Monday's thoughts

Easter Sunday, March 23rd

Easter is the high point of the year. It is a time when the church and all of us Christians realize there are forces and factors above us and beyond us that we must give due notice.

I have the privilege of preaching two sermons Sunday; one at 6am, and the other at 8, 9:30, and 11:00. It will be a special Sunday, as usual. We will have the flowering of the cross in the final two services, we will have a church full of people, and we will, once more, heat a message that is central to our faith. We will hear it in the readings; in the scripture, in the hymns, the anthems, and the sermons.

When I was in Divinity School we had to select an area of study and I chose homiletics (preaching). We were required to write a major paper in our area and I selected to write my paper on the great professor of homiletics, Edmund Steimle. Steimle taught at Union Theological seminary in New York. He was a great preacher and a great teacher. His sermons were some of the best I ever read or heard. I got hold of as many of his sermons as I could and as many of his books as I could find and from his sermons I extracted where I thought he was theologically. I really enjoy doing that project and my advisor at Duke was very complimentary and encouraging.

Several years ago Dr. Steimle's wife died on the Saturday before Easter. On Easter Sunday he went to church. Someone asked him why he had gone to church at such a difficult time. His answer is what Easter is all about. He said, "On that Easter Sunday, after my wife died, I wasn't sure I believed in the resurrection. I went to church, not because I believed in the Easter message, but I wanted to be around people who believed it."

Easter provides a contagion of belief that is supported only be a community of faith. What we each have to doubt others will be quick to affirm. The message is this:

1. There is no death that is stronger than love.
2. There is no despair that can defeat hope.
3. There is no defeat that is total as long as there is faith.

"Christ the Lord is Risen Today" : Charles Wesley wrote it
Sunday we will sing it.
On Easter we will all believe it (one way or another)

See you on Easter

If you have thoughts about Easter Sunday write me at Charlesschuster@fcfumc.net.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles