Looking Ahead to April 16, 2023 -- 2nd Sunday of Easter

 For some years now I have been pondering taking the season of Easter to work through 1 Corinthians 15 (Paul's full chapter exploring resurrection). So this year I am taking 4 Sundays to do just that.

This week we are reading the first few verses: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The Sermon title is One of Many Witnesses

Early Thoughts: Does a long list of witnesses make a difference? What allows one to become one of those witnesses?

As he approaches the end of this letter Paul gets to the basics of the faith. He reminds the Corinthians of the basis of the faith he has passed on to them -- Jesus crucified and risen. As he begins this discussion he starts to list the many people to whom the Risen Christ appeared. Is this to prove that it happened? Is it an attempt to show that there are others?

Then, after all the others Paul includes himself as a witness. Which makes sense since Paul is passing on what has been passed on to him. It also sets the precedent that a witness to the resurrection does not have to have been part of the first Easter Day. Witnessing the resurrection can happen long afterward, even to very unlikely people [Paul himself names that he was an unlikely choice].

2000 years later who is on our list of witnesses?

Who in our lives have been able to tell us of their experience of the Risen Christ? What do those stories sound like?

Witnesses are important. They do help us know that we are not alone. As they share their experiences they open our eyes to what is possible. Without witnesses who are willing to share their story so much would fail to happen. In the life of faith communities, in the justice system, in the world at large witnesses are key to how we pass on experiences and wisdom.

In the end, I am not sure that only the testimony of other witnesses brings the transformation of resurrection into our lives. I think that it is our own experience that truly transforms our lives. But we need those witnesses. They help open us to the promise and possibility of transformation. They help us process what we experience.

Then we are called/challenged/invited to be witnesses in our own turn. The story never stands or falls on our witness, we are one of many who have gone before. Still we need to be ready to share our story of faith.

What is our story? What did we witness?
--Gord