Reminder: In the case of a pastoral care need through April 5, please contact the Rev. Elizabeth Endicott, 507-440-4934.
Dearly Beloved,
Tell me something good....
Tell me something good....
Tell me something good!
This has been our refrain this Lenten season. In the midst of goodbye saying. In the midst of a spring that has come far too early and been far too dry. In the midst of war and executive orders aimed at curtailing access to voting, and Supreme Court rulings that say that conversion therapy is about freedom of speech instead of what it actually is: religiously-justified violence against our siblings simply for being who they are.
In the midst of all of this bad news, our refrain has been: tell me something good! I wonder how much Jesus' disciples and followers felt the burden of that ask during Jesus' last days and weeks: "Tell us something good, Jesus." And there were moments when everything felt amazing: the protest parade into Jerusalem and the crowd's cries of "Hosanna!" A shared passover in an upper room. But then there were strange parts, like Jesus washing their feet. Like Jesus turning over tables in the temple. Like the weirdness with Judas and going out to a garden at night to pray and how weary they all felt. And then things just turned bad: a betrayal, arrest, public mocking and execution.
I can just imagine that the idea of good news in the midst of all that must have felt... trite. Naive. Foolish. A terrible joke. And yet, those disciples kept paying attention. they kept
Perhaps you recall a sermon earlier this year when I talked about paying attention as a moral act: as part of how we are called to show up. Attention is part of how we remember who and whose we are. As Christ followers, Holy Week is a time when it is especially important to pay attention. We refuse to look away as empire's propaganda sways the minds of crowds -- moving the crowds in Jerusalem from the shouts of Hosanna on Sunday to screams of "Crucify him! Crucify him!" on Friday. We refuse to look away as fear takes hold of Jesus' followers. We refuse to look away as Jesus overturns tables in the temple (can you even imagine?). We refuse to look away as Jesus speaks of his own death. We refuse to look away as one of the twelve betrays Jesus to the powers that be. As Peter denies Jesus. As he is abandoned by his male followers in all of the Gospel tellings of his crucifixion except for one (In the Gospel according to John, John stays at the foot of the cross). We refuse to look away as the women continue to show up. We refuse to look away as empire executes Jesus, believing that is the end of this rabble rouser and his crew of ragtag followers.
And we refuse to look away in this moment. We must not look away from the evil that is alive and well in our world.
And at the same time, we ask and proclaim: "Tell me something good." Tell me the good news that claims joy and belonging for each of us, for all of God's beloved children: immigrant and citizen, child and elder, trans and cis, rich and poor. Tell me the good news that is great love for God and neighbor. Tell me the good news that together, the impossible becomes possible. The good news that is protection and care for the vulnerable. The good news that inspires us to act. The good news that no death dealing forces of evil or harm will ever have the last word.
Tell me something good! AND, AND, once we have heard that good news, once we have caught glimpses, may we live that good news in ways big and small, simple and risky, quiet and loud. Let us be the good news!
I encourage you to attend the community Maundy Thursday Worship tomorrow at 7:00 pm at Trinity United Methodist Church and the Community Good Friday Worship (with lots of amazing music!) at 7:00 pm at First Love Community Church on Friday. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday morning.
With love and hope,
Thandiwe
