We were talking and before I could hardly say anything he said to me now don’t tell me what happened with the Mavericks game last night because I’ve TiVo it, I’ve got it recorded and I haven’t watched it yet and I don’t want to know the end results. And I was happy to abide by that, but we were going a little further in the conversation without me saying anything further he goes now remember, don’t tell me, I don’t want to know the results and the third time he said it I almost well you needn’t bother, they lost last night. They lost again, again, so it’s 2 to 1, but uh what is it about knowing something, knowing the story in a way that somebody else doesn’t, that gives you a since of power or maybe a since of wanting to blurt it out and let somebody know. That’s the way I feel this morning. If someone was to come up to me and say they were doing a survey bible study and that they were in the book of Acts and that next week they would be studying about Tabitha, I could hardly contain myself, I would want to tell them the story, the amazing things. The amazing roller coaster ride of what happened to Tabitha; this very caring disciple woman in the church there in Joppa who was reaching out in constant acts of caring and nurturing even to the point of designing clothing and sewing clothing for people and giving it to them. This sainted woman of the church suddenly took ill and died abruptly. Imagine the sadness and sorrow that was introduced into the life of that church and those people, especially the widows. Tabitha had reached out to them; she understood she knew she was a widow herself. She cared for them she helped them to network together.

Remember to be a widow in these ancient times was to be totally disenfranchised from the economic infrastructure was to have no power at all and yet she helped them so to know that there was this sorrow. The community had sent two representatives to bring Peter to this scene of sorrow just to have a marvelous story to tell. So I want you to listen carefully this morning to this story.

Acts 9:36-43

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

Joppa was an ancient city that was located in what is now Tel Aviv right there on the coast of the Mediterranean in what we now know as Israel. Tabitha and the word Dorcas both have the same meaning it means gazelle. I’ve got to tell you that the word Dorcas a proper noun does not exactly roll of my tongue. And to say Dorcas the Gazelle sounds like an oxymoron. Gretchen, I think that is a children’s book in the making, uh Dorcas the Dorky Gazelle you know all the other Gazelle’s made fun of Dorcas, whatever, I’ll look forward to seeing this, yes I will.

So I will use Tabitha, you have this powerful story of the New Testament Church in action. Peter going about healing proclaiming what God has done in Jesus Christ and then you have this story of this woman Tabitha. She is the only female disciple mentioned in the book of Acts and this is the only instance in the entire New Testament where the word disciple is mentioned in feminine form - a very powerful woman. And it says that in the upper room there, the body of Tabitha was with them. Reminding me of another upper room in the presence of another individual who was also very powerful and Peter clears out the room and turns to the body which has been so lovingly cared for and says, Tabitha arise. Two words; Tabitha arise. She opens her eyes, she sits up and then Peter presents her to the widows and the individuals who are around. What a marvelous testament to the discipleship of Tabitha. Now let’s be honest and admit that there is a patriarchal strain that exists in this account written by Luke in this account in the book of Acts. Yes, we celebrate the fact that the word disciple is used in reference to Tabitha in feminine form at the same time you notice that when Peter and the disciples are reaching out to the widows they are ministering and doing ministry as Tabitha reaches out to them she is doing good works and charity. Not quite the same thing. This reflects a patriarchal understanding and I celebrate that in the Wesleyan tradition and in the United Methodist Church we recognize that this was a prevailing social moray of the time and we have not taken upon ourselves to immolate this as a denomination and say something as silly as we would not ordain women. I mean why you would not. Fifty percent of all human kind - why would you not want to recognize their gifts and graces and unleash them for the power of the church. And we celebrate the fact that Tabitha had been a disciple in a very powerful and nurturing way reaching out and caring for people in a way that made a difference. They loved her; they understood that the word compassion means to suffer with to be with to put you in the place of another. Tabitha had a real gift and an ability to do this. She didn’t stay at home and feel sorry for herself even though she was a widow. She reached out to others, she cared for them, and so they in turn cared for her, they prayed for her, they were there in presence for her and they cried for her.

