Author: Rev. Wells

Corona Sabbath 5 (First Sunday after Easter)

Date: April 19, 2020
Scripture: John 20:19-31
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

Rest in peace. This phrase is on many gravestones. It is a saying that we offer as comfort in the face of death. Because we need peace when confronted with death.

In the story we heard from the gospel of John we see just that. Death. And peace. The reality of death is underscored in the exchange involving Thomas. Unless I see the wounds, I won’t believe it. The death of Jesus is real. This is not some sham death. Something staged. A trick. Jesus was really killed. Dead. To this precious mortal life.

And there is peace in the story. Three times Jesus declares: Peace be with you. The disciples are afraid, distraught, in shock. And they are given what they need most – peace. In the face of the horrific death of their dearly beloved friend they receive peace.

One of the important dimensions of our faith is that it offers us peace in the face of the stark reality of death. This is a key function of religion in general: Helping human beings deal with death.

The stories of Jesus appearing alive after the crucifixion were a way for people of that day and time to find peace in the aftermath of Jesus’ death. In a context where life after death was associated with important cultural figures, Jesus’ followers found peace in associating this pattern with Jesus. It gave his friends and followers peace to conceive of Jesus alive in a new way, his presence continuing. The stories of the resurrected Jesus show us how his friends experienced the peace which passes all understanding even after his death.

The follow up, that this eternal life was offered to everyone after death, was also a source of peace and comfort. The concept of Jesus coming back from the dead in a new way and inviting people to live eternally with him after death is a way of offering peace in the face of death.

Death is a natural, inevitable part of life. So it is important that we find ways to make peace with death. This is one of the things that our faith gives us: A way to experience peace around death.

The stories of the resurrection of Jesus and eternal life with him in a heavenly realm are a way of making peace with death; of experiencing peace and comfort around death. We may look forward to seeing our loved ones who have gone before us. That is beautiful. There can be great relief and comfort in that image. And we are grateful that our faith offers that vision of peace around death.

For some people, the concept of life after death, some kind of ongoing life does not offer comfort. It can seem too magical, unbelievable, or unscientific. If it gives you more peace to believe that when you die your individual physical life is over and you go on in the memories of those who have known you, that’s ok. If it gives you peace to think you will be cremated, buried, and become soil and return to the earth, and that is the completion of your life, then that is beautiful.

If you are at peace with not knowing what, if anything, happens after the last breath is exhaled and the body dies, that is fine, too.

If people find peace in the idea of returning to this life in another form, some kind of reincarnation, then that is wonderful. What is important is making peace with death.

I recently saw an interview with the people who made the movie “Fantastic Fungi.” The movie is about the importance of mushrooms and fungi to the health of the planet and to the health of people. In one segment, a man shares how he was told that his cancer was spreading. He was very anxious and afraid. The doctor gave him a pamphlet about a program that involved taking the drug psilocybin, obtained from mushrooms, in a controlled setting, to help cultivate spiritual peace. The man followed up and arranged for an appointment. He tells of experiencing a higher power. It gave him peace and comfort and assurance that he never could have dreamed of. And he now has peace around death, even his own impending death. He is not afraid. Again, what is important is the idea of knowing peace in the face of death.

We also know that the condition of our relationships has a lot to do with our experiencing peace in the face of death. Notice that in the story from John, Jesus challenges his followers to forgive. Forgiveness is part of creating peace in our lives and in our relationships. And this contributes to our experiencing peace around death. Our faith teaches us to live with honesty, authenticity, and humility, freely giving and receiving forgiveness. This kind of life helps to foster peace with death. So whatever our thoughts about what happens after we take our last breath, to cultivate peace around death involves how we live and the condition of our relationships while we are still breathing in this life.

Our faith involves turning “our mourning into dancing” as we are told in the Psalms. It is about experiencing transcendent peace in this life when confronted with the reality of death. We believe in a God that can never be fully known, a God of infinite love. We do not want to limit how people may experience peace around death. That peace may come in many different ways.

What is important, I think, is that we are trusting Divine Love to offer us peace when we are facing the deepest sense of sorrow and loss imaginable. Peace in the face of death. And the stories of Easter and the resurrection show us how that happened for those first century friends of Jesus. These stories show us a God of endless creativity and eternal love.

In this time of COVID-19 and the tremendous suffering, grief, and death that we are seeing, it is important for us to think about how we are associating peace and death. This disease is disrupting how people are used to finding peace in the face of death. We are used to being with our loved ones when they die. We find support in communal gatherings in the aftermath of death. We rely on traditional rituals to process our loss and grief. With the necessity of physical distancing, it is particularly difficult to find peace around death at this time.

