‘It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body…’
–1 Corinthians 15:44
Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!*
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
And what rose with him?
Something mysterious and wondrous happened in the tomb during those three days between burial and resurrection.
According to the sacred myth, when Jesus rose from the dead, he was not the same.
The pain and terror and horror of crucifixion went in, but hope and promise came out.
A story of victimhood went in, and a story of victory came out.
Lust for power went in, and willingness to share power came out.
Shallow thinking went in, and meaningful life came out.
Conformity went in, and creativity came out.
Frustration went in, and fulfilment came out.
Anger and fear went in, and forgiveness came out.
Dogma and doctrine went in, and authentic, experiential spirituality came out.
The old, worn-out, non-sensical theology of an all-mighty, supernatural Guy-in-the-Sky God went into the tomb,
and out of the tomb rose the God of unconditional agape love.
*Ancient Greek
This is an excerpt from an Easter sermon at UCC Simi Valley.
Please attribute Jim when sharing his words.
For more worship resources, explore Jim’s blog at http://tcpc.blogs.com/musings
Photo: The empty tomb, Watched Word, created by John Potter, UK
