Easter Sermon Recap--Look it's a ___________!

Easter Morning brought great crowds again to the Apache Pier. We served communion to 500 people on this windy and chilly Easter morning.

This past week, I was part of a teacher brigade that took Autistic children to the Ripley's Aquarium. I am not sure how many of you have spent any time there, but it is a very neat place. We wandered from exhibit to exhibit checking out the horseshoe crabs, sharks, sting-rays, eels, and turtles. One of the most beautiful sections is the section of "Rainbow" fish. Kids stood there with their mouths agape as they watched the brilliant yellows, bright blues, and vibrant golds and silvers dash about the tank. There was even a fish with a Clemson orange fin, that he used for defense. It was amazing standing beside the children and watching them take it all in.

One of our little ones yelled out at the rest of the crew, "Look, it's a TV!!" The entire group then traded in the amazing display of nature for a digital image on a 50 inch screen. Missing the real for something else, I wonder if that ever happened in the scripture?

John 20:11-18 reads this way:

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.

“Why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don't know where they have put him.”

She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her.

It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him.

“Why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener.

“Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

“Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned toward him and exclaimed, “Teacher!”

Amazingly, exactly what Mary was looking for was right beside her. She allowed the frustration and anxiety of the moment to keep her from immediately recognizing Christ.

On Thursday, my 5 year old son dyed Easter eggs in his class. His egg was the best! No, I am not making this up, the teacher actually told me. The egg was perfect, colored purple on one side and red on the other. He was so excited. He was running around the class showing this prized egg to all his friends. He held it a bit too tightly and....the shell cracked. He wailed, he cried. The world was over, "Humpty Dumpty" style. His two teachers tried to calm him down, to no avail. Douglas said, "This is horrible, I guess we have to cancel Easter." (Laughter all around)

The teachers had informed me of the story, and I wanted to try to make everything OK. Sometimes I seem to make things worse, but I keep trying. When we all arrived home, I asked Douglas to show me his egg. He acted like he was going to cry again. I asked him to tell me what happened.

"Dad, my egg was the best and I broke it. This is bad, we have to cancel Easter!"

"Douglas, let's look closely at this egg. Can you help me?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Lets pull this broken shell off the egg. I will get it started, is that OK?"

"OK, Dad, Can I help you?"

"Sure"

We pulled off the cracked colored shell and I got down a small plate from the cupboard. I dusted the bottom with salt and pepper and we ate the egg together.

"This is yummy, Dad"

"Do we need to cancel Easter, Douglas?"Things seem to be OK."

"Here Dad, have another bite"

So, here we are about to approach the table of Christ this morning with broken lives. He calls to us and reminds us of how nothing is beyond his repair. What is broken in our lives? Relationships, Marriages, finances, our career, our relationship with God, all of these---can be made new.

This morning, as you look over the ocean to the horizon, you see the sun peeking out. Another reminder from God, that he makes all things new.

May we prepare our hearts to celebrate the mystery of Communion.

Easter is not over!! Christ says to us, "This is my body, broken for you. He whispers on this chilly morning, "This is my blood poured out as ransom for all who believe."

Happy Easter! He is Here, my prayer is that we are able to recognize Him.