EASTER VIGIL B                    St. Philip’s, Wrangell                   April 11, 2009

             “This is the night,” the chant repeats.  “This is the night,” the prayers proclaim.  This is the night, not for sleep, but for stories.  This is the night, not to be  frightened, but to be saved.

            Saved from what?  For centuries Christians have answered that question in various ways, but they boil down to one:  we believe that Jesus’ death freed us from falling into the great chasm that the human weakness for sinful behavior had opened between us and God.   When Jesus died, the terrible consequences of sin died with him.  God raised Jesus from the dead as a sign that evil and death will never again have any power over us.  This is the night to celebrate and give thanks for God‘s amazing generosity.

            We do that, first, by remembering previous examples of God’s saving acts.  Noah and all the animals of the ark who survived the waters of the great flood are witnesses to this salvation.  So are we.  In the sky, we see God’s covenant promise to the earth not to destroy it ever again whenever the sun shines through raindrops to make a rainbow.  Moses and the Israelites who survived that terrifying dash through the walls of the Red Sea are witnesses to this salvation.   So are we.  In the Bible, we see God’s covenant statement to be Israel’s God forever whenever we read and study the Ten Commandments.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who survived the fiery furnace are witnesses to God’s salvation.  So are we.  We see their response of praise whenever we read the Song of the Three Young Men. 

            What are we witnesses to, exactly?  We are witnesses to God’s willingness to change water and fire, potential agents of destruction, into realized means of creation.  From the flood waters God creates a new world.  From the Red Sea waters God creates a new people.  From the fiery furnace, God creates a new understanding of God’s power. 

            This is the night where we, too, witness creation from water and fire.  From the first fire of Easter, God creates the light of Christ.  From the water of baptism, God creates a new member of our family household. 

            Most of all, this is the night where we witness, along with the women at the empty tomb, the creation of life from the destruction of death.  The angel who spoke to the women speaks to us, too, through the witness of Mary Magdalene, the other Mary and the millions of faithful Christians who have lived and prayed and proclaimed the Easter truth down through the ages:  “Do not be afraid;  I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here;  for he has been raised, as he said.” 

            This is the night for stories and salvation.  But we are not to remain here passively listening and receiving.  God asks us to create something, too.  Through the living out of our baptismal vows, we are to create compassionate and justice-filled lives.  This is the night when we remind ourselves of that by filling the baptismal font with both water and fire and making those vows again.

            This is the night, but it is not the only night.  Let us all fill our nights and our days with the creative power which salvation brings.  Let our stories be a saving witness to  creation, too.