{"id":591728,"date":"2021-03-16T18:09:40","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T22:09:40","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-08-10T10:09:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T14:09:32","slug":"showing-up-easter-2-b-april-11-2021","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/sermons\/showing-up-easter-2-b-april-11-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Showing Up, Easter 2 (B) \u2013 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RCL: Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133; 1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-yellow-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-yellow-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=DFMS6559753435&#038;light=true\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-yellow-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-yellow-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Cover-FB-6-1024x536.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-241730\" style=\"width:512px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alleluia, Christ is Risen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Second Sunday of Easter is very dependable. (Not just with attendance.) This is Thomas\u2019 Sunday, and every year the Gospel tells the story of Jesus\u2019 special appearance among the Apostles to greet Thomas. There\u2019s much to appreciate about Thomas \u2013 and much we can learn from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first thing to learn is about the disciples and faith, the second is about doubt in general. Let\u2019s start with Thomas\u2019 unfortunate adjective. He\u2019s always called \u201cdoubting\u201d, as if the other disciples had more faith than he did, and that made Thomas a bit of a problem. But it didn\u2019t work that way. The problem really wasn\u2019t with Thomas; it was with the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember what happened. For one reason or another, Thomas was not with the others on Easter morning; (the Bible doesn\u2019t say why, but perhaps he had company that weekend) so Thomas didn\u2019t share their experience of the risen Lord. That meant they had something he didn\u2019t have, and instead of their <em>experience<\/em>, what Thomas had was their <em>word<\/em> about what they had seen\u2014and that wasn\u2019t enough. You see, Thomas never doubted Jesus; he doubted the other Apostles. The problem was not really Thomas\u2014the problem was the credibility of the others. <em>They <\/em>had seen the risen Jesus; <em>they <\/em>had been given his peace and his spirit; <em>they <\/em>had been sent by him to continue his work in the world. We heard all of that in the first part of the Gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was now up to these witnesses to share the good news. That\u2019s what they were sent to do. And, bless their hearts, their witness to the Resurrection was not even compelling enough to convince Thomas; and Thomas <em>wanted<\/em> to believe \u2013 he was <em>ready<\/em> to believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s the same way now. The temptation is to say that the problem is out there, with all of those unbelievers like Thomas\u2014if they would only shape up and believe better, (preferably to the point of becoming Episcopalians), then things would im\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00adprove immeasurably. It\u2019s easier to do that, to complain about <em>them<\/em>, than it is to pay careful attention to the less-than-persuasive words and lives of today\u2019s disciples\u2014of those who are called to be witnesses to Jesus. It feels better to call Thomas \u201cdoubting\u201d than to call the disciples\u2014or our\u00adselves\u2014\u201cunconvincing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Thomas is here to make us uncomfor\u00adtable, not smug. Remember, faith almost always comes to people through the faith of others, through the life and ministry of the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Virtually everyone \u201cout there\u201d is like Thomas. Virtually every\u00adone \u201cout there\u201d \u2013 and that includes our children and grandchildren \u2013 depends upon people who already believe to point them toward faith. Virtually everyone \u201cout there\u201d \u2013 and that includes our children and grandchildren \u2013 depends upon us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other disciples told Thomas, \u201cWe have seen the Lord.\u201d But they were scared; they were hiding behind locked doors; they were only talking to each other. Just a week earlier, Jesus had stood among them\u2014but you couldn\u2019t tell it from them. They sure didn\u2019t <em>act<\/em> like something wonderful had happened at Easter. So, Thomas didn\u2019t believe them, even though he wanted to. That\u2019s the way it was, and all too often, that\u2019s the way it still is. Thomas was not the problem. Today\u2019s doubting Thomases are not the problem. The problem is the authenticity, the power, and the persuasiveness of the Church. That\u2019s the bad news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there is good news here as well\u2014Good News for Thomas, for the disciples, and so for us, the Church. For Christ is risen, and he comes to us. Risen, he comes to the Church\u2014even when the Church continues to huddle in fear behind locked d\u00adoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And he brings to completion the work that a weak and sinful collection of disciples cannot do alone. Work that <em>we<\/em> cannot do alone. The good news is that Jesus continues to be with us, that he continues to be for us, and that he continues to speak to us and to his world his words of forgiveness and of peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This doesn\u2019t mean we are off the hook. It doesn\u2019t mean we have no respon\u00adsibilities and no vocation to service. It doesn\u2019t mean that Jesus will do it all for us, and we can take it easy. But it does mean that we are able to continue\u2013warts and all\u2014in hope and in confidence. It does mean both that we are not alone, and that we do not need to be afraid. Sometimes we fail, as the disciples failed with T\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00adhomas. But we don\u2019t stop, and we don\u2019t give up, and we are free to do our best, even if it\u2019s risky. While there is always room for improvement, there is never cause for despair. We continue to struggle forward together, and Jesus continues to be found among us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The heart of the story of doubting Thomas is not about doubt (Thomas\u2019 or anyone else\u2019s), it\u2019s about the call of the Church to witness to the Resurrection. And the biggest piece of good news is not that Thomas comes to faith; the biggest bit of good news is that the Risen Lord still comes to his Church. That good news is for us. We are called to be witnesses to the Resurrection, and our Lord is with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, we can\u2019t let Thomas slip by us without saying something about doubt, real personal, bone-deep doubt as to the truth or value of parts (or all) of this whole religious enterprise. First of all, doubt is always part of the life of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is never authentic faith without doubt; that\u2019s something we all know about. And doubt is not at all a bad thing; it\u2019s a necessary thing. Doubt happens\u2014often in times of crisis and tragedy, sometimes just all by its own self. Faith matures with ups and downs, not in a straight line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, let\u2019s consider one tiny thing about doubt, ours and his, that we can learn from Thomas\u2019 story. Did you notice that Jesus did not come to Thomas while Thomas was on the way to work, or walking the dog, or playing a round of golf, or just thinking things over? Jesus came to Thomas when Thomas was with the disciples, when he was within the fellowship of believ\u00aders. Thomas was smart; he didn\u2019t believe the disciples, but he did stay with them. He knew that if his doubt were ever to be met, it would be met there\u2014not somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s usually the way it is with us. Our doubts are usually met as we stay within the community of faith, as we hang in there doing the sorts of things we would be doing if we weren\u2019t bothered (or overwhelmed) with doubt. It was a good thing, and not a hypocritical thing, for Thomas to stay with the others even when he didn\u2019t believe a single word they said. So it is for us. There\u2019s a very real connection between hanging around this place, and living this life, and the gift of meeting the Lord. That connection isn\u2019t simple, and it isn\u2019t exact, and it isn\u2019t at all predictable, but we can depend on it. He will come to us, through whatever doors we lock, through whatever barriers we build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, as it must have been with Thomas, what turns out to be the greatest moment of faith doesn\u2019t <em>feel <\/em>like faith at all; it feels like doubt. Sometimes what turns out to be the greatest moment of faith <em>feels<\/em> like just hanging on and just showing up; it feels like waiting and going through the motions. But that\u2019s alright; that\u2019s the way it works. That was what Thomas needed to do, and that was <em>all<\/em> Thomas needed to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jesus did the rest. It still works like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This sermon was written by <strong>the Rev. James Liggett<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-972879ca-5a8e-41e5-918e-0c4c40668402\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Easter-2-English-Sermon.docx\">Word &#8211; Easter 2 (B) Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Easter-2-English-Sermon.docx\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-972879ca-5a8e-41e5-918e-0c4c40668402\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-454bf63e-17e8-49c5-94fe-3fef575c2e80\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Easter-2-English-Sermon.pdf\">PDF &#8211; Easter 2 (B) Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Easter-2-English-Sermon.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-454bf63e-17e8-49c5-94fe-3fef575c2e80\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RCL: Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133; 1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31 Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia. The Second Sunday of Easter is very dependable. (Not just with attendance.) This is Thomas\u2019 Sunday, and every year the Gospel tells the story of Jesus\u2019 special appearance among the Apostles to greet Thomas. There\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201212,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[22,43,52,3],"tags":[193],"class_list":["post-591728","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-easter","category-sermons","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-easter-2b"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":22,"label":"Easter"},{"value":43,"label":"Sermons"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":193,"label":"Easter 2B"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/591728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sermon"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/591728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3477268,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/591728\/revisions\/3477268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=591728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=591728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=591728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}