Preaching the Scriptures

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 20:19-31 He Keeps Showing Up Where was he?   Everyone else was there in the room, but he was gone and while he was gone, he missed it.   Now, in Matt's defense he had never attended an Easter Vigil before; he did not know about the sudden transition from the dark anticipation of the Vigil into the first dramatic Easter acclamation.   And so it was just after the baptism when he left; it seemed like the perfect time to slip out, under the cover of darkness – just for a couple of minutes.   But in that brief period of time a lot happened.   When Matt returned to the nave it was no longer dark in the church.   The lights were on, the candles were out, bells were ringing, the congregation was joyfully singing the Gloria.   He told me after the service, “ I stepped out to go to the bathroom and when I came back in, everything was different.   I missed Jesus coming back! ”   Where was he?   Everyone else was there in the room, but

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 20:1-18 Easter Life Don't tell me.   I think I know why your wore your fancy clothes and your pretty dresses today.   It's because you knew what you would find here.   Fragrant white lilies.   Alleluias!   Smiling faces.   A burning paschal candle.   Joyous Easter hymns.   And an empty tomb.   Today we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.   I can think of no better reason to be fancy.   It is easy to forget then that, once upon a time, there was nothing inevitable about Easter at all.   Mary Magdalene ran to the tomb, not in an Easter gown, but in her mourning clothes, carrying a broken heart – expecting to find the sealed tomb of a corpse, of her dearly departed friend.   No lilies.   No Alleluias.   No smiling faces.   No joyous hymns.   She only expected to see a tomb – a tomb blurred by a flood of her own tears. Don't get me wrong, Mary did expect the resurrection.   But just not now.   And not here.   She ex