Introduction
The theme for this week comes from Jesus’ resurrection of Lazarus in John chapter 11. Our first scripture reading comes form Ezekiel’s vision of a valley of death and dry bones coming back to life. As the vaccinations continue to roll out, and our numbers trend in the positive direction, many of us are beginning to feel hopeful about our future. There is new life bubbling up. Jesus is in the business of creating, recreating, and ushering each of us into life in him. Let us begin our worship!
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 37:4-6
Call to Worship + Opening Prayer (Adapted from Rev. Elizabeth Dilley)
The prophet asks: Can our soul-weary bones live again?
O God, you know!
We ask: Can we dance again after mourning, loss and grief?
O God, you know!
The gift is sure and unmistakable:
God’s breath poured out as new life for weary souls!
Let us celebrate the gift of God’s new life,
And come to worship God in laughter and dancing!
Compassionate God,
the wind of your Spirit is the very sign of life
for all who long for you.
One breath from you and we are rescued
from the arid valley of dry bones,
given muscles and sinews and joy with which to praise you,
and filled with the holy hope you grant to all your faithful children.
Let our whole lives be filled with the life-breath of the Spirit,
that what has lain dormant may burst into bloom,
and what looks to us to be death
may be revealed as but sleep
before the emergence of new life. Amen.
Song – Aint No Grave
Prayer of Intercession
O God, who always listens to us,
who breathes new life into us,
call us forward to resurrection.
We are surrounded by a world of dry bones,
a world of death and despair,
a world where we lose hope in our structures, ourselves, and you.
We pray for this world in need of your Word:
for all the people in it . . .
for those who lay down their lives . . .
for those who lead . . .
Silence
O God, who always listens to us,
who breathes new life into us,
call us forward to resurrection.
We are surrounded by people with dried up lives,
people unable to see your life past their tears.
We pray for this world in need of your healing presence:
for those who are imprisoned or alone,
those ill or infirm, or grieving, especially . . .
Silence
O God, who always listens to us,
who breathes new life into us,
call us forward to resurrection.
We are spellbound by those dry bones,
terrified of the stink of death,
and often too dumbfounded to call forth life in your name.
We pray for your Church . . .
We pray for the courage not just to follow you to death,
but to follow you to the New Creation.
Silence
O God, who always listens to us,
who breathes new life into us,
call us forward to resurrection.
Call us to follow in the footsteps of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior,
who taught us when we pray to say…
Lord’s Prayer
Scripture Reading – John 11:1-44 (ESV)
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Sermon
Prayer
Lord, you weep with us because you understand loss, pain, grief, and sincere morning. We praise you for your empathy and understanding. Lord, your power is on display every single time a beloved one is resurrected into your presence. We praise you for your power, majesty, and defeat of death. Help us be empathetic towards others, modeling your behavior. And help us bear witness to your grand character, and to proclaim the good news that is life in you. Amen.
Song – Rise Up
Benediction
Jesus, you are our life and resurrection. We believe in you and you alone. Amen
