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Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, March 27, 2016, by Fr. Kevin Anderson

I need some volunteers to come up here and make a mess with me

[Invite kids to come up and throw around Easter basket grass].  Oh what fun! 

 

Who here does not have mess in their lives?  Let me see you raise your hand.   That’s right, we all have messes.  What kind of messes do you have in your life?  [Elicit responses from the kids . . . i.e. messy closet, messy desk at school, messy lockers, messy drawer, etc.]

Our things can be messy. 

 

Do any of you have pets?  Pets can be messy.  Let me show you one.  [Bring in the rabbit.]   Ok, maybe there are more kids who want to come up  . . . and pet the rabbit.  [Invite more kids up].

 

How are pets/rabbits messy?  [Elicit responses:  they eat and poo, they shed, they can mess their cage up, etc.]  But still even with messiness . . . they are so much fun.  They give us joy.

 

If you throw a party . . . there will be a mess afterwards. 

If you color eggs with dye . . . . there will be a mess on the table.  

If you play outside in the mud and dirt . . . your shoes and clothes will be messy. 

Activities can be messy. 

 

 

If you love someone, you will probably get your heart broken now and then. 

If you have siblings, then you probably need to live with chaos. 

Or if you are a parent you will need to live with mess for that’s what kids do

AND you need to put other things on hold in your life and prioritize the kids. 

If you have good friends, then if means that they will tell you the messy truth about yourself

(even when you don’t want to hear).  

Relationships can be messy.

 

 

If you say that you are a Christian, it means stop making excuses about being too busy to come to Church

or too busy for taking time for prayer, even with business.

 

If you say that you believe in the resurrection,

if means stop acting so grumpy and keeping up that negative view about the world. 

Good heavens, some of you act like each day is Good Friday. 

 

If you say that you follow Jesus, then stop living in fear and supporting others

(including politicians) who cultivate fear.

Life is messy.  

 

 

But Jesus rose from the dead to give us hope.  

No matter how bad it seems, it will get better. 

All things will work out in the end, if it hasn’t worked out, that means it is not the end.

Resurrection happens in you.

 

 

Jesus rose from the dead to give us confidence. 

It’s as if he says, “Yah, things can be messy in your life . . .

your job, your relationships, your direction . . .

but I have come to empower you to make the changes you need to make. 

Don’t expect someone else to do it. 

Resurrection happens through you.

 

 

Jesus rose from the dead to give us peace. 

You will not be alone no matter how much of a mess you have made of your life,

your education, your bad behavior.

Resurrection happens with you. 

 

 

 

Jesus consistently asks people to "follow me." and "come after me." 

                                                That means, following him in life AND in death.

Eventually, he leads us through our crucifixions to resurrection.  

Resurrection is not the avoidance of suffering or messiness or even death

 . . . it is messiness transformed!!!  

 . . . it is death transformed!!!

 

This is what God does with people who say "I DO" to our statement of beliefs

(the Creed, which will be shared with those joining the Church).

 

Easter teaches us to live in an undefended way.

Little by little we can let go of the need to prove ourselves right

or superior

or that we have our lives in control.

Easter tries to “break open” our hearts to understand that it is IN our messiness,

                                                                                                   IN our “not having our lives put together” 

that we come to know with true humility and love. 

 

As we are given the invitation to fall in love with God.

                                                                        A God who says, “I know. 

You have messiness in your life.

 Let’s move on from the shame.”

So arise from your tomb . . . and start living!

 

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