Sermon for April 20th, 2014 - Revision history

Iraneal at 01:23, 20 April 2014

2014-04-20T01:23:23Z

Iraneal at 01:19, 20 April 2014

2014-04-20T01:19:47Z

Iraneal: /* Just the Gardener */

2014-04-19T21:33:20Z

‎Just the Gardener

Iraneal at 21:28, 19 April 2014

2014-04-19T21:28:54Z

Iraneal at 05:28, 19 April 2014

2014-04-19T05:28:48Z

Iraneal: κύριος

2014-04-19T05:09:02Z

κύριος

Iraneal at 04:49, 19 April 2014

2014-04-19T04:49:57Z

Iraneal at 04:11, 19 April 2014

2014-04-19T04:11:17Z

Iraneal at 03:53, 19 April 2014

2014-04-19T03:53:38Z

Iraneal at 03:26, 19 April 2014

2014-04-19T03:26:19Z

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 Don't hold on to me.  If you truly love me, don't keep me to yourself, but go to my brothers and tell them.  Here "my brothers" is not the specific word for "my disciples" but rather αδελφοι, which can be translated in the broadest sense of "my brothers and sisters"--which is to say, everyone.
-When we celebrate Easter, we make a big deal out of a lot of things:  Out of Easter Eggs, butterflies, brunches and brass quintets, bright colors, new outfits, angels, and an empty tomb.  We make a big deal out of the resurrection.  All of these are great things, and I'm not telling you to abandon them.  But there's something else about Easter...something just a little more subtle...something I think we sometimes forget.
+When we celebrate Easter, we make a big deal out of a lot of things:  Out of Easter Eggs, butterflies, brunches and brass quintets, bright colors, new outfits, angels, and an empty tomb.  We make a big deal out of the resurrection.  All of these are great things, and I'm not telling you to abandon them.  But there's another aspect to Easter...a quieter side that is far more subtle and a thousand times deeper...a side we often forget, and it's this:
 Easter is born in darkness, loss, and confusion, where Jesus is nowhere to be found.
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 But Easter truly begins when you go and speak his name to your brothers and your sisters throughout the world.

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:19, 20 April 2014
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	Don't hold on to me. If you truly love me, don't keep me to yourself, but go to my brothers and tell them. Here "my brothers" is not the specific word for "my disciples" but rather αδελφοι, which can be translated in the broadest sense of "my brothers and sisters"--which is to say, everyone.		Don't hold on to me. If you truly love me, don't keep me to yourself, but go to my brothers and tell them. Here "my brothers" is not the specific word for "my disciples" but rather αδελφοι, which can be translated in the broadest sense of "my brothers and sisters"--which is to say, everyone.
		+
		+	When we celebrate Easter, we make a big deal out of a lot of things: Out of Easter Eggs, butterflies, brunches and brass quintets, bright colors, new outfits, angels, and an empty tomb. We make a big deal out of the resurrection. All of these are great things, and I'm not telling you to abandon them. But there's something else about Easter...something just a little more subtle...something I think we sometimes forget.
		+
		+	Easter is born in darkness, loss, and confusion, where Jesus is nowhere to be found.
		+
		+	Easter comes when you wait for Jesus just a little bit longer than you should; just a little bit past the point of reasonable hope.
		+
		+	Easter arrives when Jesus speaks your name and you recognize him, even if it's just the gardener.
		+
		+	But Easter truly begins when you go and speak his name to your brothers and your sisters throughout the world.
		+	Easter begins when Jesus whispers your name, and you recognize him. Easter continues when you speak his name to your brothers and sisters in the world.

