April 8, 2007 - Easter

Pastor Gary E. Benson

Zumbro Lutheran Church, Rochester, Minnesota

 

Showing Up – Turning Out!

 

For our family it was a first: daughters Carola and Angie, with husbands Brent and Brian, along with 45,000 others at the Metrodome for the Minnesota Twins home opener Monday Night.  Weeks ago, son-in-law Brian announced that he had tickets for the entire family. Wow, we could all “show up” for the Twins  game; was I excited. I had never been to a home opener. And, yes, it may be great to watch on TV, but, as the saying goes, “There is not like being there.”

 

In the second inning, when I am absorbing the sights and sounds of the Twins taking the lead with Morneau and Hunter hitting back to back homeruns, I am thinking, “How great is it to show up at the Twins Opener – good for me – I am feeling so cool!” Then I looked across the outfield at the huge electronic screen,  and there was the announcement, “Welcome Pat Lynaugh - who has never missed a Minnesota Twins home opener (1961).”  Suddenly my “showing up for the first time” seemed a bit dwarfed. Yet, I thought, “Is this great? I know Pat Lynaugh, Minnesota Twins super fan and also ZLC member.” Furthermore, I can say, “She may have never missed a Twins Opener, but she has also missed very few Sundays at ZLC.  Double inspiration!”

 

Today, the Easter gospel also has a lot to do with “showing up!” On the first day of the week, at the early dawn, they came to the tomb (showed up), taking the spices they had prepared – (imagine in your mind) – they found the stone rolled away. They went in; the tomb was empty. They did not find the body!” Then the voice of the angels, “Why do you seek the living among the dead; he is not here, he is risen!” It was “opening day” for the Christian Church Triumphant we might say! 

 

What had happened? – 

1.   They (the women) had showed up.  They made an astounding observation of     an empty tomb.

2.   Amidst their astonishment they heard the announcement of the angels, “Why        do you seek the living among the dead?” Then ….

3.   They turned out – they turned out, “…to the eleven, and all the world!”               proclaiming, “He is not here, He is risen!”

 

For each of us, there are occasions when we think life is simply about showing up – and there is something to that – and indeed, the woman did that task well. They “showed up” according to plan. In fact, they had all they needed, the cloth and the ointments; they were prepared to do their task.

• However, they had forgotten or dismissed significant words of Jesus, “That the son of man must be handed over to sinners, be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” But, having shown up, hearing the words, remembering, then they “turned out,” turned out to the disciples, the world, with the good news:  “He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!”

 

Easter is about showing up and turning out!  Easter is about hearing, affirming, celebrating the Easter message, and then turning out -- living out that good news with all our being!

 

Consider:

This past week I did a number of confirmation interviews. For each student it was more than showing up, remembering, recalling, and reciting. I talked with them about “turning out.”  Turning out to family, school, community with the message of Christ thoughts, words, deeds – in school and community!

 

• Back to baseball; it was said of Herb Carneal who, “showed up and turned out” the good news of baseball and the Minnesota Twins. He introduced many to a game they have enjoyed all their life. And of that action, it has been said, “You never forget the person who introduces you to a life passion!”  On this Easter Sunday, I thank God for parents, teachers, pastors who taught and enveloped me with the good news of the gospel -- from, “Jesus loves me this I know,” or, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord……..” Those seeds of faith were the beginning of Living Easter – showing up, turning out. Think of your faith story in that regard. Who introduced you to Jesus?

 

• Or I think of a senior in high school, Tor Sperling. A few weeks ago at a Lenten Breakfast he gave his faith story and shared regarding his love for basketball and teaching younger boys, through a program called Upward Basketball, but also sharing his faith with them. And of that he said, “You never really know something until you teach it.” He was living Easter, turning out to others.

 

If the women at the tomb would have simply shown up, and not turned out, how would the world have known?  On Tuesday at staff they found out that I had not simply shown up at the baseball game, but from there I turned out “to tell” of the Twins – to be an ambassador to what I had seen, heard, and witnessed!

• Christianity spreads not because of spiritual superstars but because “ordinary people” show up and turn out, sharing and living the faith:
• Show up gathering around Word and Sacrament
• Scattering to give witness to scripture, “feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, meeting people at the point of their needs, sharing Christ like caring, compassion, kindness.”
• In that regard, our Lenten theme was “People of Purpose.” What is our purpose? Simply put, it’s all about turning out. As the saying goes, “We are created in the image of God and designed to live for God!” Showing up, turning out!
• Or, affirming our Lutheran heritage. Martin Luther defined sin as turning in on ourselves. Easter faith is turning out and loving our neighbor.

 

Today we have “shown up” not for entertainment, games, or an athletic event that comes and goes and is soon forgotten – the story we have shown up to hear and to hopefully “turn out” to tell gives witness to the gifts of God – Creator, Redeemer, and Risen Lord which is of eternal consequences, yet of immediate need. 

• As an evangelist once said, “I am not so worried about the sweet by and by, as the nasty now and now!!

 

Truth told now it is up to us, to you, to me! (Opening day at the tomb is long past.) It is our mission, our calling, to “turn out,” push back the darkness by being the light of Christ.  It is our calling, our mission.

• To “turn out” to a consumer and entertainment culture – where the message of Christ for many is simply “an option” to choose rather than a commitment to share.
• To “turn out” to a Good Friday world full of plenty, yet oftentimes empty of hope, purpose, meaning, compassion.
• Together let us not only show up as we have, but let us “turn out” – to the world which we share – living the message; being the voice an ambassador of Christ to proclaim – Christ Is Risen – He is Risen Indeed!