RESURRECTION Sermon Presented to St. Paul’s Church 4 Easter, Acts 9:36-43; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30; Psalm 23 April 17, 2016 The Rev. Mary Alice Mathison

Shortly after college I worked at an environmental education program in South Carolina. I had almost zero background in the subject, but we were going to be teaching barrier island ecology to 5 th graders, so it was really just a matter of learning the material and then teaching it—something I felt fairly confident I could do. In the weeks preceding the arrival of campers, I did a lot of reading and learning myself. Different plants and animals that had been familiar to me in observation or in name took on new and different meaning as I learned about their biology and chemical make ups and their practices and roles in the life, substance, and longevity of a barrier island. One of the plants I learned about had been right under my nose my whole life here in lower Alabama and I never even knew its story, I never even knew its name. It is a relatively small plant, more specifically, an epiphyte—an organism that does not have a root system, but perches itself on other plant life and then gets its nutrients from the air and water near the surface of the larger plant it is on. This specific epiphyte can come in small clusters, or make up its home in large sections of tree branches, often in cypress or oak trees. We might barely notice it when we have had dry weather, it can be brownish-yellow, small leaves curled up, and better resemble something dead, but even after the small bit of rain, this plant seemingly comes back to life, turning the brightest of greens and adorning many of the oaks in the area with extra lush green leaves after a rain storm.

1 The name of this little plant is Throughout the Book of Acts we go back and folks are long dead. Lazarus was dead for four resurrection fern. Appropriately named because it forth between stories of Peter and Paul, and other days, Jesus stops and heals the hemorrhaging does a lot of rising and coming back to life. One disciples as they spread the gospel through woman and is slowed down by crowds on his way of its neat features is that resurrection fern does teaching and healing in their travels throughout to Jarius’ daughter when he ends up raising her not require much water to survive; it can endure the Mediterranean region, as they tell the world back to life, Jesus is dead in the tomb and it is not long periods of dry weather, possibly up to 100 through their actions that the kingdom of God is until the third day that he is resurrected, Tabitha is years, looking brownish-yellow and dried up and now. already being prepared for burial. Resurrection is dead-looking. But with a small bit of water its We know from this story today, that something that takes time, resurrection is curled up leaves begin to reach out and turn that Tabitha was living in the seaside town of Joppa, something that we have to wait for—and that can bright green that adds a little extra beauty to the along the Mediterranean coast, that she had been a be painful and long-suffering when we do not trees it finds itself living with. seamstress, and that she did good works and acts know when it is coming, it can be excruciating This plant had been growing on the oak of charity. She becomes ill, we do not know how when it feels like all hope is gone. trees in my neighborhood for years, and I never or with what, but the illness brings on her death, When Peter arrives at Tabitha’s he greets knew what its name was, I never knew that it was and with her death she leaves behind many people her grieving friends briefly, sends them out, prays a separate organism from the trees in which it who love her and many people who are grieving near her body, and then calls her to get up, and made its home. I never knew its life could be the loss of her. Tabitha gets up, Tabitha is brought back to life, such a beautiful metaphor for a story I knew so Upon her death there are people who Tabitha is resurrected and she along with her well, the story of resurrection. know Peter is in the nearby town of Lydda (about friends and loved ones are given new life and new We talk a lot about resurrection in 10 miles away), and his reputation must have hope because of what God has done through church, especially this time of year, but I had preceded him as a disciple of Christ, so they send Peter, and reminded that the kingdom of God is almost forgotten about this story from Acts. We for him to come. At this point we might wonder ever present here and now. get so excited about the resurrection of Jesus (and why Peter had not been sent for earlier when The resurrection stories of the Bible are we should), and then we hear these great stories Tabitha first became ill, maybe they did not realize not only found in the stories of the dead being about Thomas, and the Road to Emmaus, and how ill she was, maybe her death was more raised to new life, but they are found in the stories later Pentecost, but right here in the midst of all of sudden, maybe they did not know Peter was of healing, the stories of people being made that, another resurrection is taking place in nearby until after Tabitha died, but as preparations whole, the stories of forgiveness, the stories of scripture, and this time it is Peter resurrecting a have begun to prepare her body for burial, people being put back together, the stories of woman named Tabitha. Throughout scripture Tabitha’s friends send for Peter. We do not know people being renewed in faith, the stories of there are several resurrection stories both in the if they sent for Peter because they thought he people finding hope and meaning and love in this Old and New Testaments, and they serve as could perform a miracle, or if they sent for Peter world. We hear another story of resurrection in reminders that resurrection is something that has to come and console those grieving her loss, but Psalm 23 today when we are reminded that God is been and continues to be an active part of our either way it was believed his presence would be with us through the darkest depths of the valleys lives. appreciated and meaningful. in our lives and in the moments of celebration and In the resurrection story today, we hear When we think about the other stories of joy. about a devoted woman named Tabitha (also resurrection that occur throughout scripture, The stories of resurrection in scripture called Dorcas) and one of Peter’s many great acts. particularly those of the New Testament, there also tell us that resurrection is not a one-time deal. At this point in the story of Acts Jesus has already often seems to be some similarities, and one that Maybe it does require some waiting on our part, ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit has come struck me most recently is that in the resurrection but especially as we see in Tabitha’s story today, down at Pentecost, empowering the disciples to stories people always have to wait. It is not like the resurrection does not end with Jesus’ go out into the world and proclaim the Good Jesus or Peter or Paul are sitting at the death beds resurrection, the resurrection story continues. It News through their words and actions. of the people they raise back to life, but these does not stop on the cross, it does not stop at the

