Mary Magdalene seems traumatized and distracted by grief. Days prior she witnessed the brutality of the cross. Mary was close enough to hear the final breath escape Jesus’ beaten lungs, and to watch the moment his head slumps in death. In the wee hours of that first Easter, Mary makes her now famous discovery that the stone that sealed Jesus’ body in the tomb, “had been removed from the entrance” (John 20:1). As the waves of grief wash over her, and the sense of loss accumulates, utterly shocked Mary presumes Jesus’ corpse is missing.
The gospel locates Mary, “weeping outside the tomb.” (20:11). Theologian David Ford writes, “She repeats her agonized cry of loss again and again—to the disciples, to the angels, to Jesus.” Perhaps, this is the entry point that allows the Easter story to speak “wonderful words of life.” Deep in our souls, we can identify with Mary’s loss. We too know, what it is like to lose someone or something precious to us; the death of a partner or a family member; the loss of a classmate or colleague; the demise of physical ability or financial security. Loss even confronts us in joyous times of new homes, changing jobs, or graduating high school. There are numerous moments when we stand as, Mary “weeping outside the tomb” (20:11).
This Easter, as my family grieves the loss of grandparents and Carmen’s step-mom, I am grateful for the subtle and gentle way John welcomes us to Easter. One of the most sacred moments following a funeral service occurs when the lid of the casket lowered for the last time. There is a sense of finality that fills the air. We find a similar experience at the end of John 19, where the last thing we see is Jesus before everything grows dark.
Much to my surprise, John does not flood the Easter scene with blinding bright lights. John touches the dimmer switch towards the right, “while it was still dark” (20:1). Readers of the Easter story are enlightened as the narrative unfolds, where each person sees progressively more than the one that came to the tomb before them. Mary sees “the stone had been removed from the entrance” (20:1). The first disciple to arrive sees “the stripes of linen” (20:5). Peter sees what the disciple before him sees and “burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head” (20:7). Upon Mary’s return to the tomb she sees, “two angels in white” (20:10), but more importantly, she sees “Jesus standing there.”
The compassion of Jesus, cuts through Mary’s loss and tear-stained eyes with a double-question, “’Why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for’” (20:13)? Such questions can guide us in our spiritual journey from the cross towards a meaningful Easter. What causes our hearts to weep? Who are we really seeking? Mary “weeping outside the tomb” (20:11) amid a series of short-probing question encounters unaware the Risen Lord, who calls her by name. The promise of Easter intersects our lives today in the very places we would least expect. The Risen Lord once claimed, “I am the light of the world” (8:12). The Risen Lord ushers in “the dawn of redeeming grace” in our dark night of the soul. The light of the Risen Lord comforts us with a mercy that touches the deepest places of loss. The light of the Risen Lord shines and glimmers with the newness of a victorious life over the powers of Sin and Death.
On Palm Sunday, we will mark the occasion of the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem over two-thousand years ago. The remainder of Holy Week, our emotions will swing us in less joyous directions, as we zero in on the last days, especially hours of Jesus’ life. Please join us on Holy Thursday (7pm); there will be a worship service at the Mayville United Methodist Church. On Good Friday (7pm), we will hold worship at Tri-Church Parish in Brocton. Recently, we have enjoyed various studies and worship opportunities with the United Methodists in the surrounding communities.
On Easter morning, the First United Methodist Church in Westfield will host a Sunrise Service (6:45am) in the Sanctuary. We will hold a breakfast (7:30am), Adult Sunday School (9am), and our Traditional Easter Service (10am) where we will celebrate the Resurrection, knowing that the Risen Christ is mystically present with us during the sacrament of Holy Communion. We will need your help on Easter morning, to transform the cross of an ugly instrument of death into a beautiful symbol of God’s promised life.
Christ’s Blessings,
Pastor Nicholas Perry
- Holy Week Schedule
Saturday, April 1st – Pancake Breakfast (donation) 8 – 10 am
(Photo with the Easter Bunny – $2)
Sunday April 2 – Palm Sunday 10 am Worship with Holy Communion
Thursday, April 6 – Holy Thursday Service 7 pm at Mayville UMC
Friday, April 7 Good Friday
Noon – Community wide Good Friday – St Peter’s Episcopal Church
7 pm Tri-Parish Church – Brocton
Sunday, April 9 – Easter Sunday!
Sunrise Service 6:45 am in Sanctuary
Easter Breakfast 7:30 am in Fellowship Hall (call office to sign up)
Adult Sunday School 9 am
Worship with Holy Communion – 10 am in the Sanctuary