy – and I’m so lonely. If someone could show me the way to something better to do with my life.” Jesus was the Way at just the right time in Matthew’s life to the something better to do with his life! Rather than extortion he would become generous using his money to feed the poor and spread the good news. The Crook became a compassionate one.

Next came a group of strict religious leaders called Pharisees, who were gifted with the ministry of criticism, and were quick to Jesus’ disciples why he ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus could read the bubbles over the tax collectors and sinners heads that they were craving God’s loving acceptance. The Pharisees were caught in the trap of criticism that kept from finding true religion.

Next comes a leader of the synagogue who heartbroken by the death of his daughter, breaks all proper protocols of dignity, kneeling down to a highly unorthodox rabbi, Jesus. He blurts out a powerful declaration in Jesus: “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus and the disciples follow him to his house but on the way, they are interrupted by a woman who had been suffering from a chronic blood disorder for 12 years. Gripped by a desperation that only those who suffer with chronic pain can understand, she comes up behind Jesus and touches the fringe of his coat, telling herself “If I can just touch his coat I will be made well.” Jesus feeling her faith filled touch, turns around, looks her in the eyes and says, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” Finally, relief after 12 long painful and humiliating years.

From that miracle, Jesus and his disciples continue on to the synagogue leaders home arriving to witness a group of traditional mourners who were weeping to the accompaniment of a consort of flutes. When Jesus tells the mourners to go home the girl is “only sleeping” they laugh hysterically, but Jesus got the last laugh. He went into the house, took the hand of the dead girl who instantly sat up in the bed very much alive. The news of the unorthodox rabbi’s miraculous resuscitation spread like wildfire across the entire region.

The whole message of this gospel reading came in the response of Jesus to the critical pharisees: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” By faith Matthew acted on Christ’s invitation to follow him into a whole new life. Matthew knew he was a sinner and heart sick about where his life had led him, knew he needed a physician. By faith, the woman who had suffered with 12 years of pain and hemorrhaging takes an active step of faith by reaching out to Jesus and grabbing his coat fringe and is healed on the spot! Her life had taken her to a lonely, ostracized place she had tried everything nothing had worked until she met Jesus the synagogue leader’s daughter dies, the mourners were already wailing he decides to lose all decorum, to risk his reputation and his position in the Jewish community. He finds Jesus, kneels and asks him to bring his daughter back to life. All medical interventions, and all intercessory prayers had failed to prevent the death of a precious daughter – he knew that only the Great Physician that he had heard people talking about could help her now – and that’s just what Jesus did.

Jesus being both human and divine is able to read the thought bubbles over our heads too. Comedian and Episcopalian Robin Williams once said: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind.” Where does your life hurt? What need can’t you meet for yourself? What dilemma would you write in your thought balloon today?

Well, according to a despised tax collector, a group of sinners with bad reputations, a chronically ill woman, and one grateful synagogue leader and his daughter, Jesus the Great Physician knows, Jesus cares – trust him, let go – and let God! A-men.

The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
All fall short, all have a need that they can’t meet themselves 

1 Every Life has a Story: YouTube Chick-fil-A June 8th 2012

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!
• Reginald Heber (1783-1826); tune “Nicaea” by John Bacchus Dykes

Today in the Church calendar is the Feast Day of the Holy Trinity. And it was Theophilus, the 6th Bishop of Antioch, in the year 180 who was the first person credited with using the word “Trinity” to describe the nature of the Christian God. It took the Church awhile to approach, argue, and finally in the year 325 at the Council of Nicaea, articulate the doctrine of the Trinity – God in three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Throughout scripture we can see evidence of all three persons at work in the plan of salvation. In the first verses of the book of Genesis we hear of the Cosmic God that was before anything was made, and over the “formless void and dark waters” a mysterious “wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” The same word in Hebrew for wind, breath and spirit is the same “Ruach.” In the Greek of the New Testament the word for wind, breath, and spirit is “Pneuma.” Pneuma is the root of the English word “pneumatic” a term used in mechanical engineering to describe tools and machines that operate by using compressed air; from jackhammers to the tubes in a bank’s drive thru, that sucks your check to the bank teller. Now when you go through the drive through at your bank remember “Pneuma” the wind, the breath, the spirit that is at work in the world and in our lives.

Later in the creation story from the book of Genesis just before humans were created, we read the following: Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness…” {1.26}. Notice the words “us” and “our” – God is a community, a relationship of Love manifested in three persons. Over the centuries theologians would and still do continue to grapple with the mysteries of the Trinity.

In trying to articulate the Divine mystery, St. Patrick back in the 5th century tried to keep things simple. To the people of Ireland, he attempted to explain the trinity by holding up a three-leaf clover, noting that although it was one clover, it had three leaves, with each leaf representing each part of the One God.

