"Following the Example of Dorcas"

Acts 9:36-43

 When I was in high school, I dated a Filipino girl named Connie. She attended the same Presbyterian church I did and had two sisters. One was called Romalisa, and the other was named Dorcas. I always felt sorry for Dorcas, as the name lent itself to all kinds of cruel jokes, especially in middle and high school. I just assumed it was a Filipino family name or something and tried being extra nice to her when I saw her. I had no idea until years later that the name "Dorcas" actually comes from the book of Acts. The first time I read the story about Dorcas, I thought to myself, "This is a name that should be honored, not ridiculed." Our "Reading Through the New Testament in 90 Days" class just recently read through Acts, and I re-familiarized myself with this story. So when the opportunity came up in the Revised Common Lectionary to preach upon the story of Dorcas being rising from the dead, I jumped at it.

As we dive into today's passage, there are some interesting things to note. First, Luke, who wrote both the gospel and the book of Acts, often likes to juxtapose a story about a male character with that of a female character. For example, the story of Zechariah was followed by the story of Mary and Gabriel; Anna's prophecy followed Simeon's song; Jesus rising from the grave was followed by the women telling the disciples he had risen, etc. Today's resurrection of Dorcas comes after another healing from Peter. Aeneas, a paralytic for eight years, is healed by Peter's words and the Spirit's power as he tells him to "Get up and take care of your mat."

Then comes this story about Dorcas, also called Tabitha in Aramaic. The name Dorcas is Greek in origin and means "Gazelle." What do we learn about Dorcas in this story from Acts? First, she lives in Joppa, now modern-day Jaffa, about 40 miles north of Jerusalem, and is now a suburb of Tel Aviv. Next, she is called a disciple, the only woman in the New Testament to be named explicitly as a disciple of Jesus. She must have stood out to be the only one given this title.

Next, we learn that she was always doing good and helping the poor. Who specifically did she help? We learn that Dorcas had a ministry with widows in reading a bit further. Why did she feel a need to minister to widows? The Harper's Bible Dictionary says the following about widows. "The status of the widow in ancient Israelite society was precarious. Having no inheritance rights and often in want of life's necessities, she was exposed to harsh treatment and exploitation. Widowhood was perceived by some to be a disgrace; the death of the husband was at times viewed as a judgment upon sin, and the reproach was then extended to the surviving spouse. Acts 6:1-6 Early church calls for special care of the widows." Widows were often left with no inheritance, no place to call home, and no income to support themselves. In fact, just three chapters earlier in Acts, 6:1-6, as the number of disciples grew, a specific group of seven men, including Stephen, were chosen to care for those who were widowed, as this seemed to be a growing problem in Jerusalem.

Sadly, the next thing we learn is that Dorcas became sick and died. Her body had been washed and prepared for burial, placed in an upper room. Some other disciples hear that Peter was not too far from them, in Lydda, about seven miles away. Perhaps they have heard of Peter's healing miracles of helping a disabled beggar, and more recently, Aeneas both walk again. Time was of the essence if there was any possibility of healing Dorcas, for she was ready for burial. So they sent two disciples to where Peter was in Lydda, and they asked him "to come at once."

Peter came upon a dramatic scene in this upper room: Dorcas, lying on her bed, was surrounded by several distraught widows, crying and holding onto the many robes and other clothes that Dorcas had made for them. Peter needed to concentrate and had them all leave. He then got down on his knees, prayed, turned to Dorcas, and called her to get up. Peter was one of the disciples who had witnessed Jesus raising Jairus' daughter from the dead similarly. So, perhaps he used the same healing format Jesus had demonstrated. Dorcas opened her eyes, and Peter helped her out of her bed, then presented her to the widows, who must have been overjoyed to see Dorcas alive and well. As a result of her resurrection, many others came to believe in Jesus.

The last thing we read in this section is that Peter chooses to stay with a tanner named Simon after his healing miracle. This seemingly little note at the end of the passage is quite important. A tanner was someone who encountered dead animals. Due to this, he was considered unclean and ostracized by other people in Joppa. That he would go to an unclean person's home and stay there was a precursor to Peter's eventual mission to the unclean Gentiles.

