4/19/09: Belonging to a Family of New Life
Posted on : Apr 23rd, 2009 | By admin | Category: This Sunday's Service
~ This Sunday’s Music ~
“This is the Day!”
With Brian Blanchard, Trumpet
“Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?”
“Open the Eyes of My Heart, God”
“Reign in Me”
“Abundant Life”
With Brian Blanchard, Trumpet
“Send Us Forth”
~For Reflection~
Dan’s sermon: “Setting One Another Free”
And Jesus said to all those gathered: “unbind him, and let him go!”
Imagine being buried alive in a tomb? In the time before “modern medicine,” that actually happened! People were buried alive! Fingernail marks have been found on the interiors of numerous coffins signifying that the person who was buried was actually buried alive!!! The custom of holding a “wake” was originally not an excuse to drown your sorrow in alcohol, but actually came from the need to have someone present with one who “had died” to see if there were any signs of them “awakening.”
Today it would be pretty difficult to bury someone alive but I am ever so aware that it is oftentimes easier to be buried that it is to rise up into new life. Sometimes we bury ourselves by locking ourselves in the past, but always seeking “the safe” or that which is “comfortable” instead of taking risks or challenging ourselves. Sometimes we let our own insecurities or past hurts bury us with guilt or immobilize us from moving on. And sometimes church or society buries us.
For 30 years, from 1977-2007 we hosted a ministry project here at church called “The Lazarus Project.” The Lazarus Project was a ministry of education, reconciliation and advocacy on behalf of and for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Christians. The ministry of the project was based on the Gospel for this Sunday – the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
In this story, Jesus, Mary, Martha and Lazarus function as a family. Whenever Jesus was in Bethany (which was a town near Jerusalem) Jesus stayed with Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Together with Jesus, they became what we today would call “a family of choice.” In this story, Lazarus dies and as soon as word reached Jesus, Jesus came to be with his family. Jesus is deeply moved by Lazarus’ death and Mary and Martha’s grief. His response has gone down in history as “the shortest verse in the Bible” and one of the most profound. The gospel says, “Jesus wept.”
But then the story takes a most interesting turn. Jesus went to the tomb and asked those who had gathered to mourn, to instead take away the stone that sealed the tomb. With a loud voice, Jesus shouted: “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The reason Lazarus became “the patron saint” of our ministry project with, and on behalf of, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people is obvious. It was the call to “come out” of the tomb of shame and fear, to come out of the tomb of religious and social oppression, and live the fullness of life. That message is not only for GLBT persons, but for everyone. But what is often missed in this story is that it is not just about Jesus and Lazarus. It is about “all of us together.” The Community that gathered is “called” to “take away the stone” and “unbind Lazarus and let him go!”
In the next few weeks, Kobie and I will be focusing our worship services on the communal invitation and responsibility to be a family of NEW LIFE with and for one another. We need to belong to a family that embraces new life to set one another free from all that “binds us or holds us back.”
This Sunday as we “look” at this story we’ll also be looking at our dear friend, artist John August Swanson’s painting, “Take Away the Stone.” John is the artist whose work is on the outside wall and front wall of our sanctuary! In his own reflection on his artistic creation, John wrote:
One can see parallels between the constriction of the bindings that covered Lazarus in the tomb and our tendency to narrow our vision of life. It is important to be called out of the tomb, to be liberated, to be alive. As H.G. Wells wrote, “We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and a mystery.” We spend too much of our lives just plodding along day after day, with no sense of meaning or purpose, no capacity to respond to all that degrades and destroys life.
The story of Lazarus challenges us to listen for that voice that breaks into the cruel silence of this world. It says to all creation, “Come alive again!” saying, “It’s not too late. Come out. And leave the tomb behind.” Leave behind the fear of death and defeat, leave behind the fear of life and change. Let us join together and unbind one another through acts of compassion, justice and peace, so that we are all set free to live and share the miracles and mysteries that life offers us all.
And it is the voice of one who loves us that gives us the strength and courage to come forth and live again.
