I Will Look For Joy, I Will Seek Hope, I Will Search For Courage

Sermon-Easter Sunday-April 4, 2010
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
In 1939, a newly commissioned American submarine, the Squalus, sank off the east coast in 250 feet of water. If a sub went down, "every man on board was doomed. It was accepted that there would be no deliverance." No submarine that ever sank up til that time had ever been successfully rescued. There was no electricity and the oxygen was quickly running out. In one last attempt to rescue the sailors from the steel coffin, the U.S. Navy turned to a pioneer, Charles “Swede” Momsen who had an experimental, never before tried piece of equipment. Momsen lowered his huge pear-shaped diving bell until it made contact with the sub's deck a ship equipped with Navy divers to the spot on the surface, directly above the wounded submarine. The trapped sailors in the sub heard the metal boots of the diver land on the exterior surface, and they moved to where they thought the rescuer would be. In the darkness they tapped in Morse code, "Is there any hope?" The diver on the outside, recognizing the message, signaled back by tapping on the exterior of the sub, "Yes, there is hope."
We do not understand what happened that first Easter. We can’t explain it. It was between God and Jesus. Jesus was dead, of that there is no argument. He was buried. Everyone agrees to that. Two days later when his friends go to visit his body-things had changed. There are various accounts of what Jesus was like when he rose. In today’s account Mary, one of his closest friends, mistook him for a gardener at first. Each of the gospels has different stories of what happened that first Easter morning. But each one agrees on this-somehow God raised Jesus from the dead, and when they realized it-his disciples were changed.
When I was a kid I was always intrigued by the cicada shells that I found hanging on tree trunks. I didn’t understand what had happened. I knew they were empty, but I couldn’t understand where the animal inside had gone, So I tried to explain it to myself and the only thing I could come with, was that these insects were vacant inside. There was no body in the shell-that’s how they were born-empty, hollow, lifeless. I couldn’t figure out how any living thing could have escaped from that small crack I saw in all the old shells. Then I found a snakeskin once, and my grandfather explained to me how snakes shed their skins-and grew a new one, leaving the old body behind. And I put that together with the cicada and thought, “oh, they just shed their old body and fly away.” I never saw a snake do it-or a cicada. But people I trusted told me it was true-and it made sense of what I saw. And so I understood something about snakes and bugs and bodies, but even more I learned that things would happen in life that I would not understand. So I better pick people whom I trusted to make sense out of things to me.
Every preacher in America this morning is talking about the resurrection of Jesus. Except me. I want to talk about Mary Magdalene. Mary was scared when today’s story first started-so when she found the stone moved aside she went and told Peter and John. Then they left her alone in the cemetery. Again. So she was to first one to see the empty tomb. And then, when she was alone, Again, she was the first one to see Jesus. She didn’t recognize him. And when she finally figured out who Jesus was, she tried to hold on to him. But he wouldn’t let her. He had more places to go, more people to surprise. So our story ends today just as it began-with Mary going to the disciples-and telling them some unbelievable news. First she had told them that the stone had been rolled away, and at the end that Jesus had appeared to her and had shed his skin. She didn’t understand what had happened, she didn’t know how to explain it-but both times she went and told “the boys”, the disciples, what had happened. I’m sure they didn’t know what Mary was talking about. But they knew Mary. She had been with them the whole journey-and they trusted her. In next week’s gospel you’ll hear what happens to them. But on Easter day, on Easter morning-all they had was Mary telling them that life was different now. Things had changed. And they trusted her, and believed that she made sense out of something they hadn’t experienced yet.
Peter Gomes the great Harvard preacher and theologian says: “Easter is not about Jesus; it's about us; Easter is not about death; it's about life and Easter is not about the past; it's about the future.”
Easter is about us standing in the cemetery, alone, lost, confused, scared and crying. Easter is about us finally seeing Jesus and never wanting to let him go. Easter is about us going to someone we trust, someone who has been there the whole journey with us, and asking them to explain, not how this happened-but why. Easter is about us tapping on our outer shell, tapping in a language no one else understands, and asking, “is there any hope?”
The disciples who went back home from the cemetery that day because they didn’t understand, later changed the world. The disciples who abandoned Jesus, betrayed him, lied about him, turned cowardly, were so changed that they became not just new-they grew new bodies-alive, brave, and utterly fearless. It’s not what happened to Jesus that affects me most-it’s what happened to them. After the resurrection the same people who had been empty hollow shells, flew away. The same people trapped in a dying boat, became witnesses to the whole world. I don’t know how Jesus rose-but I watched what it meant to those closest to him-and I am changed.
In your bulletin is another envelope and card and pencil. When Lent started I asked you to write down a prayer that you would pray every day for 40 days. How many of you decided to pray for someone, perhaps even yourself, and some trouble, problem or hurt? I have different challenge for you today. I want you to do this-for the next 50 days(the season of Easter) write one of these three down-“I will look for joy, I will seek hope, I will search for courage.” Every day. For 50 days. It’s Easter. It’s a whole season devoted to finding joy, discovering hope, being filled with courage.
39 men were rescued from the sunken submarine Squalus. The first time that had ever been done. Peter, the denier, after Easter, traveled all over the Mediterranean telling people that his friend Jesus had risen from the dead-eventually Peter was put to death for this witness. Mary Magdalene, had once been plagued by seven demons-but she is now called the apostle to the apostles, for being the first, for standing alone, grieving, but unwavering in a place of the dead.
And who will you be? For the next 7 weeks, I challenge you to find resurrection in your life-look for joy, seek hope, search for courage. Put this envelope in your pocket, your purse. Then come back on Pentecost Sunday and open it up. Look at the shell you left behind. Spend the next 50 days discovering that Easter is about you, it’s about life, and it’s about the future.
The angels asked Mary, “why do you seek the living among the dead?” For the next 50 days, look for the living, look for the resurrection, see what you discover about Easter. Amen.

