But if all you hear is, this reading, then surely, my denial of the resurrection numbers me among, as Paul would say, the most pitiful of all the human race., So, lets skip ahead to next weeks reading, when Paul makes his point. Where truth has left its sketches on the slate below the ground. As individuals, we often find peace, comfort, and a close connection to God in a garden. *People sing: ("Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain," stanza 3)"Alleluia!" The endless loop projects many faces of CHRIST. COLLECT PRAYER. Change). The truth has left its footprints in the dust between the stars. You provided wise men and women as judges for your people to show them the path to Life. DONATE NOW! Lord Jesus, come in glory. The story begins with a familiar nursery rhyme: Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; All the kings horses and all the kings men Couldnt put Humpty together again. McCourt asks his young students to tell him whats going on in this nursery rhyme. So, let me get to the point, so that those who like nothing better than to use the Bible to bludgeon anyone who dares to stray from their narrow understanding of the text, they can simply hit ALL CAPS in their keyboards, without having to read any further. jQuery(document).ready(function(){ You called forth prophets who dared to speak the truth of Life to worldly powers that promoted death. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Well, like, this egg falls off the wall and if you study biology or physics, you know you can never put an egg back together again. We are sent out with these words You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it unless it was for nothing that you believed. We give thanks for the way he opened our minds and hearts to see and appreciate the intimate and never-ending connection between loving and the spirit of love. The LOVE which is the SACRED MYSTERY which is the LOVE that we call GOD. For years I reigned as the champion of our little world! Some walking away to become refugees, joining the endless flow of the displaced. A reading from 1st Corinthians chapter 13: When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child. Pinging is currently not allowed. Gig Harbor, WA 98335 MASS READINGS. Resources for planning and leading worship, Lift Up Your Heartsand Voices: Involving the congregation in the Communion liturgy through song, The Three Days: Celebrating the summit of Holy Week with four services and two sacraments. We have been distracted by violence into compliance with systems which threaten our existence as a species, as we loot our planet of its life-giving resources so that we might increase our abilities to perpetrate violence on grander and grander scales. }); Easter Sunday Liturgy 4.12.20 WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS EASTER ACCLAMATION P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit . But in my heart of hearts, I know that I must learn to see the face of CHRIST in my enemy. Now greet each other with Easter peace! ), try clicking on the name of the season or celebration in the list of "Labels" at the lower right side of the page, or see this . Letting go of our carefully crafted and tightly held images of the ONE who IS the SOURCE of ALL BEING is a daunting task. Humans are incomplete beings. DONATE NOW! But by the free gift of Gods grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. May 23, 2022 | Father's Day, Uncategorized. May we live in a way which will not deprive other beings. You will find service ideas, readings, prayers, seasonal resources and much more-many you can search by scripture text. As a Pharisee, Paul believed in the resurrection of the dead and certainly he believed that Jesus had been raised from the dead. We are smart. O God, let us take in the moment of this day of crucifixion, not remembering it in the context of what came after it, but how it left Jesus' disciples and followers in tragic sadness and heart-wrenched disillusionment. I expect solutions. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words we would like to share a slideshow with you that gives life both visually and in its various messages. And then, just like that, we were back there, back in the unthinkable darkness our parents spoke about, the darkness of war in Europe. One of the authors of the Book of Genesis described creation like this : And God said, Let there be afirmamentin the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made thefirmament and divided the waters which were under thefirmamentfrom the waters which were above thefirmament: and it was so. with the Son, God the Father praising;"Alleluia!" Please come, the meal is ready. So, the thing about stories, really good stories is that they have a life of their own. Fortunately, the youth hostel was full, and we were forced to hike up and out of town to find a suitable spot to pitch our tents. Is that right?, Crystal was a little breathless from all the crying she had been doing and all she could manage was a whimpered, Mmm hummm. Honey, tell grandma the truth now. Amen. The eradication of poverty is the work of LOVE in the world, this world, here and now, on this wonderful bountiful planet, upon which there is already more than enough to nourish abundant life for all. Followers of the Way are called to reject the myth of redemptive violence. Practicing resurrection requires that we gather sharing our gifts, talents and treasure for the good of all. By stem and root and branch we trace, by feather, fang and fur, Children and youth might be used as servers and/or readers. What can we learn from Jesus life about who, or what the MYSTERY we call God is? Well, perhaps I should qualify that statement. //jQuery('#submit-action').attr('href','/paupress/?rel=pauContent&pau_type='+thisact); According to the story, paralyzed by their fear, hiding behind a locked door, something