Easter Monday, April 17

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150

Up the stairs to the Music Department (as a member of the Chancel Choir, I take this trip frequently) a banner greets you: “Make a Joyful Sound Unto the Lord.” One of our anthems, “O Praise God in His Sanctuary,” says in part:

“... Praise Him in the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him upon the lute and harp; Praise Him in the cymbals and dances; Praise Him up on the strings and pipe. Praise Him on the well tuned cymbals ...”

I must have been born hearing music. It was always there. The story is that when I was about a year old, I would hear music on the radio, go to the piano, and try to pick out the melody. I began lessons as soon as a teacher thought I was old enough.

Music is a gift from God, though it took me a long time to realize it. In school, I was embarrassed when people would refer to my "talent." I didn't think it was anything special -- I could always hear music, sing and play, so I thought everyone could! It was part of my growing up when I began to realize that everyone couldn't, that it was a God-given gift for me to enjoy and treat accordingly.

I joined Summer Choir the year I affiliated with First Presbyterian, and became a member of the Chancel Choir right after that. I’ve enjoyed singing under two dynamic directors -- Jerry Crawford and Mark Wickens (both of whom have remarkable talents to share). Although not a true anthem, the following Oscar Hammerstein III lyrics (from “Carousel") carry me through many times (happy, sad, trying). I hope they may do the same for you.

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky with the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind; walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on -- walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone. You'll never walk alone. Amen.

Barbara Gowans, 1996

Easter Sunday, April 16

 Why do you seek the living among the dead?

Luke 24:4

It seemed like a rather absurd question.  The women had come to the tomb not looking for the living but to complete the process of preparing Jesus’ body for its final rest.  They would anoint it with spices and perfumes.  It was a ritual act of honor. A way to honor their friend, teacher and mentor; the only one who had seen them not as lowly women but as followers and disciples.  They had come looking for the dead, not the living.  So when the men in dazzling white appeared and asked the question, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” their answer would have been, “We’re not.”  So it would have seemed like a rather absurd question. 

The good news for the women and for us is that this was not an absurd question.  It was a question rooted and grounded in reality.  In other words, if they were looking for Jesus in the place of the dead, they were not going to find him.  They needed to re-enter their search parameters and look among the living, for that is where they would find him.  They would find him there because God had broken both the power of sin and death and raised Jesus.  He was alive.

This Easter morning, you and I have the opportunity to once again find the living Jesus.  Granted we will not find him wandering around our columbarium, but we will find him at work all around us; at work loving, forgiving, encouraging and empowering us.  We will find him in the quiet of our prayers and in the music of worship that soars around us.  We will find not a deceased icon but a living Lord who calls us to lives of mission, inclusion and community.

This morning then, let us give thanks and declare that Jesus is not dead but risen.  Hallelujah!  

Living God, we give you thanks that you raised your Son Jesus from the dead.  Give us the ability to experience his living presence this day and always.   Amen

Rev. John Judson