http://day1.org/topic/easter Day1 Topic feeds are categories of content organized by the primary subjects covered in the broadcast, video or article. You can subscribe to any Day1 Topic feed with your RSS reader to watch for new additions to the site on that topic. en Sun, 06 Apr 1997 05:00:00 +0000 Sun, 06 Apr 1997 05:00:00 +0000 Day1.org easter, Day1, religion, podcast, radio, video no Day1.org info@day1.org no easter, Day1, religion, podcast, radio, video Religion & Spirituality The church year calendar says that today is the second Sunday of Easter because the story of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ continues. However, for most Christians, even devout ones who attend church just about every Sunday, this is the Sunday after the main event. Churches, which last Sunday were crowded with worshipers and visitors, might just as well be closed for repairs today. Even pastors breathing a sigh of relief now that the long Lenten pilgrimage is over, wouldn't even be available for comment right now because they're taking some vacation days while others fill in for them at church this morning. But don't turn your radio off just yet because for those who do go to church today, the resurrection story of hope addresses all the doubts we harbor about this seemingly impossible defiance of natural law. Now, it's true that it continues behind locked doors. For the disciples were afraid that the crucifixion of their Lord might be only the beginning of terror for them. So they gathered behind the locked doors of a crowded upstairs room, as though they were hostages trapped by an impending crisis. They were afraid of the authorities from the temple police. They were afraid of one another. But mostly they were afraid of the consequences if what they had heard and seen concerning a risen Jesus might really be true. What then? Better to remain hidden behind locked doors that offer safety and keep out reality. Many who attended church last Sunday experienced a rush of Easter Joy because the church was full of singing and flowers. But when it was all over, they returned to the shelter of doors locked against acceptance of the story. People might laugh and ridicule us if we actually voiced our belief in the resurrection. Better to keep our doors locked. Sun, 06 Apr 1997 05:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/853-behind_closed_doors http://day1.org/853-behind_closed_doors The Rev. Duane Steele The church year calendar says that today is the second Sunday of Easter because the story of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ continues. However, for most Christians, even devout ones who attend church just about every Sunday, this is the Sunday after the main event. Churches, which last Sunday were crowded with worshipers and visitors, might just as well be closed for repairs today. Even pastors breathing a sigh of relief now that the long Lenten pilgrimage is over, wouldn't even be available for comment right now because they're taking some vacation days while others fill in for them at church this morning. But don't turn your radio off just yet because for those who do go to church today, the resurrection story of hope addresses all the doubts we harbor about this seemingly impossible defiance of natural law. Now, it's true that it continues behind locked doors. For the disciples were afraid that the crucifixion of their Lord might be only the beginning of terror for them. So they gathered behind the locked doors of a crowded upstairs room, as though they were hostages trapped by an impending crisis. They were afraid of the authorities from the temple police. They were afraid of one another. But mostly they were afraid of the consequences if what they had heard and seen concerning a risen Jesus might really be true. What then? Better to remain hidden behind locked doors that offer safety and keep out reality. Many who attended church last Sunday experienced a rush of Easter Joy because the church was full of singing and flowers. But when it was all over, they returned to the shelter of doors locked against acceptance of the story. People might laugh and ridicule us if we actually voiced our belief in the resurrection. Better to keep our doors locked. no Day1.org He was always hard to get a hold of-Jesus. I wonder if he tried to climb out of the manger. It probably shouldn't have surprised us that the grave couldn't hold him either. Even death couldn't keep that good man down. We don't know much about his childhood, but even when Jesus was 12 and visited the temple in Jerusalem with his parents, he slipped through their fingers and they had to go search for him. And, then, when you expected him to be in the temple, he might just as surely be out in the desert praying or on a hillside teaching or hanging out with prostitutes, tax collectors, and other sinners on the wrong side of town. It was always hard to figure where he might turn up next. All Easter does is make it that way for all eternity. Christ is on the loose now. There is no pinning him down, no getting a handle on him, no holding him back. He's like a firefly on a warm summer night. Lightning bugs, we used to call them growing up in New York. They're harmless little things that sort of blink in the black night air-a mating ritual really. But what did you do? You tried to catch them, didn't you? You couldn't just let them be, could you? Couldn't just watch for where they would light up next and enjoy them. You had to grab them, didn't you? Had to imprison them in a glass jar with a tin top with holes punched into it. Mason jars worked best, of course. (I always liked that.) But what did you gain by capturing a firefly? In no time, it would die in captivity. It couldn't do you any good as long as you tried to control it and hold onto it. Sun, 27 Mar 2005 05:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/931-christ_on_the_loose http://day1.org/931-christ_on_the_loose The Rev. Dr. George Mason The Rev. Dr. George Mason is the pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. He was always hard to get a hold of-Jesus. I wonder if he tried to climb out of the manger. It probably shouldn't have surprised us that the grave couldn't hold him either. Even death couldn't keep that good man down. We don't know much about his childhood, but even when Jesus was 12 and visited the temple in Jerusalem with his parents, he slipped through their fingers and they had to go search for him. And, then, when you expected him to be in the temple, he might just as surely be out in the desert praying or on a hillside teaching or hanging out with prostitutes, tax collectors, and other sinners on the wrong side of town. It was always hard to figure where he might turn up next. All Easter does is make it that way for all eternity. Christ is on the loose now. There is no pinning him down, no getting a handle on him, no holding him back. He's like a firefly on a warm summer night. Lightning bugs, we used to call them growing up in New York. They're harmless little things that sort of blink in the black night air-a mating ritual really. But what did you do? You tried to catch them, didn't you? You couldn't just let them be, could you? Couldn't just watch for where they would light up next and enjoy them. You had to grab them, didn't you? Had to imprison them in a glass jar with a tin top with holes punched into it. Mason jars worked best, of course. (I always liked that.) But what did you gain by capturing a firefly? In no time, it would die in captivity. It couldn't do you any good as long as you tried to control it and hold onto it. no Day1.org Festival days can be miserable days. Periods of celebration for some people almost always are times of depression for other people. The more some folks laugh, the louder other people weep. Times set aside for rejoicing can become terribly troubling. Rereading the resurrection stories in the gospels with this reality in mind, I was surprised to find there what we experience here. The ancient biblical narratives about the resurrection of Jesus contain a mixture of ecstasy and despondency, an intermingling of delight and discouragement. Just as news of Christ's resurrection caused an explosion of joy among some believers, other believers experienced an erosion of hope. Luke tells us that on the very day of the resurrection, as word of Christ's presence swept through Jerusalem, two downcast disciples of Jesus headed toward Emmaus to forget the whole matter. Easter came and some folks missed it. It happened in Jerusalem. It happens where we live. It happens every