Rev. Ryan's Weekly Reflection

LENT AT ALTADORE CHURCH, C 2022

This past Sunday, on Lent 2, we listened to and learned of the 7th and final sign of Jesus in the gospel of John. It's a story that then leads into Jesus' journey to the cross. It's a story of resurrection where Jesus is faced with his mortality and the mortality of all humanity. And his response is to weep. . . to lament alongside his best friends.

But the story of Lazarus' death, will not at this point, end in death!
When Jesus is around. . . when Jesus abides with us, dead and dark spaces don't stay dead!
Jesus says: "I AM. . . the resurrection and the life."

I encouraged us to pause. . . and sit with. . . the dark spaces and dimly lit spaces in our lives.
Those places where we cry out to the Lord and say: "If only you were here, Jesus, it wouldn't have happened!"

The promise in this story from John 11 is that Jesus abides with us. 
And he longs to bring life and light into our dark and dimly-lit spaces.

May the prayer below, be a way for us to pray and sense Jesus' presence, in the midst of these somber and sometimes dark days of the Lenten journey:

Lord Jesus
Sometimes it feels like you are so far away
And for some reason. . . delaying your arrival

We become anxious, perhaps even angry
We’re hurt. . . and can’t believe you would do this to us.

So we stand alongside Martha and Mary
And we seek to live into and out of today’s story. . .

Help us see.

Help us trust.

Companion with us

And if need be. . . weep with us.

And as we journey with you
in these Lenten days. . .

May we receive. . . and live out for others
Your compassion, your consolation,
Your light, your love and your tender mercy.
Amen.