correction and/or clarification
In relation to this post, a gracious response from George Smith:
“I am the rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois who preached the Easter sermon referenced by Alan Jacobs. Professor Jacobs quotes me as writing ‘that it does not matter whether Jesus was or was not raised physically from the dead,’ but I did not write or preach that. Nor do I think that. Quoting from my text, I did write ‘You could find a tomb with bones in it and scientifically verify that they are those of Jesus. Let the tomb be full of bones, I say. And we will still celebrate Easter because Jesus is risen, and Jesus comes to you and to me, saying your name – and what we hear is the sound of the living God.’ The main point of my sermon was, in fact, that Jesus IS risen, 2,000 years ago and today, in a way that is very physical and real. The reality of the resurrection is not threatened by pseudo-documentaries on TV which attempt to claim that the bones of Jesus have been discovered. This is consistent with 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul writes that Christ IS raised from the dead. I hope that Prof. Jacobs and others who read this blog will read all of my sermon, which includes the following segments: ‘You see, Christianity is not about a man who died 2,000 years ago. It is nothing less or nothing more than an encounter with the living God, the risen Christ, not 2,000 years ago, and not to a few saints, but today, March 23, 2008 and to everyone, everywhere.’ And ‘May the risen Christ greet you today and every day, in surprising and unexpected ways, with the sound of your own name. And may his life give you new life, that in turn you may see life in others.’
“Is it possible that Prof. Jacobs, a ‘reasserter,’ is grasping at straws (bones?) in order to justify leaving the Episcopal Church? There seems to be a rumor that many Episcopal priests deny the physical resurrection of Jesus. I am not one of them, nor do I know of one who claims this. Unfortunately, Prof. Jacobs has chosen to remove himself from the Episcopal Church. We miss him and his participation.”
