5th Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 5th Sunday in Lent are:

1. Ezekiel 37: 12-14
2. Psalms 130: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
3. Romans 8: 8-11
4. John 11: 1-45

• Settled, yet not complacent
• Here in the United States, we often hear from missionaries how lucky we are.  It's easy to take the abundance, comfort, security that we enjoy for granted, and forget the simple fact that so much of our world is in utter turmoil.
• Can you think of any daily practices that would deepen your appreciation of your blessings, all of them?
• If your appreciation and gratitude towards God were to steadily deepen, where might that lead you?

• Trusting is hard to do
• If you had to list ten things that you trust God to do for you, what might those be?
• If Jesus were here today, what would He say to your list?
• What would you like to be able to trust God for?

• Pleasing God
• Do you think that God is pleased with you?
• How is it that you know what pleases God?
• Does any of that change over time?
• How do you find out what would please God?

• Let us go to die with Him
• I've always been intrigued by Thomas in this passage.  Jesus announces that they are going back to Judea and I can imagine Thomas shrugging his shoulders, spreading his hand in resignation, and saying "Let us also go to die with him."  Fatalistic, flawed, familiar.
• Do you think that Jesus demands perfect faith from us?
• Do you think that this sort of indifference can be a blessing?
• How can we be more like Thomas?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What in my life needs to be rescued?
2. What is God calling me to trust Him for?
3. How am I seeking to please God today?
4. How am I showing the glory of God to those around me?

Sacred Listening

Problem solver, fixer of the broken, figuring out the puzzle
Any of those would fit well on my headstone.
None of them is particularly helpful in a crisis.

But that's all that I can come up with sometimes
When another wants to share their hurt with me.
And I've learned sometimes silence is my best gift.

Silence and presence, oh, and patience.
Total commitment of all that I am
To this time and place, this here and now

So that I can share their burden
Share myself
Offer strength out of my weakness.

We see Jesus, strong, focused, full of courage,
And yet He draws comfort from his disciples
As they journey together to His death.

I wonder whether I would have been any more help
Had I been there.
Or if I would have been just as confused as the rest.

Either way, I still think that Jesus is looking for companions
To be there for Him
To companion Him.

It's hard to tell what use I'll be,
But maybe it's in the lack of any utility
That I can be the greatest help and comfort.

Jesus, I don't know why you want me by your side,
I don't know what I'll be adding to the equation,
But I'll give it a try.  I just hope that's enough.
Shalom!