Last Sunday I took part in a concert in which wonderful singers and musicians performed a composition by Franz Josef Haydn which centered on what the writers of the gospels tell us were the last words that Jesus spoke. Representatives of seven different religious faiths were invited to say what they meant to them. As those of you who were there know, I related that to my experience when I was serving my last congregation. I don't like thrill rides, but I got trapped into going on a white water rafting trip on the Yuckaganey River. I decided that since I was going to die anyhow, I might as well relax and enjoy the ride.
Life is like that.
We are all going to die. Easter, it seems to me, is a reminder that life does go on and that we are not in charge - it is not all about us as individuals. We began our service by remembering those who were a part of our lives who have died this year , we ate our jellybeans to remind us of some of the things that give life its flavor, and in just a minute we will conclude our service by celebrating the hope that new life brings to us.