April 30, 2023
Easter 4A – George Yandell
Growing up in Knoxville, my parents had Church friends outside of town on Watts Bar Lake. We’d often visit Glenn and Charlie West on their small farm and fish off their dock. They had a cow or two, some chickens, two sheep and a goat. The goat’s name was ‘Stupid.’ My brother and I loved looking through the fence at Stupid as he ate odd things and roamed around. Charlie said we couldn’t go into the fenced area without him because Stupid sometimes ran up and butted interlopers.
How many of you have known any sheep up close and personal? Any goats? The first congregation I served solo was as vicar of St. James the Less in Madison TN. In a mission council meeting, the Sr. Warden said to me after my first year, “George, you came here expecting to be a shepherd to the sheep, but you now realize you’ve got a lot of goats.” Of course I thought of Stupid.
When John’s gospel recounts the parable of the good shepherd, John uses an interesting image. In the reading today, Jesus says, “I am the gate for the sheep.” And then we hear him say just after this passage, “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. I lay down my life for the sheep.” These are interesting metaphors, and the last completely unprecedented in our Bible. No shepherd of Israel before Jesus is known to have given his life for his sheep. And no prophet ever claimed,
April 23, 2023
Easter 3A – George Yandell
How do we followers of Jesus recognize him today? Maybe in those who ask us “What have you been talking about? What’s on your minds?” Those two disciples assumed they knew much more than the stranger who joined them. And often in the stories about Jesus and his disciples, when a named male is joined by another unnamed disciple, that unnamed one is female.
Jesus’ first action after the discussion on the road is significant: “He walked ahead as if he were going on.” In Near Eastern customs, the guest was obligated to turn down an invitation like Cleopas and his companion/wife gave until it was vigorously repeated. Theologically, Jesus’ action demonstrates that he never forces himself on others. Faith must always be a spontaneous, voluntary response to God’s grace. Luke’s Jesus was always going further, unless invited to stay for a while. [From the New Interpreters’ Bible, Vol.9, p. 479]
Frederick Buechner interprets Emmaus as “the place we go in order to escape – a bar, a movie, wherever it is we throw up our hands and say, ‘Let the whole [darn] thing go hang. It makes no difference anyway.’ …Emmaus may be buying a new suit or new car… or reading a second-rate novel or even writing one. Emmaus may be going to church on Sunday. Emmaus is whatever we do or wherever we go to make ourselves forget that the world holds nothing sacred: that even the wisest and bravest and loveliest decay and die;
April 16, 2023
Easter 2A – George Yandell
“Peace to you,” said Jesus to his disciples, huddled in the room in fear on Easter evening. Salem, in Aramaic, Shalom in Hebrew. They feared those who’d collaborated with the Roman officials to have Jesus crucified, they feared living without Jesus. They were scared enough to lock the doors and hide out. Maybe rumors of the empty tomb had reached them – maybe they were just still too traumatized by Jesus’ crucifixion to venture out of a safe place. But Jesus came, stood among them, and said, Salem. And he said it again. “Peace to you.”
Interestingly, he and the disciples were gathered in Yarusalem, the city whose name means “Foundation of God.” I think the disciples may have heard two complementary messages when Jesus spoke to them, and we might as well. 1) Jerusalem, the city of Zion, was the site of the crucifixion, and the resurrection. It became the foundation for their faith in the resurrected Jesus. 2) When Jesus spoke “Peace” to them, they also might have heard echoes of Salem, a name for God. I think they may have been quaking, seeing Jesus alive, and they may have realized that everything is different, the foundation of God has shifted, everything is new. All is right!! Jesus lives!
The peace Jesus spoke is the new foundation of the new city of God. Poor Thomas – he’d missed the appearing of Jesus, so no wonder he didn’t get it. How could he? He had to hear the word himself from Jesus,
April 9, 2023
An Easter Story – George Yandell
In memory of Debbie Micklus
Billy and his mother moved into a sixth-floor apartment. It was one of those massive gray New York City buildings. It dwarfed all other apartment buildings Billy had seen before. When moving in, Billy’s mom’s friends helped carry their odds and ends up the six flights of stairs—Billy stood at the top of the stairs and watched—his mattress, his toy chest, now filled with comic books.
Behind him Bill heard a door open; turning, he saw an old gray-haired man look gloomily out at him and the moving procession. He croaked to Billy, “You my new neighbor?” “Yup,” said Billy. Then Billy asked, “What’s wrong with you?” The wizened old man stared, then barked out, “I’m old and alone and I drink too much. What’s wrong with you?’ the old man asked.
“I’m young and moving and I’ve got cystic fibrosis. I’m eleven. My name’s Billy,” he responded, offering his small hand to the old man. The old man replied, “My name’s Bill, same as yours. How long you had cystic fibrosis,” his voice softening.
Billy replied, “All my life. How long you been drinking too much?”
Old Bill laughed and said, “Seems like a long time.”
Then Billy’s mother staggered up the stairs. Billy introduced her to Old Bill. “Mom, I want you to meet my new friend. His name’s Bill too. He’s old and he drinks too much.”
Billy’s mother blanched,