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Easter Vigil
April 7, 2007
Delivered by Reverend David Stayner
On this wondrous night . we have gathered to celebrate the mystery of all mysteries. After Jesus died and was laid in a borrowed tomb, the whole creation held its breath. Even the angels held watched and wondered. Could the cold, empty darkness of a stone tomb really hold the son of God.s love? Could the creative fire of God really be extinguished? Could the hope of all the ages really be dead? Tonight, we shout out together: No! Christ is risen! Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Tonight, we ignited a new fire as we gathered outside the dark sanctuary. We lit our own candles from the paschal candle burning with the light of Christ that will never be extinguished.
We remembered the story of our loving creator. We heard how God.s life-giving fire flared out into the void creating stars and supernovas, and our own planet earth, giving birth to all life. As we celebrate God.s creative power tonight, God is still speaking and creating. God is calling out to all of us to help care for this creation . God is calling us to create goodness and love and hope in this world.
Tonight, we remember our loving liberator -- God who hears the cry of everyone who is suffering or enslaved. God is calling out to us in this church, just as he called out to Moses in the desert: Can you hear the cries of my suffering people? God asks us to listen with new ears and new hearts to the poor and the oppressed. Stand beside the people the world has forgotten so that they can be seen and remembered. Speak out for the people who have been silenced, so that their voices can be heard. Listen to the cries of the suffering and help me set them free from their sorrow and pain.
Tonight, we heard the story of God breathing over dry bones. And we can feel God.s breath, breathing over every dead, dark part of us . re-making us. God is giving us strength to rise up and open our eyes . God is opening our newly formed hearts. God is transforming us so that we can breath God.s breath of new life and hope into this world.
Make no mistake . through God.s transforming power, our own hands become Christ.s hands . our thoughts and words are become Christ.s own . we live out God.s love in the world.
When we baptized these little ones tonight . all of us received the waters of baptism that wash away everything in us that is dead and dark. We were filled again with the life-giving breath of God.s Spirit. When these little ones were sealed in God.s Spirit with blessed oil . all of us were sealed in God.s Spirit, held in God.s love forever . destined to become one with Christ in every way.
However flawed or bruised we may be, however hard it may be to hold on to hope . God.s light is shining deep inside us tonight. However, trapped we have felt, freedom is dawning tonight. God.s is breathing new life into every lifeless, dark part of us that has felt far away from God.s love. God.s water of life is pouring into every dry, parched part of us tonight . the sweet sap of Spring is running deep inside us and new life is already sprouting up. God.s holy oil is anointing us to help renew and transform the world around us.
Christ has released us from the power of death. Now we sing and ring bells and shout hosanna . we love the world and welcome the outcast and strangers . we baptize and bring healing . we forgive and seek reconciliation . all in the name of Christ.s love that burns like fire in our hearts. Tonight, we sing out the hope that is kindled in our hearts . the hope that burns in the center of our community . Christ is risen. Christ has flung open the doors of paradise. And we are destined to follow Christ.s love until we become love. Tonight, we celebrate God.s undying love that already embraces us and will never let us go. Hope is alive and burning in our hearts. So, let us sing out together again: Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
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