The Neighborhood Podcast
This is a podcast of Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina featuring guests from both inside the church and the surrounding community. Hosted by Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing, Head of Staff.
The Neighborhood Podcast
"Revived By Compassion: The Legacy of Tabitha" (May 11, 2025 Sermon)
Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing
Who is your Tabitha? Who has shown you God's love in tangible, transformative ways? This question lies at the heart of our exploration of Acts 9:36-43, where we meet one of the few women explicitly called a "disciple" in scripture.
Tabitha (also known as Dorcas) embodied discipleship through her good works and acts of charity. When she died, the widows of Joppa gathered to mourn her, presenting the tunics and garments she had lovingly made for them. These weren't just pieces of clothing—they were evidence of how God's love flowed through her hands into their lives. This powerful image challenges us to consider what artifacts or memories would testify to the spiritual nurture we've received from others.
The miracle of Tabitha's resurrection parallels Jesus raising Jairus's daughter, with Peter now stepping into the role of Christ's representative. The similar commands—"Talitha kum" from Jesus and "Tabitha, get up" from Peter—highlight how disciples become vessels for Christ's resurrection power. But this miracle wasn't just for Tabitha; it strengthened the faith of an entire community.
Each of us has been shaped by our own "Tabithas"—mentors who loved us into being the disciples we are today. For some, it's a cherished Psalter from a seminary organist who taught us about God's love. For others, it's a quilt made by family members celebrating decades of shared life. Whatever form it takes, these tokens remind us of Christ's presence in human relationships.
Now it's our turn to be Tabitha for others—preparing meals for the sick, creating prayer shawls, welcoming the marginalized, and restoring hope where it seems lost. How will you embody the love of the Good Shepherd in your acts of service today?
Follow us on Instagram @guilfordparkpresbyterianchurch
Follow us on Facebook @guilfordparkpc
Follow us on TikTok @guilfordparkpreschurch
Website: www.guilfordpark.org
Our next scripture this day, as I said, is from the book of Acts, acts chapter 9, verses 36 through 43. Let us listen for what God is saying to God's church 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.
Speaker 1: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 the 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 Friends. Holy wisdom, holy word. Thanks be to God. Let us pray, o Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable and pleasing in your sight, o Lord, our rock and our redeemer, amen.
Speaker 1:This day is a hymn called For All the Faithful Women, written by Hermann Stumfler I probably butchered that German pronunciation, but that's the best I can do and he wrote this hymn in honor of some of the women of the Bible exactly 50 years ago, in 1975. And the final stanza sings as such. And the final stanza sings as such Lord, hear our praise of Dorcas, who served the sick and poor. Her hands were cups of kindness, her heart an open door. O God, for saints and servants, our fervent prayer we raise no-transcript.
Speaker 1:Today marks the fourth sunday of easter, which, as I said, is commonly called good shepherd sunday, which is why we read psalm 27 and had a paraphrase of that song. So the new testament passage is usually a passage from john, where jesus compares himself to a shepherd and calls his followers his sheep who recognize his voice. But given that today is also Mother's Day, I chose the alternative lectionary text, the account of Tabitha or Dorcas, in Acts, chapter 9. This text is appropriate for Mother's Day as we acknowledge, as Tricia said, the numerous women and girls in our lives who shepherd us in love and life. While some are our biological mothers, I suspect many are not. As a pastor, I understand that today can evoke a wide range of emotions, particularly from those who had complicated relationships with their mothers or maybe lost their mother recently, or for those who long to be mothers but for various reasons cannot. If you identify with any of those, please know that your pastor sees you and that you are beloved. So today, let us give thanks for all the faithful women who, in many diverse and meaningful ways, have taught us so much about the love of God, the service of Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:The book of Acts is filled with examples of women who were crucial leaders in the early church. A few months ago, on the Sunday before Election Day, we explored the story of Lydia in Acts, chapter 16. We explored the story of Lydia in Acts, chapter 16. Lydia was a prominent businesswoman who provided shelter to Paul and Silas on their missionary journey at great personal risk to herself. She was a dealer in purple cloth and we know that she leveraged her social influence to bring together a diverse coalition of people to serve their neighbors in Christ's name. Coalition of people to serve their neighbors in Christ's name. But before Paul and Silas received Lydia's hospitality, the early church was blessed by the leadership of a woman named Tabitha. As I mentioned, the text introduces her by two names Dorcas, which is the Greek form, and Tabitha, which is the Aramaic version. Both mean gazelle in their respective languages, but importantly, as I mentioned to our young ones, the text identifies her as disciple, a title commonly associated with the 12 men depicted on the stained glass before us today. It informs us that she was a disciple because she was devoted to good works and acts of charity in Christ's name.
Speaker 1:This narrative echoes Lydia's story in Acts 16 concerning her service and leadership within the early church, but it also resonates with another New Testament account for quite different reasons. Last year I preached a sermon on the account in Mark, chapter 5, where Jesus raises Jairus' daughter in an upper room, witnessed by Peter, James and John. This story also bears strong resemblance to today's narrative. In both, the persons in crisis are leaders in the local faith community. In Mark, chapter 5, it's Jairus and his daughter. In Acts 9, it's Tabitha. In both narratives the person doing the healing instructs the majority of people to leave the room. Tim Peck mused that Peter did this in today's story because he wasn't quite sure if he was going to be able to pull it off or not. Finally, a very similar statement is uttered to facilitate the miracle. In Mark 5, jesus says Talitha kum, which means little girl, get up. And in Acts 9, peter says Tabitha get up. So there's some deliberate wordplay there.
