05/04/2025 ~ Third Sunday of Easter ~ * Acts 9:1-6, (7-20); Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 ~ YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIE8Yi2-Ew

VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/1082191243

Knocked Off a Horse?

“Now, as Saul was traveling along and approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed all around and Saul fell to the ground” — Acts 9:3-4.

The Rev. Carol Anderson, an Episcopal priest, one of my mentors in ministry, said among the disciples there are three examples of our relationship with God, archetypes of how that relationship works out. She labeled these as Peter, Paul and John types.

As a child of the 60s, I encouraged her to label them as them Peter, Paul and Mary. I did find out years later she changed it to Peter, Paul Mary but I am unsure to which New Testament Mary she was referring. So let’s stick with John and review these three types.

The John of the New Testament never seems to be in doubt about who Jesus was, is and what this disciple needs to do because of who Jesus was and is. From the cross Jesus asks John to look after his mother and there is no flack, no push back, as in “You want me to do what?”

In short, John is calm, secure, knows about life, the world, about God. Now if I had to guess, we probably all want to be just like John— never have any doubts. But it’s also likely none of us thinks we could be anything close to being that secure, knowing, compassionate. So instead, we tend to opt for wanting to be and hoping to be like Paul.

What was Paul like? Well, we hear what happened to this Apostle in the story from this morning’s reading. Paul’s route seems both obvious and attractive to us.

It’s common to say Paul got knocked off a horse meaning Paul was headed in one direction— persecuting the people of ‘The Way,’— and winds up going in exactly the opposite direction. And all that happens in an instant. We like that.

Changing direction is, of course, the real meaning of repentance. Repentance has nothing to do with being sorry or sad. Repentance is when we turn one’s life around toward God, turns one’s life over to God, to the will of God.

So, that’s archetype number two: get knocked off a horse and come suddenly into a new kind of clear knowledge, a new way of understanding. And this changes your life forever.

Never go back to your old ways of doing things, right? O.K. (Slight pause.) As I suggested, I think this is the method most of us would like— one where everything happens— and it’s over and done with in one swift act— quick and simple.

Then there is Peter. If truth be told, most of us would like to be like John, want to be like Paul but probably most of us are like Peter.

This illustrates Peter: in one story the Apostle says Jesus is the Christ. In another Peter denies knowing Christ. So yes and no and yes and no— that’s Peter.

Peter cannot seem to steer a steady, consistent course. Peter is all over the map. I suspect most of us are like Peter in our relationship with God: all over the map. Believe me, count me in. (Slight pause.)

So, here’s a trick question— Biblical trivia, if you will. I suggested many of us want to be like Paul and get knocked off our horse. But does Paul ever get knocked off a horse? (Slight pause.) No. Paul does not get knocked off a horse. (Quote:) “The Rabbi fell to the ground…” No horse is mentioned.

So, from where does the horse come? It comes from Christian Art, mostly out of the Renaissance era, much of it sub-par art even for the Renaissance. Mind you, one can assume Paul was riding. But if Paul is on a horse that’s a pretty long fall to the ground.

So what is the reality here? How does Paul fully come to some new and clear knowledge, a new way of understanding. Is there more to it than simply getting knocked off a horse or even just falling to the ground? (Slight pause.)

These words are from the work know as Acts: “Now, as Saul was traveling along and approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed all around and Saul fell to the ground…” (Slight pause.)

When the reading was introduced it was said Paul’s own account is in some tension with this story from Acts. Indeed, based Paul’s letters most scholars believe that any fulness of a public proclamation concerning Jesus from Paul did not happen for about 14 years after this incident, the point at which Paul returned to Jerusalem.

So, what happened for 14 years? (Slight pause.) We don’t know. But scholars do speculate that Paul spends that time in study, in reflection, in prayer, in meditation. In fact, the depth of and the integrated theology Paul exhibits and writes about in the Epistles strongly suggests this is the case. (Slight pause.)

So, an important question might be how does that apply to us? I actually think we can be knocked off a horse. We can have some kind of conversion experience. And that’s wonderful. But it’s not enough. It was not enough for Paul.

I think even if we have a conversion experience, we need to emulate Paul. How? We need to take time— time to study, reflect, pray, meditate. (Slight pause.)

I’ve mentioned this story here before. I was privileged to be at a series of lectures Archbishop Desmond Tutu gave in New York City before he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

At one those sessions he was asked how much time he spent each day in study, reflection, meditation and prayer. And said he spent at least two hours a day. Then he added that he spent at least two hours a day doing that except when he was under pressure from the governing authorities or had a lot of work to do.

When that happened he needed to spend four or five hours a day not doing that extra work, not paying attention to the authorities. That extra time was spent in study, reflection, meditation and prayer.

In short, it’s quite unlikely profound conversion just or only happens in an instant and then it’s over and done. Conversion happens every hour of every day.

And yes, we all lead busy lives. But when we repent, hand our lives over to God, that can open up new vistas. This handing our lives over to God, this repentance, means we need to study, reflect, meditate and pray every day.

This means every day in our life with God we need to seek to grow. And growth— that’s what true relationship is really about, is it not? Amen.

04/27/2025
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Congregational Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “This is a quote from the late theologian Henri Nouwen: ‘You don’t think your way into a new kind of living. You live your way into a new kind of thinking.’— Henri Nouwen. So, in a real sense repentance means when it comes to our relationship with God we need to be taking action each and every day— action.”

BENEDICTION: Let us go where God leads us, for surely God leads us to embrace our neighbor with love. Let us follow where Christ has gone, and see the great commandment of loving God and loving neighbor as a watchword. And may the steadfast love of God and the peace of Christ, which surpasses understanding, keep our minds and hearts in the knowledge, companionship and will of the Holy Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.