year. Christ arose and not even all of his former followers realized his presence. Some people always miss Easter. What about you? For whatever reason, did you miss Easter this year? Please don't misunderstand my questions. I am not asking if you were present in or absent from a service of corporate worship on Easter Sunday. My concern is an experience with the resurrection. We do not have to be "out of church" on Easter Sunday to miss Easter just as people did not have to be out of Jerusalem to miss the risen Christ. Maybe you were in a worship service and you saw the joy around you but did not sense any joy within you. Perhaps you heard hallelujahs resound in a sanctuary but realized they found no resonance in your heart. Maybe you listened to the reading of the resurrection stories failing to find their meaning for your life. Some of us may identify with a Nikos Kazantzakis' character who exclaimed, "God forgive me . . . this year . . . I have not felt Christ rise." Sun, 03 Apr 2005 05:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/932-for_those_who_missed_easter http://day1.org/932-for_those_who_missed_easter The Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy The Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy the president of the national nonpartisan grassroots and educational organization The Interfaith Alliance and serves as the Pastor for Preaching and Worship at Northminster (Baptist) Church in Monroe, LA. Festival days can be miserable days. Periods of celebration for some people almost always are times of depression for other people. The more some folks laugh, the louder other people weep. Times set aside for rejoicing can become terribly troubling. Rereading the resurrection stories in the gospels with this reality in mind, I was surprised to find there what we experience here. The ancient biblical narratives about the resurrection of Jesus contain a mixture of ecstasy and despondency, an intermingling of delight and discouragement. Just as news of Christ's resurrection caused an explosion of joy among some believers, other believers experienced an erosion of hope. Luke tells us that on the very day of the resurrection, as word of Christ's presence swept through Jerusalem, two downcast disciples of Jesus headed toward Emmaus to forget the whole matter. Easter came and some folks missed it. It happened in Jerusalem. It happens where we live. It happens every year. Christ arose and not even all of his former followers realized his presence. Some people always miss Easter. What about you? For whatever reason, did you miss Easter this year? Please don't misunderstand my questions. I am not asking if you were present in or absent from a service of corporate worship on Easter Sunday. My concern is an experience with the resurrection. We do not have to be "out of church" on Easter Sunday to miss Easter just as people did not have to be out of Jerusalem to miss the risen Christ. Maybe you were in a worship service and you saw the joy around you but did not sense any joy within you. Perhaps you heard hallelujahs resound in a sanctuary but realized they found no resonance in your heart. Maybe you listened to the reading of the resurrection stories failing to find their meaning for your life. Some of us may identify with a Nikos Kazantzakis' character who exclaimed, "God forgive me . . . this year . . . I have not felt Christ rise." no Day1.org In the early part of World War II, a Navy submarine was stuck on the bottom of the harbor in New York City. It seemed that all was lost. There was no electricity and the oxygen was quickly running out. In one last attempt to rescue the sailors from the steel coffin, the U.S. Navy sent a ship equipped with Navy divers to the spot on the surface, directly above the wounded submarine. A Navy diver went over the side of the ship to the dangerous depths in one last rescue attempt. The trapped sailors heard the metal boots of the diver land on the exterior surface, and they moved to where they thought the rescuer would be. In the darkness they tapped in Morse code, "Is there any hope?" The diver on the outside, recognizing the message, signaled by tapping on the exterior of the sub, "Yes, there is hope." This is the picture of our dilemma as we worship this glad Easter Day. Humankind is trapped in a dreadful situation. All around we are running low on hope, and we look for a word from beyond offering it to us. This world in which we live is plagued with war and famine, mounting debt and continual destruction. The more we try to rescue ourselves the more we seem to fall behind. We wonder: Is there any hope? At a personal level, we are no different than the early disciples who stood at the foot of the cross on Good Friday. They saw their hope for the future die at that place. How would they live? How could they go on? This Easter Day those of us who preach see our pews filled with widows who have seen their hope of a comfortable future slowly die in hospital beds, or parents who have done their best watch the culture destroy the children for whom they had so ardently prayed. As a pastor, I see faithful fathers work tirelessly at a job that will not guarantee that they can feed, clothe or educate their family. Hope is snuffed out when the word comes from the battlefield that an explosive device has taken the father of two beautiful children. Sun, 08 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/1037-is_there_any_hope http://day1.org/1037-is_there_any_hope The Rev. Dr. William L. Self The Rev. Dr. Bill Self reminds us that hope comes from faith in the resurrected God who is present in every moment of our lives. In the early part of World War II, a Navy submarine was stuck on the bottom of the harbor in New York City. It seemed that all was lost. There was no electricity and the oxygen was quickly running out. In one last attempt to rescue the sailors from the steel coffin, the U.S. Navy sent a ship equipped with Navy divers to the spot on the surface, directly above the wounded submarine. A Navy diver went over the side of the ship to the dangerous depths in one last rescue attempt. The trapped sailors heard the metal boots of the diver land on the exterior surface, and they moved to where they thought the rescuer would be. In the darkness they tapped in Morse code, "Is there any hope?" The diver on the outside, recognizing the message, signaled by tapping on the exterior of the sub, "Yes, there is hope." This is the picture of our dilemma as we worship this glad Easter Day. Humankind is trapped in a dreadful situation. All around we are running low on hope, and we look for a word from beyond offering it to us. This world in which we live is plagued with war and famine, mounting debt and continual destruction. The more we try to rescue ourselves the more we seem to fall behind. We wonder: Is there any hope? At a personal level, we are no different than the early disciples who stood at the foot of the cross on Good Friday. They saw their hope for the future die at that place. How would they live? How could they go on? This Easter Day those of us who preach see our pews filled with widows who have seen their hope of a comfortable future slowly die in hospital beds, or parents who have done their best watch the culture destroy the children for whom they had so ardently prayed. As a pastor, I see faithful fathers work tirelessly at a job that will not guarantee that they can feed, clothe or educate their family. Hope is snuffed out when the word comes from the battlefield that an explosive device has taken the father of two beautiful children. no Day1.org Well, I can hardly believe it, but another Easter has come and gone. What a day; truth be told, I miss it. After forty days of preparing, I wish it would have lasted just a little longer. But if I concentrate, it's not hard to recall, almost re-create, the sights and sounds of the day: the special music and the flowers, the readings and hymns which make Easter worship such a festive celebration. But it's over. For those who had time off from work or school, it's back to the same old grind. For those who traveled to see family or friends, it's a long wait to the next holiday or vacation. And for those who were so involved in the special activities of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, it's time to settle back into a more regular schedule. To put it simply: it's time to get back to normal; it's time to get back to work. Lent and Easter were a nice break from the norm, a nice change of pace, but it's time to get back to reality. And that can be hard, for the old routine is so...well, routine; and normalcy, reality, can be so crushingly unavoidable. At times it comes from so many angles and catches us at unawares. For some, reality swoops in with unemployment or illness. For others it sneaks in by running across the wedding photos of a ruined marriage. For others, still, reality confronts them even as they leave the Easter celebration we were just reminiscing about and return home only to look across a tense dinner table, absent of joy, and realize that their family looks nothing like the Rockwell painting they try to envision for themselves most of the year. Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/1082-realities_old_and_new http://day1.org/1082-realities_old_and_new The Rev. Dr. David Lose The Rev. Dr. David Lose proclaims that Easter is knowing that because we have been joined by Baptism to  Jesus and that we participate in his new reality and are liberated from the oppressive realities of this life. Well, I can hardly believe it, but another Easter has come and gone. What a day; truth be told, I miss it. After forty days of preparing, I wish it would have lasted just a little longer. But if I concentrate, it's not hard to recall, almost re-create, the sights and sounds of the day: the special music and the flowers, the readings and hymns which make Easter worship such a festive celebration. But it's over. For those who had time off from work or school, it's back to the same old grind. For those who traveled to see family or friends, it's a long wait to the next holiday or vacation. And for those who were so involved in the special activities of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, it's time to settle back into a more regular schedule. To put it simply: it's time to get back to normal; it's time to get back to work. Lent and Easter were a nice break from the norm, a nice change of pace, but it's time to get back to reality. And that can be hard, for the old routine is so...well, routine; and normalcy, reality, can be so crushingly unavoidable. At times it comes from so many angles and catches us at unawares. For some, reality swoops in with unemployment or illness. For others it sneaks in by running across the wedding photos of a ruined marriage. For others, still, reality confronts them even as they leave the Easter celebration we were just reminiscing about and return home only to look across a tense dinner table, absent of joy, and realize that their family looks nothing like the Rockwell painting they try to envision for themselves most of the year. no Day1.org Who would not want to receive the standing ovation or to hear, "Good job!" "You're wonderful!" "I appreciate what you've done!" "Thank you!"? Ahh, my guess is just about all of us appreciate gaining a little recognition. Without recognition, then who am I? Who are you? We're strangers to one another - unknown. Gaining recognition makes all the difference in the world. I saw it the other day on the face of a 5-year-old girl. There she was at the airport searching a sea full of faces and then suddenly her eyes lit up! Flash! Grinning from ear to ear, bouncing pigtails, she ran to a grandfather whose arms were extended wide in joy for he recognized this little one. He picked her up in his arms and gave her a kiss-a marvelous scene! What that grandfather and granddaughter enjoyed in a sea full of strangers was a little recognition. Well, I submit that it's the lack of recognition that empowers this story from Luke's gospel. The risen Lord has joined Cleopas and his friend on the Road to Emmaus, but for some reason their eyes are kept from recognizing Jesus. Stopping, standing, looking sad, Cleopas says to the one who has joined them, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth...." Now I want to scream at this scene! I want to say, "Look you two, can't you see! It's Jesus who is standing right next to you. UGGGH!" Why can't they recognize him? The text doesn't say that Jesus was in disguise. It just says, "Their eyes were kept from recognizing him." How? Is Jesus playing tricks on them? Maybe it is because Jesus is out of context. Sun, 06 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/1083-gaining_recognition http://day1.org/1083-gaining_recognition The Rev. Dr. Donovan Drake The Rev. Dr. Donovan Drake preaches about how easy it is to be oblivious to Jesus standing right in front of us and calls us to open our eyes to the resurrection of Christ in our midst. Who would not want to receive the standing ovation or to hear, "Good job!" "You're wonderful!" "I appreciate what you've done!" "Thank you!"? Ahh, my guess is just about all of us appreciate gaining a little recognition. Without recognition, then who am I? Who are you? We're strangers to one another - unknown. Gaining recognition makes all the difference in the world. I saw it the other day on the face of a 5-year-old girl. There she was at the airport searching a sea full of faces and then suddenly her eyes lit up! Flash! Grinning from ear to ear, bouncing pigtails, she ran to a grandfather whose arms were extended wide in joy for he recognized this little one. He picked her up in his arms and gave her a kiss-a marvelous scene! What that grandfather and granddaughter enjoyed in a sea full of strangers was a little recognition. Well, I submit that it's the lack of recognition that empowers this story from Luke's gospel. The risen Lord has joined Cleopas and his friend on the Road to Emmaus, but for some reason their eyes are kept from recognizing Jesus. Stopping, standing, looking sad, Cleopas says to the one who has joined them, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth...." Now I want to scream at this scene! I want to say, "Look you two, can't you see! It's Jesus who is standing right next to you. UGGGH!" Why can't they recognize him? The text doesn't say that Jesus was in disguise. It just says, "Their eyes were kept from recognizing him." How? Is Jesus playing tricks on them? Maybe it is because Jesus is out of context. no Day1.org "Go," Pilate says to the chief priests. "You have a guard of soldiers. Make the tomb as secure as you can." Security is almost everyone's concern in the last chapters of the Gospel. - Those who arrest Jesus do so with the enhanced security of swords and clubs. -In response to the arrest, the disciples flee the garden and desert Jesus, finding their security in the cover of darkness and the swiftness of a runner's pace. -Peter swears by an oath that he does not even know Jesus-three denials, all meant to get him out of harm's way. -Pilate's wife tries to keep her husband safe from the prisoner who stands before him by sending Pilate word to "have nothing to do with that righteous man" (27:19). -Then, even after Jesus is safely dead, the chief priests know that "you can't be too careful." They need a guard at the tomb, for security. Pilate sends them on their way. "Knock yourselves out, boys. Make it as secure as you can." If the people who try to sell us things are any indication, security is able to capture our imagination just as it captured Peter's and the chief priests'. Everything from tire treads to investment advice is marketed with a thirty-second story line that features a threat to our security and then answers the threat with the product offered for sale. The tire tread commercials are generally set on a dark and stormy night, and they generally feature a woman driving a toddler somewhere. It is all a cliche, but what-you want poetry in thirty seconds? What you get instead is news about what kind of tires your loved ones need to get home safely. Sun, 23 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/1087-the_insecure_tomb http://day1.org/1087-the_insecure_tomb The Rev. Dr. Mary Hinkle Shore The Rev. Dr. Mary Hinkle Shore assures us that we are free from fear in the life giving and liberating love of the Risen Christ. "Go," Pilate says to the chief priests. "You have a guard of soldiers. Make the tomb as secure as you can." Security is almost everyone's concern in the last chapters of the Gospel. - Those who arrest Jesus do so with the enhanced security of swords and clubs. -In response to the arrest, the disciples flee the garden and desert Jesus, finding their security in the cover of darkness and the swiftness of a runner's pace. -Peter swears by an oath that he does not even know Jesus-three denials, all meant to get him out of harm's way. -Pilate's wife tries to keep her husband safe from the prisoner who stands before him by sending Pilate word to "have nothing to do with that righteous man" (27:19). -Then, even after Jesus is safely dead, the chief priests know that "you can't be too careful." They need a guard at the tomb, for security. Pilate sends them on their way. "Knock yourselves out, boys. Make it as secure as you can." If the people who try to sell us things are any indication, security is able to capture our imagination just as it captured Peter's and the chief priests'. Everything from tire treads to investment advice is marketed with a thirty-second story line that features a threat to our security and then answers the threat with the product offered for sale. The tire tread commercials are generally set on a dark and stormy night, and they generally feature a woman driving a toddler somewhere. It is all a cliche, but what-you want poetry in thirty seconds? What you get instead is news about what kind of tires your loved ones need to get home safely. no Day1.org Easter begins with fear.  At least that's the way Mark tells it.  It's not that Easter begins with wild panic--no, not that.  Easter begins with the kind of fear that feels a lot like heart-break.  It begins with the twist in your stomach that comes when the phone rings and you hear the voice of your sister.  "Are you sitting down?" she asks--that kind of fear.  Early in the morning, three women approach the tomb bearing precious herbs and oils to wash the body of their Lord.  They have come to comb out Jesus' hair, to sponge away the dried blood, to massage precious myrrh into his skin.  They hope to engage in the ritual act (the act of care) that is traditionally done before sealing a body in the tomb.  They have come to anoint the crucified one.  Yet, even as they discuss how they will gain access to the cave (after all, it is closed by a massive boulder), they find that the stone has been rolled away.  The tomb is empty--vacant, except for some young guy who is definitely not Jesus; and suddenly, they are afraid.  They fear that their last chance to pour a little compassion on the broken body of Jesus has escaped.  They fear that they are witnessing the final insult of this whole horrible affair. First, Jesus' life is stolen, and now, even his body has been taken.  And, perhaps, they also fear... no, they simply must fear that death has won.  Death, the ever-ravenous monster, has finally, and utterly, swallowed up their beloved friend. Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/1241-deadly_things http://day1.org/1241-deadly_things The Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston The Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston, senior pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York, NY, presents an inspiring Easter message that explores the ramifications of Christ's resurrection in our lives. Easter begins with fear.  At least that's the way Mark tells it.  It's not that Easter begins with wild panic--no, not that.  Easter begins with the kind of fear that feels a lot like heart-break.  It begins with the twist in your stomach that comes when the phone rings and you hear the voice of your sister.  "Are you sitting down?" she asks--that kind of fear.  Early in the morning, three women approach the tomb bearing precious herbs and oils to wash the body of their Lord.  They have come to comb out Jesus' hair, to sponge away the dried blood, to massage precious myrrh into his skin.  They hope to engage in the ritual act (the act of care) that is traditionally done before sealing a body in the tomb.  They have come to anoint the crucified one.  Yet, even as they discuss how they will gain access to the cave (after all, it is closed by a massive boulder), they find that the stone has been rolled away.  The tomb is empty--vacant, except for some young guy who is definitely not Jesus; and suddenly, they are afraid.  They fear that their last chance to pour a little compassion on the broken body of Jesus has escaped.  They fear that they are witnessing the final insult of this whole horrible affair. First, Jesus' life is stolen, and now, even his body has been taken.  And, perhaps, they also fear... no, they simply must fear that death has won.  Death, the ever-ravenous monster, has finally, and utterly, swallowed up their beloved friend. no Day1.org When women went to the tomb in darkness, on the first Easter morning, they were disheartened by the thought of a large stone placed by the soldiers before the entrance of the tomb. To their surprise, the stone was rolled away. An angel, messenger of God, perched impudently upon the rock. The angel preached the first Easter sermon: "Don't be afraid. You seek Jesus, who was crucified? He is risen! Come, look at where he once lay in the tomb." Then the angel commissioned the women to become Jesus' first preachers: "Go, tell the men that he has already gone back to Galilee. There you will meet him." (How sad that there are still churches that continue, despite this clear witness of scripture, to deny the testimony of women and to prohibit them from preaching the gospel that God has given to them - but I digress.) The women obeyed and sure enough out in Galilee the risen Christ encountered them. Why Galilee? Though all of Jesus' disciples came from there, Galilee is in the Judean outback, a dusty, rural sort of place. Jesus himself hailed from Galilee, from Nazareth, a cheerless town in a forlorn region. ("Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" asked Nathaniel, before he met Jesus.) Galilee was held in contempt by most Judeans. It was a notorious hotbed of Jewish resistance to Roman rule. So the risen Christ has returned, once again, to those who had so miserably forsaken and disappointed Jesus first time around. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:35:00 +0000 http://day1.org/1288-bishop_will_willimon__a_faith_based_on_the_testimony_of_women http://day1.org/1288-bishop_will_willimon__a_faith_based_on_the_testimony_of_women The Rev. Dr. William H. Willimon Bishop Will Willimon offers insight on what Jesus told his disciples to do after his resurrection -- and what that means for our faith today. When women went to the tomb in darkness, on the first Easter morning, they were disheartened by the thought of a large stone placed by the soldiers before the entrance of the tomb. To their surprise, the stone was rolled away. An angel, messenger of God, perched impudently upon the rock. The angel preached the first Easter sermon: "Don't be afraid. You seek Jesus, who was crucified? He is risen! Come, look at where he once lay in the tomb." Then the angel commissioned the women to become Jesus' first preachers: "Go, tell the men that he has already gone back to Galilee. There you will meet him." (How sad that there are still churches that continue, despite this clear witness of scripture, to deny the testimony of women and to prohibit them from preaching the gospel that God has given to them - but I digress.) The women obeyed and sure enough out in Galilee the risen Christ encountered them. Why Galilee? Though all of Jesus' disciples came from there, Galilee is in the Judean outback, a dusty, rural sort of place. Jesus himself hailed from Galilee, from Nazareth, a cheerless town in a forlorn region. ("Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" asked Nathaniel, before he met Jesus.) Galilee was held in contempt by most Judeans. It was a notorious hotbed of Jewish resistance to Roman rule. So the risen Christ has returned, once again, to those who had so miserably forsaken and disappointed Jesus first time around. no Day1.org Happy Easter everyone!  I have to tell you, celebrating Easter always makes me think of my grandmother, Ganny, as we called her.  Now Ganny lived in a tiny little town in South Carolina; and when we'd go visit, the aroma of all kinds of good things cooking would float through her screen porch and out into the yard to greet us:  creamed corn, collard greens and hopefully cornbread.  I say hopefully, because the one thing Ganny could not cook was biscuits.  Lord, have mercy.  She was just not a big believer in things like baking soda or baking powder.  On those ominous days when she would decide to bake biscuits, she would open the door of her wood stove and pull out what looked like a tray of toasty hot shot-puts.  My uncle used to joke that if you dropped those biscuits on the floor, they would wake the dead.  Thus their nickname:  resurrection biscuits. Now, I know I shouldn't talk negatively about my grandmother's cooking, but we Southerners have a little trick.  Down South you can say anything you want about anybody you want, as long as you end the phrase with "bless their hearts."            