Be alive in Christ. (Saturday Easter Vigil sermon)

We celebrate Easter this evening with the joy of welcoming Drew Smith into Christ’s Body, the Church and the joy of First Communion with him and this whole group of youngsters. And there was great joy in working with these kids over the last few weeks to prepare them. Deacon John and I loved meeting with them.  That took form in several ways.

You spend time with these kids and you become refreshed in your hope for the future! They are so bright, so thoughtful and so faithful. They listened carefully and spoke in turn. They were kind and respectful to each other and to Deacon John and me. Now, I know that is causing some degree of surprise to their parents. “Why can’t they be like that at home?” (I get it. My parents had the same wonder when my friend’s parents would remark about how nice I was.)

But I’m telling you, they all listened carefully. It was heartening to see how seriously they focused on what we taught and how openly and honestly they would ask heavy-duty questions. Deacon John and I had to be on our toes.

And it quickly became clear as to how well they have been taught to this point by their parents and grandparents as well as here at Good Shepherd in our Sunday school and Wednesday programs. They very rarely were stumped by the questions we asked them. They knew the Bible stories and they demonstrated a solid understanding of their meaning. They all asked good questions. Sometimes they would finish our sentences. They are living testaments to the first part of Proverbs 22:6, “Train children in the right way,” and we have good hope for the second part, “… and when old, they will not stray from it.”

Deacon John and I experienced the special grace you find in teaching. There is an awful lot about our faith to know and we are well-trained. Deacon John spent four years in classes every other Saturday to prepare for ordination. I hauled our family to Sewanee, Tennessee so I could have three years of full-time study. But we all know the truth is none of us ever stop learning. The more you learn, the stronger your foundation and the deeper you want to go. So, is it a lot and we keep adding to it.

But when you sit down with a child to talk about the meaning of baptism – of how God rescued his people time and time again through water, all of that study has to come to some very clearly and concisely articulated points. Whatever you know, you have to very quickly get to the heart of what it means, as Deacon John has shared. God is faithful to His people and he will wash away the sin that separates us from Him.

When you share with a child the way that Christ is the light of the world, the light of all people from the beginning, and that his light proceeds from the Father, God from God, Light from Light, it’s like the way light proceeds from a candle. Tonight we began by lighting the Paschal Candle. Whatever you know, you get very quickly to the heart of what it means to have the light of Christ in your heart, and how God brought that light into the world in the person of Jesus.

When you share with a child the instructions Jesus gave to his disciples the night before he died, when he shared the bread and said, “This is my body” and when he shared the cup, “This is my blood,” then how that took on new life and meaning when he rose from the dead, you get to the heart of how Jesus is truly present when we share his body and blood today, what it means to proclaim “Alleluia, Christ is Risen!”

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs. And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.” (Matthew 19:14-15)

And here these have come. They have come with purity of interest and honest inquiry. They have come with the loving support of their families. And Drew has come to be baptized. The children’s sermon is somewhat a high wire act as I never know what the kids are going to say. Drew has always been one to surprise me, not only with his keen observations but his boldness in speaking up. (He’s not alone in that!)

He’s a sharp fellow, as are all these youngsters. It is our great joy to bring them into a closer walk and a closer relationship with Jesus. May that be the bright light that guides them all their days, throughout their work and rest, their love and service. Knowing Him makes all the difference.

The sun has gone down and this special night we immediately look to its rising. We’ve looked long and carefully and lovingly at Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, now we celebrate his rising in the Resurrection.

“Alleluia, Christ is Risen!”

“Alleluia, Christ is Risen!”

“Alleluia, Christ is Risen!”   AMEN