Alleluia, Christ is risen from the dead, Alleluia!  It is the most distinctive and important tenet of the Christian faith that Jesus defeated death and arose from the grave.  Without this truth, Christianity is little more than a middle-eastern philosophy that has gathered a popular following in the west.  With this truth, Christianity is a life changing force that impacts individuals and society for all time.

The Gospel lesson for this Easter Sunday reminds us of the story of Mary going to the tomb, finding it empty and having an encounter with the risen Christ.  The reading from Acts shows us that God has no room for prejudice, but that all are invited to partake of the spiritual power that comes from resurrection.  Human beings are not given the right to call another creature made by God, unclean or unacceptable.  The epistle to the Colossians issues us a challenge to set our minds on things that are above, and therefore consider the priorities by which we live our lives.

For many the challenge is simply to make it through until we can achieve a realized presence in heaven after death.  The context of Colossians indicates that the author had something far more down to earth in mind.  We should not simply be making our way through life the same old way, but we should have a new perspective on life that challenges our priorities. We have been crucified with Christ on the cross, and raised to new life in Christ in this life, not just an eschatological hope of eternity.

What kinds of things should this new way of thinking make important to us?  Jesus said quite clearly, “all shall know you are my disciples if you have love one toward another.”  Paul wrote “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love.”  Clearly love, in all of its implications and ramifications should be the overriding goal of everyone who has been resurrected with Christ into a new way of life.  The ancient prophet Micah tells us how apply that love on a societal scale; we should “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8)

In spite of 2000 years of Christian tradition we still struggle with keeping our priorities on the intangible heavenly things that really matter. It is so easy for us to fall into worrying about material wealth and acquiring more creature comforts. I dare say our global economy is almost dependent upon Americans consuming more and more material things.  The crisis in our global economic markets and institutions has a great deal to do with greed; the greed of those who want to live above their means, and the greed of banks willing to make loans to people that they know they can’t repay.  There is no way this cycle could possibly continue forever.

It is also difficult for us to take the time to do what we can to promote justice.  I find myself on several different email groups who continually remind me to contact my government leaders on issues of justice, whether it is through the church, equal rights organizations, or AARP.  I’ve found that sometimes my representatives in the Congress and Senate have listened to my email comments and responded intelligently.  At other times they have ignored my voice and chosen to make rules and pass laws that I do not believe stand for justice.  In those instances we have an extra responsibility to make sure to vote for those who will stand for the heavenly priorities of justice, mercy, and national humility.  Although I’m in touch with one representative or another about every month, I still realize that I could do more.  I could stand vigil for those who are put to death, or take more time off work to go visit the legislature to tell them my views on critical issues.  Perhaps I could serve food to those who need it, or do more to change the institutions that keep many in bondage.

Sadly, we still live in a culture where violence rather than justice is too often the reality.  The streets of many cities are not safe due to the possibility or being robbed, beaten up, or even murdered.  Wives are beaten by their husbands and treated as property.  One out of every three gay men report having been victims of physical abuse. This isn’t abuse from outside the community, which is more rampant, these are men who have been beaten and abused in their personal relationships.  We still live in a world where it is not safe for everyone to express who they are.  I have been run off the road and called obscenities because of having a rainbow sticker on my car.  That is nothing compared to people like Lawrence King, who believed that America had reached the point where he could express his gender identity freely, but when he did so, he was brutally killed.

Our new life in Christ calls us to be heavenly minded and love mercy, yet our nation this week recognized the anniversary of an unjust attack on Iraq where thousands have died in a war started without just provocation.  Americans are now in the midst of a political campaign to choose a new commander in chief.  I trust we will have the courage to challenge our new leader to pledge never to turn the United States into an aggressor nation again, and to end the current administration’s policy of “preemptive strike.”  At the same time we must honor those who have sought to do their duty to our nation and have fought believing the orders of those above them to be reliable.  The greatest way we can support our troops is to bring them home safely and make sure we never make an unprovoked war against another nation again. 