Easter reminds us to trust that the healing will come. There is peace in the face of death. The story from John reminds us of the completely unexpected ways that the disciples experienced peace around the death of Jesus. There will be ways for us to find peace in the face of death even during this Corona time. We can trust the infinite creativity of Divine Love. Amen.

(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)

Date: April 5, 2020 Palm Sunday
Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11
Reflection: Rev. Kim P. Wells

Last weekend, I heard an interview with an EMT on National Public Radio. The man has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has dealt with many difficult situations. Part of his job is telling people when their loved one has died. He is familiar with being the one to break the news to the spouse or the parent that their beloved has died. That is part of his job and that is part of why he went into that work. He wanted to be the one to serve people in such times and to offer the tenderness and consolation that is so important in those tragic situations.

And now this EMT is in the midst of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York where there are many deaths. He talked about having to tell a family that their loved one had died of the virus. From 6 feet away. Without a hand on their arm. Without offering his shoulder to absorb their sobs. Only able to give words across what felt like an abyss without physical human touch. He said after delivering the news they all turned to go. He went back to the ambulance. Got inside. And cried. For the first time in his career. Not being able to offer physical touch as human consolation was his undoing. He said it is the hardest thing he has done in his entire professional life.

We have a health care professional in our church family who is on the front lives of COVID-19 working as a nurse in the pulmonary unit at an area hospital. One way to look at this is, How awful. Poor thing. Facing such demanding, scary circumstances! Literally putting her life on the line.

Another way to look at this is that she is doing what she has been called to do. She was called to serve in the healthcare profession, to help take care of people who are sick, to offer treatment and solace to those who are suffering. And here she is able to do just that. She has been given the opportunity to do what she was called to do, to fulfill her life’s mission, to offer the service that she is meant to give. And when it is desperately needed. How beautiful that she is able to do that.

Today we remember Palm Sunday and the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey in a procession of sorts with onlookers waving palm branches. He knew that his life was in danger. He knew the religious leaders wanted to have him killed. He could have snuck into the city for the obligatory Passover observance. He could have gone on the down low; used some kind of disguise that would have hidden his identity from the random public and from those seeking to kill him. Instead, we are told of a procession. A public event. Making a scene. The people know exactly who he is. They shout, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee!” Jesus does not retreat from being a conduit of Divine Love. He doesn’t look for the easy way out. He doesn’t play it safe. He does what he is here to do. He does what he is called to do. He lives God’s dream.

I think it is timely that the corona virus pandemic has erupted in the season of Lent. This is an introspective season. A time to reflect and reconsider. A time to be still and know. As we said on Ash Wednesday, a time to re-turn our lives to God. This pandemic is creating an opportunity for us to think about our lives, our society, our government, our economy, our values, our spirituality, our family, our faith community, and our relationships, in new ways. It is giving us time to think and process instead of being lost in our obsessive work and busy-ness. This is a time to explore and examine our inner terrain – as individuals and as a society.

It is a time to consider how we need to put the common good, the welfare of others, the health of everyone and the planet itself above self protection and personal gain. This is why Jesus went to Jerusalem. He was not going to stopped.

We are hearing a lot these days about mitigation. Mitigation is the act of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something. So, yes, we are talking about the mitigation of COVID-19; reducing the spread and severity of the impact of the of the virus. And we should be mitigating COVID-19.

But usually the concept of mitigation is applied in a different way. We want to mitigate the sacrifice we will have to make. We want to mitigate what it will cost us to get something done. We want to mitigate the inconvenience or the effort we will need to expend. We want to mitigate our personal sacrifice. Mitigate is often about reducing the seriousness or severity of the impact to our bank account or personal comfort or individual choice.

Jesus did not mitigate the personal cost to himself, the price he would have to pay, for expressing ultimate love that would threaten the current power arrangements of his day (and ours). Nurses and healthcare workers and EMTs don’t mitigate their personal discomfort when it comes to helping others.

I saw this on Twitter this week:

“My mom is a 69 year old nurse and her hospital is deploying her to the front lines next week
She called me to tell me where important documents are, if ‘something happens because this virus kills and kills quick’
Now I know how it feels to have a loved one to war”
Roland Scahill 3/28/20

“And to be clear, this isn’t a criticism of her hospital, but to point out that nurses don’t stop. Ever.
They have no fear.
They save lives.”

So, in these corona days as Lent draws to a close and we remember Jesus’ triumphant procession into Jerusalem on a donkey to meet his meet his death, we can think about how we are joyfully, wholeheartedly, sacrificially expending our lives to relieve suffering, to contribute to the common good, and to live out our life’s purpose – to love. Amen.

