Being...

 

Rev. George Miller

April 20, 2025

Luke 24:1-12; 36-45

 

Being.

 

The Resurrection is about being; being present; being in the “here”; in the “now.”

 

The Resurrection is about letting go of that which no longer works or is dead, allowing the chance for transformation to come along, offering new life in unexpected ways.

 

Being.  As in “Thy will be done, on Earth.”

 

Here we are- men and women; women and men.  People of the Resurrection gathered.

 

Do you remember?  Do you remember how we were there in the Garden when all God wanted was to walk with us in the cool afternoon breeze?

 

Do you remember being under the stars with Abraham when God said- “Be brave”?

 

Do we recall God telling Mary to not be afraid; when Jesus was born and lived a full life of food and drink, walking and weeping, using all the same senses as we?

 

Since Christmas, we have journeyed with Jesus, stood by him with the male disciples and female benefactors.

 

Listening to what Jesus had to say; watching the wholeness and healing taking place.

 

Sitting and sharing meals that welcomed the High Holy and the Sacred Everyday;

 

those who thought they were better than all and those who knew they had made tragic mistakes, simply wanting to experience their own renaissance.

 

Everyone just wanting to…be.

 

Last week we stood amongst the people as we welcomed Jesus into the city, waving palms and shouting joyfully.

 

We shared a last meal, heard the words of a man rejected, abused, and silenced by those in power.

 

The tomb was sealed; the light dimmed; we scattered as if we no longer had the ability to remember.

 

Then we waited;

for days we waited.

 

…And now the Good News-

Alongside Mary Magdlene, Joanna, the mother of James, and so many other women, we wander to the place marked with death, and we discover…

 

The stone has been rolled away; the tomb is empty.  And though scared and afraid, we are called to “Remember.”

 

Remember all that Jesus said; remember the promise made and trust that Jesus is among the living.

 

This Good News joyfully continues as we stand with the men who witness how Christ lives amongst them.

 

The men, just as scared and afraid as the women, are told “Do not be afraid- be brave!”

 

Their minds are opened to the scriptures, and they remember.

 

This glorious Easter morning we too stand with the women, we stand with the men, and we also remember.

 

We remember the ways of Heaven; the ways of Heaven here on earth that Jesus taught us about.

 

We remember his teachings of Fathers who welcome the loss and give grace to the angry.

 

We remember the woman who generously gave to Jesus when others would rather judge.

 

We remember how Jesus fully embodied what it meant to be a human, and what it means to live as if heaven is here, on earth.

 

Jesus showed all how to make God’s will be done right here, right now.

 

And it’s all so simple- Love God with all your being.

 

Love those around you the same as you would want to be loved.

 

The one who God resurrected is the One who came into the world innocent and vulnerable, who was a light of revelation and catalyst for eternal transformation.

 

The wonder and joy of Easter is knowing that heaven does not have to be yearned for, but can actually be here on Earth as long as we live and breath and stand with God together.

 

Being.

 

Resurrection is about being; being present in the “here”, being in the “now.”

 

Resurrection is about letting go of that which no longer works or is dead.

 

Resurrection is allowing transformation to come along, offering new life in unexpected ways.

 

Being. 

 

As in “Thy will be done, on Earth.”

 

For that, let us say “Amen.”