So you had this very touching gathering of people. Reminds me of the Gospel of John when Mary and Martha greet Jesus in the town of Bethany, all of the sorrow that was surrounding the death of Lazarus. Now imagine being the person called on the scene, my goodness what in the world are you supposed to do. How do you make it better? This was the situation that Peter was placed in as they sent two emissaries to the neighborhood nearby town and they found Peter there and they brought him there and called him on the scene. Remember Joppa is famous for another prophet in the Old Testament. Remember now who I am talking about? Joppa sent out to go out to Nineveh instead he went to Tarsus, exactly the opposite area. Jonah was a prophet from Joppa and the amazing thing about the ending in the very brief book of Jonah is the surprising results brought about by the very lack luster and reluctant efforts of Jonah. And it seems to me that we have here with Peter in Joppa once again surprising results from an unlikely source from Peter. And when we remember after all, Peter had denied Jesus. Peter did not seem like the bold fisherman. Peter seemed anything but, Peter never seemed to get it in the Gospels and yet Peter in the book of Acts is the one who announces to all the people in the market place, No were not filled with wine, no were not drunk; the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us. And so yes, you might say they were intoxicated, but intoxicated with the Holy Spirit and in being open to that out-pouring their lives were transformed and they were made powerful. I have a weak spot for Tabitha because she was also a dress designer and reminds me of in my first career.

I graduated from college and went to New York City with $10.00 and a diploma and a lot of delusions about what it takes to make it in the world. I went to an employment agency and they said; how about the textile industry and I said; sounds great. I didn’t even know what it was. But they sent me to a textile manufacturing company at Broadway and 40th in Time Square, M Lowenstein and Sons; predominantly a Jewish company and I really think in looking back they hired me as their token goyim. I worked for Wamsutta Fabrics. The apprenticeship was to go on 37^th street and call on small high fashioned manufacturers because the mills in South Carolina needed ten thousand yard minimums per color in order to make it worth their while to run a run of fabric to finish and dye it and these high fashioned people wanted 300 yards per color for their production yardage; that was all. So they sent the apprentice over there and it was fascinating. Number one I thought I was in the world of fashion, you know, it’s very creative and for this Texas kid to be walking around. Secondly, in anticipation of going to Seminary, I learned my Yiddish and Hebrew there on 37^th street. And thirdly, working with the designers was fascinating because normally they were women and they were very creative very resourceful and also very tough. You didn’t want to deliver the fabric late or you would hear about it in no uncertain terms over the phone and perhaps learn a few more Hebrew words for your vocabulary. But very creative and the whole ready to wear market was a gift you might say to the average people.

There was a time that when you wanted clothing you went to a tailor and if you couldn’t afford a tailor well then you were out of luck. Guess you made your own clothes; the idea of ready to wear was a marvelous gift by these garment manufacturers. And so I think of Tabitha as one of these people, very creative and very resourceful and also very driven. She took it upon herself to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and she went after it each and every day. And you know that she meant business and she made a difference and she had surprising results. So here Peter is in the room and he has cleared it out and he turns to the body of Tabitha and he says Tabitha arise. This is the same word that is used to characterize the resurrection of Jesus, arise. And Tabitha opens her eyes and she sits up and you have this powerful moment where Peter who just a moment before was on the receiving end of the presentation of these women who wanted to show him. Look at this blouse she made, look at the intricate sewing, look at the design, and look at the love and the care and talent that went into the making of this garment. See what she was capable of, see what she did. Now he in turn is able to present to them Tabitha who now is alive again.

Now I distinguish between the resurrected state of Jesus who we know when Mary sought to embrace Him, He said no, no I have not yet gone on to the Father. He was in a different state, a resurrected state that’s almost like a ghostlike state. Bringing Tabitha back from the dead - this was a revival in the literal since. She was revived and brought back from the dead in her normal state in her normal physical being. I guess in retrospect it was reprieve because all people of faith, all Christians, we eventually depart from this life don’t we? Being a person of faith doesn’t mean we live forever but she was given a reprieve in this very powerful moment of healing and revival, the power of this apostle.

You know St. Francis once said; proclaim the Gospel and if necessary, if necessary, use words. Peter gives us a very visible act of the visible word of his act of healing. And it becomes the ultimate revival when you think about it and Peter embodies the power of the resurrection and the church embodies the power of Peter the apostle and this morning I get excited just thinking about the idea that the church today still has this entrusted to her. That we embody the power of the resurrection and that it is our task to be witness to this power. Not to second guess it not to over analyze it, not to simplify it but to simply bear witness to God’s transforming power. And I guess my question to you this morning is are you ready for your Tabitha moment?

Maybe you are at a place in your life when you have been beaten down and your just wondering Lord, what’s the Dorothy Parker quote “What fresh hell is this?” Lord I can’t take anymore please, help, I need sustaining. Maybe you’re ready for the sustaining and transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Well, be careful because if you’ve gotten so jaded and cynical and you’ve hunkered down and you’re in defensive mode you may have closed yourself off from the very transforming power that the Lord would seek to use to make your life better, so open yourself up again. Be ready for your Tabitha moment. Maybe in your cynicism you have decided it’s a Humpty Dumpty world and all the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men can’t put your world back together again. But in this story we are reminded that God can put it back together again.

Things can go well with you again. Does it happen immediately? Does it happen at your beck and call? Not always no, sometime you have to wait. You know if it’s a drought you wait for the next rain you know it’s going to come the only question is when. Wait for your wave to come, wait for the momentum to change and when it comes to you ride it you go with it you move forward with it. Saul on the road to Damascus - you remember the book of Acts tells us that Saul was persecuting Christians. Saul was furious at these Christians who dared to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Messiah; it was Saul who looked after the cloaks the coats of those people who stoned Stephen to death. It was Saul who was living vicariously through the stone throwers going yeah that’s right give him another hit him again hit him again, harder, harder. Saul was the cheerleader and Saul on the road to Damascus hears the voice. Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me. He’s thrown to ground in a blinding flash and his entire world is transformed. And then the Lord says to him “Get up!” That doesn’t sound very nurturing or pastoral does it? You’re hurting, you’re beaten down and someone says to you uh huh uh huh, I hear what you are saying, “Get up, and go and do what I am telling you to do!” And Saul became Paul and Paul did that and things went well with him. And he became a part of the people that he was persecuting.

Such is the power of God for life, such is the power of discipleship. It doesn’t have to be heroic acts, doesn’t have to be huge sweeping developments, it can be small paths of ministry the way that Tabitha did it. Now yesterday we had a whole portfolio of Tabitha ministries going on around here under the leadership of Amy Fifer and Brianna Brown who were our co-chairs of One Great Gift of Service. We had 300 Tabitha volunteers, male and female, 18 projects that we addressed. Let me share with you what we were about yesterday. We were painting and sorting clothes at Crossroads Community Services. You know Tabitha knew what she was doing when you feel good, you can put on a shirt or a blouse and you can look in a mirror and feel better about yourself. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to make that possible. We do that at Crossroads all day long. Sorting and putting this clothing on display so that men and women in need can come in and shop and chose their own clothes. We prepared two apartments, one at Family Gateway and one at Interfaith Housing Coalition. We cared for animals at Operation Kindness in Carrollton. We painted and cleaned on the 3^rd floor of our own church. We played Bingo, get this our Confirmation class our 6^th graders went over to the Austin Street Shelter and they played Bingo with homeless persons who were there. What is the definition of compassion, to place yourself in another person’s experience and gain their perspective? I think that our Confirmands did that in a very profound fashion, yesterday and no it wasn’t a Methodist Bingo game it was somebody else’s Bingo game. We have a reception immediately following this service to celebrate and to show vivid images from our day of discipleship yesterday. And when we do these acts of discipleship beyond our family for some people we hardly even know this is discipleship, and this is what we are called to discipleship in the name of Jesus Christ to make the world a better place, AMEN.