happened that gave them the strength to burst forth from their own tomb and change the world. }); In the past few weeks, Ive been thinking a great deal about the systems of domination and the pain inflicted by the unjust empires of our world. It is long past time for the followers of Jesus Way of being in the world, to repent. Today, it only matters that CHRIST rises in us, rises in the people of Ukraine, rises in the people of Russia, rises in people wherever they are, who long for peace. I went headfirst into the ocean, and I sank like a stone. See if you can pick them out. Imagining the horizons of my ancient ancestors, I could see in my minds eye a familiar worldview, a three-tiered universe, complete with an omnipotent god smiling and then frowning down at me. It didnt take very long before the many layers of clothing, with which I had hoped to insulate myself from the dangers of the cold, failed to keep me moving very far into the expanse of white snow drifts which glistened as the Suns glorious rays danced incapable of warming much of anything but my heart. But try as we might we are in bondage to sin and we cannot free ourselves. They thought I was in danger of being tormented in the bowels of Hell for all eternity. Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. When the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, he unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of our God is upon me: because the Most High has anointed me to bring Good News to those who are poor. It is beautiful! What kind of body will they have? What a stupid question! My oh, my, oh my In my sacred imagination, I can see Paul sitting up from his letter writing and nodding as if to say, there that out to stop those endless arguments about the resuscitation of a corpse.. There was work to do. But those fools made their billions serving us, satisfying our desires, fortifying our comforts, delivering our lifestyles to our doorsteps. When I arrived, the place was empty, and I thought I was going to make a clean get-away. So, let us begin with our own lives, our own daily challenges, let us strip ourselves of our own entanglements with violence. He was teaching in the Galilean synagogues, and all were loud in their praise. Death, not even violent death at the hands of a powerful empire could keep Jesus commitment to compassionate resistance to the forces of empire from those who longed for the Shalom of the Reign of GOD which Jesus proclaimed with his life. He blessed it and broke it, and shared it with the disciples. Whether your interpretation of the resurrection is literal or metaphorical, Easter morning is always welcome. This story provides the raw material for the idol that we have created to serve as our god. But there were no tears to be seen. I had to confess right then and there, in my twentieth year of life, I struggled to believe that any GOD who sent His only Child to die, on a cross, is worth getting up on a Sunday morning for. Jesus Way of being insists that justice for everyone is the only way to peace. So, let us forget about what we have been conditioned to look for in order to see what needs to be seen, today in the midst the violence in which our world seems incapable of forsaking. The basileia ton THEON, the Empire of GOD, the GOD which Jesus knew as ABBA, a LOVING PARENT, the basileia ton THEON, the Reign of the GOD that IS LOVE, where justice and not violence creates the kind of peace in which everyone has enough to live the abundant life Jesus insisted he came to give to the world. LOVE and not violence. But there is more going on in this story than just the literal words on the page. I can hear them tut tutting at the audacity of my taking such liberties with the Gospel. Anyone among you, those who aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all. Yes, the woman should have been content with her 99 coins. I Suspect that You Do Too! They must have seen me gazing at them, or at least I like to imagine they did. If we begin with what is actually happening in these parables, we will have to confess that these parables of the lost and the found are simply outrageous. Suddenly, in the tears of that little Ukrainian family, I began to see the tears of generations of weepers. For none of us can do this kind of relentless, reckless abandon constantly. We offer ourselves as your people in your service. Alleluia! However, Pete goes on, there are moments when I affirm that resurrection, few and far between as they are. jQuery.noConflict(); A SERVICE OF WORD AND TABLE II. God has sent me to proclaim liberty to those held captive, recovery of sight to those who are blind, and release to those in prison to proclaim the year of Gods favour. Rolling up the scroll, Jesus gave it back to the attendant and sat down. In this, the 21st century, there is a movement among progressive Christians that focuses more on who Jesus was and why he had such an impact on the world rather than his death. For the journey that life has been, Amen. Re-create us too, we pray, by your holy Word. It empowers us to hope in the coming resurrection and new life. It is the vison of the foolish who are prepared to risk it all for the sake of what we have lost, the SHALOM we long for. //jQuery('#submit-action').attr('href','/paupress/?rel=pauContent&pau_type='+thisact); your love came also to us in your servant Jesus. How safe? Frame 6: You are a special and unique image of God. You created the universe and all living things. People: We praise you, Lord, for these gifts of bread and wine. I know it is much easier to poke fun at billionaires and lay the blame for suffering at the feet of self-serving fools. In fact, in a specific celebration the Presider might select only one or two items from the many alternatives . The apostle Paul, both a Jew and a Roman citizen, would have known from the perspective of both the conquer and the conquered the Roman motto, vini, vedi, vici I came, I saw, I conquered. Jesus called them together and said, You know how among the Gentiles those who exercise authority are domineering and arrogant; those great ones know how to make their own importance felt. We lose our capacity for peace and joy, we struggle to show compassion and to connect with others, and we may find ourselves slipping into toxic and destructive attitudes and habits. The week before Easter, known as Holy Week, is very special in the Christian tradition. Only a fool Would resist the contentment, the satisfaction of a purse fat with nine shiny, weighty coins. If the sacrament is not to be celebrated, the service may conclude with PartV.). It is in Jesus life, not his death that we will find salvation. Posts tagged "progressive Christian Communion liturgy" . I mean, like, its common sense. Especially when what was lost is restored. He had the extraordinary capacity to recognize the Divinity in all human beings. Weakness is sown, strength is raised up. As Jesus invited his friends to drink, mindful of a relationship of love and trust between ourselves and the spirit of life, Jesus existed within time whereas the CHRIST exists in and beyond time. Easter 5A in Quarantine: Refuge in God. Click here to listen to a meditative sung liturgy inspired by Julians writings, Crystal was a little breathless from all the crying she had been doing and all she could manage was a whimpered, Mmm hummm. Honey, tell grandma the truth now. Oh, how I miss those Sunday closings! Humans wrote the Bible; God wrote the world. *Leader: Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord! Christ was alive to those early followers. John 1:1-5, Captain Kirk and His Merry Band of Billionaires! Alleluia! Enjoy! who was compassionate and stood up for justice. There was no room in my wildest imaginings for thoughts of war. For we are ONE with an evolving DEITY. It began to seem like the only way to get Crystals hand out was to break the family heirloom. Give us today our daily bread. And our Creator needs us to pay for our sinfulness. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. View the full Transfiguration Worship Video below, Yes! Neglecting the truth that choosing to follow Jesus results in a changed life. He is risen indeed! THEME The Rapturous Awakening The Irrepressible God The Ever-present Mystery, From Good Fridays gruesome darkness. Can we ever learn to see the face of CHRIST in one such as him? var thisact = jQuery('#submission-action').val(); But she couldnt see it, so she reached in for her candy and thats when she got stuck and she couldnt get her hand back out. Alleluia! First of all, I hadnt been born again, and then there was the dancing, and as for my serving beer to the crowd at the Legion, well, my roommates were concerned. The first face of CHRIST belongs to a Ukrainian Father who is struggling to say good-bye to his young daughter. There are heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies. Not all bodies are the same. This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Thats the thing with stories, one story, if it is even remotely engaging, that one story will inevitably lead to many more stories. Today, it doesnt matter how CHRIST rose nearly 2000 years ago. Paul insists that there are natural bodies, which he equates with earthly bodies what we would call physical bodies and there are spiritual bodies which Paul equates with heavenly bodies. Not all of us are up to the challenges. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.]. petitions prayers for strength a selection of modern petitions asking for God's strength to come, with a prayer for those grieving and a prayer for hope. But I refused to believe that it would go as far as war. The hands are up like a shot. Some will hurl the text at me in ways which communicate their anger, their disgust, and in some cases their hatred of me. The precious vase had been handed down from her great-grandmother to her grandmother, to her mother. We need to reach our year-end fundraising goal that will determine what we can do for 2023. (1 Kings 19:1-12) It is about a prophet named Elijah, who was struggling to understand the will of the they knew as YHWH, the HEBREW name for the MYSTERY we call God, which can be translated as I AM, WHO AM or I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE or the GREAT I AM. Alas, the sun does indeed shine at midnight in the summer months, but in Norway summer does not include the month of August. Beautiful! - Trinity Sunday, Moon-Dancing Bears, Jesus and Nicodemus: a sermon on John 3:1-17. Living the Questions is happy to join other Michael Morwood fans in welcoming the arrival of Michael's newest book, Prayers for Progressive Christians. So, it made it difficult for us to work up much speed. 3 0 obj
Im not talking about some Pollyanna notion of passivity in the face of violence, and I know that we are not going to solve our addiction to violence anytime soon. Recklessly abandoning the status quo, is never sweet, never harmless. Just like the people in the story, I want to be transformed by the story of Jesus; transformed from someone who cowers in a place of safety, filled with fear and doubts, into a powerful member of a movement to create peace through justice. It is as the renewed, redeemed, enlivened people of God John 20:19-31, Parables of Loss Through the Lenses of Resistance Luke 15, CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD THE WORSHIP BULLETIN. Today! So, I invite you to see for yourselves. Or are we afraid that stripped of the security which our wealth affords us, our privileged positions will disappear, and we too shall find ourselves dependent upon the goodness of others? Image of God frame 6: you are commenting using your Twitter account all are put right with him CHRIST. 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