Interactive games and television is all the rage. The audience call or text their vote and a decision is made. The audience decides the outcome of the final episodes. I am not sure if I like it. Such decisions put in my hands -- like the show American Idol -- where the people with talent have this great opportunity to begin a great music career.

That is where we find the Gospel of Mark today. Mark’s resurrection story is different from the other three Gospels. The other three Gospels continue the story but the Gospel of Mark ends abruptly. We might call it kind of weird ending.

In fact, the ending was so weird that other early Christians were uncomfortable enough with it that they penned another ending to the Gospel. While Mark 16:9-20 are in our Bibles, there is no shortage of footnotes to tell us that the earliest manuscripts of Mark don’t include them. Mark didn’t write this longer ending.

It’s an interactive story in the Bible. It's Mark's account of Jesus' resurrection -- It's very possible that Mark intentionally wrote it to be interactive.

Maybe Mark is telling us the truth in the matter. Maybe he leaves it without an end because he is telling us that we the continuation of the Easter story. That each day we out the Easter story -- proclaiming in our lives -- the continuation of the power of God in the world.

The gospel is open-ended precisely because God's redemptive and restorative activity continues...with us.

TRANSITION:
The three women come to the tomb and the angel tells them that Christ is resurrected and he will meet them in Galilee.

Christ is gone -- it is no wonder terror and amazement seized them. Christ is resurrected -- He is gone --

But where did he go?

ONE THEOLOGIAN SAYS IT LIKE THIS -- CHRIST IS ON THE LOOSE

JOKE: ZOMBIE JOKE
A soldier wrote recently to Reader’s Digest to tell about an incident that took place on Easter Sunday in the chapel on their military base. The pastor called the children to the front and told them the story of how Jesus was crucified by the Romans, his body placed in a tomb, and the front covered by a stone.

“But on the third day,” the pastor said, “the stone was rolled away, and Jesus was not there.” Then the pastor turned to the children and asked, “Do you know what happened next?”

One kid shouted, “Jesus turned into a zombie and went after the Romans!”

CHRIST IS ON THE LOOSE --

And we become part of the Easter story -- we become part of the redemptive and restorative work of God. Christ is on the loose and we are being led by God to change the world around us. God’s power is on the loose -- God’s mercy and peace is on the loose. God’s justice is on the loose.

Christ is on the loose.

There is something intriguing, comforting, awe-inspiring -- our Jesus on the loose.

OUR LIVES AS THE STORY
When we begin to view our lives as part of the story of God’s work, we might see each day, each conversation, each act -- a part of God’s work in the world.

If Mark were continuing the story through our lives -- how would our lives continue to change the world around us and contribute?

When we begin waking in the day and saying Christ is on the Loose --

We begin to see God everywhere. And we live in our daily lives knowing that Christ is our constant companion. Christ is loose and he is everywhere.

As part of the Easter story -- knowing Christ is on the loose. -- We become part of the work with God. God’s love and grace are on the loose -- God’s restoration is on the loose.

We see it -- we are a part of it -- what we do makes a difference. Our lives effect change.

BEING A PART OF THE CONTINUATION
CHRIST IS ON THE LOOSE - TRANSFORMATION
ILLUSTRATION:
Malcolm Muggeridge was a successful literary critic when the BBC asked him to go with a film crew to India to see what was going on with some do-gooder named Mother Teresa.

Muggeridge tells of watching her work with the very lowest of the low, and he wrote about the absurdity of bringing comfort and affection to men and women who were the derelicts of Indian society and who could have no possible influence upon history.

“Is this any way to spend one's life, he asked?”

Years later, in explaining how these five days spent in India were the most important five days of his life, literally turning his life upside down, he put it like this: Humankind will not be changed by being taught, but they will be changed by what is caught. This is what happened to him: the infection called Christianity. He caught it from a carrier of the infection named Mother Teresa, and from then on he has shared her disease.

