(No introduction or explanation - simply shave in the pulpit.)

Question. I imagine that most of you think that what you have just witnessed is pretty unusual. Some of you may have thought, "I do not believe what I am seeing. The priest is shaving in the pulpit- on Easter Day! What is going on?" Well it isn't a question of my getting up a little late and not having time to shave at home. It is all about dealing with the unexpected.

 If one of you after the service went home and on the way saw one of your neighbors you might say to them "You will never guess what happened in church today, Our priest shaved in the pulpit!" Your neighbor could be forgiven for thinking "Pull the other one, Its got bells on it".  Or less kindly, "what have you been smoking?"  But, if in fact each one of you went to that same neighbor with the same story the neighbor would have to conclude that however surprising and bizarre it might seem, apparently the priest did actually shave in the pulpit.

That is exactly what Paul said in our reading this morning (1 Corinthians. 15v. 6). Some people at Corinth were not at all sure that Jesus really rose from the dead. Paul outlines the evidence, naming those who actually saw the Risen Christ and then saying that the Risen Christ appeared to more than 500 people most of whom are still alive (he was writing in the early 50's of the first century, less than 20 years after the death of Christ). His implicit challenge to the Corinthians is -?if you do not believe me, go and ask them.'

Now I am sure that most of you this a.m. have heard of the Gnostic, Gospel of Judas. May be you saw the National Geographic special on TV. Now the discovery of this ancient writing is of great interest to scholars, but the hype with which it was presented in the National Geographic Special was absurd. This document was written in the late second century, generations after the events themselves had occurred and all the eyewitnesses to these events would have been long dead. In contrast the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, luke and John were written generations earlier. Indeed at least a 100 years after Paul's words in 1 Corinthians were written at least 100 years before the Gospel of Judas, when almost all the main characters (Peter, John, Mary Magdalene etc) were still alive. Paul says here is that he "handed over" to the Corinthians what he himself "received". These are technical terms inferring that this information (the resurrection appearances) was already a recognized body of truth when he first became a Christian  in the middle 30's of the first century (less than five years after the events themselves occurred) and he passed it on unaltered to the Corinthians..

So if we truly bear the name of Christ, if we have continuity with our forebears in the faith, if we are living into our baptism, as they did, then our commitment to resurrection is crucial.  Central to belief, but central also to the way we live. Jesus Resurrection is not simply an article of faith-an item that we intellectually believe- it is also a transforming experience. Christ is alive-by his Spirit he is with and in all believers-transforming our lives, bringing love, hope, confidence and peace.

Love for self and others, hope in the midst of suffering and death, an unshakeable confidence that ultimately God is in control of all things, despite appearances to the contrary, and a deep peace of knowing that we are unconditionally loved and accepted by God. We are Easter people whose lives have been renewed and whose destiny is to overcome mortality and live in the presence of our God. Amen.