Embracing the liberated life

Nov. 1, 2015

All Saints Sunday sermon notes - John 11:32-44

Grace and peace to you, Saints – from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Other than getting eaten by a bear in Alaska, my greatest fear on taking a sabbatical was that someone from St. Mark would face sudden death while I was gone…since we all will eventually, though probably not by a bear.  My concern was that I would be half a world away, unable to bring comfort or hope to the situation.

I knew Pastor KM and this community would provide wonderful support –it’s just I would have been sad to miss a major event – good or bad.  I had an anxiety dream at one point that Christa got married while I was gone. I had to send her a facebook message in the middle of my travels, making sure that I hadn’t missed this.

It’s hard to miss out on the major things – in family and church life.

But it’s a risk any care-giver takes when they go away to care for themselves.  It was a risk even for Jesus when he traveled - not for sabbatical purposes, but for ministry in other parts of Galilee; in his human form, he couldn’t be there for people at all times and in all places.

And when he was there, he offered more than a comforting presence.  He did the very miracle we all wish we could: he cured the sick and gave sight to the blind, and more!

Jesus cured the sick wherever he went, often when the sick were on their deathbeds. But there is at least one instance when he wasn’t around when his friends needed him most.

When he shows up to Bethany and Lazarus is already dead, Lazarus’s sister confronts him:

“IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE MY BROTHER WOULD NOT HAVE DIED.”

Mary wore her feelings on her sleeve.  And she is greatly distressed. So is Jesus…  To the point of weeping.

In some versions, this story contains the shortest verse in the Bible.  Two Words: Jesus Wept.     It’s a very short verse but  yet it’s theologically a very big deal.

The Savior of the World wept.  He was so moved, and his weeping led to action, a shocking miracle of bringing a decomposing four days old unrefrigerated body back to life.

It’s an amazing story that shows us no matter when we become aware of God being on the scene – it is never too late for God to bring us back to fullness of life in order to show God’s glory --- in God’s own way.  God works to bring about salvation and wholeness beyond our wildest dreams.

And yet God does this work, as Jesus did in Bethany, right in the midst of community, before our very eyes, using our very hands.

Three things worth our consideration in this story are:

It matters that Jesus wept.  He was in the moment - not beyond it.  He was fully present to the pain and despair in Mary, Martha and those grieving with them.

I’m encouraged to hear that St. Mark (congregation) has been taking time each week during the prayers of the people  to be attentive to the needs and burdens that our brothers and sisters carry.  Taking time to pray and listen helps us be present to those who are sick and suffering – and to celebrate with those experiencing joy.

The first take away is Jesus wept; he was present.

The second is that his weeping led to action.  He brought Lazarus back from the dead – but he did so in a way that involved the community.

Clearly, the power came from him.  It was all Jesus.  But it wasn’t a private miracle.  The witnesses played a part in it too.  Some moved the stone when Jesus gave the command.  Others unbound the linens that were wrapped around him…. As the passage ends with those powerful words: Unbind him and Let Him Go.

His weeping led to action – and his action was one that involved the people around him to help the brother in greatest need.

I wonder when in your life has awareness and attentiveness to pain and suffering led to action? When have your tears helped lead you into service?

That is the third point for us to consider:

We play a critical role in each other’s healing, renewal, and revival.

I could have taken a sabbatical into the watery and wilderness places all alone.  But if I did, I would have definitely gotten eaten by a bear.  And before that happened, I would have gotten very lonely.  I live alone- by choice though not by design.  So alone-time is not something I crave in my regular life.

What I cherished most in my time away wasn’t the gorgeous scenery or getting stamps in my passport (although both of those things thrilled me) --- it was quality time with people who mean the world to me but live multiple time zones away.  This includes my mother and friends  who knew and loved me before I was a pastor.  They helped me remember that I have a Lydia self apart from my professional role.  And that this Lydia-self is loved by God not for what I do or say or perform, but just because God loves me.  It is a liberating experience to remember this core truth.

