Second Reading: 1 John 1:1 — 2:2: The Word of Life
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— ³ what we have seen and heard we also declare to you so that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. ⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; ⁷ but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Commentary

Verses 8-9 may sound familiar to you.  In the green LBW (1978-2005), they were part of the Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness at the start of the liturgy. In our current hymnal (2006 ELW), the passage is included as part of the Corporate Confession and Forgiveness (pages 238-242), a beautiful service available to us. Interestingly, on pages 243-244 we also have a process for Individual Confession and Forgiveness, something we may request from our Pastor. Recall that Luther included a section on Confession in the Small Catechism that you may find interesting. The confessional services that are part of the ELW are based on Luther’s instructions from the original Catechism, published in 1529 as a “handbook for the Christian household.” The language has been modernized. (On the eve of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation in 2016, Augsburg Fortress published an updated version of Luther’s Small Catechism if you are interested in a copy).  

**Questions to think about: Is Confession of Sin part of your daily faith practice? Do you think we emphasize the practice enough within our worship experience? What were you taught about this practice while coming of age? Feel free to comment here, or via email, and we will also discuss this in our in-person session after worship on 7 April, among other things.  

Gospel Reading: John 20: 19-31
¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” ²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” ³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

This Week’s Reflection: doubting thomas — a fair nickname?

Saint Thomas, also known as Didymus or “the Twin,” was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Some have theorized that Thomas and Matthew were twins, and in the Syrian Church, Thomas is identified as Jesus’ twin. A Galilean fisherman by trade, Thomas is remembered for his initial skepticism about Jesus’ resurrection. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after his crucifixion, Thomas doubted the event until he saw and touched the wounds of Jesus for himself. However, Thomas’s doubt transformed into profound belief when he witnessed the resurrected Jesus. He famously exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” upon seeing Jesus, affirming his faith. After this encounter, Thomas became a fervent missionary. 

Later traditions and historical accounts of Saint Thomas portray mystery. One tradition holds that he evangelized in regions such as Parthia, Persia, and possibly as far as India. According to ancient Christian texts and traditions, particularly those in India, Saint Thomas traveled to the Indian subcontinent and established Christian communities there. He is believed to have arrived in Kerala, South India, around the 1st century AD. Thomas is revered as a saint in various Christian denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Anglican Communion. In the ELCA, we commemorate Saint Thomas on July 3rd. He is considered the patron saint of architects and builders, due to a legend associating him with the construction of a church in India. Saint Thomas’s legacy endures through his commitment to spreading the message of Christianity and his journey from doubt to unwavering faith.

While researching Thomas this week, I stumbled upon a sermon from Reverand Caroline Lawson Dean of Plymouth Church in Lawrence, Kansas, a UCC parish. Recall that the United Church of Christ is one of six Full Communion Partners with the ELCA. Pastor Dean explores the encounter between Jesus and Thomas, applying it in a meaningful way to young confirmands. Access it here.   

Soli Deo Gloria!  

 

 

“The Easter season is a time of hope. There still is fear, there still is a painful awareness of sinfulness, but there also is light breaking through. Something new is happening, something that goes beyond the changing moods of our life. We can be joyful or sad, optimistic or pessimistic, tranquil or angry, but the solid stream of God’s presence moves deeper than the small waves of our minds and hearts. Easter brings the awareness that God is present even when his presence is not directly noticed. Easter brings the good news that, although things seem to get worse in the world, the Evil One has already been overcome. Easter allows us to affirm that although God seems very distant and although we remain preoccupied with many little things, our Lord walks with us on the road and keeps explaining the Scriptures to us. Thus there are many rays of hope casting their light on our way through life.”