Musical Prelude and Service.

Romans 8:6-11 & John 11:1-45
I will confess that sometimes trying to make sense of Paul’s writing is a formidable task. Here Paul
talks about the flesh and the spirit and life and death. Quite frankly, this is a passage I needed to
read a couple of times to begin making sense of it.
I think it helps to understand that when Paul talks about the flesh, he is speaking about an entire
way of relating to the world. Seeing the world in terms of power, of wealth and receiving honour
through the imperial system established by Rome, your place in the world and your interaction with it
is governed by those values and rules. That is a way of life that leads to death.
By contrast, there is a way of life dictated by the Spirit. The spirit of Christ. This is a way of life and
of seeing the world rooted in love and service. This is a way of being the world that leads to life.
In particular, life in Christ.
To be ruled by the flesh, as Paul refers to this, is to be governed by a fear of death; a fear of not
getting ahead and of being shamed by the world as it is now.
By contrast, a life in the spirit – one rooted in faith in Christ and loving one another, is to live with
hope of a new world. To commit ourselves to that new world that we are promised.
We are getting close to the end of Lent now. We have reflected each week on how the desert we are
journeying through can at first glance seem devoid of life. That it can seem to lack water or anything
that offer the promise of life or the capacity to sustain our lives. But we are also encouraged to
recognize that water and the seeds of new life are already there. We are encouraged to recognize
the promise of life springing forth and offering us a vision of abundance and diverse beauty.
The story of the raising of Lazarus is one of those narratives that can and does challenge people.
If we are called to take all these stories as accurate and factual retellings of actual historic events,
this can be a real stumbling block for many people. I’m not here to tell people how they must read
scripture, but I do want to give you permission to read these stories through a lens that offers you a
way to find God speaking to you, offering you hope and insight into how God is always at work in our
world. If a story of Jesus bringing a man back from the dead brings you encouragement, work with
that.
I read this story and see a story of a family; a community grieving the death of a beloved friend and
brother. In the midst of this grief, Jesus shows up and weeps alongside these women he counts as
friends; alongside the people of this community who also mourn, and offers their love and support to
Mary and Martha. And then Jesus offers new life. When things seem the most hopeless, four days
after Lazarus died; Jesus calls forth new life.
Before traveling to Bethany, Jesus remarks that it is necessary for Lazarus to die in order for God’s
work to be done. This is a harsh statement. I find it one that I struggle to sit with and find
reassurance in. But we must not deny that death is a part of life. Our faith tells us that there is life
beyond death. That in itself is a statement of hope. We cannot be governed by a denial of death.
Death comes for all of us. But what are we doing in the meantime?
Hopefully we are living. Truly living.
Even though you may die, you will live.
Living with hope.
Hope can take many forms. It can look like a yearning for healing. Yearning of our own physical
ailments or of your relationships. It can look like a desire for justice and peace. Economic justice for
ourselves or our loved ones and community. Justice in terms of creating a world where all enjoy
opportunities and a life free of fear of violence and oppression. A world where children can go to
school to learn without the fear of gunfire or falling bombs.
While we may find ourselves needing to prioritize our hopes – because our hearts or our bodies can
only hold so much in a world that can seem to be coming apart at the seams; God is big enough,
great enough to hold all of our prayers. God is able to hear all of our prayers.
The ones we voice out loud. The ones we can actually articulate as well as the ones that we hold
deep in our hears; afraid to voice or unable to put into words.
As I said earlier, as we journey thorough Lent, we are encouraged to reflect on the idea of journeying
thorough a wilderness or a desert. A place that at first glance seems devoid of life. A place that
seems to even lack those things we need to sustain life. Water, soil. And yet, we are constantly
reminded that God and life in God is offered even in these places. In fact, we are encouraged to see
the signs of that life. Water is there. New growth, new life is visible if we are ready to see it.
In the story of Lazarus, we are told God provides life, even in a tomb. This is a promise that is
repeated in the coming weeks of course.
Life is present, new life is promised. May we never lose sight of the life God offers us. In life, in
death, in life beyond death, God is with us.
When we only live to avoid death, we can miss out on so much we are offered. We can make our
world incredibly small. We can miss so much that is all around us. The beauty of the diverse life –
that bursting forth in the wilderness. We can miss out on the angels in our midst, offering us
refreshing water and sharing the good news of God’s love.
So may we live with a spirit of life, living with gratitude for all the ways God has created and is
creating and working in and through us. Living in the here and now, celebrating all that is growing all
around us but also mindful to the heartbreak and injustice that is a reality of our life and our world.
May we be examples of God’s love, justice and life to the world that we may offer our fellow pilgrims
a drink of life-giving water and the support and comfort they need in times of need.
And may we all together continue to praise God from whom all blessings flow. Amen.
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789