Is there anything else we can learn about Dorcas? She is not mentioned anywhere else in scripture, but this brief passage does reveal a bit more. If she was laid in an upper room, she was likely a woman of some financial means. Plus, the fact that in verse 36, the section translated as "acts of charity" is actually the word, elemosune," elemosune," which means "giving alms." This means she had financial resources to help others.

Some have speculated Dorcas herself was a widow because there is no mourning husband in the story. Perhaps somehow, she had been given some inheritance from one of her sons. We don't know. What we do know is this. Dorcas, the only female given the title of "disciple," was an example of faith in Jesus. The miraculous story of her resurrection seems almost secondary. What stands out more is her living out her faith in helping widows and impacting the community around her.

Dorcas was commemorated as a saint in the Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church. She is celebrated once a year in both the Episcopalian and Lutheran churches of America. Her example has impacted the world for nearly 2000 years.

Dorcas societies have been around for centuries. These Christian charities were at their height in the 1800s. However, there are still several Dorcas Societies worldwide that focus on providing clothing and other physical needs for the poor - providing education, job assistance, and scholarships for higher learning. There are Dorcas societies in America, England, Scotland, The African continent, and many other places. Just as Dorcas used her own time, talent, and treasure to make a difference in her community in Joppa, these organizations carry on that same legacy.

The challenge for today is to follow the example of Dorcas. For after our name is also the word, "Disciple." Like Dorcas, we are called to use our time, talent, and treasure to impact the local community around us. As we are reminded in James 2:17, "faith without works is dead." Doing charitable acts is an integral part of showing others what we believe by what we do. So, Dan, the disciple, what do you do?

I have found over the decades, as I get older, that these three areas of time, talent, and treasure wax and wane. Regarding talent- The older I get, I can still do things like help build a home with Habitat, but I can't lift big sheets of plywood and take them up a ladder to get them on the roof like I used to. Nor can I pick up 100-pound bags of concrete anymore. But I can put up siding, build a fence, frame a window, etc. I can use my singing voice and the ability to play guitar and piano for God in worship and hope to be able to sing for the next 20 years or so, God willing. But, voices age and fingers get arthritis, so those talents may not be the same in the coming years. My talents have shifted a bit, which will continue as I age. I'll just have to use them in different ways.

I can give my time to help run organizations like OHRA (opportunities for housing, resources, and assistance). In serving as president of the board, I run board meetings, take folks on tours, write supporters, and regularly meet with the executive director. I am also part of Rotary International (service above self) and get to a 7 am meeting weekly to help support kids in our community. And, of course, the bulk of my time is spent in the ministry of this church - reaching out to folks in our congregation who are in need or ill, working with church leaders to try to figure out our future, providing spiritual direction, developing new ideas and finding ways to reach out to our neighborhood, preaching, teaching, etc.

I find that my treasure has increased a bit, especially compared to when Paula and I were first married 35 years ago. In addition to giving to the church, we give to organizations like Habitat for Humanity. We continue to sponsor a child through Compassion International, which we've been doing for 35 years.

So, (fill in your name here, the disciple) how are you doing good works and giving alms? How are you impacting the community around you? How are you using those 3 Ts- time talent and treasure like Dorcas did in her community? It may be that your abilities and energies have shifted over the years regarding time, talent and treasure. Perhaps you can't lift those 100-pound bags of concrete anymore either😊, Yet you may have more time on your hands as you have aged and can volunteer for organizations that help those in need, just like Dorcas. You may have more treasure than you used to or less. How can you use the treasure you have now to make a difference in this world? The example of Dorcas and trying to follow her example allows us to take stock of our own discipleship.

So I ask of myself, Dan the disciple, how are you using your resources to do good and give alms? What more could you do? There is a world around us in need, always in need. Methodist minister John Wesley wrote, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." So let me suggest to you to honor the example of Dorcas sometime this week by giving of your time, talent, or treasure in some unique way. If you are comfortable sharing what that is, I can share a Dorcas list next Sunday. It can be our version of a Dorcas Society.

We thank God for the example of Dorcas, the disciple, this morning. We honor her name and pray her example of discipleship inspires us all to do what we can for as long as we can. Alleluia. Amen.