Sunday March 23rd 2008

"IMAGINE”

SERMON  BY

THE REV. PAUL MULLEN

AT

SCARBORO UNITED CHURCH, CALGARY

MARCH 23, 2008

(EASTER SUNDAY)

“GOD’S GREAT WORK:  TURNING BROWN INTO GREEN”

Scripture:   John 20: 1-18

The story of the empty tomb is a story of devastation, of three-fold grief – the death of a beloved leader, the death of all the hopes, dreams and aspirations attached to him and now the absence of his body. Mary returns to her friends and fellow followers and announces “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." How much loss can Mary take? No wonder she is weeping.

Life can have a lot of brown like that. You know the curves life throws at you. You also know about the not-overly-helpful-advice you get, e.g. “If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” You know that is not enough and is never enough. They imply that we, by our own efforts, can fix life’s bad news. What we want at times like that is a God who can do something, who can make it all better, who can make the pain go away and who can give us back our friend, our loved one.

We also know that God doesn’t work that way. And that’s a good thing. What we need is a God who turns brown into green. And that is what we have. That is what God has been doing from the beginning. The first words in the Bible are about God taking emptiness and turning it into a garden. In that garden we are given a choice. Remember the tree with the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil? We were given the gift of choice to either wallow in the mud or be part of God’s transformation. It is too easy to wallow as Adam and Eve found out.

It is also too easy to get stuck in the mud that is not of our own making  -  as the Hebrew people found out. Heading to Egypt in a time of famine they became stuck in the mud of oppression. God’s holy fire led them to freedom, first appearing as a burning bush then as a pillar of fire in the terror of their night. That’s one of the reasons we still teach the Bible stories. They can be a pillar of light in the dark terrors of the night. In the day God lead them by a pillar of cloud. That is one of the reasons we honour confusion and doubt. We can deal with the questions and uncertainties in the strength of our days if we have that pillar of fire to lead us through the fearful night.

Just as we can get stuck in mud that is not of our own making, it is far too easy to get stuck in mud that is of our own making. King David found this out when he developed a thing for his neighbour’s wife, Bathsheeba. She was married to Uriah, who served in the King’s army. David had him assigned to the front lines to reduce his chances of survival. When he died David took Bathsheeba as his wife and thought life was great. Then the Prophet Nathan came along and pointed out to him that God cares about our actions and that he was now in serious trouble. He also pointed out that we have a choice and David showed that even oppressors can repent and be a great nation.

That is important to a province like Alberta. Alberta is a fine province in so many ways, but it is not yet a great province. It won’t become a great province until it learns that being great is not about profits for the powerful; it is about homes for the homeless. It’s about brown into green

The resurrection tells us life is not about Empire. Empire is the taking of resources from the many, and funnelling obscene wealth into the hands of a few. That is what we all want down inside. We want to be part of the few. We believe that if we get enough money, power and security we won’t ever have to suffer because we can pass the suffering that comes our way on to others. We will be able to take the brown in our life, and like King Midas, make it turn into gold. Remember the story of King Midas? He was given the gift of a golden touch. Everything he touched would turn to gold. Everything was great until he touched his beloved daughter and she too turned to gold. We want a lot of gold so we can use that gold to keep our lives golden. Someone else can deal with all that brown.

The resurrection is not about gold. The resurrection is about the transformation of brown into green. It is not about getting rid of the brown. Gardeners don’t get rid of the dirt. They even add more brown. They add compost and manure; they get down and dirty but they don’t wallow.

Transformation is not always what we expect. The Roman Empire turned into the Kingdom of God.  And not just ancient Rome. Writing about Holy Saturday in yesterday’s National Post (March 22, 08) editorial writer, Marni Soupcoff, reflected on the downfall of oppressive regimes, especially those which repress Christianity, and had this to say:

“The truth of Holy Saturday is not only for Christians, but a message of hope for everyone. Even when all seems definitively lost, when the stone is rolled into place and the darkness within the tomb is complete, even the hope is not lost. For the day in which the voice is silence, the day in which the light is darkened, the day in which the faith is sealed underground – all this is but for a day. The day of the tomb does not have the final word, for in the morning, there is Easter joy.”

