In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

I don’t know about you, but it seems strange to me to be celebrating Easter already. Less than three months ago we are celebrating Christmas. Even in our high-speed culture, that is amazing. Easter is supposed to be the hallmark of spring, yet I look outside and most of the trees on our street are still bare – not even sporting that green haze of new foliage. There are a few brave daffodils poking their heads up, but not many. And for awhile, they were predicting snow for today – burr! Not exactly the type of weather that most Easter dresses are make for. 

The timing of Easter as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox as set long, and the lunar schedule would have it, the full moon and the equinox were both on Friday, so here we are. Our Easter celebration this year is the earliest it will be in my lifetime, unless I live to be 187. 

So, ready or not, the day is here – a day of celebration as we remember the awesome act of Jesus’ resurrection and renew our commitment to follow him. 

But something strange happens in our Gospel lesson that I just read – did you notice it? The guest of honor is missing! It is the one account of Easter morning where Jesus is no where to be found. He is not in the tomb, of course, but usually Jesus shows up and talks to the apostles. Not in Luke’s Gospel. The only clue we have to his whereabouts is from the two men dressed in dazzling clothes when they say to the women, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” And if we continued reading Luke’s Gospel, that is exactly where we will find him – on the road to Emmaus talking with Cleopas and his companion.
It’s as if Jesus is saying to his tomb, “Been there, done that, moving on to the next thing.” 

Of course the expectation for the Jewish officials and the Roman aristocracy was that the tomb would be the end of their trouble with Jesus. This upstart, radical teacher was out of their way for good and they could get on with their lives. 

But for Jesus, the tomb is not an end but a beginning – a birth into a new life with more power and glory than he had before. He has work to do and he can’t do it in a tomb, so why bother staying there. So off he goes to be where he is needed, to do the work he needs to do. 

Jesus demonstrates the exact behavior he expects from his apostles and followers, including us. God did not abandon us after Jesus was killed. Instead God resurrected Jesus, gave him new life to show us a new way of life. There is no need for us to gawk at an empty tomb because that is not where we are needed. We are needed in a world crying out for Good News in the midst of economic instability, climate concerns and political unrest. The world needs to know that God loves us and that love shows no partiality.
You may be aware of Oprah Winfrey’s reality show “The Big Give.” The premise of the show is that the contestants have to “out give” each other in acts of philanthropy. As far as TV shows go, it is a bit contrived and awkward, but the spirit of the show, of how one person can make a difference, is exceptional. It embodies the tenet of loving your neighbor as yourself. One of the more moving stories was when a contestant set up a day of pampering for women with HIV/AIDS. The joy on those women’s faces of being treated like everyone else was uplifting. For at least a few hours, these women were not defined by death, but by life. And that is where I saw Jesus. 

I invite you to celebrate this day of resurrection by embodying the new life we see in Jesus. How can you show God’s love? Where can we be new life? Be creative. I am not asking you to be contestants on “The Big Give,“ but each of us can do something. We can give money to a worthy cause, like the Millennium Development Goals, where the collection from our mite boxes is going. We can give time, which seems to be an even more precious commodity, to visit a friend, go grocery shopping for an elderly neighbor or volunteer at a homeless shelter. This week St. Stephen’s is hosting Family Promise of Gloucester County, a program for displaced families and we could use your help with set up at 1 PM this afternoon. Or you can be very literal in the display of new life and plant some flowers to show everyone the beauty of God’s creation. 

