3 EASTER, YEAR B
SERMON PREACHED AT CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, NORWAY, MAINE
THE REV. ANNE STANLEY
26 APRIL 2009
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Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3;1-7; Luke 24:36b-48
There’s a new word floating around the Episcopal Church these days. UBUNTU. A new word for us, but it’s been around for a long time in parts of Africa. UBUNTU, a Bantu word meaning “I am because you are.” I am because you are. A word describing relationship. You and me, me and you, all of us together, our common relationship to each other, each of us dependent upon one another, because we’re a body, us together.
UBUNTU. It’s the theme of the upcoming General Convention in July in Anaheim. Our church, part of the body of Christ, all of us together. Many of our part of the body, mostly from New England, Province One, heard about UBUNTU this past Friday and Saturday in a string of meetings in central Massachusetts. Deputies and alternate deputies to General Convention, people from Episcopal Church Women, other elected and appointed people, and interested folk, bishops, too---all gathered to talk about the business of General Convention and how we can best live together in UBUNTU.
When we are in relationship with each other, when we’re open to one another, when we affirm each other, when we don’t feel jealous or threatened by other people, that’s UBUNTU. Our UBUNTU relationship is so important that when someone is harmed, or is taken away from the community, or leaves the community, the whole community is diminished. To live in UBUNTU means we reach out to each other. To live in UBUNTU means we are always ready to forgive each other, no, we’re always eager to forgive each other. Archbishop Tutu says that there is no future without forgiveness. When the Archbishop talks about forgiveness he is talking about UBUNTU.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, in fact on the very evening of that first day, the disciples are standing around, bereft and confused. Jesus has been taken away from them. They don’t feel a sense of community any more. Despite the rumors that he has appeared a little while ago to some of their friends, still, they doubt. They are disoriented. Their UBUNTU has been damaged.
Jesus has been raised? What does that mean? What is the risen Christ like?....What does resurrection mean?....How is Jesus present now? How can we tell?
Jesus steps in to strengthen and assure his friends. He’s with them, still here, but in a new way now. “Look, you can touch me. Go ahead, I’m no ghost. Look at my hands and my feet. I can even eat, watch me!” And he swallows a chunk of fish. “I’m real,” he says. “I always was, I always will be. I am always with you. Don’t be frightened.”
How can we recognize Jesus? What is the risen Christ like? Jesus goes on. “Don’t forget all the things I told you before. And don’t forget your scripture, either! Remember? All the things that Moses said, and the other prophets, and the psalms? It’s all there, written about me. How can you know I’m real? The bible tells us so!”
What is the risen Christ like? What is the meaning of resurrection? How can we recognize Jesus here with us now?
“It is written that the messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day” said Jesus, “and that repentance and forgiveness must be proclaimed!” Jesus doesn’t say the word. But when he reminds his friends about forgiveness and repentance, repentance and forgiveness, he is telling them about UBUNTU. When Jesus tells his friends to go and preach forgiveness and repentance, he is telling them about living in community. He’s reminding them about what he taught them not long ago, how he expects them to live with each other. What they are to teach others about how they should live, too. Being so open to one another, so mindful of the needs of others, so eager to strengthen the group, so watchful of the common good that forgiving each other is a standing offer, and repentance a way of life. “Forgive us our sins, O God, the way we forgive the sins of others.”
How do we recognize Jesus? What is the risen Christ like?
Sometimes finding Jesus among us comes as a terrific surprise, as it did for the startled disciples that day. A stunning discovery. A treasure unearthed.
Discovering the risen Christ is like the parable of the woman who decided one day to enter a talent contest. The invitation had gone out and on the appointed day, all the hopeful contestants showed up. There was a stage and a huge auditorium. There was a tremendous audience. And there were judges, two handsome young men and one gorgeous, young blond. The audience seemed to recognize the judges. They were stars themselves.
Discovering the risen Christ is like when the woman who had decided to enter the contest walked out onto the stage. The woman was dumpy, with no waist. Her skirt was baggy. She had thick, bushy eyebrows and it seemed there were a few chin hairs, too. That happens to some women when they get to be forty-seven. Speaking of hair, hers on her head was frizzy and it stuck up and out to each side. The woman had pudgy ankles and stocky legs. She had come, she told the guy with the microphone, to sing a song.
Discovering the risen Christ is like the gasp from the crowd when they heard that. It is like when the tv cameras panned the audience and the audience giggled and some people put their hands up over their mouths so their snickers wouldn’t sound too loud. Discovering Jesus is like when the judges smirked and rolled their eyes. But the woman didn’t seem to notice. Or if she did, she didn’t let on.
And then the woman started to sing. All by herself. She opened her mouth and out floated the strongest, most beautiful string of notes you could ever imagine. Discovering the resurrected and living Christ was like seeing the judges’ smirks turn to stunned joy, the rolling eyes of the audience open wide as they jumped to their feet in thunderous applause.
The woman, it turned out, HAD noticed the derision on the faces of those she looked out on from her lonely spot on the stage. But she smiled anyway. She had sung her song and held no grudge. Forgiveness.
And then it was the judges’ turn. They admitted their error and their rush to judgment based solely on the woman’s looks, before they had even heard her singing, they said how wrong they had been, and they wiped copious amounts of egg off of their faces. Repentance.
And the audience, the judges and the woman were joined in some new sort of relationship, born of the free gift of forgiveness and the repentance that followed. A precious glimpse of the kingdom of God. A dazzling few moments of resurrection UBUNTU.