Brown to green means tears can turn into joyous laughter. Next week is Holy Humour Sunday, an opportunity to bring your favourite jokes. We will have an open mike and you can help us have a laugh at the powers of evil and death. Seriously.

Brown into green means betrayers and deserters become brothers and sisters. When Jesus speaks to Mary he urges her to go and tell not those rats and turncoats, but “my brothers and sisters”. Brown into green.

One of my fellow preachers on Midrash, our internet sermon discussion group, asked for specific examples of the difference resurrection has made in people’s lives. So I shared my own story and thought I would share it with you here as well:

 

As a teenager I remember having vindictive dreams of stardom revenge. I was a skinny, red-haired, preacher’s kid, teased and bullied. I dreamed I would get my hands on everything the world had to offer. I would become a huge star and have it all and then I would show them all. Revenge would be sweet.

Instead I listened to a still small voice, a resurrected voice that said, “I have a job for you.”

Well the resurrection has turned me into a total failure and abject loser. I don't earn a 9, 8, 7 or even a 6-figure income. I drive a six-year-old Corolla. I have no clothes with a designer label or that can be considered fashionable. My jewellery is my wedding ring and a ring my mother-in-law gave me. My watch tells time, doesn't make me who I am and costs less than $100 when I have one. I don't vacation in exotic or even distant locales. I don't have a cottage or a mansion. I have no recreation vehicles or equipment

other than my 25-year-old mountain bike. I only go to expensive restaurants if someone else is buying. I don't go clubbing, rarely watch a movie in a theatre and have never been to a hair stylist. I rarely attend a sports event or a concert. To seal the failure/loser judgement I believe in God, follow Christ and attend church very regularly as I am, to cap it all, a minister! This is not the superstar life I dreamed of when I was a teenager. This is not the life the world said I was entitled to!

In case you think I am complaining, bitter or whining, I am not. In case you think I am judging you because you might have and do all that or want all that, I am not. I just no longer care about all that. I have a wonderful, caring wife and we’ve shared life together for the last 41 years, have two beautiful daughters and their very fine families. I have enjoyed 31 years in the ministry even with its ups and downs. I got a profound education through seminary which continues on through stimulating courses and all the reading I can manage. I am able to support the church and charities of my choice. I serve an incredible congregation of faithful people. My car is reliable and inexpensive to run, our house has more room than we need and provides safety and security, my clothing keeps me warm and at least somewhat presentable. I find going for a walk with my wife more satisfying than I could have imagined and riding my bike reminds me that part of me is only 12 and always will be, and I still dream dreams. Each day deepens my convictions that this planet and life itself are miraculous gifts and that a good and grateful relationship with God and God's creation, my friends and family, my neighbours and myself brings me more success than anything else. I owe it all to the cross on which my old dreams died (reluctantly I might add) and the transformative power of the resurrection which has given me riches and success beyond teenage dreams.

But it is not about me. My need is not your need; my green is not your green. I only tell you this because I want you to know that I know this is how God works. Turning brown into green. God is a creative gardener who brings us into being, and brought us here to this moment. Our Creator, our Mother and our Father. Who in this moment is with us as the incarnate Christ – born into this world to live, teach, heal and suffer death. Who is the risen Christ still in the mud, born in our hearts this very day, this very moment, for a world such as this. Who heals and teaches and guides us. Who calls us into an unknown and unknowable future where nothing at all is certain except this – God is love and God is with us. Rich or poor, healthy or sick, in the loop or out of it, up or down, male or female, gay, straight, transgendered or questioning, black, white, brown or yellow, success or failure, innocent or guilty, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian or anything else, Jesus wants nothing more than for you to know he is with you, drawing you into himself.

He says in John 12: 31-32:  “Now is the time for this world to be judged; now the rulers [the empires] of this world will be overthrown. When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me." Everyone! Everyone! Who doesn’t that include?

And when we look at the cross we see it planted firmly in the ground, the mud of our existence, rising not above it but from it, with arms stretched wide, welcoming everyone into cosmic fellowship, now and always. Jesus Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!  Hallelujah! 

Amen.