Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Psalm 116 The Lord is gracious and merciful, and hears us when we call. The Lord has been good to you. The Lord has delivered my life from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling. We come with thanksgiving, and call on the name of the Lord. *Hymn 246, verses 1-3 Prayer of Confession O God, whose presence is veiled from our eyes, when we do not recognize you, may our hearts burn within us, and when feeling is lost, may we cling in faith to your Word and the power of bread broken. We confess that we do not always live in the spirit of new life. We worry and grow discontent about our circumstances and deny the transforming power of the resurrection. Forgive us and call us back to the sacred walk you take with us, be it on the highway, or the quiet path. in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Friends, in Jesus Christ we are called to a new way of life, one that overflows with hope, love, forgiveness and reconciliation. Let us walk forward together on this journey of faith, assured that our Lord never leaves us or forsakes us. Be at peace. Amen. First Reading 1 Peter 1:17-23 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 24:13-35 The Morning Message “What did Jesus have to say about the environment?” That is the question Presbyterian minister, Leighton Ford, asks the reader in an editorial he wrote for the Charlotte Observer. He goes on to say he owns a variety of Bibles. From King James to the New Revised and so on. But he had never seen or even heard of the Green Bible until a young friend gave him one for Christmas. The cover is not green- it’s more of an earth-tone light brown. What makes it “green” is that every word, phrase, and paragraph that mentions the created world is printed in green. Ford says he can flip through the entire thing and hardly find a page without some words printed in green. But, Ford asks, with all the varied Bibles, editors and publishers, in all the languages the Wycliffe people can translate, why would we need another Bible? He says it’s because the earth and all its wonders are gifts of God to us, for our care and our use. In our consumer society, we may go about our days without recognizing the importance of the natural environment. The editors of the Green Bible want us to ask of ourselves, “What is my role as a Christian in caring for the earth?” Leighton Ford is a prolific writer and sought-after preacher. He has long been involved in Christian organizations that focus on the faith development of young people. It doesn’t hurt that he is the late Billy Graham’s brother-in-law. But Leighton Ford has had a well-known and respected ministry apart from the Billy Graham Association. In 2016, the year in which this article was published, young people from around the world were gathering to pray about global climate change. The Billy Graham Library was host to one of these gatherings. Rachel Lamb, one of the national organizers, believes that creation care is a gospel issue. She says, “We know that God created the world, and it belongs to Him and not us…we are only stewards or trustees of God’s creation, and we aren’t to abuse or neglect it.” Ford says he can confirm Rachel’s statement. Whenever he opens his Bible, he can find hundreds of texts that speak to that very thing: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” “I am establishing my covenant…with every living creature.” “All the trees of the field will clap their hands.” “I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” Another Presbyterian cared deeply and reverently about the environment and was instrumental in preserving the American wilderness. John Muir, born in 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland, grew up in a strict Presbyterian home. He was well-acquainted with Scripture. He memorized three quarters of the Old Testament and all of the New Testament. He had a fine, agile mind. Memorizing Scripture was not his only gift. His interests and abilities were far-reaching. John Muir listed his professions as naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, and early activist for the preservation of wilderness in these United States. He was also a husband and the father of two daughters. Muir wrote extensively about his experiences in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada. He co-founded the Sierra Club, which still exists, and through his activism, helped preserve the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park. It is said that “the spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writing has inspired readers, including presidents and congress members to take action to help preserve large nature areas.” According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified “The archetype of our oneness with the earth.” Another author said Muir believed his mission was to save the American soul from total surrender to materialism. Jihn Muir’s life and work was so vast and his influence so broad, we could go in one of several directions to explore his contributions to American life. But, it is his relationship to God that I wanted to lift up for us. It is said, that after he