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Rev. Will Malambri - "Behind Locked Doors" · Belin Memorial UMC

• Belin Memorial UMC: ⁓ Actually, that was a new song to me. So when Ben said were ⁓ gonna sing it, I a little research and ⁓ found a quote from the author about the Vigilanious of Love, his name the band and the ⁓ lead singer said when he thinking about that song, ⁓ he said it was about understanding ⁓ how close God is. when he seems the farthest away. How close God is when he seems the farthest away. I get that. I've had that experience, I know many who have, that experience of a God who drew near in ways that we didn't understand, we didn't feel, and yet later realized it was God there all the time. Sometimes it's the opposite. Sometimes when we're under great stress, when things are really difficult, we feel God's closeness in a visceral way. I we just know I wouldn't be making this without God right beside me, but sometimes it's different. Sometimes it's in looking back that we realize that. When I was in high school, I came across that poem, Footprints. Perhaps you know it. It resonated with me. I thought about how we can feel like, ⁓ I was abandoned by God or in my worst times. How would you leave me in my worst times? God, I look back on my life like the poem talks about it. And I see that when things were going well, it's like two sets of footprints, us walking alongside each other. But when things were worse, it was just my feet. Where were you? God says, that's when I was carrying you. Those aren't your footprints, they're mine. Get that. I appreciate also that the character was honest enough to say, you know, I was feeling abandoned by you guys. I can look back now and realize I wasn't, but I was feeling that way. I also think it's important to note that whether he was walking or God was carrying him, he kept moving. Even in the midst of the difficulty and sorrow, he kept moving. The disciples did not, at least most of them, and at least initially. After the resurrection or still while they were trying to sort out what was going on, they were not moving. They were huddled up. That day, that Easter day, the first one, we see the disciples gather together. They were... Trying to sort out how the other city was now in turmoil because of the news, how overwhelming they were feeling from what they were hearing, these confusing reports. First Mary, then Peter and the other disciple go and tell them that the tomb is empty. And Mary said that she'd had a conversation with the risen Lord, but they're not sure. I mean, is that just the kind of thing she hoped happened, something she was visioning, dreaming because of how badly grief can do things to you? They're trying to sort all this. out. They're not sure about any of it, but they are sure that there's one thing they know it's not safe out there, out in Jerusalem right now for us, not for Jesus followers. They got Jesus, they got John the Baptist, they went after Lazarus. Surely we're next. They were convinced they were next, so they huddled up real safe and tight behind those locked doors. And then John tells us, when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you. After this, he said this, showed them his hands and his side, then the disciples rejoiced when they saw that it was the Lord. Jesus said to them again, peace be with you as the Father has sent me, so I send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they will be forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. But Thomas, who was called the twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So 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 or put my finger in the mark of the nails in my hand and his side, I will not believe. A week later, his disciples were again in the house and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came in and stood among them and said, peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe. Thomas answered him, my Lord and my God. Hope you appreciate that I went to the effort to get you two whole different images of opened and locked doors, both in the same color family, both with a similar feel in the room. It took multiple clicks to come up with all of that. But you're worth it. And the opening of the disciples' hearts to this resurrected Lord, that made it worth it. The opening of those doors to take the disciples from that locked room, it was worth it. The opening of Thomas's heart. His faith that grew that day. It made it worth it. Thomas deserves a little more love. Many of us grew up hearing him called Doubting Thomas, not the nicest nickname. Lately I've noticed that people have been defending him. First they point out Thomas only asked for what the others had been given. Mary said, I have seen the Lord. The other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord. What he asked for is unless I see. It seems fair to ask for that. Second, they point out that Thomas is actually rather brave, maybe courageous Thomas would be a better nickname for him. For example, when Jesus announced that they were going back to see Lazarus who was ill back to Judea, the other disciples said, Lord, we've just been there, you know they want to stone you, that is not a good idea. But it is Thomas who said, let us go also that we may die with him. Brave. Thomas was even brave enough to push Jesus a little. As Jesus described that he was going to the Father's house to prepare a place for them. And once he went there and did that, he would come again and would take him to himself. And that they knew the way to where he was going. It's Thomas who said, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? And maybe it was because Thomas was courageous that he was not with those disciples that first Easter night. They were all gathered up in a room behind locked doors. Thomas wasn't there. Was he the one brave enough to go out among the people of Jerusalem? Was he being courageous that night while they were behind locked doors? I've mixed feelings about locked doors. I like doors. I think they're good and that it's good that they can be locked. I also like that there are times, probably more than we give ourselves credit for when they don't have to be locked. I did not realize how much I liked doors until my friend remodeled his family's primary bedroom suite. He took out the walls, opened it up. That was nice. He took out the doors, even on the closet. That's fine if you keep your clothes clean. Bathroom with no doors. Not everybody is that neat. We walked in that room, said, ⁓ the bathroom door's not arrived in yet. He said, no door's in here either. I said, did you consult with your wife about that? He said, she's fine with it. So, and how long have you been married again? I did notice that the next house he built, there were doors on the bathrooms with locks. There's a place for lockable doors. It is nice, however, when locks are not necessary. For a lot of the day when we can keep things open and free. That's dependent, of course, on where you live and what's going on in those places. My grandmother's second marriage took her to New York City from a rural part of North Carolina. And North Carolina door could be unlocked all day long, no problem whatsoever. In New York City, she had three locks on that one door for her entry. I used to think that maybe she should have like two of them locked and one unlocked. So if somebody was trying to break in, they would accidentally lock back the middle one and keep her safe. But it was interesting to go from where I lived where locks were kind of optional to how locked up she felt she had to be there. Many of us regret the church doors have to be locked these days. It's a sad part of modern reality that we feel they need to be, that we feel the need to have safety officers with us. But since we do feel that need, I am so grateful for the ones we have. They're all good for us. They've all been good. But man, the regular ones are so special to us. We've got Sergeant Patterson checking the monitors, watching out and make sure things are going, communicating with the others. We have Officer Paul watching the sanctuary, Officer Randy getting people across the highway when he's been available, Officer John being a great help for us. And of course, in here, Officer Tiffany. We are so grateful for her. You know, I've seen all of them be stern when they had to, even Tiffany for like two minutes was able to control her smile one day. but mostly she's just radiating that joy in her heart. All of them are making sure that people know when they come here that they are welcome. They give off the vibe that we'll handle things if we have to, but we're so glad you're here to be able to worship God with us. I'm thankful that since we have to have the doors and officers, we have officers like that. We all thank Tiffany and all the officers for what they do. I'm grateful for them. It's unfortunate for the early disciples, they didn't have officers like them looking out for the disciples. What they had was officials who were out looking to get those early disciples. And so they went behind locked doors to try to protect themselves. The good news for them is that Jesus won't be kept out by locked doors. If Jesus wasn't kept out from there, gathering won't be kept out from ours. We can't lock Jesus out. We could put locks on every door. We could put guards at every entrance. We could put all the alarms on and Jesus would still find a way to get in here. That is good news for us. What might be challenging for us is to realize that he will not just let us stay behind locked doors, that he will come in here and burst those doors open to send us out from here. Doors can't keep Jesus out, but they could keep us in. That's what happened to those early disciples. Even a week after the resurrection, even a week after they had seen Jesus, they were still back behind closed doors. That's when Jesus appeared to Thomas. On his previous visit, Jesus commanded the other disciples saying, as the Father has sent me, so I send you. But they went nowhere with that commissioning. For a week, they did not do what he had sent them out to do. And that can happen to Jesus' followers. We can hold up safe and sequestered, lock ourselves in, hope the right people will come and find us in here, be glad to tell them the story, be glad to celebrate the resurrection together, but Jesus did not come so that we would stay locked behind doors and hope others would find their way into them. He came to open up the doors and push us out of them. He burst through to send us beyond them. If all Jesus wanted was open doors, he would have done like my friend, just taken them off the hinges. He would have told the disciples, keep the doors open so those who are outside will find you here. They can come, they can worship me. It'll be nice. This is Jesus. So he sins. sends us out. The doors can remain even closed at times so long as our lives will be open. We can gather behind the doors for a bit so long as we will spend time outside of them. which the disciples finally did. The story eventually made it out, out in Jerusalem, out in Judea, out Galilee, beyond. They went out and witnessed to the resurrected Lord. They went out living their faith for others. They went out sharing of their resources with others. They went out forgiving. They went out offering the peace that they had received from Jesus. They realized what most of us are coming to, which is yes. Anyone is welcome in here so long as they don't intend to do harm. But most are not coming in until we have shown our willingness to go out. until we have burst through or climbed over or sang around the barriers and offered peace into their chaotic, frightening, overly busy and somehow yet missing something in their lives world. until we've been present with them, walking alongside them, reassuring them that that long set of footprints is actually God carrying through the most difficult parts in their life, they will not be interested in what's going on in here. once we've gone out and shown that we care. they'll be likelier to be interested in what it is we care about. and even more importantly in who. If we go as we are sent by Jesus. Maybe they'll hear more clearly Jesus commissioning on their lives. And then they'll not only move in his direction. but they'll move at his direction. the way we've been called to go. Risen Lord, burst through our locked doors. Climb over or tear down our steady, sturdy barriers. Move among us that we can move out for you. Lord, we pray that our joy in your resurrection and the faith in your continued salvific work will cause us to move both in your direction and at your direction. Help us to know you better. That we can be better at going out to represent you. Introducing others to you, inviting others to be with you. In this Easter season, as we continue to celebrate your power over sin, death, and despair, we ask for renewed hope while we pray for a just peace. steady the hands, hearts, and minds of the leaders who make incredibly impactful decisions across the world, including each person involved with the wars in Iran, Israel, Lebanon, throughout that region. comfort those whose hearts have already been broken by death and destruction. And living Lord, as our hearts are heavy today for Lee Berry, for the streets, for all of us who have known and enjoyed Clyde, we pray for comfort, strength, and assurance that by your grace, even as you're receiving Clyde into your heavenly home, you're also sending your mercy upon us. We trust that. Confident in you, Jesus, our Savior, our Lord, our friend. the one who taught us to say when we pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.