Low Sunday April 2nd 1968
The first Sunday after Easter is commonly called Low Sunday and serves to remind us of the ‘highlights’ of the Easter Celebration, last Sunday, and the events of the weeks preceding it.
And what an Easter it has been! I wasn’t actually thinking about the weather, although 1978 will be remembered for its long, cold, grey winter, and in some parts of the country for the huge snowdrifts. I was thinking about the Queen’s colourful visit to Carlisle for the Maundy Thursday Ceremony and the pageantry provided by all those taking part, both in the processions, and in the Service in the Cathedral, the red and orange of the Yeomen of the Guard, the blue and gold copes of the Archdeacons and Canons, the scarlet and the purple of the Bishops and the dark purple gowns of the Mayor and City Councillors, the magnificence and yet moving simplicity of the Service. The Queen gave Maundy gifts to Pensioners who had given a life of service to the Church, a symbolic act, reminding us of Christ’s washing of the feet of his disciples during the Passover or Last Supper. An act of humility and dedication.. An act to remind his Disciples of the way of life he wanted them to lead, to administer to and to serve one another.
And what, you may be wondering, has all this pomp and splendour to do with Jesus Christ? What indeed, but to show forth the glory of God in the might and majesty of his people. All these people, the important and the ordinary had come together in the cathedral to express in different ways what God means in their lives.
The Easter celebration is always a very joyful occasion after the long, rather dreary period of Lent and the painful events of Holy week; that is if we, in any sense, enter into or participate in our imaginations, the trial and sufferings of Christ. I think it is with a sense of relief that we come to Church on Easter day and the Church is decorated with Spring flowers (even if the have to be hot-house ones), and the Altar coverings have been replaced, and the Cross of Christ is once more revealed in its glory as the centre-piece of the Alter. With thanksgiving in our hearts we can echo Christ’s words from the Cross, “It is finished”. The work he had come to do had been accomplished.
The work he had come to do. That was to offer himself as a ‘living’ sacrifice for us, so that through his death, we might ourselves be dead to sin. That through his resurrection we might ourselves be reconciled to God and raised to a new life as members of his church, belonging to Christ.
This phrase “being dead to sin”, what does it mean? St Paul uses it in his Epistles. We all of us fail, sometimes, to be the sort of person we would like to be, and to do the things we know we ought to do. Sometimes we don’t get on with other people and this makes life difficult. This is because human nature is imperfect and we are born into a world made up of human beings who are imperfect. Human beings separated from God and lacking God’s guidance go astray. It’s like being in the dark and not knowing that they are in the dark, because of not knowing what the light looks like. Human beings, made in the likeness of God but not knowing what God looks like or having a pattern or example to follow, they go astray.
Jesus Christ came to show us what God was really like. He is the light we need to follow in the darkness of the world we live in, in times of doubt, difficulty and distress. His life is an example of the way we should try to live our lives. Because Jesus, who was perfectly good, was willing to accept blame, although he was blameless, was willing to die, although he did not deserve to die; because Jesus did this and forgave those who were responsible for his death, we are forgiven in his Name.
In this way we are ‘dead to sin’. Every time we go wrong, if we confess our sins and ask God to forgive us, he will, as it were, wipe the slate clean and we can begin again. We need never worry about our faults and failures but just put them behind us and start again. We have the assurance of God’s forgiveness because it was bought for us by Christ at the cost of his suffering and death. It was very costly but in perfect obedience to God the Father, he was willing and able to do this for us. But we also need to thank God in prayer and ask for his help in not committing the same sins time and time again!
We also have the assurance that we can make a fresh start in life. The resurrection of Christ reminds us of this important factor in the Christian life. At Easter time all around us are the signs of new life, new beginnings. The trees, which looked dead in winter are bursting into bud and blossom. Bulbs lying dormant in the ground during the cold, winter months, are putting forth green leaves, and soon the flowers will appear. Everywhere there are signs of new life. The lambs are frolicking in the fields, the birds are busy making nests. But it doesn’t end there, nature is never complete. There is a continuous cycle of life, death and re-birth, and growing in between. And so it should be in our Christian lives. We should never stop developing if we are united to God.
Separated from God we are at a standstill. In our own strength we can make no progress. We are like a bit of jetsam and flotsam caught up in the stream of life, with no sense of direction. Maybe we’ll sink, maybe we’ll swim, but without the supporting hand of God, we are more likely to sink. We are united to God through the Person of Jesus Christ. Christianity is a personal religion.
The Church throughout the ages has survived because of the loyalty and love of those who believe that Jesus is Lord. From the first disciples, who not only lived with him, but were witnesses of his death and resurrection, to all those who have come after, who have believed by faith, in the truth of their words and witness. We are united to Jesus Christ through the Church when we are baptised into his risen life and participate in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. These two most important sacraments in the Church are symbolised by water and bread and wine, his body broken for us on the Cross, and his blood shed for us. We are also united to Jesus Christ by the gift of the Holy Spirit who comes to us, not only when we meet to share in prayer and worship, but also when we are alone and seek help and guidance from him. We can share in the risen life of Christ, which is not only a new life but a quality of life which can only be described as ‘everlasting’. Life which endures, which will guide us through this life and will endure even to the life beyond death.