For Sunday, March
29, 2020 ~ Readings:
Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans
8:6-11, John 11:1-45
The
hand of the LORD came upon me...He said to me "Mortal, can these bones
live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me,
"Prophesy to these bones and say to them: O dry bones hear the word of the
Lord...I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live. I will lay sinews
on you...and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I
am the LORD." [Ezekiel 37:1a, 3-5, 6b]
Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice...For there is forgiveness with you...I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope. [Psalm 130: 1, 3a, 4]
But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. [Romans 8:10-11]
Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I m the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." [John 11:24-26]
Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice...For there is forgiveness with you...I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope. [Psalm 130: 1, 3a, 4]
But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. [Romans 8:10-11]
Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I m the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." [John 11:24-26]
I know people who have had to hunker down in full-on desert sandstorms in Iraq. They tell me it's blinding, abrading, choking,
and all-around frightening. The dunes shape-shift so swiftly as to bury and lay
bare concurrently. When the particles settle, the air is so dry it's nearly
electric. Without shelter and protection, flesh peels off limbs in sheets and,
in the aridity of the desert, you cannot tell the old bones from the new.
The bones of Ezekiel's valley were very dry, empty, and scattered, each from the other. I’m sure even in his vision, Ezekiel had difficulty in imagining them re-connected, re-fleshed, and re-animated, yet through God’s instructions and Ezekiel’s obedience in prophesying, they were. We, as Christians, see this as a foreshadowing of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. The Pharisaic teaching, that Martha and Mary knew, was that all the righteous would be raised on “the last day.”
The bones of Ezekiel's valley were very dry, empty, and scattered, each from the other. I’m sure even in his vision, Ezekiel had difficulty in imagining them re-connected, re-fleshed, and re-animated, yet through God’s instructions and Ezekiel’s obedience in prophesying, they were. We, as Christians, see this as a foreshadowing of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. The Pharisaic teaching, that Martha and Mary knew, was that all the righteous would be raised on “the last day.”
Martha and Mary must have felt scattered and lost at the death of their
beloved brother; so painful a loss that Jesus also wept. Who among us cannot
understand that while shedding an ocean of tears in the midst of
immediate grief, there can be a sense of emptiness that feels as vast, as dry, and
as deep as the sands of the Sinai? They wondered why Jesus,
who could have saved Lazarus, didn’t come sooner. The teaching of the time was
that a soul lingered nearby for 3 days after death. Mary was clear to Jesus
that Lazarus was now dead 4 days. All was truly lost, until…
We don’t expect or believe that Jesus will call our loved ones out of
the grave and restore them to full life and health, certainly not in this life.
We hope for it, perhaps dream about it. But the reality of the earthly loss
arrives very quickly and never leaves. Yet Paul reminds us that setting our
minds on the flesh of this life is death to eternal life. We are to
set our minds on the Spirit which is life and peace. No,
it definitely isn't easy, especially in the times of life when we feel blown
about as in a sandstorm; frightened of the next few days or weeks or
months as in these times of a pandemic. Some of us are covered over and some of
us laid bare. But no matter the age or wellness of our bones, hope is always
the best antidote to despair and the best place to find hope is in a community
of faith.
A community exists even when we are at a distance from each other, as
many of us are right now. We must work harder to find other ways to communicate
~ telephone for those who aren’t able to use or receive electronic or social
media. Write a simple note ~ letters are so underutilized in the age of the
internet. If your church has an online service or there is one on tv or radio ~ call someone and put your phone on speaker so to share the time ~ even pray together. It's an interesting thought that while we "pray together" in church, we may still feel comfortably separate. Now is a great time to find comfort in praying with each other.
We all believe and hope in different ways for different outcomes, but as a
community in these solitary and arid times, we must gather our bones and come
alive together in whatever new ways we can discover. The psalmist says in
his word is my hope. The Word of the Gospel can re-animate our hope as we seek
the Spirit of Christ within us. We are not alone, even at a distance from each
other whether across deserts, oceans, or one street, as long as we choose hope
and reach out to each other in love. In Christ fear is unbound, the Light fills
and surrounds us, distance fades as we gather ~ even distantly ~ in faith.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Most Merciful GOD, unbind us from the desires and fears that
dry our souls, our hearts, and our bones. Set our minds on the Spirit of life
and peace, that we may seek, believe, and follow Christ Jesus, who is the
Resurrection and the Life.
O
Lord, our GOD
RESPONSE: Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, endow those who govern with the
capacity, foresight, and willingness to act decisively for the benefit of all
Your people throughout this Community, this Nation, and this Planet. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
Lord, our GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, bestow Your healing touch upon all in
ill-health, emotional turmoil, or despair; and for those who give them care,
rest for today and hope for tomorrow. We now join our voices to pray aloud
for those in need…
O
Lord, our GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, let our tears be dried and our grief
released, for as Jesus called Lazarus from his tomb, You call our loved
ones to the joy of new and eternal life. We pray especially for…
O
Lord, our GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most Merciful GOD, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud
or silently…
O
Lord, our GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
~ Most
Merciful GOD, hearten the spirits of those sent to us to lead Your Church as
they prophesy Your Word, and bring us together into the Light of Christ. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
Lord, our GOD
Rest
Your hand upon us
The Celebrant adds: O Lord our GOD, breathe into our mortal
bones and awaken us from the death of sin, as our waiting souls turn toward the
radiance of Your mercy, forgiveness, and everlasting life. We ask through
Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Compass and our Guide; who together with You are One God,
now and forever. Amen.
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