Ramblings

Updates

There will be no sermons posted for May 6th, May 13th and May 20th.  The May 6th sermon will not be posted because of technical difficulties, somehow it is lost on the computer and may have been deleted.  The May 13th sermon because I woke up ill that day and did not preach.  And there will be no sermon for May 20th because I attended the Southwest Texas Synod Assembly in Corpus Christi.  The sermon on May 20th was prepared by our Bishop, to be read by lay members at the churches were pastors were attending Synod assembly.  I hope to get back on track this summer.

"You gotta be Dead" - 4/29/2012

Sermon presented on 4/29 based on Acts 4: 5-12. 

A Sunday school teacher ended the class with this question “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into heaven?”  “NO!” the children all answered.   The teacher then asked, “If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into heaven?”  Once more they all answered, “NO!”

“Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my husband or wife, would that get me into heaven?” the teacher asked them again.  Again, all the children said “NO!”

“Well,” the teacher continued, thinking they were a good bit more theologically sophisticated than she had given them credit for then asked, “Then how can I get into heaven?”

A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”

Other than being “DEAD” …. “what would get us into heaven”  Or as Peter puts it in his brief exchange with his adversaries today recorded in Acts: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”  These wonderful words have been both helpful and troubling to many of us that are Christian.  For whether uttered in sarcasm or sincerity, Peter’s claim is one that most Christians have at least thought about, especially when confronted by today's text in Acts or by Jesus in John: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

What do we make of those words?  Do we avoid them, or accept them wholeheartedly.  Do we dismiss them or struggle to reconcile them to the truth of a loving God?

Before we get into today’s words we need to remind ourselves that Peter is not preaching in a vacuum.  It is at a specific event actually right in the middle of one.  You see on the previous day, Peter and John had healed a crippled beggar as they entered the temple for afternoon prayer.  After the people saw the lame man walking around, “they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”  Seeking to learn more about this marvelous deed, the people who had previously seen the man by the temple gate approached Peter and John, the alleged perpetrators of this act of mercy.

With the lame man still clinging to them and the crowd closing in, Peter asked, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?”  The narrator then summarizes Peter's answer to his rhetorical question.  The cripple wasn't healed by the Apostles' power, but “by faith in [Jesus'] name” and by the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead.

However at this point, the religious officials had heard enough.  We hear that they were “annoyed,” especially the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection.  Consequently, they arrest Peter and John, and separate Peter and John from the crowd and their supporters and hold them until the next day when the investigation could continue.  That is the point in the lesson where we enter today.

The scene is, in a sense a legal one, as both accusers and accused face off on the following day after the healing.  The narrator even names three categories of accusers: “rulers, elders, and scribes.”  Then with the image of a court in mind the prosecution team begins its interrogation.  Drawing upon Peter's speech from the previous day, the complainants ask, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

It probably seems odd to initiate a public examination in such a direct way.  Nevertheless, rather than skirt and avoid the issue, Peter answers them straightforwardly, and in doing so furnishes sufficient evidence should they really want to condemn both him and John.

Without evasion, and according to the narrator, “being filled with the Holy Spirit,” Peter repeats in a sanctioned, but hostile, legal setting what he had said on the previous day.  He and John had healed a man--- done a good deed; in contrast, the religious leaders were complicit in Jesus' death.  For further support, Peter appeals to Scripture: “This Jesus is 'the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.” (Psalm 118:22)

Then Peter's testimony concludes with a crescendo.  Not only was the crippled beggar healed “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” Peter further asserts that “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

There we have it, but before we continue I should add that there is some disagreement on how the biblical Greek is translated.  Because the word what is translated as “saved” can also mean “rescue,” “heal,” “be made whole,” etc.,.

All the same, for centuries, faithful Christians have struggled with Peter's claim that salvation comes only through Jesus.  They have asked, “What about those who've never heard the gospel?  What about those who are faithful participants in other religions?  What about those who had died long before Jesus lived?”  And in attempts to answer those questions, over the centuries various Christians have come up with no less than six different positions, all of which are speculative.  I put them in the bulletin insert with various biblical passages used by these different positions.

