Sermon by The Very Rev Chris Yaw, 3/31/2024, Easter Sunday
Centering Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, May your will be done, through me.
"So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."
Those 3 women, after finding Jesus' empty tomb, first, did nothing, why?!?
Well - they were faced with the reality that Jesus had done as he'd predicted!
Jesus had said he would suffer, die, then risen from the dead.
And he did!
It was a dream come true - Jesus was right!
God had come to be with us - and show us how to live!
It was as if these women had won the lottery!
And if you go to Reddit - which is a huge Question and Answer chat board on the Internet –
And you ask for advice on what to do if you win the lottery –
Here are what the most popular posts advise as step number one:
"Don't tell anyone! Make sure the lottery board does not give your name out and you wish to remain anonymous."
"First things first, don’t tell anyone. Not your mom, your dad or even siblings."
"Do Nothing! DO NOT DECLARE YOURSELF THE WINNER
Do NOT tell anyone. The urge is going to be nearly irresistible. Resist it. Trust me!"
The point is clear:
When something this big happens to you - clam up!
Don't text, talk, or type!
You need some time to sort it out.
You need to ponder the ramifications.
You need to look at the limits and the possibilities!
It's Easter morning - You and I have come face to face with the realization that our greatest dream has just come true.
What does this mean that we have eternal life -
That we need not worry about what we wear, what we eat, where we'll live?!?
That there is a God - who loves, provides, protects, and gives us purpose?
We need some time to sort out that:
Good has vanquished evil.
Hope has trumped doubt.
Against odds so big, Vegas would never take them: The 'good guy' has beaten the 'bad guy.'
---
On the cover of your bulletins is a famous Albert Von Keller painting of Mary Magdelene, who has just arrived at the empty tomb and is taken with this shock and awe!
She is in the throes of the very first fit of Easter morning paroxysm (pair-ex-ism) -
Taken with the news that is so dramatic, life-changing, and consequential –
That she is doing what Easter morning invites all of us to do:
Take a moment - to absorb what has just happened - be shocked - be awed:
What does it mean that Jesus followed through on impossible promises to suffer, die, and then rise from the dead?
What does it mean that God can do impossible things?
What does it mean that God can do impossible things for you?
Because some of us have come into church this morning with our doubts.
We see political division and apathy -
We fear crime, immigration, and inflation.
We see the Baltimore bridge collapse and wonder if God was asleep at the switch.
We have identities constructed by the influences around us –
But what we find in church this morning -
Is this counter-cultural influence -
Of hope, possibility, imagination, and promise -
Asking us to construct our identities accordingly.
For, just as these early disciples took the resurrection to heart, not as an esoteric phenomenon, meant to be philosophized and theorized, but as the grist for life-altering, game-changing, vocation-switching decisions - so it is for you and me.
And now we have arrived at the point of my sermon:
Easter is out to change our identities.
We are to be struck by shock and awe - and awaken, as these early disciples were, to a new identity based on Jesus - his sacrifice, selflessness, and triumph.
The invitation this morning, is to go deeper with God,
As people who identify more completely with sacrifice, selflessness, and care for others, than for ourselves.
You know this - good people of St. David's -
You show this - through your ceaseless dedication to addressing hunger, homelessness, Haiti, and gun violence-
For you know that the world is yearning for this, and you have raised your hands and said, 'Count me in!'
---
Two days ago, on Good Friday, we had local media out, and I was asked about church and culture.
And we were talking about various polls done on religion.
And one of them came to mind,
A poll done that asked non-Christians, to describe Christians -
And here are the adjectives that those non-believers used:
Christians are: Judgmental, homophobic, political, anti-choice, small-minded.
They did not describe Christians as, caring, kind, loving, and thoughtful.
These, however, were descriptors that we will find of these first women at the tomb, and all the early disciples: THEY were kind, caring, loving, thoughtful - and much more -
As we know, Christianity spread like wildfire after these women finally spoke up -
Being persecuted by the Romans for the first century, but then becoming so popular that it became the official religion of the Romans in the 4th century.
So, yes, the mute and mesmerized women would eventually speak up,
And those who heard received it whole-heartedly.
It seems that these first believers allowed this Easter news, this dramatic resurrection event, to change their identities.
Will you and I do the same thing?
They went from:
Fishermen to preachers
Tax collectors to deacons
Physicians to inspirational writers
Persecutors to evangelists.
No longer were they known for their worldly profession, but their spiritual conviction.
What about you and me? What are our identities?
How do people label us after they meet us?
Are we best known - for our spiritual convictions and practices?
-----
In the next couple of weeks, we will be hearing about the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.
And one particular story tells of how Jesus was recognized - and says people identified him by his wounds.
In other words, it was the scars on his hands, his feet, his sides, that would be the most significant marks of his identity:
It was the suffering, discomfort, danger, unpopularity that he went through, for the benefit of others, that he was known for.
That's what I want for myself! And I know that's what you want too!
We want to be recognized by our sacrificial words, deeds, and selflessness.
If it's not an identity change for us - it's at least an identity challenge.
Our Easter challenge - to change, to mold, our identities - to, more and more, resemble Jesus'!
And that's what our world desperately needs.
Not people, so much, who will tell you about Jesus - But people who will act like him!
Not people who will wear the icon or read the book - But people who will imitate the icon - and live the book.
It's something we CAN do - Because Jesus - another human - did it!
While Christmas brings a manger that's full of life -
Easter brings a tomb that's void of death.
Easter says the bad guys: anxiety, doubt, apathy, fear, and chaos, have all lost.
And that healing, restoration, kindness, peace, and hope, in Jesus, have all won!
You wonder if that life you're living -
Of trust, of kindness,
Of being nice to mean people -
Of being generous to ungrateful people -
You're wondering if that's the right way to go?
Easter says 'Yes!'
Your good deeds - of encouragement, generosity, and love do not go unnoticed!
You are rewarded here - and there!
And we can join our friends, across town - our much more earthy and exuberant friends in the Orthodox Christian world - who celebrate Easter like this:
Do you know what they do after church, to celebrate Easter around the dinner tables?
They tell jokes!
Grandma will start off with something like:
It's weird being the same age as old people.
Mom says: Self-checkout should include an employee discount!
Dad chimes in - with a total Dad Joke:
I thought it was the dryer that was shrinking my clothes - actually it was the refrigerator!
Uncle chimes in:
I finally figured out the most expensive vehicle in the world to operate: the Costco shopping cart!
Junior said:
Did you know Popeye's chicken is fried in Olive Oil?!?
And it goes on.
Why?
Because today is when you and I laugh at the devil.
We laugh at impossibility!
No matter where you are, who you are, what you want, or when you want it -
Easter says things can change - you can change!
Easter is when we laugh at the doubters -
And sing with the believers!
The Devil had it wrong!
He tried to tell us things like:
He who dies with the most toys wins.
and
God helps those who help themselves.
But Jesus has shown us that:
The life that's given away is the life that wins!
And God helps those who DON'T help themselves!
Friends, go forth in faith -
Adopt, more thoroughly, that identity Christ has given us!
Live in the victory he has won!
For you are God's chosen, redeemed, and restored!
Christ has risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!
He has risen indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Amen!