2 3 4 tomb, it does not stop at Pentecost, resurrection that take place when we have experienced loss and completely random day, and lived it in complete continues, and it continues in our lives today. find new meaning or life after that loss, there are awareness that resurrection is an ever-present Maybe sometimes resurrection is hard to the resurrections that take place in which we learn event taking place in our lives? What if we lived see, maybe sometimes we have been so beaten to love ourselves, where we move from self-hatred that day as if we were fully aware of the presence down by life that at best we are indifferent to the to self-love, the resurrections that take place of God’s kingdom here on earth, here and now? stories of resurrection and healing and being put where each day we take one more step forward, What would that make the rest of our days in this back together or that maybe those stories only no matter how small, in whatever it is that might life look like, how would that change how we live seem relevant in the context of storytelling instead cause us struggle or hardship in life. Resurrection in this world, how would it change our of truth telling. Maybe those stories seem far off, does not happen just once in the Bible and it does relationships with our neighbors, with our maybe those stories seem too good to be true, not have to happen just once for us. We are enemies, with our everyday struggles? maybe we see ourselves as not good enough to people of resurrection and we live it every day, At Happening I remember Bishop Russell have those stories take shape in our own lives, but whether or not we are completely aware of it. talking about the word Shalom , and that while the story and truth of resurrection is not just for a We are a part of God, God is a part of us many of us might be familiar with its meaning few the story and truth of resurrection is for all and this world, and that means every single day we peace , the word also carries other implications of people. are people of resurrection, because our God is a wholeness, completeness, and even being put back Take a look at the world around us. God of resurrection. But what happens when we together. In his resurrection, Jesus greets his Think of that resurrection fern, waiting recognize it, what happens when we believe it, disciples with Peace, or Shalom, a familiar greeting throughout the dry seasons and droughts, waiting what happens when we become aware that we are but one that speaks depths to what we experience for the day that it experiences fullness of life, living it—how does that change how we live in in resurrection—we are made whole, we are put waiting for that day when others see that fullness this world, how does that change our encounters, back together. Each and every day resurrection of life within it. What friends or family members how does that change how we engage with the surrounds us, each and every day new life and new have you known that have been through severe world? creation finds its way into this broken world, each struggles perhaps in mind, body, or spirit, and not Resurrection is not just about what we and every day resurrection puts us and the world only persevered, but came through it with a deep experience in an afterlife of heaven, resurrection is back together, and if we open our minds, and sense of hope and faith. What about your own about what we experience in the here and now. In open our hearts, we might see that we have been life? Where have you found yourself in the a sermon about Lazarus and The Rich Man from and already live lives of resurrection, lives filled deepest of grief or sorrow or pain or suffering, Luke’s Gospel, Christian theologian and martyr with hope, lives filled with grace, and lives that are what has gotten you through that? What is getting Dietrich Bonhoeffer makes a claim that we as in the midst of God’s kingdom. you through that? Where have you found Christians do a good job at spiritualizing the forgiveness where you once only knew animosity gospel, meaning that what we read in scriptures AMEN and hate? Where have you encountered and we end up idealizing instead of living it out, we experienced and lived in doubt only to come to end up taking good notions about how we should know the beauty of faith and the beauty of live our lives and putting those on a pedestal or mystery? When or where have you experienced shelf, but not really living into them. Is it possible brokenness or chaos and when or where were you we do that with resurrection too? Is it possible put back together? that we take resurrection and spiritualize it, Resurrection is not something that just making it a beautiful notion or image or ideal, but happens in one moment, it ebbs and flows in our that we do not really truly believe in its active lives. There are the resurrections that take place presence in our own lives? in the healing and recovery of someone suffering What would it look like if each and every from illness, but there are also the resurrections one of us took one day out of our lives, one

5 6 7