Do you remember? - Sermon for Easter Sunday 2016

Sermon:

Text:

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who

What do you think the women were feeling that early morning?

They come bearing funeral spices, strong scented balms and ointments made to hide away the smell of death.

There is no embalming at that time, no halting the ravages of deterioration, nothing to stop the scent of death to permeate all. And so, the women come to bind Jesus in cloth wrapped in these highly scented items. They come looking to face death, the death of their teacher, mentor, friend and lord.

They come over the hill and they see an open entrance, the stone rolled away, and when they enter they see a tomb that has been emptied.

I see a lot of articles about the future of the church. About how fewer and fewer people are going to church, fewer people are claiming they belong to a church. I see voices in these articles talking about how they think younger generations are caring more about other things than church.

And I ask, what do those last people see when they come to church?

I think they too walk with their funeral spices, their balms to cover the scent of death. They come into the church and what they see is an empty church.

To the women at the tomb, while they stand there perplexed, confused, fearful, a figure in bright clothes appears, 

Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”

Then they remembered his words.

I love that last verse.

Then they remembered his words. What do you remember? And why is it that we forget so soon? Why do we seek among death for life?

I want to be clear here, that I do think we need to be concerned about fewer and fewer people coming to church, we need to invite our neighbors, our friends, everyone to come inside. But, it can’t stop there, and really, it can’t start there.

We have come to think of the church as this building, this structure of wood, metal and sheetrock. And we come here to try to find Christ.

But, Christ is not just here, in fact most of the time Christ is found out in the midst of the world.

We need to change our thought process when it comes to the church, this is not an empty building, but it is a building to be emptied. This needs to not be a gathering space, but a sending space.

We can no longer continue looking for the living among the dead, because they are not here, they are out there, we can’t wait for them to show up, we need to go to them. Some of the things we do in this space are grand, but many are things that need to be lessened as we remember the words of Christ.

We must stop clinging to what we know, death, instead of entering into what we do not know, the resurrection. We need to honor our past, but simply looking and clinging to the past means that we miss what God is doing in the here and now.

If when we look at the state of the church we only look for death, of course we will only find death.

When the women came to the tomb, they were looking for death, and so could only see death, they could not see the glorious resurrection that was in front of them.

But, then they remember his words. They remembered that Christ promised he would rise on the third day. They remembered that he promised that he would eat with them yet again. They remembered that out of death, God brings life.

Do you remember?

Do you remember that the waters of Baptism fell over you? Washing you clean, entering you into the beloved community of believers, who stand and surround each other with grace and love.

Do you remember the bread and wine of communion that Christ gives to us? his body and blood, which nourishes and fills us with God’s forgiveness. The thing that fills us when all else leaves us empty?

Do you remember that it is a tomb that has been emptied, where life can now be found in the world that God made? That where we may see death, God is doing a new thing?

Do you remember that Christ sends us out to tell all nations about his love? Do you remember that Christ calls us not to gather all nations in, but to Go to baptize them?

Do you remember that it is out of death that God brings life? Do you remember that God promises to walk with us in the midst of the darkest valley? To lead us to green pastures, to still waters, to a feast where all are welcome?

Do you remember that God is a God of resurrection? 

Beloved people of God, this Easter I pray that you remember that God blesses you, God loves you, God welcomes you in, and God sends you out.

People of Resurrection promise hear a blessing,

As Christ burst forth from the tomb,

may new life burst forth from us

and show itself in acts of love and healing to a hurting world.

And may the same Christ,

who lives forever and is the source of our new life,

keep your hearts rejoicing and grant you peace

this day and always. Amen.

— final blessing posted by Joanna Harader on her Spacious Faith blog.