Athanasius once wrote:
“A marvellous and mighty paradox has thus occurred, for the death which they thought to inflict on Him as dishonour and disgrace has become the glorious monument to death’s defeat.”
There is a reversal that occurs at the resurrection. Sadness turns into joy; weeping turns into feasting. But it should be noted that the effects of the resurrection do not occur all at once. They take time in the life of God’s people. The resurrection demands of us holy work; the work of unity, and that work, Paul says, “is not in vain.” Moments such as this morning when we gather as two united congregations, we are reminded that God is up to something here in Pensacola. God is in the unity business, and his in-charge-ness provides for us another opportunity this morning to love one another in Word and Sacrament.
The Resurrection is the death of death. It is our church’s battle cry. It is our slogan, our bumper sticker, our passion, and our life. The resurrection is everything we need to make this task called community work. Without it, we are slaves to our own desires, but with it, we are slaves to the desires of our risen Lord.
So, we come as two congregations this morning, but biblically we come as One before the throne of Grace. We come to adore Father, Son, and Spirit and to affirm Athanasius’ glorious paradox, that the resurrection is a glorious monument to death’s defeat. Amen.
Prayer: Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate this blessed Easter Season, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit and find the true joy of covenant renewal through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
