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<DIV><FONT size=4>Whether or not you believe Christ rose from the dead makes all
the difference in the world.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Interest, but skepticism: that's the way people have reacted
to the Easter story since the very first time it was told. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Jesus' resurrection was not a reprieve, a temporary delay of
the physical death that comes to every human being. It was the fulfillment of
everything the Master had said and done.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>...several years ago a friend of mine was facing open heart
surgery and I was very concerned about him, and in praying about it, I felt the
spirit of God saying to me, "Don't you know how much I love him and that
whatever happens he will never be out of my care?" That opened me to a new
dimension of God's love that is made most visible and dramatic in the
resurrection.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/noren_3926.htm">http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/noren_3926.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Carol Noren, 1996</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Easter Sunday is not an isolated event. It is unique in its
climactic nature, but we had glimpses of it over and over again as God
repeatedly responded to people faced with the power of death and led them
forward to freedom and fullness of life. Easter is everywhere, wherever the
Spirit of God comes back in the hearts of downtrodden people and they begin the
dance of life, with futures resurrected as they follow the resurrected Lord of
life and become part of God’s great movement of raising life from the midst of
death when all hope seems gone. <BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.laughingbird.net/ComingWeeks.html">http://www.laughingbird.net/ComingWeeks.html</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Easter Sermon #2, Nathan Nettleton, 1996</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>We are not unlike those first followers. Though we know well
the Easter story, we never seem fully to grasp its meaning. Like them, we so
often continue to live burdened with our dashed hopes and with our
misunderstanding of God’s mysterious power. Like them, we come to the tomb and
expect to find death, but instead we find signs of a new life that we cannot
even begin to comprehend. Like them, we do not realize that our history has been
broken open and is now filled with the resurrected presence of
Christ.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=2910">http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=2910</A></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Dianne Bergant, 2003</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>One Easter the children's liturgy featured different classes
presenting their gifts to the risen Jesus. A class of fourth graders lumbered up
the aisle with a stuffed teddy bear twice the size of the gift-bearers. The bear
then reclined serenely against the altar, facing the congregation. After the
liturgy an irate parishioner phoned, appalled at the liturgy and especially the
smiling teddy bear, and kept repeating, "It was a total surprise" that "simply
did not fit in." After a few forays on my part into the themes of God's love for
all creation and gratitude over the enthusiasm of children, the teddy bear
remained insurmountable. Finally, with some resignation, I said, "You are
absolutely right, it was a total surprise and simply did not fit in; but neither
does resurrection from the dead."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=2378">http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=2378</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>John R. Donahue, 2000</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>CHILDREN'S TIME: "Easter Eggs and Easter Victory"<BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>An egg looks quite dead and lifeless.<BR>But - given the warm
love of the mother hen<BR>it produces a new and wonderful life.<BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://spirit-net.ca/sermons/b-ea01se.php">http://spirit-net.ca/sermons/b-ea01se.php</A></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Richard Fairchild</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Resurrection Rolls, Crescent rolls, Melted Butter, Large
Marshmallows, Cinnamon, Sugar<BR><BR>Preheat oven to 350 degrees<BR>Give each
child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that
Jesus was wrapped in. <BR>Give each child a marshmallow, this represents
Jesus.<BR>Have him dip the marshmallow in melted butter, which represents the
oils of embalming.<BR>Then dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and
sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body.<BR>Then wrap up the
coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent
roll up...but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside. This
represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.<BR><BR>Place in a 350 degree
oven for 10 - 12 minutes (The oven <BR>represents the tomb--pretend like it was
three days!). <BR>When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open
their<BR>rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE
IS<BR>RISEN! <BR>(The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up,
but<BR>empty).<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://talks2children.itsforministry.org/t2c/view.asp?ID=73">http://talks2children.itsforministry.org/t2c/view.asp?ID=73</A></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>G. Utz</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>[Just checking to see if you read this! It has my vote
for the most creative! Marshmallow theology!]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>