FOR SOME OF YOU, CHURCH ATTENDANCE AND A COMMUNITY
OF FAITH ARE INTEGRAL PARTS OF YOUR LIFE. FOR OTHERS OF YOU, THEY
ARE NOT. BUT FOR ALL OF YOU TO GET UP AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR OF
THE MORNING, EASTER HOLDS SOME SIGNIFICANCE. THE GOOD NEWS OF
THE RISEN CHRIST CREATES A REALITY WHICH IS BEYOND US AND PULLS
US FORWARD. A REALITY WHICH IS NOT BASED UPON OUR ACTION OR INACTION…
BUT IN FACT PRODUCES OUR ACTION– EASTER DOES NOT COME ABOUT BECAUSE
WE OBSERVED THE DISCIPLINE OF LENT NOR DOES IT COME AS A WARNING
TO SHAPE UP OR ELSE. EASTER COMES AS A GRACIOUS GIFT FROM A LOVING
GOD TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF US INSPITE OF OUR ACTION. THIS WE
SHARE IN COMMON WITH PEOPLE OF ALL TIMES AND PLACES.

IF THIS IS MY ONE SHOT FOR THE YEAR TO WITNESS TO
SOME OF YOU, HOW CAN I PACK EVERYTHING I WANT TO SAY INTO ONE
SHORT THREE HOUR CRUISE….. JUST KIDDING. I CAN’T. AND WHAT’S
MORE – I DON’T HAVE TO. WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS THIS – THE FIRST
EASTER DID NOT BEGIN WITH OUTSTANDING BEHAVIOR OR GREAT CHEER.
JESUS HAD BEEN ARRESTED, TRIED, CONVICTED, AND CRUCIFIED. HIS
BODY WAS PUT IN THE TOMB AND A GREAT STONE WAS PLACED OVER THE
ENTRANCE. IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THE MOVEMENT INITIATED BY JESUS
HAD COME TO AN END. HIS FOLLOWERS WERE HIDING, NOT WORSHIPPING.
MARY GOES TO ANNOINT A DEAD BODY, NOT TO GREET A RISEN LORD. THEY
HAD NO DOUBT THAT GOD HAD DECISIVELY ENTERED HISTORY. BUT NOW,
WITH THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH, IT WAS ALL OVER. DEATH WAS THE
FINAL WORD!

BUT IT WASN’T OVER AND IT ISN’T OVER. JESUS CHRIST
WAS AND IS ALIVE. BECAUSE CHRIST LIVES… WE SHALL LIVE ALSO.
WHETHER OR NOT WE CHOOSE TO BELIEVE OR RECEIVE THE GIFT DOES NOT
CHANGE THE TRUTH OF THE REALITY. JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE… HE IS
RISEN… HE IS RISEN INDEED. THE DIFFERENCE COMES IN HOW WE USE
THE GIFT THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. HOW WE CHOOSE TO LIVE OUR LIVES
RIGHT HERE AND HOW.

FIRST: HOW WE SEE OURSELVES

BERTRAND RUSSELL WAS A DISTINGUISHED PHILOSOPHER
WHO OPERATED ON THE BASIS OF THE ATHEISTIC OUTLOOK, MADE CLEAR
IN HIS ESSAY “A FREE MAN’S WORSHIP.” NOTE THE PICTURE OF HUMAN
LIFE AND DESTINY THAT EMERGES WHEN THE RESURRECTION IS DENIED:

BRIEF AND POWERLESS IS MAN’S LIFE; ON HIM AND ALL
HIS RACE THE SLOW, SURE DOOM FALLS PITILESS AND DARK. BLIND TO
GOOD AND EVIL, RECKLESS OF DESTRUCTION, OMNIPOTENT MATTER ROLLS
ON ITS RELENTLESS WAY; FOR MAN, CONDEMNED TODAY TO LOSE HIS DEAREST,
TOMORROW HIMSELF TO PASS THROUGH THE GATE OF DARKNESS, IT REMAINS
ONLY TO CHERISH, ERE YET THE BLOW FALL, THE LOFTY THOUGHTS THAT
ENNOBLE HIS LITTLE DAY.

OR— A TRUE STORY… ABOUT A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
PLAYER – THE TEAM CAPTAIN AND QUARTERBACK. HE WAS TO LEAD HIS
TEAM IN TRIUMPHANT IN THE STATE FINALS WHEN WORD CAME THAT HIS
FATHER HAD DIED. THE FUNERAL WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY AS
THE BIG GAME AND EVERYONE JUST ASSUMED THAT JOHNNY WOULD NOT PLAY.
AFTERALL, IT WAS HIS FATHER’S FUNERAL. SO THE BACK-UP QUARTER
BACK WAS SUITING UP TO PLAY WHEN JOHNNY WALKED INTO THE LOCKEROOM.
YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP – NO ONE KNEW WHAT TO SAY.

FINALLY THE COACH TOOK JOHNNY ASIDE AND SAID, "YOU
CAN’T PLAY TODAY, YOU SHOULD BE AT THE FUNERAL." JOHNNY LOOKED
HIM IN THE EYE AND SAID, "YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. MY FATHER
WAS BLIND. HE NEVER SAW ME PLAY. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST GAME HE
HAS SEEN."

HOPE OR DESPAIR… THE CHOICE IS YOURS.

SECOND: THE EASTER FAITH ALSO GIVES US A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF HOW TO RELATE TO OTHERS. ONCE WE REALIZE THAT CHRIST CAME FOR
ALL – REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, CREED, ETHNIC ORIGIN, AND SOCIAL
STANDING… THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY… ONCE WE SEE THIS,
AND ONCE WE REALIZE THAT THE SEATING IN HEAVEN ISN’T RESERVED
AND WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEATING OUT THE JONESES… WE
CAN GIVE OURSELVES IN SERVICE TO OTHERS. WE CAN WORK TO DEFEND
THE DIGNITY AND WORTH OF ALL PERSONS BECAUSE GOD HAS GUARANTEED
OUR OWN WORTH. THERE IS ROOM FOR ALL.

SENATOR SAM NUNN OF GEORGIA ADDRESSED THE 1996 NATIONAL
PRAYER BREAKFAST IN WASHINGTON, D.C. HE TOLD OF A REPORTER WHO
WAS COVERING THE TRAGIC CONFLICT IN SARAJEVO, AND SAW A LITTLE
GIRL SHOT BY A SNIPER. THE REPORTER THREW DOWN HIS PAD AND PENCIL
AND RUSHED TO THE MAN WHO WAS HOLDING THE CHILD AND HELPED BOTH
OF THEM INTO HIS CAR.

AS THE REPORTER STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE MAN
HOLDING THE BLEEDING CHILD SAID, “HURRY, MY FRIEND, MY CHILD
IS STILL ALIVE.” A MOMENT OR TWO LATER, THE MAN SAID, “HURRY,
MY FRIEND, MY CHILD IS STILL BREATHING.” AND THEN, “HURRY, MY
FRIEND, MY CHILD IS STILL WARM.” AND ONCE MORE, “HURRY MY FRIEND,
MY CHILD IS GETTING COLD.”

BUT WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL, THE CHILD
WAS DEAD. LATER, WHEN THE MEN WERE WASHING THE BLOOD OFF THEMSELVES,
THE MAN SAID TO THE REPORTER, “THIS IS A TERRIBLE TASK FOR ME.
I MUST GO AND TELL HER FATHER THAT HIS DAUGHTER IS DEAD. HE WILL
BE HEARTBROKEN.”

AMAZED, THE REPORTER REPLIED, “I THOUGHT SHE WAS
YOUR CHILD.”

`NO,” SAID THE MAN, “BUT AREN’T THEY ALL OUR CHILDREN?”

WE ARE ALL IN THIS THING CALLED LIFE TOGETHER….

THREE—–

WINSTON CHURCHILL, SAINTED LEADER OF WARTIME BRITAN,
WROTE HIS OWN FUNERAL… DID YOU KNOW THAT? A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
YOU CAN USE AT YOUR NEXT DINNER PARTY. ANY WAY, AT WINSTON’S DIRECTION,
THE GREAT HYMNS OF THE CHURCH WERE PLAYED AND THE BEAUTIFUL ANGLICAN
LITURGY WAS USED. THEN A LONE BUGLER, LOCATED IN THE VERY TOP
OF THE DOME OF ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL, BEGAN TO PLAY TAPS… THE
INTERNATIONAL SIGNAL FOR THE ENDING OF THE DAY.

IT IS TIME TO SLEEP. THE LABOR IS OVER.

AS THE LAST NOTE FLOATED OVER THE SHOCKED AND NOW
SOMBER CONGREGATION, ANOTHER BUGLER… ALSO AT CHURCHILL’S DIRECTION-
LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE FIRST BUGLER, BEGAN TO PLAY REVELY…

IT’S TIME TO GET UP! IT’S TIME TO BEGIN A NEW DAY!

THAT’S EASTER, FRIENDS!! GOD’S TRIUMPHAL TRUMPET
BLASTING OUT THE STIRRING STRAINS OF RESURRECTION REVELY…

IT’S TIME TO GET UP….

DEATH IS NOT THE FINAL ANSWER PAIN IS NOT THE FINAL
WORD.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW DAY AND NEW LIFE FOR
ALL GOD’S PEOPLE… FOR THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US AND THOSE
WHO COME AFTER US… ALL ARE UNITED IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST…
THE FIRST BORN OF CREATION.

CHRIST IS RISEN. HE IS RISEN INDEED.

AMEN.