~ John August Swanson, December, 2005
Easter Blessings, Dan
~This Sunday’s Scriptures~
John 11: 17-45
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha with whom Jesus stayed when in the town of Bethany. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the town’s women had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother (as was their religious custom).
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; those who believe in me, though they die, they shall live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Martha said to Jesus, “Yes, I believe that you are the Christ, the Child of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
When Martha had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when Mary heard it, she rose quickly and went to Jesus. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the women, 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. Then Mary, when she came and saw Jesus, fell at his feet, and said, “If you had been here, my bother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and those who came with her also weeping, he was indignant in spirit and troubled, and said, “Where have you laid Lazarus?” They answered, “Come and see.” Jesus wept. Those who were with them said, “See how Jesus loved Lazarus!”
Then Jesus came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the one who had died, said to Jesus, “By this time there will be an odor, for Lazarus has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked up and said, “God, I thank you that you have heard me.” Having said this, Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
~ Announcements ~
20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards
Honoring Bishop Robinson
THIS Saturday, April 18, 7pm
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will award outstanding representations of the LGBT community in news and entertainment media at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for his work to raise visibility for LGBT-inclusive voices of faith. Comedian Kathy Griffin and the cast and creator of The L Word will also receive Special Honors.
Join host Miss Coco Peru and special guests including Jessica Alba, Dustin Lance Black, Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi, Teri Hatcher, Cleve Jones, T.R. Knight, Megan Mullally, George Takei and Gus Van Sant to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the GLAAD Media Awards!
April 18, 2009. 7:00pm-9:00pm
Nokia Theater at LA Live
777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
Tickets $50
For more information
call (877-519-7904).
Visit GLAAD for a list of nominees, guests and ticket information.
~ Sack Lunch Packing ~
We have been giving out approximately TWICE as many lunches this year as we did at this time last year. As a result, we need to pack them twice as often. So yes, it’s time again! If you can come a little early for worship THIS Sunday, April 19th, you can help with this important ministry to the hungry people in our neighborhood.
They greatly appreciate this service!
~ Bible Study ~
Our Bible Study will meet again THIS Sunday, April 19th at 9:30 in Kobie’s office. This is an “open” group; each week’s lesson stands alone, so you needn’t stay away, just because you missed the last one! We will be looking at the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9.
CHECK IT OUT! This is not your mama’s Bible Study!!
Creating a Family:
A Half-Day Conference
for Prospective LGBT Parents
Thinking about starting a family but don’t know where to start? Learn about the various ways to create a family through intensive workshops on adoption and foster care, insemination and surrogacy. Get your questions answered by experts in the field of LGBT family creation and leave with resources that will help guide you on your journey to parenthood.
Saturday, April 25
8:30-11:45 a.m.
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza
1125 N. McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038
To RSVP
please call Amanda at 323-860-7320
or send e-mail to Family Services
For more info, click here to view the event flyer.
The California Church IMPACT Ballot Guide
for the May 19 Special Election is Now Online
Dear Friends:
California Church IMPACT has its May 19 Special Election ballot guide online. In light of several factors – the persistent structural budget problems; the existence of several billion dollars to be gleaned from additional taxes already in the budget for the remainder of this year and the next, and the receipt of many billions for basic social programs from the federal economic stimulus, CA Church Impact has recommended voting “NO” on all measures.
To access the online version, please click here.
Celebrate
Chris Glaser
Pioneer of LGBTQ Theology
& The Lazarus Project
a 30-year ministry among LGBTQ people
The author of many groundbreaking works including Uncommon Calling – A Gay Christian’s Struggle to Serve the Church and Coming Out as Sacrament, Chris is one of the most prophetic voices in LBGTQ theology and spirituality today.
Come celebrate Chris’ ongoing ministry and the reception of the Glaser/Lazarus Project Archives into the CLGS Archives.
Featured Speakers
Chris Glaser
Linda Culbertson
Jim Mitulski
Dan Smith
Janie Spahr