In a few minutes we will renew our Baptismal Covenant to express our faith in Jesus and how that faith inspires us to live in this world. Let these vows be your marching orders, to go out into the world and be that new life we witness in Jesus. He is already one step ahead of us. AMEN.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer.
I try to ignore as much as possible the retail feeding frenzy usually referred to as the “Holiday Shopping Season.” It is not easy to do, since before Thanksgiving there have been sale fliers in the mail and newspapers, TV commercials, billboards and store displays trying to lure us in with claims of special holiday sales and drastically reduced prices for a limited time only, all with the expectation and intention of helping you find that elusive prize, “The perfect gift” – the one that will surprise and elate its receiver to tears of joy and guarantee his or her unending gratitude. Not long after the start of this media blitz, I became desensitized to all the ads, but there was one that caught my attention. I only saw it once, which might be why I remember it, but it had a lasting impression.
The ad was for, of all things, eBay, the online auction house. Amid spinning vintage lunch boxes, Nintendo Wii games systems and glittering jewelry, the ad said, “Would you rather give a present this year that says, ‘I got you a gift,’ or give a gift that says, ‘I get you.’?” Wrapped up in that concise question, pretty as a present, is the exact sentiment we are all yearning for. We desperately want someone one to “get us,” to know us so intimately that finding the “perfect gift” is a joyous task because of its guaranteed success.
As I continued to mull over the statement, “I get you,” I began to realize that the present itself that was not as important as the recognition of one’s deepest desires by another, of being understood and accepted for who you are, including quirky tastes for Lucille Ball memorabilia or an autographed 1972 Dolphins football.
“I get you,” appeals to our need for connection, our desire to be understood, our hope for love. I believe that this is what Christmas is all about. God tells us, “I get you” in the most perfect gift ever given, Immanuel – God with us – wrapped up in the moral flesh and delivered in a stable in Bethlehem.
We are given the gift of presence, God’s presence in human form – the baby named Jesus, the child that fulfilled the words of the ancient prophets. Though this newborn infant, God tells the world, “I get you. I see my people walking in darkness and I am giving you a great light. I made a covenant with you through Abraham, responded to your ancestors enslaved in Egypt and revealed myself to you throughout history, yet that was not enough. You need me to become as you are – moral. So I give the gift of myself incarnate, to experience all that you are, to understand intimately what it means to be human so that you will know you are not alone. I do this so you will know and believe that I love you.”
Though Jesus, God had experienced what we know so well – being human is not easy. Sometimes it is hard for us to be in our own skin, dealing with the aches and pains, the emotions and limitations. With our modern technology, it is easy to escape these barriers and recreate ourselves in virtual reality. We can participate in a number of alternate universes available, such as Secondlife.com, where you can create an aviator – a virtual being to represent you – that can be whatever you want. You can even have wings. Many people find community in these virtual worlds, a group of similarly minded people who “get” each other. The yearning for connection, for understanding is extremely powerful and can entire people into a feeling of intimacy.
But no matter how “real” those places may look, at some point our corporal bodies need sleep or food and we have to turn off the computer. The connection is broken and we are left to deal with our own bodies and a reality that is not controlled by a click of the mouse. We are confronted with the truth that life is not a land of make believe and there is no substitute for touching another living body.
Through the amazing gift of God in human form, we are given the extraordinary knowledge that God really does understand what it is like to be us because God has, if you will, walked a mile in our shoes. God experienced birth in the Christ child, went through the struggle of growing up, felt the temptation of power and glory, endured the rejection of people he cared about, mourned the death of loved ones, and suffered a cruel and undeserved death. Jesus Christ also laughed and played, attended and hosted parties, worked hard, and enjoyed being with his friends. Jesus also loved the world, just as much and just as passionately as his Heavenly Father.
Even though Jesus lived in human form 2000 years ago half way around the world in a culture and context quite different from our own, we recognize the similarities we have with him, the human experience of trying to find our place in this world.
A couple months ago I watched an amazing documentary about “The Lost Boys” of Sudan entitled God Grew Tired of Us. The film captures the stories of 4 of these boys, who have grown into men, and their experience of trying to find their place in this world. We meet the boys at the refugee camp in Kenya, where they have been for almost 15 years after fleeing from the Musha Hadeen, government operatives sent to kill all the Christians in Southern Sudan. After all those years living in the camp, the boys were waiting to see if they have been chosen to be relocated to the United States though a religious service organization.
The documentary depicts the radical difference these men experience moving from the abject poverty of the refugee camp to living in Rochester, New York and Pittsburgh, Penn. They had never used electricity or in-door plumbing. They were overwhelmed by the abundance of food at a grocery store and taken aback that a whole aisle was dedicated to dog and cat food. Their culture shock is stark and awesome to witness for someone who takes the Internet, food in my refrigerator and my own car too often for granted.
One of the film’s subjects, Jon Bul, now a striking man of 6’ 7”, remembers that as a boy of 11 or 12, he was the head of a band of about 1,000 other refugee children who looked to him for guidance and safety because he looked more like an adult. Jon recalls that during the months that they were wandering through the desert looking for safety, he thought God had grown tired of them asking for help and had forgotten about their struggle. Not long after that, they found the refugee camp.
In another scene, Jon is watching a movie on TV depicting a character dressed up in a Santa suit. Jon has a perplexed look on his face as he tries to understand what Santa has to do with Christmas, the birth of his Savior. He recalls the joyous celebration he and his adoptive family would have at Christmas in the refugee camp. There was dancing and laughter, and with what little food they had, a feast to share with each other. There was no tree, no lights, no presents, no Santa. But there was the joy of knowing in the core of their being that though the gift of Jesus, God said, “I get you. I have seen your struggles in the desert and I will not leave you comfortless.”
The documentary follows the men through their transition into life in America and how they are adapting 4 years later. As he reflects on his life, Jon believes that his physical being, his height and gentle presence, are gifts that God has given him to use for being a leader and inspiring others to learn and do something about the genocide occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan. Through his incarnate being, Jon has found his place in the world.
I am still moved by Jon’s story. Regardless of the utter differences in our lives, there is a universal recognition of one human being to another, of suffering with him in his darkest hour and rejoicing with him in his triumphs. And we share a love for the one born in Bethlehem, Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and rejoiced during his life, and suffers and rejoices with all of us now in his resurrected life.
I also appreciate his confusion about the celebration of Christmas in America. Since I grew up in this culture and enjoyed the benefits and sleepless nights of waiting for Santa to come, I won’t dismiss the place he has in our hearts and imaginations, but I hope that we never become satisfied by only having all the trappings of a “prefect” Christmas – the tree, the ornaments, the lights, the food, the presents. And I pray that we never loose sight of the fact that the most precious and most perfect gift ever given, the ultimate “I get you” gift, has been given to us in Jesus the Christ, God’s son and our moral brother.
By following Jesus’ example, we can live a life filled with purpose and meaning – to love God and love our neighbors as our selves. We can find our place in this world by using the unique gifts and talents God has given each us in our earthly bodies to use for God’s glory and to share the message of God’s love. And we can rest assured that no matter what problems or difficulties we experience in life, God is there with us, sharing in our suffering and giving us the strength and courage to continue to live on this mortal coil. We know that God understands those times of trial because Jesus experienced them too.
Tonight, as we celebrate and rejoice in the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray that you remember each and everyday this gift, this gift that keeps on giving each and every day. The gift of peace, hope, joy and love – the gift from God that says, “I give the gift of myself incarnate, to experience all that you are, to understand intimately what it means to be human so that you will know you are not alone. I do this so you will know and believe that I love you. I get you.”