run for your life

from my Easter sermon on 4/4/10 from John 20:1-18

Austin is a running town. We just hosted the Texas Relays, one of the premier running events in the world. Next Sunday is the Cap 10K, and many of you will be out there pounding the pavement. In fact, could we do a quick poll now? How many of you are runners? Yes, Austin is a running town. In that we are the state capital, some of you are running for office. And since we are the world capital for allergies, today some of your noses are running.

I was impressed as I read John's gospel this time by all of the running that was going on that first Easter morning. Mary goes to the tomb, finds it empty, and runs away. When she tells Peter and the other disciple (I think as many scholars do, that this other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved is John), they start running back to the tomb. On this Easter, some of us are running from the tomb and some are running toward it.

If you are not running from the tomb, you probably know someone who is. Mary was confused, couldn't make sense of the experience, maybe didn't understand. And she runs from it. WE may have lots of questions about the resurrection too.

I was working in my local park yesterday, picking up trash and moving brush to block off some trails where we didn't want people to go. One of my fellow workers said, "Aren't you a pastor?" "Yes I am. I serve Westlake UMC." "Don't you have big day tomorrow?" "Yes, it is our Final Four." When people give me this kind of opening, I feel I can ask, "Do you have a place of worship?" "Oh, no," she said, "What with all of the clergy abuse, and I believe everybody has their own god. There are as many gods as there are people."

Abby and I visited 20 confirmands this past week who may be making their profession of faith next week in worship. They have questions. One of them asked me, "Why did my grandmother have to die?"

You questions may come from different places. The economic recovery hasn't caught up with you yet, and you are about to lose your house. Your marriage is teetering on the brink of collapse. You may wonder where is the presence of Christ, where is the good news, where is the resurrection?

I firmly believe that no matter how hard our questions are, how far and fast we are running from the empty tomb, we cannot outrun grace. The risen Christ will meet us on the path, even as He met Mary in the garden later.

You may be medicating your feeling with distilled spirits, but you will never be satisfied until you take in the Holy Spirit. You may be running after the Almighty Dollar, but you will never be feel safe, or secure, or happy until you encounter the Almighty God. All of our running after other things only leads us back to the One who can satisfy. The good news is that you will never be satisfied with anything less. All of our running away only leads us back into Christ's embrace.

Peter and John are running toward the tomb, and it is almost funny. It is like a footrace. Who will win. John gets there first (some commentaries say that he is younger!). But he doesn't go in; he lets Peter goes in first (some commentaries say this is to show respect to the first bishop of Rome, the first Pope). John goes in second, but is the first to believe. Does it really matter who is first?

You are not going to believe this, but there is still competition in the church today! I was baptized at 13. Well, I was baptized at 11! I went on the Walk to Emmaus. I went on Walk 331. I went on Walk 72! Does it really matter who comes in first when it comes to the resurrection?

Right now I am readying a book on Reverse Mentoring. It is all about how wisdom flows both ways. Not just from the older and more experienced to the younger and less experienced but also the other way. Now Jim, our associate pastor is older than I am, but where I have 32 years as an ordained pastor, Jim is about to be ordained in June. But Jim is the one who has taught me how to blog and to tweet. Then Lisa, our intern pastor, caught me last week with a remark about a situation where she said, "I think that is unjust." And she was right. Here I am the one who is supervising getting taught by my student. Does it really matter who comes in first?

I've told this whole sermon just so I could tell you the following story. When I first started in ministry here in Austin, I had a clown troupe. These high school youth would go out with me to bring cheer to people in the hospitals and in nursing homes. But one of our favorite things to do was to attend the Texas Special Olympics. I will never forget that year, in May, when it was so hot and humid. Four thousand special athletes gathered at Memorial Stadium on the UT campus. The mile run had 8 males. The starting gun went off. Already from the beginning, there was a pack of 7 lead runners and 1 who was far behind. First lap, way behind. Second lap, even more, third lap, they are nearly passing him. The pack finishes by lapping this one lone runner. He starts his 4th lap all by himself out on the track. People in the stands start yelling, "Go, go, go, go." His tongue is hanging out. We are yelling, "Run, run, run, run." His head is bobbing from side to side. We are screaming, "Win, win, win, win!" He crosses the finish line, breaking the imaginary tape, looking like he just set a new world record, and falls into the arms of waiting volunteers who hug him. Did he win? Oh, yes, he did! Does it really matter who comes in first when it comes to believing in the resurrection?

Running is a metaphor for the life of faith. In the prophet Isaiah, we find, "But those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." In letter to the Hebrews in the NT, we find, "Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perserverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God."

Now in this church, we are not just running around, running without purpose. We are coming up with a new vision statement, "Following One, Serving All." The good news is we were made to run with Jesus.