The Stone Has Been Rolled Away
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the victory of the resurrection over the power of death -- yet the looming specter of death, especially when faced with a terminal diagnosis, is one that we all must face. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Barbara Jurgensen discusses the good news of Easter and how we are called to resurrection living, a theme that has special resonance given the recent news of recurring cancer for both Elizabeth Edwards and White House press secretary Tony Snow. Team member Carlos Wilton shares additional thoughts on this topic, based on his personal experience as a cancer survivor. He notes that when people decide, as John and Elizabeth Edwards have, that life goes on despite the impending certainty of death, it's a stirring example of resurrection living. Some folks seem to think that the only thing to do after receiving a devastating medical diagnosis is to fold their cards and go home to die. Yet we're all dying, and have been since the day we were born. The weight of this knowledge can be overwhelming -- but just as the stone to Jesus' tomb was rolled away, we too are freed to live as Easter people.
The Stone Has Been Rolled Away
by Barbara Jurgensen
John 20:1-18; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; Acts 10:34-43
THE WORLD
A few days ago Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of 2008 presidential hopeful John Edwards, announced that her cancer, which was diagnosed near the close of the 2004 election, has returned.
In a television interview with her husband, she told us that the type of cancer she has is not curable, but that it is treatable, and that she intends to do all she can to maintain her health. Death comes to all of us, she reminded us, but meanwhile we all need to live as fully as we can.
In the meantime, the news from Iraq and Afghanistan and Darfur and other conflicted places around the world continues to be deeply troubling. Global warming... terrorism... it can be as though a heavy stone has been rolled across the entrance to our lives.
THE WORD
Our psalm for today (Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24) is full of the joy and victory of the resurrection:
The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!
The right hand of the Lord is exalted!
The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the Lord.
On this day the Lord has acted;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
The 1 Corinthians passage (15:19-26) emphasizes the fruits of the resurrection, that a new life in Christ is open to all of us, a life that goes on through all eternity. Jesus Christ has conquered death for us, and we can look forward to being raised to new life in his new community.
Our gospel (John 20:1-18) reminds us that when the disciples found the tomb empty on Easter morning, they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead.
The Acts passage (10:34-43) points out that God raised Jesus on the third day and allowed him to appear not to all the people in Jerusalem, but to those who were chosen by God to be witnesses to the resurrection.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
It was very early and still dark that Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene must have been feeling pretty down about her life as she walked the winding streets of Jerusalem toward the tomb of her friend, her close friend, Jesus. We now know that waking up early, before we need to, can be a sign of depression, and Mary of Magdala had plenty to be depressed about.
Her good friend Jesus, who'd healed her from the many ailments that'd been troubling her, this Jesus who'd given her life such a whole new meaning, had just gone through the most horrible things she could imagine. As she'd watched that Friday afternoon, he'd been made to carry a heavy cross out to the hill called Calvary. And then she'd looked on in horror as the Roman soldiers stretched him out on that cross and nailed him to it, then settled the base of it deep into the ground and hoisted him up on it.
She'd had to watch all that.
The things that had been done to Jesus were beyond her most awful nightmares. Where could she go now, in her terrible sorrow, but out to the tomb where they'd laid his body to be as close to him as she could.
Many of us watched an interview on 60 Minutes several days ago: Elizabeth Edwards, with her husband, presidential hopeful John Edwards, was telling us that her cancer, which had been diagnosed during the closing days of the 2004 campaign and was treated -- and that she hoped she was done with -- had returned. Her cancer was, she said, treatable but not curable, and she intended to live as fully as she could. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/24/60minutes/main2605038.shtml)
Where do we turn when life knocks us down and tries to count us out? When death stalks us, or stalks those we love?
Where do we turn? Mary Magdalene turned to the Lord himself. She got up early that Sunday morning, having waited all through Saturday, the Sabbath, and now had gathered up some spices, which could be very costly, and made her way through the still dark streets of Jerusalem toward the tomb. Jesus was no longer alive, at least not as far as she knew, but at least she could be near his body and do for it what she could.
Jesus had been so important in her life. He'd given her life a whole new meaning. He'd shown her that she was a child of the Creator of all things -- a dearly loved daughter of the Creator of all that is.
Jesus had also given her life purpose. He'd invited her -- he'd called her -- to do the work of God's kingdom, with him, day by day... to be his follower... to live her life as one of God's people, in God's service.
And he'd given her eternal life. He'd promised to take her, and all who trust in him, to be with him forever in his home in heaven with the Father.
And so Mary Magdalene walked on, her heart heavy, that early dark Sunday morning, carrying the precious spices toward the tomb.