(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)

Corona Sabbath 2

Date: March 29, 2020
Scripture: John 11:1-45
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

There’s another story in the Bible involving Mary and Martha. In that story, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him. And Martha is busy with much serving – making dinner, setting the table, etc. And she wants help from Mary. But Jesus reprimands her and affirms Mary as the one who has chosen the better portion. All of you who know me know I tend to be in the Martha camp and I don’t think she deserves the put down attributed to Jesus. But in this story, Martha shines. When Mary encounters Jesus, she manages, ‘If you had been here, Lazarus never would have died.’ But when Martha gets to Jesus, after her brother has been in the grave four days, she tells him, ‘If you had been here, my brother would never have died! Yet even now, I am sure that God will give you whatever you ask.’ Martha goes above and beyond. She expects something more. Her faith, hope, and trust lead her to look past what would normally be expected. She sees a new reality.

This past week, the President has informed us that he wants things back to normal by Easter. He wants people back to work by then and the pews full on Easter Sunday. That’s about two weeks from now. In that time, the President wants the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic to be over. He wants us all freed from life on lock down. Roll away the stone. Come out of the tomb and get back to business as usual. He seems to have forgotten that he does not control this situation.

Business as usual. That is not what Martha wants. She knows her brother is dead. But she knows that there is more. There is something more than normal. She puts her faith to work expecting a new reality. And she gets it.

What if what we want in the face of this pandemic is not to go back to ‘normal’ but to expect something more. To see this as an opportunity for creating a new reality. Beyond usual expectations and business as usual?

Yes, thousands have died in this pandemic so far and thousands more will die. They will not get their physical health back.
But what if this pandemic means the death of limited access to healthcare in this country?
What if this crisis means the death of misspent resources?
What if it puts some greed and lust for gain in the grave?
What if this pandemic awakens our concern for children, elders, and those who are vulnerable? What if it resurrects our commitment to the common good over selfish individualism?
What if this coronavirus calls forth compassion for other people and other life forms?
What if it brings out patience?
What if COVID-19 calls to life solidarity in grief? What if it summons a reverence for nature?
What if this pandemic wakes us up to the value of reflection, rest, relationship, and play?
What if it renews our appreciation and respect for those who work in the healthcare sector?

What if we don’t go back to normal, but awaken to a new reality that is better than the one we knew?

Did you notice in the story of Lazarus that for the new reality to emerge Jesus practices social distancing! Think about it. The way the story is told, Jesus is informed that Lazarus is sick. Lazarus is Jesus’ dearly beloved friend. Surely Jesus’ first impulse is to go to his friend, to be with him, to heal him. That is what’s normal. But Jesus waits. Two whole days – which can seem like forever when someone is sick. By the time Jesus goes to Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days. Imagine the self discipline and the restraint that Jesus employs. He doesn’t go to his friend, he holds off, for a greater good. As usual, Jesus is our example!

Maybe the President wants things back to normal in two weeks. But our faith invites us to expect something more than “normal” to emerge from this pandemic. And it may require much more of us in terms of sacrifice and self discipline and restraint.

May our faith, hope, and trust persist and spread exponentially so that we may all see the power of Divine Love creating a new reality before our very eyes! Amen.

(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)

Corona Sabbath 1

Date: March 22, 2020
Scripture: Genesis 12:1-5a
Poem: The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

Well, in these corona days, we find that we are on a journey. And this COVID-19 is taking us on quite a trip! In the story we heard from Genesis, Abram is directed by God to journey to a new land, to start a new community, rooted in the justice and joy of God. While this journey is unexpected for the elderly Abram and Sarai and their family, it is a journey of promise. They are to be part of something big and important and new that God is doing. It is daunting but it is also exciting. COVID-19 feels nothing like that to me.

In the poem, we are also told of a journey. And almost arbitrarily, we are told of picking a path. The one less traveled. But that makes all the difference. In this poem, the writer choses the path and the way seems to be that of an adventure not a forced march or migration. And again, there is a sense of promise and possibility in the unknown.

As we face the unfolding of the corona virus pandemic, we find that we, too, are on a journey, but it is not of our own choosing. And we have little say about the route. We awake each day to new horrors in foreign lands and new restrictions in our own. We are not being called to this unforeseen path. It’s more like we are being hijacked or kidnapped. We have had no say-so in the direction or destination still very much unknown. It does not feel like we are adventuring into something new and promising. Given the tanking of the economy, this journey seems to be dominated by fear and dread.

But in times of peril and crisis there is opportunity. As followers of Jesus, our faith is rooted in serving others. In this crisis, we have the opportunity to reach out to others – not with our physical touch – but with our words, with images, and with prayers. There are people suffering the world over and next door and we can support them with our love and concern. The wonderful awful internet is the perfect tool for such a time as this. We can be in instant communication with the world – literally. We can video chat with those we cannot touch. When we are in the literal presence of others – in the doctor’s office, at the grocery store, with the cleaning person, the health aide, the delivery person, the housemates – we can offer support, gratitude, and encouragement.

We didn’t choose this journey. We didn’t select this path. And I don’t believe that there is a God creating this crisis. But we are needed to be people of compassion, love, and service in these times. For ourselves and for others. And, who knows, this experience may make us just a little more human and humane. Amen.

(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)

Date: Easter Sunday 2020 Zoom Reflection
Scripture: Mark 16:1-8, 9-20
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

This version of the Easter story ends in fear. The women flee. They are shocked. They have
no idea what to make of this. They are in the middle of it and it is unprecedented. They cannot make meaning from this.

Yet. But in our Bibles there is more to the story. After time passed, as people reflected and
discussed, a short ending was added to the gospel of Mark.

Read Mark 16:9. The shorter ending.

So, we are told that the message was shared. But we are only given a general conclusion.
Broad strokes.

As more time went on, and there was more reflection and discussion, new circumstances were unfolding, as people carried on with their lives in new ways, they began to see something more emerging, so they found new words to convey their experience.

We live by the stories we tell. So the original story that has come down to us from the Gospel of Mark was given a longer ending. It was completed. As we have it today.

Read Mark 9-20.

Sometimes when you are in the midst of something it is hard to see what the something is. It is confusing to make sense of it. You can’t pull back to get a better perspective or to see more clearly because you are in the middle. So you can’t take in the whole situation. Even many years after historical events, historians and scholars still find new meaning and understandings of things that happened long ago.

So, we are in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic. We can’t see the whole picture. The
story is still unfolding. We haven’t gotten to the end of the season let alone the series as a
whole. We haven’t read the epilogue. We don’t know what the outcomes will be. There may be many endings added to this story.

But there are some things we know.

The date for Easter is set according to the phases of the moon. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Yes, I know, it almost sounds like astrology! But the date for Easter is set according to the moon. And what a moon it was this week. We ogled the gorgeous, HUGE pink super moon. I got up in the middle of the night and thought someone had left a light on somewhere in the house, it was so bright inside. I looked around. No lights on. It was all of the light coming in the windows from that amazing moon!

The moon is reflecting its glorious light. Birds are astir building nests and hatching eggs. Plants are coming back to activity. Pollen fills the air. Butterflies are emerging from cocoons. In the pictures that people from the congregation sent in to show what they have been seeing and doing during this time of shelter-in-place, many of you sent in pictures of nature – glorious and thriving. Life flourishing in its many forms – plant and animal.

Scientist tell us that since the decrease in human activity due to the coronavirus, the air is
cleaner and the water is clearer. I think of the words to the hymn based on the Canticle of the Sun St. Francis of Assisi, “Your flowing waters, crystal clear, make melodies for you to hear.”

While humans are struggling and our activities are restricted, nature is thriving in glory!

So, we remember the words from the book of Job: “But ask the animals, and they will teach
you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach
you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.”

Easter is in the spring so that we will be stirred by the glories of nature. This is even more
conspicuous in more temperate climes where new life emerges from the dormancy of the cold of winter. But even here, in our ever warming tropical climate, we will see the natural world coming alive, and we witness again that life is stronger death.

The power of the love of God cannot be extinguished. It cannot be contained. It cannot be
subdued. The image of Jesus released from the tomb, out of the ultimate lockdown, expresses that love prevails. New live, thriving, vibrant, transformational is loose in the world. The energy, passion and power of love is stronger than death.

For those early followers of Jesus, life was never the same after Easter. And we tell their story each year to remind ourselves that our lives, too, have been transformed. We, too, live with in a new world – a world rooted in love. A world of community, interdependence, and mutuality. A world in which life in all its forms is treated with reverence and respect. A world in which death does not have the last word. Even the thousands upon thousands of deaths left in the wake pandemic. Even the COVID-019 cannot stop the transforming power of love. Some even suggest this crisis is moving us toward a more compassionate, just world. Yes, in the designs of God good can come even from the most devastating tragedy. Love truly does win.

So, How the Grinch Stole Christmas has always been one of my favorite Christmas stories. As I have been imaging how to celebrate Easter on lockdown, I have been thinking about the story of the Grinch. There is that scene toward the end of the book when the Grinch, who has removed every material vestige of Christmas from Whoville and returned to his mountain with the spoils hears, what does he hear? Singing? So, here’s my Easter version of a part of Dr. Seuss’s beloved classic:

The virus hasn’t stopped Easter from Coming!
It came!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
It came without baskets! It came without grass!
It came without bunnies, lilies, or brass!
Yes, Easter, we know, doesn’t come from a store
Yes, Easter, we know, means a whole lot more!

Happy Easter to us all!

Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed!