Staying with the Void

for March 22, 2026

Before Worship Begins

Staying with What is Missing

In life, we experience all kinds of voids—places where something is missing, where love used to be, where loss has left an empty space. Mary and Martha knew that void when Lazarus died. It was deep. It was wide.

Before worship begins, take a quiet moment to notice one empty place in your own life. Name it with a word or short phrase—silently, without explaining it.

We cannot rush to fill every void. Some losses do not resolve quickly. Some pains do not have fixes. The emptiness is real.

And yet God meets us here—not with false hope, and not with despair, but with presence. Today we seek wholeness and God’s shalom together.

If you feel uncomfortable, simply stay with the discomfort. If you feel anxious, you are not alone. Take one slow breath, and pray quietly:

“God, I am here. Stay with me.”

Opening Prayer

Staying with What is Missing

God of mercy,

Stay with us.

We come carrying empty places—

losses we cannot undo, questions we cannot resolve.

We come with grief we can name, and grief we cannot—

and we do not ask for quick fixes.

Meet us in the void,

where we feel unfinished and unsure.

When we are tempted to rush past what hurts,

slow us down.

When we are tempted to numb what is true,

wake us gently.

When we are tempted to despair,

hold us in your steady love.

Breathe your Spirit into what feels dry in us—

bring life where we cannot.

Make us a people of presence—

staying with you, and staying with one another.

Lead us toward your wholeness, your shalom—

through Jesus Christ, who wept with friends and stayed to the end.

And all God’s people said,

Amen.

Grace Spoken

Grace for the Empty Places

From the depths, we cry to the Lord—

and the Lord does not turn away.

Hear the promise held near the end of this psalm:

with the Lord there is steadfast love,

and with the Lord there is plentiful redemption.

God does not ration mercy.

God does not grow tired of forgiving.

God’s love is stronger than what we have lost,

and God’s redemption reaches deeper than our emptiness.

So we do not pretend the void is small,

and we do not surrender to it.

We wait, we hope, and we stay—

because the Lord is faithful.

Let us read Psalm 130 together.

I will read the odd-numbered verses; please join me on the even-numbered verses.

Psalm 130

A Song of Ascents

1Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
2Lord, hear my voice!
  Let your ears be attentive
  to the sound of my pleas for mercy.
3If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
  Lord, who could stand?
4But with you there is forgiveness,
  so that you may be held in awe.
5I wait for the LORD; my whole being waits,
  and in the LORD’s word I hope.
6My whole being waits for the Lord
  more than those who watch for the morning,
  more than those who watch for the morning.
7O Israel, hope in the LORD!
  For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
  and with the LORD is plentiful redemption.
8The LORD will redeem Israel
  from all its iniquities.

Notes

v01“Out of the depths” — A prayer from disorientation and overwhelm; faith begins here with honest address, not composed strength.
v02“pleas for mercy” — The psalm is not bargaining or proving worth; it is sheer dependence on the Lord’s compassion.
v03“mark iniquities” — If God keeps a strict ledger of guilt, no one can endure; the question dismantles self-justification.
v04“with you there is forgiveness… held in awe” — Forgiveness does not minimize God; it deepens reverence. Grace produces worship, not casualness.
v05“in the LORD’s word I hope” — Hope is anchored in God’s promise and character, not in improved circumstances or inner positivity.
v06“more than those who watch for the morning” — Waiting is active and aching; the repetition underlines urgency and long endurance.
v07“steadfast love… plentiful redemption” — The ground of communal hope is covenant love and an abundance of rescue, not scarcity or reluctance in God.
v08“from all its iniquities” — The deepest deliverance is moral and spiritual renewal; redemption reaches beyond external threat to the roots of brokenness.

Vocabulary

v01מַעֲמַקִּים (maʿamaqim) — depths; deep places
v01קָרָא (qara) — to call; to cry out
v02תְּחִנּוּנִים (teḥinnunim) — pleas; supplications for mercy
v03עָוֹן (ʿavon) — iniquity; guilt; twisted wrongdoing
v03שָׁמַר (shamar) — to keep; to watch; to mark/observe (context)
v03עָמַד (ʿamad) — to stand; to endure
v04סְלִיחָה (seliḥah) — forgiveness; pardon
v04יָרֵא (yare) — to fear; to hold in awe; reverence
v05קָוָה (qavah) — to wait for; to hope in
v05דָּבָר (davar) — word; promise; matter
v06שָׁמַר (shamar) — to watch; to keep vigil
v07חֶסֶד (ḥesed) — steadfast love; covenant loyalty
v07פְּדוּת (pedut) — redemption; ransom; release
v08גָּאַל (ga’al) — to redeem; to reclaim as kin-redeemer

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

Responding to God’s Grace

Confessing our Hurry

God of steadfast love,

we confess that we do not wait well.

When the void opens in our lives,

we rush to fill it—

with noise, with control, with distractions,

with explanations that are too small for our grief.

We confess the ways we have avoided what is true,

and the ways we have withdrawn from one another

when pain feels awkward or heavy.

Forgive us for our impatience.

Forgive us for the false strength we try to manufacture.

Teach us to stay—

to cry out from the depths,

to wait for you,

and to trust your plentiful redemption.

(Silence is kept.)

Breathe your Spirit into what is dry in us.

Unbind us from fear and despair.

Lead us toward your wholeness, your shalom,

through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sharing the Peace of Christ

An Embodied Sign of God’s Grace in Christ Jesus

Because Christ sits with us in every void, knowing our pain, experiencing our heart arch, and picking up our sin, we are at peace with God and one another..

The peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

(Share Christ’s peace in ways fitting to your community.)

The Written Word

Life Spoken Into the Void

Hebrew Scripture

Ezekiel 37:1–14

The Valley of Dry Bones

1The LORD’s hand was upon me, and the LORD brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2The LORD led me around among them; and look—there were very many on the surface of the valley, and look—they were very dry. 3And the LORD said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” And I said, “Lord GOD, you know.”
4Then the LORD said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Look—I am about to bring breath into you, and you shall live. 6And I will set sinews upon you, and will bring flesh upon you, and will cover you with skin, and will put breath in you, and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and look—a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and look—sinews were on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
9Then the LORD said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as the LORD commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet—an exceedingly great army.
11Then the LORD said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look—they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: Look—I am about to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live; and I will set you upon your own soil. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD.”

The Valley of Dry Bones

1The LORD’s hand was upon me, and the LORD brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2The LORD led me around among them; and look—there were very many on the surface of the valley, and look—they were very dry. 3And the LORD said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” And I said, “Lord GOD, you know.”
4Then the LORD said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Look—I am about to bring breath into you, and you shall live. 6And I will set sinews upon you, and will bring flesh upon you, and will cover you with skin, and will put breath in you, and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and look—a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and look—sinews were on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
9Then the LORD said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as the LORD commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet—an exceedingly great army.
11Then the LORD said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look—they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: Look—I am about to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live; and I will set you upon your own soil. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD.”

Notes

v01“the LORD brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD” — Ezekiel’s vision is not self-generated; the scene is a Spirit-led unveiling meant to reshape hope, not entertain curiosity.
v03“Mortal, can these bones live?” — The question exposes the limits of human assessment; Ezekiel answers with humble restraint: only the Lord GOD knows.
v04“Prophesy… Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD” — God’s word addresses what appears beyond recovery; proclamation is directed even toward the lifeless.
v05“bring breath into you, and you shall live” — “Breath” is more than oxygen; it signals God’s life-giving power that reverses death and hopelessness.
v06“Then you shall know that I am the LORD” — This refrain frames the miracle as revelation: restoration is meant to re-form covenant recognition, not merely improve circumstances.
v08“but there was no breath in them” — A deliberate two-step: structure without Spirit is not yet life; “assembled” is not the same as “alive.”
v09“Come from the four winds… O breath” — The vision widens from a local valley to creation-scale renewal; life comes from God’s summons, not Israel’s strength.
v10“an exceedingly great army” — The point is not militarism but restored capacity: a people who could not stand now stand.
v11“Our bones are dried up… our hope is lost” — Israel’s confession names communal despair; the vision speaks to a whole people, not only individual wounds.
v12“open your graves… bring you into the land of Israel” — The imagery is resurrection-like language for national restoration from exile; God reverses what seemed final.
v14“I will put my Spirit within you… you shall live” — The climax is indwelling Spirit: restoration is relational and covenantal, not merely geographic return.
v14“Then you shall know… I have spoken, and I have done it” — God’s speech guarantees God’s action; the future is secured by divine fidelity, not human optimism.

