5th Sunday of Easter Northminster United Church

May 10, 2020

Note from Rev. Sandra’s Home Office:Well, it is sounding like we are flattening the curve of this Covid 19 virus and the province is slowly very slowly starting open things up again. I have no idea when it means churches will be able to be opened but hopefully soon. Something new at the church this week is a mailbox thanks to the Durham Genealogy Society who rent the board room upstairs. It is a locked one and at the present moment I am the only person who has a key for it but it should mean that it should be a lot saver for

the things that you might leave in the mailbox for me. I also wanted to take this moment to wish the women of this congregation “Happy Mother’s Day”.We are all grateful for the ways in which you nurture your own children and all God’s children as you care for this earth God has given us.

Rev. Sandra

The Lectionary Reading for this week are:Historic: Acts 7:55-60(This scripture comes at the end of the Stoning of Stephen and this is the last moments before he dies) But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.[a]

Psalm: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

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In you, O LORD, I seek refuge;    do not let me ever be put to shame;    in your righteousness deliver me.2 Incline your ear to me;    rescue me speedily.Be a rock of refuge for me,    a strong fortress to save me.3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;    for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,    for you are my refuge.5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;    you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.15 My times are in your hand;    deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.16 Let your face shine upon your servant;    save me in your steadfast love.

Epistle: 1 Peter 2:2-10 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built[a] into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture:

“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,    a cornerstone chosen and precious;and whoever believes in him[b] will not be put to shame.”7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected    has become the very head of the corner,”8 and

“A stone that makes them stumble,    and a rock that makes them fall.”They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

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9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,[c] in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.10 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.

Gospel: John 14:1-14“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe[a] in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 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. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.”[c] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know[d] my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me[e] for anything, I will do it.

Let us pray:Loving God, we live in a troubling time like we have never seen before.God meet us in our anxieties and moments of being overwhelmed.Meet us in our moments and allow us to see you at work in us and among us.Amen.

I have to admit that the John’s passage this week makes me feel somewhat upset when Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”. I want to say, “Really Jesus do you have any idea how unhelpful that is right now to hear.”

Right now my heart is troubled when

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I hear what people, who are still carrying out their regular work whether that be in a hospital, long-term care facility, stores, counselling, are being treated poorly by others. I witnessed just that this week in a grocery store.

others are treated differently because of their ethnic background. Places like Chinese restaurants may have to go out of business because of the racism against them.

others are treated differently because they are homeless and therefore considered less worthy.

others are judged and criticized because we feel we know better we think we know better than the professionals and make judgements against

them without accurate information for instance the harsh words suggested by a MP against Dr. Tam – Canada’s lead doctor in the pandemic

some see covid 19 as a conspiracy by our government to control everyone we forget that we are all God’s children and are all worthy of respect and honour.

You might think well I have this list is true in non-covid times. But I have witnessed that in many of these incidences we can treat others worse than before.

The few days now that I watch an entire news cast, it fills me with such sadness.

Often when I prepare for worship I will pull out a different version of the Bible for more insights into a passage. Often I turn to “The Message” a paraphrase written by Eugene Peterson. His words are not a direct translation of the Greek but they often allow one to think about the scripture in a more modern context. Here is his paraphrase of John 14:1-14:

1-4 “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”5 Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him.You’ve even seen him!”8 Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”9-10 “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.11-14 “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am

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giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.

The words he starts with, “Do you trust God?” I think our answer would be, “Of course, we trust.” Reality is even though we trust God we all wonder in times like these.

In John 14, Jesus is calling each of us to be Christ to one another. To follow Christ, to be as Christ.

In the moments when I feel sad, it is then that I ask the question of when have I seen God in my day? Where have I witnessed others being Christ to one another?

I witness Christ: when I talked to a friend who does other’s laundry for a living, she told me about

washing the clothes of the homeless who are being housed at Camp Samac. Each one’s laundry is done individually so she can keep track of it and she is charging a whole lot less because she wants to help. How special that she offers the homeless of this city fresh, clean and neatly folded clothes. She is being Christ to the homeless.

when I hear of people taking time to phone, write, email one another – that is being Christ to one another. When we all do that together we make a difference in our community. No one person can ever do it alone.

when I read and hear about Lakeridge Health asking people to knit, crochet or sew stuffed hearts so that they can give each patient a heart to hold onto and then their family is given an identical heart so they know that their loved one is not alone. I was told this week of the story that when this idea first started each patient who was dying of covid would have a nurse that would hold their hand as they died and between the two hands would be a stuffed heart so that they would know they were not alone. Then the heart after death would remain in the patient’s hand. The funeral home later would give each family an identical stuffed heart so that the family would know that their loved one did not die alone. A beautiful story of Christ’s love in our world. To think that those nurses have taken such care and love in a time that is scary and extremely difficult truly is Christ at work in our world. If you would like to join me in making some of these hearts, please give me a call or an email and I will send you the pattern so we can be a part of this ministry which they are hoping will be extended to nursing homes as well.

I am sure that you could add many stories to these. Some of them involve you being Christ to one another. Other stories will be when you have experienced Christ by someone else’s actions.

All these stories are part of the “Peace” Christ offers to us in these days. It helps us to remember that Christ is the road that we travel Christ is the one who goes ahead to prepare

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And Christ is the one who has always been with us on our journey.

We live in God’s world! We do not live alone! Thanks be to God!

Let us pray:God as we travel this road,Help us to know that you are behind, beside and in front of us. Help us to be inspired by your compassionHelp us to reach out into our world.Help us to be the light of Christ in our world.And in those times when we feel alone help us to notice your presence in our world.God this day we pray for our world. We pray for wisdom for the leaders of our country, province and municipality.We pray for those searching vaccines and cures.We pray for all those who work to serve others in these times.And we pray for all those who are scared and alone.God, these times have slowed us down a little, made us more reflective and inThese time may we all experience you in the busyness and quietness of our days.Amen.

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