The first position is Restrictivism: There is no hope of salvation apart from hearing the gospel and having faith in Christ before death.  The second position taken is radical pluralism: Christ is one of many ways to God.  The third position is called Universalism: Salvation is through Christ, but ultimately all will be saved.  Then there is a fourth position taken by some called Universal evangelization before death: God ensures that everyone who seeks God will in fact hear the gospel before they die.  Another position is called Eschatological evangelization: All who did not respond in this life will receive an opportunity to respond after death.  And the last is called Inclusivism: People who have never heard the gospel may obtain salvation if they respond to the light they do have.  Furthermore, some Christians have mixed some of these positions, or changed over time, but those are basic six.

How, then, do we sort this out?  First for me is what we can see from the event it began with a healing.  Second, Peter saw this opportunity to proclaim that the grand turnaround of the resurrection not only life out of death but that the rejected stone has become the cornerstone.  In other words, “the name of Jesus” is neither a magical incantation nor a slogan for intolerance regarding other religious paths.  Rather Peter is proclaiming the cornerstone the way in the name of Jesus; a way of humility and self-giving, it is the way of being bold before coercive power.  It is the way of laying down one’s life for others, of taking up the cross, of being a follower of Jesus.  That means it is either awful irony or utter blasphemy to take this verse – extolling the healing power of the name of Jesus – and using it as a bludgeoning weapon of Christian dominion or to answer all the questions of faith.

The third point is what Christ himself said to Peter which is that the great commandment is to love God and neighbor.  Because of the cross and empty tomb, God is now seen as revealed in Jesus and the neighbor as Peter learns later is all the people around us.

To love neighbor means learning to accept those who are different from us, whose political affiliations, religious systems and personal lives differ from ours.  It means having lots of conversations and interactions, not just social meals.  It means choosing to go outside our little cliques and meeting those whom we secretly fear.

For that reason, in summary here are some things we can say with confidence.  Do I believe there is some good in the other world religions? Yes.  Do I believe Christ came for all? Yes.  Do I believe Christianity is a valid path to God? Absolutely. 

In other words, sharing about Jesus Christ with those who live in dryness apart from him brings healing.  It is not a method of trying to get others to repeat a line “in the name of Jesus” that will get them to heaven.  We are about healing.  We are about following Jesus Christ.  It is up to us to live faithfully by the great light we have received in Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Easter Team - 4-22-2012

Sermon from Sunday, April 22, 2012 based on Luke 24.

I wonder if we should hold an Open Minds competition--- a team against a team.  What is an “Open Minds” competition?  It is an annual event for schools that are part of the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA).  Phil Weilerstein, the executive director of the alliance put it this way, “During his State of the Union Address, President Obama called on us as a nation to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.  Our goal (at the NCIIA) is to teach students to do just that, and in the process, to create solutions that can both achieve commercial success and improve lives globally, positively impacting the economy and boosting creativity within the U.S.”[1]

Every year 10 to 15 teams are selected from different schools of higher learning to present their new ideas and innovations.  For example this year’s presentations included a team from the Rochester Institute of Technology which is presenting a form fitting vest “that incorporate load bearing straps that allow workers to lift heavy objects more easily and with significantly less risk of injury.”[2]

           Back to the question at hand, why do I think we should have an open mind competition --- because Easter is that annual event that calls us to “open our minds” so that we can see Christ.  Or as Scottish whiskey king Thomas Dewar put it: “Minds are like a parachute --- they only function properly when open.”  And I would suggest we are not only talking about open minds but open hearts as well.  How do we know that we as disciples are in the process of opening minds?  Look at today’s gospel from the beginning.

Mentioned earlier in this lesson is that Clopas and an unidentified friend --- both disciples --- were walking along the road to a community called Emmaus outside of Jerusalem on Easter afternoon.  As they are walking a stranger joins them.