So...this being Easter Sunday, I think about Ganny, bless her heart, and those little sad resurrection biscuits.  But, you know, I think her biscuits offer us an important Easter message.  Without baking powder--without that key ingredient, those biscuits became heavy and flat.  So, too, life without the resurrection, life without Christ, can be heavy and flat. Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/1869-resurrection_biscuits http://day1.org/1869-resurrection_biscuits The Rev. Susan Sparks As we celebrate Easter, the Rev. Susan Sparks reminds us that life without the resurrection of Christ can be heavy and flat--it's the missing key ingredient many of us are missing. Happy Easter everyone!  I have to tell you, celebrating Easter always makes me think of my grandmother, Ganny, as we called her.  Now Ganny lived in a tiny little town in South Carolina; and when we'd go visit, the aroma of all kinds of good things cooking would float through her screen porch and out into the yard to greet us:  creamed corn, collard greens and hopefully cornbread.  I say hopefully, because the one thing Ganny could not cook was biscuits.  Lord, have mercy.  She was just not a big believer in things like baking soda or baking powder.  On those ominous days when she would decide to bake biscuits, she would open the door of her wood stove and pull out what looked like a tray of toasty hot shot-puts.  My uncle used to joke that if you dropped those biscuits on the floor, they would wake the dead.  Thus their nickname:  resurrection biscuits. Now, I know I shouldn't talk negatively about my grandmother's cooking, but we Southerners have a little trick.  Down South you can say anything you want about anybody you want, as long as you end the phrase with "bless their hearts."            So...this being Easter Sunday, I think about Ganny, bless her heart, and those little sad resurrection biscuits.  But, you know, I think her biscuits offer us an important Easter message.  Without baking powder--without that key ingredient, those biscuits became heavy and flat.  So, too, life without the resurrection, life without Christ, can be heavy and flat. no Day1.org Last year my good friend Mary, who has a four-year old daughter, emailed me about her conversations with Elena as Easter approached in which she struggled to get through to four-year old Elena the meaning of Easter. It went something like this: "Mommy, will the Easter bunny bring me purple jelly beans?" I am sure he will bring you jelly beans, Elena. But, remember, Easter isn't about the bunny. It's about Jesus. "But will they be purple?" Yes, honey, I am sure there will be some purple ones in there. Honey, the important thing about Easter isn't the bunny. Easter is about how much Jesus loves you and me and the whole world. "Mommy, HOW MANY purple jelly beans will the Easter Bunny bring me?" Elena, I think he will probably bring plenty of purple jellybeans. Do you know how much Jesus loves you? "Mommy..." Yes Elena? "Will he bring me tootsie rolls too?" You see, for a four-year old, Easter bunnies and purple jelly beans and tootsie rolls are just way more interesting than JESUS, and they are enough to make Easter fun. And fun is, for a four old, enough! Although Easter hasn't gotten to the point of having as many consumer and cultural distractions as Christmas, sometimes it's the same way for adults; lilies and new clothes and family visits and Easter dinner preparations consume our attention. Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/2865-beyond_bunnies_and_jelly_beans http://day1.org/2865-beyond_bunnies_and_jelly_beans The Rev. Pam Driesell In her Easter message based on John 20, the Rev. Pam Driesell says, "Easter is not a promise that your business or family or the church or the world will be 'like it used to be,' or even that your pulse will go on beating forever. It is a promise that the power that gave you a pulse will never, ever abandon you." Last year my good friend Mary, who has a four-year old daughter, emailed me about her conversations with Elena as Easter approached in which she struggled to get through to four-year old Elena the meaning of Easter. It went something like this: "Mommy, will the Easter bunny bring me purple jelly beans?" I am sure he will bring you jelly beans, Elena. But, remember, Easter isn't about the bunny. It's about Jesus. "But will they be purple?" Yes, honey, I am sure there will be some purple ones in there. Honey, the important thing about Easter isn't the bunny. Easter is about how much Jesus loves you and me and the whole world. "Mommy, HOW MANY purple jelly beans will the Easter Bunny bring me?" Elena, I think he will probably bring plenty of purple jellybeans. Do you know how much Jesus loves you? "Mommy..." Yes Elena? "Will he bring me tootsie rolls too?" You see, for a four-year old, Easter bunnies and purple jelly beans and tootsie rolls are just way more interesting than JESUS, and they are enough to make Easter fun. And fun is, for a four old, enough! Although Easter hasn't gotten to the point of having as many consumer and cultural distractions as Christmas, sometimes it's the same way for adults; lilies and new clothes and family visits and Easter dinner preparations consume our attention. no Day1.org Easter is a day of celebration. The church sings alleluias after a quiet season of Lent. People dress in new clothing in springtime colors. Children and a few sneaky parents consume a lot of chocolate. And many, many people gather around full tables. On Easter day, Isaiah's ancient poem begs the question, "What's for dinner?" Check The Food Channel or Better Homes and Gardens. Everybody offers suggestions for a tasty Easter menu. On one website, you can find recipes for glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, citrus salad, and molasses biscuits. If that doesn't do it for you, there's a Greek-themed menu featuring Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb and homemade baklava, or an Easter Brunch Buffet with poached salmon and passion fruit Mimosas.             Hey, what's for dinner? As the prophet Isaiah describes the generous work of God, that's where he starts to sing with the promise of a generous banquet. "The Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines." (25:6) One thing you can say about the people of God--they love to eat. The two great Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter are celebrated in our homes by extravagant dinners. One of our sacraments is a meal that we call the Lord's Supper. If that isn't enough, you can always find a mountain of donut holes at many of our churches during coffee hour. Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/3715-easter_dinner http://day1.org/3715-easter_dinner The Rev. William Carter As we celebrate Easter, the Rev. Bill Carter takes us back to the glorious feast of Isaiah 25:6-9, when God swallows death--which is the astonishing claim of Easter itself. Easter is a day of celebration. The church sings alleluias after a quiet season of Lent. People dress in new clothing in springtime colors. Children and a few sneaky parents consume a lot of chocolate. And many, many people gather around full tables. On Easter day, Isaiah's ancient poem begs the question, "What's for dinner?" Check The Food Channel or Better Homes and Gardens. Everybody offers suggestions for a tasty Easter menu. On one website, you can find recipes for glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, citrus salad, and molasses biscuits. If that doesn't do it for you, there's a Greek-themed menu featuring Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb and homemade baklava, or an Easter Brunch Buffet with poached salmon and passion fruit Mimosas.             