Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.
- Matthew 5:9
Often we think that Easter ends on Easter Sunday; or when the chocolate bunnies go on sale, we feel a little bit woozy from too much chocolate, and all the children in town seem a little bouncier than usual.
But Easter Sunday is not the end - it is always the beginning... Sunday is not the last day of the week although it feels like it is, it's the first.
On Easter Sunday we gathered at sunrise to mark the beginning of a new day… to remember the beginning some 2000 years ago of a new dawn, a new understanding of the way the world was – who God was and who's we are. A new understanding made real to us in the astounding event of Jesus crucifixion and resurrection.
For the Early Christians (most of them slaves) all 7 days of the week were most probably working days. But they would meet before dawn on the first day of the week, Sunday, the day Jesus rose, to break bread and drink wine in remembrance of him[1]… especially his resurrection.
And that's why the church meets on a Sunday to this day.
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Many of us get a bit stuck on Good Friday, the day on which Jesus is crucified. Good Friday is God's semi-colon in the sentence about who he is and what he is doing – a point has been made; but the sentence continues, it won't make sense without the next phrase – "Jesus rose…" and at the end of the sentence; the commanding exclamation mark of Pentecost! The power given by the Holy Spirit to go into the world and make a real difference... The command to go and do what Jesus did.
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Did you take the opportunity of Lent to reflect – to spend a bit more time than usual thinking about how you would change for God? To repent – to think how the future would look different if you changed some of your old habits? To ask God if he is perhaps calling you to something new and different?
If you should change the way you do business?
The way you treat those you love and who love you?
Some of your destructive habits and attitudes?
Did you take the opportunity to listen for what God was calling you to change or do?
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On Good Friday did you see how much you were loved – how God could take the worst things about you and forgive you – loving you so much that he died on the cross for you?
Did you take the opportunity to offer yourself to him, all that you are, all your sins all the things you don't like about yourself and say to him: "Thank you for what you are doing for me now."?
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On Easter Sunday, were you reminded of God's victory over sin and death – of the reality of new beginnings?
Did you take the opportunity to embrace the reality of the dawn of a new day? Did you realize for a moment that that same power which raised Jesus from the dead is working in you to transform you, to give you new life?
Did you take the opportunity to begin again?
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Good news is, in the Christian tradition every week is the week leading up to Easter. Every Sunday is Easter Sunday, every Friday is Good Friday.
Every moment is an opportunity to remember Christ crucified – your sins forgiven, and Christ risen – your sins overpowered. Pentecost, the Holy Spirit poured out to empower you…
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Every moment presents us with all these opportunities – but do we have the courage to take them?
Do we like our old habits too much?
Or will we be the renewed people that God gives us the opportunity to be?
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During the next 7 weeks leading up to Pentecost many of the readings will talk about the resurrection, about new beginnings – about the hope we have in Christ… and about the Holy Spirit as we prepare ourselves to be the people God created us to be.
I invite us to journey together as we talk about what the resurrection means for us today and what receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit means.
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In John's gospel we read about how the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples on the first day of the week, Sunday, and then again a week later – at the same place…
We know – because we've read ahead, because we are sitting here today that these fearful, confused people will be the beginning of a world changing movement... something of which we today are a part; Christ followers determined to see the world changed to the way Jesus would have it.
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Jesus greeting carries a lot of weight:
Peace be with you…
He uses a greeting that sounds familiar to us who live in the Cape: "Salom lekem"; ("Peace be upon you.")
The greeting wasn't just our familiar 'howzit' or 'hi'… it was a blessing; a good wish, it had gravity; Like a very thoughtful "God bless you."
It meant several things:
First it means that we are in community. What's mine; is essentially yours. I will help you when you struggle, if your house burns down come live in mine, if your faith is weak share in mine.
If we greet each other with shalom we are really taking responsibility for each other.
It means I want you to have peace and I will do what is in my power to make sure that you have it. It's not just an idea – like a hurried "How are you?" that we don't really want to know the answer to or give the answer to… it is a commitment to each other.
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It also means that we are reconciled, it means literally that we are at peace. In the culture of Jesus day you wouldn't eat with your enemies… when you ate with someone they became your friend, your family.
When Jesus broke bread on the night before he died he said "this is my body, broken for you."
In the sacrificial system God literally ate with people… if you burnt an offering to make peace with God or give thanks to God you would eat part of it and the part that was burnt was considered to be consumed by God himself. Making a sacrifice was like sharing a meal.
When Jesus was crucified he became a sacrifice, making peace between people and God.
Peace be with you, means we are in a reconciled relationship.
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Third, and this has to do with being in community: Shalom means you needn't be afraid… The early Christians were able to do the radical things they did; stand up for what was right because they had the support of a community of believers – they were never standing alone.
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In the passage Jesus uses the greeting three times… twice as a greeting, and once, when he sends the disciples out into the world to remind them what he did:
"Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I send you."
He then breathed on them and said to them
"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Jesus has made peace between God and people and he sends his disciples out to proclaim that message of peace. Reconciling people to each other and to God.
Spreading the Shalom community.
The community of the people of God.
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It is the season of Easter, the season when we celebrate how Jesus died – taking our sins upon himself, and rose again, defeating the power of sin.
A season in which we prepare ourselves for the moment of Pentecost - as God empowers us to continue the ministry which Jesus began.
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As we share communion I invite you to bring your sins and be reconciled to God.
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As we greet each other with the peace today before we share communion… I ask you to consider what that means – as the risen Christ greets you, and gives you the power to greet each other… not just with a 'hello,' but a commitment to helping you in this life.
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I believe, that when we begin to share this Easter peace with each other, and the world around us – we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.
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