Second Easter

              April 15, 2007

     An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution.  “You don’t want to try these techniques at home.”

     “Why not?” asked a man in the audience.

     “I watched my wife’s routine at breakfast for years,” the expert explained.  “She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table, and cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time.  One day I suggested to her, ‘Hon, why don’t you try carrying several things at once, perhaps on a tray?’”

     “Did it save time?” the man in the audience asked.

     “Actually, yes,” said the efficiency expert.  “It used to take her 20 minutes to make breakfast.  Now I do it in seven.”

      You know the definition of an expert?  An “ex” is a has-been and a “spurt” is a drip under pressure.  Or, an expert is any person fifty miles from home with a briefcase under his arm.

      We are not told how far Thomas was from the Upper Room that day when Jesus returned to stand among his startled followers.  Perhaps he was just up the street, maybe at the seashore, or somewhere alone with his thoughts.  The disciples were filled with defeat, despair, and depression.  Thomas was filled with so much grief that he couldn’t even be with the others.  We don’t all react to grief and heartache the same way.  Some of the disciples were the type to be optimistic until all hope was gone.  Thomas may have refused to hope as long as there was a reason not to.  Thomas had seen the cross.  That was a fact.  He knew that had happened.  But, he had forgotten the promises made by his teacher and he had forgotten the power of God.  In the dark hours of life, Thomas had no candle of faith. 

     I cannot, will not judge the one after whom I am named.  It is enough to say that Thomas wasn’t there for the first resurrection appearance.  What, then, can we say about the absent disciple, both then and now? 

     Perhaps the first thing we can say is that there is a price to be paid.  Because Thomas was not with the others, because he had chosen, for whatever reason, to stay away, he missed the risen Lord.  Yes, the resurrected, living Lord is everywhere.  But, the point is that if he is not sought in particular, he will not be found in general.  His promise was, and still is, to be present with his disciples in the breaking of bread, in the prayers, in the fellowship, in the church and, I dare say, even in the Episcopal Church.  Even at St. John’s, Bedford.  I reject out of hand the comments that suggest that because we are liturgical or hold diverse opinions on various social and political issues or because we fail to condemn certain people, that God in Christ is not here among us.  His promise is to be with us in the midst of our fears, our defeats, our despair, and our doubts.  And, if we come together to give and not to get, to love and not judge, to support each other in spite of the fact that some or liberal and some are conservative, the Lord is here. 

     Absent disciples are generally the first to question anything the church does.  Absent disciples generally are the ones who attempt to hold the church hostage by not giving of their time, talent, and treasure for the work to be done.  The first thing the absent disciple must do is to honestly count the cost of absenteeism.

     The second thing that might be said about the absent disciple is that being absent leads to doubting the experiences of others.  There are those who have experienced the power of the present, resurrected Lord and they attempt to share that with others who doubt that experience.  In spiritual matters each person needs, indeed, must have, personal experiences.  It is difficult for my experience of the power of resurrected living to be yours.  I can, I must, share that with you, but nothing can replace the personal experience of the risen Lord.  We base so much of our conception of reality on our experience.  If we have not had a moving spiritual experience we conclude there must be no such thing.  Remember, we behave our way into new thinking, we do not think our way into new behavior.  Deciding to be a part of a worshipping community usually does not happen as one sits and thinks about doing it.  Doing it, coming to this place, or the many thousands of others like it, results in new thinking.  That brings up the third thing we can say about absent disciples.

     All are invited to doubt.  Of the many places where one might take doubts and skepticism, the church must be the first.  The ten disciples, no doubt surrounded by many others, who were present when the risen Lord appeared, reported that experience to Thomas.  Thomas doubted the truth of it.  Scripture does not report it, but I happen to believe that someone out of that band must have found Thomas and said, “Thomas, come be with us, we need you.  Bring your doubts, your hurt, your pain, and your depression.  It’s okay.  Above all else, just be with us.”

     The most recent report from the Bureau of Statistics indicates that we are approaching 50% of the adults in the USA who have no church affiliation, even though 95% hold a belief in a power greater than themselves.  Evangelism that hammers and harangues, makes fun of cultural deities, belittles a different worldview, and makes others feel less than fully human is doomed to failure.  Churches that give the impression that folks must have it all together, must be neatly dressed, sweet-smelling, and obedient and quiet, with well-behaved children, are not long for this world and probably not must good for the next.

     Can I tell you as lovingly as possible that our job as evangelists is simply to invite people to come?  Riddled with doubts, filled with despair, overcome with self-hate and misery, stinking with the smell of sin, and in spiritual rags, the invitation must be issued.  “Come be with us, we need you here.  Bring yourself just as you are, about all else, just come be with us,” that’s the most effective evangelism tool.

     Thomas did.  Eight days later Jesus was again with them and as Thomas put out his hand to touch the scars of death, he found life.  It was then that Thomas could make his profession of faith, “My Lord and my God!”  We do not have to be an expert or have a shingle hung that proves we know something about such things.  We just have to allow the words of our mouths, the meditations of our hearts, and the deeds of our lives, to demonstrate that difficulties and doubts are very often the road to a solid faith.  You don’t even have to carry a briefcase.  Amen.