Hey, what's for dinner? As the prophet Isaiah describes the generous work of God, that's where he starts to sing with the promise of a generous banquet. "The Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines." (25:6) One thing you can say about the people of God--they love to eat. The two great Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter are celebrated in our homes by extravagant dinners. One of our sacraments is a meal that we call the Lord's Supper. If that isn't enough, you can always find a mountain of donut holes at many of our churches during coffee hour. no Day1.org Imagine that you're at a dinner party, standing by the fireplace with a small plate of hors d'oeuvres, when you mention to the people nearby that you'd like to talk about Easter. Imagine someone responding, "No, thank you, we are having a serious discussion about education in America." So you listen for a while as they discuss things like class sizes, teachers' salaries, and how high their property taxes are. Then they start reminiscing about their own school days, yellow school buses, packing a lunch, high school proms, and pop quizzes. You want to interrupt and bring up other details, such as how too many teachers burn out or end up having to buy class supplies with their own money, or how peer pressure can be so destructive that it leads many young people to consider suicide; but there's never a break in the conversation. So you walk over to another group and mention to them that you'd like to talk about Easter. Someone else responds, "No, thanks, we are having a serious conversation about hunger in America." So you listen for a while as they discuss how sad it is that people still need food pantries and soup kitchens, and how the canned food drive held last week was a big success, but the price of groceries keeps going up and you can never find a good parking place near the Whole Foods; and even with all the microwave entrees to choose from, it is hard to find things to eat. You want to interrupt and mention other details, such as how hunger is a silent reality for millions of Americans who are too embarrassed to admit the gnawing pain in their empty stomachs, like the elderly caught between buying food or buying medicine, or young children who simply cannot understand why there's nothing to eat in the house. But, sadly, there's never a break in the conversation, so you remain silent. Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/3721-serious_stories http://day1.org/3721-serious_stories The Rev. Dr. Randall Bush The Rev. Dr. Randy Bush focuses on the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus with the disciples in Luke 24, and shows us how the reality of Easter influences every aspect of our life even now. Imagine that you're at a dinner party, standing by the fireplace with a small plate of hors d'oeuvres, when you mention to the people nearby that you'd like to talk about Easter. Imagine someone responding, "No, thank you, we are having a serious discussion about education in America." So you listen for a while as they discuss things like class sizes, teachers' salaries, and how high their property taxes are. Then they start reminiscing about their own school days, yellow school buses, packing a lunch, high school proms, and pop quizzes. You want to interrupt and bring up other details, such as how too many teachers burn out or end up having to buy class supplies with their own money, or how peer pressure can be so destructive that it leads many young people to consider suicide; but there's never a break in the conversation. So you walk over to another group and mention to them that you'd like to talk about Easter. Someone else responds, "No, thanks, we are having a serious conversation about hunger in America." So you listen for a while as they discuss how sad it is that people still need food pantries and soup kitchens, and how the canned food drive held last week was a big success, but the price of groceries keeps going up and you can never find a good parking place near the Whole Foods; and even with all the microwave entrees to choose from, it is hard to find things to eat. You want to interrupt and mention other details, such as how hunger is a silent reality for millions of Americans who are too embarrassed to admit the gnawing pain in their empty stomachs, like the elderly caught between buying food or buying medicine, or young children who simply cannot understand why there's nothing to eat in the house. But, sadly, there's never a break in the conversation, so you remain silent. no Day1.org I have a bone to pick with a man named Sam Holbrook. Now, Sam and I have never met. He wouldn't know me from Adam. It's entirely unfair of me to carry around this grudge. And yet here we are, opening week of the 2013 Major League Baseball season and I am still a bit hung up on the way 2012 ended, and it has more than just a bit to do with Sam Holbrook. Last year, my team, the Atlanta Braves, lost the first one-game playoff series in baseball history. In the eighth inning they were trailing the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 when Atlanta shortstop Andrelton Simmons lofted an easy fly ball into shallow left field with men already on first and second base. Just as the ball landed unexpectedly--and, one might argue, providentially--on the ground between two apparently confused Cardinals, Holbrook signaled to invoke the Infield Fly Rule. Now if you don't know what the Infield Fly Rule is, don't worry, you are in the company of many a professed fan of the game, and as our luck would have it, at least one of its umpires. Suffice to say that in Sam Holbrook's hands, a rule that normally protects the hitting team instead ended Atlanta's best hope for a rally and, by extension, their season; and so even with the new season here, I admit that I do carry a bit of a grudge. Of course I am sure that Sam is a lovely man with whom I would get along smashingly were our paths to cross in any other circumstance, which is why it's vitally important that we not actually meet. The part of me that nurses this grudge, the part of me that wears it proudly as a badge of fandom, the part of me that could just as easily show you the dozen other wounds that twenty-odd-years of Braves baseball have inflicted--that part of me needs an occasional villain, and until further notice, Sam Holbrook will do nicely. Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/4650-opening_day http://day1.org/4650-opening_day The Rev. Matthew Gaventa In his sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, Matthew Gaventa focuses on Peter's message in Acts 5:27-32, and shows us that Easter gives us a fresh perspective toward the wounds and grudges we hold on to, if we let it. I have a bone to pick with a man named Sam Holbrook. Now, Sam and I have never met. He wouldn't know me from Adam. It's entirely unfair of me to carry around this grudge. And yet here we are, opening week of the 2013 Major League Baseball season and I am still a bit hung up on the way 2012 ended, and it has more than just a bit to do with Sam Holbrook. Last year, my team, the Atlanta Braves, lost the first one-game playoff series in baseball history. In the eighth inning they were trailing the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 when Atlanta shortstop Andrelton Simmons lofted an easy fly ball into shallow left field with men already on first and second base. Just as the ball landed unexpectedly--and, one might argue, providentially--on the ground between two apparently confused Cardinals, Holbrook signaled to invoke the Infield Fly Rule. Now if you don't know what the Infield Fly Rule is, don't worry, you are in the company of many a professed fan of the game, and as our luck would have it, at least one of its umpires. Suffice to say that in Sam Holbrook's hands, a rule that normally protects the hitting team instead ended Atlanta's best hope for a rally and, by extension, their season; and so even with the new season here, I admit that I do carry a bit of a grudge. Of course I am sure that Sam is a lovely man with whom I would get along smashingly were our paths to cross in any other circumstance, which is why it's vitally important that we not actually meet. The part of me that nurses this grudge, the part of me that wears it proudly as a badge of fandom, the part of me that could just as easily show you the dozen other wounds that twenty-odd-years of Braves baseball have inflicted--that part of me needs an occasional villain, and until further notice, Sam Holbrook will do nicely. no Day1.org In the summer of 1979, I left Harvard for the priesthood. I was twenty-four years old, newly married, and had been a first-year graduate student working towards a Ph.D. in American History. I was a restless student, less interested in history than I had thought I'd be. Something else was pulling me. I had been raised in church. My father was a bishop. Now I wondered if God was calling me to ministry. Not knowing quite how to sort that out, it occurred to me to sit down and read the New Testament, which I had never done before in one sitting. Of the gospels, it was the Gospel according to St. John that struck me. Scene after scene, it invited belief that in Jesus Christ the world was face to face with God. I wanted to believe that. My heart said yes. But now my head was bothered by a question. These