And the first thing she noticed when she got there was that the huge stone which had been rolled across the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away. Something was not right here. Had someone stolen the body of Jesus?
Quickly she turned and ran back to tell the other disciples, and some of them came running back with her and went into the tomb and found the linen wrappings that had been wound around Jesus lying there in one pile -- with the cloth that had been wrapped around his head now rolled up and lying in a separate place.
These other disciples then went home, but Mary Magdalene just couldn't bring herself to leave. She wanted to be with her Lord -- she needed to be with her Lord -- and this was the last place that he'd been known to be.
She stood there weeping outside the tomb, and as the tears streamed down her face she bent down to look into the tomb and saw two angels, dressed in white, sitting where Jesus had been lying, one where his head had been, and one at his feet.
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
And she said, "Because they've taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they've laid him." And then, as she turned, she saw a man standing there, and he said the same thing to her: "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?"
And she thought that this was probably the gardener, and she said, "Sir, if you've carried him away, please tell me where you've put him, and I'll take him away."
And he said, in the voice that was so familiar and so dear to her, simply, "Mary."
And she looked at him in surprise and delight and great joy, and exclaimed, "Teacher!" And it was as though not only the huge stone that had sealed the tomb had been rolled away. For Mary Magdalene, the stone that had lain heavy upon her heart -- the heavy stone of having to watch the terrible death of Jesus there on the cross; of losing him, the best and closest friend she'd ever had; and of knowing that she'd have to live the rest of her life without him -- that heavy stone had been rolled away! Jesus was alive again!
Our Lord knows the stones that lay heavy across each of our hearts today. We may be having serious health problems, or financial problems, or problems at school or work or in our family -- or all of the above. Meanwhile the news from Iraq and Afghanistan and Darfur and other conflicted places around the world continues to be troubling. All these things can be like a huge stone that locks us in.
The good news of Easter is that our lives have meaning -- each of us is the much-loved child of the Lord of all things.
And our lives have purpose -- our Lord calls us to do the work of God's kingdom with him, day by day.
And Jesus, our loving Lord, has opened to us eternal life -- he's promised all who put their trust in him that he'll bring us to be with him in his kingdom of peace and joy.
Easter and the resurrection of our Lord tell us, for certain, that the stone that has locked us in, that has kept us from living freely and fully, has been rolled away. Jesus has freed us to live as his people, fully, with him, all the days of this life, and forever.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Carlos Wilton
I've been thinking, from my own standpoint as a cancer survivor, about the recent news stories about John and Elizabeth Edwards: her "incurable" cancer and his race for President. I feel for the two of them, standing before a microphone, the eyes of the nation upon them, and uttering that dread word. It brings to mind, in a small way, my own experience of just over a year ago, standing up before the church I serve as pastor, and telling them of my own Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosis. It's such personal information, but, for people who hold positions of public prominence, it's not privileged information. It's got to be shared. I struggled mightily, as I'm sure the Edwardses did, with the questions of when and how to share it. Finally, they just came right out and said it. What else could they do?
There's been much debate about the other decision the Edwardses have made: that John will stay in the presidential race. Reactions from the chattering classes have run the gamut from "What courage!" to "What selfishness!" (This despite the fact that Elizabeth stood right there beside her husband and declared in no uncertain terms that she supports his decision 100%. She's no slouch when it comes to speaking for herself.)
I think most of the negative reactions are based on misinformation. The word "incurable," as applied to cancer, doesn't mean what it used to. Not so many years ago, if a doctor told you your cancer was incurable the next words were likely to be "I'd advise you to get your affairs in order." These days, a great many incurable cancers can be effectively managed for a very long time.
Many forms of diabetes are incurable too -- but no pundit would dream of suggesting that a candidate withdraw from a political race if a spouse received that diagnosis. Cancer -- "the C-word," to many -- continues to evoke all sorts of irrational fears. Maybe the Elizabeth Edwards story can provide a teaching moment for the general public.
Sure, Elizabeth's further medical treatments, whatever they may end up being, will put added strain on her husband. The two of them give every indication of being a close and loving couple. Weathering such storms is tough, but it's what marriage is all about. This news is a reminder that politicians are people too.
In this era of political handlers, image management, and "spin," we seem to have forgotten that simple, down-to-earth truth. Lincoln had a mentally-ill wife, and fought depression himself. FDR used a wheelchair. Churchill was famously fond of his whiskey. If there had been such people as image consultants when these men entered politics, would their names ever have graced a ballot?
In his March 26th column in the New York Times, Bob Herbert writes, "John and Elizabeth Edwards are giving the country a world-class lesson in courage and candor." Indeed.
