BNA - Go, Tell + See

Easter Sunday 2014

April 20, 2014

Pastor Ronald T. Glusenkamp

“BNA-Go, Tell + See”

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." 8So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."  Matthew 28

Grace and peace to you from our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Welcome and thank you for gathering together to celebrate Easter here at Bethany Lutheran Church. It is a holy day and that’s why we Christ is RISEN! “He is Risen, Indeed, Alleluia.” Christ’s victory over sin, death and the grave calls for a response. So, in honor of that and also because this message is too big for one preacher to carry by himself- every time I say, “This is the day that the | LORD has made;”  I’d like for you to respond by saying, “ let us rejoice and be | glad in it.”

So, let’s try that one time-

“This is the day that the | LORD has made;”

    “ let us rejoice and be | glad in it.”

We do rejoice and are glad in it. That’s why we have such lovely music filling the sanctuary today. That’s why the chancel area is dressed up in it’s Easter garments. That’s why you and I have come here to participate in what is REAL! Namely, that Jesus is alive!

“This is the day that the | LORD has made;”

    “ let us rejoice and be | glad in it.”

Two weeks ago the Bethany Foundation gave away $5,000 as seed money so that we might grow it and bring it back next week. It’s a powerful, if not risky, crazy reminder that God gives us blessings and we are called to invest ourselves in those blessings in order that we might share them with others. For when you think about it, we have “an avalanche” of grace, hope and love.

 I took the $10 I received, to by ingredients for making hot cross buns. And I told Sue Ann that she could tell some of her running buddies that I was making hot cross buns and would be selling them with all the proceeds going to the Spring Forth appeal. It’s a great way to evangelize while also providing some tasty treats in honor of the Resurrection. So the other day I was in a meeting and I get this text message from Sue Ann, “how much would it be for some hot cross nuns?” And then once she realized her typing mistake, the word, “buns” appeared about 12 times on my screen.  I’m just hoping the church council or the NSA aren’t monitoring my phone.

“This is the day that the | LORD has made;”

    “ let us rejoice and be | glad in it.”

As a baker, I have learned especially in making hot cross buns that it is in those spaces and places where the depression or the imprint of the cross is the greatest, that’s exactly the place where the sweetness of the icing runs to first. It is the same with the gospel message of our Risen Lord and Savior-it’s in the markings, the cuts, the scrapers, the brokenness of life that the sweetness of Jesus comes and makes whole. It is in those very depths of our world, hunger, homelessness, illness, separation and brokenness that you and I like the women, like the disciples, are commissioned to GO, TELL and they will SEE! That’s what our BE THE BLESSING Sunday is all about and you can sign up for it next Sunday!

Take a look at the bulletin and the names of loved ones who now celebrate the feast of victory-you know, that because of Easter that Jesus is with them and they are with Jesus. Ultimately one day we will all be together again.

“This is the day that the | LORD has made;”

    “ let us rejoice and be | glad in it.”

It doesn’t matter if it’s been years or just recently that you’ve lost a loved one. Maybe you’re wrestling with your vocation or a health issue for yourself or another. Easter is about “all things being made new.” For “with God nothing is impossible.” Nine years ago this week my mother, Levera died. She and my grandmothers are the ones who taught me how to bake. As my mother was dying my siblings and I stood around her bed. One sister is a social worker, one is an attorney, my younger brother Bob is an architect. Our brother Tom, pre-deceased our parents. As we stood there, my sibs all looked to me and kinda motioned, “do something religious.” I asked them, “what do you want me to do, take an offering?” But, I knew what they wanted, so I asked, “mom, do you want to sing a hymn?” And without missing a beat, she said, “Yes, I Know that My Redeemer Lives.” We sang that song like nobody’s business. It was a holy moment. So, I thought, I’d keep it going  I said, “Mom, is there another hymn you’d like to sing?” Once again she shook her head and said, “Yes, 

“Don’t sit under the Apple Tree with Anyone Else but Me.”  And so we did!

A crazy story-but doesn’t hold a candle to the story we’ve seen in the Bible this Lent.

For way back in the beginning in the garden of Eden-we heard about Adam and Eve breaking bad and falling away. And what it amazing that as we following the family tree that we’re connected to, it is also in an apple- that we see a STAR- which points us to the manger- to the cross, to the empty tomb. Throughout it all there is this red thread of redemption and the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ.

“This is the day that the | LORD has made;”

    “ let us rejoice and be | glad in it.”

Former Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson used to say, “it is in the church’s DNA to say, BNA!” “BE NOT AFRAID.” Both the angel and Jesus said, “Be Not Afraid.” (Source)

 I think that’s just wonderful because no matter who you are-there probably is something that you’re afraid of. When we look around at our world, there’s plenty be afraid of, but when we look around at the empty tomb, when death has been conquered by LIFE, when darkness has been cast out by LIGHT, when hate has been dismissed by LOVE and when fear has been shattered by HOPE we know that

“This is the day that the | LORD has made;”

    “ let us rejoice and be | glad in it.”

LET’s SING about it! And then “GO-TELL and they will SEE”

Amen