In more modern times other metaphors were used to illuminate the idea of three-in-one. There’s ice, water, and vapor, all three are H2o but are manifest in three different forms. In music there is a chord consisting of three notes, a root, a third, and a fifth, all distinct and separate notes but together they make a single chord.

In the 4th cen. St. Augustine came up with the notion of God as The Lover, The Beloved, and The Spirit. This presents God as a relational being of perfect love. The Father is the Lover, the Son is the Beloved being loved, and the Holy Spirit is the Love that connects and proceeds between them.

Others have attempted to describe the Trinity by each of their function: God -the Creator; God – the Redeemer, and God – the Sustainer. Our former Presiding Bishop Curry likes to say: “Loving, liberating and life-giving God.” In the Book of Common Prayer from New Zealand the Trinity is described as “Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver.”

Why celebrate Trinity Sunday? With the prophecies fulfilled in the earthly life lived by Jesus, through his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension his particular mission has been completed and the baton is passed to us to finish the work of salvation. As we receive the Love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our lives are transformed and we carry the good news to the world around us. As one writer notes, “The liturgical dramas of Jesus’ life are over and we the ones left to tell the story. We are the ones to go out into the world to proclaim the good news, to baptize in the name of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite metaphors is something Fr. Richard Rohr describes as “the Divine Dance.” This notion of God in a threefold dance is from a Greek word called “perichoresis” which means “to dance around.” And we are invited to join in the circle of joyous love.
One of the early reformers John van Ruyesboreck attempted to describe this liturgical dance with God as follows:

“The Spirit of God blows us outwards, so that we can cultivate love and the practice of the virtues, but He also sucks us inwards, so that we can give ourselves up to rest and enjoyment. And this is eternal life. It is the same as when we exhale the air that is in us and again inhale a new breath. . . . To go inwards in an unrestrained enjoyment, to go outwards with good works, and in both at all times to remain united with the Spirit of God.”¹

I invite you to go into our chapel and observe the three windows one is a huge star of David, one is the Christ on the cross of Good Friday, and one is the dove with flaming tongues of fire. Think of all that has taken place to bring about the salvation of the world. Then, just think, the story of salvation’s continuing unfolding is now in our hands:

{ Jesus’ words echo down through the centuries and they have come down to us},

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Amen.

1 John van Ruysbroeck, The Book of the Seven Steps, cited in Balthasar, The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics. Vol. V, The Realm of Metaphysics in the Modern Age, p.74.

On the third day he rose again
            in accordance with the Scriptures;
        he ascended into heaven
            and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
        and his kingdom will have no end. Amen. – from the Nicene Creed, 325AD

This past Friday I had the honor of being involved in the commissioning of 2nd Lieutenant, Peyton Price and to witness his oath of service in the United States Air Force. His parents were witnessing yet another milestone among the many milestones of their son’s life.

One of the great challenges parents must face is how to strike a balance between being present and at times ever so carefully being absent. The mother is especially important early on to be practically ever present, with dad having the ability to be periodically absent. But that absence is for the child’s own good. Dad can run to the pharmacy to by a bottle of that pink medicine, to buy food, diapers, and to do some work.

As the child grows in childhood they are allowed to pour their own cereal, pick out their clothes (with parental approval, of course). When they get a few years older, they are allowed to have sleepovers with friends, and play with friends in the neighborhood. More responsibility comes their way at school and eventually they learn to drive and can go to places alone.

Then comes college preparation, and before you know it the parents are helping to furnish a dorm room or apartment. All throughout this process there has been a dance of absence and presence of gradually letting go between the parents and the child. Too little absence and the child is stifled and self-esteem suffers. If there’s too much absence, a child can flounder and make life altering mistakes. Hopefully they have enough of both while taking on more responsibility and finally growing into young adults who are mature enough to take over much of the control of their lives.

Jesus was a master of the dance between his absence and presence. We recall how he would often slip away for prayer and contemplation, especially in the early morning hours, and sometimes late at night. His disciples would ask him for direction on how to feed 5,000 people and Jesus simply said, “You give them something to eat.” Obviously, he could have rained down plenty of bagels and cream cheese but his disciples wouldn’t have learned anything. They managed to find a young boy who had brought a lunch of five loaves of bread and two fish, reluctantly gave it to Jesus, he blessed it broke it and there were plenty of leftovers. Jesus’ friend Lazarus was ill and dying, Jesus waited three days until Lazarus died, then he shows up to the wailing of the grieving crowd. He raises Lazarus from the dead. Absence and presence.

