This Sunday after Easter is commonly known as Low Sunday. Easter traditionally is the largest attended worship services for Christian Churches. Subsequently, the Sunday after Easter normally records the lowest church attendance of the year. But because of COVID-19 and social distancing, every Sunday right now is Low Sunday when it comes to worship in person attendance.
That first Easter Sunday was Low Sunday for Jesus’ disciples as they were scattered and His disciples were hiding behind locked doors in fear of the religious authorities, minus Judas Iscariot, now dead; and Thomas, The Twin. Easter afternoon The Risen Christ appeared to them, behind those doors, speaking peace to them. He shows them His hands and side. They start rejoicing; but Jesus speaks peace to them again and gives them a call to action.
For the disciples, “seeing is believing,” but it did nothing to move them to action. At that moment, for them it was “out of sight, out of mind.” Thomas the Twin joins them and hear what happened; but he refuses to believe it because he didn’t see it.
The Sunday after the Resurrection, Jesus’ followers are still scattered and His disciples are gathered again behind a shut door, Thomas included. Jesus again appears to them and greet them with a blessing of peace. He invites Thomas to touch His hands and side. When He does, Thomas exclaims, “My Lord and My God!” Jesus asks him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 20:29)
This begins the moment the disciples start to move from just believing to allowing hope of Christ to call them to action. An example is Peter’s actions in the assigned text from Act 5. Standing before these very authorities they were afraid on that first Easter and Low Sunday, who have given orders not to teach in Jesus’ name; Peter boldly declares, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” (Acts 5:29)
This “Low Sunday” God is still speaking and calls us beyond our “seeing is believing” mentality to know that God is speaking Hope into our lives with hope as a call to action, even during this pandemic. Let’s discover what it is and do it!
Start by joining us for virtual worship this “Low Sunday” by ZOOM or live stream on Facebook. My sermon will be “Seeing is Believing but Hope Calls Us to Action” based on Acts 5:27-32 and John 20:19-31.
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