Thursday 6 April 2017

Sunday Service Marsden Road Uniting Church 2 April 2017


Dry Bones and Resurrection



Hymns today : 84; 242; 210; 684

I don't normally include John's heading but this one struck a chord. Life can become dry without warning. Sometimes a life that seems so bright and full of promise simply deflates into mere survival. It's not even that our sense of the presence of our maker disappears. We can be very aware of that, but it just doesn't seem to make very much difference.

And so by way of encouragement - to myself as much as anyone, I will include the words of John's "Call to Worship" - (Mary J Scifres, Abingdon 2016.)

In the midst of life, we are in death. But in the face of death, God’s Spirit comes to bring us life. Can dry bones live? Can life emerge from death? Only God knows. And yet, Christ promises just such a miracle through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

 All who are dwindling and dying . . .

come forth to new life.

All who are lying in darkness and despair . . .

come out into the light.

All who feel separated and alone . . .

come to the presence of God, whose Spirit finds us here

After this John prayed "Come, Holy Spirit. Breathe new life into our lives and our worship. Create new possibilities, in our imaginations and in our dreams. Send the promise of your hope into our depression and our despair. Expand our hearts and our minds, as we enter your presence this day. Amen."

Our responsibility to turn to God for the solution to our dryness was presented in the confession.


Prayer of Confession

God of new life and emerging possibilities, forgive us when death and despair occupy our focus. Embolden our faith when your future feels out of reach. Strengthen our courage, that we might come forth into the light and life of your promises. In hope and trust, we pray. Amen.

And our confidence that, in God, our solution lies, was stated in the declaration of forgiveness.


Declaration of Forgiveness

In God’s love, there is hope. In Christ’s forgiveness, there is peace. In the Spirit’s power, we are renewed and brought forth into life. Thanks, be to God!

The result of being at peace is that we can offer that to each other and open our hearts  to give-in all the ways giving can be done.


The announcements were an indication of the ways people of this congregation give to each other and to the community around us. They often pass as "housekeeping" but they are much more for anyone who is listening closely.


The service of communion followed. I always find this service most uplifting without knowing why. I think there are many reasons. It's a time when the whole congregation focusses on why we join together each week. There is the sense of being one with each other - not just those in the building in which we are celebrating the sacrament but also with all believers worldwide and through time. This is over and above the message that we are loved by our maker. The creator of everything that exists cares about each one of us and the lives we.


The readings, Ezekiel 37:1-14 and John 11:23-45 were delivered by Alan. In Ezekiel we are confronted with sight of a valley of dry bones. The message that jumped out at me was that dryness is all that this world offers. That was followed by the account of the raising of Lazarus. The connection is not difficult to make. A couple of people I know speak of God as that enlivening presence.

In his sermon John had this to say:

...We must walk with Ezekiel all around the valley, because a major part of witnessing the story of God’s redemption is seeing just how much we need it. Those of us who have been staring into the darkness of our souls during the Lenten season know that we really do need God’s resurrection. The second reason for hearing these stories at this point in the Christian calendar has nothing to do with us or our sin...


Purely external to us, it has everything to do with learning that it is God who brings life out of death and that God is the one acting for our redemption...

Part of the story shows us who we are, but the rest shows us who God is...

However, when faced with the reality of taking up our crosses to follow, we quickly realize there is nothing within that equips us to do it. At this point, the Lord gently reminds us that it is not about us. The spiritual work we do during Lent was never intended to be what sustains us and what brings us the new life we need...

 Rather, our spiritual work is meant only to help us clear the path so that we can see God’s work in and for us. It is God who will strengthen us to follow Jesus. It is God who will bring resurrection where there was only death and decay. It is God who can breathe new life into our mortal body.


In the Intercessory Prayers Laurel focussed on the many difficulties facing people near and far: those affected by the floods which have been so destructive, causing so much fear and heartbreak; those in other countries in Africa where there are no resources to meet the needs of the suffering people and those who will benefit from the donations of Lent Event. It's difficult to know why prayer works since God has his eye on those people regardless of whether we pray for them or not. Perhaps it's just that as we join with them in their difficulties, our strength is added to theirs giving them added life and in doing so we are changed.


Benediction

Let those who were languishing and dying rejoice.

We go forth with the promise of life.

Let those who have lain in the shadows of despair take heart.

We go forth with the promise of light.

Let those who have known the separation of loneliness feel union in life with the Spirit.

We go forth revived by the Spirit to proclaim the glory of God.



Hymn 780: “May light come into your eyes”


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