"A New Normal"

            This Sunday, April 12th, is Easter Sunday and our celebration of the Resurrection of Christ.  During our live-streaming service at Christ United Methodist Church, we will read the account of that first Easter morning, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’  ~ Matthew 28:1-10

            I’ve often wondered what the women were thinking, as they made their way to the tomb on that first Easter morning.  These were women who had completely devoted their lives to following Jesus and his teachings.  They were there, when Jesus healed the sick. They were there, when Jesus laughed—and, when he cried.  They were in the Upper Room, and they were probably at the Garden of Gethsemane, when Judas betray Jesus with a kiss.  Unlike most of the disciples, they were there, at the foot of the Cross, when Jesus suffered and died.

            The recent events had certainly turned their world upside down.  Their hopes and dreams for a better world had all been crucified with Jesus on Friday.  It was as though a New Normal had been established with the death of Jesus on Good Friday.  As they trudged towards the tomb, I suspect that they were confused, dismayed, depressed, defeated, afraid.

            As we celebrate Easter this year, perhaps we have some new insights into how the women felt, as they plodded along the path to the tomb.  This year, our world has been turned upside down by the coronavirus.  Just as the women in the story, we are confused, dismayed, depressed, defeated, afraid.  We know what it is like to live with an overwhelming fear and anxiety about the future.  We know what it is like to live day after day under an ominous cloud of gloom—even when the sun is shining outside.  This year, we have a new appreciation for what the women were feeling that morning.  It is certainly a different normal.

           

Yet, everything changed when the women reached the tomb. An angel had rolled away the large stone, sealing the tomb shut.  The angel proclaimed the amazing, completely unexpected, news that Jesus had been resurrected and left the tomb.  Then, the angel beckoned the women to come and see the empty tomb.  Finally, the angel told them to go quickly and tell Jesus disciples that, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.”

So, the women left the tomb quickly.  They were filled with two conflicting emotions of “fear and great joy.”  They began to run towards the house where the disciples were staying.  As they ran along, suddenly up in front of them stood someone. 

Who was it?

It looked like….could it be…it looked like Jesus.

Could it be?  Was it possible?

It was…it was…it was, Jesus.

When they reached the spot where Jesus was standing, he said:  “Greetings!”  The women immediately knelt down, hugging Jesus’ feet and worshiping him—just as they had done so many times before.

            There was, indeed, a New Normal introduced that day.  But, it was not the New Normal of Good Friday; a New Normal defined by dread, fear, and anxiety which the women began with that morning.  No.  It was the New Normal of Easter, which continues even today.  It was the New Normal of God’s love—and, of transformation.  It was a New Normal of

Hope instead of dread

Faith instead of fear

Joy instead of anxiety

Life instead of death

Christ’s Resurrection marks a cosmic tipping point.  It marks the beginning of God’s Reign here on earth.  Of course, God’s Reign is not yet fully established.  But, it has begun and God will ultimately bring it to fulfillment in God’s own time.  Christ invites his disciples to join in the work of building God’s Reign through seeking the divine, acting inclusively, serving others, working for justice, and caring for Creation.  That is to say, Christ invites his disciples to Transformation. 

            Currently, we are shrouded in the overwhelming gloom of COVID-19.  While it may be difficult to see much light at the end of the tunnel, one day we will get through this global crisis.  One day, we will emerge from “sheltering in place” to begin anew.  One day, things will get back to normal, except it will be a New Normal.  The question is, what kind of New Normal?  Will it be the New Normal of Good Friday?  Or, will it be the New Normal of Easter morning?

            The coronavirus has exposed significant cracks and fissures in our society, as well as throughout the world.  After the virus has passed, we will have opportunities to address these cracks and fissures, thereby transforming society and creating a New Normal.

            For instance, the coronavirus has exposed the dangers of inadequate healthcare to all of us.  In American society, where many people do not have access to healthcare, we have learned that, if a disease is especially contagious and virulent, then everyone is at mortal risk—both the uninsured and insured.  When the pandemic has passed, will we transform our healthcare system, creating a New Normal where everyone has adequate healthcare?  Will we choose the New Normal of life, or continue the old normal of death through inadequate healthcare for some?

            As another example, the coronavirus has exposed problems with our understanding of individual liberty.  Over the past 40 years, our notion of liberty has devolved into a concept where each of us is free to do whatever we want and, further, we seek to limit civic duty and mutual obligation.  Yet, with genuine liberty comes a responsibility for the common good.  As we have learned from the coronavirus, “we’re all in this together.”  We can never be truly free, if huge segments of society are struggling to survive and flourish.  When the pandemic has passed, will we transform our attitudes, creating a New Normal where we responsibly balance individual liberty and the common good?

Everyone is always welcome and accepted at Christ United Methodist Church because God loves us all.  During the coronavirus, I invite you to join us virtually for our Facebook Livestream worship service this Easter Sunday, April 12th, at 11 am.  Our Facebook address is:  https://www.facebook.com/christumclinc/.  Alternatively, you can see the service later on our Facebook page or by going to our webpage at:  https://www.christumclinc.org/.