Clopas and his partner however were not in a good mood during the walk and they share the reason why with this stranger.  Their hearts were broken, their minds, their senses, their very souls entombed in grief as surely as Jesus was entombed in the hillside outside Jerusalem, condemned to death, crucified and buried.  Oh sure, these two told the stranger, some women had gone to the tomb that very morning and run home shouting that Jesus’ body was nowhere to be found and claiming a vision of something like an angel who sang the good news that Jesus was alive, that he had risen from the dead.  Well, the tomb, in fact, was empty, but none of the men had seen Jesus.

Clopas and his partner knew the facts and because they knew the facts, they saw what they knew that they would see, that not only meant not seeing how the resurrection was possible but ironically not being able to tell who the stranger walking with them on the road.

Luke tells us that Jesus saw how closed their minds’ were.  Luke also tells us that Jesus saw their inability to believe.  And so, the stranger on the road, the one these two disciples could not recognize, the incarnation of the possibility of God, set about opening their minds, their hearts, and their lives.

Jesus begins by going back to the stories of faith.  Beginning with the writings of Moses --- the stranger began to teach them, to interpret for them the stories of what God had been doing in God’s beloved creation since before the beginning of time --- and the stories of what God was continuing to do in God’s beloved creation through Jesus the Messiah, God’s Son.  The stranger began to open God’s Word for them --- and God’s Word began to open their minds.

In this process of walking and talking, Easter happened for these two as they listened to the stories of God’s mighty acts, the stories of mercy and grace and love.  It got their minds and hearts racing to the point that they did not want it to stop.  Clopas and his partner begged the stranger to stay with them, to at least share with them their evening meal.  And so the stranger did.  As they sat together around a table, the stranger whom they did not recognize took the bread and giving thanks to God broke it and gave it to them.

Luke tells us that at this point, their eyes were opened and they knew him.  In the power of the resurrection, God opened their eyes, their minds, their hearts, and their hands.  In and through the Word and the Sacrament --- the Book and the Meal --- they recognized Jesus, they saw the presence of the Risen Lord in their midst and Easter happened to them.

Now we turn to out gospel for these two promptly return to Jerusalem to the others still locked behind closed doors.  Then again Jesus reappears and repeats in motion and language what happened on the road with Clopas and the other disciples.  Now, all the disciples were Easter people, a team of creative people of possibility, people of the resurrection, open to the presence and power of God in all things.

The same is true of us.  Resurrection is what God is about in the world, opening God’s creation, opening you and me, opening us as creative teams of Easter people.  From through the waters of our baptism until after we cross the River Jordan with Jesus at our death, God is about the business of resurrection – opening the tomb, opening our minds, opening our eyes, our hearts, our hands, our lives.

We are an Easter team, people given open eyes and clear vision.  We can never ignore the pain and suffering of God’s creation.  We can never pretend that mourning and crying and pain are no more.  We are called to see injustice and name it for what it is.  But even as we see the suffering of the world, we are called to recognize God’s presence in it, to point always to the gentle Savior who comforts the afflicted and blesses the dying.  We are peacemakers and justice-doers in the name of the One who is the King of Righteousness, the Prince of Peace.

We are an Easter team gifted with minds and hearts created to be open, just like those young people from schools across the United States who gather once a year to showcase their ideas; we are conduits of God’s grace in the world.

It is true that a lot of people, and a lot of people who claim to be Christian, seem to operate mostly in the “closed mode.”  But the God of Easter is about opening --- not closing.  And the God who could open the tomb and raise his Son, the God who could open the very gates of death, is even now breaking down the walls that divide us, opening the prison cells of what we think we know, opening us and through us the world to the amazing possibility of God’s grace, the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.

That means that as part of the Easter team we are to inspire each other with creative new ideas in how we can solve the problems of this world.  How can we open the minds of those closed to God’s grace?

