Words of Welcome

Mark 16:1-8 Easter has finally arrived in all its glory, and we’ve come here this morning to lift our voices to God in praise.  We come to celebrate the good news that the tomb is empty and that Jesus is risen from the dead.  Death has lost its sting.  Upon hearing this good news we get to sing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” and “Crown him with Many Crowns.”  We’ve heard the trumpet sound and we’ve shouted in response: “Alleluia! Christ is Risen!” This is indeed good news!  Or as Paul tells the Corinthians, this is a message of first importance to be passed on from one generation to the next (1 Cor. 15).   And so, in the words of an ancient hymn penned by St. John of Damascus: Now let the heavens be joyful! Let the earth its song begin!   The world resound in triumph, and all that is therein; let all things seen and unseen, their notes of gladness blend; for Christ the Lord has risen, our joy that has no end. ( Chalice...

John 20:1-18 Rarely is there any “surprise” in a surprise birthday party. The tale-tell signs are everywhere — the clandestine phone calls and the secretive meetings. Besides, since you know that your birthday is coming up, you’re not at all surprised if your friends jump out from behind the sofa and yell: “Surprise!” A real surprise would be a long lost friend unexpectedly showing up on your doorstep. Or, you go out to dig a well in the backyard and stumble upon a complete T-Rex skeleton. That’s the definition of a surprise. It’s something that happens, which you wouldn’t ever expect to happen. Although the four gospel accounts of Easter morning differ to some degree in how they pass on the details of that event, they all agree on one thing. They agree that everyone involved was truly surprised to learn that the tomb was empty and the body of Jesus was missing. This is especially true of John's account, which carries with it a sense of the “who dunnit?” Indeed,...