things the Bible said concerning Jesus--were they true? If so, why weren't we discussing them at Harvard? In history seminar, Christ was seldom mentioned. A little anxious, I began to poke around the Cambridge book stores, sampling scholarly perspectives on the history of the gospels. The results were mixed. Randomly, I opened a book by Michael Grant, Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels, which fueled my doubts. A Harvard friend recommended Hans Kung's On Being Christian, which I found reassuring. Then I revisited C.S. Lewis, who so confidently reinforces St. John's message. Lewis readers are re-invited to believe that in Christ the Lord above had visited our world. Tue, 31 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/6462-veritas http://day1.org/6462-veritas The Rev. Dr. Christoph Keller, III In his sermon for Easter Day, Dr. Chris Keller helps us wrestle with two key questions concerning the faith: what is the resurrection, and why do I believe? In the summer of 1979, I left Harvard for the priesthood. I was twenty-four years old, newly married, and had been a first-year graduate student working towards a Ph.D. in American History. I was a restless student, less interested in history than I had thought I'd be. Something else was pulling me. I had been raised in church. My father was a bishop. Now I wondered if God was calling me to ministry. Not knowing quite how to sort that out, it occurred to me to sit down and read the New Testament, which I had never done before in one sitting. Of the gospels, it was the Gospel according to St. John that struck me. Scene after scene, it invited belief that in Jesus Christ the world was face to face with God. I wanted to believe that. My heart said yes. But now my head was bothered by a question. These things the Bible said concerning Jesus--were they true? If so, why weren't we discussing them at Harvard? In history seminar, Christ was seldom mentioned. A little anxious, I began to poke around the Cambridge book stores, sampling scholarly perspectives on the history of the gospels. The results were mixed. Randomly, I opened a book by Michael Grant, Jesus: An Historian's Review of the Gospels, which fueled my doubts. A Harvard friend recommended Hans Kung's On Being Christian, which I found reassuring. Then I revisited C.S. Lewis, who so confidently reinforces St. John's message. Lewis readers are re-invited to believe that in Christ the Lord above had visited our world. no Day1.org   Comedy (definition): a drama in which the central motif is the triumph over adversity, leading to a successful conclusion. In the literary sense, Easter is comedy: Easter is a drama in which the central motif is the triumph over adversity, triumph over crucifixion, over humiliation and death, leading to a successful conclusion, leading to resurrection, leading to the death of death. However, since the earliest days of the Church, Easter has been understood as more than a comedy...Easter has also been regarded as a joke. A supreme joke. The best joke in all the world and the last and best laugh ever. For us, these two millennia later it's not easy to get the joke because we know the ending. There's no surprise. So in an effort to recover the surprise of Easter, I am invite you now to travel with me back in time, to the beginning of what we now call the Common Era, to the time of the Roman Empire to a land called Palestine: there was a gruesome, if inconsequential, incident of capital punishment. The Roman Empire executed a peasant with an attitude...a peasant who refused to pledge allegiance to the Empire, refused to regard Caesar as a god. From Rome's perspective, this peasant's death was inconsequential and matter of fact. It was routine. There are really no records to speak of--other than the hand-me down stories told by his little band of followers--there is no record that in killing Jesus of Nazareth Rome had wrestled down a mighty insurrection. Tue, 22 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/7154-divine_comedy http://day1.org/7154-divine_comedy The Rev. Dr. Nancy Taylor In her sermon for Easter Day, Dr. Nancy Taylor explains the joke--on death and on empire--that God has made through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.   Comedy (definition): a drama in which the central motif is the triumph over adversity, leading to a successful conclusion. In the literary sense, Easter is comedy: Easter is a drama in which the central motif is the triumph over adversity, triumph over crucifixion, over humiliation and death, leading to a successful conclusion, leading to resurrection, leading to the death of death. However, since the earliest days of the Church, Easter has been understood as more than a comedy...Easter has also been regarded as a joke. A supreme joke. The best joke in all the world and the last and best laugh ever. For us, these two millennia later it's not easy to get the joke because we know the ending. There's no surprise. So in an effort to recover the surprise of Easter, I am invite you now to travel with me back in time, to the beginning of what we now call the Common Era, to the time of the Roman Empire to a land called Palestine: there was a gruesome, if inconsequential, incident of capital punishment. The Roman Empire executed a peasant with an attitude...a peasant who refused to pledge allegiance to the Empire, refused to regard Caesar as a god. From Rome's perspective, this peasant's death was inconsequential and matter of fact. It was routine. There are really no records to speak of--other than the hand-me down stories told by his little band of followers--there is no record that in killing Jesus of Nazareth Rome had wrestled down a mighty insurrection. no Day1.org   Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!   Have any of you ever been in a tunnel? Last year, I was trekking through several tunnels. I was with a group of fifteen hearty souls on a spiritual pilgrimage to Israel and Jerusalem. A special feature of that pilgrimage was tunnels. We walked in a lot of tunnels, tunnels that had served as water supplies, escape routes, and attack routes -- but also tunnels that were modern archeological digs. We walked through walls of sheer rock, and along long stretches of limestone, deep in the underground of Jerusalem, below bedrock in some places. We walked through some tunnels that had been hewn out by hand tools of the Canaanites. Other tunnels were constructed by Hezekiah and various Hebrew kings. Still others were the result of modern archaeology, present explorations into our past. Our footing was precarious and uncertain. We stumbled along rocky ridges and unexpected slopes. Often the rock beneath our feet was wet, always slippery, and sometimes full of water puddles. Underground, we rarely knew exactly where we were. We could not hear the world above us, and our tunnels made unexpected turns and dives. I am telling you all this, I am describing those rocky tunnels to you on Easter morning, because being in those tunnels felt like being in a rocky tomb. Walking deep in those Jerusalem tunnels felt like I was walking in a tomb. The walls were tight and dark, and I had no idea where I was. Tue, 11 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/7774-sam_candler_the_tomb_is_a_tunnel http://day1.org/7774-sam_candler_the_tomb_is_a_tunnel The Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler In his sermon for Easter Day, Dean Sam Candler says Easter is a day to remember an amazing thing about Jesus’ tomb: It’s not the end of the path, not the end of freedom, not the end of light-- it’s a tunnel.   Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!   