How’s that Easter excitement? After this Sunday we will be half way to Pentecost. Are you still rejoicing in the resurrection, or is the still lingering snow putting you back in the tomb?
Speaking of resurrection, this week we have another one, the resurrection of Tabitha. If you preached about the women of the Easter story, this is a great follow up story to talk about the value and importance of women in the work of the early church.
It is also Year C’s version of Good Shepherd Sunday. Our gospel reading and the reading from Revelation offer images of Christ as a Lamb and as a Shepherd. I’m not sure how helpful it is to try and explain the both/and, as they really don’t seem to be related. The Lamb is a sacrificial animal, tracing from the temple faith. The shepherd image is not related at all. We are not sacrificial animals, we are sheep. I would stick with one image or the other.
We are taking this opportunity to preach through the Revelation readings this Easter season. What fun! Is anyone else focussing on Revelation? We started last week by teaching about the inclusive and grace-filled emphasis of Revelation, as opposed to the emphasis on who goes on and who gets left behind. In this week’s reading I notice that those who are considered worthy are not the believers, but the poor (verses 14-16).
Where are your thoughts this week?
By Tony Houghton April 15, 2013 - 7:10 pm
You mentioned “the resurrection of Tabitha.” That is not a resurrection but a reviving from the dead. Resurrection has to do with the redemption of our bodies to be like his body on the resurrection morning never to die again .All those who were raised form the dead in the new testament ,Lazarus ,the widows son ,Tabatha,etc all died a normal death after they were raised
By Dawn Leger April 16, 2013 - 1:38 am
Thank you, Tony. I would say you are taking the word resurrection beyond the “Oxford definition”, but you point out some important differences. I can imagine Peter would not wish to see Tabitha and Jesus in the same category.
By Simon April 16, 2013 - 8:35 pm
When I preach, it tends to be presentations about the work of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, that being where I work and all. So I approach sermon preparation differently. But I still look at the scriptures for the day, and try to include some theology (or at least a link, however tenuous) to the stories I’ll be telling that day.
This week, I’ll be focusing on the Acts passage about the revival of Tabitha and talking about some incredibly strong women I met in Africa who, thanks to medical help from PWRDF partners, were able to rise from their death beds after being struck down by AIDS and return to their lives and livelihoods.
By Dawn Leger April 16, 2013 - 9:10 pm
A beautiful parallel, Simon.
I’m wondering if anyone is shifting their preaching to respond to the bombing at the Boston Marathon.
By Kyle Norman April 18, 2013 - 3:38 pm
I am preaching on the Acts reading – but I wonder if it is ‘just’ about Tabitha’s resussitation? For me, I am not choosing to dwell on the role of women in the early church, or today’s church. Although I will comment that this is the only usage of the feminizing of “disciple’ in NT.
I thinik this reading is more about the disicples continuation in the ministry of Jesus. Tabitha’s revival is very much the same as that of Jairus’ daughter. There is a sense of parallel here. So I see it more about how Peter and the disciples continued (or took part in)the ministry of Jesus, and this is a ministry that we are called to participate in as well.
Because we are launching a new prayer ministry at the church, I think I will focus on that ministry involing the call to pray as it is reflected here.