So let's lay off John and Elizabeth Edwards. From where I sit, the "courage" label looks to be the best one to apply to them. They've determined, despite this disheartening news, to keep on doing what they've been doing for some time: living with cancer. More power to them.
How did Jesus' disciples deal with the news of his death on the cross? The scriptures tell a tale of bewilderment and fear. Most of them went into hiding. Only a few of the women, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," and a handful of others dared to show their faces. The news was simply too devastating.
Philip Yancey has said, "The trick of faith is to believe in advance what will only make sense in reverse." That's what we do on Easter. The news of the empty tomb is but a tantalizing hint of the glory that is to come. We scarcely understand what happened there, but we take that good news and build our lives upon it.
When something like a cancer diagnosis happens, said John Edwards, "you can go cower in a corner and hide, or you can be tough and go out and stand up for what you believe in." He was talking about his wife's illness, but his words could also describe the choice Jesus' disciples made, eventually -- after hearing his greeting of peace and seeing his nail-scarred hands and feet. They chose life. May we all do the same this Easter!
For more of Carlos Wilton's personal reflections on living with cancer, visit his blog, "A Pastor's Cancer Diary," at http://www.cewilton.blogspot.com
ILLUSTRATIONS
Make this day, Lord, a step closer to heaven.
This day, Lord, may I know myself loved and valued.
This day, Lord, may I notice the beauty around me,
in things great and small.
This day, Lord, may I not miss the messages of joy,
of peace, of hope that you send me.
This day, Lord, this day... make the day of my resurrection.
-- Richard Sharples, from Fire and Bread (Wild Goose Publications)
***
"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb..."
And on the second day of the week, Joanna woke up with a migraine headache; Mary the mother of James had an extra load of laundry to get done because of all the soccer games played the day before; Peter got up and grumpily went back to work after the long weekend; and John went back to the oncologist to find out what the latest round of chemo had accomplished. It's on the second, and third, and all the days after Easter where we discover if the stone has really been rolled away, and new life has come for us.
***
God of the purple robe,
of the traitor's cross;
God of the torn curtain,
of the wounds of time,
lead us to Easter Day,
your joy day,
turn-about time.
You are the dance in our eyes,
the smile in our hearts,
the blossom of our spring.
You are our words and our laughter,
light that splits open the sky,
love that astonishes.
-- Judy Dinnen, from Fire and Bread
***
One of the earliest artistic representations of the Risen Christ was the Christus Rex. It shows Jesus on the cross in his risen glory with the Crown of Christ the King in vestments prepared for the Great Feast of the Lamb. Much later in Western Christianity, as we emerged from the long so-called Dark Ages, Jesus was portrayed as the Victim in Agony on the cross. The cross and the crown are indeed two sides of the same coin. The Victor and the Victim in the Great Eucharistic Feast of Easter!
***
Another of the oldest artistic representations of the resurrection was the Butterfly. The free and airy quality of the soul to "fly away"? Perhaps. More likely, though, is the soul's emergence from the chrysalis of sin to the Risen Glory of a whole new life. If ever the Resurrection made sense to me, it does in the new Life we have in Jesus! Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
***
Early Christians met at the "sign" of the fish. The Greek letters contained in that sign also contain all the letters of the Holy Name Christos, the Christ. Of necessity our ancestors in faith were sometimes a secret society that met in the catacombs. But there was a Eucharistic sign too in the fish, as there was in the loaves of bread. The Risen Jesus is known to us in Scripture and in the breaking of that bread and in the sharing of that fish. Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
***
Gather Harris, a minister living with an arrested case of a terminal form of cancer, said that God always heals. God heals sometimes by medicine, sometimes by miracle, sometimes by death. In the context of the Christian faith, with our hope for the resurrection beyond this life, death can indeed be thought of as a kind of healing.
***
People who believe that the powers of oppression have been defeated by the victory that Christ won in the resurrection can indeed live as free people. In his book Engaging the Powers (Fortress, 1992, p. 265), Walter Wink tells how members of the Solidarity movement claimed freedom even under Communist oppression in Poland:
Solidarity in Poland proved that Jesus' nonviolent way could be lived even under circumstances of Communist oppression and martial law. People said to one another, in effect, "Start doing the things that you think should be done, and start being what you think society should become. Do you believe in freedom of speech? Then speak freely. Do you love the truth? Then tell it. Do you believe in an open society? Then act in the open. Do you believe in a decent and humane society? Then behave decently and humanely." This behavior actually caught on, leading to "an epidemic of freedom in a closed society." By acting as if Poland were already free, Solidarity created a free country. The "as if" ceased to be pretense and became actuality. Within ten years, Solidarity had taken over the government.
