Sermon for Easter
Judy
Dear Friends,
This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Easter- Claim Life!” and deals with the gospel (John 20: 1-18). Here it is:
Happy Easter! Did anyone get a chocolate bunny yet today? A chocolate egg? A chocolate ANYTHING? Did you hear the story of the little girl who visited her friend’s house the day before Easter? She and her friend decided they’d try to find the Easter candy ahead of time. They found some and ate it, but it really tasted strange. Later at home, she confessed to her mother what she had done and said, “Mommy”, I do have one question I need to ask you.” “What, dear?” asked her mother. “Can chocolates walk?” asked the child. “No, dear,” her mother says. “Of course not.” “Oh-oh!,” the child exclaimed, “I guess I’d better go brush my teeth, because I think I just ate a cockroach.” Don’t settle for the fake Easter- the one with chocolate bunnies and cream eggs and jelly beans and baskets. Enjoy that one, but claim the real thing, the Easter with resurrection power! Let’s look at what happened.
We are all aware of how atrociously painful Jesus’ last days were, but- if you think about it, his friends had also lived in crisis. The entire week had been unbelievably bad for all of Jesus’ friends- actually going from terrible to worse. They’d watched everyone turn against him; with even his disciples leaving him to face his worst times alone. They saw the trial, the beatings, the mocking, the torture, his execution, and his burial. Worse yet, because the Sabbath was approaching, they couldn’t even give Jesus a proper burial- his body had to be just quickly placed in the grave and locked in with a huge stone. Early Sunday morning, the women went to anoint the body of Jesus. When they got there, the stone was rolled away, the body was gone, and the risen Christ appeared to the very first disciple- Mary Magdaline!
That’s what happened. What’s it to you? Let me tell you what Easter means to me. It’s not just the door to the tomb that’s open- LIFE is open! Check it out. From the word “OPEN:
“O”- I have an open door to heaven! I’ll see Fr. Bill again! Thank you Jesus!
“P”- I have power for living and loving and overcoming now! Thank you Jesus!
“E”- EVERYONE! Jesus’ overcoming death and offering full, meaningful life is for everyone- just accept Him. Thank you Jesus!
“N”- Negatives can’t overwhelm me- can’t keep me stuck! By the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we CAN OVERCOME!
So, are you an Easter person yet? If not, why not become one! Wishing won’t do it. Living in the past won’t do it. Making a decision to live as Jesus’ Easter people will. Did you hear the story of the depressed man and his friend who tried to cheer him up? The man said to his friend: “Say, you look depressed. What are you thinking about?” “My future,” was the quick answer. “What makes it look so hopeless?” “My past.”
There- did I get you thinking? WE’RE NOT HOPELESS! Let me close with a final story that perhaps will allow this Easter to become a turning point in your life, because if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. I’m going to share with you a story I haven’t told since 2012, but its message fits our Easter focus- living life to its fullest under God. It’s the goldfish story. Remember what happened to Clarence Harvey (Congress of 1988) when he was young? This is how he tells it. “When I was a little kid, I had a pet goldfish. One summer as I was packing to spend three months with relatives at the lake up north, my dad said, ‘Take this goldfish with you. I don't want to take care of it this summer.’ One day after we got up to the lake, I decided to become a liberator. I went down to the dock with my fishbowl and gave my fish a little talk. ‘I am going to throw you in this lake,’ I said. ‘You will be free. You can eat well here and grow up to be a big fish.’ But when I put the goldfish in the water at the end of the dock, it stayed right there. I backed off, thinking the fish was attracted to my shadow. But when I moved back to be sure it was gone, it was still right there. I even threw a stone into the water to scare it away, but that goldfish just swam around it. When I came back after lunch, the goldfish was still there, swimming in the same spot. I sat down and thought, ‘That fish should be free. It's got the whole lake to swim in.’ Suddenly, I saw a big ripple in the water - a huge ripple. Whop! A big bass swallowed my little goldfish. Later in life someone told me that a goldfish, once it has lived in a circumference of a certain size, has been conditioned to think small. It will stay there until it dies - swimming around in that small circle.” Easter offers a new perspective. Uncondition yourself! Don’t let life swallow you up! In the name of the living Christ- break free!
One of our thoughts for the week said, “Life’s not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference” (Anonymous). My friends- don’t let your past determine your future! Your past is the diving board, God’s Easter power is the spring in the springboard to your future. Easter power reminds us that the future belongs to God and you. Think BIG! If you can conceive it, and God wants you to do it, the sky’s the limit; and the Risen Christ can give you the power to overcome! Jesus rose, so make Easter choices and follow Him.
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .
Blessed preaching,
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan