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It
is often said that preaching is the work of the people—Kerygma, which means to
spread the Good News of Christ Jesus death and resurrection, throughout the
world. It is by no means an idle tale! But more often than not we share our own story
of faith with fear, that others may not believe and thus find our whole journey
suspect and of idle drifting…
We’re
not in an easy age of being bold witnesses for our injustice to the Good News
has been our reinvention of it to revolve around us. This is not in a humble and teaching way
either, but one where the words of Alleluia do not connect to the soul for
regeneration yet alone true renewal. What a sad fate on such a glorious day! We
must hear St. Paul’s Words about Christ and our physical death to truly roll
away that stone—un-bottle and unbridle our lives to be all things through
Christ Jesus who indeed strengthens an undeserving wretch like me!
Hear
this loudly literally as well as spiritually deep in that New Nature sanctuary—the
heart: “55Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your
sting?” 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the
law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ!” And I will add to this still, in saying—Thanks Be to God,
Alleluia and Amen!
Jesus
Christ has risen indeed, Alleluia! Yes
it is 2,000 something years later… Is
there not something timeless and eternally hopeful about a place we have yet to
truly know? The Kingdom of God and all
its righteousness is not an idle hope or a stone left unturned upon our journey
of discovery as disciples of Jesus—it is a great and glorious New Beginning! It is a process, one baptized by tears and
one held in the loving and gracious arms of a loving and gracious God as we
move forward!
What
do you think Paul meant by saying that the sting of death is sin and the power
of sin is the law? I think it goes
beyond pointing that finger back to Adam and Eve as well as it does go beyond
the literal… We all fall short of the glory of God but do we give up? The Evil
One and our enemies sure would like us to give up. For churches are closing
across America faster than they are being built. For gaining the world and all
its “idol glory” tramples over the soul making its very life irrelevant to the
moment of vain victory!
Just
the other day, actually Good Friday, I was caring for the elderly gentleman
with advanced dementia. Out of the blue,
sometime around 11am, his pastor shows up not to necessarily bring tidings of
Easter joy but to inform him that the church has voted to close! Yikes, what a
lovely and hopeful Easter message that is to someone who can’t even remember
the last time his frame or family darkened the doorway to this church! Should he cry for the memories of brick and
mortar or of the mission he never truly was shepherded to trod upon?
The
soul is the mystery of life and that place of identity. Christ Jesus death upon
that cross and resurrection restored our identity as children of Grace and
Promise. Our lives are now the mercy seat of the Gospel’s work in the world,
not of it. No one ever said it would never be a lonely road… It can be very
lonely. It is a path however, one in
which we all must take for the sake and purpose so very far beyond
ourselves! How can we go forward though,
if we don’t look inwardly to roll away that stone?
The
stone, that imperishable aspect of ourselves we can’t completely be rid of
since it is a part of our very humanness! Simul et Justus Peccator—or better
known as simultaneously saint and sinner—we are, at the same time, both
righteous and a sinner. The Old Nature
is never fully divested from who we are since it is literally a part of us. The
Saving Grace Jesus gave us upon that Cross and released through the
resurrection is needing to be reaped within us—it IS that New Creation, very
Nature that Christ exampled in perfect form!
You’ve
heard of the statement—having, harboring a faith that moves mountains! The world may not want to hear about your
spiritual formation but we are all called to share! We all have wonderful gifts lying deep within
ourselves being shaped by and through God’s Grace for His will and purposes for
the world. Heart Knowledge is that place
of growth that can move those mountains, roll away that stone and gather a
people together to love and live the Gospel “uncorked!”
Christ
Jesus never taught us to be lawless but in fact live into a New law—one that is
built and delivered by Love. Love in
complete fulfillment is the perfection of the Gospel we will never completely
realize but Hope, Do and become the best who we can be for a glorious freedom—we
taste through Christ: GRACE!
Today’s
Gospel text has to be experienced. In a
sense about 7 years ago, I got to experience this text in delivering a larger
portion of it through the scriptures by heart class I had at the beginning of
my seminary journey. This experiencing went beyond the rudimentary of
memorization and the physical gestures of putting myself in the place of those
women looking into that tomb… I had to imagine myself there.
About
a week of practicing nearly eating, sleeping and dreaming that text… I felt that scripture come alive! Kind of
surreal when you think about it because we just have too hard of a time taking
the Gospel truly into our hearts. It’s
not all about book smarts, doctrinal or intellectual it is a spiritual
education! Early on in my journey, I was
made to feel ashamed or embarrassed to talk about my conversion experience. What a criminal disservice I was done! Who knows as well how many future pastors out
there were shunned as well to sharing what they genuinely experienced!
In
fact, years later now, I still am made to feel uncomfortable about coming to
faith through experiencing worship at that small little Chicago Lutheran church
on the Northside. But I DID hear God
speak to my heart to begin a whole new life! From that very experience the
summer of 2003 forward, I have been growing as that aspiring saint and sinner,
to answer God’s call! My past is still
there, just as yours is… but Christ Jesus leads us to find a better way to work
through faith and prayerfully to live into His mission, calling to us all.
St.
Paul once again makes his prayerful plea to the Corinthians to hear this deeply,
he says: “26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For
“God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All
things are put in subjection,” it is plain that this does not include the one
who put all things in subjection under him. 28When all things are
subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who
put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.” He continues to try to help them see the
victory of Easter: “29Otherwise,
what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the
dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30And
why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? 31I die every
day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters, as my boasting of you—a boast
that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If with merely human hopes I
fought…, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised, “Let us
eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
It
is more than amazing Grace that gives us New life… It is rolling away that
indifference and opening the heart to what really matters. It is going to be a
lot of work but what is relevant to the world’s survival is the Gospel of
Christ. Let us all go there… Let us be those first witnesses, those women
at the tomb not just our pastors, priests, and those we think should take the
lead on this for us…. WE all need to go
there, with those spices in hand anticipating the smell of death but arriving
(in more ways than one) to a glorious discovery: Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior has risen,
He has risen indeed! Alleluia! He has
risen in our hearts as the Holy Spirit begins His work within us, for us and
through us for the Kingdom of God! AMEN
Let
us Pray,
Gracious
and Loving God
Help
to continue our hearts growth by and through
Your
Living Words of Grace
For
a greater purpose and loving Journey
One
that divests us from our Old Ways
To
one that invests our hearts
To
live Alleluia
As
Love, Peace, Mercy, Compassion, Kindness
And
all fruits of Blessing You exampled for us to grow
All
Glory, Laud and Honor be to You
Redeemer
and King of Grace—
AMEN
March 27th, 2016;
Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Day; Year C; SOLA Lectionary
Sermon By: Reverend Nicole A.M.
Collins, FODM
Psalm 16; Isaiah 65:17-25; 1
Corinthians 15:19-58; & Luke 24:1-12
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