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Collect

God of all consolation and compassion,
your Son comforted the grieving sisters, Martha and Mary;
your breath alone brings life
to dry bones and weary souls.
Pour out your Spirit upon us,
that we may face despair and death
with the hope of resurrection
and faith in the One
who called Lazarus forth from the grave. Amen.

Readings

Exodus 17:1-7

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Psalm 130

Romans 8:6-11

John 11:1-45

My heart sank when I realized what the Gospel reading was for this week. This story about Jesus bringing Lazarus (his friend), back from the dead; I have never liked it.

Jesus, kind of shakes things up a bit. Would we have learned as much about Jesus, had he done every miracle in the same way?

When I hear this story, I am reminded of one of my close friends who about 25 years ago had cancer. I spent a lot of time with her and her family during her treatments and illness and I prayed. Her last Christmas was a big deal; loads of presents for the kids, loads of fun and then in late January, at the age of 42 she passed away, leaving behind two young children.

So… If Jesus could bring his friend back, why not mine?

I know… I know… It doesn’t work that way, but I am sure I am not the only person who sometimes wishes that it did.

Well, the internet comes to the rescue once again. I looked this passage up, to see if maybe someone could tell me that it wasn’t really about Jesus bringing back someone from the dead, but really meant something completely different; like a special message hidden in that scripture reading somewhere for an inquiring mind to find. And guess what I found, turns out, according to what I read, that was the message after all. He really did perform that miracle and I know it was not just because Lazarus was his friend but it was nice timing anyway.

We all know that sometimes there are hidden messages in the scripture readings and Jesus doesn’t always just hand over the message very freely. It is for us to ‘figure it out’ and sometimes it takes a lot of time to ‘figure it out’ and when we finally understand what he is saying someone comes along and gives you another possibility. And we start all over again. Keeps us guessing, keeps our minds sharp and guess what? It turns out the Bible can be fun. Trying to see how many different messages God is sending us with the scripture readings.

Back to hidden messages…

Last week the Gospel reading, although very long, contained a part about mud being put on the blind man’s eyes. Why didn’t he, like in the past, just said, “you can see”.

Another time, Jesus cleanses a Leper but tells him to go to the priest and tell him what had happened.

Jesus, kind of shakes things up a bit. Would we have learned as much about Jesus, had he done every miracle in the same way? Sometimes we and the characters in the story, need it to be deeper, more about them so it is seen who Jesus truly is.

Let’s go back to the mud and the blind man. For a blind person in particular, their other senses are extra important. They need to feel with their hands and body, to sense things where most of us can just look and see. So maybe Jesus, instead of just saying the words, ‘you can see’, wanted this man to ‘feel’ what was happening. The feel of the mud, he would have understood and cleaning it off as well, then he may have been able to explain what had happened a bit better. (but then again, it sure took a lot of explaining).

When Jesus sent the leper back to the priest, it was so that the priest could attest to the fact that the man was now free from leprosy, which I think may have been a more reliable source for most to believe.

So now back to Lazarus, who unlike other situations, he took time to get to home of Lazarus and got there way too late to save him from death. He arrived 4 days after, certainly not because he just couldn’t be bothered to get there on time, but instead it was to prove a point. That he truly was sent from God.

Jesus had been to the home of Lazarus before and spent time with them. They understood a bit about who Jesus was, but it was time for them and others who would have been gathered with the family, to truly understand who he was and what that meant.

Once Lazarus steps out, Jesus asked that Lazarus be unbound of the clothes they had buried him in. I took this as, when we strip off the layers, like taking the layers from an onion, we find our true selves. We are more alive. It allows us to reach out to others more freely without that layer of doubt. We are no longer bound by layers of stuff.

If we throw off our blankets of comfort, reach out, step out of comfort zones, we call allow ourselves to believe in the true power of the spirit and be a voice to it as well.

Thanks be to God.

The New Testament Reading this week is from the letter to the Ephesians, Ch. 5 vs 8-14. Paul wrote “for once you were darkness but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true”.

Where do we find the wisdom to know what is good and true? Where do we find the strength to be beacons of light amidst the darkness? Surely we need to find the Spirit of God that dwells within of each us.

