That We All May Be One

Too long off “the blog” but a week at the National Workshop on Christian Unity in Chicago and a hasty return to New York for the Pope’s visit hasn’t left much “blogging time!”

The National Workshop on Christian Unity brings together between three and four hundred ecumenical officers and other ecumenists for an annual continuing education event where updates on the various dialogues and ecumenical activities are shared. The three largest groups of attendees are Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherans in that order, followed by Methodists, Presbyterians, Disciples, UCC and others.

This year we  participated in seminars on everything from  the new Anglican – Orthodox  agreed statement “Church of  the Triune God” to a presentation on “the Emerging Church.” Worship included an ecumenical vespers with a sermon by a Franciscan nun to a joint Lutheran – Episcopal – Methodist Eucharist presided over by the Episcopal Bishop of Chicago and a fine sermon by the United Methodist bishop who  is a convert from Buddhism.  I preached at a Churches Uniting in Christ Eucharist in a Baptist-UCC church in downtown Chicago which has hosted Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Dr Martin Luther King.

Our Bible studies were led by an archaeologist who has worked at Tantur Biblical Institute in the Holy Land, taught at Hebrew University, and now runs a study center in Georgia which recreates excavated biblical sites. He was fascinating as he explored  the conference theme “Pray  Without Ceasing” and pointed out that “praying in Jesus’  name” means more than tagging “in Jesus’  name” as a formula at the end of our prayers.

For example: “Strike them dead, O God, for I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen” is NOT praying in the name of Jesus.

“Nevertheless not my will but thine be done. Amen” IS praying in Jesus name — with or without the formula!

An ecumenical insight worth remembering!

John tells us that the story in our Gospel reading was “the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.” (John 21:14). We know that there were a number of such experiences after the initial ones on Easter Day. Writing only some twenty years after the Resurrection, St. Paul says:

“For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.  Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (I Corinthians 15:3-8)

How did Jesus reveal himself to them in these experiences? In what contexts did he appear? Well, to the Eleven once on a mountaintop, to two of them walking along the road to Emmaus, to some while they were in conversation, to Mary Magdalene in the garden, to Thomas in the upper room, and today – to Peter and the others – while they were fishing!

It’s always been striking to me that, with the possible exception of Thomas and the others in the upper room, it was not in “church” that he appeared to them. He appeared to them in the context of their everyday lives!

I’ve always loved the abrupt way, in this story, that Peter says, “I’m going fishing!” Enough of the confusion and grief and joy and challenge of these last days! I’m going to find some normality in all of this! I’m going to do what I’ve done all my life! I’m going to do something I know how to do! “I’m going fishing!”

But even here he cannot escape the presence of their Risen Lord! And does Jesus spend a lot of time shaming them for deserting him at the last, or upbraiding them for their lack of faith, or even theologizing about the Resurrection itself? Not in this story.

“Children, you have no fish, have you? Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some…Bring some of the fish you have caught…Come and have breakfast.”

For you see, those are the things our God cares about most. That we are his children…That each of us has needs…that he can take care of those needs…

All he asks of us, is that we share with others what we have received from him.

“Bring some of the fish you have caught.”

Come…let’s have breakfast!”

Some of you know that I was privileged to spend Holy Week and Easter Day in Israel and Palestine with the Presiding Bishop and a small delegation. Our visit was, in part, pilgrimage and, in part, a statement of our solidarity with the Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land and to assure them of our friendship, prayers, and support.

This is my fourth trip to the Middle East and I am always amazed at how my reading of the Bible takes on a different quality after each visit. For example, little things jump out at me that I would have overlooked before. Today’s Gospel begins, “Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem…”

Normally, as soon as I read the word “Emmaus” I know what the story is going to be and I launch immediately into theologizing about the two followers of Jesus and who they were and how they were joined by the Risen Lord and how he’s sort of playful with them before drawing the story out of them, discussing scripture with them, and finally being “made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24:35).

But today I couldn’t get past the first line –“a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem!” We drove by that site (actually several sites – because there’s some dispute as to which one is exactly the location of this resurrection appearance) just a few days ago! And it really isn’t very far from Jerusalem! An easy walk – especially for people who were accustomed to getting everywhere on foot.

Everything is close over there! We walked up the hill on Maundy Thursday from the Old City to the Garden of Gethsemane and it didn’t take more than 20 minutes! We walked the Way of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa and were home for a late breakfast! You can throw a rock from the traditional site of Golgotha to the burial place of Jesus – all contained within the walls of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher! It’s all right there!

And, of course, that’s the point. It is all right there! The Christian faith is not some philosophical system of belief or even code of ethics. The Christian faith is a relationship of trust in One who was really born in Bethlehem…grew up in Nazareth…moved to Capernaum…preached and taught and healed mostly in the farm country of the Galilee…made one or more trips to Jerusalem where he was arrested, tried, convicted and executed.

The Christian faith is trusting, along with those two disciples in today’s Gospel, that “…some women of our group astounded us.  They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.” (Luke 24:22-23).

You can visit the site of that tomb today…and all those places where our Lord lived and ministered. It’s important to know that. But it’s also important to know that you can experience that same Risen Lord right here…today…in exactly the same way as did the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

For “when he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him…They said to each other,

‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed and he has appeared to Simon!’

“Then they told what had happened to them on the road and how he had been known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

Risen Lord, be known to us too this day…in the Breaking of the Bread!       

The scriptural lessons for Good Friday and long and rich and they tell the story pretty well.  The first reading from the 53^rd chapter of Isaiah reminds us that the prophets, at their best, always knew that the Messiah would not just be an earthly king seeking to wield power and control, but would be a “suffering servant” willing to give himself up for his people.

The familiar Psalm 22 provides the words that Messiah used when he did indeed give himself up for us on the Cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me…” He was that desolate in his suffering. 

The Passion Gospel according to St. John tells the story of the last hours of Jesus’ life when he crossed the Kidron valley (not far from here), was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (not far from here), was betrayed and denied by his best friends (in this holy city), and died on a cross on Golgotha between two thieves.

But one line from Hebrews (10:23) says what it all means for us: “Let us hold fast to the confession of our faith without wavering, for the one who has promised is faithful!”

God sent the suffering servant to this holy land – after all the centuries of preparation – because “the one who has promised is faithful.” What does that mean for us?

It means that we can be confident of our Christian faith even when we find ourselves a tiny minority – because the one who has promised is faithful!

It means that, not matter how bad things may look, God will one day establish a kingdom of justice and of peace…because the one who has promised is faithful!

It means that when you and I experience suffering and pain in our own lives, our families, our churches, our communities, healing and wholeness are possible…because the one who has promised is faithful!

And it means that when we finally close our eyes in death and whisper with Jesus “It is finished” we know that new life has really just begun…because the one who has promised is faithful!

I can’t tell you what it has meant for my colleagues and me to have been in this land during this season, and be reminded here – in a special way – that the one who has promised is faithful.

We see that promise in your faces and in your eyes. We see it in your churches. Most of all, we see it in the faithfulness of your many ministries.

We will always pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Please pray for us as well…