This past Thursday was the official day in the church calendar called Ascension Day – when we remember Jesus departing the earth and ascending into heaven. After three years of living together Jesus is about to take a very long leave of absence. I love the meme I saw on one of our parishioner’s Facebook page it had a painting of Jesus ascending into heaven with the disciples all watching him rise into the clouds. The caption read “The feast of the ascension: Celebrating the day that Jesus began working from home!”

Jesus was going home, returning to the Father and he had told the disciples to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. They went back to the upper room and they weren’t given a calendar date! Would it be three days? Three weeks? Three years when the Holy Spirit would come? They simply did not know. So, what did they do? They obeyed and leaned into the Christian community. While in the upper room, they prayed, praised, read scripture, shared food, and encouraged each other with faith, hope, and love – waited for this Holy Spirit to arrive.

The Church with a capital C was just about to be born, and Jesus’ absence accelerated the process of giving birth to the Church. The presence of God was about to exponentially explode with a franchise of the church anywhere two or three would be gathered together in the Name of Jesus. God’s plan was about to get underway in earnest and it would be through his people that the ministry Jesus started would continue and spread to every continent of the globe.

During the pandemic, the Christian community throughout the world was hampered in gathering in person for worship and fellowship. Almost miraculously through the internet we discovered a new ‘virtual way’ of gathering our community. Since returning to ‘in-person worship’ one of the phrases that was created during that time, it was notable across the globe that those coming back were fewer in number. Some have decided they didn’t need in-person worship or the church for that matter. But at the same time there were folks who had been orbiting churches, and being drawn closer to the church by the Spirit. We are grateful for the steady stream of visitors that have been coming and for those who joined us over the last couple of years. I counted at least twenty people in our electronic directory that were not with us prior to the pandemic.

In these uncertain days in which we are living, between the first and second advent and before Christ comes again – now more than ever let us draw near to God and one another, let us encouraged one another in faith, in hope, and in love trusting that the coming Spirit can give us everything we need to flourish and finish the work Christ calls us to.
There is a ninth cen. hymn that has been sung at ordinations ever since then, and we will all sing it at Michael Mitchell’s ordination next month. It reminds us of our great need of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit of God:

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;

come with Thy grace and heav’nly aid,
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O fount of love, and fire of life,
and sweet anointing from above,

Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God’s right hand we own.
• Veni Creator Spiritus
• Attributed to the 9th-century bishop Rabanus Maurus

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be One flock, One shepherd.” Amen. – John 10.16

Today we continue with the themes of Easter Resurrection, Hope, and Eternal life. As a priest it has been my honor to officiate at multitudes of funeral and memorial services. One of the readings that consistently gets more airtime, hands down is John chapter 14. 1-6. When people are at their lowest grieving the loss of a loved one it is then we look for Easter hope, and this reading does not disappoint.

To fully appreciate the meaning, it’s important to understand the context. To get a proper context we read what precedes a particular passage, and what follows it. John 14 comes on the heels of Maundy Thursday in Holy Week where Jesus washed his disciples’ feet (all 12 of them including Judas) and then instituted the Eucharist with the bread and wine, to contain His real presence. The teachings that follow this bring out who Jesus is through his “I Am” statements: “I am the Good Shepherd, I am the gate, I am the Vine, and you are the branches.” Then comes the passage we have heard today (put a book mark there we’ll come back to it). But what follows this passage is Jesus’s betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. So, these are his last teachings and sermons before he dies – he is preparing for his own death but gives words of hope, resurrection, and preparation for his disciples’ own deaths, all of whom would die martyrs’ deaths. So how fitting it is for families throughout the centuries to desire to hear the reading from John 14 that begins:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”

It’s truly a comfort to think of Christ bringing eternal life as the Savior of the world. Some folks get a bit crossway and a bit troubled by something else Jesus says in the same breath – but it’s truly the best news of all! “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, except through me.” That may sound too exclusive for some not inclusive enough, so attempts are made to discredit the authorship or that it wasn’t in the original manuscripts and so on. Folks are generally coming from a good place on this wanting to see Jesus as more inclusive – but he is the way for the whole world – that is the gift He brought to us on the cross of good Friday. God had already made a covenant with Israel as the chosen people of God but what about the rest of us? As St. Peter wrote the following to all including the Gentiles (the non-Jewish people):
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.”

