Home Learning
What do we mean by? |

Resurrection season again

 Cate Thorn explores what we might believe about resurrection as 21st century progressive Chrsitians 
Rev Cate Thorn

Only logged in users can comment on a video.

Resurrection season again

Transcript
Well, it's Resurrection season again. In today's Gospel, we hear Jesus as recognized either because they suddenly had a whole lot of fish or just because he is, and of course, this takes place at the end of an unsuccessful night. Long fishing trip on the beach having a barbecue. Sorry, an early morning, cook up a fish on a charcoal. Other stories, we've heard Jesus is recognized in a greeting. when he's walking with at table in the eating of food, when someone is named as called in the breaking of bread in the blood and the Flesh of wounds, As Helen said on his today, there are many and varied ways of Resurrection, knowing and doubting and disbelieve in all a part of our Resurrection story. And each of those happen in the middle of the ordinary After Jesus death after the resurrection or encounters, what did the disciples do? Well? Initially, at least the blokes seem to not do much except be afraid and to be confused and we disbelieving and then it seems some went back fishing When your world's turned on its head, what do you do? You do what? You know it seems to me that Resurrection sermons, reflect a certain circularity of argument. Because Resurrection is a Cornerstone of Christianity. It is necessary in crucial to the lineage and the story We Tell without it, Jesus is not the Christ, death is not overcome, and our faith becomes a shame. If there is one thing we have to uphold, its this If only we knew incontrovertibly, what it was. So sermons, might argue to prove plausible explanation for what happened or they might point out logically with the things of the world. You can't prove it and that actually is the point because it's a matter of faith. And of course, sufficient Faith to believe, makes you a True Believer. And that means you're saved. It is risky to argue with this one. If someone in authority to clears it and it is still a little dicey to poke around questioning the litter ality of bodily, Resurrection. So today I want us to take a step back. I want to talk because talk of Resurrection really does only a tree and this religious way, only happens in a church which is not to diminish it but the purse wave of rhetoric, the examining the arguing to convince and ought to confuse. Who is it for? What does it do? go to feature sleep, the story stand, Jesus died by crucifixion. Those who knew Jesus and loved him, had experience of a continuing sense of him. After his death in many different ways, they describe the physicality of this after death experience, and they were told, don't hold on. I send you go from me. Believe. Tent and feed and follow. Don't look for the living. Among the dead. Trust, receive the Holy Spirit. That is what we know from the stories that we now receive was the reach Resurrection a miracle. Something happened. And it brought to mind and add, but it also brought to mind some advice. I was won't given many years ago from a priest and a friend. He said something along the lines of this was a few years ago, so it's filtered through my memory and time. It is not the miraculous and the mystical and a spiritual experience. You have that matters so much Because then you might spend the rest of your life, trying to get that back, trying to emulate it to recreate it. If you have one of those, it is a gift. It is what you do with the gift. It's important. That is what matters. So if we understand the resurrection as a gift, what did the disciples do in response? Eventually they went and told a story, they told a story of what had happened to them. They told a story of Jesus office impact on them and on their living. If you think about it, and if you examine closely, the text uses, didn't actually deliver a huge body of teaching. There are many times afterwards about what people think about that, but he taught in story and parable. Look around. See the kingdom of God is at hand? The kingdom of God is near. Look. See hear taste touch. Open yourself to encounter a deeper way of knowing, what is here? Jesus companions experience something in him and they came to name that God presence and it changed them and it changed the way. Everything was, it was as if they saw into the World Behind the Veil and discerned something very, very real. Saul's experience that literally knocked him off his perch later. Impelled him also to tell of his world transformed because of this Jesus presents. Jesus taught in Parables and Story. The disciples told the story of Jesus and their experience the stories we tell. Tell our story. The stories we tell. Story. Our world. They make our world real. They tell us and the world. What is possible? What is important? It makes all the difference in the world which ones we tell and how we tell them. In this place, we tell the story of Jesus of birth of life, or death or resurrection of Ascension. Has it become like a miracle story. one to, which we have somehow become beholdin has telling the story doing just that Become what it means to be faithful. If so, we're going to stay right where we are. As we are. Always looking back, remembering our spirits, that yearn diverted in our