Readings: Psalm 114, Isaiah 65:17-25, Acts 10:34-43, John 20:1-18
Easter Sunday Service
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, April 17 2022
Way back in time, many, many moons ago, I was in my final year of seminary, and I was presented with the exciting opportunity of going into a recording studio to record some songs I had written. Despite a few obstacles, the songs turned out reasonably O.K. and the master tape of my album, titled “Jester Before The Throne,” on the Solar Sound label, was sent to the pressing plant to be made into a 12 inch piece of black vinyl with a hole in the middle.
This was of course in the days of LP's... before 8-tracks, cassette tapes, CD’s , MP3’s, Spotify and I-tunes came along. And long before vinyl would make a comeback.
The Solar Sound label were promising big things. Distribution deals. Nationwide coverage. Radio play. Interviews. It all looked very promising.
So, I thought I had better get something ready for a follow up recording. I figured that by that time, I’d be serving a church, and hit on the idea of making a recording of twelve songs that went along with themes that were emphasized in the 12 different months of the Christian year.
January, a ‘New Year Song.’ February, a love song for Valentines Day, March, something for Lent and Good Friday, April an Easter Song, May a Pentecost Piece, June, a song celebrating youth and the summertime, and so on.
Furthermore, as I’d grown up with some guys who were really talented songwriters and had helped me out over the years, I’d invite them to contribute songs on different themes, and give their talents some exposure.
I had not calculated for a few major obstacles along the way. First off, my musical masterpiece on vinyl became stuck at the pressing plant, and when it finally appeared it had not been manufactured correctly and was virtually unplayable. This involved some heated negotiating with the manufacturers.
Then the Solar Sound record company went bankrupt. This meant that all their stock, including my efforts, were being held as collateral and of course any hope of distribution or nationwide coverage went out of the window. It appears that I was not predestined to become a rock star after all.
But some of my friends had taken the task to heart of composing some songs on Christian themes related to months of the year. One of them sent me an Easter Song. It appeared to have the unusual title of “Norman, Why do you weep?”
‘Wow,’ I thought “This is pretty radical dude.” Taking the concept of the Easter story and earthing it in the experience of an everyday man in the street, who is struggling to get through the disappointment’s life had sent his way, a man called Norman. Norman, in the light of the Easter had nothing to fear; so “Norman, Why do you weep!”
Of course, the song wasn’t really about anybody called Norman at all. I mis-read the author’s handwritten title. It didn’t say ‘Norman’, but ‘Woman’ “Woman, Why do you weep?” It was based on the experience of Mary. The reading we heard this morning, in which she encounters a gardener at the empty tomb, who asks the reason for her tears, and the gardener turns out to be the Risen Lord Himself, and Mary’s fear turns to joy.
Such was of course no less a radical experience than envisaged for the mythical Norman, and although the song and the proposed recording of songs to do with seasons and months never happened, that title... “Norman, Why do you weep’ and the idea that the Easter message was something to encourage people of all places and all times, has stuck with me over the years.
That is the message I want to share about Easter this morning. Whether our name is Mary, Norman, Adrian, John, or Mary-Jane, whoever we are, at the heart of the Easter experience is an experience that changes tears to laughter and mourning into dancing.
In just a few words that experience is captured by the phrase
‘Christ is Risen” (He is Risen Indeed)
Grammatically, the phrase Christ is Risen (He is Risen Indeed) is badly constructed. We should say “Christ Has Risen” or “Jesus was raised from the dead”, but by using the term “is” we seek to express that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a present reality, a current happening and event, something that can touch our lives in the now, something that was not just for back then, something that is not only for the future, but is an 'is' that is for today.
Our lives today have the capacity to be transformed by the Living Lord Jesus Christ. That is what we celebrate at Easter time. That the circle of birth, pointless existence and ultimately death and extinction, has been broken into pieces by God raising Jesus from death and promising that those who put their faith in Him can share in His resurrection life.
Such does not mean that life will not bring along its share of disappointments, its moments when tears are the only correct response, moments when the pain is all that can be felt or that the struggle is so much with us that we cannot see any light at the end of the road. Life has its moments when our best laid plans crumble into dust.
Indeed, the message of the Cross is that life can be so desperately unfair, that sin continues to destroy and ruin and decimate the life we live on earth, so much so that even the Son of God cries out upon the Cross “My God. My God, Why have You forsaken Me?”
But the tears, the cry of anguish, the suffering, the striving… these are not the last word or the final word. The final word is “Resurrection.” Christ is Risen! (He is Risen Indeed).
So today I stand and proclaim the Easter Message.
That the Jesus who died for us, was raised for us.
That He knows our name and knows our hurts and knows our hearts.
That He is at the Fathers side and intercedes on our behalf.
That God will send the Resurrection Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Re-forming, Re-Newing, Re-Storing our lives to all those who seek to do God’s will in sincerity and with whole heartedness.
And it does not matter if our name is Norman or Elma or Bob or Lucy or Mary or Peter. And it does not matter what may be causing our tears, our tears of laughter, our tears of joy, our tears of despair, our tears of joy.
Jesus calls to us, “Norman, Why do you weep, Woman why do you weep?”
And that is an invitation.
An invitation to place our lives into God's hands.
An invitation that needs responding to with an 'Hallelujah”.
Hallelujah... there's a God who knows
Hallelujah... there's a God who understands
Hallelujah... there's a God who forgives
Hallelujah... there's a God who sent His Son Jesus Christ
who was raised for us
who lives for us
who lives within us by His Holy Spirit
who has a purpose for us
who has a way through the tears for us
who has a hope for us
who has a place for us
who has a prayer for us
who has a healing touch for us
who has an encouraging word for us
who see us as we really are
knows us better than we know ourselves
cares for us more than we care for ourselves
loves us, loves, loves us,
loves us enough to die for us
with a love that is stronger than death.
Hallelujah!!!
Norman, why do you weep?
Woman, why do you weep?
Weep no more.
For Christ is risen.
“He is risen indeed”
Amen and Amen!
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
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