I know that Easter is a time of reflection on the wonderful nature of Christ’s resurrection and the power that brings to our lives, but yet we must also remember that along with the spiritual blessing of resurrection comes a responsibility to live resurrected lives.  Our hearts should not be set on the same things that the baser parts of our human nature would seek.  Easter provides us an opportunity to grow and recognize the challenge of a higher calling.  The Holy Spirit that now lives in us can be a force to bring our society back from the brink of immorality and away from the destructive patterns of materialistic greed, violence and arrogance. 

Jesus is risen from the dead.  I am convinced of this truth because I have felt the inner nudge of the Holy Spirit challenging me through the Scripture to stand for justice and mercy.  I am aware that I fall far short of the call, but I ask God’s forgiveness, and want to strive to do more to bring about the kinds of heavenly values that are crucial to the development of humanity. So many people have suffered because of mistakes concerning choosing the right values.  We are called to do all we can to be merciful and relieve that suffering.  We must also do everything possible to help prevent future suffering.

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  May the life of Christ rise up in us more and more each day so that we can truly set our hearts, our priorities, on those things that really matter, and live in right relationship with God and those around us to the greatest extent possible!  This is not an easy challenge, but it is a challenge where we are promised the comfort of the Holy Spirit to always be with us to strengthen and empower us in our effort of love, justice, mercy and humility.

Colossians 3:1-4
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18

I remember my first Holy Communion very well.  I wasn’t raised in any particular religion and became a Christian believer as a teenager.  I attended an evangelical church that practiced Holy Communion once a month and didn’t have any preparation prior to participating.  When I saw the deacons carrying the tray with the elements, I asked the girl sitting next to me, what was in the tray.  She told me it was the body and blood of Christ.  My follow up question was “What are they going to do with it?”  She replied, ‘We are going to eat it.”  My response was, “not me.”  I wondered if I had joined a group of cannibals and looked for the door.  I would not have partaken that day, except that the minister specifically encouraged me to do so.  I was surprised to find that the body and blood of Christ tasted a lot like crackers and grape juice.

Our Scripture lessons for Maundy Thursday, March 20, remind us of the last supper Christ shared with his disciples.  It was the Passover meal that would have included roasted lamb, unleavened or flat bread, bitter herbs and wine.  During this meal, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion.  He gave the bread to the disciples and said “This is my body broken for you.”  Afterward, he took the cup of wine and asked them all to drink from it saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.”  Jesus became the Pascal lamb for the whole world on the cross, and we participate in that sacrifice of Christ as we partake of his body and blood at Holy Communion.

The sacrament has been a source of great controversy over the years.  There are different ways of understanding what is happening at Communion, and misunderstanding has caused division among Christians.  We attempted to have a discussion on the topic at a small group meeting not long ago, and there were those present who thought it blasphemy to think of Holy Communion as anything more than simply an act of memorializing and remembering Jesus.  I admit that I have a great deal of respect for the sacrament as a spiritual event, and tend to take a mystical view.

Traditionally there have been three major doctrines about what Holy Communion is. The Roman church holds to the doctrine of transubstantiation.  They believe the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ when the priest consecrates it as such in prayer.  Therefore they venerate the sacrament and treat the elements with great respect.  Protestants tend to have a problem with this view, and some see it as idolatry.  However, in order to understand one must think in terms of the ancient use of the word for “substance.”  Modern use of the word tends to mean what something is made of, whereas ancient use of the term had more to do with purpose.  For example, we might say that the substance of a table is wood, where those who used the term years ago would have said that the substance of a table was “table.”  With this understanding, it becomes easier to think of the substance of the bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ, since that is its purpose.

Martin Luther proposed a different concept of Holy Communion.  He taught that the bread and wine remain bread and wine, but at the same time they are the body and blood of Christ.  This view is known as “consubstantiation.”  This teaching takes into account both what the elements consist of as well as its purpose.  Many reformation churches have taken this position and continue to hold the elements of communion in high regard. 