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 So Jesus waited at the gates while St. Peter went off on his errand.  The first person to approach the gates was a kind looking, wrinkled old man. Jesus stopped him at the entrance to the gates, greeted him, and asked, “So...what was it you did for a living?”
-The old man replied, “I was a carpenter.”  Jesus remembered his own earthly existence and leaned forward.
+The old man replied, “I was a carpenter.”  Jesus remembered his own life on earth, and he leaned forward just a little.
 “Did you have any family?” Jesus asked.
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 The old man leaned forward and whispered, “Pinocchio?”
-Mistaken identity is one of many themes in today's scripture passage.  Mary Magdalene does not recognize Jesus because he isn't where he is supposed to be.  I can relate to that a little bit--as a pastor, people are used to seeing me here in the sanctuary, dressed in my robe (or suit).  So when I see someone in the grocery store on a weekday, and I'm dressed in blue jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes and a baseball cap, and I say "Hi (so and so)! How are you?" ocassionally I'm met with a blank stare.  "Who are you, strange person, and how do you know my name?"
+Mistaken identity is one of many themes in today's scripture passage.  Mary Magdalene does not recognize Jesus because he isn't where he is supposed to be.  I can relate to that a little bit--as a pastor, people are used to seeing me here in the sanctuary, dressed in my robe (or suit).  So when I see someone in the grocery store on a weekday, and I'm dressed in blue jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes and a baseball cap, and I say "Hi (so and so)! How are you?" occasionally I'm met with a blank stare.  "Who are you, strange person, and how do you know my name?"
 We'll come back to Mary Magdalene and this idea of mistaken identity later in the sermon.  First there are some other themes I'd like for us to explore, starting with the very first verse:  "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb."  When we read this passage, our eyes quickly jump to what we think is the most important thing: the stone had been removed from the tomb.  But I'd like to direct our eyes back a little, to five little words at the beginning: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark."
-Easter is one of our biggest celebrations of the church year--it's a day for bright colors, happiness, sunshine and light.  We decorate the church with white paraments and white Easter lillies.  But notice (and this is a profound thing) that Easter begins in darkness.  Those of you who got up early this morning to join us for the sunrise service at El Paso High school already know this!
+Easter is one of our biggest celebrations of the church year--it's a day for bright colors, happiness, sunshine and light.  We decorate the church with white paraments and white Easter lilies.  But notice (and this is a profound thing) that Easter begins in darkness.  Those of you who got up early this morning to join us for the sunrise service at El Paso High school already know this!
 It's not just the resurrection that begins in darkness:  Jesus enters into the world as a baby on a dark, star filled night.  Jesus comes to the disciples walking on water in the darkness of a stormy night.  In the Old Testament, it is in the dark of the night that Jacob wrestles with God, and God changes his name from Jacob to Israel.  It is in the dark of the night that God leads Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt.  It is in the darkness of the whale's belly that Jonah turns to God and answers the call.  It is in the dark of blindness that Saul has his conversion experience and becomes Paul the Apostle.

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 ==Just the Gardener==
-There's a story about a mother who was having a hectic day.  Her little son, who had been playing outside, came in with his pants torn.  "You go inside right now," she ordered him, "and start mending those pants yourself!"  Awhile later, she went to check on his progress.  The torn pants were lying across the chair and the door to the basement, usually kept closed, was open.  She called down the stairs, loudly and sternly: "Are you running around down there without your pants on?"  "No ma'am," came a deep-voiced reply.  "I'm just down here reading your gas meter."
+One day up in heaven, Saint Peter saw Jesus walking by and caught his attention. "Hey Jesus, could you watch the Pearly Gates while I go run an errand?”
 Mistaken identity is one of many themes in today's scripture passage.  Mary Magdalene does not recognize Jesus because he isn't where he is supposed to be.  I can relate to that a little bit--as a pastor, people are used to seeing me here in the sanctuary, dressed in my robe (or suit).  So when I see someone in the grocery store on a weekday, and I'm dressed in blue jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes and a baseball cap, and I say "Hi (so and so)! How are you?" ocassionally I'm met with a blank stare.  "Who are you, strange person, and how do you know my name?"

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 It's not just the resurrection that begins in darkness:  Jesus enters into the world as a baby on a dark, star filled night.  Jesus comes to the disciples walking on water in the darkness of a stormy night.  In the Old Testament, it is in the dark of the night that Jacob wrestles with God, and God changes his name from Jacob to Israel.  It is in the dark of the night that God leads Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt.  It is in the darkness of the whale's belly that Jonah turns to God and answers the call.  It is in the dark of blindness that Saul has his conversion experience and becomes Paul the Apostle.
-Barbara Brown Taylor, and Episcopalian Preacher, has an article in this week's issue of Time Magazine where she argues that we are actually more likely to encounter God in our times of darkness than in those of light.  Perhaps this is because when things are bright and cheery, we don't think we need God.  We can find our own way, thank you very much.  But in the dark, we are lost without someone to guide us.
+Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopalian Preacher, has an article in this week's issue of Time Magazine where she argues that we are actually more likely to encounter God in our times of darkness than in those of light.  Perhaps this is because when things are bright and cheery, we don't think we need God.  We can find our own way, thank you very much.  But in the dark, we are lost without someone to guide us.
 So this Easter we'll definitely celebrate, we'll definitely rejoice in the light of the resurrection.  But if you find yourself still in a season of darkness and struggle, that's ok.  Know that there is hope.  Know that even the greatest miracle of all began, in the words of scripture, "while it was still dark."
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 Then Jesus appears, speaks to her, and she speaks to him.  As we've already noted, she mistakes him for the Gardener.  There's an interesting wordplay here that gets lost in the translation to English.  Mary says she is looking for her Lord, which in Greek is κύριος, but what she finds is a Gardener, which in Greek is κηπουρός.  The closest I can come to that in English is that she's looking for the Monarch and she finds a mechanic.  She's looking for the President and she finds a resident. She's looking for the Emperor and finds an umpire.
-Don't hold onto me....but go to my brothers and say to them...
+Don't hold on to me.  If you truly love me, don't keep me to yourself, but go to my brothers and tell them.  Here "my brothers" is not the specific word for "my disciples" but rather αδελφοι, which can be translated in the broadest sense of "my brothers and sisters"--which is to say, everyone.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:49, 19 April 2014
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	But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. Mary stayed. There is an important teaching here: Because at some point in your Christian journey, you too will lose sight of Jesus. He won't be where you expect him to be. Maybe you will lose hope that he is anywhere at all. When that happens, don't give up. Don't go home. Don't just go through the motions of your life as if you never knew him at all. Stay. Hold on just a little bit longer than you think you can, or should. Weep and grieve if you must. But stay. Chances are, he's been right beside you all the while.		But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. Mary stayed. There is an important teaching here: Because at some point in your Christian journey, you too will lose sight of Jesus. He won't be where you expect him to be. Maybe you will lose hope that he is anywhere at all. When that happens, don't give up. Don't go home. Don't just go through the motions of your life as if you never knew him at all. Stay. Hold on just a little bit longer than you think you can, or should. Weep and grieve if you must. But stay. Chances are, he's been right beside you all the while.

