April 12 Easter 2009 - Ketchikan Presbyterian Church in Southeast Alaska!

WHAT NOW?

A sermon by George R. Pasley

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Mark 16:1-8

Death is demanding.

Death demands, demands, demands,

For years and years and years.

Death demands sorrow.

Death demands remembering-

It demands you remember some things you want to forget,

And it will bring up memories you thought you had forgotten,

And hopefully,

In the best of deaths, it will demand a sharing of many good memories.

But then it will demand more sorrow,

As penalty,

For remembering those good memories.

Death will demand that you ignore it,

Deny it,

Disbelieve it, and just when you do,

It will laugh at you and demand

Your anger,

Your guilt,

Your frustration

And then once again,

Your disbelief.

Death IS demanding.

But here is a truth we know:

All the many excruciating demands of death

Are but a portion

Of the demands of life.

Life is demanding.

No matter your age,

No matter your status,

No matter your occupation,

No matter your lifestyle,

Life is demanding.

Always something new to figure out,

Always some riddle to solve,

Always some obligation.

Obligation-

Oh boy, I stepped into that one.

Obligations of family,

Obligations of school,

Obligations of work,

Obligations of citizenship,

Obligations of love-

Oh boy, I REALLY stepped in that one.

Where was I?

Oh yeah- life is demanding.

Life demands a lot from us,

And just when we think we have the demands

All figured out-

Why, life twists them around,

Tosses them in the air and

Rearranges then,

Gives them to you in new combinations.

Yea, old demands,

In new arrangements.

Wonderful.

Wonderful life,

Even when it really is wonderful-

Because sometimes, if were lucky,

We love the challenges,

Love the excitement,

Love the rewards

And life does have rewards.

But when it’s bad,

It’s really bad.

And sometimes

Even when it’s good,

It’s bad.

So just to recap,

Life has demands,

Death is part of life,

And the demands

Never,

Ever,

Stop.

Okay, maybe they take a break,

Once in awhile.

After all,

We do live in Alaska

And there are things

We like to do.

But the demands are waiting,

Waiting for us to take them up again.

But here’s the rub-

Here’s the question for Easter Sunday:

What are the demands of Resurrection?

Trembling and bewildered…

The women fled.

They were afraid.

I know, none of them,

(none of us)

Had ever seen an angel before,

None of them

(none of us)

Have ever heard anybody say,

In complete seriousness,

He was crucified, but he has risen.

Holy Cow!

But holy cow-

If death is demanding

And life is demanding

Then what is resurrection?

Whatever it is,

It must be demanding.

It has to be.

It can only be.

Why- look at St. Paul,

Writer of half the New Testament.

By his own admission (or was it a boast?)

He worked harder than anybody else,

More than any of the apostles.

So, the women were afraid of ghosts.

But I’m afraid of resurrection-

Whatever may be its demands-

And I’m not even dead yet.

“He is going ahead of you,

Into Galilee…”

“Ahead of me”

Means I’m supposed to follow.

See what I mean?

Resurrection

HAS TO be

Demanding.

Maybe there’s someone here today

Who doesn’t really want to be,

Thinks we want something out of them,

Thinks God wants them to do better

When they’re doing

The best they can.

Maybe there’s someone here today

Who comes every week

But hasn’t jumped in,

Not over their head,

Not planning to either.

Maybe there’s someone here today

Who’s gritting their teeth,

Getting ready for the week ahead

And they don’t need something else.

Maybe there’s someone here today

Who does not need another week

That’s anything like one they had

Sometime previous-

They just want to hang on to what they have,

Stay out of trouble, get by.

Maybe there are people here like those people

And maybe your one of them

And maybe you heard those words,

“He’s going ahead of you…”

And really, you just don’t want

To follow.

Yes, death is bad.

Yes, life is demanding.

But resurrection?

Well, that’s something you can avoid.

“They said nothing to anyone,

Because they were afraid.”

But I’m betting they changed their mind.

I’m betting that something happened,

Something that transformed their fear into joy.

As exhibit number one-

Let’s take Mary Magdalene.

We know something about her:

She had seven demons.

Talk about demanding!

Seven demons- you suppose they ever wanted anything from Mary?

Of course they did,

That was life.

But Jesus cast them out,

That’s different,

All-together different.

St. Paul would say, “Abnormally” different.

But maybe we can use a better word:

Resurrection.

As exhibit number 2

Paul talked about resurrection.

He said Jesus appeared to Peter

Then to the 12

Then to 500 brothers

(what about the women- Mary, and Mary, and Salome?)

Then Jesus appeared to James

And then finally to Paul

“as one abnormally born.”

Abnormally born.

Maybe that sounds like life tossed in the air

Then rearranged.

But Paul doesn’t call it a demand.

He calls it grace,

The grace of God.

So let me share the meaning of a word.

Grace means, gift.

That abnormal birth,

That rearranging that seems so,

Well, abnormal and demanding- Paul called it gift.

Seven demons, cast out.

Grace, a gift.

Consider them evidence:

Resurrection is not demand,

It’s INVITATION!

Death demands,

But resurrection invites.

It invites joy,

Gratitude,

Celebration, exultation.

Resurrection GIVES

Possibility.

Life demanded a lot from Jesus

And Death demanded his blood-

But RESURRECTION

Invited him to rise, and live again!

So I think those women changed their mind,

Accepted the invitation

And discovered possibilities!

So, what now?

Here’s what:

The next time life demands sorrow,