This week's author is Charlie Kuchenbrod, Associate Conference Minister for Endowment Ministries for the Connecticut Conference, UCC.
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no
one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned
was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There
was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold
them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the
apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there God ordained the blessing,
the blessing of life forevermore.
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 -- 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 -- we declare to you what we have seen and
heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship
is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these
things so that our joy may be complete.
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. If we say that we have
fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do
what is true; 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.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our
sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not
sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not
sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not
for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of
the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said
this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced
when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the
Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on
them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained." But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not
with them when Jesus came. 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."
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." 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." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 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." Now Jesus did many other signs in the
presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are
written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son
of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
All of the lectionary citations for this coming Sunday reflect, in some way,
the glow of first-hand experience of the resurrected Christ. Thomas, who
doubted and, by doubting, separated himself from the other disciples, is
transformed by the first-hand experience. He responds, "My Lord and my God,"
and rejoins the circle of fellowship.
From 1 John: We have known the resurrected Christ and it brings us into
fellowship with one another, with God, and with Jesus Christ.
In Psalm 133, we hear the echo of earlier fellowship, of living together in
unity, and basking in the blessing of God.
And from Acts, we have an experience of fellowship so powerful that the
whole group becomes of one heart and one soul and shares all possessions in
common.
What strikes me is that these reports do not focus only on how the
first-hand experience changes a person's relationship with the Creator,
Christ, and Holy Spirit, but also emphasize how the experience changes a
person's relationship with other people. Concern for self diminishes;
fellowship and concern for others grows. Undoubtedly both relationships --
the "vertical" relationship with the Sacred and the "horizontal"
relationship with people and even all of Creation -- are changed.
Isn't the fellowship and sharing reported in Acts a radical commitment to
loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves? The experience of the
risen Christ liberates people from the bondage of self-concern, allowing
people to fully open their hearts to God and to each other, and unleashing
unreserved generosity.
The living Jesus called us to love God with all of our being and to love our
neighbors as ourselves. What happens when we experience the resurrected
Christ? We live out these commandments!
Dear God, as we live in the glow of Easter celebration, help us to keep our
hearts open to opportunities for true fellowship. Help us to balance concern
for ourselves with concern for others. Help us to be people of the
resurrection: people of hope, people of charity, and people of justice.
Amen.
Please remember:
Cecile and Steve Gilson and their family on the death last week of their niece Michelle after a long struggle with ALS; Cecile is the Conference's Assistant to the Conference Minister;
Cheryl McNamee, daughter of the Rev. Al Turner, pastor of South Congregational Church UCC in East Hartford, who is being treated for breast cancer;
the Rev. M. J. Hinchliff, pastor of First Church of Christ, Congregational, UCC of East Haddam, who is being treated for breast cancer;
those who suffered injury in the Italian earthquake: injury to body, to family, to house and home, to community, and to spirit;
the leaders of this nation, that they may meet the challenges of the day with insight, wisdom, and compassion;
those suffering due to the ongoing financial woes of the nation, be they struggling to meet an unaffordable mortgage, confronting the loss of a job, or working to find just resolutions to the crisis; and
those serving or living in war or conflict zones around the world, or where terrorists have struck, particularly in Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, Georgia, and the Sudan.
To be added to the prayer list, please send an email to your Regional Minister or to webmaster@ctucc.org.
Niantic
Niantic Community Church
P The Rev. John A. Nelson
CE Ms. Jessica Bunger
Norfolk
Church of Christ, Cong'l
P The Rev. Erick R. Olsen
PE The Rev. Bruce F. Anderson
North Stonington
Cong'l Ch of North Stonington
IN The Rev. Linda J. Higgins
PE The Rev. Newell E. Bishop
North Branford
North Branford Cong'l Ch, UCC
P The Rev. Deborah Roy
CE Mr. Andrew Hughart
North Haven
North Haven Cong'l Church
P The Rev. Scott G. Morrow
AP The Rev. Care L. Goodstal-Spinks
MM Mr. Kevin L. Mack
Northford
Northford Cong'l Ch UCC
P The Rev. Peter Degree
PE The Rev. A. Karl Phillippi
MM Ms. Jane Koptonak Leschuk
To read previous editions of the Spirit Calendar, visit:
http://www.ctucc.org/fido/spiritcalendar/
To learn more about or subscribe to the Spirit Calendar, visit:
http://www.ctucc.org/fido/
The Spirit Calendar: April 13, 2009 by Mr. Charlie Kuchenbrod, Associate Conference Minister for Endowment Ministries