had studied Scripture and the works of great theologians and historians, he became attached to the American landscapes he explored, and he began to see another “Primary source for understanding God: The Book of Nature.” In nature, he could study the plants and animals in in an environment that he believed “Came straight from God, uncorrupted by civilization and domestication.” He came to believe that the best place to discover the true attribute of diety was in Nature. One of his biographers says John Muir styled himself after John the Baptist, whose duty was to immerse in mountain baptism everyone he could. To John Muir, nature was a great teacher, revealing the mind of God. Lest I portray John Muir as some type of 19th century super-hero, it must be said that he was flawed and sinful like the rest of us. Although he renounced the beliefs later in life, Muir was said to have had a scandalous attitude about African Americans, which certainly takes the shine off his character. He is not the first actor in the American story to have shamed us, but it is important to acknowledge truth and do better in our generation. I usually park in front of the church, which I really enjoy, especially in the springtime, because, rain or shine, signs of God’s presence, like business cards with petals, dot the path. A crocus, a few daffodils, dandelions, and violets. I love the violets. For some reason, they make me feel at home. John Muir saw nature as providing a home for even the smallest plant life. He wrote, “The little purple plant, tended by its Maker, closed its petals, crouched low in its crevice of a home, and enjoyed the storm in safety.” May we all enjoy our storms in safety. *Hymn 250 In the Bulb There Is a Flower *Affirmation of Faith Apostles Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 246, verses 4 and 5 *Blessing May the work of your hands bring Christ honor. May your speech and actions reflect the Word of Life. And may the service you offer be driven by the indwelling Spirit. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship 1 Peter 1:3 By God’s great mercy, we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. *Hymn 238 Thine Is the Glory Prayer Living God, for whom no door is closed, no heart is locked, draw us beyond our doubts, til we see your Christ and touch his wounds where they appear in others. This we ask through Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness God’s mercies are from everlasting to everlasting. They are new every morning and sure as the sunrise. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. First Reading John 20:19-25 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading John 20:26-31 The Morning Message Let’s set the scene: the disciples had gathered in a familiar meeting place, very likely the upper room where they had observed the Passover meal and the room in which Jesus instituted the Last Supper. The room was locked up tight for fear of the Jewish authorities. Any footfall upon the stair, a knock, or command to open the door, could signal certain death for them. Then suddenly, Jesus is there with them. He gave them the customary eastern greeting, “Peace be to you.” A more accurate translation would be, “May God give you every good thing.” We can imagine both the shock and the profound peace that would wash over the disciples in that moment. Jesus must have anticipated their need to see for themselves that this man was truly their friend, the crucified one, Jesus. He shows them his wounds, his hands and his side. He lets them touch his body. Note, this is the same gesture Jesus will make for Thomas, but we never call these disciples doubters. Just an observation. And then Jesus commissions them for their life’s work, their magnum opus. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Let’s place ourselves in that room: dark and stuffy, with the curtain covering the only window, everyone still as a stone, the snapping electricity of fear running through all of them. Rev. Marci Auld Glass writes that , “Jesus could have gone and sent other people, presumably people with more courage, people who weren’t hiding, or whomever. But, he’s sending his people. His friends. His disciples. The one who denied him three times in eight hours. The ones who loved him til the end. Even Thomas, who isn’t there at the moment, but who will get his chance in a bit.” This is great good news for us. These two thousand years later, we are called and sent, even with our human inadequacies and our brokenness. No research project, no finals, no certification test, no bar exam, no ordination exam required. Belief. Even shaky, “I’ll believe it when I see it” faith. That is qualification enough to bear the good news of the gospel into the world. Yes! On the other hand, I’m not sure I want to sign up for the insults and abuse Jesus suffered. But don’t we already know that the gospel doesn’t always take us down easy paths? But, hang on. Here comes help: After Jesus gives the faithful their instructions, he breathes on them. Two years of Covid precautions has me concerned about having someone breathe on me intentionally. But, that was the method. Jesus breathed. The Greek word for breath