Earlier in John’s gospel the mission is made clear:
“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be One flock, One shepherd.”¹
Out of many tribes and nations God wanted to have the reconciliation of all people. We certainly can see in our world the need for this oneness to see each other as siblings of the same family. You may have seen the disturbing image on the news this week where an East Jerusalem settler shoved a French Nun to the cobblestone pavement causing her to land on her face and then began to kick her as others looked on. Every time a synagogue is firebombed or a mosque vandalized, we see the need of the Savior who is the Way – the way of love, the way into the Father, the way into fellowship with the Holy Trinity. The disciples still didn’t get this. Phillip asks Jesus to “Show us the father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus flies off the handle and says, “Have I been with you all of this time Phillip and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father.” This is the Big truth that has been millennia in the making – God wanted all of us!

As we read through the Old Testament, we see images of God that are frightful, flooding the earth, sending plagues, sending earthquakes to split the earth open and swallow up thousands of disobedient people. As the story progresses in the days of the high prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, we start hearing of a God that has a more merciful side, but there was still only one group of folks who were the Chosen people. The story had some more installments to come. I always like to ask the question as God became more merciful towards humanity was God learning something, or was humanity? Finally in Jesus we have the clearest picture of who God is what God is really like.

Unfortunately, some of our religious teaching and training has presented us with a God that is too small. The Author JB Phillips in his book, Your God is Too Small, identified some of these smaller gods:
The Resident Policeman: A God who primarily exists to catch wrongdoers and enforce rules.
The Grand Old Man in the Sky: A humanized, archaic figure of authority.
The Pale Galilean: A domesticated, “meek and mild” Jesus that ignores the dynamic, challenging aspects of Christ.
The Perennial Grievance: A God who seems to exist only to cause pain or thwart human happiness.
God-in-a-Box: A narrow, predictable, and finite concept of God that fits into human doctrine, allowing Him to be brought out only when needed.
Second-Hand God: A God worshipped through the experiences of others rather than personal, current experience.

In Jesus the true image of God is revealed a God who is self-emptying and self-giving love. He ate and drank with people that no respectable religious person would dare to. He believed that an unclean Samaritan woman was closer to God than a Levitical priest, that an adulterer was just the perfect person to give a second chance to. He did not seek vengeance, and on the night of his arrest when Peter cut off the ear of one of the policemen, Jesus healed the ear and told him to put his sword away. He talked about and demonstrated this love by forgiving his very executioners and tormenters at his crucifixion. Jesus was here to show us what God thought about all kinds of people and how God treated all kinds of people with Truth, Justice, and all motivated by Love. He was not here to take over the government, or to try and legislate morality, His desire was and is to change people from the inside out, so that none should perish but all come to eternal life.

Priest and Poet, and a distant cousin, The Rev. Samuel J. Stone put it well in his great hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation:”
Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth,
her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth,
one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.²

As God’s chosen, we are called to take and to share this message of God’s saving and loving deeds, who has called us out of darkness into God’s marvelous light! Amen.

1 John 10.16 NRSV
2 Stone, Samuel, J., “The Church’s One Foundation” The Hymnal 1982 (Church Publishing: New York) p.525

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Amen. – John 10.10

There’s a joke about a Catholic priest and one of his female parishioners who had a six-month old son. She asked the priest, “Father I am worrying about the future, is there any way for me to know what my son will do for a living when he grows up?” The priest instructed her to “set three objects in front of the boy; a bottle of whisky, a dollar bill, and a Bible; if he picks the bottle of whisky, he’ll be a bartender, if he picks the dollar bill, he’ll be a business man, and if he picks the Bible, he’ll be a priest like me!” The mother goes home and follows the priest’s advice. The next week she comes back and the priest asks her, “Well which one did he pick? The whisky, the dollar bill, or the bible?” She said “He picked all three!” and the Catholic priest replied, “I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you, he’s going to be an Episcopal Priest!” (revised from a joke told by James Martin, SJ)

We’ve all seen in one form or the other someone who is struggling to make the right decision and is represented by a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, each whispering in the ear of do this – no don’t do that and so it goes. This classic struggle between good and evil is familiar territory for us humans and the bible is full of stories where the two are pitted against each other. If we are honest all of us hear voices in our heads – no – don’t tell me I’m the only one! Seriously, these voices aren’t audible but occur in our brains, these voices can include the voice of the Holy Spirit, the voice of the evil spirit, the voice of our own conscience; and sometimes can even be the voice from the memories of childhood authority figures.

Starting in the first century Christians made use of a manual of Christian teaching called The Didache that served as the first guide and catechism on how to conduct worship, and how to navigate life in the world. One famous line describes “the Two Ways” that confront us in life:
“There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways” (1:1).

These “two ways” are made crystal clear at every service of baptism where the baptismal candidates or in the case of infants and children by making three renunciations and by making three promises. “Do you renounce Satan, do you renounce the evil powers of this world, and do you renounce all sinful desires?” And we answer, “I renounce them.” Then, by three promises: “Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior? Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love? Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord? And we answer, “I do.”