May Christ Easter In You

Sermon-Easter Eve April 3,2010
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
There are 4 parts to tonight’s service: the lighting of the new fire and the Paschal or Passover Candle; the service of the word; baptism of new Christians; and the first sacred meal, the Eucharist, of Easter. Light, storytelling, new birth, new life. Fire, listening, water, food. Everything about tonight is primal, fundamental. Everything about tonight is ancient, almost primeval. Darkness, mystery, infants and adults coming forward to take vows and make promises. People walking into a darkened building to receive sacred bread and wine. For 2000 years Christians have been gathering on this night-the first Saturday night after the first new moon, after the vernal equinox. This is a sacred night, a holy night, and we do hallowed things this night.
In 433 only the King of Ireland on the divine hill of Tara could light the new Spring fire from which all fires were lit throughout Ireland each year. Anyone else lighting a fire first was under penalty of death-it was how the king controlled the people. But on this night, the night before he ignited his fire, Patrick, newly arrived in Ireland set up on the Hill of Slane, and he lit the new Easter bonfire. It was so large it was seen 30 miles away in Tare. The king sent his fastest horsemen to arrest whoever was foolish enough to usurp the king’s prerogative, and to bring the miscreant to justice. And that king became Patrick’s first convert in Ireland.
We light a small fire and we tell the story of what a mighty flame it can be, how powerful, how exciting, and how dangerous when God calls us to follow and to witness.
3500 years ago the Hebrew people were being held in slavery in Egypt, and God told them through his prophet Moses that they had a special calling. They ate their meal so fast there was no time to let the bread rise. And God said I will lead you out of Egypt to freedom, and (Ex 13:21) 21The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, …2Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
And so this night we begin carrying this tall candle, shouting and singing in the darkness, remembering that our spiritual ancestors were led by a pillar of fire at night.
And when we come into the darkening led by this ancient light, we sit and listen to holy stories. The chronicles of those ancient Hebrews and their flight to freedom, the prophecy from Ezekiel of a new heart and a new spirit that is being planted in all people of faith
In the 2nd century, 1900 years ago the readings would go on all night as catechumens, those who were preparing for baptism, would listen to hundreds of verses, dozens of stories telling them of God acting in history. How powerful, how exciting, how dangerous when God calls us to follow and to witness.
And then baptism. This used to be in the very beginning of Christianity, THE ONLY DAY that someone could be baptized, THE ONLY TIME ALL YEAR when someone could come forward and confess Jesus as savior and be washed in the waters of new life. Everyone who is baptized at Trinity receives a simple box. We call it a faith chest. And they are to keep in this box their baptismal candle, the bulletin from tonight, the readings, their banner, every time they do something in their faith , they are to keep in this chest as a reminder of their life in Christ. We buy these at Ikea, and put them together. I bought 10 of them about a week ago and as I was at the register, the check out lady, said, “wow, 10 of these boxes, what are you going to do with them?” And I said ,”we give one to everyone who gets baptized”, and she replied, “oh that’s right, Saturday night is Easter eve!” And my head popped up, and I looked at her, and said, “How do you know that?” And she said, “all of my children were baptized on Easter Eve, I wouldn’t do it any other time.” How powerful, how exciting, and how dangerous when God calls us to follow and to witness.
The last of tonight’s journey back in time, forward in faith is when you walk up to this altar rail and kneel to receive the gift of Christ’s body, Christ’s blood. Jesus told his first friends, his first followers, I will be with you every time you gather. I will be in the bread you eat and the wine you drink. And I will live in you and you will live in me. The first Christians considered this meal so sacred that catechumens those who were preparing for baptism were told that they had to wait 3 years before they could be admitted to this holy meal. Three years. Because the church wanted new believers to be so strong in their faith, so devout in their beliefs, that they could withstand any challenge, any threat. Three years of training so when persecution was at hand they could endure and survive. Three years they had to wait-just to receive this bread, this wine. And they would wait all Saturday night, all Easter Eve, until just as the dawn was breaking, and ONLY THEN, could the first Eucharist be celebrated. How powerful, how exciting, and how dangerous when God calls us to follow and to witness.
Everything we do tonight is connected to stories of the past. But we don’t worship the past, and we don’t venerate history. We remember that God has been acting, moving, changing, igniting, bringing light to people for thousands of years. Tonight we tell God’s chronicle -in fire and light, in story and water, in bread and wine. Because it is not the past that we live in. Our faith is today. The stories we tell are there so we can remember how powerful, how exciting, and how dangerous when God calls us to follow and to witness. Tonight is God’s night. And we tell this divine story so that Ankita and Shawn and all those gathered here will know this great legacy and this demanding future. Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote a wonderful poem, “The Wreck of the Deutschland,” where he uses this phrase “Let him Easter in us, be a dayspring to the dimness of us.” Shawn and Ankita, and all those gathered near this holy flame this night, may Christ Easter in you, and may you be a dayspring of light to the dimness of the world. Amen.