A WORD FROM THE LORD

A WORD FROM THE LORD!

An Easter meditation by the Rev. Dr. James G. Kirk

Harundale Presbyterian Church

Glen Burnie, Maryland

April 15, 2001

Text: "Remember how he told you." (Luke 24:6)

First Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Tom Long tells the story of the pastor who had just begun his sermon when someone from the balcony shouted, "I have a word from the Lord." Not wishing to cause confusion or undue alarm, the pastor continued to preach, but you could tell that he was a little taken aback by the outburst. It happened again, "I have a word from the Lord!" This time four deacons were heading up the stairs to the balcony, and within a few minutes were ushering the person down the stairs and out the doors of the church. You could hear him call out one more time as he was leaving; "I have a word from the Lord." With the interruption over, the pastor continued with his sermon and the people settled into their pews to hear "the real" word from the Lord. (Christian Century, April 4, 2001, page 11)

The story illustrates what the women must have felt when they returned from the tomb and told their story to the eleven and all the rest of Jesus’ followers. As we hear, Mary, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the other women had gone to the tomb with the spices and ointments they had prepared. When they got there they found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Two men appeared in dazzling raiment. Now the best way to describe what the women saw would be to think about any episode of "Touched by an Angel." At some point in the story Monica appears with dazzling lights all around her and exclaims, "You see, I am an angel sent from God."

At any rate, these two men appear and tell the women, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you." And there it is: "a word from the Lord." So, they hasten back to tell the disciples what they have just seen and heard. When they tell them their story it’s almost the same as the man in the balcony. Probably, the deacons came and ushered the women away and the disciples went on about their business. You can hear the women exclaiming as they’re led away, "this is no idle tale!"

No idle tale indeed! That’s why all of you are here this morning. You have heard a "word from the Lord." This past week I happened to go over to the hospital to have lunch with Elizabeth. Before I could get in the front door a couple who I’d married saw me and asked if I couldn’t go see the wife’s mother who was critically ill with pneumonia and have a prayer with her. She needed a word from the Lord. Just then a friend approached with whom I serve on the North County Land Trust. His wife was in hospital recovering from congestive heart failure and could I please have a prayer with her. Again, she needed a "word from the Lord." All of us in so many ways, day after day, need a word from the Lord. It may be a prayer we say over the bed of a friend or a loved one. It may be a word of encouragement when we’re feeling down. It may be some advice we need to get through a difficult or painful situation.

On Wednesday I got to be "grandfather for a day." Robyn Brown asked me if I would be her "pop-pop" and visit her 4^th grade class for "grandparents day." While I was there all of us grandparents got to go with the kids to the music room. I was sitting between Robyn and this fourth-grade boy. When I sat down next to him, he just looked at me and said, "my life is a total disaster." It occurred to me as he said that how sorry it must be for a fourth grader to feel that way about his life. True, he didn’t have a grandparent visiting him, but his comment meant more than that. For a nine-year old to feel his life is a total disaster is pretty serious business. Throughout the music lesson I tried my best to make him feel that he was special and shouldn’t think so badly about himself.

Maybe the women thought their lives were a total disaster as well. They had gone to the disciples with a word from the Lord and all they’d gotten was to be ushered away by the deacons. And I got to thinking that without a word from the Lord, both the disciples and the little fourth grader are stuck with Good Friday. They can’t get beyond the pain of Good Friday to the hope of Easter. All they have to look forward to is what’s wrong with them, with their life, with their situation, with the betrayal they must feel when seemingly no one cares about them, in other words, their lives are a total disaster.

We all need a word from the Lord to help us bridge the gap that exists between Good Friday and Easter. That’s what the women went to tell the disciples and all those gathered about them. Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Remember what he had told them, how he would be betrayed, that he would suffer, but on the third day he would rise again from the dead and would be with them forever. For the women it had already begun. There was hope!

Some of you know Ali Pourkazemi. He’s from Iran and has been worshipping with us for the past two and a half years. The church has helped him become acclimated to living in America and especially for the past four weeks has been there for him as he is undergoing treatment for cancer. He has radiation everyday, five days a week, and chemotherapy every Tuesday for four hours. He is living in the period between Good Friday and Easter. Easter is not there yet and won’t be for him until his six weeks of treatment is over and he’s told the cancer is gone. But each week, thanks to your prayers, your cards and your support, he’s hearing a word from the Lord. The word he hears is one of encouragement, that he’s not alone, and that there are many people who care for him and about him. His Easter has already begun and there’s hope.

It’s what the two men who looked like Monica on "Touched by an Angel" said to the women. "Remember what he told you." Good Friday is not the last word. There will be an Easter; there will be a day of resurrection. It has already begun. Go and tell the disciples what you have seen and heard. Peter got the message. He put down what he was doing, ran to the tomb, looked in and was amazed at what had happened. From that moment on his life would never be the same again, and neither would yours. We all have that choice to make. We can choose for ourselves a Good Friday existence or an Easter existence.

The little fourth grade boy thought his life was a total disaster. He probably couldn’t get beyond Good Friday. The women at the tomb ran to tell the disciples and those about them that the good news of Easter had already begun. Their lives would never be the same again. Ali is somewhere in between the bleak news of Good Friday and the blessed news of Easter. We all have to find our place between Good Friday and Easter. The good news this morning is that is has already begun. "Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!" That is a word from the Lord!

Thanks be God,

Amen