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As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the unceded traditional lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People.
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.
Call to Worship:
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
John 11. 25, 26
O Come, Let Us Worship
Gathering
In this time and place we gather on the ancestral lands of Kwakwake’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth,
Coast Salish peoples, and the Cowichan Tribes.
From many places and peoples we come to this house in prayer.
In this time and place we are not alone for we meet in the presence of the living God.
For we meet in the presence of the living God.
In this time and place we are not alone for the Risen Jesus stands in our midst.
The Risen Jesus stands in our midst.
In this time and space we are not alone for the wind of the Spirit moves in and through us.
The wind of the Spirit moves in and through us.
In this time and in this space we are not alone for we gather with the whole company of heaven; In this time and in this space heaven and earth are one.
In this time and in this space heaven and earth are one.
In this time and place Together, one people in Jesus Christ.
In the name of God, Creator, Saviour, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God,
Your Son came into the world
to free us all from sin and death.
Breathe upon us with the power of your Spirit,
That we may be raised to new life in Christ,
and serve you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Gospel:
John 11.1-45
Sermon: The Ven. Brian Evans
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of
our hearts be ever acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen.
'Coming Out’
Have I piqued your interest, yet?
This past year, William Shatner shared from his “real” experience of 'going where 99% of the people have never gone before'. It was his journey into space aboard Jeff Bezo’s 'Blue Origin New Shepherd' rocket.
His reflection upon his return, I am sure, surprised the world. Shatner reflected, "you look down to a sea of blue, and back up there is black."
Shatner saw it as: 'on the one side there is Mother Earth, and the sense of comfort and peace'. Then, he saw, 'in the blackness, death'. His question: “I don’t know, but is that death? Is that the way death is?”
This week’s OT and Gospel texts both deal with death. Each are very close-up encounters and very personal. The gospel more so than the prophet Ezekiel. Reading these accounts one can not help but be moved to the personal experiences of our own life with death. We all have stories of death experiences. Some more physical in nature than others.
Turning our thoughts to these two “coming out” incidents in scripture
First, we may want to consider just how often we hear these words of coming out. There numerous references to coming out. Of interest, most often it centers around darkness. Certainly with reference to William Shatner's observations from space, he would see darkness as in relation to death. Except, when he looked back at earth, there was a sense of life in the colour of blue.
In the interpretation of this scene we refer to as 'The Valley of the Dry Bones', we observe a powerful reminder of the power and nature of God. Of how God can bring hope and restoration in the most difficult of situations.
The thought is, this vision is a reflection on the ability of God to breathe new life in the midst of the negative. For this illustration, it is a vision of how a nation can be restored physically, and spiritually. Some will see the dry bones as an image of Israel’s people when in captivity. The dry bones coming to life is an illustration of how Israel and Judah would, in time, be released from the “graves” of captivity and, at some time in the future, be restored: an event which is yet to happen, under the promised Messiah.
In the meantime, Ezekiel feels like, in his leadership and conversations, his message is falling on what we sometimes reference as ‘dead ears’. Or, as this scripture reading suggests “dead bones”.
Except. Except, in this instance, the dead bones respond, and “rattle” back to life. This illustrates for the community at large, just as God brought new life the Valley of Dry Bones, God brings new life to those who struggle in their faith journey.
This is a great metaphor for us in the journey of Lent. Lent is a time for restoration of spirit.
Two observations from Ash Wednesday.
'Dear friends in Christ, every year at the time of the Christian Passover we celebrate our redemption through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lent is a time to prepare for this celebration and to renew our life in the paschal mystery. We begin this holy season by remembering our need for repentance, and for the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We begin our journey to Easter with the sign of ashes, an ancient sign, speaking of the frailty and uncertainty of human life, and marking the penitence of the community as a whole.'
The celebrant continues, 'I invite you therefore, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God. Let us kneel before our Creator and Redeemer.'
In C.S. Lewis’s allegorical Christian novel, 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe', the lion, Aslan, is the Christ-figure, and in order to re-animate the creatures (who have been turned to stone by the White Witch), Aslan breathes on them.
Also, taken together, Ezekiel 37 and John 11 echo the two kinds of creative power God exhibits in the creation stories: breathing into the human [Genesis 2], and speaking creation into being [Genesis 1, see also John 11:43].) - Cameron Howard
For us, who are on this journey of Lent, the restoration of the dry bones to life is a reminder of just how God, repeatedly, brings new life to people in the journey of faith, by putting the living Spirit in our midst. This is the breath (ruah) of God, giving new life for our continuing journey.
Turning our attention to the Gospel for today, once more, our minds can, too quickly, become occupied with the miracle, rather than the message for our life.
The message is about the power of God.
It is about identifying the Messiah – Jesus is the Messiah.
The dialogue between Martha and Jesus is very interesting. We see Mary joining in the conversation later.
Some excerpts:
"But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am 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. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
Coming Out.
I may be questioned on my interpretation here, and in its relation to our time in Lent.
This is what I understand is part of our time in Lent. A time for us to come back to life with Jesus at the resurrection. It is time for us to be unbound in sharing the mission of our baptism. Time for us to, once again, enliven our hearts as discerning and inquiring agents of the good news of Jesus Christ.
COMING OUT IS OK!
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Let Us Pray
Sustained by God’s abundant mercy, let us pray for the church,
the world, and all of creation.
You have breathed into us the breath of life.
Enliven your church.
Deepen our partnerships with our companion churches
around the globe and bless the work
of missionaries who accompany them.
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.
Your spirit brings life to creation.
Enliven the natural world and restore
ecosystems in need of healing.
Uplift prophetic voices that turn us to the needs
of the soil beneath our feet, and the air all around.
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.
You redeem the world and its peoples.
Free us from systems of oppression.
Unbind nations and societies from
the sins of racism, and sexism.
Raise up leaders at all levels of government
who work to promote the dignity of every human life.
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.
You weep when we weep.
Be present with those who grieve or
who are troubled by illness.
You hear us when we call to you.
Deliver us from the depths of our despair,
and free us from worries that bind us.
We continue to pray for those in need, particularly in our parish:
Barb; Peter; Roy & Gail; Les; Daryl & Sue; Roy; John; Gary & Sarah; Sheila;
Carolyn; and those on our hearts.
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.
Your Spirit of life dwells in our assembly.
Bless the music leader of this congregation, Ginette;
we thank you, Lord, for her voice that leads us
in hymns of praise and thanksgiving.
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.
You are the resurrection and the life.
Even though we die, we will live.
With thanksgiving, we remember all your saints
who now live in your eternal love.
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.
We lift our prayers to you, O God,
trusting in your steadfast love, and your promise
to renew your whole creation;
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Amen.
As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us fom evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.