Remember Me, April 6, 2014

Remember Me

Words to the Cross

Jeremiah 31:31-34, Luke 23:32-43

April 6, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Background Two weeks ago we heard the crowd shout “Crucify Him!” and discovered that in like manner, whenever we exceed God’s moral, spiritual and physical boundaries of behavior and speech, we are shouting “Crucify him!” Last week we heard of the many times people dared Jesus to establish his kingdom by military might and that he refused each time. In like manner, we must decide each day whether or not to accept the dares of the world to conform to its moral values and standards.

This morning we turn to an incident that occurred while Jesus was hanging on the cross. As we heard in our morning scripture, there were two thieves being crucified along with Jesus. One thief, caught up in physical pain and the fear of dying said, “Are you not the Christ?  Save yourself and us!” As we heard last week, this was one of the many dares, double dares, and double dog dares thrown at Jesus. However, before Jesus had a chance to respond, the second thief rebuked the first one by saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” In other words, “We deserve to die for what we did.  However, this man is innocent.”

The Request is made Whereas the one thief dared Jesus to prove he was the messiah, the second thief knew he was the messiah. It was out of that conviction and faith that he then turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Several observations can be made at this point.

1. First, he starts his request by using the given name of Jesus. He didn’t say ‘Christ’ as did the other thief. He just said, Jesus. It was as though he knew Jesus previously, or that they had become acquainted in the brief time they were on the cross.

2.  Then the thief says to Jesus, “ Remember Me”.

These two words reflect a most compelling need of all human beings - the need to be remembered. Remember me! It’s not difficult for us to identify with this request. One of the deepest needs we human beings have is to be remembered. Why? Because we don’t want to be ignored and the thought of being forgotten frightens us greatly. We hear that need in such phrases as: “Don’t be a stranger” “Don’t forget to write” “Call me some time” “Keep in touch” “See you later”. Each of these, in its own way, says, “Remember me”

We want people to remember us at Christmas. We want people to remember our birthdays. We want spouses to remember our anniversaries. We want people to remember our name. Folks in nursing homes want to be visited and remembered. And we want people to remember us after we die. And so tombstones are erected with the name of the deceased. Memorials are established to perpetuate one’s name. Foundations are established with the name of the donor.  

Why? Because we want to live in peoples’ memories as one who had value and as one who really mattered. We want to live in peoples’ memories. One person wrote, “One lives in the hope of becoming a memory.” [Antonio Porchia}. Another said, “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” [Thomas Campbell]

Memories affect us every day With each of us, many people live in our memories and those people impact our lives every day. For instance, the name of a deceased loved one can bring tears. The name of an enemy can cause one to be angry all over again. Recalling a funny incident of years ago can cause laughter to erupt with great abandon. Reminiscing at a high school class reunion brings to mind events and places. And as we know, loved ones who have died influence our lives long after their death. Our parents or grandparents, even though in heaven, continue to impact our daily decisions. In fact, it is likely that our thoughts and actions right now are directly influenced by grandparents six and seven generations back.

Remembered in mercy However, as important as being remembered was, the thief didn’t want to just be remembered in memory, he also wanted to be remembered in mercy. To be remembered in mercy means to be forgiven. Having repented of his sin, he asks Jesus to remember him when Jesus becomes king and will have the power to grant mercy to those guilty of crimes. Jesus was his only chance to be cleansed from the stain of sin which he had carried to the cross. Yes, the thief asks Jesus for mercy even though had done nothing to merit it and had nothing to offer in return. He didn’t deserve mercy, and he knew it.

In like manner, we want God to remember us in mercy by forgiving us even though we don’t deserve it. Even though we have nothing to offer in return.

Old Testament In our scripture from Jeremiah we heard of God’s prophecy that one day a new covenant would be established between God and his people. God said,  “It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.”

No longer remember our Sins Forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more. When we repent and ask for God’s forgiveness, it’s as though God has a senior moment. He no longer remembers our sin!

The story is told of a young man who told his pastor that he had a vision of Jesus. The pastor was a bit dubious so said, “The next time you have a vision, ask Jesus what my primary sin was before I became a minister.”  Two weeks later the young man returned. The pastor asked if he had asked Jesus the question about his previous sin. The man affirmed that he had. “And what did he say?” asked the pastor. “Jesus said, ‘I don’t remember.’”

