April 20, 2014 - Easter Sunday, John 20:1-18

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. 2So 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.’ 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes. 11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and 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. 13They 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.’ 14When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ 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.’ 16Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). 17Jesus 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.” ‘ 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

April 19, 2014 - Holy Saturday, “The Sabbath God Did Not Rest” by Rev. Jack Austin

 “After this, Joseph, who was from the town of Arimathea, asked Pilate if he could take Jesus’ body.  (Joseph was a follower of Jesus, but in secret, because he was afraid of the Jewish authorities.)  Pilate told him he could have the body, so Joseph took it away. There was a garden in the place where Jesus was put to death, and in it there was a new tomb where no one had ever been buried.  Since it was the day before the Sabbath, and because the tomb was close by, they placed Jesus’ body there.”  (John 19:38, 40-42)

According to the Gospel of John, Joseph and Nicodemus had less than 3 hours between Jesus’ death and the beginning of the High Holy Day: Sabbath-Passover began at sundown.  It was abhorrent to all Jews for any son of Abraham to hang on a Roman cross and thus defile the High Holy Day.  So these two secret disciples hurriedly put Jesus’ body in a borrowed tomb, and went to reflect on the ancient Passover question: “Why is tonight different from other nights?” as well as to “Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy.”

Time and again, when Jesus healed on Sabbath, the Jewish leaders condemned him as a “sinner.”  When his disciples rubbed heads of grain between their hands to eat the wheat kernels, the devout Jews were horrified that they were breaking GOD’S plan for humankind.  To do any work on Sabbath was “sin,” because GOD “rested” on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath following Jesus’ death, neither GOD nor Christ rested!  In some creedal statements, Christ descended to Hell to bring release to those captive to sin.  In the experience of Christians, that sacred Sabbath, GOD removed the burden of sin; GOD healed the “sin sick soul;” GOD overcame the power of death itself and Christ was raised! 

This Sabbath of preparation let us who are raised with Christ seek to fulfill GOD’S plan as Jesus revealed it to Nicodemus:  “GOD did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its Savior.”  (John 3:17)  Let us do our best work in “the task of making others friends of GOD.” (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Prayer:

Loving GOD, by the power of love, you raised Christ Jesus to Your side, and called us to live your Love as we go forth in Christ’s name.  Amen.

April 18, 2014 - Good Friday, “Why Have You Forsaken Me?” by Rev. Kathleen Kline Moore

 Forsake, abandon, desert, leave utterly alone, renounce…

 “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

 These are the final words of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Mark and in Matthew.

What a haunting, hopeless, even horrifying end that shrouds us all in a mystery of intent.  What does God want us to understand here?  Was it ultimately a cry of victory, as so many surmise, extending his use of Psalm 22 through his own suffering to confidence in God’s saving power? (Psalm 22: 1-3a).  Or are we left hanging in his abandonment…as so many of us are when we’ve gone down to the pit, utterly bereft of hope, crying out with abandon at the darkness of feeling utterly and totally alone?

It’s funny what strikes you at different moments of your living.  For years I have read, heard, pondered these words and I never connected that these, according to some, were his very last words.  I think of what my last words might be to my husband, my children.  I would pray they are “I love you.”

Yet Jesus shows us the fullness of his human suffering as he comes to the final moment of his living.

Lucky for us, we know what happens next.  We know that God, indeed, so fully embraced Jesus that he raised him above the suffering in light and life.  This resurrection promise assures us that suffering is never the final word for us, either.

But how sure was Jesus when he cried out, I wonder?  How sure are we?

A number of years ago I was summoned to the bed of one of my newest church members from my first church, Shiela Plater.  Sheila had struggled with cancer for over 10 years.  Months before one of her friends suggested I go and speak with her.  From then on we developed a deep pastoral friendship speaking of matters of life, death, and faith. She joined the church from her home.  Was able to worship with us on only one sunny Sunday in the beauty of our sanctuary. So on that final day, in the hospital deep in the stainless steel of Baltimore, MD I was with her as she struggled for her last few breaths.  Suddenly she squeezed my hand with an intensity I hadn’t felt in a long time.  She wasn’t anymore, able to speak.  But her eyes, they pierced into mine suddenly with a terror I had never seen in her.  “My God, My God, don’t forsake me” she seemed to be crying!  I didn’t expect it.  She had said she was ready to go, and here she was, fearing like I’d never seen before, eyes pitch black with sorrow.  I didn’t know what to do, but hold her ever so tightly, speaking, almost shouting the 23rd psalm.  I thought to myself, “I must pray her through to the other side, to the light.  Please God, help me do this.”

Jesus wasn’t really alone before the curtain of the heavens tore in two.  There was his mother, there was Mary Magdalene, there was Mary, the mother of James and Joseph.  There was the mother of the sons of Zebedee - at least according to Matthew.  There was the centurion.  There was Nicodemus.  Gathered, as we imagine, the ones who believed, the ones who hadn’t abandoned him, the ones who stayed.  I wonder, did they pray him through to the other side?  Was that God’s intent?  Is that where God was?  In the prayers of the faithful?

I am so glad that Jesus, too, felt lost and abandoned.  For because of his cries, I am able to embrace the darkness that surrounds others and breathe in light.  Thank you, Lord Jesus for being human enough to love me through the darkness and into the light.  Amen.

April 17, 2014 - Maundy Thursday,Photo by Virginia Findley

 26While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ 27Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; 28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’  30When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  (Matthew 26:26-30)

April 16, 2014 By Wendel Miser

Love waited for me to recognize it.  

Then it enveloped me as if my time prior to my recognition of it had never existed.

WLM:  March 28, 2008