Beyond Bunnies and Jelly Beans

John 20:1-18

Easter - Year A

April 24, 2011

Last year my good friend Mary, who has a four-year old daughter, emailed me about her conversations with Elena as Easter approached in which she struggled to get through to four-year old Elena the meaning of Easter. It went something like this:

"Mommy, will the Easter bunny bring me purple jelly beans?"

The Whole Story

Philippians 2:5-11

Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday - Year A

April 17, 2011

I wonder if this ever happened to you.  You've been riveted to the television screen watching a movie that is now coming to an end.  The movie is closing with a rather benign scene; but you are sobbing, because in the context of the story the scene is profoundly moving.  And then someone enters the room, looks at the closing scene, then looks at you with a sideways glance that says, "Really, are you really crying?"  And you snap back, "You have to see the whole movie; you have to know the WHOLE story."  Sometimes I wonder if we in the church have made an unfortunate habit of skipping important parts of the Gospel story.  We go from waving palms and singing "Hosanna in the Highest" this Sunday to shouting "Alleluia, Christ IS RISEN" next Sunday.  But Hosanna and Alleluia are not the WHOLE Gospel Story.  There is darkness in this story.  There is pain in this story.  And, apparently, we would rather avoid pain. Our sanctuaries are full this Sunday and packed next Sunday.  But the percentage of church goers who will also attend another service this week on Thursday or Friday, where typically the painful parts of our story come to life, is very small indeed.  We have turned the symbol representing that painful part of our story into stylish accessories crafted from silver and gold, worn by pop culture icons as fashion statements.