Other reformers disagreed with both of these views.  The enlightenment brought about the concept of scientific method and proving whether something is true or not.  Since it cannot be proven that the bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ, many take the approach that it remains simply bread and wine.  We eat the bread and drink the wine to remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  The meal is a memorial of his suffering and death.  Holy Communion is then an opportunity to remind ourselves of what Christ has done for us, but it is not a means of grace or a participation in the sacrifice of Jesus.

There are some believers today who take an even different approach. They believe that Holy Communion is a common meal that is shared with the entire church.  Therefore it is irrelevant whether the bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ, because what is important is that everyone is sharing together in a common meal.  The purpose of communion for those who follow this approach is as a unifying custom that brings people together and connects us with one another.

These views of Holy Communion may seem quite at odds with each other, and in many respects they are, but I believe there is merit in each understanding of the sacred meal.  It is indeed a unifying meal that brings people together.  Unity is of vital importance to oppressed people, and communion can serve a vital role in bringing people together.  It is also an opportunity to remember what Christ has done and memorialize the Savior.  However, Jesus did not say this represents my body, he said this is my body.  Therefore, to take Scripture at its full value, we must believe that something more is taking place as we share the elements of communion.

First century believers were accustomed to the idea of eating a sacrifice.  The priests in the Temple at Jerusalem ate the animals and grain offerings that were brought by the people.  Christ has provided a new covenant and a better sacrifice.  He died once and for all so that no more sacrifices are needed in order to pay for offenses.  It was truly a scared event.  Sacred events occur at a certain point in history, but they have implications throughout all time.  God isn’t limited to time and space. 

Holy Communion is the sacrament where we participate by faith in a sacred event that happened in first century Jerusalem.  We share in the sacrifice of Christ by eating what is for us his body and blood.  Everyone is welcome at God’s table.  Since Christ’s work is for everyone, everywhere, at all times, each of us come to the table without fear of rejection by God.  Rich or poor, young or old, black or white, man or woman, heterosexual or homosexual, legitimate or illegitimate; are all welcome to commune with one another and with the Christ who loves us enough to give us the gift of his life.

Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Psalm 116:1, 10-17

My grandfather once told me that Jesus was a horse thief and that he could prove it from the Bible.  He referred to the Scriptures used today in the Liturgy of the Palms.  When I was old enough to read the Bible for myself, I discovered it wasn’t a horse at all, but a donkey.  My grandfather wanted to identify with Christ as a horse thief because he had spent a few years in the state penitentiary for stealing a cow during the great depression.

Jesus told his disciples to go into the next village, they would see a donkey there, and that they should bring it to him.  Luke’s account of this event includes a conversation with the owner of the donkey where he passively assents to Jesus borrowing the young donkey. 

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian calendar.  It is the week we recall the events of Christ’s passion; his arrest, torture and death.  The week alone is somewhat anti-climactic, for we begin with a triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and end the week with the disciples saying “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”  (Luke  24:21)  It was a week filled with jubilance and despair.

When Jesus entered the city, he was followed by a large crowd of his followers.  These were people who had heard some of his discourses and were amazed at the new teaching he offered.  He gave them a sense of hope rather than the religious legalism that was demanded of them by the leaders of the day.  Rather than the same old lectures and Scripture readings, Jesus gave the promise of God’s love and a new way of life that brought courage.  Jesus was more than an eloquent speaker however; he put his words into action.

The crowd who followed Jesus in his travels in this last phase of his ministry had seen many marvelous things.  Perhaps they had seen the man born blind given his sight.  Maybe they had witnessed the leper healed of his disease and could testify that the lesions were cleansed from his skin.   Many had been there to see Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, walk out of the tomb still wrapped in his grave clothes.  At least a few of them were their in the early days when he turned the water into wine at his cousin’s wedding feast in Cana.

These people had listened to Jesus, they had walked with him, they saw what he did, but they still seemed to miss the point.  He warned them that he would be persecuted and killed on their behalf, but they didn’t understand how that could happen.  On Palm Sunday the excitement was overwhelming.  They had high hopes and expectations for what was about to happen.