is “pneuma.” In Latin, it comes to us as “Spiritus.” You can see the relatedness of breath and spirit-without breath, we have no life, no spirit. What is the first thing every mother wants to hear the moment her baby enters the world? Her baby’s cry. That is the sign that air is filling the lungs, the heart is beating and blood is circulating through the newborn body as it should. “The risen Christ breathes, filling the disciples with his quickening, life-giving Spirit.” And what is the Spirit? We will hear more about that on Pentecost Sunday, but, here’s a start: “The Spirit is like wind, like fire, like a bird, like a breath-moving through every language and every culture of this world, bursting out of every category and defying every metaphor.” And it’s a good thing because the first task Jesus assigns is this: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, then they are retained.” I confess, it’s much easier to preach on the six verses at the end of this text- the ones about Doubting Thomas-than it is these curious words about forgiveness. But, let’s try. If you were to come talk to me about a situation that is troubling you, maybe a person who has hurt you, I would listen. I would ask if you are in danger. Then I would probably say something like, “The only person’s behavior you can control is your own. You can’t control anyone else. If you can’t reconcile your issues, it’s time to think of a way for you to make peace with this.” When we forgive people, we don’t do it in the hope that they will change. Well, maybe sometimes we do. But, realistically, we forgive so that we are no longer holding onto the pain, the anger, the fear that can damage our lives. I’ve wasted time in my life perfecting my grudges. It’s futile. It’s a practice that can suck the breath, the spirit, right out of you. It has me. Hear me clearly: there are some actions that wound in ways we identify as criminal in nature. In that case, we should reach out for help from the authorities. ASAP. A few years ago a pastor called me to report that a church member had entered a room of pre-schoolers at the church and threatened the teacher with a gun. What should they do? They don’t want to offend the church member. She’s very needy. She has a hard time getting along with people. Duh. “Call the police. Now.” That made the pastor mad and then the session was mad and they stopped calling for help they wouldn’t take. I have referenced Rachel Held Evans several times in recent weeks. Rachel was raised in an evangelical Christian family. Her father was a pastor and professor at a Christian college in Tennessee. Her whole life and education was bathed in the climate of evangelical Christianity. She was grateful for that foundation, but, as she moved into adulthood, experiencing life outside that sheltered environment, getting married, having children, she began to ask questions of her faith, she began raising questions about and to God. She wrote a blog. She wrote NYT best sellers. She was a much-sought-after preacher. Rachel’s books and blogs are rich and humorous and insightful. She can make you laugh til you cry. She can be blunt. She can make the pages just sing with warmth and beauty. But, as she pushed the margins of her traditional faith, particularly the beliefs about women’s roles in the church, she suffered terrible, hate-filled insults. Her church condemned her work. Friends fell away. But, she clearly felt the breath of God on her as she was making these changes. She was on that not-so-easy path many of us fear when saying yes to Jesus. A few years ago, during an especially difficult time, Rachel took up a new practice for Lent. She turned her hate mail into Origami. This is what she said about it: “As much as I try to ignore the most vile of these messages, they can still be quite painful, and I think that’s okay. It’s important to grow thick skin, but I also want to keep a tender, open heart…which means unclenching my fists and letting some of these words hurt every now and again.” At the end of her Lenten journey, Rachel wrote: “What I learned, turning my hate mail into origami, is that we’re meant to remake this world together. We’re meant to hurt together, heal together, forgive together, and create together. And, in a sense, even the people who continue to hate me and call me names are a part of this beautiful process. Their words, carelessly spoken, spent the last 40 days in my home- getting creased and folded, worked over…stepped on by a toddler, read by my sister, stained with coffee…blacked out, thrown away, turned into poems, and folded into sailboats and cranes and pigeons that now sit smiling at me from my office window.” Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” I kinda doubt you and I have ever received the volume of hate mail Rachel Evans did. But, I’d bet we could all name someone or something, that hurt us or made us miserable. And, this is saying the quiet part out loud… I have been known to hang onto nasty emails and memos and evaluations for a long time. I used to pull them out of file folders and stew over them, maybe shed a few tears and vow …you get the drift. But, praise God from whom all blessings flow…it doesn’t last…when the risen Christ throws open the locked door of the heart, or the memory locked into the mind, and says, “Blow. Blow. Blow all of that stale, grudging, judging, lifeless air out. And breathe.” *Hymn *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication We are so filled with the joy of the resurrection that we offer these gifts of our time, abilities, and treasure to you, O God. May they be signs of hope, peace, life, and community to all in need of your gifts and grace. In Jesus’ name, who gave his life that we might live. Amen. *Hymn 268 Crown Him With Many Crowns *Blessing The risen Christ says: Peace be with you. May you be filled with all joy and hope in believing. We have seen the Lord! Alleluia! Amen. *Postlude Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! *Hymn 232 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today Prayer for Easter O Christ, in your resurrection, The heavens and earth rejoice, Alleluia! By your resurrection you broke open the gates of hell and destroyed sin and death. Keep us victorious over sin. By your resurrection, you raised the dead, and brought us from death to life. Guide us in the way of eternal life. By your resurrection you confounded your guards and executioners, and filled your disciples with joy. Give us joy in your service. By your resurrection you proclaimed good news to the women and apostles, and brought salvation to the whole world. Direct our lives as your new creation. God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead. for he is alive and has become the Lord of life. From the waters of death, you raise us with him and renew the gift of life within us. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you. Where we have strayed from your example, forgive us and restore us to right relationship with you and those with whom we live, love, work, and play, through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me as I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, our beginning and our ending, has come to save us from our sins and turn us toward the grace and mercy of God. Friends believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Luke 24:1-12 Choral Anthem He Lives Time for Young Disciples Gospel Reading John 20:1-18 The Morning Message Scripture tells us that when Jesus uttered his final words, “It is finished,” thunder rolled and all the light went out in the world. Mid-day, the world was plunged into deep darkness. In some Christian traditions, the sanctuary is stripped at the end of the Maundy Thursday service, the cross is draped in black, the lights are extinguished, and the final insult is the sound of the Bible being slammed shut as if salvation history itself had been defeated. My husband had to be out of town for several days recently on music education business. You would think after forty-plus years I would be used to this annual absence. But, it always makes me uneasy. I don’t sleep well. To cope, I usually read late into the night and eventually my eyes fall victim to gravity. But, this time I wasn’t completely alone. I had five-month-old Maeve, our little Havanese mix. She may be a toy breed, but what she lacks in size she makes up for with her Rottweiler-like bark. One night I had read until at least 1AM, before falling into a deep sleep. At three o=clock I was awakened by my tiny guard dog barking her head off. If you ever been awakened like that, you can understand that I was disoriented, groping around to turn on a light, and fumbling for my glasses. What was going on? She must need to go out. Since we are still potty-training, I rushed to pull on my robe and ran downstairs hoping to get her outside while keeping her crate undefiled. And then I heard the rain. Great. I grabbed my slicker from the closet, shoved my bare feet into my boots, located Maeve’s leash, released her from her crate, snapped on the leash, grabbed my little lantern because I can’t see in the dark, flipped on the back porch light…and Maeve just went crazy, lunging and leaping and barking, doing her best to defend us against a most dangerous…watering can. It had apparently been blown onto the patio from somewhere in the yard and had wakened Maeve when it crashed into the door. In the dark, even harmless objects can wreak terror in our imaginations and in our hearts. As I was preparing for the events of Holy Week, I looked at some sermon files. Back in 2021, we had lived thru a whole year of Covid, but we were still somewhat in the dark about the disease. Today, we are still learning about it and people are still getting the latest strain. When Covid was first emerging, our days seemed dim and joyless. So many were spent alone, quarantined by choice or by doctor’s orders. Easter came and went and, don’t tell anybody, but, to me, it felt like we had left Jesus in the tomb. Apparently, I was not alone. One of today’s young preachers, Sarah Bessey, says she felt a profound sense of grief on that first Easter of Covid. She had recently lost a dear friend and now the whole world was in the valley of the shadow of death. Three years later, things are turning around, we are adapting, we know how to treat it. We’re learning to live