It is not easy, this Easter people team business --- and in fact, a lot of the time being opened by God and to God, is downright uncomfortable and involves a whole lot of bumping up against people and ideas and ways of being in the world that we would rather avoid.  Who wants to talk about something as private as sex in church, straight and gay, nevertheless we had to and have too.

It is not easy.  Turn back with me to that annual Open Mind competition.  Back in 2010-2011 the Open Mind team from Georgia Tech chose to tackle the constant problem of sanitation and hygiene.  The problem is difficult particularly in areas of the world where the resources --- like water --- are few, but the team from Georgia Tech focused on that one issue, the solution of building effective latrines.

Latrines in of themselves do not solve the problem because dry latrines, those without running water, do not teat the waste, they do not kill ascaris cysts for example.  So the team developed a dry latrine system that provides sustainable, affordable, and safe treatment of human waste using the sun’s energy.  But in order to do that they used the success and failure of those before them.  The team made several trips to different parts of the world to experiment with different prototypes.  The team had listening and learning sessions in the communities that installed their prototypes.

So I wonder do we as disciples perhaps give up to easy.  Because, being part of the Easter team means taking our baptismal promises seriously.  It means being persistent, willing to hang in there with each other and the people of God, even when others bail out.  It means allowing God to work God’s resurrection power on us, walking with Christ on the road.  It takes being present in worship for the Word, being present in worship when the bread is broken, the wine poured.  It takes study and service and a level of commitment.

Perhaps we at times give up to easily.  We open the Bible to a dusty page it makes no sense and close the book.  We welcome a stranger and they are gone the next week.  We come to worship and sing a song or hymn that is new to us, so we stop singing.  A pastor gives a sermon, and it does not relate to my life, so we give up.

 Easter is happening even now.  Even now, God is working, opening our eyes, our minds, our hearts, our hands, our lives.

Here’s the plan: every time, every second of our lives, in the name of Christ, as part of the Easter team expect to see Christ.  So wherever we are, whatever we are doing, in word and indeed, expect that Christ is present.  Let us see what we expect to see.  Let us expect to see Jesus.   Let us expect that our minds will be open.  Amen.

---

[1] http://nciia.org/about

[2][2] Ibid.

Titanic Faith - 4/15/2012

Sermon based on John 20: 19-31 preached on April 15, 2012.  That which is printed below is similar but not exactly to which was preached.

On April 15, 1912 --- 100 years ago today --- the “unsinkable” Titanic sank.  All this month in newspapers and magazines and on TV shows and documentaries we have heard how the famous ship went down in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg, taking 1,517 people to their deaths and shocking the world.  What has to wonder, why the fascination?

Well, the scale of the disaster, over 1500 dead, certainly has something to do with it.  Then there is the star-crossed romantic images of the fateful voyage as well as people traveling in a mix of classes.  This is probably most interestingly retold in the wildly popular 1997 movie version of the disaster --- the Romeo and Juliet on the North Atlantic.

But perhaps the most compelling reason we are so fascinated with this even has to do with the fact that the sinking ship continues to be a morality play with fear, courage and what happens when humans buy into their own hype.  If the Titanic teaches us anything, it's that we are all, indeed, seriously sinkable.  The Titanic reminds us to be fearful.

The people boarding the Titanic on April 8, 1912, in Southampton, England  more than likely were not thinking about those various emotions, rather they were excited and hopeful in the journey, believing and trusting in the Titanic’s unsinkable reputation.  Although the White Star Line, the company that owned the Titanic, had never itself claimed that its new flagship was unsinkable, it was the common belief.  That faith was possibly based on the media hype of that day from such sources as the journal the Shipbuilder, which noted that, “The Captain may, by simply moving an electric switch, instantly close the doors throughout and make the vessel practically unsinkable.”

While the White Star Line may not have been the source of the “unsinkable” tagline, the company surely did not discourage its use.  In fact it was increasingly common as the world turned from the 19th to the 20th century to trust in the emerging inventions like electricity and the internal combustion engine and the prospect of powered manned flight, that humanity could conquer any challenge of nature with technology.

