Friday’s thoughts
The sermons are now in a rough draft state. On the Wednesday post I put the entire text of the 6am Sunrise sermon as it was then. It has changed some since it was posted.
The 8, 9:30, and 11 Easter sermon is coming together. I think it needs help but there is time, and if you have thoughts I’d appreciate hearing from you.
Title “For Crying Out Loud
Three issues seem to emerge from the 20th Chapter of the Gospel of John and that interpretation of the Easter story:
1. There were and are disciples who came looking for the corpse. They needed to see the body of Jesus. There are always people who need verification and who are consumed with doubt and dispair. The cynics and doubters will be at Church on Easter. They don’t believe much about the resurrection. They are suspicious about the story and how it applies to their lives. Their approach is basically, “Oh no!” They are at church basically because someone or something made them come, but they doubt that anything said or sung or read will effect their lives much. They might as well have stayed home.
2. There will be disciples who come to Easter with tears in their eyes. They are fanatical believers who are so taken by the fact that Jesus is alive that they cannot see beyond their tears to the deeper meaning of Easter; which is its implications for their lives. They already have Easter figured out. They know what it is saying to them. The problem is they know only what they think and believe. They are closed to meanings beyond their knowing. They already understand Easter and they might as well have stayed home.
3. When Jesus said, “Don’t hold onto me!” I think that is an important warning. He is telling the skeptical doubters to let go of some of their doubt and be open to seeing what is unseen. He is telling the faithful fanatics to let go of some of their faith certainty. He is telling us there is more to this story than we can grasp in one lifetime, but we have to be willing to look beyond what we have seen.
The hardest part of preaching on Easter Sunday is facing people who doubt all of the message of resurrection, and facing people who think they understand all about the message of resurrection.
The most important imperative is the proclaimation from Jesus who said, “Don’t hold on to me”.
There is a bit of the doubter and the fanatic in all of us. My job Sunday will be to remind us to let go of some of our doubt and some of our faithful certitude.
Do you have suggestions concerning how I get that said? If so write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your response click on the ‘comments’ box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles
