Erin Mills United Church Sermons

Mary goes to the tomb while it is still dark. She knows nothing of the Easter event that brings us here in the dark tonight. Mary goes to the tomb to face death – the death of Jesus - her beloved friend, teacher healer and guide. We can only guess at the thoughts and feelings deep within Mary - anger at the injustice of the death of an innocent one, grief at the loss of one dear to her, anxiety about what to do next. We know one thing for sure, Mary did not go to the tomb anticipating life. To add insult to injury, when she arrives at the tomb the stone is moved and the body of Jesus is gone. Is even the opportunity to properly grieve going to be taken away from her? And now, in spite of dawn's early light brightening the night sky her heart feels even colder and her sorrow and outrage grow more intense. Mary cannot handle these new horrors on her own, so she runs to tell the other companions of Jesus. Peter and John race to the tomb and confirm her story. It wasn't just a bad dream – the linen grave cloths are empty, the body is gone. The two men leave as quickly as they came and once again Mary is left alone. She lingers outside the tomb. Her heart is broken and in spite of all the tears she has already shed, she weeps again. Hope is gone, love is lost, and life is ended. She decides to look into the tomb one more time, and is greeted by two who ask her why she is weeping. As she replies through her tears, she turns around and sees another before her. He too asks, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for, whom do you seek? Caught up in her misery and pain, Mary begins to explain. As she rambles on about gardeners and such, she is interrupted. "Mary" the simple speaking her name. No dramatic special effects, no earthquakes or bolts of lightening, no halleluiah chorus of angels. Jesus, the risen one, simply calls her by name – Mary. One word, and Mary's world changes completely. One word and hope returns. One word and love is restored. One word and life begins again. One word and Mary sees the risen Christ. One word and Mary is convinced that nothing, not even death can defeat the loving purposes of God. We gather here on this Easter Eve, to hear a life-giving word again in our time and in our place. We gather to know that the risen Christ is among us and to be convinced that God's love in Christ is stronger than any suffering or death. But what words or experiences will convince us and open our eyes to see the risen one in our midst? I cannot give you a formula or provide you with a "money back guaranteed experience" of the risen Christ. I cannot tell you to go here or to go there so that you will be sure to see the Christ. All I can share with you are the experiences and stories of those who in their own words tell us that they have seen Christ. And what is remarkable about these stories is that their experience of the risen Christ occurs in the midst of everyday life, often when they were least prepared to hear or to see the good news of Christ among them. Mary Magdalene does not go to the tomb expecting to see or hear anything that fills her with new hope and life. She was overcome with pain and grief, worn out with tears and full of anger and worry about where the body of Jesus lay. And yet, somehow a simple word penetrated all that and filled her with unexpected joy and the certainty that she was in the presence of the risen Christ. Others tell their story of meeting the risen Christ while they are hiding in fear behind locked doors or while they are at table, breaking bread. Some, like Paul, meet the risen Christ when they are passionate disbelievers. Some meet Christ in an unexpected encounter on a long journey or in jail cell. The risen Christ does not wait to meet us until all the Easter banners or flowers are in place. Christ does not wait until the Easter anthems are perfected and the Easter sermon is finished. Christ does not wait for us to be in the perfect frame of mind, whole and healthy and full anticipation with the "right" holy thoughts and emotions. The risen Christ meets us when we are tired and frustrated, when we are overcome with worry or grief, when pain and hardship weigh us down, when anger burns within us, when hope is dried up, when love has faded, when we are bored and when we are at our wits end. The risen Christ meets us and speaks a word that opens our eyes and our hearts to God's life-giving love. It is a word that affirms us as God's beloved children, a word that reminds us of who we truly are, a word that we cannot keep to ourselves but eagerly share with others. We hear the word in a multitude of ways – in music, in touch, in quiet companionship, in prayer, in tender compassion, in simple everyday gestures of caring, in acts of justice and mercy, in the breaking of bread and sharing the cup, in all that speaks of God's love for the world. The word of the risen Christ will not be silenced or stopped. We gather here tonight because we too have heard that word of love and life. We gather to listen for it again and to celebrate in praise and thanksgiving. And like Mary, we too cannot wait to run and tell others the good news – "I have seen the Christ" . Halleluiah, thanks be to God. Amen.