Indeed, the Titanic story is full of pride based on the idea that such a large, imposing, modern ship could not possibly suffer a disaster at sea.  While they may have never said it out loud, the Titanic's designers, agents, leadership and even its passengers had clearly bought the hype.

Yet after the ship sank and investigations continued it is obvious that mistakes were made.  Just Google “Titanic blunders” and you will see a full list of both factual and legendary mistakes that sent the ship to its watery grave.  The upshot of all these things put together is that the Titanic was really sunk by the unhealthy human tendency to ignore our fears, to ignore bad news and buy into our own hype.

Therefore it is interesting that the lectionary offers us this text from John on a day when human doubt and fear are remembered on a large scale.  We read how the disciples are fearful that although having heard of Jesus’ resurrection, the community would be after them as well.  We saw some of that same fear displayed in Peter earlier when he denies being a follower of Jesus in the courtyard of the High Priest.  We also read in today’s reading that Thomas however has more courage than the other disciples not afraid to be outdoors whereas the other disciples stayed locked in the room.  Nevertheless, prior to Jesus appearing in the room again, Thomas who was not there the first time expressed a strong dose of skepticism and doubt.

So what can we learn from our gospel?  Well perhaps we need to take a moment and review the human emotion of fear.  In its simplest form fear is an internal warning cry.  As we are created by God and toned by evolution, we have the ability to sense danger.  Fear helps us stay alive.  Fear prepares our body to run, hide or fight.  However, like many human emotions, fear can fall into two broad categories --- healthy and unhealthy fears.  Healthy fear can be a good thing.  For example, I want people to retain a healthy fear of driving so that they will not drive too fast, avoid drinking alcohol and then get behind the wheel.

But, unhealthy fear can also be a bad thing; it can paralyze us and keep us from doing things that we should do.  For example, in Japan, there are men and women who have locked themselves in their rooms avoiding as much contact with people outside of their families.  Refusing to work or go to school.  Unhealthy fear can also lead us to make decisions or support notions that are irrational like an unsinkable ship.

Moreover sometime unhealthy fear becomes habitual; that’s when our fears become worries.  Worry is really nothing more than distorted fears.  Worry begins in our mind, but brings the same emotional and physical toll as real fears. Fear is temporary, a response to an external stimuli.  Worry is long term fear; it has moved into our hearts and unpacked its bags.

So what can we learn about ourselves as disciples and about faith in today’s gospel in these displays of fear and doubt.  In my reading there are at least four important lessons which translate directly into our lives that will help us grow.

The first lesson for me is the permission to be ourselves.  The disciples gathered in fear.  We then read that Jesus appears.  However his first words are not “You dummies!”  The first words are “Peace be with you.”  It is ok to be afraid, but unhealthy worry is something that we need to begin to pack up and remove.  Worry begins to dissipate when we recognize that our hearts are at peace.  Furthermore just as we see that we have permission to be ourselves, Jesus also allows us to deal with grief and the experience of loss at our own pace.

The second lesson that I see is that unhealthy fear leads us to close our doors to others including Christ.  People who can be our friends or even people who can teach us something are a threat.  But in Christ, we begin to work through our unhealthy fear; we begin to open doors.  For example, we are not sure how it happened, but it is likely that after the presence of Jesus and the dissipation of their worry, one or another of the disciples said, “Hey, we’ve got to tell Thomas.”  The disciples made sure that Thomas heard or the disciples reached out to Thomas in some way.  We also see that Thomas was open to their contact and we hear nothing about the disciples being upset with Thomas for not staying with them.