Notes

v01“the LORD brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD” — Ezekiel’s vision is not self-generated; the scene is a Spirit-led unveiling meant to reshape hope, not entertain curiosity.
v03“Mortal, can these bones live?” — The question exposes the limits of human assessment; Ezekiel answers with humble restraint: only the Lord GOD knows.
v04“Prophesy… Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD” — God’s word addresses what appears beyond recovery; proclamation is directed even toward the lifeless.
v05“bring breath into you, and you shall live” — “Breath” is more than oxygen; it signals God’s life-giving power that reverses death and hopelessness.
v06“Then you shall know that I am the LORD” — This refrain frames the miracle as revelation: restoration is meant to re-form covenant recognition, not merely improve circumstances.
v08“but there was no breath in them” — A deliberate two-step: structure without Spirit is not yet life; “assembled” is not the same as “alive.”
v09“Come from the four winds… O breath” — The vision widens from a local valley to creation-scale renewal; life comes from God’s summons, not Israel’s strength.
v10“an exceedingly great army” — The point is not militarism but restored capacity: a people who could not stand now stand.
v11“Our bones are dried up… our hope is lost” — Israel’s confession names communal despair; the vision speaks to a whole people, not only individual wounds.
v12“open your graves… bring you into the land of Israel” — The imagery is resurrection-like language for national restoration from exile; God reverses what seemed final.
v14“I will put my Spirit within you… you shall live” — The climax is indwelling Spirit: restoration is relational and covenantal, not merely geographic return.
v14“Then you shall know… I have spoken, and I have done it” — God’s speech guarantees God’s action; the future is secured by divine fidelity, not human optimism.

Vocabulary

v01יָד (yad) — hand
v01רוּחַ (ruach) — spirit; breath; wind
v01בִּקְעָה (biq‘ah) — valley; plain
v02עֶצֶם (ʿetsem) — bone
v03בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-’adam) — mortal; human one (“son of man”)
v04נָבָא (nava) — to prophesy; to speak forth
v05רוּחַ (ruach) — breath; spirit (life given by God)
v06גִּיד (gid) — sinew; tendon
v06בָּשָׂר (basar) — flesh
v06עוֹר (ʿor) — skin
v07רַעַשׁ (raʿash) — shaking; rattling; trembling
v09רוּחַ (ruach) — wind; breath (context determines nuance)
v10חַיִל (chayil) — strength; force; army
v11תִּקְוָה (tiqvah) — hope
v11גָּזַר (gazar) — to cut off; to be severed
v12קֶבֶר (qever) — grave; tomb
v12פָּתַח (patach) — to open
v14אַדָמָה (’adamah) — soil; ground; land

Vocabulary

v01יָד (yad) — hand
v01רוּחַ (ruach) — spirit; breath; wind
v01בִּקְעָה (biq‘ah) — valley; plain
v02עֶצֶם (ʿetsem) — bone
v03בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-’adam) — mortal; human one (“son of man”)
v04נָבָא (nava) — to prophesy; to speak forth
v05רוּחַ (ruach) — breath; spirit (life given by God)
v06גִּיד (gid) — sinew; tendon
v06בָּשָׂר (basar) — flesh
v06עוֹר (ʿor) — skin
v07רַעַשׁ (raʿash) — shaking; rattling; trembling
v09רוּחַ (ruach) — wind; breath (context determines nuance)
v10חַיִל (chayil) — strength; force; army
v11תִּקְוָה (tiqvah) — hope
v11גָּזַר (gazar) — to cut off; to be severed
v12קֶבֶר (qever) — grave; tomb
v12פָּתַח (patach) — to open
v14אַדָמָה (’adamah) — soil; ground; land

Gospel Reading

John 11:17–37

“I Am the Resurrection and the Life”

17When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19And many of the Judeans had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him; but Mary remained seated in the house.
21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who trust in me, even if they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and trusts in me will never die. Do you trust this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I trust that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
28When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29And when Mary heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31So when the Judeans who were with Mary in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
32Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Judeans who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34And Jesus said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36So the Judeans said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

The Illness of Lazarus

1Now a certain man was ill—Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair—her brother Lazarus was the one who was ill. 3So the sisters sent to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one you love is ill.” 4But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Judeans were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, they do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10But if anyone walks in the night, they stumble, because the light is not in them.”
11After saying this, Jesus said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go to awaken him.” 12The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be saved.” 13Jesus had spoken about his death, but they thought he meant taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. 15And for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may come to trust. But let us go to him.” 16So Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

“I Am the Resurrection and the Life”

17When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19And many of the Judeans had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him; but Mary remained seated in the house.
21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who trust in me, even if they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and trusts in me will never die. Do you trust this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I trust that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
28When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29And when Mary heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31So when the Judeans who were with Mary in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
32Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Judeans who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34And Jesus said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36So the Judeans said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the one who had died, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you trust, you will see the glory of God?”
41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, that they may trust that you sent me.” 43When Jesus had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The one who had died came out—his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45Many of the Judeans therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, trusted in him. 46But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we doing? For this man performs many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, everyone will trust in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50Nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, than that the whole nation should perish.” 51He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation— 52and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
54Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Judeans, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

Before Passover

55Now the Passover of the Judeans was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the countryside before the Passover to purify themselves. 56They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that he will not come to the festival at all?” 57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, they should report it, so that they might arrest him.

Notes

v21–22“If you had been here…” — Grief speaks truthfully to Jesus; lament and trust are allowed to coexist in the same breath.
v25–26“I am the resurrection and the life… Do you trust this?” — The claim is personal before it is doctrinal: resurrection is not only an event, but Jesus’ own life shared.
v27“I trust that you are the Christ” — Martha’s confession is a trust-statement in the midst of unresolved pain, not after everything is fixed.
v33“deeply moved… troubled” — Jesus is not detached; he is shaken at death’s intrusion and the sorrow it causes.
v35“Jesus wept” — The shortest line carries massive weight: divine compassion is embodied, not theoretical.

Notes

v03“the one you love is ill” — The appeal is relational, not transactional; need is voiced inside love.
v04“for the glory of God… so that the Son of God may be glorified” — Glory here is not spectacle; it is God’s life-giving purpose revealed through loss and reversal.
v06“he stayed two days longer” — Jesus’ delay is not indifference; the narrative forces a deeper question of trust when God’s timing feels wrong.
v09–10“walks in the day… light… in them” — Jesus frames the journey as obedience in light; fear does not get the final vote in discernment.
v11–15“fallen asleep… Lazarus has died… so that you may come to trust” — Jesus names death plainly, yet directs the moment toward deeper trust, not denial.
v16Thomas: “Let us also go, that we may die with him” — Courage can be sincere and still incomplete; devotion mixes with misunderstanding.
v21–22“If you had been here…” — Grief speaks truthfully to Jesus; lament and trust are allowed to coexist in the same breath.
v25–26“I am the resurrection and the life… Do you trust this?” — The claim is personal before it is doctrinal: resurrection is not only an event, but Jesus’ own life shared.
v27“I trust that you are the Christ” — Martha’s confession is a trust-statement in the midst of unresolved pain, not after everything is fixed.
v33“deeply moved… troubled” — Jesus is not detached; he is shaken at death’s intrusion and the sorrow it causes.
v35“Jesus wept” — The shortest line carries massive weight: divine compassion is embodied, not theoretical.
v39“there will be a stench” — The text insists on the full reality of death; this is not a symbolic problem but a physical one.
v40“if you trust, you will see the glory of God” — Trust is positioned as the doorway to perception; glory is seen on the far side of obedience.
v41–42Jesus’ prayer — Jesus’ intimacy with the Father is public for the crowd’s sake, so that trust may be awakened in witnesses.
v44“Unbind him, and let him go” — New life often requires communal participation; liberation includes practical, embodied unbinding.
v48“everyone will trust in him” — Fear of losing power masquerades as public concern; institutions can oppose life when they feel threatened.
v51–52Caiaphas “prophesied” — The gospel exposes ironic truth: God can speak through compromised motives to announce saving purpose.
v53–54“they made plans… Jesus no longer walked openly” — The raising of Lazarus accelerates the conflict; life-giving power provokes lethal resistance.
v57“report it… arrest him” — The chapter closes with surveillance and control; the powers of death reorganize in response to the sign of life.

Vocabulary

v17μνημεῖον (mnēmeion) — tomb; memorial tomb
v19παραμυθέομαι (paramytheomai) — to console; to comfort
v25ἀνάστασις (anastasis) — resurrection; rising
v25ζωή (zōē) — life (life in its fullest sense)
v33ἐμβριμάομαι (embrimaomai) — to be deeply moved; to snort with indignation (strong inner agitation)
v35δακρύω (dakryō) — to weep; to shed tears

Vocabulary

v01ἀσθενέω (astheneō) — to be sick; to be weak
v03ἀγαπάω (agapaō) — to love (self-giving love)
v04δόξα (doxa) — glory; honor; revealed weight/brightness
v09φῶς (phōs) — light
v11κοιμάω (koimaō) — to sleep (often a metaphor for death)
v14ἀποθνῄσκω (apothnēskō) — to die
v15πιστεύω (pisteuō) — to trust; to entrust oneself
v17μνημεῖον (mnēmeion) — tomb; memorial tomb
v19παραμυθέομαι (paramytheomai) — to console; to comfort
v25ἀνάστασις (anastasis) — resurrection; rising
v25ζωή (zōē) — life (life in its fullest sense)
v33ἐμβριμάομαι (embrimaomai) — to be deeply moved; to snort with indignation (strong inner agitation)
v35δακρύω (dakryō) — to weep; to shed tears
v43κραυγάζω (kraugazō) — to cry out; to shout
v44λύω (lyō) — to loosen; to unbind; to release
v47συνέδριον (synedrion) — council; Sanhedrin
v48Ῥωμαῖοι (Rhōmaioi) — Romans
v49ἀρχιερεύς (archiereus) — high priest
v52συνάγω (synagō) — to gather together; to bring into one
v57συλλαμβάνω (syllambanō) — to seize; to arrest

Shared Reflection

An Embodied Sign of God’s Grace in Christ Jesus

These questions are not a test of faith, and they are not meant to force answers.

They are meant to help us notice the ways we perform “mature faith,” and to make room for honest presence with God and with one another.

You are free to speak, to listen, or to pass.

Let the questions do their work. Stay with what stirs.

When Mature Faith Becomes Performance

When you picture “mature faith,” what do you assume it should look like—calm, certain, able to explain—and where did you learn that expectation?

What parts of your real life do you edit out of the community of faith because they feel “too much” to bring to God or to church—grief, anger, confusion, need?

Mary and Martha pray, “Lord, if you had been here…” and Jesus does not correct them—he stays and weeps. What would change if you stopped performing composed faith and spoke to God that honestly today?

The Gap Between Performance and Presence

In John 11, Jesus does not hurry Mary and Martha past their grief—he stays, listens, and even weeps. Where in your life are you trying to move faster than Jesus?

What is the gap between the “mature faith” you feel expected to show (composed, certain, explainable) and the faith we see in this story (honest, grieving, present, still trusting)?

If the next step toward faithfulness is not more control or better answers, but simply staying—what would it look like to stay with God in one specific place you usually avoid?

Waiting as Trust

In this story, what does Jesus actually do in the face of grief—what actions show you what “faithful presence” looks like before anything is fixed?

Psalm 130 says, “I wait for the Lord.” What might it look like for you to practice waiting with God instead of rushing to explain, manage, or solve?

If “mature faith” is not having the right words, but trusting God enough to stay honest and present, what is one sentence you need to pray this week—your own version of: “Lord, if you had been here…”?

Living the Gospel Together

Practicing the Way of Jesus

John 11 does not begin with a miracle. It begins with grief, delay, and honest words spoken to Jesus.

Mary and Martha do not offer polished faith. They offer what is real: “Lord, if you had been here…”

Jesus does not rush them. He stays. He listens. He weeps. And only then does he speak life.

These practices are not about forcing hope or pretending the void is small. They are simple ways of staying with God—without performing “mature faith.”

As you are able, choose one practice this week.

Invitation 1 — Tell the Truth Without a Bow

This week, in one safe conversation, answer one question honestly without attaching a positive spin.

Choose one:

  • When someone asks, “How are you?” say one true sentence (no explanation).
  • Name one grief or fear plainly: “This has been heavy for me.”
  • Admit a limit: “I don’t have words for this yet.”

Reflection: What did it feel like to let honesty stand on its own?

Invitation 2 — Write a “Psalm 130” Note

Write a short note (or text) to someone who is waiting or grieving.

No advice. No Bible grenade. Just presence.

Use one sentence, or a variation of it:

  • “I’m with you in this.”
  • “I’m praying from the depths with you.”
  • “You don’t have to carry this alone.”

