Bring it Home Easter 2007

Easter sermon 2007 PUMC “Go Home”

Christ is Risen ....that is the gospel of the church.

Now here’s the sermon.:

its very short..... Its to the point ..are you ready?

here it is......
“ Just go home.”

All of you
(Scott ...Jim, Loree.. Mary.. "Go home"
John ... Sara, ..Bob. Dorothy) etc //////////////

Go home!

Christ is risen..
Now be amazed and go home
.......................................................
really that’s a good Easter response

I’m not making this up.

I found it right here in the Bible.

You even heard it in the gospel lesson
the very last verse of the gospel reading from Luke

in verse 12
here...let me read it again:


“Peter got up and ran to the tomb;
he bent down
and saw the grave clothes by themselves..and nothing else.
Then he went back home
amazed at what had happened


you see..?.... he went back home

You know I’ve preached for about 30 years of Easter services
I have never noticed that verse before.
Now to be fair
some of the old manuscripts don’t even have this verse.
. (The New International version didn’t bother to translate it that way)

but this little note
is not just a fluke in Luke


I'm convinced that its supposed to be there..
Why?
because Johns gospel put it there as well..

Look it up.. John20 verse 10

Peter and this other disciple
ran to the tomb
they looked in
saw the grave clothes and they believed..

they didn’t understand it yet....
.but it says ‘they believed..

And in verse 10 it says
“then the disciples went home..”

So Now
in two of the gospels..it says” They went home”

We talked about this a little bit on Wednesday morning
in the bible study group

After something like that ...how do you just go home?!


We were puzzled....Didn’t have an answer

But I’ve been thinking about this ....and


that is what we do!

Its in this bible story ,,,,because that’s what we do!

After this Easter service

After you and I have made this Sunday morning run to the tomb
so to speak
after you and I have heard the Easter news

what are you gonna you do?

Well I know ,you might go to somebodies house ..you might go out to eat,..

But sooner or later
your gonna go back home!
you gotta go back home.


And that’s exactly what we re suppose to do!!!
bring it home.

Be amazed , . And then Somehow you gotta Go ahead
and Bring this gospel
bring .this truth ..take this experience home
..........................
Now listen

don’t lose me here!

Im sure There is a larger meaning to this going home

its gotta be a double meaning

so When I say bring it home

I don’t mean just a place with walls

but bring it here ....(.in here)
bring it home.
Into your life

in your heart..in your mind... and
in your soul

where you really live....deep inside of you

bring it home.

Christ is Risen..

Think about it..
pray about.
.study the scriptures.. .
.search your heart..
Open your mind.
let it be there

will you do that?

In the amazing wonder of it all.

And whatever you do....don’t forget it
....Don’t leave it here.. in the church

don’t leave it here in the Easter music
or the flowers
or even
just in your puzzled rational mind

but take it to your inner home

You gotta take this Easter thing all the way home
because
you know what?!

That’s where you need it..


You don’t need this faith just on a Sunday morning

You need it
Monday
Tues /wed /Thursday/ Frid /Saturday
24 /7
And You don’t need it just here in church when we get together..

you need it at school
and work .
.everywhere you go
you need this where ever you are
you gotta take it with you


Take it home

that means take it out it into this real world .

.your daily world

so when you go home and watch that news tonight

when you feel the pain of a war in Iraq
the famine of Sudan
when you see the hungry and the poor..
The corruption and the greed
the ruining of the environment
and the threat of terrorism
,,the tragedy of AIDS

when you are just plain down..

And the whole world seems down

then you can hear those words again..
.Christ is risen !

You will hear this Easter message that even the dead are raised.
And you will know what that means


..it means ....that all things are still possible
peace
is possible
healing is possible
. Change is possible
Easter tells us

the stones of impossibility... are rolled away...

So Listen to it..
Just believe it..
And take it home..

..
It will come to you ...close to home... in other ways as well.


maybe when you go home to that empty place at the table tonight
and you feel again your own dear grief..
(As many of us will do..)
As hard as it is..

Remember that Christ is risen
the dead shall live.
.love goes on
life goes on..

There is a peace that passes understanding

the light shine in the darkness ..
and the darkness does not over come it..
even the darkness of the tomb..
Sorrow and mourning shall flee away
and in the eternity of God
all is well.
All is well


On Easter morning
that promise is signed... sealed and delivered

just so you and I could take that assurance home
where you feel it most..
Where you need it most....

bring it home
...........................

when you feel the aches and pains of your own mortal body

then you go and look at the Easter tomb
where nothing of the body remains

the Gospels say only the linen wrappings remained

resurrection ...is telling us.. That life is more than this body..
The physical somehow
is gathered into the spiritual

Only the wrappings remain..

There is more to this life than meet the eyes

Easter tell us to look at the empty resurrection tomb

and then go home ..take it home
when you go through the valley of the shadow of death

take it home
you will be amazed

you really can take this all the way home

......
And maybe too
When you need to hear those words of Christ
saying to you
your sins are forgiven..
When you need to know how much you are loved..

When you need
so desperately to know.. that you can. begin again

...that hope is alive by the grace of God
then hear the word
that Christ is risen

forgiveness is real.. This wondrous love is still real


In the name of the Risen savior we are loved..
redeemed set free
free to
bring it home


On Easter Sunday

bring it all home
..........


But Most of all
just take this Savior with you as the very presence of God

Easter is a day to Bring Jesus home with you

still alive..
Not in the tomb of time and space
not bound to the pages of history

not just an idea or name
,or doctrine or a wish

not just far away in heaven
but a living revelation of God


I like the way Sister Joan Chittister puts it

one of the great Catholic writers of our day
she says
In Jesus Christ)
we are surely called to believe that God who is everywhere
is (still)with us.

And we are called to believe that this God is Energy and Love

(Did you hear that) energy and love

Not the grand Inquisitor
Not the great Circus master
Not the indifferent Professor who does distant research on our lives

God is the one who made for us... a good world

and walks with us... to hold us up.. as we go..”

To hold us up as we go


energy and Love

God with us..


We get to bring that kind of God home with us.

God is still making this good world
God is still giving us this energy and Love

God is still walking with us
holding us up as we go..

So lets go home in the presence of Jesus Christ
lets go home
with joy
with purpose with power

to be the witness..
and dare to dream... .

Share the good news..
write the check
say the word...
offer the hand
open the door
join the prayer.
Be the church

be the undefeated love ..alive and well.
that God has given us IN Jesus Christ



we get to believe it... even if we can not understand it

bring it home

.................................................

Thats what I hear In those simple words of Luke 24:12

amazed at what had happened
peter went home

that’s what God want us to do.

......................................................
For years
we have learned to say on Easter morning this traditional greeting “Christ is risen”

Christ is risen indeed

but this morning
lets me add another greeting.... as an early sending forth
its saying the same thing really

I’ll say Christ is risen
and you can respond
bring it home

lets do that
will you do that with me..
L: Christ is Risen .....
.C: Bring it home

now louder ,,,,Christ is risen.......
bring it home.....

louder ...
Christ is risen ...
bring it home

now quiet as a whisper

Christ is Risen ..... Bring it home..

Now pray it..
silently to your self as a prayer.

Christ is risen .....say the response as a silent prayer..
...............

That is my Easter prayer

that this risen savior will come to you ..as I know he will
and meet you at home
and finally be your home
and take you home.


Christ is Risen....let us be amazed and go home.