Sermons from St. Martin-in-the-Fields:
Apr 24, 2022 |
Community
| Anne Alexis Harra
Community
Listen in to the sermon from Anne Alexis Harra for the Second Sunday in Easter, April 24, 2022.
Support the worship and ministry of St. Martin’s by giving online: stmartinec.org/give
Today's readings are:
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net: https://lectionarypage.net/
Community
Anne Alexis Harra
April 24, 2022
Let everything that has breath praise you, O God of Salvation.
Please be seated.
Today is a day to be joyful in the Lord, and in the Resurrection indeed. Spring seems spring-ier than ever. My house smells like hyacinths and I couldn’t be happier. It seems that nature itself is rejoicing in the Good News this morning. We welcomed a new beloved child of God into the Body of Christ as we are gathered to bask in the beautiful forgiveness and glow of the Easter Season. Alleluia!
When, friends, has the Resurrected Christ appeared to you? When has Jesus dwelt among you and said “Peace be with you.” Were you alone in prayer? Or perhaps, were you accomplishing a major life moment? Were you supported and raised up in a community? For me, life in this community continues to shape my faith and inform my questions. Only in community have I grown so profoundly in faith and received the courage to say, “The Lord is risen indeed, and I see that Resurrection everywhere around me and within me.”
Friends, life in the Resurrection is beautiful. Luckily for us, the promise of the Resurrection is the very essence of our passage from the Book of Acts today. Luke tells us in Acts that the disciples were publicly teaching in Jerusalem, which was a risky feat for them, and perhaps more importantly, they were doing so because they said, “we are witnesses to the events of the Resurrection.” These are the same disciples who we encountered as bereaved, doubtful and full of fear in the Gospel of John– until they encountered Jesus. Life in the Holy Spirit and the peace of the Risen Christ triggered a death to fear and a Resurrection to joy in the Lord in the disciples and in all of us. That same joy was what enabled the disciples to respond to the jealousy and criticism of the high priest and council with nothing but love and devotion to God.
Our Lessons today emphasized the importance of community in recognizing the Risen Christ. Community is fundamentally at the heart of ministry, and it is foundational to our lives as followers of Christ. I have found that we are far more likely to encounter the Resurrection when we are around people who love us, who hold us and who uplift us. I consider myself deeply blessed to be in a community of people who lovingly sow the seeds of ministry, together, who open the door for me to ask questions. So as I prepared for this sermon, I couldn’t help but give thanks for the community of St. Martin’s.
As I look at my most beloved St. Martin’s, I see a community full of disciples with the same zealous energy of the Holy Spirit and love of Christ that I do in the apostles from our passage in Acts this morning. It is this same community that just moments ago witnessed baby Kai’s baptism into the Body of Christ, that assured Kai’s family in our faithful support of Kai’s faith journey, and that boldly proclaimed that we will seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. We first meet the Risen Christ in Baptism, which is entry into the community of faith, and this underscores the need for community as we grow in faith and questions.
Community is essential in helping us recognize the Resurrected Christ. We cannot do it on our own. And God doesn’t want us to do it on our own. It is not lost on me that Thomas recognizes the Risen Christ while amongst his friends, the fact the disciples are in their formation together when Christ appears to them the first and second time, is significant. Thomas has his moment of vulnerability and of faith when he is amongst friends, the people he loves and the people who love him. Similarly, Luke emphasizes our need for community in the passage from Acts. The apostles are brought together as a group to the Temple council and the high priest. It is Peter and the apostles who spoke to the high priest and declared that they answer not to man, but to God. They proclaimed Jesus’ death and resurrection. And, they inform the high priest that they were witnesses to these things. It is brave of the apostles to be so audacious before the high priest, but that is the strength of the community, especially one that has witnessed and experienced the Risen Christ in our midst.
When we are in a community that uplifts us and empowers us to recognize and embrace the power of the Risen Christ, we are given a beautiful opportunity to grow in faithfulness, like the apostles. When we are in a community that allows us to ask questions and think critically, we encounter the Christ in new ways which only serves to strengthen our relationship with him. How deeply reassuring it is to know that when we are in community, we do not need to have all the answers. How freeing that is.
