Embodied Believing

Introduction

In both the book of John and the book of Revelation, the authors share important spiritual truths and experiences with their listeners. Those who wrote and contributed to these books shared powerful insights into a world where complete goodness was possible—and perhaps already accomplished. In the grand scheme of things, there are moments, in small bursts and great feats, when the kingdom of God breaks through.

These moments come at the mountaintops and valleys of our faith, in the deep forests, or in the desert blooms. The holy city kin-dom is made whole when it is filled with living things: turtles, birds, dolphins, and butterflies. As much as these texts speak to Spirit, they are also fully part of our creation and the human story right here on this good Earth.

These authors of our readings during Eastertide share these moments and invite us to believe. They want us to know that death is but a passing place. Resurrection and true life are more powerful than any of us can imagine. In the mountains, in our forests, or at a table among friends, we can trust in God. We can believe into Christ. We can love one another and this good Earth. We can know that God is doing something new. We can believe into the new creation.

This study is designed to accompany the Eastertide worship resource, “Believing Into Christ.” Each week, this study invites you to read the text and explore biblical and ecological themes. You are invited to share your insights with the Bible texts together with stories of the natural world and people of faith within our world. Each week should take about an hour to complete. If you, as a leader, allow a little more time, that will mean deeper exploration and a richer conversation.

Each week includes a reading and links to real-earth stories. Study participants can be encouraged to read more during the week as they continue to reflect following Easter.

Small Groups

Special Preparation this Week: Look up the name of the Indigenous people who were the original caretakers of the land where you are holding your study. Take note of who they are. You will mention the tribal name of these people during the ‘Story of Home’ this week.

Gathering Space: Choose a location with reasonable access to the outdoors. This could be a courtyard, a room with the doors open, or a sunny window.

Refreshments: Serve snacks as you are able. Serve snacks sustainably to minimize waste and eliminate plastic. Serve fresh fruit, home-baked cookies, or cheese cubes with crackers. Offer coffee, tea, or juice from a glass jar. Or make juice from frozen concentrate and serve it in a pitcher. Break out the coffee mugs or purchase compostable cups instead of using plastic.

Activity: The World Wildlife Federation offers free origami instructions online for folding paper animals. Provide sheets of square paper for folding during the conversation. Origami paper is thin and can be obtained inexpensively. There may already be some in the Sunday school room. Animal suggestion this week: turtle.

Begin (Time estimate 60 minutes)

Gathering: (5-10 minutes) Break into groups of three or four. Make sure each group has access to square sheets of origami paper and the week’s origami instructions.

Check-in: (5-10 minutes) Have the groups check in together using this prompt: “Where did you see something new or renewed this week?”

Reading: John 20:19-31 (For text reading and Question 1, allow 15 minutes)

Question 1: This story occurs after Jesus was arrested, crucified, and died. And yet, the tomb was empty! Jesus as the Christ did as he promised to do; he transformed death into everlasting life. But when he appeared to his disciples, they struggled to believe it was true. In this part of the story, one of his disciples, Thomas, does not believe unless he sees and touches Jesus for himself. In our own lives, we, too, are called to everlasting life. But sometimes, it is too marvelous to believe it could be true. Where did you have an opportunity to make a difference for the good of someone or something this week? Did you take that opportunity?

• For the leader: Reading the text and the question together will take two to three minutes. With the remaining time, ask two or three people in the small group to share their responses to the prompt with the others in their group. As the leader, listen in to one or two groups.

Story of home: Read out loud. (For this reading and Question 2, allow 15 minutes.)

Our earth has seen migrations and colonization on a global scale. This means that many people today do not live in the homelands of their biological ancestors. Take a moment to think about your own ancestry. Where is home to you? This land where we are today is the ancestral homeland of these Indigenous people. (Name the original caretakers you noted when preparing this week.)

Many Indigenous people of what is now called North and South America called these continents Turtle Island. Turtle Island, the story goes, was land built on the good strong shell of a turtle, teaching us that land, people, and animals are connected.

In many places today, people have become disconnected from the wild, thriving creation God made. Whole ecosystems have disappeared under farmland, parking lots, industrial complexes, and highways. Today, more than half of all turtle and tortoise species face extinction.

In the Nile Basin in Western Kenya, farmers are working to protect the critically endangered Nubian flapshell turtle. Due to mass sugar cane production, the turtle’s habitat was all but wiped out. Local farmers, however, have prioritized restoration. They are planting food forests in harmony with the natural ecosystem and recharging the wetlands. They are engaged in the sacred and painstaking work of bringing the riverbank back to life. Read more about this story from Mongabay.

Question 2: In the Bible reading, the disciple Thomas cannot believe that Jesus is real unless he touches him. Many of us need to experience things to believe. When we don’t see wildlife, we can forget that God commanded us to ensure all creatures thrive, including us humans. For Kenyans in the Nile Delta, seeing wasn’t just believing. They acted on the power of life through resurrection. Living life is an act of faith. How are we living our lives by the power of faith this week?

• For the leader: Reading the story and the question out loud will take two to three minutes. With the remaining time, ask two or three people in the small group to share their responses to the question with others in their group. Suggest that they rotate who shares so that anyone who didn’t get a chance to share for Question 1 has the chance to share this time. As the leader, listen in to one or two groups.

Pathway to the New Creation: (10 minutes) Every day, we are called to believe into what is possible. In thinking of Thomas, the turtles, and the Nile Delta, what does the path to the New Creation look like to you?

Closing prayer: (5 minutes) Almighty God, your prophets speak of wonders, “Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.” Resurrection God, you perform wonders, for you say, “I am the Alpha and the Omega." Give us strength this week as you strengthened your son, Jesus Christ. Let us live every day in the faith of everlasting life. Amen. (Revelation 1:7-8)

Origami animals can be taken home or saved for display in the church.

Written by Rev. Richenda Fairhurst works at the intersection of climate, community, and connection. She serves alongside others with the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, including as part of the Movement Cafe team. She is a member of the Pacific Northwest Conference and lives in Southern Oregon, where she serves on the board of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, chairing the Creation Justice Committee and Oregon Interfaith Power and Light. Find her on substack at justcreation.org.

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