Jerusalem had many kings and generals enter as a triumphant conqueror.  The Greeks and Romans followed a similar pattern when they entered a conquered city.  The entry of Jesus on the donkey clearly fits the pattern of such a triumphant entry.  Usually the king would ride into the city followed by the massive army who had fought and won the battle.  They would be singing hymns, dancing, and parade through the city allowing the inhabitants to see who was now in command.  The triumph usually ended at a Temple, where the conquering king would give reverence to whatever god was worshipped in the city by offering a sacrifice.  Alexander the great had entered Jerusalem in just this fashion and offered sacrifice at the Temple.  Antiochus Epiphanies had entered the city and desecrated the temple rather than give reverence to God.

When Christ’s followers experienced this entrance they were overwhelmed with joy and excitement, they sang hymns and shouted praise to Jesus.  When challenged by the Pharisees to ask his followers to be quiet Jesus confirmed that He was indeed the King.  Matthew’s gospel clearly shows that the prophet Zechariah had predicted the messiah would come into Jerusalem in just this way.  The crowds proclaimed Psalm 118, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the lord.” 

Israel had suffered under many oppressive rulers and the people longed for a messiah to come and save them.  The people looked to Jesus as messiah, but they limited their expectation of messiah to that of a political ruler.  They thought that messiah would come and unite the people to throw off the bondage of Rome.  Christ could have fulfilled their expectations and either called the people to arms in order to overthrow Rome, or call down a host of angels to miraculously defeat Rome.  Most of those who were singing the praises of Jesus on Palm Sunday probably had this limited view of redemption for Israel.

However, Jesus did not ride into the city with an army.  He was followed by fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, and others who were not on the “A list” of social circles.  He didn’t come with swords and weapons, but with singing and proclamation of God’s love for everyone.  He did not come as a king to make war, but to be a king who would bring peace to all nations, not just Israel.  Jesus didn’t stir the people to arms, but he celebrated Passover and went out to pray and gather strength from his spiritual practices in preparation for his final gift to humanity. Jesus did not offer a sacrifice of an animal in the temple in order to reverence God; He gave himself as a sacrifice instead.  Once the crowds saw that he was not intending to overthrow Roman rule, I wonder how many of the same people were in the courtyard at the end of the week to shout “crucify him.”

My grandfather had a limited vision of Christ by identifying with his borrowing the donkey.  The disciples in Jerusalem had a limited vision because they were looking for political, social, and economic redemption.  When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, Jesus answered that his kingdom was not of this world.  Christ is king of a non-tangible kingdom of peace and reconciliation. 

Humanity continues to struggle with a limited concept of Jesus.  Some see Christ as simply a way to live forever.  Others may see Christ as the source of economic prosperity and the good life.  Often people see Christ as only available to a limited group of people.  Our challenge is to see a limitless Christ who brings redemption for everyone, everywhere, all the time.  

Matthew 21:1-11
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 27-11-54

In over16 years of parish work, I have had the experience of witnessing death more times than I can count.  I never felt that I could vocalize what I felt when I was present with folks who died, or with their loved ones afterward. Each event was unique but I came to learn that what was important was simply being present not what was said.  Often trying to find just the right words can become embarrassing or troubling.  Being present is more meaningful than all the words that can be spoken.

The person that I have sat with at death who I was most attached to was my mother.  Fortunately I have not had the experience of living through the passing of a spouse or partner.  My mother had often expressed how much she missed her father who had died in a coal mine collapse in 1955. When she passed a few years ago, I encouraged her to relax and visit with her father in heaven.  Within seconds following those words her body relaxed and she breathed her last breath.  It was an honor that my partner and I were present with her at that moment. 

The season of lent is a time when we remember our human limitations and mortality.  We often don’t do a great job of addressing death except at funerals, but death is a part of the human experience that we must all come to terms with.  Both our Old Testament lesson and the Gospel lesson for the fifth Sunday of Lent, March 9, are very dramatic stories about death.