Have any of you ever been in a tunnel? Last year, I was trekking through several tunnels. I was with a group of fifteen hearty souls on a spiritual pilgrimage to Israel and Jerusalem. A special feature of that pilgrimage was tunnels. We walked in a lot of tunnels, tunnels that had served as water supplies, escape routes, and attack routes -- but also tunnels that were modern archeological digs. We walked through walls of sheer rock, and along long stretches of limestone, deep in the underground of Jerusalem, below bedrock in some places. We walked through some tunnels that had been hewn out by hand tools of the Canaanites. Other tunnels were constructed by Hezekiah and various Hebrew kings. Still others were the result of modern archaeology, present explorations into our past. Our footing was precarious and uncertain. We stumbled along rocky ridges and unexpected slopes. Often the rock beneath our feet was wet, always slippery, and sometimes full of water puddles. Underground, we rarely knew exactly where we were. We could not hear the world above us, and our tunnels made unexpected turns and dives. I am telling you all this, I am describing those rocky tunnels to you on Easter morning, because being in those tunnels felt like being in a rocky tomb. Walking deep in those Jerusalem tunnels felt like I was walking in a tomb. The walls were tight and dark, and I had no idea where I was. no Day1.org   Whenever I prepare an Easter sermon, I always think way too hard about what it is I'm going to say. And today was no different. As my mind went in many different directions, I began to wonder just how our minds work anyway. Our minds are so complex and mysterious. For many of us, Christianity, our faith, even the person of Jesus himself, is really a heady exercise. We think very hard about faith, and perhaps sometimes, our minds can get in the way. What we think we see in the world is only really what our brains allow us to perceive. Our brains are trained from an early age to make assumptions about the world, to perceive the world in particular ways, like shorthand that allows us to function at efficient and productive levels. When we encounter something new, something we don't understand, we often find ourselves a bit confused. And when an entirely new way of being is presented to us, it's difficult to understand that new world at all. When I was in college, I remember learning about a small island in Micronesia, northeast of Australia, named Pingelap. Although every indigenous group is unique, the people on this tiny island of Pingelap are exceptional because so many of them are colorblind. By some estimates, only one in every 40,000 people around the world are colorblind, but on this tiny island of Pingelap, one in ten are colorblind. Imagine what it would be like to live without the breadth of color most of us experience. The world would look like a very different place. Rather than seeing the shocking differences between muted pastels and bright fluorescents, we would see very subtle shifts in tones and textures. And, as scientists discovered, when enough colorblind people shared life together, such as those on Pingelap, a new visual culture actually developed. Scientists discovered that those who are colorblind created their own artistic culture, and in some cases, they were able to create patterns on canvas and with cloth that only they could see. In other words, this group of people cannot see what we take for granted - the vibrancy of colors all around us. Yet because of their colorblindness, they saw beauty in new and creative ways - ways in which those of us who see color cannot appreciate.[i] Tue, 27 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/8169-chris_girata_get_up_and_live http://day1.org/8169-chris_girata_get_up_and_live The Rev. Dr. Christopher Girata In his sermon for Easter Day, Dr. Chris Girata notes that at the tomb Mary Magdalene failed to see what was right in front of her--the risen Lord--and we can often be just like Mary. On this day we get a glimpse into a divine opportunity, the opportunity of Christ and the resurrection, which can enable us to actually live in this dark and scary world.   Whenever I prepare an Easter sermon, I always think way too hard about what it is I'm going to say. And today was no different. As my mind went in many different directions, I began to wonder just how our minds work anyway. Our minds are so complex and mysterious. For many of us, Christianity, our faith, even the person of Jesus himself, is really a heady exercise. We think very hard about faith, and perhaps sometimes, our minds can get in the way. What we think we see in the world is only really what our brains allow us to perceive. Our brains are trained from an early age to make assumptions about the world, to perceive the world in particular ways, like shorthand that allows us to function at efficient and productive levels. When we encounter something new, something we don't understand, we often find ourselves a bit confused. And when an entirely new way of being is presented to us, it's difficult to understand that new world at all. When I was in college, I remember learning about a small island in Micronesia, northeast of Australia, named Pingelap. Although every indigenous group is unique, the people on this tiny island of Pingelap are exceptional because so many of them are colorblind. By some estimates, only one in every 40,000 people around the world are colorblind, but on this tiny island of Pingelap, one in ten are colorblind. Imagine what it would be like to live without the breadth of color most of us experience. The world would look like a very different place. Rather than seeing the shocking differences between muted pastels and bright fluorescents, we would see very subtle shifts in tones and textures. And, as scientists discovered, when enough colorblind people shared life together, such as those on Pingelap, a new visual culture actually developed. Scientists discovered that those who are colorblind created their own artistic culture, and in some cases, they were able to create patterns on canvas and with cloth that only they could see. In other words, this group of people cannot see what we take for granted - the vibrancy of colors all around us. Yet because of their colorblindness, they saw beauty in new and creative ways - ways in which those of us who see color cannot appreciate.[i] no Day1.org   To John, our Gospel writer, the Good News of Jesus Christ begins not with a baby in a manger, but from the very beginning of creation. You can tell by the way John begins his gospel: "In the beginning was the word." The first three words echo the creation story from the book of Genesis, and John was very intentional about starting with those words. John sees the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ taking its roots in the beginning of creation. "What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:4-5) Let us hear once again how John chose to tell the story of New Creation. "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark..." Can you hear echoes of the creation story from Genesis? "In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep..." John's gospel tells us that because it was the day of preparation for the sabbath, the body of Jesus was taken from the cross and placed in a garden tomb. John goes on to tell us how Mary Magdalene - mournful, broken-hearted, and fear-stricken - returned to the place she last saw her friend and teacher, while it was still dark. But as soon as Mary Magdalene saw that the stone which covered the tomb had been removed, her first reaction was to fear the worst; that the body of Jesus had been stolen. Tue, 16 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000 http://day1.org/8362-john_thompsonquartey_on_being_gods_new_creation http://day1.org/8362-john_thompsonquartey_on_being_gods_new_creation The Rev. Canon John Thompson-Quartey In his Easter message, the Rev. Canon John Thompson-Quartey reminds us that the Bible says if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Easter is about celebrating God’s new creation--each of us--which turns our world’s assumptions about life and death on its head.   To John, our Gospel writer, the Good News of Jesus Christ begins not with a baby in a manger, but from the very beginning of creation. You can tell by the way John begins his gospel: "In the beginning was the word." The first three words echo the creation story from the book of Genesis, and John was very intentional about starting with those words. John sees the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ taking its roots in the beginning of creation. "What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:4-5) Let us hear once again how John chose to tell the story of New Creation. "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark..." Can you hear echoes of the creation story from Genesis? "In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep..." John's gospel tells us that because it was the day of preparation for the sabbath, the body of Jesus was taken from the cross and placed in a garden tomb. John goes on to tell us how Mary Magdalene - mournful, broken-hearted, and fear-stricken - returned to the place she last saw her friend and teacher, while it was still dark. But as soon as Mary Magdalene saw that the stone which covered the tomb had been removed, her first reaction was to fear the worst; that the body of Jesus had been stolen. no Day1.org