In today’s gospel reading this truth is brought home by Jesus who puts it this way:
“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep… The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
So, there are two paths, one that leads to life and the other that leads to death. Although we do not hear that Jesus is the Good Shepherd in the passage we heard read today, it is mentioned in the very next verse. St. Ignatius of Loyola and founder of the Jesuits emphasized the importance of recognizing the difference between the two voices. The voice of God, the Holy Spirit, is actively trying to lead us toward infinite love and a desire to perform compassionate deeds, whereas the evil spirit tries to lead us away from what is life giving and urges us to go against the inspirations and directives that will lead us towards love and light. This ability to tell the difference between the two is what Ignatius called “the discernment of spirits.”

Discernment means “to perceive or recognize the difference or distinction between (two or more things);”¹ It is the process of honing our spiritual senses to determine the path of God’s will, and the gospel makes the distinction by way of hearing either the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd or the voice of strangers: “the sheep follow him because they know his voice, they will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Hearing God’s voice is key for us in determining and following God’s will for us.
I had an experience while on sabbatical in England that show how practical this all can be. I had gone to Hatchard’s Bookstore, Queen Elizabeth’s favorite. While on the upper floor where they kept all the antiquated books, I happened on a section of first editions by Charles Dickens. They had clear plastic protectors to protect the leather. Individual books could cost 6 to 700 dollars. I grabbed one off the shelf and when I did it slipped out of its cover and hitting the floor the cover tore off. Filled with guilt I heard an inner voice telling me to ‘pick it up put it back in its cover and place it back on the shelf.’ That what I did and then went next door to Fortnum and Mason’s to meet my family for afternoon tea.

Here I was in this great historic tearoom trying to celebrate with my family and the whole time a different voice began a refrain, “Carey, you know what you are going to have to do, don’t you?” Silently to myself I bargained ‘but God I didn’t see the price, what if it’s one that costs $700?’ “Carey, you know what you will need to do to be right with me – you know you will have to pay for it.’ After teatime I reluctantly went back over to the bookstore, found the book that I had damaged The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit and found the price to be – 65 pounds about 75 American dollars at the time. I went to the clerk and bought it, with relief that my mistake only cost $75 dollars and that I had done the right thing.

The Good Sheperd is actively trying at any given moment to lead us toward what is life-giving what the gospel calls “abundant life.” The thief representing Satan, the evil powers of this world and sinful desire within us, are at work to lead us away from God and towards things that are death-dealing, the things that attempt to rob us of spiritual life and fellowship with God, and to kill and destroy the good things the Good Shepherd has given us.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Amen.

1 https://www.etymonline.com/word/discernment

You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have put off my garments of suffering and clothed me with joy. Therefore, my heart sings to you and I will give thanks to you forever! – Psalm 30.12-13 {modified}

In last week’s gospel we heard about the apostle Thomas, and how he was honest about his doubts, telling the other disciples that if he did not have a personal encounter with the risen Christ, he wasn’t going to believe. His honesty was rewarded by his receiving a personal visit with Jesus who let him touch the scars in his hands and side.

During the season of Eastertide (the time between Easter Day and the feast of Pentecost,) we hear the stories from the gospels of those early days of faith fanned into flame, by the growing community of believers that were having direct meetings/personal encounters with Jesus – He is risen – the Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! The community of resurrection is growing with the remaining 11 disciples, along with Jesus’ mother Mary, Mary of Bethany, and Mary of Magdala, are coming to know the truth that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead just as he had told them.

Today, on the third Sunday of Easter, our post resurrection story will take us on a journey sometimes referred to as “the road to Emmaus,” and it will include yet another personal encounter with the risen Christ.

Emmaus, was a town 7 miles from Jerusalem. Emmaus, which is a Greek word translated from the Hebrew and means (Arkansans are you ready for this) it means “hot springs.”¹ So you might say, these two disciples one whose name was Cleopas and the other an anonymous disciple, were on the road to Hot Springs!

They were talking and discussing when suddenly they are joined on the road by a ‘stranger,’ who is Jesus, incognito (they don’t recognize him) just as Mary Magdalene didn’t recognize him at first, mistaking him to be the gardener, until he spoke her name, then she instantly knew who he was.

What is it that sometimes keeps us from seeing people, places and things for who they truly are? Why do we often miss out on God’s blessings of hope for us by being blind to what is right I front of us? Perhaps it is our own traumas, disappointments and wounds that blind us and prevent us from seeing the ties that bind and cause us, like the two disciples, without realizing it, to walk away from Jerusalem and the resurrection hope, feeling like they had wasted the last three years of their life following Jesus.

