Rev. Dr. Bary R. Fleet - Pastor
March 23, 2008 – Easter Sunday
Acts 10:34-43      
Colossians 3:1-4   
John 20:1-18

What are You Announcing?

“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him.”  (John 20:2b)

If I were to be cynical, I might ask:  “So what?”  Even if the statement were true, what difference would that make in the grand scheme of things?  Sure, we get emotionally upset when graves get violated … there is a lack of respect … and we get upset.  But what does that have to do with the bigger picture?

Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, teaches “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, and not things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:1-2

Another way of saying this is:  “If the resurrection is real, if it is true that what we celebrate today is that when this earthly life is over, we are going to be with God … then what do we really have to complain about?”  And, why are we focusing on what is not right in our lives, in the world around us … why aren’t we focusing on what is right?

In another one of Paul’s letters, this time to the Philippians, he writes “Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil 4:8-9)

The passage from today’s Gospel lesson ends with Mary announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” (John 20:18b) She went on to tell them what Jesus had said to her.

I want to use today – Easter Sunday – the day we celebrate the best news we could possibly get – to encourage us to think about what we talk about.  More than that, I want us to change what we talk about.

We are a people who spend a lot of time talking about what is wrong … we complain, we criticize and we gossip (spread negative things about other people).  It would have been easy for the disciples to find themselves in that place after the crucifixion.

What would it be like if we stopped?  Maya Angelou says, “If you don’t like something, change it.  If you can’t change it, change your attitude, but don’t complain.”

What would it be like to live in a “complaint free world”?  That’s the title of a book by Will Bowen, pastor of Christ Church Unity in St. Louis, MO.  He challenged himself – and his congregation to try going for 21 consecutive days without verbalizing a complaint … that doesn’t mean we don’t think something negative, but the key is in not saying it! 

Words give power to ideas … and so an idea with no power quickly dies. People who have tried it have discovered that their lives have been changed significantly for the better.

There are 4 steps to this process …

• We don’t realize how much we actually complain – speak negative things:  complaints, criticism and gossip.
• We do realize how much we complain.
• We work at not doing it.
• We discover that we are still not complaining, but we’re not having to work at it any more … it just comes naturally.

My Easter gift to each of you is this pretty purple wrist band.  Put it on your wrist … and every time you are aware that you have said something negative – complained, criticized, gossiped – switch it to the other arm and start again.  When Pastor Will Bowen began, he thought of himself as a pretty positive person … but found himself switching arms about twenty times a day.  It took him over seven months to go for 21 consecutive days. 

It is sort of like the old saying:  “If you don’t have anything good to say, then don’t say anything.”  Wouldn’t that make the world a quieter place!

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb seeking … desperately seeking.  At first she was surprised at what she found.  She ran and told the disciples.  They came and had a look for themselves.  She came back with them, but she stayed after they left to go back to their homes.  She was desperately seeking … and in her desperation, she found the Risen Christ.   She couldn’t wait to announce to the world her discovery … the Good News.

I invite us all to celebrate the Good News of this day by becoming aware of what we are announcing to the world … the extent to which our own words are filled with complaint, with criticism, with gossip. 

I invite us to become Easter People … sharing the good news with everyone we meet!

SERMON IN A SACK:  an onion and a knife.  Cut the onion – see who cries.  Talk about other reasons people cry.  Today, we read a story about Mary Magdalene and Jesus asks her why she is crying.  She is sad – but he tells her that he is really alive … and she doesn’t have to be sad any more.