Resurrection, Cover up and doubt: Partying Nonetheless
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
That’s the proclamation on which the whole Christian story hangs.
Indeed, that’s the proclamation on which our Christian life hangs.
No point trying to “practice resurrection” if Jesus is still in the grave.
No point in worship, no point in discipleship, no point, no point.
And the range of responses to this world shattering event are mostly pretty predictable.
Those guarding the tomb “shake like dead men” and their supervisors amongst the religious elite buy them off to say that the disciples came and stole the body.
Deceit.
Bribery.
Cover up.
Nothing new there. That’s the way that the ruling authorities have always dealt with anything that would radically undermine their world.
The women are also full of fear, but to them comes good news from both an angel and the risen one himself, “do not be afraid.”
And so their fear is mingled with great joy.
No shaking “like dead men” for these women.
They grasp that if Jesus is no longer dead, then there is no point in them being scared “to death” by what’s going on here.
So they run quickly with fear (who wouldn’t be afraid?) and great joy.
Life has the victory on this dawning of the new creation.
And then finally … finally … the men get into the act.
Finally, right at the end of the story, the men meet the risen Lord,
not in Jerusalem, but back home in Galilee.
And “they worshipped him, but some doubted.”
Worship and doubt.
They always go together.
Worship – who wouldn’t worship such a one as this?
Doubt – what the heck is going on here?
Can this possibly be true?
And if it is true, what does this mean?
We join those women in their fear and great joy,
and we join the disciples in their worship and doubt,
one more time at Wine Before Breakfast.
One more time do we come to the table together.
One more time do we come to a mountain with Jesus.
One more time do we bring our fears and our joys,
our worship and our doubts,
together on a Tuesday morning at 7.22.
And this time we bring our fear, joy, worship and doubt
all together for a party!
A Resurrection Party!
Don and Nancy have the orange juice and Joe and I have got the champagne!
Deb and the band play one more time for us reaching into the music of Ben Harper and Martyn Joseph.
Amy has written a litany employing the music of that selfsame Martyn Joseph.
The mother of WBB, Judith Alltree will break the bread.
And you, my dear friends, are bringing food fit for a party!
While Jacqueline and Sky will have the bread, the rest of us will bring all the goodies.
And while we’re at it, we are going to lay hands on our sister Joanna Manning, in blessing of her ordination next weekend, and we will say prayers of blessing on those who will be departing our community this year.
It’s a Resurrection Party.
All are welcome, those with fear and joy, those who worship and those who doubt.
I look forward to seeing you in the morning.
In resurrection hope,
Brian Walsh
Wine Before Breakfast
Tuesdays @ 7.22am, Wycliffe Chapel
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