Psalm 130

A Song of Ascents

1Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
2Lord, hear my voice!
  Let your ears be attentive
  to the sound of my pleas for mercy.
3If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
  Lord, who could stand?
4But with you there is forgiveness,
  so that you may be held in awe.
5I wait for the LORD; my whole being waits,
  and in the LORD’s word I hope.
6My whole being waits for the Lord
  more than those who watch for the morning,
  more than those who watch for the morning.
7O Israel, hope in the LORD!
  For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
  and with the LORD is plentiful redemption.
8The LORD will redeem Israel
  from all its iniquities.

Notes

v01“Out of the depths” — A prayer from disorientation and overwhelm; faith begins here with honest address, not composed strength.
v02“pleas for mercy” — The psalm is not bargaining or proving worth; it is sheer dependence on the Lord’s compassion.
v03“mark iniquities” — If God keeps a strict ledger of guilt, no one can endure; the question dismantles self-justification.
v04“with you there is forgiveness… held in awe” — Forgiveness does not minimize God; it deepens reverence. Grace produces worship, not casualness.
v05“in the LORD’s word I hope” — Hope is anchored in God’s promise and character, not in improved circumstances or inner positivity.
v06“more than those who watch for the morning” — Waiting is active and aching; the repetition underlines urgency and long endurance.
v07“steadfast love… plentiful redemption” — The ground of communal hope is covenant love and an abundance of rescue, not scarcity or reluctance in God.
v08“from all its iniquities” — The deepest deliverance is moral and spiritual renewal; redemption reaches beyond external threat to the roots of brokenness.

Vocabulary

v01מַעֲמַקִּים (maʿamaqim) — depths; deep places
v01קָרָא (qara) — to call; to cry out
v02תְּחִנּוּנִים (teḥinnunim) — pleas; supplications for mercy
v03עָוֹן (ʿavon) — iniquity; guilt; twisted wrongdoing
v03שָׁמַר (shamar) — to keep; to watch; to mark/observe (context)
v03עָמַד (ʿamad) — to stand; to endure
v04סְלִיחָה (seliḥah) — forgiveness; pardon
v04יָרֵא (yare) — to fear; to hold in awe; reverence
v05קָוָה (qavah) — to wait for; to hope in
v05דָּבָר (davar) — word; promise; matter
v06שָׁמַר (shamar) — to watch; to keep vigil
v07חֶסֶד (ḥesed) — steadfast love; covenant loyalty
v07פְּדוּת (pedut) — redemption; ransom; release
v08גָּאַל (ga’al) — to redeem; to reclaim as kin-redeemer

Reflection: What did it cost you to offer presence without solutions?

Invitation 3 — Stay with Someone Else’s Grief

Choose one person who is carrying something heavy.

Reach out with a simple presence—not advice.

Choose one:

  • Make a phone call, to provide care.
  • Ask someone who is grieving to go for a walk or visit a park together.
  • Invite a person who is experiencing a void to volunteer with you. While with them, practice being comfortable with silence.

Resist fixing. Resist silver linings. Just stay.

Reflection: What kind of love becomes possible when you offer presence instead of solutions?

As the reflection time comes to a close, a leader can offer prayer with and for God’s people.

Affirmation of Faith

The Westminster Catechism (abridged and adapted for worship)

These words are adapted from the Westminster Catechisms, written in the 1640s by the Westminster Assembly in London as part of the Reformed/Presbyterian tradition. The Shorter Catechism (1647) and Larger Catechism (1648) were crafted to teach ordinary Christians the core of the faith and the comfort of the gospel. (See
WLC Q65 and WSC Q36.)

Friends, let us affirm the historical faith together:

In Jesus Christ, we belong to God.

Christ is not distant from us—he shares his life with us, in grace now and in glory to come.

Because we belong to Christ, God gives us real gifts for real life:

the assurance that we are loved,

peace that steadies our hearts,

joy that the Spirit can kindle even in hard seasons,

strength to keep growing,

and the grace to keep going to the end.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayers of the People

Praying from the Void

God of steadfast love,

you meet us in the depths and you do not turn away.

So we come,

not to perform faith,

not to rush toward resolution,

but to stay with you in what is real.

For the empty places we carry—

losses that still ache,

hopes that did not come to pass—

stay with us, O God.

(Silence is kept.)

For all who grieve—

for those tired of being “strong,”

for those alone in the waiting—

stay with us, O God.

(Silence is kept.)

For all who live with fear and uncertainty—

for those awaiting news, decisions, or healing,

for those who feel dry bones in their own spirit—

stay with us, O God.

(Silence is kept.)

For your church—

when we choose composure over honesty,

explanations over presence,

speed over love—

teach us to remain.

stay with us, O God.

(Silence is kept.)

For the world you love—

where violence and injustice widen the void—

strengthen those who work for peace and repair,

protect the vulnerable,

and give wisdom to leaders.

stay with us, O God.

(Silence is kept.)

And for what feels beyond hope—

in us, in those we love, and in this world—

we ask for your living presence,

your Spirit’s breath,

your plentiful redemption.

In your time, speak your word of life.

Give us courage to hear it,

and love to help one another rise.

Through Jesus Christ,

who stayed, who wept, and who still meets us here.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

We pray together, saying:

(The Lord’s Prayer is prayed in the words familiar to the community.)

Communion (Optional)

Union with Christ Celebrated in the Void

This table is not a reward for having strong faith, or for saying the right words.

It is a place for those who are learning to stay.

Here, we do not pretend the void is small.

We do not rush past grief.

We do not have to be composed or certain.

At this table, Christ meets us in what is unfinished.

Christ stays with us in the depths.

Christ gives himself to us when we are empty.

So come—

not because you have everything figured out,

but because you are hungry for mercy and wholeness;

for Christ, and for one another.

Come with your questions.

Come with your waiting.

Come with your grief and your hope.

These are the gifts of God for the people of God.

(Communion may be celebrated according to the practice of the community.)

Sending

The Lord is Our Helper

Loved ones, as we wrestle with voids within our common life, and as we each wrestle with voids within our individual experiences, remember the good words, the promises written by the Psalmist in Psalm 121.

Psalm 121:5–8

A Song of Trust for the Journey

5The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7The LORD will keep you from all harm;
the LORD will keep your life.
8The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.

A Song of Trust for the Journey

1I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
2My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3The LORD will not let your foot be moved;
the one who keeps you will not slumber.
4Indeed, the one who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7The LORD will keep you from all harm;
the LORD will keep your life.
8The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.

Notes

v05The LORD is named explicitly as “keeper,” shifting from description to direct assurance. The second-person address personalizes the psalm without narrowing its communal use.
v06Day and night function as a totality. Protection is framed comprehensively rather than situationally.
v07“Keeping” is repeated and intensified. The LORD guards not only from harm but also preserves life itself, without specifying the means.
v08“Going out and coming in” names the whole rhythm of life. Time is expanded from the present moment to an open-ended future, grounding trust beyond immediate circumstances.

Notes

v01The psalm opens with a question rather than a confession. Help is not assumed but sought, creating space for trust to be named rather than presumed.
v02The answer to the question comes immediately and decisively. Help is located not in the hills themselves but in the LORD, identified as creator of heaven and earth.
v03–04The imagery of guarding contrasts human vulnerability with divine attentiveness. The LORD’s refusal to slumber or sleep emphasizes constancy rather than urgency.
v05The LORD is named explicitly as “keeper,” shifting from description to direct assurance. The second-person address personalizes the psalm without narrowing its communal use.
v06Day and night function as a totality. Protection is framed comprehensively rather than situationally.
v07“Keeping” is repeated and intensified. The LORD guards not only from harm but also preserves life itself, without specifying the means.
v08“Going out and coming in” names the whole rhythm of life. Time is expanded from the present moment to an open-ended future, grounding trust beyond immediate circumstances.

Vocabulary

v03–05שָׁמַר (šāmar) — to keep; to guard; to watch over; the central verb of the psalm, repeated to shape its assurance.
v05צֵל (ṣēl) — shade; shelter; protection from exposure rather than removal from the journey.
v06נָכָה (nāḵāh) — to strike; to afflict; used of sun and moon as sources of harm.
v07רָע (rāʿ) — harm; evil; danger; left broad and undefined.
v07נֶפֶשׁ (nepeš) — life; self; the whole living person under divine care.
v08בּוֹא / יָצָא (bôʾ / yāṣāʾ) — to come in / to go out; a paired expression naming the full movement of life.

Vocabulary

v01עֵזֶר (ʿēzer) — help; assistance that comes from outside oneself; not self-generated.
v02עָשָׂה (ʿāśāh) — to make; to do; identifies the LORD as creator, grounding help in creative power.
v03מוֹט (môṭ) — to slip; to be shaken; evokes instability and vulnerability.
v03–05שָׁמַר (šāmar) — to keep; to guard; to watch over; the central verb of the psalm, repeated to shape its assurance.
v04יָשֵׁן (yāšēn) — to sleep; negated to emphasize uninterrupted divine attentiveness.
v05צֵל (ṣēl) — shade; shelter; protection from exposure rather than removal from the journey.
v06נָכָה (nāḵāh) — to strike; to afflict; used of sun and moon as sources of harm.
v07רָע (rāʿ) — harm; evil; danger; left broad and undefined.
v07נֶפֶשׁ (nepeš) — life; self; the whole living person under divine care.
v08בּוֹא / יָצָא (bôʾ / yāṣāʾ) — to come in / to go out; a paired expression naming the full movement of life.

Reflections for Later

For Newcomers

If you’re new here, you may not know what to do with a service that lingers in grief and doesn’t rush to a neat conclusion. That’s okay. In today’s scriptures, Mary and Martha don’t offer polished faith—they speak from the empty place: “Lord, if you had been here…” Jesus doesn’t correct them or hurry them. He stays. He listens. He weeps.

Christian faith is not mainly about having the right words or keeping yourself composed. It’s about bringing what is real into God’s presence—and discovering you are not alone there. If you are carrying an empty place in your life, you don’t have to hide it. You are welcome to stay, to listen, and to let God meet you slowly, with mercy and steadfast love.

For Those Rooted in This Community

For those who are rooted here—who have prayed through many seasons and carried this community in love—today’s scriptures offer a quiet challenge. We can learn, over time, to present a composed faith: steady, reasonable, explainable. But Mary and Martha remind us that faithful people still grieve, still protest, still speak honestly from the void. And Jesus meets them there without impatience.

The invitation for seasoned disciples is not to “have it together,” but to stay present—to God, to one another, and to the hard places we’d rather move past. Psalm 130 teaches us to wait without pretending; Romans 8 tells us the Spirit gives life even when weakness remains. Your rootedness is a gift to this body when it becomes room for others to be human. This week, consider where God is asking you not to fix or explain, but to remain—offering steady presence, gentle truth, and patient love.

For Churches Without a Pastor

If your congregation is walking through a season without a pastor, you may feel a kind of void—not only the absence of a leader, but the uncertainty it creates: unanswered questions, delayed decisions, the pressure to “hold it together.” Today’s scriptures speak directly into that space. Mary and Martha did not receive a quick fix. They waited. They grieved. They spoke honestly. And Jesus stayed with them in it.

Psalm 130 gives language for communities like yours: “Out of the depths I cry… I wait for the Lord.” Waiting is not failure. It is faithful ground. Ezekiel’s valley reminds us that God can bring breath where life feels thin. Romans 8 says the Spirit is still at work, even in mortal weakness. So be gentle with yourselves and with one another. Keep showing up. Keep praying from the depths. Practice presence over performance. Christ is not absent from your in-between season—Christ is staying with you, and shaping you, even now.

In the process, you might find that Christ is working in you with more of God’s power and purpose. Be open to what God has in store for you.

Suggested Hymns

Glory to God (GTG, 2013)

  • Abide with Me (GTG 836)
  • O Love That Will Not Let Me Go (GTG 833)
  • Breathe on Me, Breath of God (GTG 316)
  • Spirit of the Living God (GTG 288)

Sing the Faith (STF, 2003)

  • Open Our Eyes, Lord (STF 2086)
  • Stay with Me (STF 2199)
  • Jesus, Remember Me (STF 2189)

The Presbyterian Hymnal (TPH, 1990)

  • Abide with Me (TPH 280)
  • O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go (TPH 384)
  • Breathe on Me, Breath of God (TPH 316)
  • Spirit of the Living God (TPH 322)

The Hymn Book (THB, 1953)

  • Abide with Me (THB 301)
  • O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go (THB 384)
  • Breathe on Me, Breath of God (THB 324)

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Rights and Use

© Church Commons. 2026

Written by Rev. Matthew J. Skolnik unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.


These materials may be used and adapted for worship and formational purposes within Christian communities. They may not be sold or redistributed for commercial purposes without permission.

Resource Details

Date: March 22, 2026

Scripture: Ezekiel 37, Psalm 130, John 11

Theme: Staying with the Void

Lectionary: RCL Year A

Scripture on this page is from The Shared Word Translation (SWT), an ongoing translation project within ChurchCommons.org.

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