Sunday's Coming

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Sunday's Coming

Sunday, March 29 , 2020

The Lectionary continues its series of lengthy passages and great stories on this, the fifth Sunday in Lent. John's Gospel (11:1-48) tells the story of Lazarus, his grief-stricken sisters, their plea to Jesus, Jesus' own grief and prayer and plea to God, Lazarus' grand exit from the tomb and the onlookers' astonished belief. Where can we turn for new, God-given life this week as we “shelter in place?”

Our own rather grim reality is ever widening social distancing, increased shelter in place orders, and many more people getting sick, some of whom will not survive. Layoffs are massive as businesses shut down, anxiety heightens, and the panicked shopping continues. An end of this public health crisis is nowhere on the horizon. What we need is a glimpse of Easter, a foreshadowing of hope, and a sure cause for rejoicing. Our reality, however, is that we will likely not mark Holy Week or celebrate Easter in our sanctuary this year. (Stay tuned and plan to join us online!) Just as Lazarus comes bounding out of the tomb in our story, nothing will prevent Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and his living, breathing exit from the tomb. Nothing.

In the meantime, Jill Duffield (Outlook Lectionary Study, 3-23-20) tells us that “In this in between time, we must weep with those who weep, mourn the mounting communal losses together, call on Jesus for help and pray to our Creator in hope.”

My conversations with folks “in the know” suggest that this time of incongruity will not be brief. California is about two weeks behind New York in its relationship to corona virus. We will see the short-term future sequestered in our homes and looking at a screen. I hope our social distancing and the upending that comes with it, flattens the curve and interrupts the rapid spread of COVID-19, but experts seem to think we should have been doing this weeks ago. As we call for Jesus to come and worry that he is too late in arriving, just like Mary and Martha, we are called to live in hope, trusting that because of Easter, death, evil, sin and suffering never have the last word. May it be so!

Please “join” us for worship online this Sunday at www.firstpresencino.org

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