		+	Now what happens next is pretty astonishing. Mary looks inside the tomb--and remember, she's been here the whole time, when both Peter and John went inside the tomb and said, "Nope. No one here. Nothing to see. Let's go home."--and Mary sees "two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet." The angels talk to Mary. Mary talks to the angels. No big deal. Usually in the bible, when angels apear to someone, the first thing they say is "don't be afraid." Presumably this is to keep that person from running away screaming in terror long enough for the angels to deliver their message.
		+
		+	Not only is Mary one of the few (if not only) people in the bible not to appear troubled by the appearance of angels, it doesn't seem to bother her that they didn't exactly come in through the front door. Or any door for that matter. That's ok. Mary has had a rough, roller-coaster ride of a week.
		+
		+	Then Jesus appears, speaks to her, and she speaks to him. As we've already noted, she mistakes him for the Gardener.


−	~~Mary doesn't recognize the angels. She doesn't recognize Jesus.~~

	Don't hold onto me....but go to my brothers and say to them...		Don't hold onto me....but go to my brothers and say to them...

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 I'm sure that's *exactly* the way it happened.  Trust me...I'm a pastor.
 Mary doesn't recognize the angels.  She doesn't recognize Jesus.
 Don't hold onto me....but go to my brothers and say to them...

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:53, 19 April 2014
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	Barbara Brown Taylor, and Episcopalian Preacher, has an article in this week's issue of Time Magazine where she argues that we are actually more likely to encounter God in our times of darkness than in those of light. Perhaps this is because when things are bright and cheery, we don't think we need God. We can find our own way, thank you very much. But in the dark, we are lost without someone to guide us.		Barbara Brown Taylor, and Episcopalian Preacher, has an article in this week's issue of Time Magazine where she argues that we are actually more likely to encounter God in our times of darkness than in those of light. Perhaps this is because when things are bright and cheery, we don't think we need God. We can find our own way, thank you very much. But in the dark, we are lost without someone to guide us.

−	So this Easter we'll definitely celebrate, we'll definitely rejoice in the light of the resurrection. But if you find yourself in a season of darkness and struggle, ~~know~~ that even the greatest miracle of all began "while it was still dark."	+	So this Easter we'll definitely celebrate, we'll definitely rejoice in the light of the resurrection. But if you find yourself still in a season of darkness and struggle, that's ok. Know that there is hope. Know that even the greatest miracle of all began, in the words of scripture, "while it was still dark."

		+	Alright. Mary runs to tell the disciples this news--and realize it is not good news, not yet. At this point, it is the horrifying news that, in addition to taking the life of her Lord, now "they" (presumably the Romans) have taken his body as well. They've taken the only thing she had left. What follows would be intense, if it weren't actually so...funny. Yes, that's right...funny. Mary's story is the serious story, the emotional story in this passage, while the disciples provide what they have provided all through the gospels: Comic relief.
		+
		+	Mary tells her news to Peter (the leader of the disciples) and to "the other disciple." The one Jesus loved. The one, not coincidentally, telling this story, who wants to make sure we know that he is the disciple Jesus loved. Not Peter. Yes, this is John, the author of the 4th gospel, and Peter's chief rival and nemesis.
		+
		+	Clearly, Peter and John are so emotionally devastated by the loss of their master that they lay aside all their differences and competitiveness at this latest news. Clearly. We read in verse three that "Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple (the one Jesus loved) outran Peter and reached the tomb first." Probably if Jesus had loved Peter just a little bit more he would have run faster.
		+
		+	So John gets there first, and he looks inside the tomb, but he doesn't actually go inside...because that would be incredibly rude. Verse 6: "Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb." Sigh. Peter, Peter. I can almost hear Peter saying to John, "No, man, when I said I'll race you to the tomb, I meant the finish line would be inside the tomb. Looks like I won, bro--Oh hey! Where's Jesus?"
		+
		+	I'm sure that's exactly the way it happened. Trust me...I'm a pastor.