Jesus Responds to the Thief’s Request Now let’s return to Jesus and the two thieves. As Jesus listened to each of them, he knew what was in their hearts. With the first thief, he knew there was no inward repentance of sin, but rather a last-ditch effort to save his own skin. However, with the second thief, he saw genuine sorrow for sin. As a result, he never answered the request of the first thief, but instead turned to the second criminal and said, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

So even though the thief had asked Jesus to grant him mercy when he became king, Jesus said, “You don’t have to wait to receive my mercy. In fact, right now you are forgiven. You will be with me in paradise.” The thief was forgiven that very moment and thus became the first sinner to be assured of his salvation by the shed blood of Christ.

Reflections  As we look back upon the thief’s request to be remembered, several thoughts come to mind.

First of all, whether we like it or not, through the years of our lives we’re going to hurt one another, usually not on purpose. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they would cover, hide and cast away our sins and never again hold our sin against us? They would be remembering us in mercy.

People that Sin Against You  What about people who sin against you? How should we respond to them? At a convention with their wives, two businessmen who had been roommates in college crossed paths. They sat in the lobby all night talking. They knew they would be in trouble with their wives. The next day they happened to see each other. "What did your wife think?" "I walked in the door and my wife got historical."

"Don’t you mean hysterical?" "No, historical. She told me everything I ever did wrong."

If we wish people would forget how we hurt them, then we must do the same for them. When others seek our forgiveness, we have the power to remember their sins no more. This doesn’t mean their sins are blotted from our memory. And it doesn’t mean that we’re saying what they did or said was OK. It simple means that never again will we hold their sin against them.

1. First, we have no more right to be saved than did the thieves on the cross. We have done nothing to deserve God’s mercy. But because of Jesus, God remembers our sin no more.

2.  Next, when we repent and turn to God for forgiveness, we experience Paradise and the presence of Jesus in our lives right now.

3. Finally, Jesus says to us, “No matter what you have done in the past, when you turn to me you are forgiven.”  Can you imagine that? If our repentance is sincere and our desire to change is strong, God will forgive and remember our sins no more.

Final thoughts I leave you with two simple questions: How are you writing your script of gift-giving and your script of life-remembrance.

First, your script of gift-giving. From this moment on for the rest of your life, how are you going to respond to the sins of those who hurt you? Will you hang on to them forever with perfect recall? It really doesn’t matter if the person who hurt you deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself because you choose to let go of a past wrong and no longer be hurt by it. Remember, those whom you don’t forgive are holding you as a hostage. You are writing your script of gift-giving every day by thought, word and deed.

Next, your script of life-remembrance. How do you want to be remembered after you die? How will your words and actions of today influence the generations to come? What will they celebrate about you when they remember your name? You are writing your script of life-remembrance right now.

Amen.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 NRSV

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Luke 23:32-43 NRSV

As we know, Jesus was not the only man to be crucified that day.  This account from Luke tells us of the other two.  

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

Caught Anything Yet?, April 27, 2014

Caught Anything Yet?

Luke 5:1-11, John 21:1-14

April 27, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Wasn’t Easter Sunday great? Wonderful music, great word for the children, Holy Communion. Friends and family worshiping with us.  A time of joy and a time of feeling close to God. The only downside is that we have to wait until April 6, 2015 to celebrate Easter again. Or do we? Maybe, just maybe, we don’t have to wait 345 days to celebrate. I say this because after Jesus was resurrected, he spent the next forty days interacting with his disciples and loved ones. And each time he did so, they celebrated Easter all over again.

The Sea of Galilee  One of those times took place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee with seven of his disciples. Jesus had told them to meet him there. [Matthew 28:10, Mark 16:7]  In order to do that, Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John and two other disciples walked sixty-eight miles from Jerusalem to Galilee and waited for him to arrive. That would be like us walking to Washington, Missouri and then continuing for another eight miles. At an average pace of three miles per hour, it would take us about three days.