If Thomas is known for his honesty and doubt, then Cleopas and the unnamed disciple, are known for their honesty and disillusionment. You can almost hear the disappointment in their voices as they explain why they are so sad: “But we had hoped that he [Jesus] was the one to redeem Israel.” Author and Episcopal Priest, Joseph S. Pagano writes that, “True religion is not simply knowledge about God or divine things. True religion is the actual experience of the inward sweetness of God, a sense of the heart in which we know the true beauty and mercy of God.”² The heart of the matter is truly a matter of the heart!
Without a personal encounter with Christ, religion (by itself) won’t matter much. For we don’t so much long to know more about God, as we long to have an experience of God. As Joseph Campbell put it, “they were standing on a whale fishing for minnows.” The Jesus the disciples longed for was not dead, or far off in heaven, he was walking right beside them, they hadn’t been abandoned, the darkness hadn’t won out, like they thought it had. Jesus begins to unpack the scriptures of the law, the prophets and the psalms, tying it all together as a cohesive story, and intentional plan by God to defeat death once and for all and to bring New Life for all people!

Upon arrival at Emmaus, the two disciples didn’t want this heartwarming encounter with this stranger to come to an end. What was it that so drew them in close to the timeless truths he had been telling them? There was a house where they had planned on staying the night so they invited him to stay for dinner, which Jesus accepts.

Finally, at the dinner table, Jesus begins breaking the bread and pouring the wine, and as he takes, blesses, breaks, and gives the bread to them – they suddenly see that the stranger was Jesus. In that familiar four-fold pattern of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving them the bread it all comes together for them. Jesus then vanishes from their presence. And there they are left sitting, dumbstruck and gob smacked. {He is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!}
Now these two disciples have joined the jubilant band of believers who were rejoicing at the glorious good news.

The journey back to Jerusalem was so different from the slow meandering pace they had kept while walking to Emmaus. It was celebration that was called for, it was time for community, and for the ecstatic fellowship with other believers!

Doctrines, Creeds, Laws, and books won’t keep us warm at night! It is the experience of God that enlivens, empowers, and stirs the embers of hearts grown cold. No one who has ever had an encounter with the living Christ can ever be the same. The power of the New Life took the despair of the disciples and turned it into dancing.

Christ is alive and at large in the world often in disguise, in the voices and faces of strangers, as well as our neighbors who remind us that God has been walking with us all along; showing up in the strangest places, at the strangest times, halfway through a seven mile walk, with people we might not have picked, through Word and Sacrament, in the face of a stranger and in the breaking of the bread, we see Christ.

So, what is the path to great faith, and true religion? What are the vital ingredients required for having a personal encounter with God; the answer is startling: Doubt, Disillusionment, Disappointment, and Honesty. Like Thomas, after touching Jesus’ wounds make his bold declaration of faith when he said, “My Lord, and My God!” Cleopas and the other disciple made their wholehearted declaration of faith with a question, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known in the breaking of the bread:
Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work.
Amen.³

1 https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Emmaus.html
2 https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sermon/when-we-want-to-talk-easter-3-a-2011/
3 The Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Third Sunday of Easter

Hymns of praise then let us sing – unto Christ, our Heavenly King. Who endured the cross and grave. Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!
• From “Jesus Christ is Risen Today,” The Hymnal 1982 p.207

There’s nothing like going through a crucifixion to find out who your true friends really are. Where had all the crowds gone? Just a week earlier the whole town had turned out waving palm branches to greet this itinerant rabbi with shouts of “Hosanna” (which translated means “save us”) as he rode into town on a donkey. There were all kinds of people that were there that day; from storeowners, to tax collectors, from highly religious folk to those simply curious to see what the hoopla was all about. His mother and his disciples were also among the crowd who knew deep down that something wasn’t quite right. They had heard Jesus talking of coming to Jerusalem to die – they surely hoped not, but that’s what he did.

His sermons, teachings, and actions that not only spoke of but demonstrated God’s unconditional loving acceptance of all the wrong kinds of people didn’t sit well with the political and religious leaders of the establishment. He spoke of a rival kingdom he called the “Kingdom of God,” with a God who was above all and over all, this infuriated the political establishment. He said that when it came to who God’s chosen people were, he highlighted those who were looked down on by the religiously pious. He told stories about the last, the least, and the lost, stories that made foreigners, the poor and needy, and yes even women the heroes and heroines. This was like a new manager of a country club giving away free memberships to the homeless while the ‘good people’ had to pay for their memberships.