The idea of ‘light’ ascribed to those who follow Jesus, those who seek to be heralds of the Kingdom of God, is a theme that echoes through the Gospels, Acts, and the letters of Paul.

Jesus said “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify God” and that we should walk as children of the light.

We certainly live in a time where this there much darkness, much done even in the name of religion that needs to be exposed, that needs to have light shine on it. We must do the work to seek out what is good, what is right and what is true, and to celebrate what is good, right, and true.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where what is right and true is very often obscured by fake news, conspiracy theories, political spin masters, and outright fabrication by leaders of government and institutions we ought to be able to trust.

Almost daily we find someone in a leadership position exposed for working in the dark zone of secrets and then protesting their exposure with false denials. The current path called for is to ensure that there is adequate transparency.

The idea of truth has become fuzzy, subjective not objective. It has more to do with what one might feel than what one might know. ‘Truthiness’ has become the buzz word to describe this condition where facts seem to become irrelevant as compared to what one might want to believe.

Where do we find the wisdom to know what is good and true? Where do we find the strength to be beacons of light amidst the darkness? Surely we need to find the Spirit of God that dwells within of each us.

How do we find that Spirit? Perhaps through prayer, mediation, or observation. St. Francis said, “God is within all and all is within God”. That God is within us can lead us to challenge our understanding of God (to the extent that understanding is possible given the limits of language and our thinking) and to challenge how we understand God to interact with all of creation.

John Dominic Crossan, a noted writer, theologian and pastor wrote “You have been waiting for God (Jesus said), while God has been waiting for you. No wonder nothing is happening. You want God’s intervention, he said, while God wants your collaboration. God’s kingdom is here, but only in so far as you accept it, enter it, live it, and thereby establish it”.

While thinking about the reading and this reflection a some songs came to mind. Perhaps we know these from days gone by, from church school, or summer camp or even the radio in the case of the last one.

The first one:
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

The second one:
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, to shine for him each day,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, at home, at work each day,
A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for sunbeam,
A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for him.

And a third one which came while humming the first two:
Jesus bids us shine withe a pure clear light, like a little candle burning in the night,
In this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.

Finally from the Age of Aquarius, the musical Hair:
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine, the sunshine in.

Seems to be a definite theme here.

Collect

Enduring Presence,
goal and guide,
you go before and await our coming.
Only our thirst compels us
beyond complaint to conversation,
beyond rejection to relationship.
Pour your love into our hearts,
that, refreshed and renewed,
we may invite others to the living water
given to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Readings

Exodus 17:1-7

Psalm 95

Romans 5:1-11

John 4:5-42

The Woman At The Well

I confess that over the years of my ministry, I have avoided preaching on this particular gospel passage (John 4:5-42), primarily because there is so much in it to unpack. It seemed a rather daunting task for a 13-minute homily. However, in this newsletter, I have the space to tackle it, if you have the time, because three things Eleanor and I learned from our tour of Israel five years ago enlighten the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.

The plight of women was precarious in that patriarchal society. Perhaps a couple of her husbands died a natural death, she may have become the second wife of a deceased husband’s brother, as was custom; divorce was the prerogative of men, easily accomplished; there is no reference to children, perhaps she is infertile, therefore deemed useless goods, not worthy of a marriage dowry.

First of all, Jacob’s well was our last stop on the ten-day tour. Jacob’s well is still there! The OT story about Jacob is written in the 6th or 7th century BCE, but Jacob’s history would have been a good thousand years before that. So Jacob’s well reflects approximately 4,000 years of religious and racial history. Think of the history and the mythology that grew up about it—Jacob bought the land and created the well, made up with his brother Esau at the well, courted his wife Rebecca there, his son Joseph was sold into slavery from this place. So much pain and agony, compassion and reconciliation within these very human stories. And the writer of the gospel story is at pains to set the scene at Jacob’s well, evoking all its historical, social and religious context.

Second: the expression, “living waters,” used by Jesus in the story. As our tour group stood on Tel Dan beside the Dan river, a glacier-fed, rushing stream that feeds the Jordan, we learned that the Dan never runs dry, unlike so many of the other streams and rivers in Israel, a country which is without rain 8 months of the year. Every place we toured, we saw the elaborate techniques created by the ancient peoples to collect water into cisterns to sustain them during the dry periods, or worse, a years-long siege by enemies. Rushing year-long streams like the Dan are known as Living Waters. And the OT prophets Jeremiah and Zachariah, used this geological, natural feature of the landscape as a metaphor for Yahweh, for the Holy Spirit. Water is Life. Living Water creates a garden in the wilderness. We’ve seen it, that narrow strip of fertile well- irrigated fields along the Jordan valley. Now think metaphorically, as the Bible writers intend, Living Water, ie God’s Spirit, flows through us and around us and can make a garden in our wilderness, the wilderness within us and the wilderness outside us. All of this applies to the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.

Third: we visited Samaria and the Samaritans that are left (about 800), we were on Mt. Gerizim and learned its importance as a worship site for them, and this holy place of worship comes out in the gospel passage. “Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,” says the woman to Jesus, “but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Enmity between Samaritans and Jews is very much part of this story’s background, as it is in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Jacob’s well and Living Waters and Mt. Gerizim, these geographical, natural sites, with their rich religious associations, all pertain to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus comes breaking down barriers. As a devout Jewish male he is not supposed to be alone with a woman, let alone talk with her, or share a common cup. “Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans,” the gospel narrator states. The Samaritan woman has a history, five husbands and her current partner is not her husband. She has been painted by Biblical commentators over the centuries as a loose woman, an adulteress, a prostitute, but there’s nothing in the passage that says that nor condemns her, Jesus certainly doesn’t, and note that when she returns to her village she is listened to and followed by the townspeople. No tainted woman of ill repute in that social world would command such attention and respect.

The plight of women was precarious in that patriarchal society. Perhaps a couple of her husbands died a natural death, she may have become the second wife of a deceased husband’s brother, as was custom; divorce was the prerogative of men, easily accomplished; there is no reference to children, perhaps she is infertile, therefore deemed useless goods, not worthy of a marriage dowry. Maybe the current
partner is an old man needing care, not willing to pay the marriage dowry for a woman who is barren. Rather than censure, this woman deserves compassion, for there is a lot of pain suggested in her history. She must long for belonging and connection. Jesus speaks directly to that pain by using the metaphor of Living Water, assuring her that even in the midst of the troubles of life, God is there, flowing through her, able to bring about new life, to create a garden in her wilderness. She and Jesus have an educated, theological discussion which she initiates. She returns to her community to spread the word. A female evangelist, and not the first recorded in scripture.

“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth . . .God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” God, the kingdom of God, the compassion of God, is not limited by man- made rules about where and when to worship, “neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem,” nor in that church or that synagogue or that mosque. Worship in spirit and truth goes beyond place. “Jesus answers a seeker’s questions of whether or not she can worship. And he said yes.” What a message for our day: “I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Christ is not Jesus’ last name. As Richard Rohr puts is, “Christ is the name for everything in all its fullness. Christ is everywhere. In Christ every kind of life has a meaning and a connection.” There’s no right place, right time, right person, right words for worship. There is just worship—Living waters, the Christ Spirit flowing through us, breaking barriers between peoples and genders, creating gardens in the wilderness. Worship is anytime, anywhere, all the time.

Collect

God of amazing compassion,
lover of our wayward race,
you bring to birth a pilgrim people,
and call us to be a blessing for ourselves and all the world.
We pray for grace to take your generous gift
and step with courage on this holy path,
confident in the radiant life that is your plan for us,
made known and given in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Readings

Numbers 21:4-9

Psalm 121

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

John 3:1-17

Last week we began Lent, where we prepare to walk with Jesus as he makes his journey to die on the cross for us. Although it is a sombre time, our mission to look inward and reach outward is done mainly with one goal in mind: to make us more like Christ Jesus, and to bring us closer to God through Him.

