Practice Resurrection

Thursday in Easter Week, Year B
Chapel of the Apostles

Sewanee, Tennessee

Luke 24: 36b-48

**This is the second hermeneutic of the sermon, the part where I attempt to apply the text to the here-and-now.  If you would like to see the full sermon text, please e-mail me for a copy.

      
With this kind of living, loving, creative power alive in the world than the Easter life calls us to do something radical, something that does not compute in this world.  With fear and trembling we touch the wounds, we taste and see, and we live our lives in this new Easter creation, the Kingdom of Christ—where beauty, love, justice, and peace reign eternally.  Not only do we live in it, but we are called as stewards of the risen Christ to run it on his behalf!  We cannot remain static, for the resurrection bids us to do the unthinkable:  work for peace, free the oppressed, protect the environment, and live a life of forgiveness.

We say that creation is ongoing; to say this we must admit that crucifixion is also ongoing with many of God’s children.  Immigrant workers in our country who continually face discrimination; the working poor who no matter how many jobs they can humanly manage can never get ahead; Gay/Lesbian/Bi-Sexual/and Transgendered persons continue to be pushed to the margins of society; and all those who just don’t seem to fit our orthodox view of the world—all these and more continue to feel the nails piercing their skin.  Yet, if crucifixion is ongoing, then we must believe that resurrection of God’s children is not only possible but necessary, and necessary for us to work on their behalf.  Practicing resurrection is our response to the Easter life.  Practicing resurrection in our own lives is what Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 12 as God tells him, “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God’s power is made perfect in Christ’s resurrection and it is also made perfect in ours.  Practice resurrection.

God’s power is made perfect in Christ’s resurrection and it is also made perfect in ours.

The Easter life cannot be measure in economic terms of winners and losers.  The Kingdom of Christ, God’s Divine Commonwealth does not live under the laws of supply and demand.  If Christ is raised from the dead, than the world cannot be seen the same way.  If Christ is raised from the dead than we cannot stay locked and burdened in our own tombs; we cannot avoid the dead places in our lives anymore, we must face them with the hope that Christ will raise us!  Practice resurrection.

    

If Christ is raised from the dead, than we can no longer accept the inequality of living conditions among the working poor.  If Christ is raised from the dead, than we cannot accept starvation, pollution and raping of the planet for profit.  If Christ is raised from the dead, than we must reach out to our neighbors who continue to feel the pain of crucifixion in their lives.  If Christ is raised from the dead, then we can no longer live by thinking.  Practice resurrection.

    

So what do we do now?  What’s the answer?  We can live the Easter life and let Christ consume us in His Church and in the Sacramental grace of the Holy Spirit.  We do what we were created to do—live as images and likenesses of God working for the Kingdom all the while practicing reconciliation and practicing loving one another as Christ loves us.  We live to practice resurrection from our dead places and we are bidden to leave behind our tombs.  We live for the Kingdom and the new creation that has dawned upon us all, let us incorporate our lives into the blessed Trinity.  Thus in this new Kingdom, we may join with the Church triumphant and proclaim:  Christos Anesti, Cristo ha resucitado, Alleluia Christ is Risen.  Amen.