Second Sunday of Easter
Sermon Title: Easter: Real and Personal.
Scriptures: 1 Peter 1:3–9; John 20:19–31
If Easter had already taken place – if the disciples had already been told that Christ was raised why wasn't their first response a celebration? Why were they huddled together in fear? (In a room with the doors closed and locked). The Greek word for their kind of fear is"phobos"from which we get our English word "phobia". It is sometimes translated "exceedingly afraid" or "terrified." So no wonder (!) the disciples had not arranged for a caterer, a florist, a band! When you're stuck in that kind of terrible fear you're doing well just to breathe.
So it is into these barely breathing disciples the Risen Christ comes. The Risen Christ stands in the midst of the terror, breathlessness, and lifelessness and says: "Peace be with you."
Perhaps the disciples remembered Jesus' words to them before his death. He had said to them (John 14) "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. But the kind of peace I give you is not like the world's peace."
And now again Jesus says to them: "Peace be with you." Can you feel the terror dissipating and breath returning and life returning?
And then! THERE IT IS — EASTER! Easter that is real and personal. It's an in–your–face–Easter! And so they are birthed into their inheritance –that imperishable inheritance we heard about in 1 Peter – that inheritance that is "incapable of fading or defilement." This was their inheritance. It is also our inheritance – ours to claim for ourselves!
It was a cold winter evening some many years ago when I made my way through the snow in a Calgary church parking lot to attend my first Al–Anon meeting. I was frightened and anything but hopeful. A couple of months earlier a friend from my church had suggested I try Al–Anon. I had thanked her but had thought to myself "Who me? No. no way. " However when my circumstances didn't change and my fear and desperation grew I called the Al–Anon number in the yellow pages. The voice I heard was kind, non–judgmental and helpful. There was even an offer to find me a ride to the meeting closest to where I lived. It was not unlike Jesus' words, "Peace be with you."
So on this particular night I find my way to the church fellowship hall and tentatively I sit in an empty chair in a circle. About 10 or 12 people are gathering. Most of them are greeting me warmly. In spite of this welcome I really want to run. But by now it's going to be too embarrassing to walk out so I stay. I'm most uncomfortable. I'm wavering between: no one's life in this group is as big a mess as mine to the other end of the spectrum: my life isn't really that bad compared to the one presently sharing. And, as always, I'm thinking the same old over–riding thought – the one thought that had been mine for so long it has to be true: There's nothing for me beyond what is. To say it another way: Easter isn't going to happen for me. I can't imagine the Risen Christ coming into my fear and my hopelessness. I can't believe the Risen Christ could – or would Ð come into the midst of the family disease known as alcoholism.
When my turn comes to say something other than my first name I'm silent. Thomas, the disciple, had the courage to say: " Unless I see... Unless I touch..." But I have no idea what to say. How can I tell these kind folks that I have absolutely no hope of anything good coming out of this for me? The meeting comes to an end. There are words I would come to trust but that night they are just words: Something about the courage to accept what we cannot change, strength to change what we can, and wisdom to know the difference. As I walk towards the door one of the women touches my arm and gently reminds me that before deciding if Al–anon is or is not for me I should attend three meetings.
Well! Like Thomas I came back – a week later – to the same room. I started going to Al–anon twice a week. And in and through the people I was with I learned to work the 12–Steps. I learned something about Easter and the God of Easter. I discovered that Easter can come at any time! In fact Easter has little to do with the calendar but everything to do with every aspect of life in this life.
I didn't know I had wings – Easter wings! I didn't know Easter Power was mine to claim –my inheritance. The good news is that we all have Easter wings. Through God's mercy and love Easter power is our inheritance waiting for us to claim.
Last Sunday we celebrated Easter Sunday. But in reality we are just getting started on a seven–week period of reflection and celebration. Today is the first Sunday of the Easter Season. Sundays following Easter Sunday are designated Sundays OF Easter and not Sundays AFTER Easter. It seems we need all this time to get the hang of Easter and what it means for us. We're quite used to relying on Christ's resurrection when a loved one dies. When we stand at a graveside we are inclined to trust in the truth of the Risen Christ. When we contemplate our own physical death we are also inclined towards this way of thinking. But the truth is we need Easter – in this life – many, many other times.
Some of you will recognize the name Julian of Norwich: a medieval woman mystic and writer who is perhaps the greatest English mystic. She left behind many writings regarding her mystical experiences. In one of her writings she tells how God shows her something small – "no bigger that a hazelnut lying in the palm of my hand" Amazed that that something so small could last she says: "...for I thought that because of its littleness it would suddenly have fallen into nothing." And then – in her words: "And I was answered in my understanding: it lasts and always will, because God loves it; and thus everything has being through the love of God. You and I have being – and always will because God loves us! What an inheritance we have flowing out of God's reckless mercy and unwavering love.
To trust in Easter Power is not without challenges! For one thing our eyes are not much help – our eyes can even be hindrance. Remember Jesus' words about those who do not see but believe and are blessed. Remember I Peter's emphasis on not seeing and still believing. And as we've come to experience before Easter there is so often suffering. 1 Peter speaks of the "distress of many trials." But this scripture goes on to say that we "are guarded with God's power" And therefore there is cause to rejoice and to praise God. Remember how the disciples go from terror to rejoicing. We have already heard that it is our responsibility to be about forgiveness, giving and receiving forgiveness.
So what other challenges? What comes after we know Easter to be real and personal? We are among those who have been commissioned by the Risen Christ: "As God has sent me so I am sending you" So we are Easter people wherever we go. When we vote tomorrow, we vote as Easter people. Easter people make their voice heard. When we wait in a long, very slow line at the store to pay for one item we wait as Easter people. When our teenager rolls her eyes with disgust at our suggestion, when our toddler yells so loud the neighbors a block away can hear – we deal with this as Easter people. When you're the teenager and your parents won't give in and let you go with the other kids, when everyone else is doing a little experimenting with just a small amount of grass – you deal with it as an Easter person.
When we reach the point of believing in Easter or renewed –believing or deeper believing – let us not be arrogant. Let us remember that we too have trembled and teetered at the edge of the nest not sure of our wings. Let us seek out the disbelieving as the Risen Christ sought out the first disciples and let us be gentle and patient. Let us speak words of encouragement. Let us remind them they have wings – God–given Easter wings!
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