I believe that Thomas and Jesus’ encounter this morning functioned as a catalyst to vital questions of faith and what the resurrection means for us, as Christ’s disciples in 2022. Thomas sadly has received a bad rap over the years but the truth is, his skepticism opened a door to fruitful discussions of faith, theology, and Christology. It is important that he expressed both his doubt and his faith in a community where he felt safe and comfortable enough to do so. It’s also significant that we see Thomas proclaim one of the essential Christological statements - “My Lord and My God” - while he is in his community. I would much rather see a disciple like Thomas, who earnestly is grasping with huge questions, but doing so faithfully, than one who simply parrots messages in the hopes of gaining more glory.
Friends, this week and beyond I encourage you to consider your communities, both in and out of St. Martin’s. Your communities of families, of friends, of St. Martin’s, of Women Connecting, or wherever you find yourself. What about your community draws you nearer to Christ? How do you see yourself fulfilling the Baptismal Covenant which connects us to the entire Christian community? How do you serve your community to the Glory of God, and how does your community help you encounter the Risen Christ?
The strength of the community here is something that inspires me and anchors my belief in the Resurrection. Many people in my family can tell you I was not the same person before I came to St. Martin’s and it is amazing what joy and life in the Holy Spirit does to a very weary soul. As we look toward the future and the inevitable transition that will come with it, we have opportunities to grow, to learn, to ask questions, and to be bold. We will be in the presence of the Almighty God, who was and who is and who is to come. We will be in the presence of the Risen Christ who before all else offers us peace. We will grow in faith and rejoice in the promise of salvation. We will continue to grow members into the Body of Christ. And, friends, we will boldly proclaim the resurrection with the same zest and convictions that the apostles had. Alleluia, the Lord is Risen!
Amen.
Permission to podcast/stream music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-701187 and CCLI with license #21234241 and #21234234. All rights reserved.
Video, photographs, and graphics by the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Episcopal Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118. 215.247.7466. https://www.stmartinec.org
Support the worship and ministry of St. Martin’s by giving online: stmartinec.org/give
Today's readings are:
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net: https://lectionarypage.net/
Community
Anne Alexis Harra
April 24, 2022
Let everything that has breath praise you, O God of Salvation.
Please be seated.
Today is a day to be joyful in the Lord, and in the Resurrection indeed. Spring seems spring-ier than ever. My house smells like hyacinths and I couldn’t be happier. It seems that nature itself is rejoicing in the Good News this morning. We welcomed a new beloved child of God into the Body of Christ as we are gathered to bask in the beautiful forgiveness and glow of the Easter Season. Alleluia!
When, friends, has the Resurrected Christ appeared to you? When has Jesus dwelt among you and said “Peace be with you.” Were you alone in prayer? Or perhaps, were you accomplishing a major life moment? Were you supported and raised up in a community? For me, life in this community continues to shape my faith and inform my questions. Only in community have I grown so profoundly in faith and received the courage to say, “The Lord is risen indeed, and I see that Resurrection everywhere around me and within me.”
Friends, life in the Resurrection is beautiful. Luckily for us, the promise of the Resurrection is the very essence of our passage from the Book of Acts today. Luke tells us in Acts that the disciples were publicly teaching in Jerusalem, which was a risky feat for them, and perhaps more importantly, they were doing so because they said, “we are witnesses to the events of the Resurrection.” These are the same disciples who we encountered as bereaved, doubtful and full of fear in the Gospel of John– until they encountered Jesus. Life in the Holy Spirit and the peace of the Risen Christ triggered a death to fear and a Resurrection to joy in the Lord in the disciples and in all of us. That same joy was what enabled the disciples to respond to the jealousy and criticism of the high priest and council with nothing but love and devotion to God.
