This Sunday is the 5th Sunday in Lent. Many will face it enduring impossible circumstances as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. It’s appropriate that the assigned lectionary Gospel text for this Sunday is John 11:1-45, the seemingly impossible story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It is a story of encouragement and hope to “believe in the possible, when facing the impossible.
In a Facebook post, a dear friend, the mother of the first child born under my ministry at Covenant was lamenting how this current pandemic has dashed her dream that “envision this perfect year that culminates graduation, parties, smiles, etc. It’s all changed.” Yet, she still spoke to her belief in the possible, when faced with the impossible. She wrote, “In the grand scheme of things, it’s not the end of the world. We’re both healthy (knock on wood). My folks are too, thankfully. There will be a graduation (I hope) … just later than we thought.”
The assigned text of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead can be a source of encouragement and hope to believe the possible as voiced by my friend.
The response of faith to God doing the seemingly impossible through Jesus is not a call to suspend our rationality or to refuse to use our minds. Martha is not reprimanded for being so skeptical; rather, Jesus’ call is for Martha (and us), to be open to what God can and will do if we can fit it within our accustomed ways of thinking and perception. Yes, these are certainly tough and seemingly impossible times. However, on “A Lenten Journey to Spiritual Wholeness,” we are still called to “Believe in the Possible, When Facing the Impossible.”
Join us at Covenant this 5th Sunday in Lent to worship by live stream on Covenant’s Facebook Page or YouTube. Part 5 of our Lenten sermon series will be “Believe in the Possible, When Facing the Impossible” based on John 11:1-45.
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