***
The movie A Beautiful Mind tells the story of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who conquered schizophrenia and won a Nobel Prize for Economics. At one stage in his life, he was haunted by hallucinations that tormented him and drove him to all sorts of erratic and dangerous behavior. His illness was never cured. But he was able to come to understand it, to tell the difference between what was real and what was not, and to take control of his life. He won a victory over an oppressive illness. It was still there, but it could not rule him.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
Leader: This is the day the Lord has made!
People: We will rejoice in it.
Leader: This is the day God has made; and what a day!
People: When God wipes away our tears so we can see the empty tomb.
Leader: What a day! Easter day!
People: When God opens our hearts' tombs as Jesus calls us by name.
Prayer of the Day
Holy God our Salvation:
you roll away the power of sin,
bringing forth the One who makes everything alive.
Out of the garden of violence and hate which evil has planted,
you bring forth a spring harvest of love and forgiveness.
Jesus Christ, Creation's Gardener:
you went into the grave to drive out the power of the world;
you shut the doors of pain and death
and open the gates of glory to those who trust in you
and follow as your faithful servants.
Holy Spirit, Anointer of new life:
you speak and open our eyes to faith;
you touch our lips with glad songs of victory;
you roll away our fears so we can tell everyone we have seen the Risen Lord.
God in Community, Holy in One,
on this great day of Easter,
we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Logically, rationally, we have no need to confess.
Our petty sins pale in comparison to the great evils of our time.
But this is the day God tossed logic out the window and raised Jesus from the dead.
So we must throw out our claims of innocence,
and confess how we have not lived as God's Easter people.
(Unison) Prayer of Confession
On this first day of the week, Emptier of tombs,
we must admit that we have not lived faithfully the last few days.
It is not that we have done great evil; we simply have failed to do good for others.
It is not so much that we have caused hurt, but we have not brought healing.
It is not that we have trouble believing in the event of Easter,
we have difficulty speaking about this day to our friends and neighbors.
Call us by name, Redeemer of all creation, so we might hear your words of mercy.
You have not give us over to despair, but handed us hope.
You have not ignored our emptiness, but filled us with the Bread of Heaven.
You do not give us over to death, but raise us to new life,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: What a day! Easter Day!
God's dawn of new hope, new mercy, new life.
People: On this first day and every day,
we can walk as God's people, forgiven and made whole.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
Leader: The Lord is risen!
People: We have seen the Lord!
Leader: Lift up your hearts, people of God.
People: We lift them to the Risen Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: We offer our thanks and praise to the One who gives us new life.
How good it is on this day of joy
to lift our glad songs of praise to you,
Redeemer of the lost.
You planted your steadfast love in the gardens of creation,
but we ate the bitter fruit of idolatry and sin.
Prophets came in your name, bringing your gracious word,
but we could not hear them call our name.
When we were about to perish,
when we could have died,
you sent the One who could bear that threat away.
Therefore, on this day and every day,
with those in heaven and those on earth,
we lift our glad cries to you:
Sanctus
Holy are you, God of Easter,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,
sent by you to bring us salvation.
Your right hand,
he releases us from sin's grip;
walking through the darkness of death,
he leads us into the kingdom's light;
confounding the practitioners of evil,
he did good for others;
humbling himself to experience our pain and suffering,
he is raised to rule over all.
As we believe what we may not understand,
we trust that mystery we call faith:
People: Christ has died,
but death does not have the final word;
Christ is risen,
and Easter begins for us when Christ calls us by name;
Christ will come again,
and lead us into God's glory.
Memorial Acclamation
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon the Bread and the Cup, Resurrecting God,
and upon us who seek to be your children.
When we are done eating and drinking with the Risen Lord,
send us forth to feed the hungry.
Served at the Table by the One who freed us from death,
we would go out to be servants of the poor and oppressed in our world.
Called to proclaim the good news of Easter,
we would do so with our hands and hearts, not just our lips.
Through Christ,
glory and honor,
praise and thanksgiving are yours,
God of new life,
with the Holy Spirit,
in your holy people,
on this first day of the week and in all the days to come.
Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
More Powerful Than Death
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Happy Easter! The season of Lent is over, and it's finally time to celebrate! How wonderful it is to be at the end of our waiting. Who remembers what we were talking about just one week ago on Palm Sunday? (get responses) We were preparing for Jesus to die, remember?
What do you think of when you think of death? (get responses) A lot of people think of death as a permanent thing. One day someone is alive and here with us, and the next day the person is just gone. Sometimes death is a very sad thing, because people feel like they have to say good-bye to people they love very much.
What Jesus did, though, is amazing. Jesus didn't stay dead. In fact, the Bible tells us that death had no power over Jesus -- that Jesus was too powerful to be stopped by it. We are told that Jesus came to conquer death -- to defeat it. So, this means that death isn't a permanent thing like we may think. Our passage today says that death is like falling asleep, and that one day Jesus will wake up all those who are followers of him.
