March 30, 2008 Sermon
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Easter 2 - A (and Baptisms, 10:30)
March 30, 2008 Allan Conkling
OK, let's set the stage: As our Gospel of John opens it is still Easter. New folks will no doubt wonder why we split things up this way. The simple answer is that it would have made things too long last week. But there is something else going on. Last week the mood was clearly more upbeat. Last week was the celebration, the party. By contrast, today the reality sets in. Last week was joyfully chaotic; today it is chaotic in a fearful, out of control way. Easter evening yet nobody is happy: The doors of the house were locked, the disciples were huddled in fear. These folks were terrified of what might happen next.
Today at the 10:30 service we are having the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. For the Noelke family and the Oswald-Langley family this is the day of joy and happiness. It will be something to tell the kids often as they grow up. But I also hope that, at least on some level--and just as often--the kids will be reminded of the other side of the ceremony. The author of 1 Peter (the Epistle) says:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope..." Just like Baptism.
As the Peterson translation puts it:
"What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him...we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven--and the future starts now!"
But there's the catch, a flip-side: Being a Christian involves a risk. The risk to a disciple was that he would be identified with their Master and suffer his same fate. The risk to us likewise is that we would be identified with Christ. We might be called to take a stand for injustice, to speak out for those who have no voice. We might feel ourselves called to confront hypocrisy, racism or any of the myriad of other issues plaguing our culture and society. To be identified as a follower of Christ means that we will seek and serve all persons, even the ones who are different than us. It takes little to say, "God bless America"; much more difficult is to say: "God bless everyone, no exceptions."
The Resurrection affirms that we are children of God and integral part of God's creation, and what Good News that is! On the other hand, if we dare take this "Christian stuff" to heart we cannot be content to simply ask, "What's in it for me?" Rather we must also ask, WHAT will this mean for my life, for the life of my family, for this church, for our nation if I choose to follow? We laugh about people not coming back the Sunday after Easter, but really this can be scary!
However it was that Christ appeared to that frightened, demoralized group of would-be Apostles, huddled in the upper room, the point was to show them God's extravagant and unconditional love was always present. Christ Risen would never leave them. How do we then, as the living Body of Christ extend that love and message of radical inclusion to others around us? Thomas said, upon seeing Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" Do people say the same when they see us? Do they sense the presence of Christ when walking through those doors, when coming to the Altar rail? One writer says it this way:
"So the call of Christ to me is an eternal call to love, to live, and to be. It is an invitation to work for those things that create life and to oppose those people, those attitudes, and those systems that distort life. It is to become aware of the freeing, exhilarating, consciousness-raising experience of the Holy God."
Dear friends, we have a job to do! Thomas could have run...but he didn't. Likewise he did not stay there. He went out. They all went out: They left that upper room went forth to face the world. That was the legacy they left for us. What will our legacy be for those who come after?
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Revised: 04/15/08