"Shock and Awe"	April 4, 2010
I Corinthians 15: 1-11, Mark 16: 1-8	Easter Sunday
Colesville Presbyterian Church	Rev. Ken Eimer, Pastor (Interim)

Howard Thurman may be an unfamiliar name to most of you. Founding pastor of The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco and author of 21 books on the spiritual life, he also served as Dean of the Chapel at Boston University until his retirement. He died in 1981. In one of his books called Disciplines of the Spirit, he tells of a crisis that took place in his young daughter’s life. 

 

Everybody in the family had made their plans for the summer. But just before Howard and his wife were ready to leave for some speaking engagements, they received word that a companion who had been living with their aged grandmother had died. Someone else would have to travel to be with their grandmother.

 

The family met and talked it over. Howard’s commitments couldn’t be postponed so it was decided that the daughters would care for their grandmother until their parents returned home from their conferences. 

 

The youngest daughter rushed from the table, ran up the stairs weeping, and went into her room. Howard followed her, knocked at her door, and found her stretched across the bed in tears. He spoke these words to her:

 

“I didn’t come here to tell you to stop crying. I came to explain why I think you’re crying. I think you’re crying because, for the first time in your life, your mother and I are asking you to carry your end of the stick as a member of our family. Something inside of you knows that when you get on the train tomorrow, you’ll never be as carefree and as unaccountable as you are now. We’re asking you to think beyond your personal needs and to shoulder some responsibility for the welfare of the family. 

 

Most of us can benefit from Thurman’s counsel because wherever we are in life – young or old, rich or poor, from this country, or from some other one, shouldering responsibility is a difficult thing to take on. Shouldering responsibility means our time is not our own. Shouldering responsibility means we’re accountable to others. Shouldering responsibility means there are difficult decisions to make and, from time to time, they will necessitate a change of one kind or another.

 

 

*                      *                      *                      *

  

When Jesus was executed, the disciples were depressed, confused and sad. The last days of Jesus’ ministry are so important that we devote an entire week to remembering. On Maundy Thursday, as Jesus ate with his disciples for the last time, washed their feet and issued a mandate that they love one another. On Good Friday, also called Long Friday in some cultures, Jesus is crucified.

 

Saturday is a time between life and death and Easter Sunday reverses our journey into the tragic. Hope gains ground over despair, light infiltrates darkness; life triumphs over death. The Spirit of God breathed vitality into Jesus; Jesus breathed vitality into his disciples and they were excited once again about the future.     

 

But a return to enthusiasm doesn’t fully explain what happened because lots of people – then and now -- live with eagerness and anticipation. Eagerness and anticipation are not unique Christian characteristics. What’s more unique - what’s unique absolutely - is that those who followed Jesus were changed forever. 

 

For sake of argument, let’s say Jesus had stayed dead. Let’s say his closest followers, who numbered eleven, Mary, his mother, Mary Magdalene, Salome and Nicodemus, had a memorial service for Jesus – like we would have a service for anyone who died. They would have gathered to sing songs of lament, to read Scripture, and remembrances would have been shared as to what Jesus said and did. Nicodemus perhaps, or some other Jewish leader, might have given a message on the importance of life and death, quoting from the psalms and prophets and other portions of the Hebrew Bible.

 

If they had had access to the technology that we do, there would have been a DVD and some moving video of Jesus teaching, healing and preaching and those not able to attend the service might have generated sympathy cards on a Hallmark software program.   

 

The disciples could have reached out to the wider community on an e-mail distribution list and would have touched base with each other on their Blackberries and I-Phones. Think of how convenient it would have been for Peter, James and John to connect with Mary Magdalene from their fishing boats or for Salome to ring Jesus’ mother at the Jerusalem market to see how she was holding up. They could have gotten together at Starbucks or Caribou Coffee for mutual support and care. There would have been great sadness and grief over Jesus’ death but, in time, things would return to normal. The shock of his death would recede into the status quo.

 

*                      *                      *                      *

 

But that’s not what happened. Jesus rose and when he did the disciples, and everyone else who loved him, realized that things would never be the same. Jesus showed them his new body. He broke bread with them. He told them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Joy and amazement replaced doubt and disbelief.   

 

Fifty days later, the Holy Spirit came upon them in a powerful way – the Day of Pentecost -- and all were launched into a spirit movement that brought a new dimension of hope into our world. When God raised Jesus from the dead, they knew they could never go home again in the same way that they did before. They became focused on a vision for a new humanity. They built new communities. Their relationships among each other intensified, they made new friends, and related to established ones differently.   Property was shared in common so that all who had need materially were taken care of. 

 

To return to our opening illustration, the fact that Jesus rose meant that his followers had to should responsibility. It wasn’t an easy time. There were obstacles, conflicts and intense persecution. But the time was rewarding, challenging and historically significant in that the spread of Christianity became a global movement and continues today.

 

*                      *                      *                      *

 

Most of us are aware of how the Christian Church, today and over the centuries, has failed to live up to expectations and has grieved people whom it was charged to care for. To sweep the sins of the Church under the rug, or to minimize them, is not in accord with truth, honesty and the on-going need for repentance and forgiveness that the Church – both its leaders and followers -- must ask for.   

 

But without the resurrection, would there have been people like St. Francis of Assisi or Leo Tolstoy to help us understand the radical message of Jesus? Would there have been a Martin Luther King who worked for social justice? Without the resurrection would there be institutions of mercy, like Holy Cross and Shady Grove Adventist Hospitals, or organizations of charity, like the Salvation Army and World Vision? 

