On Sunday, we gathered for worship and to have our annual congregational meeting after worship. Given all of this, there was a necessary efficiency to what we did, but I do not feel that we were rushed or unreflective. As we continued our month-long celebration of ministry, we showed appreciation to our board officers and the chairpersons of our ministries and committees -- always a good thing.
The sermon continued our study of the Gospel of John -- "Come and See: The Promise of Following Jesus." This week, we considered one of the most emotionally powerful instances of "come and see" in John, when these words are spoken to Jesus outside the tomb of Lazarus. Hearing these words, spoken by grieving friends and family members coping with loss, Jesus wept. Here, then, is a very different way of seeing Jesus -- not only as one who offers a completely different vision of how life can be (one who challenges and transforms our expectations), but as God being with us in our challenges and times of suffering and grief. Here we see a Messiah who knows the promise of what lies beyond this life and yet who still can be fully with us in the broken times of this life, even in "The Curse of Death."
If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you would like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.
You can also listen to the communion meditation and the benediction, which continued the exploration of this form of God's presence in our lives.
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