Ezekiel tells of the prophet’s vision of a valley filled with dead dry bones.  Perhaps the image was a battlefield where the dead had been left to decompose.  God challenged the prophet to call the breath of God through the wind to blow on the bones and bring them back to life.  It was a time when Jewish society was depressed and filled with decay.  They were a conquered people with many who had been carried away as slaves.  God promised to restore the community through the movement of the Holy Spirit. 

The Gospel of John tells us the story of Jesus miraculously raising Lazarus from the dead.   The event gives us a unique look at the human side of Jesus.  Jesus wept over the death of his friend more than once, even though the narrative is clear that he knew that Lazarus would be resurrected.  The author makes the point strongly that Jesus loved Lazarus deeply and therefore he would have been moved by any suffering on the part of his loved one.

Who was Lazarus?   He isn’t listed as an official disciple of Jesus, and his resurrection is only mentioned here in the Gospel of John.  We know that he was a young wealthy man who lived with his two sisters near Jerusalem.  We also know that Jesus stayed at Lazarus’ home more than once when his ministry allowed him to be nearby.  Many scholars connect Lazarus with the rich young man who approached Jesus and asked him, “What must I do to be saved.”  Mark chapter ten tells us that when Jesus first saw this young man he “looked at him and loved him.” 

Jesus was not in Bethany when Lazarus became sick and died. When he heard the news he became emotional and wept for the young man he loved.  By the time Jesus arrived he had been in the tomb for four days.  Interestingly, a common superstition of the time was that a person’s soul stayed around the body after death looking for an opportunity to get back inside, but the soul departed on the fourth day.  This would mean that Lazarus’ soul would have already departed and his body would have shown significant decay.

It was dangerous for Jesus to make this journey.  He had come close to being stoned to death the last time he was in the area of Jerusalem and the disciples feared that returning to the area would mean arrest and death.  In spite of the danger, Jesus loved Lazarus and made the journey.  Raising Lazarus from the dead was the final trigger for the religious leaders to conspire to arrest and kill Jesus.  Christ brought back life for the one He loved, knowing that it would help lead to his own suffering and death.

Upon arrival he spoke with Lazarus’ sisters and asked them to take him to the tomb.  Once again, Jesus wept.  Those who witnessed the event were moved by the magnitude of Jesus’ love for Lazarus.

Jesus called for Lazarus to come forth.  The scripture records that Lazarus walked out of the tomb although he was bound at the hands and feet with a strip of linen, and another was around his face.  Jesus asked those who were around to remove the grave clothes.

In the midst of this story Jesus made one of his “I am” statements.  He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.”  The source of life, past, present and future is found in Jesus.  Ezekiel reminds us that God is the source of national and community life.  John reminds us that God is the source of life as individuals.  The book of Romans reminds us that the same spirit that brings resurrection lives within all those who trust in Christ.  Our lives are energized by the continuing presence of the God who loves us.

Many people want to challenge the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  Some believe it isn’t historically reliable because it isn’t mentioned in any other gospel.  Others simply cannot accept the overwhelmingly miraculous nature of one being raised from death.  Still others would like to say that perhaps he was only near death or in a coma and would have revived whether Jesus was there or not.  However, there are many things in the Bible that we believe to be true even though they are only mentioned in one narrative.  We have no more reason to doubt this story than we do any other miracle in the Bible.  Those who dismiss this story do so because they do not want to believe in anything supernatural.  Yet there are many things that would have been miraculous in the first century that are commonplace today.  There are accounts of modern doctors reviving people who have been frozen underwater for long periods of time.  If a human being can do that, how much more can God do?  It all comes down to a matter of what we choose to believe.  I want to keep my mind open to infinite possibilities.

Through Jesus, love conquers all.  When danger is near, the love of Christ brings us inner peace.  Through Jesus, we see that love is more meaningful and powerful than all of the institutions of society.  God’s love is powerful enough to carry us through every condition of this life and give us assurance of life once we have taken off this mortal body and enter the next realm of existence.  When God loves, God loves completely, fully and forever.  We are encouraged by the Scripture to believe in life after death and that it is love that makes that life happen.