Easter 2013
March 31, 2013
“But”
There is a river of life all around us
It's our common ground, the gift we are given
Ocean and sky, the wild of the forest,
Were here long before us and meant for our children
We bring our differences, our hopes and faith, our fears
We'll build a home for love in this family
For the light that brought us here
Chorus
In this blueprint for living
From the Word that touched the earth
Round this house we plant a Garden
God's grace for our rebirth
Lend your voice in celebration
Lend your hand in lifting up
This is the day of creation
Built on the cornerstone of Love
Blueprints by Peter Mayer
“But
on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the
spices that they had prepared. 2They found the stone rolled away
from the tomb, 3but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4While
they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood
beside them. 5The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among
the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6Remember how he told you,
while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be handed
over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." 8Then
they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb, they told
all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10Now it was Mary
Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who
told this to the apostles. 11But these words seemed to them an idle
tale, and they did not believe them. 12But Peter got up and ran to
the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then
he went home, amazed at what had happened.” Luke
24
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!”
“Conjunction
Junction, what's your function?
Hooking
up words and phrases and clauses.
Conjunction
Junction, how's that function?
I
got three favorite cars
That
get most of my job done.
Conjunction
Junction, what's their function?
I
got ‘and’, ‘but’, and ‘or’,
They'll
get you pretty far.
‘And’:
That's
an additive, like ‘this and that’.
‘But’:
That's
sort of the opposite,
‘Not
this *but* that’.
And
then there's "or":
O-R,
when you have a choice like
‘This
or that’.
‘And’,
‘but’, and "or",
Get
you pretty far.
Music and Lyrics by Bob Dorough
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!”
We’ve gotten pretty far since we were last here together, from
the empty altar area with just a bare, rough and rugged cross. Transformed now
by all the flowers, music, people, hope, happiness and joy. For today, Easter
Sunday is a new day, a new beginning, a new life.
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!”
Today on this holy, festival day, I want to share with you some
theological and ecclesiastical grammar by talking about the word “but.” It is,
as some of you know, a conjunction, which means it “joins” words together. Now,
between the lesson from 1 Corinthians and the Gospel reading, the word “but” is
used seven different times. In each case
it is conveying a truth, a reality, a part of the story that is different than
what has gone before it.
St. Paul wrote,
19If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all
people most to be pitied.
20But in fact Christ
has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21For
since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also
come through a human being; 22for as all die in Adam, so all will be
made alive in Christ. 23But each in his own order: Christ the first
fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
And our gospel lesson begins with the word, “but.” “But
on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the
spices that they had prepared.” Now, what preceded that verse is the end of
chapter 23 which states, they went, meaning the women, back home to prepare
spices. Then “on the Sabbath they rested according to the Commandment.” “But on the first day of the week, at early
dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.”
But, when they went in
they did not find the body
The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the
men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
But, these words seemed
to them an idle tale.
But Peter got up and
ran to the tomb.
Easter is a sacred conjunction. It joins us together. We are
connected to each other in the risen body of Jesus Christ our Lord.
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!”
Look at the bulletin- all the names listed in honor and memory.
Psalm 30:5
Weeping may linger for the night,
but
joy comes with the morning.
You see this lovely painting here. It’s hard not to be drawn in
by the red from the crosses that goes to the now, empty tomb. And yet, there is
more.
As you may know in honor of “all things being made new” our
mentors and mentees on Wednesday nights painted with Cody Kuehl in order to
experience “God through art.”
And so in all the paintings around the church, the students and
mentees have a bit of themselves, just like you and I each have a part of our
story in this larger, wondrous Easter Story.
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!”
N. T. Wright has said, “Easter is the birthday party for God’s
new created world.”
And then we think about Jesus who was sent by God to die on the
cross. The lovely words of John 3:16 come to mind, 16For God so loved the world that
he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but
may have eternal life.
And
the Holy Spirit comes to us and “fires” us up to tell this story, again and
again and again.
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!”
Some
of you may know that I write for LIVINGLUTHERAN.org which has a section called
“Ask the Pastor.” Each week there is a new question put forward.
Here
is one for April that I just responded to.
“It's evident that violations of the laws of nature do not occur in our
universe. Christianity depends on the existence of events that violate those
laws. How can an intelligent human being be a Christian?”
So, here’s my response.
We have a couple of men in our congregation, Mark and Tim, who according
to medical science and the "laws" of nature should be dead. But, they
aren't . They literally have come back from the dead. No research can describe
how or why these men are still with us. I'm hearing not so much a question, but
rather a statement of which you are most entitled to communicate. BUT, the experience of the early Christian
community was that they experienced the Risen Christ. This was so remarkable
and amazing that it not only changed them, but all of us who wear and bear the
sign of the cross. N. T. Wright has written, "Easter was the birthday of
the new world God created."
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!”
Last but not least, as I always say, “baby makes all the
difference.” I can’t help but think of a lovely Christmas hymn:
“Oh Holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to Us we pray,
Cast out our Sin and enter in
Be Born in us Today.”
“All things are being made new.” That’s the good news. So, when
you hear otherwise, just say, “BUT.”
“Christ is Risen!”
“He is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!”
“Conjunction
Junction, what's your function?
Hooking
up words and phrases and clauses.
And’,
‘but’, and "or",
Get
you pretty far.
amen
Creative
Communications of St. Louis, MO is publishing our an Advent Devo entitled,
ELEMENTS
OF ADVENT
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them a note and let them know you want to be on their mailing list
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