with the constant presence of a serious and contagious disease. The veil of darkness is lifting. It is about darkness that Episcopal priest, Barbara Brown Taylor writes, “As many years as I have been listening to Easter sermons, I have never heard anyone talk about that part. Resurrection is always announced with Easter lilies, the sound of trumpets, bright streaming light. But it did not happen that way. If it happened in a cave, it happened in complete silence, in absolute darkness, with the smell of damp stone and dug earth in the air. Sitting deep in the heart of Organ Cave, I let this sink in: new life starts in the dark. Whether it is a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb, or Jesus in the tomb, it starts in the dark.” Bessey says, It is in the dark that new life begins and began and is beginning. Still. But when darkness comes, we don’t always think of the protection of a mother’s dark womb or tulip bulbs growing in the silent earth. In Psalm 137, when God’s people were in Babylonian exile, they lamented, “By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept…How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?” How true that is. We know who we are. God is the ground of our being. We know the scriptures, the hymns, the affirmations, all by heart. But, still, how can we sing the songs of the Lord when our mother is dying? Or when our teenager gets a DUI? Or when we have denied Christ by our own actions? How in the world can we sing the songs of the Lord in a Covid ward? Or in war-torn Ukraine? Or on the streets of Tel Aviv? Or in the Covenant Presbyterian Church School in Nashville? We find this guidance in Scripture: When Jesus found his beloved friend, Lazarus, dead, he didn’t sing. He cried. Jesus knew darkness, too. As I was working on this message, an image came to me of a place I haven’t been in over 40 years. My in-laws had a family camp in Pocahontas County. My husband and kids loved it. I wasn’t a fan. Except at night. Pitch black. Deep, velvety darkness, made more beautiful by millions of stars. When a cloud passed over, it was like illuminating heaven itself. Jesus is light in the darkness. Jesus is the Light of the world. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. And in his resurrection is the promise of ours. We affirm that in every baptism. If we are buried in the baptismal waters like Jesus, we will be raised to new life in a resurrection like his. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “That’s what baptism in the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace- a new life in a new land!” One of the things I love about Sarah Bessey and her good friend, the late Rachel Held Evans, is that they are bold preachers who speak with frank honesty and with a spirit of humility. They say out loud what most of us can’t: that some days we are unwavering believers. But sometimes we have doubts. Bessey writes, “And Jesus is – still, now, always-the resurrection and the life. And on the days when I believe this, it changes everything. On the days when I believe this, I am certain we will also be resurrected and death will not have the final word and all tears will be wiped away and there will be no more night, no more hunger, no more wounding, no more loss, no more good-byes. On the days when I believe this, I believe death is a dawn and never the last word. On the days when I believe this, I know the miracle is that God knows the dark and the sorrow just like we do. On the days when I believe this, I believe that ongoing hope of resurrection changes how we engage in our lives as they stand right now as we love and know and walk with God who brings life out of death, order out of chaos, healing out of sickness, wholeness out of brokenness. On the days when I believe this, I know God isn’t finished with this Story yet. But there are days when I don’t believe it. And on those, I have this: God With Us, Emmanuel. This Easter, it may be all some of us have. We can’t quite get to resurrection and life yet but in that place of exile, we can rest alongside God With Us, which is our country of grace for today.” I’ve shared this story before, but, it’s appropriate for Easter. When our grandson, Tad, was three, he had a day out of school and he spent it with Daddy. Like a holiday or birthday, the event was documented by iphone camera. We have pictures of Tad at breakfast, and the playground, and playing with the dog, and eating a lumberjack-sized hamburger at an outdoor café. Then there was this, a video: Tad is in his car seat. “Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man. Do you know the muffin man…who… Do you know the muffin man…who… He couldn’t get to the last line, so he says, “Sing it with me, Daddy!” “You mean, Do you know the muffin man? That one?” “Yes! Yes! Sing that song with me!” And they sang it to the end. Together. Because that’s the way we open the shutters, cast off the pall, hold hands, and make it to the country of grace for today. And may you dwell in the country of grace this and every day. Amen. * Hymn 240 Alleluia! Alleluia! Give Thanks *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Reception of New Members Special Music He Lives Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings including One Great Hour of Sharing *Hymn 607 Doxology *Hymn He Arose (insert) *Blessing Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading Mark 11:1-11 Nancy McIntosh *Call to Worship Humble and riding on a donkey, we greet you. Acclaimed by crowds and caroled by children, we cheer you. Moving from the peace of the countryside to the corridors of power, we salute you, Christ, our Lord. You are giving the beasts of burden a new dignity; You are giving majesty a new face; You are giving those who long for redemption a new song to sing. With them, with heart and voice, we shout, “Hosanna! God save us!” *Hymn 197 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna Prayer of the Day We praise you, O God, for your redemption of the world through Jesus Christ. Today he entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph and was proclaimed Messiah and King by those who spread garments and branches along his way. Let these branches be signs of victory, and grant that we, who carry them, may follow him in the way of the cross, that dying and rising with him, we may enter into your kingdom, through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever. Amen. First Reading Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our failure to be what you created us to be. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. By your mercy, help us to live in your light and walk in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we may dwell in peace. Amen. Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 19:28-40 Morning Message “The Lord has need of it.” Years ago, on one of our trips to Ireland, our tour director took Ed aside to consult about a situation. The issue was the hotel had two guests, two older women traveling together, who were stranded in Dublin. Overnight, the country was ground to a halt due to a transportation strike. The women suddenly had no way to reach their destination. If they could ride with us to a particular town, a family member could meet them and drive them the rest of the way. Well, of course they were welcome to join us. The tour guide seated them up front and we treated them to both Irish and American hospitality. For me, what immediately came to mind was this text, of Jesus sending his disciples into town to retrieve a donkey. If they were questioned about it, they were to simply say, “The Lord has need of it.” What was needed on that brisk spring morning in Dublin appeared to be a ride to the next town. The Lord didn’t need a donkey that day. He needed a bus. Let’s take a closer look at the donkey in the story. We may think of donkeys as slow and stubborn, not particularly intelligent, homely, certainly not as impressive as a horse. A donkey was more affordable for the average family. It would not run away. Its lack of speed is a blessing. Donkeys are strong. They are loyal. They are protective. I have heard stories about donkeys intentionally placing themselves between a flock of sheep and a coyote, taking the attack upon themselves to save the other, more vulnerable creatures. . So, Jesus sits upon the humble donkey, the disciples and the crowd placing their cloaks along the road, waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna! God save us!” Now contrast this with what was happening on the other side of Jerusalem: New Testament scholars, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, write that the triumphal entry was less of a parade and more of a protest. They maintain it was political theatre. Jesus’ entry into the Holy City was to mock the obscene pomp and circumstance of Rome. They argue that there were two processions to enter Jerusalem that day. Every year, the Roman governor of Judea would ride up to Jerusalem from his coastal residence in the west, specifically to be present in the city for Passover-the Jewish festival that swelled Jerusalem’s population from its usual 50, 000 to at least 200, 000 people. The governor would come in all his imperial majesty to remind the Jews that Rome was in charge. “It would have been a visual display of imperial power: cavalry on horses, foot soldiers, leather, armor, helmets, weapons, the clinking of bridles, the beating of drums, the swirling of dust. The eyes of the silent on-lookers, some curious, some awed, some resentful.” According to Roman belief, the emperor was not simply the ruler of Rome, he was the Son of God. So, this entry of Pilate was both a potent military threat and the embodiment of a rival theology. Pilate clanged and crashed his way into Jerusalem from the west, Jesus approached from the east, looking pretty absurd. This was the procession of the powerless, the explicitly vulnerable. You can’t get more defenseless than to ride on a nursing mama donkey, with her colt walking along beside her. We have been back from Ireland for a week. Sometimes it takes awhile to settle in and process the trip. There’s a lot to process. We were a group of 43. Each of us having expectations and some minor challenges. The word of the day was always ”adapt.” If you want to travel, you have to be flexible. On our trek across the country we came upon a