 

Without the resurrection there would be no Handel’s Messiah or Bach’s Passion of Christ according to St. Matthew. There would be no Christian art to lift the human spirit. There would be no literature like Milton’s Paradise Lost or writings to help us understand how people struggle with their faith. If Jesus stayed dead, there would be no Michael Angelo, or Great Cathedral of Notre Dame, no New Testament and no Advent or Christmas.    

 

*                      *                      *                      *

 

I’m glad you came to worship today and I’m guessing you’ve gathered here for different reasons. You may be here because it’s family tradition to attend worship on Easter Sunday. You may be here for the special music and the general aesthetics of the service. Or you may have come because worship is a regular and meaningful part of your life. There’s no wrong reason to be here. Once again, it’s great to be worshipping with you this morning.     

 

But I’m wondering what you’ll go home with after the service. Will you leave with good feelings? I hope so but good feelings will evaporate in the next day or two. Will you leave with something to think about? I hope so but interesting thoughts take us so far. You may have come because you’re interested in getting more connected with Colesville. If so, Aaron and I or people you may know here can help you do that.

 

In addition to good feelings, things to think about, and getting connected, I’d like us to leave with something else. I hope we’ll leave with a spirit of openness as to how a personal relationship to God can propel us into a new future. If Jesus died, his followers would have had powerful memories at their disposal but life, more or less, would have returned to what they had known. But when God raised Jesus from the dead, their future was unknown and change imminent. Not change for change sake but how change can bring the presence of hope into our world.            

 

I’d like to share three personal testimonies that express hope. The first testimony is from a mountain climber. The second is from a fire fighter. And the third is from an elementary school secretary. The first is called Perseverance.

        

“One inch at a time: That’s how I climb and that’s how I live. Sure, the summit is my goal, but without each carefully calculated move, I could never make it to the top. Each small step, and each giant one, presents a unique challenge. As I move up the cliff, I recognize characteristics of the rock and then use different techniques to advance toward the goal.

 

My father taught me perseverance by example. I remember him going back to college when I was a little boy. He worked all day, attended classes in the evening, and then came home to study. I don’t know how he did it but somehow the yard work got done and he kept the car maintained. I never asked him how he managed, but he did. When I was ten years old, he received his degree. It took him many years but he reached his goal and then moved on to other challenges. As I reach the summit of the mountain, I look down and enjoy the moment. Then I gather my gear and start planning my next climb, one inch at a time.”

 

Imagine bringing resurrection hope to people by teaching them not to give up when faced with overwhelming challenges. Imagine encouraging the discouraged by telling them that life is like climbing a mountain once inch at a time. Imagine living that kind of life yourself.   

 

The second testimony is called Courage. 

There have been times when I've seen something so powerful that tears began to fall even before my emotion registers. It's during those times that I fall back on memories – the difficult experiences in my life make every other moment better than it would have been otherwise. 
 

Why do I do what I do? Because I need to find moments that change the lives of those around me, and more importantly, moments that change me. It's what I live for. The desire to walk through each day, with that ultimate goal in mind, is the only fire that burns forever.”
 

Many of the references to courage in the Bible are connected to the battlefield and though we may not be warriors in the military sense, there are battles that we fight in our daily lives that demand a great courage. It takes courage to say no to things that compromise our integrity. It takes courage to talk to people about how they have wronged us. It takes courage to face up to things in our lives that need correction and improvement. It takes courage to say, “I’m sorry.” It would have been admirable if the three women at the tomb acted more courageously but their fear paralyzed them. There are many quotes we can get from books about courage but how much more important it would be to others, and ourselves, if we could act courageously from the deep well-spring of our experience.

The last reflection is called, “God Has Skin.” It’s a little softer than the first two but one that I hope will ring true on some level. 
 

At times, God seems as far away as the deepest recesses of space. My head tells me God is listening but my heart feels like he’s left me on hold. It’s in these moments that I wish God could wear skin.
 

Tears streamed down Elizabeth’s face as she entered the office telling me she was hurt. I asked the kindergartner where she was hurt and she pointed to her heart. As an elementary school secretary, I’ve seen my fair share of scrapes and broken bones but I’ve never encountered a child so young with a heart problem. I knew Elizabeth’s medical records showed nothing unusual. She was one of our homeless students and although her mother could pay monthly rent, she didn’t have enough funds for a security deposit. Many of our homeless families found it less expensive to live in a hotel where they only had to pay a monthly fee. 
 

I calmed her down and the tears stopped flowing as she told me her story. It seems that she wanted to hug a class mate but the child rejected her by pushing her away. Elizabeth needed to know she was loved and that she was special. I tried to explain to her that some people simply don’t like hugging but if it would make her feel better she could give me a hug.
 

Hugging students was more or less against school policy because it could be misunderstood. We’re told that the least amount of physical contact is best. But I gathered my courage together hoping it would ease Elizabeth’s heart. I bent down to eye level with her and she threw her tiny arms around my neck. I hugged her to me and smiled at which point Elizabeth kissed my cheek smiling and skipped off toward her classroom.
 

At that moment, God had answered my morning prayer. He reached out to me through a kindergartner and all it took was an unexpected hug and a kiss on the cheek. God does wear skin. I only had to discover him in the packaging.