God’s transforming power is on the loose and the world is being restored -- into the place -- of real contributions -- God used Mother Teresa’s life to make a change in other people’s lives --especially Malcom Muggeridge.

Can you imagine your life affecting the life of someone else -- in such a profound way?

It can because Christ is on the loose.

It can because God’s transforming power gives us courage -- God’s power inspires us.

WE BECOME PART OF THE STORY
CHRIST ON THE LOOSE GIVES US COURAGE -

WOMEN -- FEAR OF REPRISAL - FEAR OF RISK
We need courage. The women in the scripture needed courage. The women were fearful. Maybe their fear may have come from that place -- now the Jewish authorities and the Roman authorities would have cause to round them all up -- death can’t keep them down. They may have feared their own death.

COURAGE AS GOD CALLS FOR JUSTICE - SHALOM ON THE LOOSE
God gives us courage as we call for God’s justice -- courage to be

God’s shalom on the loose,

God’s restorative power has no limits -- where it will show up and who will be a part of it.

I am thinking about social networking and how it is a great tool for us to use.

Recently, we studied in the Wired Word -- a movement on Facebook.

In a recent Facebook exchange where an Israeli family, frightened with the threat of war looming over them between Israel and Iran, posted a message to the Iranian people.

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE PHOTO POSTS -- [Show Slides]

IRANIAN QUOTE
"Well, as an Iranian in response, first of all I have to tell you that if you are not seeing a great response (from) Iranians it's just because of politics. If you see my face covered it is because I cannot be seen as it too dangerous” But I wanted to tell you from our heart -- We don’t seek war, we seek peace -- only peace.

If you are interested in following the posts you can go to You Tube posts as well.

RISKY BUSINESS -- BEING A CONTINUATION OF THE EASTER
It is not easy seeking peace and justice and reconciliation in the world. Sometimes it takes courage. It is not easy following God into places where there may be a risk.

GOD USING ALL HUMANITY -- TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

We walk in courage and in awe as we see people continuing the story. We stand in courage and awe as we watch God’s restorative power at work. When we see this Facebook post we see people who love peace and justice reaching out to touch the lives of others who are afraid and who were compelled by God to do something. The spirit of Christ is loose and working to bring peace and justice into this world and He is using all humanity to make it happen.

Christ is on the loose giving us courage as God goes before us. For these families on Facebook -- God is going before them compelling them in peace and love to offer a message of peace and love.

WE CONTINUE THE STORY
AS WE SEE GOD’S CARE IN WHEN WE FEEL HOPELESS

The women come to the tomb grief stricken and wondering how will they go on beginning with how will they roll away the stone.

He will never leave us desolate -- he will never leave us without hope. Through Jesus, God has made a covenant on our hearts and we see Christ on the loose. God uses all of us to comfort and give each other hope.

MEIJER ILLUSTRATION
I was in Meijer recently. I had a busy schedule that day and I found that when I had planned to go to Meijer for the single mom’s group, I decided to shop earlier than later and rearranged my schedule accordingly.

It just so happens on this day in Meijer, I ran into someone I hadn’t seen for a while and I asked what is going on in her life. And she began to tell me about a heartache and tension she was having. And there was a grief that she was wearing and her eyes filled with tears and we talked a little bit about feelings and I asked her if I could pray with her right there. And right in the grocery aisle oblivious of anyone around us. She agreed to be prayed for and we prayed for God’s truth and hope in the midst.

CLOSING

WE ARE ON THE LOOSE WITH CHRIST WE ARE PART OF THE EASTER STORY --

TODAY WE HEAR THE END OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK BUT FOR US WE ARE RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF THE STORY.

Our lives represent the power of God in the world -- our lives are interactive with God -- we bring God’s grace, mercy, transforming power to the world.

GOD CALLS US OUT OF THE TOMB AND INTO THE LIFE OF CHRIST ON THE LOOSE