Sermon preached by The Rev'd Nicholas Lang

St. Paul’s on the Green, Norwalk, Connecticut

The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day – March 23, 2008

May the wonder of Christ’s rising be seen in every dawn, the love of God be as wide as the skies, and the power of the Holy Spirit invite us into each moment. Amen.

It is my great delight to welcome you here this morning to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus and to enjoy this extraordinarily beautiful church, the spectacular flowers, our grand organ, and the splendid music sung by our choristers and adult choir. At the center of our worship today is the proclamation of the belief that stands at the very forefront of the Christian faith. We heard the Gospel account that relates the events of that first Easter morning. We listened to the story of how Mary went to the tomb of Jesus in the pre-dawn darkness and found it empty. Mary came expecting to complete the burial anointing that was hastily begun the day before. She expected to find a body and instead found an empty tomb.

There have been many sermons preached about the empty tomb. It is an impressive, convincing image. However, according to some accounts, stealing the body of Jesus was a concern for the disciples as it was for his enemies in the religious and political establishment. Truth be told, the empty tomb on Easter could be accounted for by several different explanations, a somewhat persuasive one being that the body of Jesus was really stolen. So, while preachers for centuries have relied on the empty tomb to affirm the truth of the resurrection, there are equally strong arguments to convince the skeptic why it does not prove that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

What really convinced the disciples that Jesus was resurrected was not the empty tomb. They did not go out and proclaim his resurrection upon discovering it. They went home and locked all the doors out of fear. No, it was not an empty tomb that convinced them that the resurrection was real, but the fact that, later that day and on other occasions following, they experienced the real presence of Jesus, who was the same person as before his death, now bearing the scars of his crucifixion. What convinced the disciples that Jesus was resurrected was that he would inexplicably, suddenly appear in the midst of his followers, even when they were assembled behind locked doors.

In all of these accounts which they carefully related to others and which have been written down for us, the disciples knew they had experienced Jesus and they had no doubt that this was the same person they had known before his crucifixion. And the same is true today for anyone who has chosen to be a follower of Jesus. I will tell you without any hesitation that there have been times and circumstances in my life when I have been deeply aware that Jesus was with me. I suspect that more than a few of you know what I am talking about and join me in that awareness.

You and I are constantly confronted by miracles of resurrection. Easter did not happen just once on a morning in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. It happens everyday. We experience rebirth in all kinds of ways. You may have experienced resurrection in some kind of healing—healing around an illness or healing in relationships or of painful memories. You may have had a renaissance in your life that has brought you to a brand new place—a new church home, a new baby, a new home, a new friendship, a new job or career. God may be stirring up new life in other ways—urging you to look at fresh and creative ways to live. Resurrection breaks out everywhere.

The angel at the empty tomb explained that the risen Jesus had gone ahead of the disciples and would meet them in Galilee. Jesus, who died in the past has been raised in the present, goes ahead of the disciples to Galilee where he will meet them in the future. Jesus is still ahead of us. We are not stuck with the lingering shroud of whatever our past may have been. We are not stalled in the problems of our present. Jesus has gone ahead of us and will meet us in our future. And more than that, the risen Christ is open to all people.

In Peter’s speech read this morning in the Book of Acts, he proclaims a truth that he learned from his encounters with the risen Christ. Peter says, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” What Peter is saying to us in twenty-first century terms is that it does not matter who you are or where you come from, what your level of education might be, what your age or gender might be, it does not matter if you are straight or gay, married, divorced, partnered, widowed or single, or what your political affiliation is, and it does not matter what loiters in the closets of your past history. God welcomes one and all who look to God with hope and expectation. God welcomes each and everyone of us who in our own lives are trying to do justice, love others, and generally do what is right and good.

That, my friends, is very Good News. We are, all of us, ever in the process of being made whole. None of us is a finished product. Nothing in our life is the final word, not even death itself. The risen Jesus heals our past, informs our present, and waits to transform our future. You worship today in what is truly a resurrection community—one full of life and energy, hope and promise. I will tell you—and many of you already know this—that this is a community where you will find healing and grace and the breathtaking power of God. This is a community that extends a radical welcome to everyone—everyone who walks through our doors—no matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey. This is a community where everyone is invited to take a place at this Communion Table, whether you were here just last week, or are here for the first time this morning, or the first time in a long time.

This is a community that will amaze you with surprises—and even miracles. Christ is alive in this place. The risen Christ is in our midst and his presence is almost palpable.The best proof for me of the resurrection is the living reality of this church—this group of fallible, ordinary people from all walks of life who bear witness to the resurrection by how we love in the name of Jesus. The resurrected Christ empowered his followers to continue his work, be bearers of his love, be healers in his name, and work for justice and peace in the world. Resurrection breaks out everywhere.

 In a church study group, there happened to be an on going discussion about difficult Christian beliefs. Someone brought up the difficulty of believing in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. They found this a far fetched possibility. Life from death? How can that be credible? A woman in the group spoke up, “Well, I do believe in the resurrection. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. When my husband walked out on me, I could have died. I did die. My life was over. Dead end. But then, by the grace of God, with the support of a wonderful church community and the coaxing of good friends, I came back. I came to life. I got a whole new life. It was a miracle. I believe in the resurrection because I have lived it.”

 Whatever we choose to make of the empty tomb, the truth is that we would not be here today if it were not for countless people over these last 2000 years who encountered the risen Christ in their lives. Easter is all about new life. Jesus has defeated the forces of death and in his great love he calls each of us by name and invites us to new life here and now and forever. If you need more proof about the resurrection, beyond the image of the empty tomb, the only way you will find it is to start looking for signs of the resurrection in your own life; for resurrection breaks out everywhere. Jesus is always going ahead of us, always bringing us new possibilities and hopes. Alleluia! Thanks be to God!