Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
Never forget that the devil fell by force of gravity.
He who has the faith has the fun.
G. K. Chesterton
In February of 2020 I had begun announcing that Sunday, April 12, the Sunday after Easter, was going to be a day “not to be missed.” I announced that on April 12, 2020, I was going to do something I had never done before and that most (or all) in our church family had never seen a preacher do. I was nervously excited. I was planning. And then, COVID. So, it didn’t happen. But this Sunday, April 16, 2023, barring a new pandemic or major HVAC failure, it will happen. It has been three years in the making, and this Sunday is the day.
I’m not going to tell you exactly what will happen this Sunday, but I will say that often Christians can be a little too serious, The story is told that one day Groucho Marx was getting off an elevator, and he met a pastor. The pastor came up to him, introduced himself, shook his hand and told him “I want to thank you for all the joy you’ve put into the world.” Groucho replied, “Thank you Reverend. I want to thank you for all the joy you've taken out of it.” This, while sometimes true, shouldn’t be the norm.
In the Bible we read:
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Prov. 17)
“There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh.” (Eccles. 3)
“A glad heart makes a cheerful face.” (Prov. 15)
“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice…shout for joy!” (Ps. 32)
This list could go on and on, because in scripture we read again and again to rejoice, to praise, to laugh. Our faith should not be a chore to be endured.
So this Sunday I will attempt in worship (at least in my sermon) to bring joy as we continue to celebrate the best news: Jesus is Risen.
In the history of the Church some early theologians (Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom) have contended that at Easter God played the ultimate joke on the Devil. The Devil thought he had won, he thought he had done away with Jesus forever on the cross, but three days later God was the one to have the last laugh, the Risus paschalis, the Easter laugh.
This Sunday we will experience (again) the joy of Easter. There should be smiles on our faces and a lightness to our hearts because God won. God has defeated death and the grave, and we will rejoice!