Restore us, O God! We breathe, Lent 5 How do we do the unimaginable? First Mennonite Church of Denver, April 2, 2017 Theda Good John 11:1-45. Let us begin together by taking a few deep breaths In pain, she hung on grasping for life. The cancer in her liver continuing to grow, draining more of her energy every day. Another round of lab work. What were her numbers this week? Where was she on the list for a liver transplant? Another person willing to donate a portion of her liver was tested and denied again. God, where are you? She has stated that she is at peace. She is not afraid of dying. She is grateful to wake up each day. She takes a deep breath, sitting at our dining room table, and then let s out an audible, exhale. We sit together in silence. Stories of death seem all too frequent these days. We grieve for the unnecessary and brutal death of MJ Sharp and Zaida, his colleague working for the United Nations. For the past three weeks, we have been following this horrific story of six people taken hostage by a militia group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. MJ and Zaida were working to transform decades long conflict into civil and respectful living. They represent just the tip of the iceberg in a country where there are 45,000 deaths a month. Nearly half of those dying are children under the age of 5. They are dying in a war-torn country, rich in diamonds and many other natural resources, including minerals used to make of our cell phones. Slate, an online news magazine, included an article titled, Blood on your hands discussing The Dodd-Frank Act. This act which was passed in 2010, requires companies to track and report conflict minerals used in their products. A conflict mineral is a mineral for which the mining and trading of said mineral fuels bloody conflicts. These minerals are mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding African countries and are used to manufacture cellphones, DVD players, laptops, hard drives, and gaming devices. 1
Do we have blood on our hands as users of these devices built with conflict minerals? Some of us like to think we are one with MJ, a people who teach and work for peace-building. In memory of MJ, someone on Facebook wrote this past week: We aren't the kind of warriors who go off to wars with guns blazing Rather we try to be those that bind up the broken hearted Of those, MJ was one who would meet those in sorrow with empathy, with compassion, with love It's not that myth of martyrdom that we imagine now - it's the real deal. It's choosing to put your life in the balance - for the sake of the other, the voiceless, the oppressed. So much sorrow for this loss The confirmation of his death now coming, affirming the worst fears And yet, this was his choice to be right there - even for those who killed him. Foolish? Some say so. To me, he is lifted up with the gods now - at the "right hand" so to speak May I be more willing to be like MJ. If there is MORE peace given to some - surely, he has this now Facebook, Janet Lynn Kroeker In our text, today, we have the story of another death, the death of Lazarus. It is a story in which the main character never speaks. Lazarus was a beloved brother and good community member. And now his sisters, Mary and Martha are devastated along with their community in Judea. If only they cry out! Why Jesus didn t you come sooner? they cried out in anger and anguish. If only! The story of Lazarus death is one of human drama with plenty of grief and tears. Even Jesus cries and is deeply moved at the death of Lazarus and grieves with his friends. This text is often used to show Jesus humanity. He wept. Today we look at it as a journey from hopelessness to surprise as the unimaginable happens. Lazarus, who they thought was gone from them, emerges from the place of death and decay. Jesus invites the community to loose him. By taking off the signs of death, they make space for the restoration of life. 2
Many times, we need to take deliberate steps to make room for the unimaginable. This transformation is essential for new life. The following is not a life or death example of transformation. However, I want to use it anyway. Over the past few weeks Roberta Kandel has come into the FMC office and helped us organize the wall of shelves. They were in disarray, cluttered, holding pieces of our history. Items were sorted, arranged, and rearranged. Tory and Linda helped a great deal and I was the cheer leader. Now, it looks great. Come by and see the transformation for yourselves. For me it begs the question, what do we as a congregation hang onto and what do we need to let go of? What benefit is there to have decades of recorded sermons which no one comes to listen to? What items hold sentimental value to some and are utterly meaningless to others? Why IS there a stuffed teddy-bear on the shelf? What parts of our past do we hold onto like grave clothes, preventing the breathe of new life in our midst? Are there ways of relating that we might let go of? Has there ever been a major decision that wasn t fraught with intense dispute? Do we know how to disagree in love among ourselves and have civil, respectful discourse? Could there be new ways of making decisions together that would allow God s Breath to breathe new life into how we do community with each other? Ruach is one of the Hebrew names for God. It generally means wind, breath, mind, or spirit. The Ruach imparts the divine image into humanity and infuses dynamic energy into each person s life. This breath is the inspired force, the essence of creativity and new life, even unimaginable life. Death and decay are a natural part of human and creation cycles. The psalmist talks about the Valley of the Shadow of Death. This may be actual death or seasons that lead to regeneration. When we come to the end of our own human strength, we recognize the reality of death in and around us. God, who is Spirit - Ruach, breathes life into us. Life can come into the most desolate of terrains. This reminds me of Ezekiel and his vision of the valley of dry bones. Can these bones live? Ezekiel utters in disbelief. God responded, I will put my Spirit-Ruach within them, and they shall live. 3
