Not Only With Our Lips

Admittedly, it is with some trepidation that I will be going to church in the morning.

I don't know how many will be there. I only hope it is at least ten. In Judaism, that counts as a minyan and we can have a service.

I'm not really sure what all will be said.

I will be there... in body certainly. I am pretty sure in mind and spirit, too.

I have had some talks with other members of the St. John's parish community. I have listened, and heard the questions... and seen the heavy sighs of their bodies. In turn, I have spoken my truth... meaning I have spoken about my experiences of our Rector, the Church, and the Bishop, and in the sharing, I keep it in my head and my heart to remain true to God.

That is what I think is meant when I pray the General Thanksgiving each day with the words that I will show forth my praise of God "not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days."

Our readings slated for Sunday emphasize this point... from the collect all the way through the Gospel which includes the scene of Thomas the doubter. After Thomas claims he needs to see the wounds on Jesus' hands and side, Christ appears and challenges him to touch him. It is then that Thomas believes that Jesus has been resurrected with the exclamation, "My Lord and my God!" But Jesus reminds Thomas "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

At this point, the evangelist John notes that Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

This is the truth of us today. We don't have the physical Jesus in front of us to show us the scars on his hands and his feet. None of us were there when he was crucified. And yet, we have come to believe. Perhaps through repetition of prayer Sunday after Sunday... or perhaps because we have felt the life altering touch of God. Regardless, we have come to believe that this crucified and resurrected Jesus is "My Lord and my God". And through God, we have life... in all its abundance.

"Abundant" life includes the nice and the not-so-nice times. The not-so-nice times as in the lives of the apostles documented in the Book of Acts, where they are hounded and tossed into jail and brought up on charges of continuously proclaiming Jesus Christ as the son of God. They are being told to shut up. And they are refusing to do so. Led by Peter, the apostles insist that they "must obey God rather than any human authority." And by yielding to the will of God, they are on a mission to tell the Israelites, "The one who was crucified is the Messiah... the chief cornerstone." Suddenly, the Temple authorities have more to contend with than just Jesus!


Fast forward 2,000+ years to today. The "now" of our lives. For the LGBT Christians, there is tremendous strength to be drawn from the belief in Jesus Christ. To know that an advocate for the unconditional love of God was not defeated... even by death... is extremely potent and powerful stuff. How often have we experienced the pain of what feels like a death... either from loss of friends or families who have rejected us... or by the soul-punching words "Faggot" or "Dyke" yelled at us, or written on our property? And yet, these "things" will not defeat us. Because our mediator with God went through this same pain, and gave as an example of himself, proof that out of death comes life... even if it means a period of lying in the ground.

This is true of St. John's Episcopal Church, too. We are experiencing a death, but ultimately, life will rise up from this death. We need to trust God and truly turn to God to be our strength and our song because God is the one constant force that is unwavering in support. There will need to be a period of being "in the ground" before that resurrection. But even in death, God did not desert Jesus.

Interesting that Jesus' greeting to the apostles is "Peace be with you." In the world of John's day, there wasn't a lot of "peace" to be found for those who believed in Christ as the Messiah. But the greeting was also perhaps a command: "Let my peace be with you." As we move forward in our lives, let's remember that we carry God's peace in us to meet and greet the uncertainty and disruption in our world.