            When the disciples arrived at the Sea of Galilee, they found themselves back at the very place where three years before Jesus had called Peter, Andrew, James and John to be his disciples.  At that time, Jesus had said to them, “Come, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” [Matthew 4:19]. So now they were back where it all began, with all the familiar sights and sounds they had enjoyed before.

            As they walked along the familiar shore, they most likely saw relatives and friends with whom they had fished. And no doubt they talked about all the astounding and emotionally draining events that had taken place over the past few weeks.

They talked about their beloved Master suffering and dying upon the Cross and how they had been helpless to stop it. They recounted their feelings when, three days later, they discovered that the tomb was empty. Finally, they talked about Jesus appearing to them alive and how that had filled them with abounding joy.

            Now they were waiting for him to be with them again. So as they waited, they talked and looked for Jesus to be walking down the shore towards them. However, days passed by and Jesus didn’t show up.

Going Fishing   As we know, waiting around for someone to show up is difficult. Time seems to stand still. We look at our watch and wonder if the person forgot or was in an accident. Should we call or wait just a bit longer? Peter was no exception except he didn’t have a cell phone to call Jesus. All he and the disciples could do is wait.

            At the same time, Peter was the type of person that always had to be doing something. It was not his nature just to sit on the shore, watch the sea gulls flying around, and listen to the waves lapping on the sand. So as night approached Peter turned to his friends and said in his impulsive manner, “I am going fishing!”

            Now to go fishing at night might seem a bit strange to us, but on the Sea of Galilee, night fishing was common and could produce very good catches. Fishermen would use a torch to light the water around the boat to find the fish and cast their nets.

            When Peter said he was going to go fishing, the other disciples, equally tired of waiting, responded at once, “We will go with you!”  So they gathered some nets together and rowed a boat out about 100 yards from shore. However, they cast their nets all night long and didn’t catch a thing. When dawn began to break, a man appeared on the shore and called out, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they replied.

            It’s hard to admit that you haven’t caught a thing. When Gary was a boy, he loved to fish. One day while he was fishing, his friend asked, “How many fish have you caught, Gary?” Gary replied, “With the next one I catch and two more after that, I’ll have three.”

            In this case, the disciples were tired and discouraged so they simply said “no.” Then the man said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”

            It was not unusual for a person to stand on the shore and act as a spotter for the fishermen. Such a person could often see schools of fish more easily than could those in the boat itself. I’m sure that the disciples had cast their net on the right side many times through the night and likely were a bit skeptical that it would do any good this time. But they did as the man suggested and ended up catching 153 large fish. The fish weighed so much they couldn’t pull their net into the boat.

Jesus Recognized  At this point, John suddenly recognized the man on the shore.  He turned to the others and cried out, “It’s the Lord!”  Immediately, Peter jumped into the shallow water and lunged toward his beloved master as fast as he could. The rest of the disciples followed in the boat, dragging their net full of fish behind them. When everyone had reached shore, Jesus said, “Come and have breakfast with me.” And so they joined Jesus in a breakfast of fish and bread.

Reflection By appearing to his disciples on the seashore, Jesus demonstrated once again how he met people in the every day situations of their lives. We heard in our morning scripture how he met and called his first disciples on the seashore of Galilee. And throughout his ministry, he met and healed the lepers as he was walking along the road. He met and healed Peter’s mother-in-law in her house. He walked into a town and healed a paralytic. As important as the Temple was to Jesus, he didn’t do his ministry there. He taught and healed out where the people worked and ate and played and lived.

For Us Thus, as meaningful as worship services are to us, and as close as we may feel to Jesus as we sing and pray and hear God’s Word, that should not be the extent of our interaction with him. We cannot leave Jesus here in the sanctuary when we leave this morning. After all, he wants to have an ongoing relationship with us all week long, wherever we might go and whatever we might be doing.

We must take the risen Christ with us when we leave here this morning. Why? Because we are the aroma and ambassadors of Christ. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And as a church, we are the body of Christ. Thus Christ interacts with others and changes their lives through us - through what we say or don’t say and what we do or don’t do - through our voices of comfort, our faithfulness in all things, our touches of tenderness, our arms of comfort, our loving guidance, our listening ears, and our willingness to forgive.  And others do the same for us every day of the week.

Easter and the resurrection live on in many ways.

From our forgiveness emerges the divine resurrection of relationships.

