Where do We Go from Here?

It was time to go tend to him.  We had waited, waited, waited, in the agonizing depth of Sabbath-keeping stillness, bearing our grief like black cloaks.  I had shut out the light of day between the moment of death and this moment of moving back out into the world that seemed so cruelly-violent to us now. I had snuffed out my lamp, vowing to light it no more so that my heart did not have to see the future lurking before me.  

But it was time. Tending to his body would perhaps help me find comfort in the darkness, there in the tomb with the memory of him even in his lifeless body. I knew how to tend to the dead. I would let my movements carry me into a future I was afraid I could not face.

And so I did light the lamp in the early-morning just before dawn.  And we made our way… 

My biggest concern was getting into the tomb, finding someone this early to help us roll the  stone to let us in. But there we were, at the tomb and the stone was already moved!  Someone had come before us! When had they moved it?! In the midst of the Sabbath?  Had they MOVED HIS BODY?! 

I ran to John and Peter, and we ran back to the tomb.

It was empty: my worst fears had been realized. And then, alone again in the garden as the guys headed back home, I heard the question: “Why are you crying?” What a ridiculous question. And then the question again… I couldn’t see Him through my grief. But then I heard “Mary.” And I knew it was him. My teacher. I wanted to hug him, to hold on forever, but I couldn’t. I had to share the message: “He is risen!”

Mary went through a lot that morning. It was her name, called out by someone who cares deeply, someone who loves her, that was enough to break the trance of despair and lift the veil of grief, allowing Mary to see the body she has been looking for- alive and standing before her. In the midst of the darkness and the grief, Jesus reveals that He is present, and calls out in love. 

Today is Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, and it’s the most important day in the church calendar. A day of joy and celebration…

And yet… there are times when we feel like Mary- living one day at a time when an event brings us overwhelming grief. When we’re paralyzed by our emotions, blinded by doubt, uncertainty or confusion. When we cannot see past the tears, and lose sight of the Lord. There are times when we enter what Rev. Eric Elnes calls the Dark Wood. For those who haven’t been journeying with us for all of Lent, as well as those who could use a refresher: On Ash Wednesday we began a journey to discover the gifts found in the Dark Wood- those difficult times in life. The gift of uncertainty can help us let go of our fear of the unknown. Emptiness can leave room for new possibilities. Thunderstruck moments can offer insight. Getting lost invites us to heighten our awareness. Temptation can help us know our true path. And reaching out to other ‘misfits’ on the journey enriches our experience of life and love.

But these gifts of the Dark Wood often don’t feel like gifts. Moving forward in these situations, when everything seems dark, may seem impossible as we wonder if God can even be present. When we experience the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, sudden change in lifestyle, illness, or general anxiety and fear. 

When those times come, we have those gifts, which include the Spirit’s presence and flashes of insight to help us see our next steps. And just as with Mary, Jesus calls out to us by name, there to comfort and reassure just as he did Mary. Sometimes it comes in a friend’s presence. Maybe it comes in the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else- whether through listening and conversation, volunteering, or serving in some other way. Or we could experience it in prayer and meditation as we listen for the Spirit’s insight, through scripture or song, or perhaps a spontaneous feeling of God’s presence.

The joy in those moments is the same joy Mary expresses when Christ calls! “My teacher” she cries, and from Jesus’ response, it sounds like she leapt to hug Jesus, embracing and not letting go. But Jesus doesn’t let her stay there- Mary is then sent out to proclaim to the disciples what she has seen. And proclaim she does: “I have seen the Lord!” That is what we get to proclaim! That is what we get to tell- that we have seen the Lord through his work in our lives and experienced God’s love for us, experienced something worthy to proclaim to all the world!

So be uplifted- Christ continues to speak to us tenderly, to call out our names with care that we might know his presence and love, and go out and share how we have experienced it. Continue to embrace the Gifts of the Dark Wood where the Spirit beckons us into extraordinary life. Even though you might not feel this morning like your Dark Wood journey is over, the faith narrative assures us that light and life is always with you!

Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Amen.

Resources for this sermon include:

Marcia McFee, Gifts of the Dark Wood, “Easter Sunrise Script” and “The Gift of Misfits Script: Lent 6” from the Worship Design Studio with Dr. Marcia McFee. 2018.

Eric Elnes, Gifts of the Dark Wood: Seven Blessings for Soulful Skeptics (and Other Wanderers), (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 2015), Chapter 9: Where We Go from Here.

Italicized portion: Adapted from Marcia McFee, Gifts of the Dark Wood, “Easter Sunrise Script” from the Worship Design Studio with Dr. Marcia McFee. 2018.