Lest We Forget

Sermon: Easter Vigil, 2012 This is the “Lest We Forget” night. We are here lest we forget that Friday precedes Sunday. Good Friday and the Crucifixion precedes Easter Sunday and the Resurrection. It is the in between night, the service that starts in darkness and ends in light. Both Friday and Sunday are brought together in one service. All those centuries of darkness are commemorated by the prophecies you heard, with the theme of water in them. Light entered into darkness with the coming of the Messiah and that light spread like the new fire spread through this church tonight with the entry of the paschal candle. Paschal means the lamb, referring to the lamb that was eaten at the Passover meal, symbol of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed on the cross and rose from the dead. Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The water is blessed with the plunging of the paschal candle into it and it becomes the source of new life through Baptism. This night is the primary time for the baptism of new followers of Jesus. It is not mainly about getting baptized so I can go to heaven someday. It is about becoming part of Christ in this world so as to Christianize the world. Lest we forget our role as members of Christ we recommit to our baptismal vows as adults. Lest we forget, that means we carry the light of Christ into the world by the way we live up to those vows. We now are celebrating the Eucharist of Easter with all the bells and alleluia s and joy we can muster.