This leads me to the see a third way that this gospel is a lesson for us; unhealthy fear is confronted in the expression and then acceptance of honest feelings.  How many times has someone counseled us with something like, “You shouldn’t feel that way… or think that way or be that way?”  When Thomas was told by the other disciples the really good news about Jesus’ resurrection and appearance, Thomas said in effect, “I am afraid too hope or it hurts too much to hope.”  Thomas’s response may be the first time recorded someone ever saying, “Seeing is believing” but it certainly was not the first time anyone has ever thought that in response to fear.

Thomas is able to express --- Jesus Christ and the disciples are able to accept, honest emotional fear and authentic expressions of doubt.  So, it is absolutely crucial for our growth in faith over against unhealthy fear to have freedom to express and hear honest feelings and honest doubt.

This leads to a fourth lesson about unhealthy fear; Jesus Christ gives us strength to get where we need to be.  As I said before, when Jesus appears to the disciples Jesus does not scold.  Jesus knows fear and understands that unhealthy fear leads to worry.  Jesus in today’s gospel after the resurrection begins to give the disciples what they need to grow from worry into healthy disciples, but it could never have happened if Jesus had not met the disciples and Thomas where they were.  This gave all the disciples strength to risk hope once again.

The Easter resurrection, Christ’s presence with us in the Holy Spirit and in tangible ways like Baptism and the Holy Communion give us strength and peace to face our unhealthy fears and to take action.  Facing our unhealthy fears and worries causes us to grow and feel confident in our faith as children of God.

On April 8, 2012, the same parent company that operated the Titanic, launched from Southampton, England the M.S. Balmoral on a 100th anniversary cruise that followed the Titanic's route.  At 2:20 am today the ship stopped at the very spot the Titanic went down and the passengers and staff held a memorial service for those who were lost.  Along the way to today’s event those passengers were treated to the identical menus, music and entertainment enjoyed by the original passengers, as well as lectures and presentations by Titanic historians.

Healthy fear gives us an opportunity to revisit our own epic crashes, to memorialize what we have lost as a result of our sin, but then to continue steaming toward a new future made possible by Jesus, whose own death and resurrection ensures that we will land safely on the other side.  What doors are locked in our lives?  What are we excluding?  What unhealthy fears and worries dominate our hearts?  What false pride blinds us?  Let us not have a Titanic faith but a faith based in the resurrected Jesus Christ.  Amen.

"Empty" or "Full Living" - 4/8/2012

Easter Sermon for 2012 - Christ is Risen.  Christ is Risen Indeed Alleluia!

Do you agree or disagree that there are two types of people in this world; full people and empty people?  Think about it before you answer.  If we were asked, “Which would you rather be: full or empty?” many of us would probably say, “Full.”  “Full” is supposed to be good.

Full Easter eggs?  Good.  Full church on Sunday?  Good.  Children full of respect and manners?  Good.  A home full of comfortable, plush furniture?  Good.  A recognized marriage full of laughter and love?  Good and good.  A full stomach?  Good.  A full bank account?  Good.  Full of health?  Good .  A full pantry?  Good.  A full gas tank?  Good especially if we don’t have to pay for it.

A person who is “full” is one who is able to look at her or his life and say, “Dang! Every need is met, every fear is silenced, and every obstacle is overcome.”  Many of us would say, “That's what I want. That's what I'm aiming for!”

But let us be honest on this Easter Sunday 2012.  If we believe that we are complete, that our lives are as they should be, that our children’s lives are as they should be, that the world is as it should be then this day, this message, this reality of the resurrected Jesus Christ just isn't for us --- because Easter is all about “empty.”

Easter is not for full people.  It is not for the “have-it-all-together-life-is-good” people.  No, Easter is for those who understand what empty means.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ is for those who have figured out that in this life, “full” is a fleeting feeling.  For example if you do not believe me just look at what we spend most of our money on, the vast majority of our income is spent on items that need constant replenishing.  We spend almost all of our treasure on food that will be eaten, gas that will be burned, clothes that will wear out and entertainment that lasts a moment.  In other words no matter how many pounds of ham we put away or deviled eggs we down later today, come Monday morning we will be hungry again.