Our Lessons today emphasized the importance of community in recognizing the Risen Christ. Community is fundamentally at the heart of ministry, and it is foundational to our lives as followers of Christ. I have found that we are far more likely to encounter the Resurrection when we are around people who love us, who hold us and who uplift us. I consider myself deeply blessed to be in a community of people who lovingly sow the seeds of ministry, together, who open the door for me to ask questions. So as I prepared for this sermon, I couldn’t help but give thanks for the community of St. Martin’s.
As I look at my most beloved St. Martin’s, I see a community full of disciples with the same zealous energy of the Holy Spirit and love of Christ that I do in the apostles from our passage in Acts this morning. It is this same community that just moments ago witnessed baby Kai’s baptism into the Body of Christ, that assured Kai’s family in our faithful support of Kai’s faith journey, and that boldly proclaimed that we will seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. We first meet the Risen Christ in Baptism, which is entry into the community of faith, and this underscores the need for community as we grow in faith and questions.
Community is essential in helping us recognize the Resurrected Christ. We cannot do it on our own. And God doesn’t want us to do it on our own. It is not lost on me that Thomas recognizes the Risen Christ while amongst his friends, the fact the disciples are in their formation together when Christ appears to them the first and second time, is significant. Thomas has his moment of vulnerability and of faith when he is amongst friends, the people he loves and the people who love him. Similarly, Luke emphasizes our need for community in the passage from Acts. The apostles are brought together as a group to the Temple council and the high priest. It is Peter and the apostles who spoke to the high priest and declared that they answer not to man, but to God. They proclaimed Jesus’ death and resurrection. And, they inform the high priest that they were witnesses to these things. It is brave of the apostles to be so audacious before the high priest, but that is the strength of the community, especially one that has witnessed and experienced the Risen Christ in our midst.
When we are in a community that uplifts us and empowers us to recognize and embrace the power of the Risen Christ, we are given a beautiful opportunity to grow in faithfulness, like the apostles. When we are in a community that allows us to ask questions and think critically, we encounter the Christ in new ways which only serves to strengthen our relationship with him. How deeply reassuring it is to know that when we are in community, we do not need to have all the answers. How freeing that is.
I believe that Thomas and Jesus’ encounter this morning functioned as a catalyst to vital questions of faith and what the resurrection means for us, as Christ’s disciples in 2022. Thomas sadly has received a bad rap over the years but the truth is, his skepticism opened a door to fruitful discussions of faith, theology, and Christology. It is important that he expressed both his doubt and his faith in a community where he felt safe and comfortable enough to do so. It’s also significant that we see Thomas proclaim one of the essential Christological statements - “My Lord and My God” - while he is in his community. I would much rather see a disciple like Thomas, who earnestly is grasping with huge questions, but doing so faithfully, than one who simply parrots messages in the hopes of gaining more glory.
Friends, this week and beyond I encourage you to consider your communities, both in and out of St. Martin’s. Your communities of families, of friends, of St. Martin’s, of Women Connecting, or wherever you find yourself. What about your community draws you nearer to Christ? How do you see yourself fulfilling the Baptismal Covenant which connects us to the entire Christian community? How do you serve your community to the Glory of God, and how does your community help you encounter the Risen Christ?
The strength of the community here is something that inspires me and anchors my belief in the Resurrection. Many people in my family can tell you I was not the same person before I came to St. Martin’s and it is amazing what joy and life in the Holy Spirit does to a very weary soul. As we look toward the future and the inevitable transition that will come with it, we have opportunities to grow, to learn, to ask questions, and to be bold. We will be in the presence of the Almighty God, who was and who is and who is to come. We will be in the presence of the Risen Christ who before all else offers us peace. We will grow in faith and rejoice in the promise of salvation. We will continue to grow members into the Body of Christ. And, friends, we will boldly proclaim the resurrection with the same zest and convictions that the apostles had. Alleluia, the Lord is Risen!
Amen.
Permission to podcast/stream music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-701187 and CCLI with license #21234241 and #21234234. All rights reserved.
Video, photographs, and graphics by the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Episcopal Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118. 215.247.7466. https://www.stmartinec.org