Jesus didn’t just tell stories he backed his stories with action. For example, he ate and drank with people who were disrespected and looked down upon – especially tax collectors who extorted money to line their own pockets. This drew harsh criticism from the religious folk of the day who said with derision ‘what kind of religion is he pushing, why he eats and drinks with sinners!’ To their critiques Jesus said: Only those who are sick need a physician, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9.12). Those relying on pedigree and pecking orders were very disappointed to say the least. To the self-promoters and ladder climbers of society Jesus didn’t have much good news. With 20/20 x-ray vision he saw beneath the surface of every person’s soul and revealed that they were all hallow, each with a common disease – call it “My Will Disease.” To all winners, he told them that what they really needed was to lose. To those who had acquired much he said to give it to those less fortunate. He said the greatest among us would be those who serve.
This was a very difficult message to stomach and making matters worse his actions appeared to authenticate his message – unfortunately for Jesus he was a credible witness to God’s kingdom and was convicted by both church and state, and given the death penalty.

Along the way he met people from all walks of life: Jew, gentile, rich, poor, healthy and diseased, men, women, and children. He came to reveal to them all and to all of us that we are all God’s chosen, all are chosen especially those who have been told by society that they are not.

On Sunday morning after Jesus’ crucifixion on Friday the fake news was everywhere: Jesus – the King of the Jews dead at 33 – Jesus of Nazareth proven to be a fraud – Religious huckster gets his Due.

The male disciples who had been with Jesus for three years were nowhere to be found and had gone into hiding. All that remained were a handful of his faithful women followers, that included the three Marys: Mary his mother, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene.

Early that first Easter morning Mary Magdalene left the others in their grief and went to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed. To her alarm the stone had been rolled away from the tomb and Jesus was nowhere to be found. She quickly ran back to where Peter, John and the other disciples were hiding and told them that the tomb was empty and that someone had removed Jesus’ body. They ran back to the tomb and confirmed Mary’s story. They still didn’t get that he had risen and they went back home. Mary Magdalen – heartbroken remained outside the tomb weeping. Mary had met Jesus during a time in her life where everything was falling apart, and she was on a downward spiral towards her won destruction. No one had to convince her that she was a sinner. Jesus had forgiven her and healed her soul – she owed him her very life.

But once again, her life seemed to be at a dead end what would she do now without her Savior? She takes one final look into the empty tomb and was startled to see two angels – think cherubim and seraphim sitting on the place where Jesus’ body had been and they asked why she was weeping. She tells them that she is looking for Jesus.

She then turns and sees Jesus but doesn’t recognize him who asks her why she was weeping and who was she looking for. She repeats what she had just told the angels and Jesus speaks her name “Mary!” – when she hears him call her name, she instantly recognizes that unmistakable voice and replies “Rabbouni” – (master – teacher!) She wants to just camp out there with him but he tells her to go and testify to his other disciples what she had seen – she runs back to them and says: “I have seen the Lord!”
Mary becomes the first witness to the resurrection and in later church tradition would come to be known as “The Apostle to the apostles”

In the end it’s not about knowledge, creed, or intellectual assent but experience. Others had arguments about God, while Mary of Magdala had an experience of God and no argument or false accusations could take that away. The risen Lord had done in the resurrection what he had been doing bringing dead things and dead people back to life again. If this were not true the Christian faith would have died out centuries ago.

This, dear friends, was the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection and remains so to this day; those credible witnesses who haven’t had to luxury to sit back and argue or debate, but are those who have felt their own poverty of soul and spirit, and their need for the Savior. The Good News of the Gospel is for all who have ever failed, felt their weakness, doubted their self-worth, or known themselves to be sinners. For of such as these is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
From “Anthem 2” in the liturgy for Good Friday, The Book of Common Prayer p.241

The last words of famous people are often poignant, purposeful, and memorable. Here are just a few examples:
Alfred Hitchcock grappling with his theology said, “One never knows the ending. One has to die to know exactly what happens after death, although Catholics have their hopes.”
Some were like Vince Lombardi whose thoughts turned to loved ones. Just before he drew his last breath he turned to his wife Marie and said, “Happy anniversary. I love you.”
Convicted murderer James W. Rodgers managed to hold on to his sense of humor to the last. When he was put in front of a firing squad in Utah and asked if he had a last request. He replied, “Bring me a bullet-proof vest.”
Some were holding on to faith like the Blues singer Bessie Smith said, “I’m going, but I’m going in the name of the Lord.”
Some were truly ready to leave like the actress Joan Crawford who yelled at her housekeeper, who was praying as Crawford was dying, “Damn it! Don’t you dare ask God to help me!”
My personal favorite was from Apple Computer founder, Steve Jobs, “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”
The most famous last words of all have to be the seven last words of Jesus from the cross on good Friday. These words reveal the priorities of the Savior of the World and show us how to die well and to focus on the ultimate concerns of human life.

