Lazarus

"Lord, he whom you love is ill."

We know just a few facts about Lazarus. He lives in Bethany near Jerusalem, has two sisters, Martha and Mary, he is seriously sick, and Jesus speaks of him as "our friend" when talking with the disciples.

There are no recorded words of Lazarus.

I find it very interesting that in the three accounts in the Bible where Jesus raises people from the dead we never hear from them. The widow's son, the synagogue ruler's daughter, and Lazarus. Perhaps the writers didn't think it important.

I also find it tremendously encouraging that despite their being dead they can all hear Jesus.

"Young man I say to you get up." Luke 7:14
"He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" Mark 5:41
"When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" John 11:43

There are times when I think some person is beyond help, beyond any hope of change or healing.
If I look at these impossible situations I remember to pray without losing hope.
And when I think of those who I love who have died I simply speak to them during my prayers. Not because they can hear me, but because they can hear Him. And if there is anything of mine that would be a blessing for them to hear I trust the message will be relayed.

Dead?

This coming Sunday one lesson is about Jesus friend Lazarus who was sick and died. Four days after his burial Jesus raised him back to life.

In many ways this one story sums up all of Jesus work. Giving life back to the dead.

Many years ago, when I was still in my teens, I sat in a grimy cabin, trying to negotiate a deal to buy a large quantity of marijuana from a dude and his girlfriend. We had reached the point where I and my friend were to sample the product. We lit up. At about the same time their two year old daughter came into the room. I began to put the joint out when the man took it from me and handed it to his daughter. As she inhaled I began to feel sick inside. Something in me died or perhaps I realized it was already dead.

I knew I was in the thrall of whatever evil power has been unleashed on the earth.

It was about a year later that I discovered the person who can raise the dead. Thank you Jesus.

I never saw those folks again. But I have prayed for many years for all of them that they would all discover and know the Lord of life in this world and the next.

More tomorrow about Lazarus and his sisters.

System overhaul

"If the universe is so bad...how on earth did human beings ever come to attribute it to the activity of a wise and good Creator?"  C.S. Lewis,  from "The Problem of Pain"

Isn't it interesting that when Jesus heals someone it seems extraordinary, not "normal." When Jesus raises someone from the dead, it's not "normal." It's not natural. In fact we call it "Supernatural."


But what if we are sub-normal, sub-natural, and what we call "Supernatural" is really the natural order of things?


I am not a systems engineer, but I wonder what report a systems engineer would write if they were charged with recommending changes in our planetary systems for resource distribution, energy consumption, water use, waste management, and more.

Where would they start? What would the opening sentence be?  Would they predict some of the chaos we often find ourselves in.  Would they notice that many parts of the current system seem to be patched together or even non-existent? Would they say that as the 21st Century starts, much of the system seems stretched to the breaking point?

And then what kind of recommendations would they have to make? 

Fortunately they don't have to write the report. Jesus has already written the report and made recommendations. 


His recommendation is not to junk the project, even though it has some major problems. Despite massive liabilities he has decided the project is worth every effort to rescue. And so instead of cancellation, the report recommends a comprehensive overhaul.  It is expensive, but he is so sure it's worth the effort that he's paid the costs.

From Revelation 21:1ff
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

 ⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Starfish and ripples of kindness

Pessimism is counterfeit realism. Yes there is evil, in the world. Yes there are great intractable problems that face us on planet earth.  But pessimism would have me believe that nothing I do will matter.  I see the problems of the world, the problems of my life, the problems of the lives of the people I know and love.  And I am tempted to simply become passive and disconnect.

Pessimism leaves no room for God, and no room for individual love and courage. And it is never the final word.

In the old parable, an early morning wave washed thousands of starfish up onto the beach.  As the sun was coming up there were the first few beachcombers looking at the miles of beach littered with starfish. One older man saw a young man walking down the beach briskly picking up starfish and throwing them back into the water.  As the young man got closer, he said, “Son there are thousands of starfish, and miles of beach. What you’re doing won’t make a bit of difference.” Without missing a beat, the young man picked up the next few starfish several feet away flinging them into the water and saying, “It will for this one, and this one, and this one.”