attention focused on new ways to do the same old thing back feel more. In order to be more relevant for today. How are we telling the story? This year. Let's not ask what or whether the resurrection happened? This year, let's ask what our responses. The directives from the resurrection. Our don't, hold on, I send you go believe. Don't look for the living. Among the dead. Trust. Receive the Holy Spirit, tend and feed, and follow. Those are all things seem to me that I'm Palace from here and to the world. to re remember, The body of God on Earth. Not for us, not for our sake. But so that the story of the way the world is, is told differently. Otherwise we are impelled to lived Beyond ourselves with all the uncertainty this implies hand-in-hand with not knowing with the not yet knowing we are to part ways with certainty is not this. What Resurrection shows us? We do not know exactly what it is and we'd live with the discomfort. We do not know and we still talk about it. what we do know is that we live in a world of entrenched Injustice and oppression And the structures and the systems of our society depend on it being that way. Surely it is an impossible and an impersonal possible embedded system. Surely there's no other way. It can be, it's just the way things are. It is sustained by the intransigence of a very few who have power and money and influence. What on Earth could we do? Surely, it's unrealistic to imagine, there is a viable alternative to this prevailing World System. Surely it's unreasonable to insist that we could be part of making a world where the system is of Equitable balance and that the dignity and the flourishing and the stature to each and all is restored. How about we have a conversation with Mahatma Gandhi? How about we have a conversation with Nelson Mandela about that? We'll put the stories they told that they held onto about what could be possible and look what happened. Since the shooting in the mosques and Christchurch, there has been an increase in over racism violence, religiously motivated attacks and abuse, not only overseas, but here don't know how many of you saw the article that Helen shared with me just last Sunday in Palmerston North and All Saints Church in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, the parishioners left to the church to find hend crudely written. Anti-muslim propaganda pamphlets left on their windscreens, both Church. His head held solidarity events with the manawatu Muslim Association after the shootings. They believed it was a direct response to that. The city council or Johnson said, overall Palmerston North as an inclusive, and a diverse Community, but there are a few individuals who have become emboldened since the shootings. These are confidence now for people holding extreme hate views to express them in word and act. I suspect they have has always been there but the virulence has been repressed and subdued by a society that disallowed and permitted no space for that expression. The ascendancy of tum. Trump and his supporters have led the charge and making such speech and action permissible in the Public Square. The gloves are now off. Neo-fascism white supremacy. Right-wing extremism is on the rise and it is getting air time. This is not inevitable. Our world is in dire need of people who see through the appearance of things. In dire need of a people who insist for the life of all creation. Not just the chosen ones, it is time to activate overtly quietly insistently and with Integrity ways of justice and peace, we here at st. Matthews. Inherit a mantle of leadership for peace and for justice, and for inclusion. a place with people who insist and uphold causes for peace and for justice, it is a place for all, we say a place and a people who are willing to name Injustice, Racism oppression. Religious Prejudice for what it is. Should it come to expression in our society? and to act, To align with those who are disempowered and oppressed and abused. We are at such a time in our society. This Resurrection season. What is our response? Will We join with those who? Choose to stand outside, the al-nour, mosque, and Christchurch. Insisting, Jesus as God, and New Zealand as a Christian country and black-clad intimidating. Regalia, that be our Resurrection selves. Well, will we be a place and a people to catalyze the Gathering and the activating of the many people? Who want to tell a different story, then one or violence and intolerance Justice and oppression a place where the many who are really struggling to find a voice and who want to speak to and with one another to learn, how to voice that a place, they can confidently. Come a place for all of us to learn how to act together. For a different way. So a way of living well together is expressed. And not just to react against the overt violence and hate and Discord because motivation against my 10th us to resort to methods and means of manipulation violence and misuse of power. Rather to learn how to choose 4. A world of Equitable balance that restores dignity flourishing stature to each end. To all, will we risk telling the unveiling of the way? The world is Jesus story that says, actually, the way things are equitable, if we have ears to hear and eyes to see and hearts and hands to make real, Will we remeber God's body this way this Resurrection season this year?