Readings FIRST LESSON The first lesson is from Isaiah Chapter 65, verses 17 through 25 SECOND LESSON The first lesson is from the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 16, verses 1 through 8 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
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This Week's Sermon Date: EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE--April 12, 2009 Title: For I Am About to Do a New Thing Message Delivered By: Rev. Joe Mc Murray I am reminded, particularly at the High Holy Days of Christmas and Easter, how lovely it is to have our children present with us. I miss the children when they are not in worship. There is something about their innocence, even the ornery children among us, that warms my heart. Children often say things that are very thoughtful and profound. They say things that give us pause and make us wonder why we didn’t think of something so simple yet so deep. Other times, they say things in truthfulness that we wish they hadn’t said. I’m thinking in this instance of a particular mother who invited several church people over a mid-afternoon Easter dinner. By the time the meal was prepared, she had had a very full and grueling week. You see, the guest list was rather large. She had to invite the Pastor and her spouse, the church Board and their spouses, and all who had worked so hard in preparing for the Easter celebration. But the time for dinner had arrived, and though she was exhausted, the bountiful dinner was on the table, and the guests were seated and waiting for the meal to be blessed. As they sat down, the woman turned to her six-year-old daughter, Emily, and said, "Honey, would you like to say the blessing?" Emily was very shy, and replied, "Mommy, I wouldn't know what to say." "Just say what you’ve heard Mommy say," she answered. And so Emily folded her hands and bowed her head, and said, "Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?” Loving God, we thank you for this beautiful setting on the beach where we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Nothing could be more beautiful than seeing the miracle of the sunrise. We join together—some of us friends, some neighbors, some visitors and strangers—to offer our voices in worship and praise and thanksgiving for this glorious day of transformation. May my words and all of our thoughts be filled with honor and praise to you. Amen. Have you ever had one of those moments in your life when time just seemed to stand still? Something strange happened that took you right out of the physical and emotional space you were in. You almost felt as if you had been transported to another place. It may have lasted only a moment, or several minutes, or perhaps several hours. Yet somehow, you knew you were changed by that moment, even though you couldn’t explain in the exact words what it was you felt or how the event unfolded. Perhaps this is what Mary Magdalene felt as she arrived at the burial site. She was taken by surprise. After all the turmoil and tragedy she had witnessed, this was the last thing she expected. What Mary expected was to find Jesus’ body in the tomb. But what Mary found instead was a man dressed in white, giving directions to her and the other women as to where Jesus was. She expected to attend to the body of Jesus, not to hear that he had been raised. She expected to be overcome with emotion and tears, not be told that Jesus would go ahead to Jerusalem, and would see the disciples there. Mary was surprised by Resurrection, not because she didn’t believe in it, but because she didn’t expect it. She’d witnessed some of Jesus’ miracles, surely, but not like this. Nothing like this. This is the nature of surprise—surprise is something we don’t expect. In Isaiah, God says: “For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.” That is what Resurrection does—Resurrection changes everything. All things are new. Mary Magdalene’s life was changed just by knowing and being close to Jesus. But her life changed forever after she witnessed Resurrection. “I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.” Resurrection means new life. Even in a newborn, there is something already there, already developed, though it is far beyond the human eye. There is a spirit within—the Spirit of God which is present in all life. Sometimes we don’t see it, even in nature, we are caught by surprise, but when new life is born, it’s as if it was always there – because in some form, it was always there. It has simply been transformed into something new. “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit." Resurrection means continued growth. Even as we age, we continue to grow. And it means movement and growth of the spirit, as well. The life force within us, the Spirit of God within us rejuvenates our faith, and renews our hope each and every day. “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.” Resurrection means being given another chance. Emotions and feelings sometimes paralyze us into thinking that the past is our identity and that we have squandered the God-given opportunities of life. But God is always ready to redeem. God is ready to make room for us. God is always eager to give us another chance through Resurrection. “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” “They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by God.” Resurrection means starting all over again. When Lazarus was revived and came out from the tomb, his life was completely different. He would no longer look at himself in the same way. He had to start all over again. “’They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain,’ says God.” Resurrection means finding a way to healing. In many ways—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—parts of us must die in order for us to live. Resurrection can mean so many things—take so many forms—yet it does not exist outside the realm of God’s desire. Right in our midst, we witness Resurrection. It happens all the time, and it’s a miracle each and every time. And it doesn’t just happen here. It sometimes happens in the least likely of places. We experience Resurrection every time we have hope for someone whom we thought hope was impossible; we experience Resurrection each time we extend grace for someone we had deemed unworthy; and we experience Resurrection whenever we put someone else’s great need before our own. We do this because we have seen it or we have witnessed it. And we will continue to see it because, though our human weakness tells us not to, our faith tells us to expect it, even when, like Mary Magdalene, we do not. The day of Resurrection is here. Transformation happens each and every day. May we recognize it, welcome it, embrace it, and celebrate it. Amen.
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Selected Past Sermons