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| Image by Ian Sane |
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A Greeting
O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you
(Psalm 63:1)
A Reading
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
(John 12:1-3)
Music
Meditative Verse
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46:1)
A Prayer
Thank you, Holy and Mighty One, for the many gifts of your love, even for the painful gift of fear which reminds me that only you are God. Into the mystery of your love I entrust myself. Dress me in the armor of your light and keep me safe; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
- from "Prayers for Difficult Times", found on gracecathedral.org
Verse for the Day
When you give to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
(Psalm 104:28)
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| Image by Seyed Mostafa Zamani |
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In today’s reading, Jesus has gathered with his friends at Bethany to celebrate the healing of Lazarus. Mary, Martha and Lazarus are all present and the story of Mary's effusive anointing of Jesus will soon take over this gospel narrative. These people and this moment are the frame for a journey we too will make this week as we in Canada prepare for Thanksgiving. Like the darkness of our own times, the feast at Bethany is clouded with uncertainties. It is six days before Passover and in the next day, Jesus will enter Jerusalem. The healing of Lazarus will be the miracle that incites the authorities to pursue Jesus. Throughout the events of Holy Week, Jesus will come and go from the home of his friends: he will live with them and be sustained by them. How can the friendship of Jesus, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, meet us in our own lives? We too gather and plan our holiday meals amid tensions in our own lives and in the life of the world. As we stand in line at the grocery store or wait to pick up a youngster from hockey practice, we worry about elections and the implications of climate change, the loved ones who are unwell, the relationships that have broken, the dear ones who have died since last Thanksgiving. Coming together around a table was in Jesus’ time — and is now — a reckoning of our spiritual well being, but it is also a sanctuary from events that overwhelm us and from the fears we carry. A few days after the meal in Bethany, Jesus will celebrate at another table where he will encourage the disciples to gather regularly and recall his life with bread and wine. The Eucharist is the feast that Christians build their lives around, but people of all traditions and faiths gather at tables for a harvest celebration, in gratitude for the abundance of their lives. Having gratitude means being in the present moment, and the present moment is the place where Jesus always is. When we feel grateful, we are reminded of the promises of abundance that come to us in many sacred texts. From now until Sunday, we will join Jesus, Mary, Martha and Lazarus around the table at Bethany, even as we prepare our own tables. We will be reminded of the perfect love of Jesus. We will try to teach ourselves how to give thanks for what challenges us, as well as that which brings us joy. We will feel the deep blessing that comes from any and all love, especially the love that flows from Jesus’ love for us. How are you preparing yourself for a harvest of spirit? What are the blessings of joy and challenge that you will name privately in the quiet of your heart, or speak openly in grace at the table?
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LC† Gathered at the Table is a project of
Lutherans Connect / Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto,
supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
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