Easter Sermon

Who are you looking for??

       Everyone is here today seeking something: approval from a family member for coming to church, Easter eggs, maybe even a brush with the Divine – God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit – I suspect maybe all of the above. 

So who are you looking for? 

       If you are looking for a community of people who look and think like you – who all subscribe to the same thoughts about God and who they think God loves and doesn’t, this is not where you are.  However, if you are looking for a community of people who like to think deeply about God, and wrestle with what it means to be Christian in the world today – and may REALLY wrestle with how to love all of our neighbors – this may be the people you are looking for. 

Who are you looking for? 

       God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit: this can make us a bit squirmy can’t it?  Here we are today – saying Alleluias because a human who died was raised back to life – and still lives.  Those who have followed along with the timeline of the last week may be exhausted by the emotional roller coaster.  Last week at this time we were shouting Hosanna in the Highest – then Friday we left the church grief-filled knowing that Jesus was dead.  Really dead.  And now we’re back – celebrating that our redeemer lives!!  It defies logic.  Without the last three days, there would be no Christianity.  Without the last three days, we would have no assurance of a God that loves us enough to walk among us, or the Sacrament that feeds our bodies and souls every week – we would have no hope of life everlasting.

Who are you looking for?

       Here you will find people full of hope.  Today that is what we are given.  Not all of us will feel joyful today – it’s been a rough week.  Maybe you’re having a rough year, or a rough few years.  Joy is not required today – hope is what we find here on Easter.  Just as God led our Jewish ancestors out of Egypt, out of slavery – Jesus leads us out of death and into life.  We will all die – just as Jesus did.  No one escapes death- HOWEVER – because of Easter – because of our belief in Jesus Christ, we know that there is something MORE.  We know that we will one day be reunited with those who have gone before us – we know that even when we leave this life, that will not be the end of our story. 

So who are you looking for?

       This is who we are – we are people of the Resurrection.  We believe that death is never the end of the story.  We believe that God loves everyone – no exceptions.  We believe that Jesus expects us to be his body in this world: his hands and his feet, his mind and his heart, and his love.  We live in the Hope of the Resurrection!  Amen.