Worship Notes May 18

Worship Notes

The Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A

May 18, 2014

The Season

We are nearing the end of our series of seven Sundays of Easter. On the first three Sundays the Gospel readings featured resurrection appearances by Jesus: to Mary Magdalene in the garden early in the morning; to the disciples huddled behind closed door on the evening of that same day, and again a week later when “doubting Thomas” was with them; and finally to the two disheartened followers of Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The Fourth Sunday of Easter is always Good Shepherd Sunday, with the Gospel last week coming from John 10. On these last three Sundays of Easter, we hear Jesus in intimate consolation and instruction to his disciples “on the night he was betrayed,” while Jesus attempts to prepare them for what is to come. Judas has already left their company. The stakes are high!

In Word

“Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit” (Psalm 31:5). So we sing with our psalmist today. These same words are on the lips of Stephen, the first martyr to die for his devotion to Jesus, as he is being stoned (Acts 7:59). These words were also on the lips of Jesus from the cross (Luke 23:46). Such an expression is appropriate, not only for the end of our lives, but for the entirety of them. We belong to Christ!

Stephen was appointed one of the first deacons, “seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3), who were chosen for the daily distribution of food to the followers of Jesus, who were sharing all things in common (Acts 2:44).

Our psalmist has experienced extreme hardship and persecution, “the scorn of all my enemies, a disgrace to my neighbors, a dismay to my acquaintances; when they see me in the street they avoid me” (31:11). Our psalmist pleads, “Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me . . .” (vs. 4). Our psalmist seems desperate: “For my life is wasted with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails me because of affliction, and my bones are consumed” (vs. 10). Therefore, our psalmist sings, “In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame . . .” (vs. 1). In all this, our psalmist is confident: “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” We would do well to embrace that same confidence!

The Apostle Peter insists, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Notice the in order that . . . ! We are “a chosen race . . .” not for our own sakes only, but in order that we might proclaim what God has done in Christ Jesus.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus’ assertion to Thomas is not a litmus test for inclusion in the kingdom; rather, it is an invitation. Why would we not want to accept it?!

In Song

“You are My Comfort, My All” was composed by Pastor David while he was serving a congregation in Chicago, inspired, in part by our Gospel text for today. The last stanza (the best one!) was penned by Esther Masted, and elderly widow of a former missionary. Esther’s love and zeal for Jesus was evident in all that she said and all that she did. She indeed embraced our psalmist’s conviction: “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”