Instead, some of us have felt the emptiness of losing someone close.  Some of us know what it is like to have our health fading or our family fighting.  Some of us know what it is like to have a prayer that's unanswered or a fear or addiction that's haunting.  Some of us know what it is like to have a depression that's lingering or a faith life that is stagnant.  Some of us know what it is like to have a marriage that's struggling or kids who seem crazy.  Some of us know what it is like have a future that is uncertain for ourselves or our children.  Some of us know what it is like to be bullied or keeping a secret about ourselves not knowing with whom we can share.

Yes, there are those who know that fullness is fleeting and what it feels like to be empty.  But that is the point; Easter is not for full people.  Easter is for empty people.

How do I know?  Listen again to these words from Mark's account of the Easter story.  “And [the angel] said to them, 'Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.  See the place where they laid him.  But go; tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.  There you will see him, just as he told you.'  And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

Did you catch the words like “alarmed,”  “fled,”  “trembling,” “amazed” and “afraid?”  In other words, Easter has its origin not only in an empty tomb but also in the emptiness of heart that overwhelms the men and women who have seen their Savior die, and the anxiety of mind that comes from expecting to see his body and instead hearing of a risen one.

The temptation is to look at such emptiness and see it as a bad thing.  The temptation is to look at our own emptiness in the same light.

The joy of Easter, the good news of the empty tomb is that our emptiness is a great thing.  Viewing this world through the lens of the empty tomb of this seemingly full world is an essential thing.

Just look at 1 Corinthians 15.  In this lesson the apostle Paul helps us understand the blessing of the empty tomb, the blessing of emptiness upon our fleetingly full lives. “... if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.   If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.  But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Paul's point is this: If Jesus is dead and buried, then all we have is another great teacher who promised the world but died before he or she could deliver – like so much else.  If the bones of Jesus are still stuck in some tomb, then it means there are still no clear path to the Creator, no certainty about our life after death, and no trustworthy teaching about why we exist in this world.  We might as well go back to feeding our mouths, our heads, our hearts and our souls with all the stuff that is for sale to fill those empty places.

But Paul argues, Christ is not dead, Christ is risen.

Therefore, since the tomb is empty, it means that everything Jesus ever preached or promised is true --- which is good news because Jesus has some amazing things to offer those of us who know the emptiness of life.  The empty tomb means that Jesus' death on the cross was, in fact, a work of forgiveness.  It means that all of the mistakes we have made or the mistakes of others that leave us wondering whether or not God loves us have been put aside.  But that's not all.

According to Paul, Christ's resurrection is a glimpse of our own future.  These are the promises that Christ places in the hands of those who are willing to admit they are empty and that only Christ and his promises can truly fill them.

So what do you think are we empty or full?  It's an essential question because if we truly believe that our life is full, then we have no room for the great things Jesus can give.  But if we are able to admit that we are broken, needy, and at times empty, then the fulfilled promises of Easter are ready and waiting to fill us up.

The resurrection means that every person who's buried a loved one, or every woman who's lost a baby, will one day have his or her grief overshadowed by God's glory at Christ's return.  It means one day our tsunami-filled planet will be replaced with a calm new creation.  It means hope and faith; a future for all.

Sure, full pantries, full gas tanks and full bank accounts are good.  But when it comes to Easter, empty is great.  Being empty is everything. Through the resurrection, not in spite of it, God fills the empty places in our lives.  God does it for the first followers of Jesus, for the men and women, for Paul, for the Christians of Corinth … and God does it for us.  We do not have to earn or deserve this gift of new life.  What we have to do is believe and be willing to follow Jesus, to go meet him.

Mary and her companions felt a disorienting mixture of amazement, fear and emptiness on Easter morning, but they responded to the young man who gave the command: “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Yes, we have to pass through some empty tombs on the way to resurrection life.  The good news of Easter is that Christ is risen!  He has been raised from the dead, and is waiting, beyond the empty.  So you tell me are you empty or full?  Amen.