I haven't written in here for a while. Lots going on. Had a young adult clergy retreat this last weekend and really really enjoyed being with other young pastors and just hanging out. It was good to veg for a while.
The whole sermon thing is starting to feel like homework. Especially this week. I feel like I am back in theology class having to write my christology/soteriology/resurrection-ology. I honestly don't remember ever having to preach an easter/resurrection sermon before... well - except at the two funerals that I have done already. And as I work this week with the raising of Lazarus and then think about Easter in two weeks, my mind is just stuck. What do I want to say about resurrection? Or more importantly, what I have I experienced in my life that is resurrection? I'm still a young person. And there have been a few bumps in the road... but I don't know that I have had a real resurrection experience. Everything I try to draw upon feels too fluffy and sappy and cheesy to work. To really connect with the lives of people in my congregation.
This week, I really am thinking hard about how this moment in John's gospel is really the beginning of Christ's passion. Raising Lazarus is what signs his death warrant here. And he comes so close to Jerusalem in order to do so. From here on out, we know how the story goes. I really want to include some of that tension and pain and passion in with this week. Especially since next week we are doing a sort of lessons and hymns and recalling the whole palm/passion story.
I just feel stuck. Not quite sure what direction I want to take. And instead of really sitting with it, I'm letting myself get distracted (I'm getting excited for Grey's Anatomy coming back... even though I still have a month and a half to wait! The old episodes, my dvds, are calling my name).
I stayed home sick on monday and watched the last temptation of christ (while moaning periodically - sinus pain = my own passion?) anyway, what you just said about raising lazarus as the turning point really comes to life in that film. there's a scene where these priests come and knife lazarus in the guts and someone comments that he could never have lived since he was the irrefutable proof of christ's power over death. so for john the defeat of death is the point. i'm always inspired by easter sermons with lots of imagery from nature - the green blade riseth et al. especially for people with seasonal depression its good. and paul slentz always liked to use easter to teach about the church year - comparing with christmas and pointing forward to pentecost. anyway, good luck! i miss you!
ReplyDeletev
I'd be interested in hearing about your "salvaged faith". Is that a resurrection story? Or is there another story hidden somewhere inside you.....
ReplyDeleteMiss you.
i hadn't read your comment val until this week - and ironically we did use "now the green blade riseth" as our middle hymn. and since the reading was so long (45 verses) we split up the reading and did a stanza of the song in between. it was pretty amazing!
ReplyDeleteas I look forward to next week and easter, i'm really thinking about nature as well. we have been stuck in this wintery blah-land for so long... and any sign of new life in our midst is such a cause for celebration!!!