Lazarus had a liberating experience when he was unbound and the grave-stone was moved away.  And his heart started beating and his muscles pulsated and his bones may have stiffened up due to lack of use and sudden awakening.

Jesus revived Lazarus - heart, body, and soul.  He did so by showing up – weeping, acting out of compassion, and involving the witnesses.

Though dramatic miracles like this are not happening in front of us today, Jesus still cares for us. He weeps with us.  He acts on our behalf to help us. He includes us in the ongoing revival of our lives and the lives of each other.

Again today, God calls each of us out from the dead.  Out from Zombie-land.  To step joyfully into the life of resurrection, a life where compassion not competition rules the day.

It is liberating but it is also scary because Status Quo is much more comfortable than revival.    
Staying the same and doing what everyone else is doing, however complacent and complicit, is easier than actively embracing God’s reign and living by God’s values - to care for the poor, neglected, and outcast.

To embrace and embody the liberated life, I need your help and I believe you need mine.

By the Spirit’s guidance and power of Jesus, let us unbind each other with the hope that revival may come to the land, beginning with our minds, hearts, bodies, and church.  Amen.

Home again

It may seem like I dropped off the planet, but actually all I did was return home.  Once I got back in my own country and in New England, I rediscovered traditional ways of communicating such as old-fashioned phone-calls (missed those!) and texting as well as the new fangled ways of social media: facebook, instagram, and twitter.  Admidst the other exciting means of communication, the blog lost seniority.

I keep telling people the same thing when they ask how I'm doing: I am SO glad to be home.  I had an incredible and joy-filled time during my travels.  Tonight will be the first time in three months that I spend over three consecutive nights sleeping in my own bed. It was an exciting lifestyle and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to pursue my dreams, but so much bopping around eventually gets tiresome.  I think my animals feel similarly.  My dog slept for three days straight after our reunion a couple weeks ago.  At first I was worried, but I think it took that long for him to recover from all the travel he did.

Soon after returning, I attended a Bishop's Convocation in West Hartford - an annual gathering of Lutheran clergy in New England for learning and faith-building.  I especially wanted to attend this year's convocation because the preacher at the opening worship and the speaker for one of the sessions was the presiding bishop of the ELCA, Rev. Elizabeth Eaton. An important point she made in her talk with us was to remind us that we were called to the preaching vocation AND that we did say Yes to the call.  Sometimes we (preachers, but I think this is true of other professions) tend to *blame* - and/or thank! - God or someone else for the fact that we are in the situation that we're in.  It's helpful to remember that we play a part in getting to where we are in life as well! Taking responsibility for our decisions is a healthy approach! After convocation, I spent several nights in Vermont and western Massachusetts, hiking more of the Appalachian Trail with Jack (dog) and friends Rafi and Rabia.  I also visited family in Boston before settling down in Connecticut to prepare for All Saints' Sunday at St. Mark.

It was so good to be back with my flock!  Things that greeted me upon my return - other than the smell of a dead mouse in the walls of my office - include a pile of half-size papers on my desk that contain the heading: "My dream for St. Mark this year" with a blank space after it and then a sub-heading: "I will help make that dream a reality by" followed by a blank space.  On each of these papers, people filled out their dream and how they will help.  What a delight to return to such dreaming.  Much nicer than returning to a pile of complaints! And then I saw on the church calendar that St. Mark will have a Revival in a couple weeks which was news to me.  That the core members are committed and bring energy to their leadership and service is what impressed me about St Mark to begin with; and that energy never seems to wane despite challenges with keeping up attendance in worship and Sunday School. The other thing that greeted me was wonderful singing.  The best singing I heard in three months came during worship in my own congregation.  Truly wonderful.

If I didn't make it clear already, it is good to be home. :)  I hope to continue to make post-sabbatical and ongoing faith related reflections on my blog. Thank you to those that have checked in throughout my journey!  And thanks be to God for bringing me home.

So happy to be re-united with my love!

Immediately upon return, Jack and I went hiking around our local parks as well as hitting trails in upper New England. This is from one of our favorite places to go for a morning walk: the Manchester reservoir about 10 minutes from my house.