March 30, 2008
Second Sunday of Easter
Please
Read
John 20:19-31
Read also
Acts 2:14a
Acts 22-32
Psalm 16
1 Peter 1:3-9
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of
the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the
disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so
I send you." When he had said
this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain
the sins of any, they are retained."
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them
when Jesus came. So the other
disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I
see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the
nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with
them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and
said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out
your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are
those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his 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.
Do you identify with Thomas? I
do. This passage, and Eastertide in
A Prayer for Dark and Fearful Moments
Lord, come to me
amid the obscurity of my nighttime
when darkness shrouds my day
and overlays my heart;
when fear locks the door to real living
and life hangs tentatively, uncertainly.
Come, breech the barrier
Come, stand before me.
Come, speak Peace, your Peace,
to calm
my troubled heart.
Come, show me your wounds,
reminding me that you
shared our humanity and felt our pain.
Breathe upon me;
let your Spirit penetrate every pore,
cleansing and transforming
my
unforgiving heart.
Come to me in my unbelief.
When doubt clouds my eyes,
sweep away the cataracts.
Equip me with the clarity of vision
that enables me to discern your presence
in every time and place.
Grant to me the imagination
to reach out and touch you
beyond mere flesh.
And in wonder and delight,
with wide eyes and hushed whisper,
I will say,
“My Lord and my God!”
--- rvc
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The Weekly Lessons are based on the lectionary texts for the week – usually the Gospel lesson. They are not designed as a formal commentary. Rather, they are the personal reflections and original compositions of The Relay Online editor, Rev. Robin Van Cleef, and offer a jumping off point, using the scriptures as triggers to thought, imagination, and (we hope) empowerment. As you read them, let your own imagination play, and let the Spirit speak to you, leading you where it will. The Gospel Lessons reflected on this site may not be copied, reproduced or otherwise manipulated elsewhere on the internet without the expressed consent of the author. Please also note that while we're unable to quote Bible scripture on these pages, it is permissible to redirect our viewers to Bible passages using hyperlinks to web sites having that authority. The Verse Of The Day and BibleGateway Search engine are the property on BibleGateway.com and are used here with their specific permission.
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