St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church - Elizabeth, NJ

​
​
  • Home
  • Welcome
    • History >
      • Historical Sizzle
    • I'm New
    • Let's Get Acquainted
    • Rev. Canon Andy J. Moore
    • Leadership
    • Mission
    • Habits of Grace: Prayer into Action
    • Bishop Curry Who is my Neighbor >
      • Bishop Curry
    • Make a Gift
    • Services
    • Gallery >
      • May 7 Covid-19 Testing
      • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala >
        • 25th Years of Priesthood Gala
        • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala
      • Harvest Sunday
      • Sunday School Father's Day 19
      • Men's Club Community Flea Mkt
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Thankgiving Baskets
      • Celebration for High School Gradates
      • Homecoming 2018 >
        • Homecoming
      • Music in the Garden
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Sunday School Youth Sunday
      • Maundy Thursday
      • Christmas Mass St. Elizabeth's
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Frist Presbyterian
      • Feast of All Saints
      • Sanctuary Sunday 2017
      • International Food Festival
  • Get Involved
    • Sunday School >
      • Sunday School Lift Ev'ry Voice
      • Black History - MLK
      • Sunday School Black History
      • Sunday School Black History ii
      • Youth Ministry
    • ESL Cerificate of Achievement
    • Computer Literacy
    • Episcopal Church Women
    • Mens Club
    • Outreach
  • Hall Rental
  • Calendar
    • News & Events >
      • Bishop Curry Easter 2022
      • Bishop Chip Heart of The Matter
      • Bishop Curry Address the Nation 1/6
      • Bishop Curry Christmas Message
      • Christmas Poinsettias
      • Advent Worship Services
      • ECS Sunday - Bishop Chip
      • Bishop Chip COVID-19 Testing
  • Contact
  • Realm E-Giving Launch
  • Living Like Job
  • it's Friday....but Sunday Comin!!
  • Bishop Curry
  • Past Masses
    • Zoom Service Aug 23rd, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 16th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 9th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 2nd, 2020
  • Lenten Sermons 2021
  • Thanksgiving Basket Nov 22nd
  • New Page
  • Home
  • Welcome
    • History >
      • Historical Sizzle
    • I'm New
    • Let's Get Acquainted
    • Rev. Canon Andy J. Moore
    • Leadership
    • Mission
    • Habits of Grace: Prayer into Action
    • Bishop Curry Who is my Neighbor >
      • Bishop Curry
    • Make a Gift
    • Services
    • Gallery >
      • May 7 Covid-19 Testing
      • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala >
        • 25th Years of Priesthood Gala
        • 25 Years of Priesthood Gala
      • Harvest Sunday
      • Sunday School Father's Day 19
      • Men's Club Community Flea Mkt
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Thankgiving Baskets
      • Celebration for High School Gradates
      • Homecoming 2018 >
        • Homecoming
      • Music in the Garden
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Mother's Day 2018
      • Sunday School Youth Sunday
      • Maundy Thursday
      • Christmas Mass St. Elizabeth's
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Christmas Eve Mass
      • Community Christmas Party
      • Frist Presbyterian
      • Feast of All Saints
      • Sanctuary Sunday 2017
      • International Food Festival
  • Get Involved
    • Sunday School >
      • Sunday School Lift Ev'ry Voice
      • Black History - MLK
      • Sunday School Black History
      • Sunday School Black History ii
      • Youth Ministry
    • ESL Cerificate of Achievement
    • Computer Literacy
    • Episcopal Church Women
    • Mens Club
    • Outreach
  • Hall Rental
  • Calendar
    • News & Events >
      • Bishop Curry Easter 2022
      • Bishop Chip Heart of The Matter
      • Bishop Curry Address the Nation 1/6
      • Bishop Curry Christmas Message
      • Christmas Poinsettias
      • Advent Worship Services
      • ECS Sunday - Bishop Chip
      • Bishop Chip COVID-19 Testing
  • Contact
  • Realm E-Giving Launch
  • Living Like Job
  • it's Friday....but Sunday Comin!!
  • Bishop Curry
  • Past Masses
    • Zoom Service Aug 23rd, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 16th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 9th, 2020
    • Zoom Service Aug 2nd, 2020
  • Lenten Sermons 2021
  • Thanksgiving Basket Nov 22nd
  • New Page

Unwrap Lazarus

3/28/2020

0 Comments

 
​John11:43 & 44 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

One of the joys of being an Episcopalian is the centrality of the Holy Bible to our faith. Through the lectionary we are able to read almost all of scripture in a three-year cycle. Thus, when we encounter the readings for today, which seem so poignant for these present moments, it leaves one only relishing in the scripture’s normality. Who would ever believe we would, at any time, yearn for the things we have often overlooked or condemned as boring?

With the increasing restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of the Covid-19 virus, we yearn for the mundane activities of working, walking, going to church and even buying toilet paper. The lectionary in its normality reminds us time, as all other things do, lies in the Hands of God. The readings are filled with the theme of life after death and dried bones being reconstituted into living bodies. St. Paul challenges the Church in Rome to look beyond any prevailing scenario of death to envision new life, “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

Faith is knowing that Jesus has the power to reach beyond the limits of human limitations and our deepest fears to proclaim the presence and power of God.  “Lazarus come forth!” is not a request or a magical potion, but a bold proclamation of the ultimate power of God, which Christian faith declares Jesus was its very embodiment.

At the death of Lazarus, the lives of Martha and Mary and many of his friends were changed forever. They could not envisage life beyond their prevailing grief.  Many of us are presently wrapped in a similar pall as we face the wrath of an illness that fails to respect our artificial barriers of race, color, creed, wealth or  power.  For many, the world has stopped and for us in the Church, we are in deep spiritual crisis.

In the Lazarus story, Jesus, in many ways, is declaring many things are now dead; a culture, which sidelined faith, family and friends for temporal material gain, is dead! A church, which was more fascinated by its power, buildings and schisms than its service to God and humanity, is now dead! Family structures built on past loves and broken dreams while immunizing itself with alcohol, drugs, and indifference is now dead!

This is now our moment in which we can stands still and hear the words of Jesus’ clarion call, “Lazarus come forth!” These are echoes of God’s act of creation when He declared, “Let there be light!”, or the same power which moved over the Red Sea and made a gateway from slavery to freedom; from death to life.

The question before us today, as Jesus invites us to approach what was declared dead.  Are, we going to stand still and weep over the past or run away in fear? Or, are we bold enough to encounter, to reach out, to grasp the new life being offered and unwrap it? To be continued….

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rev. Canon, Andy Moore 

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017

    Categories

    All
    Sermon

    RSS Feed

    Picture

St Elizabeth’s
305 N. Broad Street
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207

Weekend Service Times
Sunday: 8:00am, 10:00am
Full Schedule

Picture