Again you shall plant vineyards... Jer 31;5 Cultivation is the theme for todays message. Spending the last ten years in our garden I learned an important lesson. It is not plants that we grow really it is the soil. Much like our lives are important beyond our awareness. The plants come and go. It is the quality of your community that makes life possible. We are entwined with the soil more than we know.
To do things the proper way requires great amounts of information. I after ten years have found the right path. Now you might say hey we don't need soil to grow plants, which is true, but something needs to provide what the soil provides.
In the context of our garden we have many challenges. There is a thick patch of trees that passes right by our garden. Over the years we have had groundhog issues but we had come to an understanding. I grew certain things they would eat and certain things they did not like. Now their tastes change over the years which is surprising for a groundhog. Lot of fat groundhogs in Cleveland.
The deer are clearly confused. No real threats to them in the city are causing them to change. The first time I saw deer this year they looked at me confused why I am there. The young deer was on top of the wood chip pile while two other deer leisurely wondered the garden. Most of my life it has been a real pleasure to see deer.
I remember the day me and my Dad walked up on fifty deer in Pennsylvania. We stood frozen, well my Dad did. I moved and they were gone faster than I had ever seen anything move. I watched where they traveled through in disbelief. My father got a few shots off, the loud noise reminded me that we were hunting. It seemed we were doing something else.
These deer is Cleveland don't mind movement as I shout at them and let them know they are not welcome. That not something I should have to do to Deer. I don't want to, but someone has to tell them. If they have a predator now it is the ticks. I wonder as I see young deer running around the vacant lot like a dog how many actually are quite sick. Like your dog at home you can usually see it in the coat. Watch when you see them. You will see sick ones.
Why are they sick. Well it is a symptom of the brokenness we have created in the world. They are supposed to live in fear. Doesn't sound like something to talk about in church, but there is no natural balance for them here in Cleveland yet here they are. Much like the forgotten orchard trees all through the city forgotten and not thought about. We have real problems and few solutions.
Our scripture for today is not the only one of focus today. The liturgical calendar also brings us back to Acts and some of the first consequences of our church. But first we find ourselves as we often do with Thomas, doubting that there is solution.
John 20, 19-31 from the Amplified Bible:
19 So when it was evening on that same day, the first day of the week, though the disciples were [meeting] behind barred doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “[a]Peace to you.” 20 After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with great joy. 21 Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you [as My representatives].” 22 And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven [because of their faith]; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained [and remain unforgiven because of their unbelief].”
Where are we? well in verse 18 Mary Magdalene came, reporting to the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her. This last Gospel so unique in many ways. Possible responses and highlights to be made of the earlier. We often talk of Mathew Mark and Luke having a supposed lost source. The so called Q gospel or simply the Q source. Much of what is new is old.
John is different in many ways but most importantly in his purpose. We will get to that shortly in verse 30, but where we start in John today is right after Mary Magdalene's report. We don't find a rebuke of these women here. Next we just have Jesus appear. Just as the Q source was available for other writers those rebukes were available for John. This is personally why I am so drawn to his gospel.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve [disciples], who was called Didymus (the twin), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the marks of the nails, and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.”
The doubter he is know the world over. So much of what Jesus teaches is to help us live. Here we are being taught flatly that it will be more difficult for us. We will not see in his hands the marks. Jesus is straight forward with the realities of creation. We will see later in the first acts of the church they celebrated this fact. Such strange and wonderous people surely full of the holy spirit.
26 Eight days later His disciples were again inside the house, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, though the doors had been barred, and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place it in My side. Do not be unbelieving, but [stop doubting and] believe.” 28 Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, do you now believe? Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, and favored by God] are they who did not see [Me] and yet believed [in Me].”
We have not seen and if we believe we can gain strength. We are witness. Mary was witness. Thomas is witness now. If you were there and doubting Jesus would surely let you touch his wounds, but there were more blessings greater for you to bring you here.
