3 Easter
April 19, 2015
St Paul’s Episcopal
Church, Tustin CA
The Rev. Valerie Ann
Hart
Luke 24:36b-48
1 John 3:1-7
Today, the third Sunday of Easter,
used to be called Jubilate Sunday. Last week, was Thomas Sunday because we
always read the story of Thomas’ doubt on the Sunday after Easter. The third
Sunday was called Jubilate Sunday because we used to read the Psalm that began
in Latin with Jubilate Deo. Jubilate means shout for joy. Today is the day when
we shout for joy over the resurrection of our Lord.
Now joy is an emotion that needs
to be embodied. We shout for joy. We jump for joy. If someone tells you that
they are feeling lots of joy with a still body and not much affect on their
face you would be pretty sure they were not as joyous as they said. Instead,
joy makes us want to move, to shout, to jump.
We express our joy during the
Easter season with the word Alleluia. Alleluia means praise the Lord, with a
big explanation point. When we say alleluia we are expressing Joy in the
resurrection. It needs to be embodied. I once learned the American Sign
Language sign for Alleluia. It goes like this (demonstrate two claps and then
raising the arms in a curly motion). Try it. Alleluia (leading sign language
expression of it.)
This is Jubilate Sunday when we
shout for joy because the resurrection is really good news. The kind of news
that is so good it is hard to believe. It is like sitting at home and having
the doorbell ring. When you answer the door you see cameras and microphones and
a person standing with a giant check for a million dollars. That is really good
news, but we might find it hard to believe. We would be wondering who set up
this joke. This couldn’t be true. I never win anything.
This is what it means in the
Gospel today where it says that the disciples the disciples as in joy and
disbelieving. This disbelieving is not like the doubt of Thomas. It is not so
much that they doubt what they are experiencing, but that it is just too good
to be true.
And it is good news, good news
that is hard for us to take in. It is more than just that Jesus was alive
again, it meant that all he taught and the radical new relationship with God
that he talked about was true.
The Good News is best summed up in
John’s letter today that says, “See what love the Father has given us that we
should be called children of God.” We are beloved children of God.
I’d like you to think about
someone in your life when you were a child who really loved you. Who was
delighted by your very existence. We all had someone who loved us deeply or we
would not have grown up to be function human beings able to get ourselves to
church on a Sunday. Who was it for you? It could have been parent or a
grandparent. It might have been and aunt or an uncle. Perhaps a cousin or a
neighbor, or a Sunday School teacher or a coach. Think about that person who
really loved you as a child. What was that like?
For me, it was my grandfather. I
remember when I was very little, probably under four, and we would go on
adventures. My grandmother would make fudge (the best fudge I have ever tasted)
and then put two big pieces in a small lunchbox that I was able to carry. My
Grandfather would take my hand and we would set out on our adventure, which
just meant walking half way around the block and finding a shady spot to sit
and eat our fudge then walking home. But those adventures were important to me
because I could see that my grandfather enjoyed the as much as I did. He took
delight in me, even though I was his youngest grandchild. He still was
delighted by y existence. He enjoyed just being in my presence and we took
mutual delight in each other.
I’ve been thinking about my
grandfather a lot since becoming a grandparent. There is something wonderful
about being a grandparent. I took delight in my grandchildren even before they
were born. Once I knew they were coming, I was delighted by their existence.
They don’t have to do anything, or be anything special. Just by their existence
I take great delight in them.
Being a grandparent is different
than being a parent. Parents love their children and would do anything for
them, but they also have a lot of responsibilities. They need to be sure they
eat healthy foods and that they get enough sleep. They are also responsible for
domesticating them. They have to be sure they learn where to go to the
bathroom, not to hurt other people or themselves, to wear clothes, to develop
manners and to share. Parents have to set limits and deal with resistance. All
grandparents have to do is love the child, to take delight in them. For
example, my granddaughter is 16 months old now and has learned the concept of
NO. She doesn’t use the word yet, but it is real clear when she shakes her
head, waves her arms in front of her face (make actions) that she does not want
the food that she is being offered. For her parents this is frustrating. They
want her to eat, and eat a healthy balanced diet. And it is hard for them to
not take in personally, like she is rejecting them, for as a grandparent I can
remember each of my own children going through that stage, smile and think
about how she learning preferences and developing such a good strong will.
I like to think of God not so much
as a parent, but as a grandparent. I see God taking delight in each and every
one of us. And when we are being a bit obstinate God sees that as a stage we
are going through, developing a sense of will, perhaps. And I am sure that God
took delight in each and every one of us before we were born, as we are a
manifestation of God’s love.
Think about that; let it in, God
delights in YOU! God sees you with eyes of delight. God sees you and delights
in you the way that special person of your childhood delighted in you.
That is such Good News! That is
Great New! That should make us dance of Joy. To shout Alleluia! To shout out in
joy!
And it is hard to let in. It is
such good news that we find ourselves resisting in. We think of how unworthy we
are, but God’s delight in us has nothing to do with worthiness. Of course we
are unworthy, but love is not about being worthy. It just is
God delights in each and every one
of us, like a grandparent delights in a grandchild. Like that special person
delighted in you as a child.
One of the best moments of the
past year was when I got to my son’s house and walked down the hall to where he
was with my granddaughter. When my granddaughter saw me he face lit up and I
could see that she was delighted to see me. And I was delighted to see her.
That moment of mutual delight was magnificent. I wonder if that is how God is
with us. That when we notice God’s presence and take delight in it, perhaps in
a sunset or a church service or a piece of music, God experiences delight in
our delight of God.
Since we were created for God’s
good pleasure, do we bring pleasure to God when we remember to check in through
prayer, when we delight in creation, when we love other people, when we take
time to sit quietly in God’s presence.
This is such good news it is hard
to believe. It is also such good news that it is hard not to share
Christ is risen, Alleluia!
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