Do Not Hold on to Me
No matter how you found yourself here this morning, welcome. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life. God is making all things new.
Believe it or not. It’s all true.
If, by chance, you’re not sure of that fact -if you find yourself doubting what Christians profess on Easter or wondering whether it even matters at all -well, that’s fine too. You are not alone.
Much of what we profess in here is not readily apparent out there. This too is true. And, although what we profess at Easter, and carry with us throughout the year, is relatively straightforward –Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again –it also happens to be the greatest mystery of Christian faith. It’s meant to cause us a bit of confusion. It’s meant to be wrestled with. After all, it turned the world upside down, or, rather, right side up.
Read More
Marked as Christ's Own, Forever
This is the unshakeable foundation that we build our lives upon and gives our lives meaning. Whatever losses we experience, we know that Christ died once and for all so that we would not be overcome by grief and despair. When someone we love dies, Christ is there, offering us life. When a cherished relationship goes through dark times, Jesus is with us, holding the light. When we lose a job, or don’t get into our first choice for college, or go through any disappointment or hardship, Jesus is there reminding us that we belong to him and he belongs to us. We are marked as Christ’s own forever. Through baptism, we have an unbreakable bond with him and with each other. Tonight we join with the heavenly hosts, choirs of angels, and all creation as we proclaim the eternal message of Mother Church. Alleluia! Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Read More
Behold!
We gather on this most holy day to enter into the meaning of the passion and death of Christ. That meaning is, in its way, profoundly simple. We’ve heard it before.
“Behold!” says John the Baptist as he sees Jesus coming toward him for the first time. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29-36).
The crucifixion of Jesus, the Christ, the very Lamb of God, redeemed the world from sin. In so doing, it brought the immeasurable love of God to “the farthest and darkest place in which humanity has been trapped in its flight from him . . . death [in all its forms].”
Read More
The Greatest Gift We Can Receive
Having our feet washed and washing one another’s feet is an essential part of being a follower of Jesus. In a few minutes, everyone will be invited to come to the center of the circle, to wash and be washed. When we are the one who washes, we are taking the role of Jesus, lowering ourselves, stooping down in humility and service to others. You may not even know the person whose feet you are washing tonight. It doesn’t really matter whether they are your dearest friend or a complete stranger. We serve others, regardless of who they are , whether we like them or not, whether they like us or not, whether we think they are worthy or unworthy.
Read More
The Victory of the Passion
Happy Palm Sunday, St. George’s. And happy Holy Week. Although wishing us happy anything after hearing Matthew’s vivid account of Our Lord’s suffering and death seems a little odd, doesn’t it? Why is it that on Palm Sunday, the final leg of our Lenten pilgrimage, that our celebration of Christ’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem is so abruptly cut short with his Passion? It seems we’ve hardly had time to fully settle into the exuberant occasion of Christ’s kingly arrival before we are splashed with cold water in the untimely news of his heartbreaking death.
Read More
The Table of Requirement
Jesus’ disciples did not want him to return to Bethany because they knew they were all at great risk of being killed. They could not see that something larger was at work. Sometimes we have a hard time seeing that as well. When we look at our lives and feel overwhelmed by our circumstances, Christ is there, helping us to hold on.
Read More
