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Luke 24:1-12

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.

6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son-of-Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

 

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Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

 

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Please pray with me this morning, church:

Holy God,

Resurrection has arrived!

Thank you. For promising new life.

Thank you for resurrection hope.

Call us out of our tombs, this morning.

Take us by the hand and raise us to life with you.

Amen.

 

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Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

 

Mmmm…goodness…you know what, church…I believe you. I believe you when you say that.

It’s been a while since I’ve heard you say that, and I think you believe it, too, this year.

 

Christ is risen. Alleluia!

Praise and thank God!

 

I think we’ve had to take our hopeful moments as we could get them the past couple of years, but this year really does feel like resurrection. And look, we can be honest that we may not be totally out of the woods yet…it’s not as if there won’t ever be setbacks…in a pandemic, or in your life, amen?…but in a way that I certainly haven’t felt in a good long while, I believe you when you say that.

I think we’re experiencing some real resurrection joy this morning.

And it makes my heart very happy.

 

It reminds me, as it does every year, that sometimes resurrection takes a while. About 3 days…or sometimes 3 years…sometimes longer… Sometimes resurrection takes a while, but it is always, always worth it. Just sometimes it requires a little patience.

 

Patience is something I’ve been trying to practice in recent months… I mentioned in a sermon a few weeks back that we’re trying our hand at gardening this year…raised beds, tomatoes, peppers, the whole bit…so between that, parenting a 2 and a half-year old, and the fits and starts of a global pandemic…yeah, you could say I’ve definitely been working on my patience.

And you know, they say “Practice makes perfect”…but I gotta tell you, church, in my case, it feels like I’m not getting any better at it. In fact, I feel like I’m downright lousy at patience. Maybe you, too.

 

Sometimes resurrection takes a while.

 

Because if I get caught up in the immediacy of things, if I get consumed by wanting things to happen on my time and when I want them, I am always disappointed. And I miss out…on so much.

 

Just a couple of days ago, on Good Friday, we had, what I guess is now an annual event, what we call Good Friday in the Garden. And it’s a time of spring cleaning of our Prayer Garden: weeding, mulching, planting some flowers… And I’ve been saying that it’s geared toward families, and it is, but I think I’m going to stop saying that. Because the truth is, it’s for adults, too. It’s for folks with grandkids, and no kids…married folks, divorced folks, single folks…it’s an all-church event. Because we can learn so much from each other when we just take a second to be near to one another, to be in close proximity to one another.

And we planted some seeds out in the garden, and Pastor Janelle reminded us that plants need water and sunlight and oxygen and love…but it will take a while for those wildflowers and plants for pollinators to grow up.

Sometimes life breaking forth takes a while. Sometimes resurrection takes a while.

 

But pay attention along the way.

 

The women were the first to the tomb. They brought spices and clean sheets, they were going to keep taking care of Jesus’ body as it rested. And when they got there and didn’t find a body, they were pretty freaked out. And then the two people in dazzling clothes come along and ask the question that of course is on everyone’s mind, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?”

And then they get to my favorite question of this story, “Don’t you remember? Don’t you remember what he told you?”

He told you everything that was supposed to happen, as it was supposed to happen, and yet, still, here you are. What are you doing here?

 

Pay attention along the way.

 

And then the women remembered, and they went to tell all the other disciples. And in every single Gospel account it’s the women who are the first witnesses to the resurrection. And it’s the women who are the first preachers, the women who are the ones entrusted with telling the good news to everyone else, including the apostles…so, you know, file that away for later…

But the writer of Luke is the only one to note that the apostles didn’t believe the women. “It seemed to them an idle tale.” So they go to see for themselves, and it turns out it was just as the women told them. Go figure…

 

Pay attention along the way.

 

Don’t get caught up in the immediacy of the moment, and wanting it happen just as you want it to. Sometimes resurrection takes a while, but if you’re paying attention, you’ll notice the signs.

 

Those tomatoes in our backyard are starting to come along, by the way. I know this because every day, our 2 and a half-year old reminds me that we need to go check on them. And one of the flowers on one of the plants has started to get a little green bulb on it. And if you come over to our house, our 2 and half-year old will jump up and down and yell at you, “Come outside! Come look! Come and see our tomato!”

 

Church, that’s the kind of joy and excitement I’m feeling with this resurrection this morning.

That’s the kind of joy and excitement I want to carry with me through this resurrection season and into the seasons to come.

 

How are you participating in resurrection in this season, church? Where do you see new life, and new possibilities, and new hope springing forth and bursting out?

 

Sometimes resurrection takes a while, but pay attention to signs, even the small ones.

And rejoice with all you got.

New life is coming.

Resurrected hope is here.

This good news is for you.

 

Alleluia!

Amen.

 

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