happy fertility celebration!

i love easter! i love easter more than christmas. i think the symbols are WAY more fun!

and we are roaring up on tonight's vigil.

i bribed the congregation with candy. i needed ushers and all sorts of other participants for the crazy vigil service ASAP. so i offerred candy. now, i love easter candy. bunnies, chicks, eggs!!! oh yes! fertility symbols abound. i even found the "hubba bubba clucker", the wonderful, wind-up chicken that poops candy.

i found red peeps!!!!
i said to the gentlemen at the bookstore this morning, "red chicks must come from red eggs. and the symbol for mary magdalene is a red egg. it is just a hop, skip and a jump from red peeps to mary magdalene!" this earned me the quote of the day. glad to provide entertainment on capitol hill, oh, i was wearing my collar, so i am sure it was quite the spectical. they asked me to come back later for more entertainment.

i am preaching tonight at the vigil. it means that i introduce each of the readings. i am to act as the wise, shaman of the community leading the ceremonies. i am not sure how i ended up with this task as the youngest of all the clergy. but, i think it is going to be wonderful.

i have added my intros to the readings and my sermon. enjoy.

introductions to the readings.
Come by the fire and water. Since time began our people have gathered to tell stories. We have gathered by fire and water. There are stories of our beginnings. Stories of our family tricksters. There are stories of joy and sorrow.

Tonight we hear our story. There will be a hero. There will be adventures. There will be weeping. Will we remember the ending?

Genesis 1-2:4
There is always a beginning to any good story. Ours begins with dirt and water. Light and darkness. There are creepy crawly critters and finally, humans. Listen to how we came to be with this Earth.

Exodus 14:10-31, 15:20-21
How wonderful our creation was and is! God made us and said we are good. God made all of the cosmos and said it is very good. Our beginning was indeed good.

With any story, there is always drama. There is always evil lurking out there. Evil that will attempt to take down the protagonist. We come now to one of the evils in our story. Pharaoh had barely let the Israelites go, when he decided to attack them. God would not let this happen. Listen to the might work of God in preserving the Israelites from evil. Imagine the battle between the God of Israel and Pharaoh.

Isaiah 55:1-11
We leave the celebration by the Red Sea. A celebration of God’s mighty works. A celebration that marks God’s redeeming power.

Our story has many prophets. All good stories have a wise one to warn and advise. We are fortunate to have many. Our prophet Isaiah gives words of mercy. This is a story now of God’s love and mercy.

Ezekiel 36:24-28
From Prophet Isaiah we learned about Mercy. Let us look to another of our prophets. Prophet Ezekiel will teach us about God creating us new. He will teach us about God’s promises. Listen to his lesson.

Daniel 3:1-29
Our prophet taught us to be wary of idols. Ezekiel reminds us that we must stay away from them. It is easy for us to be enticed by other ways.

Listen now to a story of three men that did not get enticed. They trusted God just as their ancestors did. Listen to the lilt of the story. Listen to the poetry of their walk through fire.

sermon John 20:1-18

Alleluia, He is Risen!

Say it with me! Alleluia, He is Risen!

Yes, don’t be shy! He is risen, yes indeed He is risen!

There ARE no more tears!
There ARE no more cries of when?

Christ is risen TODAY!

Peter and the unnamed disciple ran away, too scared of the possibility of life.
Mary Magdalene cried out wondering where her friend was. Then, wonder of wonders! She heard and saw the Good News. The Son of God called her name and with that spoken word she knew that life had returned. Mary knew that God had conquered hell and defeated death.

All this in a name. All this in a spoken word. A story that began with God speaking a word and Creation came into being. Now, the story becomes new, amazing, and joyful when the Son of God speaks a new word.
Listen! Listen, for tonight God is calling! Oh, dearly Beloved hear God calling your name and calling you to rise up! Calling you to rise up and celebrate your new life in Christ. God called you in the beginning and said you are good. You are very good. Now God is calling you by name and calling you from your tomb. God is saying have life. Have life, right now, in the eternal reign of God.

And laugh dear ones! Laugh because you are children of the Heavenly Father. A Father that will never turn away from you. A father that will always take you. It is never too late to come to His home for the Easter Feast. It is never too late to come to this Father’s door. Have joy, because you are counted as a Child of God!

The news just gets better and better! Revel in the goodness of the Easter Celebration! There is room for everyone at this dinner table tonight. There is plenty of room and food and EVERYONE is invited. That is the amazing gift of Easter. That is the gift of life from the Cross that we receive tonight. Out of mystery, out of death, we receive joy and life. Join me. Join me in praying, singing and eating. This is for you and for me. There is nothing better! For Alleluia, Christ is Risen, He is Risen indeed!