To Be Continued
Jane’s Sermon Notes
Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012
“What do you think of my sermon title?” I asked our office manager. She got this funny look on her face, and I said, “Too boring?” “No, it’s not that,” she said. “I just wonder if they’ll read your title, To Be Continued, and think, ‘does that mean I have to come back next week?!’”
Of course, you’re welcome to come back next week, but rest assured that is not the point of my sermon!
Last week, I received an email of sayings on church signs around the country. One would have been perfect to summarize the gist of last week’s Palm/Passion service: You are not too bad to come in; You are not too good to come in! But the church sign that might be perfect for Easter is the one that wisely stated in big, black letters on a white background, “There are some questions that can’t be answered by Google!”
Personally, I love asking Google questions. Google makes me feel so empowered. And it was very helpful this week, when I queried, “what to do when your dog eats the hidden stash of chocolate Easter eggs” and “what to serve at a vegan brunch”. However, Google is less than helpful with our questions about faith—
What is the purpose of my life?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
When we pray for healing and we don’t get better, is God listening?
What happens after death?
Why does a good God allow suffering?
What really happened at the Resurrection?
These are questions Google can’t answer. And, frankly, as far as what really happened at the Resurrection, I can’t answer your question either. We don’t know what really happened, and the Gospel writers all give us different details. Mark’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus as it was told around the year 70—some 40 years after the actual death of Jesus. And like all the Gospels, it is a combination of history remembered and history interpreted.
