St. Paul's Episcopal Church

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
425 Cleveland Ave SW
Canton, Ohio 44702
Phone: 330-455-0286
Fax: 330-455-9818
E-mail: office@stpaulscanton.org

Third Sunday of Easter
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Canton OH
Luke 24:36b-48

April 26, 2009
The Rev. Barbara Bond

Not a ghost

I was talking with my neighbor yesterday about the upcoming school levy, on the ballot May 5. My neighbor is a public school teacher, in a poor district of Canton, in a school that receives very little funding. He votes against school levies because he feels the funding system is broken. Until all the school districts can be funded equitably, he is not interested in levies for individual districts. He’d rather see the whole present system fail, to force the hand of our state to fix the inequities.

This is an individual speaking his mind. And his vote will be counted just like mine. We will vote individually, though differently, even though we both care passionately about children and we both want improvement in school funding. We will vote as individuals, and will continue to vote on this issue every year as individuals, and until there is a larger public effort for change, the funding situation probably will not change. Much as we Americans cherish our individuality, that independence doesn’t accomplish much unless we can band together for the greater good. His vote, and mine, will cancel each other out.

So I was thinking about that when I read today’s Gospel. Last week we heard about the appearance of the Risen Christ according to John. This week we hear another version, according to Luke. Here we are again, the disciples huddled together, frightened and anxious, and Jesus suddenly appears among them. Like last week’s story, this week’s version stresses the physical nature of the resurrected Jesus. The disciples think they are seeing a ghost. Jesus denies this vehemently. “Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” Not only that, but he’s hungry! He asks, “Have you anything here to eat?” and they give him a piece of broiled fish. The Savior of the World asks for a snack! Clearly, this is no ghost, but a living, breathing person, eating with them, teaching them about Scripture, telling them they are witnesses. Like last week, this week’s version also describes the birth of the church: in Word, in Sacrament, and in coming together as witnesses of Christ Among Us.

What if Jesus had remained a ghost-like memory? What if he had appeared wispy and floating around, cheering up his followers and asking them to just feel the Spirit? Do you think that would have made much of an impact?

In our contemporary society, many people seem focused on their own private spiritual journey, an individual pursuit to encounter a ghost. Maybe there’s a tingly feeling, maybe there’s a whoosh of excitement, maybe there’s an embrace of magical thinking. This brand of spirituality seems to work well when the pursuer is alone on a mountain top, inspired by the view, feeling an intangible spirit present. I like mountaintops too.

But that is not what Jesus is talking about. Jesus stresses the down-to-earth, the physical, the now-and-present Body among the followers. This Body IS the followers. This Body has flesh and bone and blood, this Body eats together, studies Scripture together, prays together. This Body has structure. Banded together they are witnesses in a hostile world. Together this Body called the Church can work for change.

Much like an individual vote may not make much change, neither will individualistic spiritual quests. Rather, we are called to band together, be witnesses for change, be there for each other and for those in need. Christ died and rose so that we too shall change, we shall break out of our individual quests, break out of our small huddled groups, and take on the bigger things, global sins like poverty and sickness.

We are one small parish, in one small denomination. About 90 of us come together here each Sunday, to break bread, hear Scripture, pray, and care about each other. In the United States, about 2.5 million Episcopalians do likewise. If we all just took care of our own knitting, we would just have a lot of knitting. But through bigger structures, we can make a difference.

A bigger effort, like the United Thank Offering, can make change through grants. Our national church has a marvelous network for change, called Episcopal Relief and Development, where contributions work towards raising standards all over the globe – for instance, in distributing nets for fighting malaria and in digging wells to provide clean water in developing areas. You and I individually are not going to do much about digging that well, but if we join with others, we have strength in numbers, strength in a structure that works for change, responding to the needs of the world.

The Church today – ours and other denominations – we are all followers of the Risen Christ, we are all his living and breathing Body, carrying on God’s work in the world. We are called to be witnesses, to tell others about our community and our work for the greater good. We are called to invite others to join us, to bring strength through numbers and through caring, to work for change and build God’s Kingdom now, on earth, as it is in heaven. AMEN