The First Word
    “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Jesus first priority wasn’t another sermon, another teaching, the performance of another miracle, or figuring out how to produce more, acquire more, or spend more. It wasn’t about attaining a job promotion, or earning the adulation of the crowds who were gathered. It wasn’t regret over not having a ‘final fling’ with Mary Magdalene. No, his first priority and primary concern when dying was for his enemies. He prayed to God for the forgiveness of the very ones that were nailing him to the cross, for Pilate the politician caught in the middle between justice or keeping his place in office, for the religious folk who scapegoated him as a heretical enemy to their faith, for the pagans, epicureans, and friends of Barabbas, for the whole cast of the tragic drama before us he prayed: Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” Jesus didn’t want to die holding a bitter grudge but instead he let go, he let it go, he let them go.

The Second Word
    “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Between two thieves indicted, convicted, and sentenced to death Jesus the sinless One is hung on the cross. One thief hopes Jesus still has a trick or two up his sleeve to get him out of this mess, but soon realizes he’s out of luck and joins the crowd in taunting Jesus. But there was another thief whom tradition calls Dismas whose name means “sunset” who saw beneath the surface to the Savior and his only hope for the next life. “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He makes Dismas a promise today you will be with me in paradise. Jesus reveals that the cross is his throne where he has power to pardon the most hardened criminal. Echoes of the third chapter of John:
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (3.17).

The Third Word
    “Woman, behold thy son…and then he said to John, “Behold thy mother.”
Jesus at the time of his death made his earthly family a priority. Jesus had a human mother, who by this time in her life was a widow. Jesus was her source of care, protection, and income. Before Jesus could leave, he would need to see to his earthly obligation to his mother. A big part of dying is to see that the living under our care is cared for after we are gone. Jesus gives his mother the respect she rightly deserves as the Mother of God who was in unimaginable distress having her own soul pierced by the death she was witnessing.

The Fourth Word
    “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
The sky has grown opaque with darkness, clouds that totally blocked the sun, as if to obscure (if it were possible) God’s eyes from the horrible spectacle of God’s Son who had not committed a single sin but now is becoming sin – taking it all upon himself and drinking the bitter cup that he had asked God to let pass from him while he had prayed in the garden. Have you ever felt the absence of God? Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Jesus has an he gets it when we feel the absence left only with doubts. He endures this for our sake as john the Baptist had rightly said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the world.” Not just the little sins (the verbs of sin) that we all commit, but by taking away Sin itself the noun of sin – the entire entity and phenomenon. Anything that could ever finally separate us from the Love of God was taken upon, taken into Jesus and destroyed!

The Fifth Word
    “I Thirst”
I have been honored to accompany many folks in their final hours and moments and I can tell you they all got thirsty. Dying is hard work and as the body starts shutting down thirst is one of the last things to go. Jesus’ suffering was real! Christ was no ‘will ‘o the wisp,’ not a ghost, but one who was fully human, as well as Divine. In the end we all will meet the same fate and Jesus hallows these suffering and dying moments by going through the process himself. As Swiss theologian Hans Uhrs Von Balthazar wrote: “Jesus’s love [that] bears our brokenness as his own, moving though still deeper darknesses, and bearing it to the end. At the center of the Christian faith is one who is not alien to tragedy, a savior not complacent in the face of suffering”.

The Sixth Word
    “It is Finished”
Jesus the Divine Son of God had been sent to earth to complete a mission that only He could accomplish; God incarnate coming in human form that touched the whole of human experience and thereby gathering up all of the human experience and redeeming it all from the powers of darkness and death. Redemption bridges the gap, ultimately saving us from final death, curing us from the sense of estrangement from God, our neighbors, and our own selves. We too have been created by God and sent to earth to fulfill our unique calling and mission to the glory of God. May we be able to say those words and find their fulfillment in our lives – it is finished.

The Seventh Word
    “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit”
Having fulfilled the purpose of his earthly journey and finished his mission. It was time to let go. He could trust in the God who had been with him every step of the way even in those moments where he felt truly abandoned, the faithful and true God would be there for Him at his earthly end. Jesus who had brought heaven to earth, now was fully qualified to take up all things earthly to heaven and to redeem it all!
The seven last words speak of Forgiveness, Promise, Loving Care, Being held safe in our abandonment and doubt, Divine solidarity in human suffering, Redemption of all our offenses, Rest from Earthly Labors and finally – Eternal Life!

Give mercy and grace to the living; pardon and rest to the dead; to your holy Church peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
• From the closing prayer of the Good Friday liturgy, The Book of Common Prayer, p.242