What great news! Jesus is more powerful than death. Even death can't stop those who believe in Jesus. The people who killed Jesus tried to stop him, but he only got stronger. Alleluia!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you, thank you, thank you for sending Jesus to save us. Thank you that even death cannot stop him from loving us. We need that love. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 8, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
The Stone Has Been Rolled Away
by Barbara Jurgensen
John 20:1-18; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; Acts 10:34-43
THE WORLD
A few days ago Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of 2008 presidential hopeful John Edwards, announced that her cancer, which was diagnosed near the close of the 2004 election, has returned.
In a television interview with her husband, she told us that the type of cancer she has is not curable, but that it is treatable, and that she intends to do all she can to maintain her health. Death comes to all of us, she reminded us, but meanwhile we all need to live as fully as we can.
In the meantime, the news from Iraq and Afghanistan and Darfur and other conflicted places around the world continues to be deeply troubling. Global warming... terrorism... it can be as though a heavy stone has been rolled across the entrance to our lives.
THE WORD
Our psalm for today (Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24) is full of the joy and victory of the resurrection:
The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!
The right hand of the Lord is exalted!
The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the Lord.
On this day the Lord has acted;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
The 1 Corinthians passage (15:19-26) emphasizes the fruits of the resurrection, that a new life in Christ is open to all of us, a life that goes on through all eternity. Jesus Christ has conquered death for us, and we can look forward to being raised to new life in his new community.
Our gospel (John 20:1-18) reminds us that when the disciples found the tomb empty on Easter morning, they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead.
The Acts passage (10:34-43) points out that God raised Jesus on the third day and allowed him to appear not to all the people in Jerusalem, but to those who were chosen by God to be witnesses to the resurrection.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
It was very early and still dark that Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene must have been feeling pretty down about her life as she walked the winding streets of Jerusalem toward the tomb of her friend, her close friend, Jesus. We now know that waking up early, before we need to, can be a sign of depression, and Mary of Magdala had plenty to be depressed about.
Her good friend Jesus, who'd healed her from the many ailments that'd been troubling her, this Jesus who'd given her life such a whole new meaning, had just gone through the most horrible things she could imagine. As she'd watched that Friday afternoon, he'd been made to carry a heavy cross out to the hill called Calvary. And then she'd looked on in horror as the Roman soldiers stretched him out on that cross and nailed him to it, then settled the base of it deep into the ground and hoisted him up on it.
She'd had to watch all that.
The things that had been done to Jesus were beyond her most awful nightmares. Where could she go now, in her terrible sorrow, but out to the tomb where they'd laid his body to be as close to him as she could.
Many of us watched an interview on 60 Minutes several days ago: Elizabeth Edwards, with her husband, presidential hopeful John Edwards, was telling us that her cancer, which had been diagnosed during the closing days of the 2004 campaign and was treated -- and that she hoped she was done with -- had returned. Her cancer was, she said, treatable but not curable, and she intended to live as fully as she could. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/24/60minutes/main2605038.shtml)
Where do we turn when life knocks us down and tries to count us out? When death stalks us, or stalks those we love?
Where do we turn? Mary Magdalene turned to the Lord himself. She got up early that Sunday morning, having waited all through Saturday, the Sabbath, and now had gathered up some spices, which could be very costly, and made her way through the still dark streets of Jerusalem toward the tomb. Jesus was no longer alive, at least not as far as she knew, but at least she could be near his body and do for it what she could.
Jesus had been so important in her life. He'd given her life a whole new meaning. He'd shown her that she was a child of the Creator of all things -- a dearly loved daughter of the Creator of all that is.
Jesus had also given her life purpose. He'd invited her -- he'd called her -- to do the work of God's kingdom, with him, day by day... to be his follower... to live her life as one of God's people, in God's service.
And he'd given her eternal life. He'd promised to take her, and all who trust in him, to be with him forever in his home in heaven with the Father.
And so Mary Magdalene walked on, her heart heavy, that early dark Sunday morning, carrying the precious spices toward the tomb.
And the first thing she noticed when she got there was that the huge stone which had been rolled across the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away. Something was not right here. Had someone stolen the body of Jesus?
Quickly she turned and ran back to tell the other disciples, and some of them came running back with her and went into the tomb and found the linen wrappings that had been wound around Jesus lying there in one pile -- with the cloth that had been wrapped around his head now rolled up and lying in a separate place.
These other disciples then went home, but Mary Magdalene just couldn't bring herself to leave. She wanted to be with her Lord -- she needed to be with her Lord -- and this was the last place that he'd been known to be.
