Sunday, April 27, 2025
The Second Sunday of Easter
As the Father sent me, so I send you
The Rev. Mark D. Wilkinson, Rector
Every year the Second Sunday of Easter is the famous passage from John that has Thomas left out when Jesus first appears to the gathered disciples on the Sunday of the Resurrection. Many even refer to this as Doubting Thomas Sunday. As I looked back over many sermons I have usually spent time on the aspects of doubt. The simple reason is many people see doubts as a failure of their ability to believe. Now belief is very important in the Gospel of John but that is not where I really want to go this morning.
What I wish to explore is what happens in the first few verses. It is evening the first day of the week. That means this is evening on Easter. The women or in John’s case Mary has been to the tomb and come back a reported “I have seen the Lord!” It is now evening that day. The disciples are behind locked doors, fearful, confused even though they have heard of the resurrection they have not yet seen Jesus. (It wasn’t just Thomas who didn’t believe!) Listen to what comes next.
“Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Stop right there, do you realize what just happened?
People miss this all the time. Pentecost, the giving of the Spirit to the disciples happens in John’s gospel on the evening of Easter. It isn’t 50 days later as depicted in Luke. There is no multiple prophesies in a variety of tongues, no fire, no rushing wind. As I depicted it, a gentle warm breath on those gathered. BTW we do not know exactly who was in the room for John never names the disciples in his gospel. I’ve always wondered if Mary Magdeline was with them behind the closed doors. Somehow, I don’t see her cowering in fear after having seen Jesus, but we will never know. The Spirit is granted in a breath, and I see it as a gentle like someone warming their hands or the hands of a child they love. The breath the ruach is the creative force in Genesis.
Now for me the most important part is verse 21. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” This is the commissioning of the disciples in John. And today in many respects is a commissioning of you the people of St. Paul’s to go out and do the work God has given us to do as I prepare to leave. Those words are in the post communion prayer that I use and it is because of those words that I choose to use the prayer on 366. The prayer on 365 does not have the commissioning words and I believe in my heart of hearts that doing the work God has given us to do is so important.
I begin my dismissal with “This service has ended; your service is just beginning.” That is the same sentiment. We are not done with our Christian duty when we walk out the door at the end of the service. Coming to church is important but it is just the starting point. What we do the other 6 days of the week is what really counts.
You see the church is one of the few institutions that really should be about what we do outside our walls rather than inside. As your rector for these past almost 6 years I have urged you to look outside the walls and you have responded. As I was writing this there is a group from the library in the parish hall because the room at the library was needed for elections. They know they are welcome here. A little later the parking lot will be full of parents picking up children from Hutsell and I still believe there is a ministry opportunity just waiting to grow. That might be a great question to someone who wants to be your next rector.
Around 3:30 the KCM tutors will arrive, and the parish hall will have children getting the help they need. The office is a busier place because now Josh is using one of our offices for his work with the neighborhood garden. This is just one afternoon here at St. Paul’s. None of that was going on when I came.
A favorite movie of mine from long ago is the Blues Brothers. My favorite line is “We are on a mission from God.” Well you are all on a mission from God. Just as the father has sent me, so I send you. I can hear Michael Curry at General Convention commanding the deputies and bishops to GO! Go out into the world, share the love of God. One great joy of serving in this diocese is the bishops and the diocesan staff give permission to go and try something new. If it didn’t work, that’s ok you tried. Now what’s next is the attitude. I hope you will be bold and try something new, be open to the Spirit especially during the interim.
You see we really never know how things will turn out. I was talking with some people from the previous search committee, and we all had some wonderful plans, but then 6 months after I started Covid shut us down. We were faced with incredible challenges. This was not what I thought I was called to do but getting us through Covid was the work that I was given to do and we have done pretty darn well as a parish. Better than some that I know. Now it is time for a new rector to lead you also into something wonderful that I know God has planned for you.
Wendy and I will be watching although we must step away from this wonderful family until at least a year after your new rector is called. And who knows what God has in store for Wendy and me. In a couple weeks I will be going on an 8 day silent Ignatian retreat and will be spending time with God asking the what’s next question. I have lots of ideas, but I need to ask God what God desires for and from me.
You have a great leadership team and I know you will have a great search committee. Many people have stepped up to keep daily Morning Prayer going, people to make sure we have all the servers we need on Sunday, people to help Jennifer get Safe Church certification taken care of and we still are planning to launch the Christ Clinic program and have someone who has stepped up to lead that. Julia of course will keep our children’s programming going so you have a great team in place. Support them, step up and volunteer when needed. But above all else be intentional in your prayer life. Ask God what God wants you to do. Prayer for them, pray for the search process, pray for the parish.
I tell you once again look for the sacred in all that you do. Look for the sacred in every person in this parish and in the world around you. Live out those baptismal promises we reaffirmed last week. Live a life that if you were arrested for being a Christian there would be more than enough evidence for conviction. Life is full of challenges but know that God always gives you what you need to meet the challenges that life hands you. A search process is never easy and there will be challenges we haven’t anticipated but know that God is with you at all times.
So my friends go. Go into the world and proclaim the good news. Know that with God all will be well and all manner of things will be well.