Youth Sunday — Senior Sermon: Harrison White

May 10, 2026

"I first want to take a moment to thank the people who have helped shape my faith and who have supported me throughout my life. 

To my mom, thank you for your constant love and encouragement. And also happy Mother's Day. 

To my dad, not only as my father but also as my priest, thank you for leading by  example and helping guide me in my walk with Christ. 

I also want to thank the best youth director in the world, Debbie Cox. Thank you for becoming more than a mentor; you've truly become family to me. 

And to the staff here at Trinity Episcopal, thank you for your kindness, wisdom, and for creating such a loving church family.

I think we can all remember a time in our lives when we have lied, felt untrustworthy, or even made the same mistake over and over again. I know I have, and I'm only 19. Like all those times that I said I was biking down to SaveMor to get a snack, but I was really going to my buddy's house when I wasn't supposed to. Sorry, Mom. 

I mean, let's be real: none of us is perfect. I believe it's our imperfections that make us human. Jesus never demanded perfection.  In today's Gospel, Jesus doesn't say, 'Be perfect, and then I'll be with you.' He says the opposite. He promises that even in our weakness, even in our failure, we are not alone. He says, 'I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.' 

Just a few chapters later, on the morning of Jesus' resurrection, we see this lived out in the story of Mary Magdalene.  She comes to his tomb to take care of his corpse, but she discovers that 

he is no longer there. And then she sees Jesus. At first, she does not recognize who is standing beside her. She's grieving, confused, and unsure of what to believe. 

She doesn't have everything figured out. But he's still there. Standing right beside her. It doesn't take long for her to recognize him. All he has to do is say her name. But for that brief moment, in her dark moment, Jesus simply remains with her until she finally sees that he was there all along. 

That is when she says, 'I have seen the Lord!' 

In this instance, I feel as if we are similar to Mary. Jesus is always present, but sometimes we may not recognize him. We may be distracted, or have doubt, or fear. The issue isn't his absence, it's our awareness. 

Belief is not just knowing the facts or saying you believe. Belief is trusting that Jesus is with you right now, even during times of distraction and doubt. Through Jesus, we are never alone. 

His Spirit guides us and strengthens us. And maybe his presence is strongest during our most challenging times or most imperfect moments. 

I'm sure a lot of you have heard about Ben Sasse and his story. A former senator out of Omaha, Nebraska, who has just recently revealed he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Sasse previously faced intense criticism and pressure during some of the most difficult moments of his public life. 

In a recent interview on 60 Minutes Sasse talked openly about his illness and how it has deepened his faith in God and changed his perspective on life, family, and success. He described the cancer as painful but also as something that forced him to depend more on Jesus and to focus on what truly matters. 

Even through conflict and controversy, he often spoke about the importance of faith and conscience guiding his decisions. In the interview, he quoted that famous line from Paul's letter to the Philippians: 'to live is Christ, to die is gain.' He said it like he meant it. His story reminds us that even hard times can draw people closer to Jesus rather than farther away. 

Maybe we, like Paul and like Ben, can say it too: to live is Christ, to die is gain. Jesus walked through death and through pain to create a path for us to follow. This is the way of his cross and resurrection - the death and the life that gives us a path to life as well. 

The question is. Will you follow the path he has cleared for us? 

As we move forward, maybe the goal isn't to become perfect overnight. Maybe the goal is much simpler and at the same time, much more challenging. To be aware. And to slow down and just recognize that Jesus is already present in our lives, even when we don't immediately see Him. 

Just like Mary Magdalene, once we begin to recognize Him, we're faced with a choice. We can stay where we are or respond. We can trust that He is with us, guiding us, strengthening us, and calling us forward. 

Belief isn't something we just say on Sundays. It's not just doing the liturgy or reciting the Creed. It's something we live for. It's choosing to trust Him in uncertainty, to follow Him in difficulty, and to keep going in the path he has built for us even when it's not so clear. 

So the question isn't whether the path exists. 

He has shown us that through pain, through struggle, and even through death, there is life. He has not left us as orphans. Jesus has already built us the path. 

The question is, will we trust Him enough to take the first step? 

Thank you. God bless you. 

Amen. "