Speaker 1:But what I find truly remarkable in today's text isn't the similarities but actually one noticeable difference. Acts 9 highlights a specific line, verse 39 to be specific that deserves our focus. Before Peter miraculously heals Tabitha, there are widows present and they are mourning Tabitha. There are widows present and they are mourning and as an act of their, an embodiment of their grief, they present tunics and other garments made by Tabitha as a testament to her generosity in discipleship. Sometimes feel this is an overlooked detail in this passage, but I find it especially touching as I picture those women extending to, showcasing rather the tangible acts of discipleship that Tabitha extended to them in their moments of need.
Speaker 1:It prompts me to ask us the following questions what would you offer as evidence of the positive influence someone has had in your life, what token of appreciation would you present to those around you as a testament to how that person loved you into being? As Mr Rogers would say, what are the metaphorical or literal items that testify to that person's love for you and for others, how God's love was shown to you through them? What would you choose? Well, this is one of the items that I would choose. This is one of my most cherished possessions. Some of you all have seen it.
Speaker 1:It is a book of the Psalms, which we call a Psalter, and this very book was printed in London, england, in 1626. Next year will mark its 400th birthday. Next year will mark its 400th birthday. It's notable for being the very first English psalter that ever paired Psalm 100 with the tune that's named after it Old Hundredth. I bet most of y'all know it. All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him serve with fear, his praise foretell. Come ye before him and rejoice.
Speaker 1:This precious piece of history was given to me by my dear friend and mentor, michael Morgan, who died on Christmas Eve 2022. Michael was the seminary organist at my alma mater, columbia Theological Seminary, and he was the first person to share his love of hymn writing with me and encouraged me to try my hand at it myself. In fact, the doctoral thesis that I just finished, this last week, is dedicated in his honor. But the impact that Michael made on me during my seminary years far surpasses that of congregational song. It is without hyperbole that I tell you that Michael taught me just as much about the love of God, the sacredness of Scripture and the gift and responsibility of discipleship than any professor I ever had. He loved me into being the pastor and hymn writer that I am today. Every time we open our purple hymnal, which includes about a dozen of his hymns, I remember the impact that he made on my life and all that he showed me about the love of Christ. Michael was my Tabitha. Just as the widows show the clothing that she made for them with love, I share to you today this psalter that serves as my testament of his generosity and love. Some of you all remember this man up on the screen there.
Speaker 1:I called Carolyn Sherrick this morning and I asked for her blessing to share with you something that came to mind as I was writing these words. This is Dick Sherrick, and Dick and Carolyn were married for more than 70 years. Dick was a beloved member of this congregation and one of the sweetest people that I have ever met. In the months before his death last fall, I visited them several times, and Carolyn once invited me into their bedroom to show me a quilt that covered their bed. It was made by their children and families to celebrate Dick's 90th birthday. Each square was crafted from a different t-shirt representing something about Dick His alma mater, the places he, carolyn and their family would vacation together, and other significant locations and milestones throughout his and Carolyn's 70 years of marriage. And once Carolyn walked me through each square with each t-shirt, telling a story of that family's love for Dick because of all the love that he had shared with them over the decades.
Speaker 1:I suspect there are many stories like that among us, of items that serve as a testament of someone else's love for us. For me it's this psalter, for Carolyn maybe it's that quilt. And so today I ask you who is your Tabitha? What evidence do you have, material or otherwise, that reminds you of how God's love was made manifest through them? And so I invite us to hold silence together for about 30 seconds or so, and I want you to dwell and hold in your heart a Tabitha that has shown you God's love. Thank you, thank you for holding that space with me.
Speaker 1:I now invite us, if you will, if you want to, to say out loud, in honor of the names of the Tabithas that you all were thinking about Nice and loud nice and loud Anna. So, friends, as we give thanks for the Tabitha's among us, let us remember this indelible truth of the life of faith the love of God that flowed through them to us is the same love that we share among us this day and in the days to come. Peter was in the room when jesus raised gyrus's daughter from the dead, and so, too, was peter in the room when tabitha was healed, only this time, he wasn't an observer. So, friends, now is our moment to be tabitha for others. This is the mission of the church of the resurrected christ.
Speaker 1:Friends, we are tabitha when we prepare meals for those who are sick. We are Tabitha when our church community comes together to offer shelter to the homeless who seek refuge in our space. We are Tabitha when we create prayer shawls for those who mourn. We are Tabitha when we extend our welcome to neurodivergent children, our LGBT neighbors and everyone across the political spectrum, liberal to conservative alike. We are Tabitha when we represent the risen Christ to restore hope in places where it feels lost. So go forth now and be Tabitha. Let us give thanks for the Tabithas among us, through whom we have heard the voice of Jesus, our good shepherd. In the name of God, the creator, redeemer and sustainer, may all of us, god's beloved children, say amen.