“The Journey of Remembrance Begins Again—But Differently”

            This Sunday, April 5th, is Palm Sunday in Protestant and Catholic Christianity.  (Our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters observe Palm Sunday a week later, on April 12th.)  Palm Sunday is an important celebration in the Church each year because on this day we commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event recorded in all four of the Gospels.

            The story begins with Jesus sending two of his disciples to a nearby village, where they are to find a young donkey, with a colt.  Jesus instructs his disciples to untie them and bring them back to him.  Before they leave on their errand, Jesus advises his disciples, “If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” (Matthew 21:3)

            In his Gospel, Matthew explains that this was done to fulfill a prophecy, which said:

Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
   humble, and mounted on a donkey,
     and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  (Matthew 21:6)

When the two disciples return with the donkey, Jesus mounts it and begins his entry into Jerusalem.  As he rides, Jesus’ followers begin spreading their cloaks on the road in front of the young donkey.  When they run out of clothes, the people begin cutting nearby branches off of palm trees and spreading these branches on the road—hence, the name, “Palm Sunday.”  People began joyfully shouting,

Hosanna to the Son of David!
   Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!  (Matthew 21:9)

As Jesus rides, more and more people begin to come out of their shops and homes.  They join in the shouting and singing.  Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem becomes a huge, triumphal parade.

            Every year, Christian communities of faith gather to re-read and reflect upon the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Palm Sunday marks the beginning of a seven-day journey of remembrance during Holy Week.  From the triumphal Palm Sunday, the journey of remembrance moves to Jesus’ righteous indignation, when he enters the Temple and turns over the tables of the money-changers and other businesses. 

This journey of remembrance winds its way downward to Maundy Thursday, when we remember Jesus’ Last Supper with the disciples in the Upper Room, followed by his betrayal by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.  On Good Friday, the journey of remembrance continues its downward trajectory, as we commemorate the Crucifixion of Jesus on the Cross.  So far, this journey of remembrance has traced a deep downward trajectory, from Palm Sunday and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  But, for its last stage, the journey of remembrance suddenly zooms upward, as we re-read the story of the Empty Tomb and Jesus’ Resurrection.

Each faith community—each congregation—has its own, unique way of re-telling this journey of remembrance.  Many churches re-create Palm Sunday by giving everyone palms to wave in the air, sometimes led by a parade of small children, winding their way through the Sanctuary to begin the service—as we do at Christ UMC.  Other congregations have “services of foot washing,” following Jesus’ example in John 13:3-15.  Finally, many congregations—including my church, Christ UMC—will have special services on Good Friday, commemorating the Crucifixion of Christ on the Cross.

Christian faith communities practice all of these customs of remembering, as well as many others, during their journeys from Palm Sunday to the Cross on Friday and finally to the empty tomb on Easter morning.  All of these customs of remembering are important, not only because they help us grow spiritually but also because they help us maintain and grow our faith communities. 

Participating in these rituals and customs helps to increase the bonds of relationship within our faith communities.  That’s why Easter Sunday is the most heavily attended worship service of the year.  People want to participate in remembering who Christ was and his Resurrection.

But, Palm Sunday this year will be like none other, for any of us.  The coronavirus pandemic has turned everything upside down in 2020.  There will be no live service, filled with outstanding music and a children’s palm waving processional to begin the service.  Instead, we will live stream a service online, using as few people as possible as we practice safe social distancing.  Yet, sadly, we need these rituals and customs even more this year than ever.

The coronavirus is taking its toll, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.  In a recent article for The New York Times, David Brooks described it this way, “There’s an invisible current of dread running through the world.  It messes with your attention span.  I don’t know about you, but I’m mentally exhausted by 5 pm every day, and I think part of the cause is the unconscious stress flowing through us.”  Later in the article, he observes, “The pandemic spreads an existential feeling of unsafety, …changing the way you see and perceive threat.”[i]

Although we can’t practice the same customs and rituals of remembrance that we normally do during Holy Week, we can be innovative and creative in developing modified customs and rituals for this year of the pandemic.  For instance, instead of waving actual Palm branches this Sunday, my church is encouraging everyone to print or draw their own palm branch.  Then, we’re asking everyone to display their paper palm in a prominent place in their homes, such as the refrigerator or a bedroom door, as a way of beginning their journey of remembrance for Holy Week this year.

Everyone is always welcome and accepted at Christ United Methodist Church because God loves us all.  During the coronavirus, I invite you to join us virtually for our Facebook Livestream worship service this Palm Sunday, April 5th, at 11 am.  Our Facebook address is:  https://www.facebook.com/christumclinc/.  Alternatively, you can see the service later on our Facebook page or by going to our webpage at:  https://www.christumclinc.org/.

            Our Good Friday service will also be Facebook Livestreamed on Friday, April 10th, at 7 pm.  You are welcome to join us at that service, as well.

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[i] David Brooks, “Mental Health in the Age of the Coronavirus,” in The New York Times, 2 April 2020.  Accessed on telephone app, 3 April 2020.