CORINTH

Sermon Notes

April 27, 2025

 

“Minding Our Echo Chambers”

     During the history of our country, we’ve found our citizenry deeply divided at times.  Fair to say this is the case presently.  One of the reasons we are divided is due to our echo chambers.  We are drawn to people, TV, radio, podcasts that agree with our ideas.  This is OK, except it comes at the expense of hearing the other side of issues, which results in deeper divisions.  Echo chambers can also impact us as people of faith. 

     In today’s reading from John, we find Thomas, “Doubting” Thomas, that is.  Why did he doubt?  Because of Jesus’ crucifixion.  Jesus’ mission didn’t end the way he thought it would.  Perhaps in his echo chamber he found words of those who doubted, who were skeptical, even enemies of Jesus.  His echo chamber put him in a place of---doubt.  What turned this around for Thomas?  A personal encounter with the risen Jesus. Verse 27 features Jesus offering peace to Thomas, Thomas reacts with “My Lord and my God!”  Thomas has switched-up his echo chamber, doubt has been replaced with faith.

     We find the psalmist (psalm 150) in a rejoicing mood this morning.  We don’t know the author, but it’s quite evident he/she has been delivered from difficulty.  In response, the psalmist is in a rejoicing mood, and encourages those around him/her to do the same.  The psalmist’s echo chamber features evidence of God’s faithfulness from either the psalmist’s own experience, or that of the people’s history.  Of course, the psalmist could have chosen a different echo chamber, featuring reminders of the psalmist’s (or the people’s) past failures.  But that is not what is chosen here, instead, the psalmist chooses an echo chamber which results in the response of rejoicing.

     What is your echo chamber?  Mine?  What words are we drawn to?  In an age where it is easy to be drawn into division and negativity, we are called to “mind our echo chambers.”  We can start by drawing ourselves close to Philippians 4:8 “Finally, whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is anything excellence and worthy of praise, then on these things.”