Out of the Depths (sermon) March 26, 2023

Sermons

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW March 25, 2023

Sermon March 26, 2023

The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW

The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s

The Fifth Sunday in Lent, Year A

https://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Lent/ALent5_RCL.html

Audio: /documents/Eucharist__March_26__2023

Video: https://youtu.be/HI144wL69ZE

And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live….Ezekiel 37:13-14

I don’t think any of us know for sure what it’s like to be in a grave, right? But I think a lot of us have experienced what we imagine that could be like. Being deep in the ground, covered over, dried up, unable to move. These days we would identify this is being depressed, and that’s what I thought about as I read this passage this week… depression and the pervasiveness of it in our society.

Depression, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), is one of the most common illnesses in our country. And indications are that the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the prevalence of depression. Some people experience depression for a short period of time, maybe brought on my life circumstances. For others, depression is ongoing and all of the time.

The NIMH provides the following definition and information about depression:

“If you have been experiencing some of the following signs and symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, you may be suffering from depression:

Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling "slowed down"
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or oversleeping
Changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes
Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause that do not ease even with treatment”

Certainly the people Ezekiel is speaking to were feeling depressed. They had been taken from their home, many from the city of Jerusalem, to exile in Babylon. While their lives in the material sense, seemed good, they longed for their homes, their life in Israel and their freedom.

Ezekiel’s prophecy we heard today gives them hope. Though they feel like they are in the grave, God hears them and will restore them to life.

When a person is depressed, these words can be a comfort. At the same time, more than words is often needed. And the things that are recommended to address depression are at times nearly impossible to undertake for someone who is depressed.

We have medicines developed within the last 30-40 years. We have a variety of treatments and even new ones being explored. There is research about the various neurotransmitters in the brain and how these medicines work. There is research about the need to grow and repair the synapses in our brains.

Eating well helps. Being active and exercising helps. Meditation and stress reduction helps. Talking to a trained therapist helps. Even talking to another person helps. And when a person is in the depths of depression, even doing any of these things can be challenging.

God says through Ezekiel that God will bring the people out of the graves…that God will restore the people, but how does one get restored when depression makes it so hard to take action?

I think that’s where we come in. Remember the prayer attributed to St. Teresa of Avila:

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which He looks

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are His body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks