Don't Believe Your Own Press

April 11, 2012

Dear Easter People,

“Don’t get high on your own supply.” – Notorious B.I.G.

Across the church, Christians will gather this Sunday to hear the story of Thomas, the disciple who doubted the resurrection. His is a story whose familiarity comes from regularity: the Lectionary, which standardizes scripture readings for corporate worship, insists that we hear about him two years out of every three, along with the story of the two people walking to Emmaus.

As such, we’ve become quite accustomed to post-Easter worship services that focus on how little we understand the resurrection. Whether it is to explore Thomas’ doubt, or the Emmaus travelers’ ignorance, or the disciples’ busyness (John 21), this is the time of year that invites us to a Lenten-style introspection into our own barriers to belief.

However, what happens if we slightly shift our interpretive focus, away from the skeptics in the story, and gaze through the eyes of Jesus instead?

That thought occurred to me just two nights ago, sitting in a hotel room in Nashville. We had just finished an amazing morning of Easter worship the day before, with two full services, the best Easter sermon I had ever preached, and a genuine sense of joy and gladness from all of you. Later that afternoon, I hopped on a plane to Nashville, at the request of the United Methodist Publishing House, who asked me to serve as a consultant for their exciting new Bible study curriculum. After a long, invigorating meeting, I sat in my hotel room, patting myself on the back, polishing my metaphorical trophies I had placed on my mental mantel.

And then, for some reason, I picked up my Bible and read the story of Thomas. I’m not sure why, since I’m not even preaching the story this Sunday. When I finished, I looked at all the other accounts of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances, reconsidering them from Jesus’ perspective. Mary mistook him for the gardener. Thomas thought the story was a lie. The couple on their way to Emmaus walked with Jesus for miles and didn’t they didn’t realize it. And the disciples – even the disciples, who spent three years with him ­– didn’t recognize him on the beach. Gradually, I came to this startling self-revelation: If Jesus rose from the dead and people didn’t give him the credit he deserved, then who am I to boast to others about my accomplishments?

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus offered his most thorough, CSI-style dissection of the evidence to the disciples: He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ But here’s the subtle subtext that I’d like to read into his words: “Sheesh! C’mon, guys, it’s me! What’s it going to take for you to believe in me? I mean, I rose from the dead, for crying out loud!” If Jesus was as startled by the disciples’ response as I would have been, then maybe they are doing you and me a favor. Maybe they are reminding us not to “think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but to think with sober judgment.” (Romans 12:3)

If anyone deserved to “believe his own press,” it was surely Jesus. But he didn’t, and the disciples made sure he didn’t. And if that’s true for Jesus, who rose from the dead, after all, then that is certainly true for you and me.

Don’t get high on your own supply. Heed the words of St. Augustine: “Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.”

What is that “deeper foundation?” It is nothing less than the mind of Christ himself, beautifully portrayed in the kenotic hymn of Philippians 2:5-8: Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross.

So join me in the ongoing effort maintain humility in the way we think, speak, and relate to each other. If you ever sense that I, as your pastor, ever get too big for my britches, if my head becomes too huge for my hat, and if I ever seem to too arrogant for my own good, then you have both my permission and my plea to knock me down a notch or too. (And if you don’t, then don’t worry. I have two brothers in Florida who always seem to know what to tell me for just that purpose!)

Together, let’s assume the mind of Christ, think with sober judgment, and simply begin by being. And let’s remember the words of G.K. Chesterton: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.”

Happy Easter!

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org




NEW SERMON SERIES
This Sunday, we begin a new sermon series on living the resurrection based on Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians. Each Sunday, we’ll learn how the Holy Spirit empowers us to live a live that overcomes hate, sorrow, suffering, and many other difficulties. You won’t want to miss a Sunday, and I know you have friends that can benefit from your invitation to join us.

A Life that Overcomes:
A Resurrection Series on the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians

April 15
A Love That Overcomes Hate
1 John 3:16-24

April 22
A Joy That Overcomes Sorrow
James 1:2-12

April 29
A Patience That Overcomes Suffering
Romans 8:18-30

May 6
A Goodness That Overcomes Evil
Romans 12:9-21

May 13
A Faith That Overcomes Fear
1 Timothy 1:3-7

May 20
A Discipline That Overcomes Weakness
1 Corinthians 9:19-27

May 27
A Spirit That Overcomes the World
Acts 2:1-13

FIRE RECOVERY UPDATE

Sanctuary: Grundman Hicks has completed construction of the scaffolding in the sanctuary. ServiceMaster will complete the washing of the walls and chancel area by the end of this week, in time for the professional painters to begin repainting the walls very soon. It is estimated that it might take up to five weeks to completely repaint the sanctuary.

Kitchen and Dining Hall: The asbestos tile has been fully removed from the floor and the stage, and the areas have been deemed free of asbestos. Grundman Hicks has now completely removed the stage from the dining hall, and is in the process of finishing the removal of plaster from the walls and ceiling. The plaster on the back stairwell to the sanctuary will also be removed. The Building Committee met last Wednesday with the architect and is continuing its design work.