Now that purpose of Writing this Gospel I had mentioned we find quite specifically spelled out in verse 30 and 31:
30 There are also many other signs (attesting miracles) that Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God; and that by believing [and trusting in and relying on Him] you may have life in His name.
John was never trying to tell everything that happened. Just what needs to be known. Just like things need to be known in our ministry.
Spring is here and we are moving ahead with our green space. If we do things right we will have programing throughout the year. Currently we offer free internet on the corner. This summer we will be working with Nottingham Daycare again having lunch Monday Wednesday and Friday. This will be be an open program and no more grab n go like the last two years. We might thrive or might be the last year. I know I have my doubts.
Dave who preaches the second week of the month is working on getting some funding from his work and wants to join our project. Details are developing. We have a couple thousand for tables and benches. He is talking about bringing more resources. Long term visions include community power generation which is something moving forward in Cleveland.
Imagine in our green space generating energy with solar and wind for use by the church and the surrounding neighborhood. We can have a real impact on the pocket book of our neighbors. We can create a joint existence. I have talked to everyone who will listen about calling the city health department to complain about the thick patch of forest. Many things make it not safe, not the least the tics the deer bring. Playing our part they should not be comfortable. The world may be broken but we don't have to be.
So you can call too and complain. Hopefully someone will go to the meeting with catholic charities this week and we will move forward with our lunch program. Perhaps our last. Perhaps the first of what is to come. You could be there or you could talk to people who you know could be there.
We would like to also create incubator space to invite people from the community to come and use resources. There is interest in a renewed civic club in the neighborhood. Are doors are open and we invite people to worship with us we need to invite people to create with us. We have done it before and we can do it again.
Last in the long term I would like to see a memorial grove and a vineyard. A community newspaper Nottingham Vines.
We need to both hold on tight to our ministry and let go. I know when Dave expressed his interest in working in the garden how I felt. The way I should and hope to. I know how it felt after eight years to finally have kids digging in the ground and caring for plants.
As we come through Easter we are naturally drawn to reflect on the early moments of the church. What happened first. How did they do something that we are still doing today. The Sanhedrin knew it was something different from day one and would ultimately take Gamaliel’s Counsel . Here we find in Act 5 27-32, again from the amplified bible, suffering lighting the way.
27 So they brought them and presented them before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this [c]Man’s blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers].” 29 Then Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice]. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a [d]cross [and you are responsible]. 31 God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior and Deliverer, in order to grant repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him.”
The Sanhedrin had seen many rebel leaders come and go. Their followers gone as fast as their leaders. Movements with charismatic leaders often don't even really need to explain themselves. They never last beyond the induvial leader.
40b they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. 41 So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name. 42 And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).
41 So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.
Day one, Day today, Day tomorrow, Day till Jesus come again
Turning point. Jesus was the turning point. Thing about turning points you never know they are happening when they do. They seem less important. I taught this several times this week and have been fascinated by this phrase. Looking back they are easy to see. You might just be in a turning point right now.
With so much broken these times come so often. I want to close this message to say that two Christian armies are fighting on this orthodox Easter. Sometimes we agree on the date of Easter. Much we agree. The worse part of things is the not knowing how things are going to work out. With faith we find Jesus the turning point and we pray there has already been one in Ukraine.
Let Us Pray,
Creator of the universe,
We see things broken and not functioning
Let us see with your eyes when we doubt
Let us feel our own wounds and know you also suffered
Let us rejoice that we are dignified by indignity
Let us suffer shame for the sake of your name
Be with each who doubts
Help them feel their own wounds and your comforting presence
We claim a re birth of Nottingham green space
We claim again we shall plant vineyards
We ask in the mighty Name of Jesus our savior to keep us near your will
Amen
Benediction:
Almighty God, giver of every good and perfect gift: teach us to render unto thee all that we have and all that we are, that we may praise thee, not with our lips only, but with our whole loves, turning the duties, the sorrows, and the joys of all our days into a living sacrifice unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Nottingham 4-24-2022
