Peace be with you

 

 

19When 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.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So 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.”

26A 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.” 27Then 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.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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.

John 20:19-31

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The Incredulity of Saint Thomas

CARAVAGGIO, Michelangelo Merisi da

Neues Palais (Sanssouci Park)

Potsdam

Germany

 

"Caravaggio offers us a profound theology of innocence through the Beauty of his art. Known for his gritty realism, Caravaggio has Jesus grasping the of the apostle Thomas and thrusting it deep within the wound at his side, powerfully aligning Jesus' and St. Thomas" hands to form a lance. St. Thomas" face expresses profound surprise as his finger thrusts deep into Jesus' wound. Perhaps, the surprise has to do with his unbelief. It could also be surprise at the realization that he, too, is also pierced. Indeed, St. Thomas appears to clutch his side as if he becomes aware of a wound at his side as well. And we who wince at this gritty depiction feel a wound at our side as well." (Aponte, 104)

 

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20180404613446898&code=ACT&RC=54170&Row=3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mind that is not baffled is not employed.

The impeded stream is the one that sings.

~ Wendell Berry*



 

 

 

 

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure

and the intelligent are full of doubt.

~ Bertrand Russell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Joy with Kimra and Randy

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Annette Bradley in her Easter bonnet

 

Guess who won the Easter Bonnet contest!

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Hanna Holt, Kimra Perkins, Annette Bradley, Gail Sharp, Randy Sackerson, Brenda Jansen

 

The exciting Easter Race!

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Carolyn Alexander, Gail Sharp, and Brianna Kneisl get their entries ready ...

 

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Brianna’s yellow chickie won while Gail and I discovered that our entries were white bunnies. The chickie ran and our bunnies just hopped in place.

 

 

The Winners!

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Mary, Margo, Brianna — notice that their entries were all yellow chickies!

 

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Pastor Richard Aylor with Briana Mary Kneisl

 

 

Lunch with Sharron at Wind Crest

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Sharron Leonard, Van Farnsworth, Lynn Gilbert

 

 

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Carolyn Alexander and Rebecca Martin at Willow Creek

 

 

Rotary Book Club

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Clockwise from the left: Sue, Linda, Jen, Carolyn, Rocco,

Judith, Adrian, Rita, and Anita

Photo by Deb Sanders

 

 

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Rita Carver was our hostess and reviewer.

 

 

 

 

The most potent actions are often done

without forethought of publicity.

They are sincere and uncalculating,

touching us with a kind of naiveté.

Ask yourself, which is more inspiring:

to accidentally witness a touching act of generosity, or

to watch the same act staged to become a spectacle?

~ Charles Eisenstein

http://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/scale-story-interbeing/

 

 

 

 

April 7, 2024  Second Sunday of Easter - Year B

 

Previous OPQs may be found at: 

 

 

* From “Our Real Work” by Wendell Berry

It may be that when we no longer know what to do

we have come to our real work,

and that when we no longer know which way to go

we have come to our real journey.

The mind that is not baffled is not employed.

The impeded stream is the one that sings.

 

 

 

32Now 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. 33With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There 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. 35They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Acts 4:32-35

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

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Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

 

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My Lord, My God

Hanna Cheriyan Varghese - Malaysia

 

 

 

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LECTIONARY

Acts 4:32–35 

Psalm 133 

1 John 1:1–2:2 

John 20:19–31

 

Summary

https://www.preachingtoday.com/lectionary/

 

THE WORD:

https://connectionsmediaworks.com/sundaygospel.html#april7

 

 

First Reading Acts 4:32-35

32Now 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. 33With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There 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. 35They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Psalm 133:1-3

1   How very good and pleasant it is 
          when kindred live together in unity! 
2   It is like the precious oil on the head, 
          running down upon the beard, 
     on the beard of Aaron, 
          running down over the collar of his robes. 
3   It is like the dew of Hermon, 
          which falls on the mountains of Zion. 
     For there the LORD ordained his blessing, 
          life for evermore.

Second Reading 1 John 1:1-2:2

1:1We 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 — 2this 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 — 3we 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. 4We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5This 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. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7but 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. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2:1My 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; 2and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Gospel John 20:19-31

19When 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.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So 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.”

26A 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.” 27Then 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.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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.