THE GREAT VIGIL OF EASTER - Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18, 9:9-13; Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Romans 6:3-11; Psalm 114; Matthew 28:1-10 -

22 March 2008 - A homily given by The Rev. Peter A. Munson for St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, Boulder, Colorado

 

God Breaks Through and Does Good

 

A NIGHT OF STORIES

This is a night of stories - stories of interactions between God and the people of God. We don’t hear even half of the stories that we could hear, for if we did, we would be here half the night, or maybe all night, and we would be too tired to show up on Easter morning, and that would not be a good thing.

 

But this is a night to remember the fact that, over the course of history, God has consistently and faithfully broken into the world, and consistently and faithfully been a force for good. Oh, I suppose we could argue that point a little bit with respect to a flood that comes to “blot out” almost the whole world. But even in that epic story, God does not destroy the whole world. He saves a remnant, a righteous remnant, and then thinks about what has just happened, and repents. God changes his mind and Noah hears him saying, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you... that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth... This is sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds...” (Genesis 9:9-13)

 

After the great and terrible flood, God establishes his covenant with the people remaining on earth, and with every living creature on earth. It was the first of many covenants that God made with His people. Covenants, you recall, are about relationships, and that is the point, isn’t it? God chooses to be in relationship with His creation. As we heard in Ezekiel, “... you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:28) We can have a relationship with God - as individuals, yes... but also as a community of faith.

 

This is a wonderful thing, not to be taken for granted. Rather, it is something to celebrate!

 

So this night we remember some of the ways that God has been present to His people, some of the ways that God has broken into the lives of his people, often when they thought their lives - and their lives with God - had come to an end.

 

They are pushed up against the waters of the Red Sea, with Pharaoh’s army approaching to annihilate them, and they cry out to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?” And Moses, that same Moses who tried to convince the Lord God that he was absolutely the wrong guy for leading the Israelites out of Egypt, the Moses who by now had seen all sorts of signs of God’s power, replies, “Do not be afraid; stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again.” And it was so.

 

You know, and you were reminded tonight, of the rest of the story. A little while after things had looked so bleak, a little while after they were convinced that their lives were about to end, they were safely on the other side of the Red Sea and were dancing around and shaking tambourines and singing with Miriam and all the other women. (Exodus 14:11, 13; 15:20)

 

THE BEST NEWS

 

It sort of reminds us of another story about people thinking that life as they knew it was over, and another group of women. They had seen their Lord, the one they thought for sure was the Messiah, nailed to a cross, and they watched him die. Maybe he wasn’t the Lord or the Messiah after all. They weren’t sure what to do, but things were looking bleaker than bleak. They had been known followers of his, and now, would they suffer the same fate that he had? His body had been buried hastily, right before the sabbath, and all the women wondered was whether someone might help them roll the stone away, so that they could properly anoint his body. But then there was an earthquake, and what appeared to be an angel sitting on the stone, which had been rolled away. And they heard some almost unbelievable words. “I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said... indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” (Matthew 28:5-7)

 

God broke through once again, and brought joy and goodness and deliverance and new life - even victory over death. This is the God we remember and celebrate this night. This is the good news, the very best news. It culminates in the resurrection of Jesus. But you know what? It doesn’t end there - with Jesus’ resurrection. For God has broken into our lives, too, and has been a force for good, a giver of new life, a deliverer for us, too.

 

SHARING OUR STORIES

 

And that is how we are going to finish this sermon together. I’d like for you to think for a few minutes about how God has broken into your life during the past year, and what a difference that has made for you - what a force for good God has been for you. I’m going to invite you to pair off with one other person and share those stories for a few minutes. Take turns talking and listening to each other. Talk about the ways that God has shown up in your life, and what difference it has made. Perhaps you’ll just share one highlight of the year that stands out. And then we’ll come back together, and we’ll share a few of those stories with each other

class=Section2>

 

(Share stories)

 

CONCLUSION

 

This is the God we remember, acknowledge, and celebrate this night - a God who is not aloof or removed from us, but a God who cares enough and loves us enough to be involved in our lives, to lead us through difficult times, to guide us and help us grow... a God who helps us see in new ways, who brings us new hope and a new life, and who transforms us, so that we become, little by little, the people He calls us to be. We remember tonight what a blessing it is - what an amazing blessing it is - to be able to say, “We are his people, and He is our God. God has been faithful to us and showered us with his steadfast love, and that has made all the difference - not only this year, but every year. Thanks be to God!”