She stood there weeping outside the tomb, and as the tears streamed down her face she bent down to look into the tomb and saw two angels, dressed in white, sitting where Jesus had been lying, one where his head had been, and one at his feet.
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
And she said, "Because they've taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they've laid him." And then, as she turned, she saw a man standing there, and he said the same thing to her: "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?"
And she thought that this was probably the gardener, and she said, "Sir, if you've carried him away, please tell me where you've put him, and I'll take him away."
And he said, in the voice that was so familiar and so dear to her, simply, "Mary."
And she looked at him in surprise and delight and great joy, and exclaimed, "Teacher!" And it was as though not only the huge stone that had sealed the tomb had been rolled away. For Mary Magdalene, the stone that had lain heavy upon her heart -- the heavy stone of having to watch the terrible death of Jesus there on the cross; of losing him, the best and closest friend she'd ever had; and of knowing that she'd have to live the rest of her life without him -- that heavy stone had been rolled away! Jesus was alive again!
Our Lord knows the stones that lay heavy across each of our hearts today. We may be having serious health problems, or financial problems, or problems at school or work or in our family -- or all of the above. Meanwhile the news from Iraq and Afghanistan and Darfur and other conflicted places around the world continues to be troubling. All these things can be like a huge stone that locks us in.
The good news of Easter is that our lives have meaning -- each of us is the much-loved child of the Lord of all things.
And our lives have purpose -- our Lord calls us to do the work of God's kingdom with him, day by day.
And Jesus, our loving Lord, has opened to us eternal life -- he's promised all who put their trust in him that he'll bring us to be with him in his kingdom of peace and joy.
Easter and the resurrection of our Lord tell us, for certain, that the stone that has locked us in, that has kept us from living freely and fully, has been rolled away. Jesus has freed us to live as his people, fully, with him, all the days of this life, and forever.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Carlos Wilton
I've been thinking, from my own standpoint as a cancer survivor, about the recent news stories about John and Elizabeth Edwards: her "incurable" cancer and his race for President. I feel for the two of them, standing before a microphone, the eyes of the nation upon them, and uttering that dread word. It brings to mind, in a small way, my own experience of just over a year ago, standing up before the church I serve as pastor, and telling them of my own Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosis. It's such personal information, but, for people who hold positions of public prominence, it's not privileged information. It's got to be shared. I struggled mightily, as I'm sure the Edwardses did, with the questions of when and how to share it. Finally, they just came right out and said it. What else could they do?
There's been much debate about the other decision the Edwardses have made: that John will stay in the presidential race. Reactions from the chattering classes have run the gamut from "What courage!" to "What selfishness!" (This despite the fact that Elizabeth stood right there beside her husband and declared in no uncertain terms that she supports his decision 100%. She's no slouch when it comes to speaking for herself.)
I think most of the negative reactions are based on misinformation. The word "incurable," as applied to cancer, doesn't mean what it used to. Not so many years ago, if a doctor told you your cancer was incurable the next words were likely to be "I'd advise you to get your affairs in order." These days, a great many incurable cancers can be effectively managed for a very long time.
Many forms of diabetes are incurable too -- but no pundit would dream of suggesting that a candidate withdraw from a political race if a spouse received that diagnosis. Cancer -- "the C-word," to many -- continues to evoke all sorts of irrational fears. Maybe the Elizabeth Edwards story can provide a teaching moment for the general public.
Sure, Elizabeth's further medical treatments, whatever they may end up being, will put added strain on her husband. The two of them give every indication of being a close and loving couple. Weathering such storms is tough, but it's what marriage is all about. This news is a reminder that politicians are people too.
In this era of political handlers, image management, and "spin," we seem to have forgotten that simple, down-to-earth truth. Lincoln had a mentally-ill wife, and fought depression himself. FDR used a wheelchair. Churchill was famously fond of his whiskey. If there had been such people as image consultants when these men entered politics, would their names ever have graced a ballot?
In his March 26th column in the New York Times, Bob Herbert writes, "John and Elizabeth Edwards are giving the country a world-class lesson in courage and candor." Indeed.
So let's lay off John and Elizabeth Edwards. From where I sit, the "courage" label looks to be the best one to apply to them. They've determined, despite this disheartening news, to keep on doing what they've been doing for some time: living with cancer. More power to them.
How did Jesus' disciples deal with the news of his death on the cross? The scriptures tell a tale of bewilderment and fear. Most of them went into hiding. Only a few of the women, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," and a handful of others dared to show their faces. The news was simply too devastating.
Philip Yancey has said, "The trick of faith is to believe in advance what will only make sense in reverse." That's what we do on Easter. The news of the empty tomb is but a tantalizing hint of the glory that is to come. We scarcely understand what happened there, but we take that good news and build our lives upon it.
When something like a cancer diagnosis happens, said John Edwards, "you can go cower in a corner and hide, or you can be tough and go out and stand up for what you believe in." He was talking about his wife's illness, but his words could also describe the choice Jesus' disciples made, eventually -- after hearing his greeting of peace and seeing his nail-scarred hands and feet. They chose life. May we all do the same this Easter!
For more of Carlos Wilton's personal reflections on living with cancer, visit his blog, "A Pastor's Cancer Diary," at http://www.cewilton.blogspot.com
ILLUSTRATIONS
Make this day, Lord, a step closer to heaven.
This day, Lord, may I know myself loved and valued.
This day, Lord, may I notice the beauty around me,
in things great and small.
This day, Lord, may I not miss the messages of joy,
of peace, of hope that you send me.
This day, Lord, this day... make the day of my resurrection.
-- Richard Sharples, from Fire and Bread (Wild Goose Publications)
***
"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb..."
And on the second day of the week, Joanna woke up with a migraine headache; Mary the mother of James had an extra load of laundry to get done because of all the soccer games played the day before; Peter got up and grumpily went back to work after the long weekend; and John went back to the oncologist to find out what the latest round of chemo had accomplished. It's on the second, and third, and all the days after Easter where we discover if the stone has really been rolled away, and new life has come for us.
***
God of the purple robe,
of the traitor's cross;
God of the torn curtain,
of the wounds of time,
lead us to Easter Day,
your joy day,
turn-about time.
You are the dance in our eyes,
the smile in our hearts,
the blossom of our spring.
You are our words and our laughter,
light that splits open the sky,
love that astonishes.
-- Judy Dinnen, from Fire and Bread
***
One of the earliest artistic representations of the Risen Christ was the Christus Rex. It shows Jesus on the cross in his risen glory with the Crown of Christ the King in vestments prepared for the Great Feast of the Lamb. Much later in Western Christianity, as we emerged from the long so-called Dark Ages, Jesus was portrayed as the Victim in Agony on the cross. The cross and the crown are indeed two sides of the same coin. The Victor and the Victim in the Great Eucharistic Feast of Easter!
***
Another of the oldest artistic representations of the resurrection was the Butterfly. The free and airy quality of the soul to "fly away"? Perhaps. More likely, though, is the soul's emergence from the chrysalis of sin to the Risen Glory of a whole new life. If ever the Resurrection made sense to me, it does in the new Life we have in Jesus! Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
***
Early Christians met at the "sign" of the fish. The Greek letters contained in that sign also contain all the letters of the Holy Name Christos, the Christ. Of necessity our ancestors in faith were sometimes a secret society that met in the catacombs. But there was a Eucharistic sign too in the fish, as there was in the loaves of bread. The Risen Jesus is known to us in Scripture and in the breaking of that bread and in the sharing of that fish. Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
***
Gather Harris, a minister living with an arrested case of a terminal form of cancer, said that God always heals. God heals sometimes by medicine, sometimes by miracle, sometimes by death. In the context of the Christian faith, with our hope for the resurrection beyond this life, death can indeed be thought of as a kind of healing.
***
People who believe that the powers of oppression have been defeated by the victory that Christ won in the resurrection can indeed live as free people. In his book Engaging the Powers (Fortress, 1992, p. 265), Walter Wink tells how members of the Solidarity movement claimed freedom even under Communist oppression in Poland:
Solidarity in Poland proved that Jesus' nonviolent way could be lived even under circumstances of Communist oppression and martial law. People said to one another, in effect, "Start doing the things that you think should be done, and start being what you think society should become. Do you believe in freedom of speech? Then speak freely. Do you love the truth? Then tell it. Do you believe in an open society? Then act in the open. Do you believe in a decent and humane society? Then behave decently and humanely." This behavior actually caught on, leading to "an epidemic of freedom in a closed society." By acting as if Poland were already free, Solidarity created a free country. The "as if" ceased to be pretense and became actuality. Within ten years, Solidarity had taken over the government.
***
The movie A Beautiful Mind tells the story of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who conquered schizophrenia and won a Nobel Prize for Economics. At one stage in his life, he was haunted by hallucinations that tormented him and drove him to all sorts of erratic and dangerous behavior. His illness was never cured. But he was able to come to understand it, to tell the difference between what was real and what was not, and to take control of his life. He won a victory over an oppressive illness. It was still there, but it could not rule him.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
Leader: This is the day the Lord has made!
People: We will rejoice in it.
Leader: This is the day God has made; and what a day!
People: When God wipes away our tears so we can see the empty tomb.
