Rejoice with Glorious Joy

The First letter of Peter tells us that God has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Our response to this Easter message is Alleluia.  The word Alleluia stands for and means God’s name be praised.  We respond with alleluias and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy because, as Peter said, we are receiving the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

During this Easter season we are called to live into God’s new age.  It is the age of resurrected life, an age of forthcoming peace, justice, mercy and love for all people and for all of God’s creation.

A couple of weeks ago Carol and I attended a presentation by Bryan Stevenson who gave a talk on behalf of Read Across Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Committee on the Humanities.  Bryan Stevenson is a law professor at New York University and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama.  He is the author of the widely acclaimed book, Just Mercy.  His presentation focused on four themes: proximity, changing the narrative, hope, and discomfort.  I cannot do justice to his remarks but the themes are important for all of us who ascribe to the Christian hope of new life.

Briefly stated, proximity is about meeting people you would not ordinarily encounter.  It means that it is important to go out of your way to meet the stranger and begin a conversation.  Here at All Saints’ we are a diverse group of people who come together each week to share in worship, service, and outreach.  As we engage each other in telling our stories we are developing conversations that can result in constructive dialogue and change.

When it comes to changing the narrative Stevenson pointed out how we have incarcerated hundreds if not thousands of people on drug charges.  We treat drugs as a criminal offense when it is really a health problem.  We do not convict people of alcoholism and send them to prison, so why do we discriminate about other drugs.  We need to change the narrative and that requires a lot of discussion. 

Then there is the matter of discomfort.  When we are engaged in living into God’s new age, engaged in sharing our stories, changing the narrative, and working for peace and justice, there are and will be times of personal discomfort.

The Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann reminds us that Easter life is risky, dangerous and demanding.  “Practicing Easter life continues to be risky because it contradicts the deathly commitments of our world -- one devoured by greed, anxiety, and violence.  A practice of Easter life continues also to be one of joy, as attested to by contemporary witnesses who are freed of ancient fears and live by Jesus' command that we ‘love one another.’"

This brings us to Stevenson’s insight about hope.  Many people today experience a sense of hopelessness.  Economic realities and the lack of equality are two examples.  The opposite of hopelessness is justice.  Justice and love are the result of hope.  Hope is a theological issue, and it is the hope of Easter that we celebrate today and throughout the entire year.

In today’s Collect we prayed that God will “grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith.”  And, as we heard in the First Letter of Peter, by God’s “great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  Our faith as Christians is being renewed into that living hope, living lives that reflect the Resurrection.  It is about practicing Easter life by living into God’s new age.

For the past seven years you and I have been engaged in shared ministry.  It has been a sincere privilege for me to work with all of you in this magnificent and beautiful sacred space.  I shall miss you, the many relationships we developed, the challenges and opportunities for pastoral care, preaching and celebrating the Eucharist.  It is always difficult to say goodbye and I do so with heartfelt feelings of gratitude and thanksgiving for our life together.  Today the time has come for me to leave and for you to embark on engaging new clergy leadership.  My wish is that you will continue to live into the future with a true sense of joy and hope.

The future of All Saints’ Church, the communities you are called to serve, and the coming of God’s new age depend on your commitment as a community of faith.  This is your sacred space and you can make All Saints grow spiritually and economically and thrive by investing yourself in its life and service to people in need.  It is God’s calling to all of you.  May your ministry and mission flourish, and may you by the gift of living hope through Christ’s resurrection share in the grace, mercy and love of God.  Amen.