By our encouragement, those in despair experience the holy resurrection of hope.

Our comfort to those who are sorrowing results in the divine resurrection of inner peace.

When we offer companionship to those who are lonely, they rejoice in the resurrection of knowing that someone cares.

On and on the list could go. But the fact is this: God uses us to touch people’s lives with his miracles every single day, right where we live and work and play. Maybe we might even have an experience similar to a little boy named Billy.

Kirk Met God   I’d like to tell you a story I heard about Kirk when he was a little boy. Kirk had heard a lot about God in Sunday school and decided that he’d like to meet him in person. He figured it would be a long walk to where God lived, so he put four Twinkies and four cans of root beer in a paper sack and started out. When he had walked about three blocks, he met an old man sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. Kirk sat down next to him and pulled out a twinkie to eat.

He was about to take a bite when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie. The old man gratefully ate it and smiled at him. His smile was so pleasant that Kirk wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, the old man smiled at him. Kirk was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, Kirk realized how tired he was and started to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. The old man gave him his biggest smile ever. When Kirk got home, his mother said, “What did you do this afternoon?” Kirk replied, "I had lunch with God." Before his mother could respond, he added: "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man returned to his home. His son asked: "Dad, what did you do this afternoon?" He replied: "I ate Twinkies and drank root beer in the park with Jesus. You know, he's much younger than I expected."

As we leave here this morning, we must never underestimate the divine source of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, the smallest act of caring, or the gift of holy silence - all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Jesus comes into our lives for a reason, for a season, and for a lifetime. Amen.

Luke 5:1-11 NRSV

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

John 21:1-14 NRSV

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

During this week, keep the following thoughts in mind.

Christ be with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ at my right, Christ at my left,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen.

This Side Of Easter, April 20, 2014

This Side of Easter

Easter Sunday

John 20:1-18

April 20, 2014

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

The Story of Walter  Last February 28th, Walter Williams  of Jackson, Mississippi, 78 years old, was pronounced dead. The coroner came, placed him in a plastic bag, zipped him up, put him in the hearse and took him to the funeral home. Walter’s family went into mourning. Tears flowed with great abundance. Plans for his funeral got underway. But when the funeral home began preparations to embalm Walter, they were startled to notice that the body bag was moving! Walter’s leg was kicking! So immediately they unzipped the bag and rushed Walter to the hospital where he recovered and is still alive today. So instead of planning a funeral, the family was seen on the morning news shows singing praises to God that their beloved family member is still alive. Imagine the great swing of emotions Walter’s family experienced! From desolation and despair and tears to elation and praise and laughter!

The Story of the Disciples  I imagine they experienced some of the same emotions as the disciples of Jesus felt.  They had gone through the anguish and despair of watching Jesus arrested, tried, convicted and then die on the Cross. Imagine how they must have felt. Feelings of doom and gloom were the order of the day. Tears flowed freely. To have someone whom they loved more than life itself be crucified as a common criminal was nearly more than they could bear.

Then it happened. The most astounding and wonderful event took place. The women went to the tomb with spices to anoint the body of their Lord.  To their astonishment, they found the tomb empty. Immediately they thought someone had come and taken the body of their master away. However, Angels were there and said to them, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said.”   

Then Jesus appeared to them!  Gloom and doom turned into elation and rejoicing. Their Lord was alive! I imagine they began to laugh and cry at the same time! It was a profound, life-changing experience for each of them, for now they were on this side of Easter. They had experienced life on both sides of the resurrection.

This Side of Easter  We, on the other hand, were born on this side of Easter. All we’ve ever known, from childhood to today, is the fact that the tomb was empty and that Jesus is alive and that because he lives, we too shall live.

But we weren’t there when he was crucified, were we?

We weren’t standing there watching as they scourged Jesus, were we?

We didn’t go through the agony and despair of the crucifixion did we?

And we weren’t there as he emitted his last human breath, were we? 

We didn’t experience the once-in-a-lifetime exhilaration of discovering that he was alive, did we? 

No, because we have forever placed on this side of Easter. As a result, all we can do is read about it and imagine what it must have been like back then. 