Leader: What a day! Easter day!
People: When God opens our hearts' tombs as Jesus calls us by name.
Prayer of the Day
Holy God our Salvation:
you roll away the power of sin,
bringing forth the One who makes everything alive.
Out of the garden of violence and hate which evil has planted,
you bring forth a spring harvest of love and forgiveness.
Jesus Christ, Creation's Gardener:
you went into the grave to drive out the power of the world;
you shut the doors of pain and death
and open the gates of glory to those who trust in you
and follow as your faithful servants.
Holy Spirit, Anointer of new life:
you speak and open our eyes to faith;
you touch our lips with glad songs of victory;
you roll away our fears so we can tell everyone we have seen the Risen Lord.
God in Community, Holy in One,
on this great day of Easter,
we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Logically, rationally, we have no need to confess.
Our petty sins pale in comparison to the great evils of our time.
But this is the day God tossed logic out the window and raised Jesus from the dead.
So we must throw out our claims of innocence,
and confess how we have not lived as God's Easter people.
(Unison) Prayer of Confession
On this first day of the week, Emptier of tombs,
we must admit that we have not lived faithfully the last few days.
It is not that we have done great evil; we simply have failed to do good for others.
It is not so much that we have caused hurt, but we have not brought healing.
It is not that we have trouble believing in the event of Easter,
we have difficulty speaking about this day to our friends and neighbors.
Call us by name, Redeemer of all creation, so we might hear your words of mercy.
You have not give us over to despair, but handed us hope.
You have not ignored our emptiness, but filled us with the Bread of Heaven.
You do not give us over to death, but raise us to new life,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: What a day! Easter Day!
God's dawn of new hope, new mercy, new life.
People: On this first day and every day,
we can walk as God's people, forgiven and made whole.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
Leader: The Lord is risen!
People: We have seen the Lord!
Leader: Lift up your hearts, people of God.
People: We lift them to the Risen Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: We offer our thanks and praise to the One who gives us new life.
How good it is on this day of joy
to lift our glad songs of praise to you,
Redeemer of the lost.
You planted your steadfast love in the gardens of creation,
but we ate the bitter fruit of idolatry and sin.
Prophets came in your name, bringing your gracious word,
but we could not hear them call our name.
When we were about to perish,
when we could have died,
you sent the One who could bear that threat away.
Therefore, on this day and every day,
with those in heaven and those on earth,
we lift our glad cries to you:
Sanctus
Holy are you, God of Easter,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,
sent by you to bring us salvation.
Your right hand,
he releases us from sin's grip;
walking through the darkness of death,
he leads us into the kingdom's light;
confounding the practitioners of evil,
he did good for others;
humbling himself to experience our pain and suffering,
he is raised to rule over all.
As we believe what we may not understand,
we trust that mystery we call faith:
People: Christ has died,
but death does not have the final word;
Christ is risen,
and Easter begins for us when Christ calls us by name;
Christ will come again,
and lead us into God's glory.
Memorial Acclamation
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon the Bread and the Cup, Resurrecting God,
and upon us who seek to be your children.
When we are done eating and drinking with the Risen Lord,
send us forth to feed the hungry.
Served at the Table by the One who freed us from death,
we would go out to be servants of the poor and oppressed in our world.
Called to proclaim the good news of Easter,
we would do so with our hands and hearts, not just our lips.
Through Christ,
glory and honor,
praise and thanksgiving are yours,
God of new life,
with the Holy Spirit,
in your holy people,
on this first day of the week and in all the days to come.
Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
More Powerful Than Death
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Happy Easter! The season of Lent is over, and it's finally time to celebrate! How wonderful it is to be at the end of our waiting. Who remembers what we were talking about just one week ago on Palm Sunday? (get responses) We were preparing for Jesus to die, remember?
What do you think of when you think of death? (get responses) A lot of people think of death as a permanent thing. One day someone is alive and here with us, and the next day the person is just gone. Sometimes death is a very sad thing, because people feel like they have to say good-bye to people they love very much.
What Jesus did, though, is amazing. Jesus didn't stay dead. In fact, the Bible tells us that death had no power over Jesus -- that Jesus was too powerful to be stopped by it. We are told that Jesus came to conquer death -- to defeat it. So, this means that death isn't a permanent thing like we may think. Our passage today says that death is like falling asleep, and that one day Jesus will wake up all those who are followers of him.
What great news! Jesus is more powerful than death. Even death can't stop those who believe in Jesus. The people who killed Jesus tried to stop him, but he only got stronger. Alleluia!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you, thank you, thank you for sending Jesus to save us. Thank you that even death cannot stop him from loving us. We need that love. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, April 8, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