We have a choice when we see war, poverty, injustice, disaster, hunger,  and so many other needs. We can retreat into passivity and impotence or we can make a difference for the ones we can reach.

Hunter, our great Pyrenees dog who, who died a few years ago, was rescued from the pound. Pancho, our current dog, was a mangy puppy living in the gutter who Anne rescued and brought home.

Every month,  about $30 is debited from our bank account.  That money helps care for a young woman in a Central African Country. Over the years we have gotten to know RK from correspondence which has changed from very childlike scribbles to the words of a young woman, now studying at an adult level. An AIDs orphan she and her older sister have formed a family of siblings and cousins.

From our dogs we have been given great affection and joy. Our lives are enriched by every animal we’ve ever known.

And those few dollars that go to our dear RK. Those few dollars have not just changed her, but she has become a caring young woman, seeking to help others in her family, her village, her country.

“Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”  Scott Adams, creator of “Dilbert”

“Let us not lose heart in doing good.” Galatians 6:9a

Catch a glimpse

A church had invited a famous preacher, who led healing prayers. During the service many people came up for prayers for various ailments. A young man in his 20’s came up and asked for prayer. The preacher said, “What do you want prayer for son?” “Pastor, I need prayer for my hearing.”  So the preacher laid hands on both the young man’s ears and prayed up a storm.  After a few minutes he stopped, and looked at the young man and said softly, “Son, how’s your hearing now?”  “I don’t know preacher, my hearing isn’t till Tuesday.”

Communication is not an exact science!  And in this Sunday’s Gospel reading there is lots of miscommunication.  What happened? How did it happen? Did it really happen? What about healing on the Sabbath?

The Episcopal Church, (and many others), read the story in the 9^th Chapter of John’s Gospel where Jesus heals a man born blind.

And it is a funny healing story. A man is dramatically healed, but since he was blind, he can’t identify the man that healed him. He acts more like a stand up comic than anyone else in the Gospels.

But in today’s story, the religious good people get mad at Jesus for doing something good. And the man born blind stands up for Jesus and becomes his follower.

And that is the real punch line. We are all blind. But if we admit we are blind, and stop pretending we can see, we just might catch a glimpse of God.

Other benefits...again

There is no Facebook, no email, no cell phone service, in the life to come. But somehow we are still in communion with those who have gone before us.

Jack Lemmon, the actor, once said “Death ends a life, not a relationship.”

The older I get, the more I realize how true that is. I have relationships with many people whose life on planet earth has ended. They are different, and often seem distant, but not gone.

The irony of course is that we are ones who are most distant, most disconnected. We think of the dead as ephemeral, when actually the opposite is true. We are the ones who are just watching the previews, waiting for the coming attraction.

Those who have gone on before are the ones who have begun a life in perfect communion with Christ.

“All other benefits of his passion.” 1979 Book of Common Prayer, pg. 335

Could one of those other benefits be the communion of saints?

Easter is coming! Hallelujah!

Healed and whole relationships...

“What Every Man Thinks About Apart From Sex” by Sheridan Simove is a new book that is selling quite well. When you open the book, every page is blank apart from the front and back covers!

Personally, I think the author should have put at least a page about sports, a page about fishing, a page about hunting, and about a dozen half page about a few other subjects, like cars, music, movies, video games, dogs, and money.

Of course that would increase the size of the book by at least 15 or 20 pages, so perhaps it is best to leave it alone.

We joke about the differences between men and women because they're real.

The truth is that differences are what make all our marriages, families, friendships, and workplaces exciting and frustrating. Usually at the same time.

We are made for relationship. We crave healed and whole relationships. But Genesis tells us the trinity of relationships is damaged: human with God, human with human, and human with the planet.

A few days ago I quoted from the Book of Common Prayer Rite one communion service.

"...grant that.....we....may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion." 1979 Book of Common Prayer, pg. 335

I submit that the remission of sins is the starting point in healing our relationship with God.

But another benefit of Jesus passion is the healing of relationship between us and others. He puts us in communities where we get to practice charity and forgiveness over and over. We call this the Church.

If we stick with it we discover that there are some times we even want to forgive “those who trespass against us.”

May we obtain all other benefits of his passion. Amen.