May 1, 2022 – Third Sunday of Easter

Some weeks, the readings we hear in church are SO full of sermon possibilities, that it’s hard to pick a particular track; others, I struggle to say something new and different. The Third Sunday of Easter is a mother lode for me… I wouldn’t mind preaching on this week’s readings again next week, in fact! The readings all have a mystical air, but they express the mystic vision in a variety of ways. We can encounter the Living God through revelation and transformation, angelic praise, and ethics and spirituality. We are all mystics, if we open to the Holy, and claim our unique avenue to the Divine. 

Our lectionary allows us to read a shorter version of the reading from Acts today, and I asked Jack if he cared whether it was the shorter or longer version, but I think that the longer version (all TWENTY verses) helps me to make a better point today. Paul’s encounter with the bright light of Christ is important – it changed the course of history, in fact giving birth to a new global faith. But Paul’s encounter is transformational AND mystical. Paul encounters the risen Jesus and becomes a new creation. He gets told what to do – spiritually, ethically, and theologically – and yet even after the experience it’s as if he can’t see what’s next. The one who sought to persecute the Christian movement now becomes the most ardent proclaimer to God’s people – all races and ethnicities. He receives a revelation and also a new vocation – evangelist to the Gentiles.

In the Christian tradition, mystical experiences are rarely about the individual’s self journey, isolated from others, but invite the individual from personal growth into global transformation. Authentic Christian spirituality is about US, not ME. It’s about the world – how we promote peace and justice – and not about our own personal gain.

I want you to think back about the journey you’ve had with your faith. We hear that Paul’s faith is experiential. Has your faith been experiential – that is based on your experience of the living Jesus? Or has your faith been doctrinal – based on rules and understandings of God that are based in writing? Despite our attempts to make Paul the pillar of theology, the truth is that his theology is ALWAYS based on his experience of the living Jesus and the faith of the Gentiles. For Paul, if the Spirit descends, then you are a follower of Jesus, even if you are an outsider, or you have no words to describe the experience.

But in this passage, we also see a transformational encounter of Ananias. Ananias also has a vision that is mystical and vocational in character. Ananias also experiences God and is called to welcome Paul and to help Paul make the transition from darkness to light, both physically and spiritually. God can inspire multiple people simultaneously. A congregation might hear the inspiration of God, addressed to different members each in their own mode of experience and understanding. We hear about this happening with different tongues on the day of Pentecost, but God inspires each of us differently based on our past experiences and understandings. God shines light on all of humanity.

The author of Revelation is also transformed by a mystical encounter with the divine. He is ushered into God’s presence. First he experiences angelic praises. And then he hears the cries of creation. We heard last week in Psalm 150 that all creation praises God. No creature is left out in God’s quest for universal healing and joy. 

I wonder how many of you believe in angels and the spirit world. I believe that we have a ghost here in the church, and some of you have heard of my experiences here to make me feel that way. But the truth is that there is so much unknown in the realm of God and spirituality. I wonder if this would be something that any of you would like to explore more? 

In today’s Gospel passage from John, the resurrected Christ appears to the disciples, makes them breakfast, and then talks with Peter about the nature of discipleship. A meal together with Jesus leads to feeding others. Growing food or harvesting food leads to feeding others. Loving Jesus leads to feeding God’s sheep. Here we aren’t just talking about physical hungers, but spiritual hungers as well. Those who encounter Christ are called to reach out to the world sharing good news for body, mind, and spirit. Followers of Jesus are to be both heavenly minded and do earthly good.

So what do all of these passages have to do with one another?

In all of these passages today, mysticism – that unknown part of Christian belief and practice that “concerns the preparation for, the consciousness of, and the effect of […] a direct and transformative presence of God” according to Bernard McGinn – leads to mission. Encounters with Christ drive us from working and thinking individually to embracing the world in all of its wonderful diversity.  No one in the world is immune from God’s grace. Every one of God’s creations can be a vehicle of grace. Because we are mystics, our mysticism guides us to actions that can help to heal the world.

Christ is alive! He tells Mary Magdalene, “Do not hold on to me” (Jn 20:17). Christ lives that all of creation can experience him everywhere. Christ calls all of humanity to healing and wholeness. Christ embraces all of humanity, but goes beyond that to address all of creation. Let all of us cultivate the earthly-minded mystic within ourselves!