The story from Ezekiel sparks our imagination. Can you visualize the power of this enlivening Spirit that breathes life into a valley of dead dry bones? In this text, Ezekiel was speaking primarily to his fellow captives among the children of Israel. By this time in history, the ten tribes of Israel had been so widely scattered among the surrounding nations. The tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi had just been conquered and carried away into captivity in Babylon. It looked as if their national identity was gone forever and they would never again return to their Promised Land. Hence, one purpose of this vision was to inspire the Hebrew people with hope that God would someday revive them as a nation. In addition, this prophecy speaks about what God will do for spiritual Israel, which is the church today. One theme of the vision is that God can resurrect dry bones and give life to that which is dead and lifeless. It is a message that God can revive her people and turn them into a mighty force. Last of all, this vision speaks to us individually. No matter how dried up and worthless we may feel, God can restore us to life through the Spirit. How often are we stuck in dust and deadness, unable to see what the Spirit wants to do? How might the Spirit be ready to bring the dead parts of our community back to life? I have not always known how or when to speak into these past two years. I ve been asked from time to time, what is the state of First Mennonite? That has never been a simple, clear, or even consistent story line for me. At times I have seen clarity in the midst of the wilderness. I have been reinvigorated as people step up to help this community transition into Ministry Teams. And, to be honest, I have felt discouraged with the tension in our conversations around staffing and housing the homeless. What are the clothes of dust and dryness that we need to shake off? Where do we need new life? With a renewed commitment to be a people of love and holding a vision for our own transformation, can we find a renewed sense of mission together, to be Anabaptist Mennonites in this metro area? Or, if we are only a Sunday morning worshiping community, why don t we just name it and embrace it? 4
What kind of imagination and trust will it take for us to name the bleak valleys where we need the Spirit of God to breathe life into us? This may only be a small piece, but I offer it for your consideration. If I could draw a caricature of my prayer for this congregation, I would create images of people taking exaggerated deep breaths. Deep breathing slows down our blood pressure it relaxes us. If we do it repeatedly, it calms us down, way down. Then I would draw us all with very large ears. The symbol of listening. The introverts would be holding the talking stick. And, our children would be in our midst and part of our conversations. New life for me would be a transformation on how we listen to each other. Just as we are learning in our adult education series Dismantling White Privilege. It begins with listening to our friends of color. What is their experience? How do we unknowingly and knowingly add pain to their lives? So, too, we need to listen deeply to each other even when we disagree. What if we began all congregational discussions doing a few yoga poses together, taking deep breaths? MJ in his work to gain the trust of rebel leaders said, You can always listen. You can always listen to people who want a chance to talk about how they see the world. Our friend, adapting to her new life, was recently sitting at our dining room table again. Six months post-surgery for a liver transplant. The gift from a family who had lost a loved one. Her story of life coming from the valley of death. We try to envision hope and new life from the despair and carnage in the Congo. What new life will come from that shallow grave which held MJ s lifeless body? Even when we are convinced that all is lost, even when we are ready to concede to the power of death, Jesus demonstrates that there is no loss, no tragedy, no power in heaven or on earth or under the earth, that can place us beyond the reach of God s infinite love and abundant life. In time, we gain a 5
revelation of new life that can come from these places of despair and dryness. With God s help, we, and the community, are restored. I invite you into a breathing prayer with me. Closing your eyes can be helpful in eliminating distractions. A Lenten Prayer [Together let us ] Breathe in love, life, mercy Breathe out worry, fear, anxiety Breathe in peace, hope Breathe out busyness, selfishness, greed Breathe in hope, Breathe out despair AMEN. Adapted from Saint Mark s Episcopal Cathedral on Loring Park Benediction ~Go, breathing deeply of the Spirit who infuses life into all that is lifeless. Go enlivened, invigorated, and refreshed. Amen. 6