I begin with the classic tale of Biblical illiteracy. It concerns three BI’s who died and went to heaven. St. Peter met them at the Pearly Gates, and said, “There’s only one question you have to answer: Tell me, What is Easter?”
The first BI replies, "Oh, that's easy! It's the holiday in November when everyone gets together, eats turkey, and are thankful..."
"Wrong!," replies St. Peter, and proceeds to ask the second BI the same question, "What is Easter?" The second BI replies, "Easter is the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, and celebrate the birth of Jesus."
St. Peter looks at the second BI, shakes his head in disgust, says, “Wrong,” and then peers over his glasses at the third BI and asks, "What is Easter?"
The third Biblical Illiterate smiles confidently and looks St. Peter in the eyes, "I know what Easter is." "Oh?" says St. Peter, incredulously.
"Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. Jesus and his disciples were eating at the last supper and Jesus was later deceived and turned over to the Romans by one of his disciples. The Romans took him to be crucified and he was stabbed in the side, made to wear a crown of thorns, and was hung on a cross with nails through his hands. He was buried in a nearby cave which was sealed off by a large boulder."
St. Peter smiles with delight, and the 3rd BI continues, “Every year the boulder is moved aside so that Jesus can come out... and, if he sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter.”
It's been said (maybe Chardin), "Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of the God."
When Jesus breathed on his disciples in John's Gospel that first Easter Day, he filled them with his joy. He'd been leading up to it all along. John 15:11"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 16:22 "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."
There's a scene in "The King's Speech" where Lionel Logue is trying to help the Duke of York deal with his speech impediment. He has the future King George VI jumping up and down, shaking his arms, and wagging his head back and forth, like this… And of course later on, he invites the character played by Colin Firth to break through his block by invoking a string of expletives.
I'm not going to ask you to swear in church. But I am praying that God's "frozen chosen" might break through any spiritual impediments that are keeping us from loving the way Jesus loved, and living the way God intends. We Presbyterians are gracious, but often we don't come across as joyful. In many ways, we're like the House of Windsor. Well-intentioned, and caring an awful lot, but still we come across like cold fish! Obviously not all of you, but I'm talking here about myself, and any others whom the shoe might fit.
January of 1994, a little church on the end of a runway at Pearson International Airport in Toronto came to the world's attention as a place where people encountered God. As a result of this divine visitation, the members of what was at that time the Toronto Airport Vineyard were thrust into ministry to thousands of people worldwide.
The "Toronto Blessing" is a transferable anointing with the Holy Spirit. In its most visible form it overcomes worshippers with outbreaks of laughter, weeping, groaning, shaking, falling, "drunkenness," and even behaviors that have been described as a "cross between a jungle and a farmyard." Of greater significance, however, are the changed lives.
Christians affected by this phenomenon speak of an increased fervor for Jesus Christ, desire for righteousness and holiness, bible study, love and concern for non-Christians, and Christian fellowship. Healings and other miracles are also reported.
We are talking here about the power of the Spirit. And for us today, we might consider St. Thomas as our patron saint. Both because he started out doubting, and because he became a great believer. And, even more importantly, because he was ready to say what he thought. He didn't think to himself, I wasn't there for Easter, so I don't deserve to speak. He didn't doubt himself! He had the courage and risk-taking spirit that spoke right up and asked for what he wanted.
Actually this morning's sermon was going to have a different title, but wasn't sure you're ready for it. The real title is "Ask Your Doctor if Resurrection is Right for You." Now that we can speak about E.D. in public, we can rejoice that we have a treatment for Easter Disbelief. That treatment is the breath of joy.
This morning's lesson [John 20:19-31] is John's version of Pentecost, when each of the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit became alive with the breath of Christ.
And the heart of it is forgiveness…
Susan Sparks, pastor of Madison Ave. Baptist Church in NYC, has written a book entitled "Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor" She says, "Laughter is about how one comes at life. If you can laugh at yourself, you can forgive yourself. If you can forgive yourself, then you can forgive others."
Episcopal Bishop William C. Frey of Ambridge, PA: "What, after all, is a joke? Isn't it something that turns the tables on the expected, something that hinges on the unpredictable or unreasonable? There's nothing more unreasonable than the resurrection of Jesus. And to believe in it is to be part of that huge practical joke that God plays on those who trust blindly in the sufficiency of human reason to unravel all problems and to answer every question."
"Easter is the morning when the Lord laughs out loud, laughs at all the things that snuff out joy, all the things that pretend to be all-powerful, like cruelty and madness and despair and evil, and most especially, that great pretender, death. Jesus sweeps them away with His wonderful resurrection laughter."
Breath of joy is the medicine of life. Amen.
--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor
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