But through the pain I felt a sense of a comfort that I am unable to describe. Because God too, lost a son, and he too, was devastated. Yet he still gave up his beloved child…

Throughout this season the children (both big and small!) will be adding items to a Lenten Garden in the sanctuary. This week’s item will tie into the theme of love, to match the scripture:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

These words have been a huge comfort for me, many times in my life. Seven years ago I lost my beloved brother; his funeral was held on Easter Saturday. It was difficult to celebrate Jesus rising again when I had just buried a loved one permanently. No person, gesture, nor amount of time nor logical thinking can take away that immense pain. And as I watched my parents mourn their firstborn child during the service, this same passage was read. But through the pain I felt a sense of a comfort that I am unable to describe. Because God too, lost a son, and he too, was devastated. Yet he still gave up his beloved child, and was even happy to do so, because it meant eternal love and life for his other children, us! As a parent myself, I can still barely fathom that amount of love. Because of Jesus’ immense sacrifice, Murray and the rest of us will live on forever, with the pain and mistakes of our earthly lives completely blotted away. God will hold us in His love then, and he already is, now. Amen!

Collect

God of mercy,
your word was the sure defence of Jesus in his time of testing.
Minister to us in the wilderness of our temptation,
that we who have been set free from sin by Christ
may serve you well into life everlasting. Amen.

Readings

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

Psalm 32

Romans 5:12-19

Matthew 4:1-11

An Ash Wednesday Reflection by the Venerable Sheila Van Zandwyk

‘Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

These are the words spoken as the ashes are marked on our foreheads. They are not always easy words to hear as we don’t like to think of ourselves as dust. Dust reminds us that we are weak, frail, imperfect. These are the attributes we work very hard at hiding from others, from God, even from ourselves. They remind us of all we struggle with and believe that if others new the truth of; our frailties, our weaknesses, our imperfections, they’d think less of us, perhaps even find us unworthy of their love.

God says to us in our exhaustion, I know, and I love you, just as you are. It is in your frailties that my light which is inside of you is most able to shine forth, to be the light that others see and find comfort in. It is often when we are most vulnerable to people, most frail that we are able to truly connect to another.

So we work very hard to prove we aren’t dust, we show we are strong, independent, able to help others, being positive and upbeat and of course perfect.

It’s exhausting.

The fact is we are often frail, needing to rely on the help of others, tired, disappointed (mostly in ourselves after all we’re the ones demanding perfection), depressed and feeling hopeless and helpless.

What does God think of all this?? God says, I know. I know how tired you are, I know how hard it is, I know the struggles you face. In Jesus time with us he struggled with exhaustion and fell sound asleep in a boat being battered and blown about by a terrifying storm, he struggled with frustration that people were not understanding his ministry and message, he prayed in absolute fear in the Garden of Gethsemane, not just because of the horror awaiting him, but that he would not be strong enough to withstand it.

God says to us in our exhaustion, I know, and I love you, just as you are. It is in your frailties that my light which is inside of you is most able to shine forth, to be the light that others see and find comfort in. It is often when we are most vulnerable to people, most frail that we are able to truly connect to another.

It is why we come together to confess our sins in the midst of a congregation. It reminds us that we are not the only one who is frail, imperfect, struggling. We are all in the same boat, we are not alone in being dust.

God also says to us, rest in me, I don’t ask for perfection or strength I just want you, just as you are, I love you fully and completely most especially in your frailty. Open your heart to me. Let my love soothe you and comfort you. Let it give you the courage and strength you are searching for, let me love you into being all that I created you to be. The Rev’ Jan Richardson says, “did you not know what the Holy One can do with dust?”

Today we bring our frailties before God, we bring all the times we failed; situations, others, ourselves, all the times we have hurt others purposefully and without knowing it, all the times we said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing, thought the wrong thing about a situation or a person. We do it in the knowledge (that we cannot fully fathom) that we are utterly and completely forgiven. All of it forgiven and forgotten by God, all of it.

Then, we let it go, all of it, that is what confession and absolution are all about. Wiping the slate clean, moving on from that state of fear and shame to new life in Christ. Beginning to look forward to a renewed reliance on the grace and love of God. As humans though we know that change is neither immediate nor easy. It takes time, this is why we have the season of Lent. In the 40 days of Lent we work at the habit of turning to God in all situations and at all times. That is why prayer, fasting, giving to those in need, reading the Bible and attending worship are all integral elements. They can help us to bring God more deeply into our lives each day. Even praying before each meal offers an opportunity to connect and focus on God throughout the day in recognition of the gifts that we are given and the opportunities we have to carry out God’s love to the world.

We have Lent to establish these practises and habits so that by Easter they are no longer Lenten practises but lifelong practises.

May your Lent be one of a deepen relationship with the God who knows you and loves you. Amen.