Death doesn’t have to equal the end

The Lectionary texts for this week all seem to revolve around death and resurrection, which makes them especially appropriate for Lent I suppose. As I reflected on them the more I came to see a theme of death as ending; not death as the end of life but rather death as a metaphor for the end of . . . anything, including hope.*

This reflection led me further to look at resurrection more broadly than the miraculous restoration of life to a corpse, or even a field of bones, but resurrection as the recovery of hope. I have mentioned now and then that I don’t preach from a full manuscript and usually not even from notes but this week I jotted down a couple of things that I wanted to work in somehow:

So just because something looks like it is dead it doesn’t mean it is

God can bring life out of anything — despair, fear, anything!

We often find ourselves looking at our plans and dreams as if they are dead, and, in our terms they are, but are they in God’s? Ezekiel’s experience, whether a vision or a literal relating of experience, should help us to remember that God can bring life out of anything, and if he can restore life to a bunch of bones, just think what he can do to those hopes and dreams you think are dead.

Knox Presbyterian Dead? Maybe, maybe not

St. Mark’s Presbyterian Dead? Maybe, maybe not

I hope you enjoy these two sermons, they vary a bit more than sometimes but they are both intended to be encouragements to us all that just because something looks dead . . . well it might not be to God.

Blessings,

*Please note that I did not make a joke using “dead end” at this point, even though I was sorely tempted.