Peter and Cornelius  In our scripture from the Book of the Acts, we find Peter being called by God to share the good news with Cornelius, a Gentile. Peter shared the events of Jesus with Cornelius, telling him that Jesus died on the Cross and that God raised him on the third day. As a result of Peter’s testimony, Cornelius became the first Gentile to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. And like each of us here this morning, Cornelius was living on this side of Easter.

An Empty Stage  The story is told of Anna Pavlova, the great Russian ballerina of the early 1900's. She was scheduled to appear at the Apollo Theater in London to dance in the role she made famous, the dying swan. All tickets had been sold. People eagerly looked forward to watching her dance. However, two days before the opening performance, she died of pneumonia. How disappointing to her adoring fans!

But then a strange event took place. On the night she had been scheduled to dance, a crowd of her fans jammed the theater. The orchestra began to play. The curtain rose, and a spotlight flashed upon the empty stage. The entire audience rose to its feet gazing at the pool of light as it moved hither and yon around the stage. And as the light moved and the orchestra played, they remembered - they remembered their Anna Pavlova. In their hearts and minds they could see her dancing, with her flashing dark eyes, dressed in white. When at last the music stopped, they gave Anna a thunderous ovation that echoed on and on into the night.

Yes, an empty stage filled only with light and music enabled her memory to live on in their hearts. It’s a beautiful story, isn’t it?

A Living Christ   Yet, as touching a story as this is, we are not called as Christians to gather around an empty stage once a year at Easter simply to applaud our superstar Jesus. We are not called to sit in our pews, sing beautiful music, and walk down memory lane. If this is all that Easter means to us, we forever remain spectators to the most significant life-changing event in history. In such a case, we would appreciate our Jesus, but we would never be inwardly changed by him.

Just as they applauded a dead Pavlova, the temptation for many Christians is to applaud a dead Christ. We always must remember that the pyramids of Egypt are famous because they contain the mummified bodies of ancient Egyptian Kings. Westminster Abbey in London is renowned, because in it rests the bodies of English nobles and royalty. Arlington cemetery in Washington, D.C. is revered, for it is the honored resting place of many outstanding Americans. But the Garden Tomb of Jesus is famous because it is empty!

Yes, we are asked to reach out to a Christ who is not dead, but alive! And the stage upon which he appears is not empty, it is our life. We are no longer spectators remembering a past event, but rather are interacting with the living Lord right now.

Such interaction means that the resurrection is not just a one-time-a-year celebration. Nor is it simply dusting off an event sequestered in the halls of sacred history. Instead, Easter becomes an every day event in which our lives are constantly renewed and enriched. Time after time, we feel the anguish of our sin, followed by the exhilaration of forgiveness. Our songs of resurrection must be sung not just on Easter Sunday, but each day of our lives. The sounds of resurrection are heard in the silence of a warm, safe hug, or in the verbal proclamation of love and trust to one’s beloved. We hear the sounds of new life even when faced with great times of hardship and testing.

So the sounds of Easter must echo throughout our homes, throughout our marriages, throughout all our relationships. Living on this side of Easter, we go forth singing the sounds of love, the reverberations of forgiveness, and the arias of acceptance to all whom we meet.

Promise of Ever-laughing Life    Perhaps we can learn from a little girl named Mary.  Mary came out of Sunday School one morning all excited about a new scripture verse she had learned - John 3:16.  Her parents were delighted and asked her to repeat it for them. So Mary proudly said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not die, but have ever-laughing life.”  

In a way, ever-laughing is an appropriate substitute for everlasting, for it reflects the exuberance and joy that can be ours because Christ not only rose from the dead 2,000 years ago, he lives in our hearts right now.  As we leave here this morning, we have a choice: we can either live as nothing is a miracle, or we can live as though everything is a miracle. Amen.

John 20:1-18 NRSV

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.  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."  Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.  The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.  Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.  Then the disciples returned to their homes.  But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.  They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."  When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."  Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).  

Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"  Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.  
Acts 10:34-43 NRSV

The background of this scripture involves a Gentile named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort in Caesarea. An angel came to him and told him to send men to Joppa and bring back a man called Peter. Peter had been told by God that salvation was for both Jews and Gentiles. Our scripture begins after Peter’s arrival in Caesarea.

“Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’ “