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From the pulpit: Easter sermon previews

Religious leaders discuss their speaking plans for Easter Sunday and Passover.

Easter Mass at Shrine of Saint Rita Cascia in South Philly celebrated in 2012 by (from left) Father Joe Genito, Bishop Timothy Senior and Father Bill Recchuti.
CREDIT: Photo by Father Dan McLaughlin, St. Rita Shrine
Easter Mass at Shrine of Saint Rita Cascia in South Philly celebrated in 2012 by (from left) Father Joe Genito, Bishop Timothy Senior and Father Bill Recchuti. CREDIT: Photo by Father Dan McLaughlin, St. Rita ShrineRead more

AS HOUSEHOLDS in and around Philadelphia spring-clean and hunt down asparagus recipes in preparation for Easter and Passover, religious leaders are crafting their Easter Sunday sermons and their remarks for congregational seders. We asked faith leaders who've appeared in our weekend "Where We Worship" stories to share some of what's on their minds and in their word processors going into Holy Week and Passover.

The Rev. Clifford Cutler, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Chestnut Hill. Easter Sunday services at 8, 9 and 11 a.m. April 20.

Moral and theological issues I'm asking the congregation to consider: Cutler plans to explore the curious repetition of tears and "weeping" in the Easter Gospel from John.

"Weeping is mentioned three times," he notes. "First, is a statement of fact: Mary is weeping. Then, two angels in the empty tomb ask her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" Then again, the risen Jesus repeats the question using the same words, "Woman, why are you weeping?"

As Cutler has thought about this, it has occurred to him that the act of weeping may be necessary "to open our distracted or hardened hearts to the bursting forth of new life."

Actions I'm calling on the congregation to take going forward: Cutler hopes his listeners will be encouraged to confront problems that cause people to weep in our own times - acts of terror, for example, or senseless gun violence.

"The promise of resurrection is the promise of a new world, where 'God will wipe away every tear from their eyes,' " he noted. "The act of wiping away tears is to teach our children about faith so that they do not get caught up in extremist fundamentalism. We wipe away tears by doing what we can to get guns off our streets."

Pastor Garth G. Gittens, Calvary Baptist Church, West Philadelphia. Easter Sunday services 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Moral and theological issues: "I'm actually going to be more Biblical than theological," said Gittens, who has never repeated a message in 30 years of sermonizing. "My focus is going to be on the power of the resurrection, the power to change lives going forth.

"If you look around, there are hurting people," Gittens said. "People are struggling. Life is difficult. But there is hope."

Actions going forward: Instead of leaning on drugs or alcohol to heal despair, "try faith, try Jesus, try leaning to the word of God," he said. "If we believe, we can experience change - not next year but right here, right now.

Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist Synagogue, West Philadelphia. Kol Tzedek hosts a Labor Seder at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to observe the holiday and discuss the struggles of present-day workers at fast food restaurants.

Moral and theological issues: "On Passover, it's obvious to draw on social justice themes," Herrmann said. "Who are today's pharaohs, and who are the people who are trying to get free?"

The congregation's Labor Seder will feature guests who are organizing fast-food workers to press for a working wage. "The fact that people in American can work hard, work full-time and not be able to pay their bills is really a major issue and a major source of oppression," she said.

Actions going forward: Herrmann said she sees the seder as a chance to listen to the workers, and take cues from them on how she and her congregation can help their cause.

Father Joe Genito, National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia, South Philadelphia, Easter Sunday Mass at 9 and 11 a.m.

Moral and theological issues: As always on Easter, resurrection is the central topic. This year one of the reawakenings Genito will focus on is that of the parish itself. "We're trying to revitalize," he said. A parish center that's now on the drawing board will host workshops in the peacekeeping skills that the shrine's patron saint, Rita, was known for.

This hope, he said, is "to teach people to live by the values of peacekeeping and resolution, rather than killing each other."

Actions going forward: Genito hopes parishioners will commit time and effort to the faith initiative Heeding God's Call, designed to counteract gun violence and "find ways that we can stop this epidemic."

The Rev. Martini Shaw, African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Overbrook, sunrise service at 6 a.m. and family service at 10 a.m. Easter Sunday.

Moral and theological issues: "The message of Easter is always on new beginning, new initiative, new perspectives, new hope, new energy, new awakening, new awareness, new approaches, new insights, new joy," Shaw said.

Actions going forward: "In acknowledging the many injustices of our society," he said, congregants "will be reminded that as 'Easter People' we are called to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ, seek and serve Christ in all persons, strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being."

Shaw also noted that his church's Palm Sunday observance (10 a.m. this Sunday) will include a street procession accompanied by music and led by a donkey, in addition to the blessing and distribution of palms.

The Rev. Daniel Metzger, Old Zion Lutheran Church, Spring Garden, Easter Sunday service at 10 a.m. (joint service in English and German).

Moral and theological issues: "For a traditional church like ours," Metzger said, "there is one overriding theological issue.

"We proclaim the good news first shared by the angel with the women who came to the tomb on that first Easter morning, 'You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here!'

"That life-giving message is the raison d'etre for Christ's Church," Metzger said.

Actions going forward: "At Old Zion, we don't dwell much on specific social or political directives," he said. "Out of love for our risen Savior, our members seek to be responsible and caring citizens who try in various ways to help others and to make their communities stronger."