rag-tag camp of sorts. The only thing I can compare it to is a homeless encampment along the riverbank here. A couple of broken down trailers. Windows boarded up, others with towels tacked up to the windowframes. Trash strewn everywhere, a few discarded toys, tattered clothing hanging on a rope between two trees. And a few hungry-looking dogs, a pig or two, chickens walking about, and a donkey. It was tied to a picnic table. I had seen places like this before on previous trips. But, it was still shocking and painful to know people lived in these desperate conditions. They are alternately called Roma, travelers, tinkers, and gypsies, although the word “gypsy” is not used in Ireland. It would be akin to using the “N” word here. The people who inhabit the camp are nomadic. They move from place to place looking for work. It is an impoverished lifestyle. Children are uneducated for the most part. We can imagine that access to health care is limited. One look at the camp told us that they were living in squalor, without adequate food, clothing, or shelter. Do they want to live this way? They can’t. Like some here in our country, these people are caught in generational dysfunction. I’ve done a little research since we’ve been back. There are public measures being undertaken to address the plight of these people. There is special concern for the children and the elderly, as you can imagine. But any attempt to rehabilitate a community requires cooperation and that is unpredictable. I wonder if that donkey will spend its life tethered to a picnic table. “The Lord has need of it.” It strikes me that this is the type of community and the circumstances of the men, women, and children for whom Jesus’ heart broke. Poor, needy, rejected. Their possessions few and the most valuable tied up so it can’t escape. Where is their hope? Where will they ever find relief? Do they want relief? We don’t yet know. And we don’t know whether anyone who lined the street that day in Jerusalem understood what Jesus was enacting by riding into the city mounted on a donkey. I doubt they grasped the ultimate meaning in it. They weren’t interested in the donkey. They were primed for revolution. They wanted and expected something world-changing, a revolution. But Jesus knew what it would cost him to spit in Rome’s face. Debie Thomas says that what he accomplished on that loud and chaotic day was to fulfill the will of God. He fulfilled the scriptures that prophesied that the Messiah would come riding on a donkey. He died because he exposed the ungracious sham at the heart of all human kingdoms, and ignited fury. Even when he knew his actions would send him to his death, Jesus set his face “like flint” towards Jerusalem. He mounted a donkey and took Rome for a ride. Blogger Andrew King describes that special day in poetry: Jerusalem’s past had been quite a blast when David was monarch and splendid. But centuries had gone since David passed on, and God’s blessing seemed to have ended. Jerusalem’s streets had seen happy feet taking people to great holy places. A place it was now of deep-furrowed brows, on saddened and wearisome faces. Rome, you recall, had control of it all, and its soldiers could be pretty scary. A grumbling noise might upset Caesar’s boys so the people had learned to be wary. How Jerusalem longed to sing happy songs that would celebrate their story; they dreamed and they prayed to give a parade for a new David marching in glory. Then came a year when they got some cheer; there was a man to whom people pointed. Of him it was said he could raise the dead- he just might be God’s anointed! A carpenter’s son, he became someone with words that could set hearts singing; his caring stand for woman and man had the title “Messiah” now ringing. “He’s coming straight to Jerusalem’s gate,” the folk were excitedly saying; “Let’s get out there in the open air and show the Romans what we’ve been praying.” They cut branches down and handed them ‘round, a symbol of of joy and praising And they lined the way for Jesus that day, palms and voices ready for raising. Jesus, meantime, had his followers find a young donkey on which he could ride. He’d come to that place to show God’s saving grace, that God’s on the sufferers’ side. Loving and meek, no power would he seek, as he sat on the donkey so humble. Soon enough on that road he’d be bearing a load; a cross that would cause him to stumble. So in Jesus came, and the strong and the lame tossed their palm leaves and shouted their praise, “Hosanna!” they cried. “The King has come by! Hosanna! God grant us new days!” Hosannas like “God save us!” and what Jesus gave was the way that God’s love makes that happen. So lift up your palms, get your happy smile on, and be ready for singin’ and clappin’; Because every day can be Palm Sunday when you know that Jesus is near you; Give praise to God, from the sky to the sod; shout “God saves!”so all folks can hear you! Untie that donkey! The Lord has need of it! The Lord has need of you. Hosanna! *Affirmation of Faith The Nicene Creed p. 34 *Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings * Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts. Use us and what we have gathered, In feeding the world with your love, Through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. *Hymn 196 All Glory, Laud, and Honor *Blessing The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading John 12:20-33 Robin McComas *Call to Worship Isaiah 43:19 Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. *Hymn 35 Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty Prayer of Confession Merciful God, we are a people prone to wander, tempted to satisfy our immediate desires, or the most efficient solution to our challenges, instead of seeking a wider view that would lift up a just, peaceful, and plentiful world for all. Holy One, remind us of your love and purpose for all your children. Restore all our relationships and guide us home. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Our God is loving, just, and merciful. God delivers us from sin and restores us by grace. Friends, I declare to you, in the name and by the power of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we can be at peace. First Reading Psalm 126 Moments With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading John 12:1-11 Morning Message In my very first week of seminary, in New Testament Survey, I was introduced to a new word and a new theological concept. Like any first week in any school, new words and concepts come at you so fast it’s like trying to drink from a fire hose. This was no exception. On that particular day, the word was kenosis. Every class began with a time of worship- prayer and a hymn or chorus. On this particular morning, my new friend and classmate, I’ll call her Sue, walked to the front of the room, boom box in hand. She was leading worship, and it would begin with a contemporary Christian song, “Broken and Spilled Out.” I had never heard it, but, this song had special meaning for Sue. It describes this gospel text in which Jesus and his disciples had gathered for a meal, and then, as an act of devotion, Mary broke a jar of sweet, expensive perfume and poured it over Jesus’ feet, drying it with her hair. It was an act of pure devotion. Some were shocked by it. It was too intimate a gesture. Judas ridiculed Mary, claiming that the perfume should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Like the perfume, Mary’s own life had been broken and spilled out before Jesus, only to be filled with a new life, following his example of humility, compassion, and love. Here she ministers to Jesus in an act of extravagant love. Likewise, Sue’s life was broken and spilled out through many years of ups and downs. She was no slacker. She gave and gave and gave til there was almost nothing left of her. Her physical and mental health were both suffering. She was in a spiritual desert. Sue’s life was wholly unsatisfying. She was headed toward disaster. It was in kneeling in humility before Jesus, admitting her failures, and seeking his mind and heart, that she found life. You see, what’s behind that type of problem is a kind of spiritual arrogance. We think we can do it all. And maybe we can do a lot, but we aren’t God. We need God and the people God places in our lives. Sometimes that’s a hard and painful lesson. It was for Sue until her life was broken and spilled out before God and God’s grace came spilling over her like a rushing waterfall. Which, on that first class meeting, left us all prepared to receive the word of the day: “kenosis.” Kenosis is a Greek word which describes the self-emptying of Jesus’ own will in order to be entirely receptive to God’s divine will. Paul writes: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death- even death on a cross.” Paul is urging the good people at the Church of Philippi to adopt a kenotic way of life. Why? Because there had apparently been conflict and it was damaging the church. The members were not imitating Christ. People bring baggage to church with them. Of course we do, because it is a safe place to lay down our burdens. Our church is often times our second home and family. Church folks may be the only family some people have. And have you ever known a perfect family? A family where everyone brushes AND flosses and never brings the car home on empty? Me neither. So, at the First Church of Philippi, there’s conflict and it is so serious that it threatens to fracture the fellowship. Oh, my. I could tell you some stories. I was once dispatched to mediate a church conflict. The plan was to work with the session two nights and the next week work with the congregation. Well, the first thing that happened was the session got into an argument about the interpretation of a Bible passage we were using for a devotion. This did not inspire confidence. The second night, the pastor had a heart attack. We were doomed. That situation could have been resolved satisfactorily, if everyone had taken Paul’s advice and emptied themselves of their tightly-held biases and taken on the mind of Christ. According to Paul, when Jesus emptied himself, he poured out his love. With an outpouring of love comes the other fruit of Spirit-joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The kenosis ethic invites us to imitate Christ, who took on a human body, growing and changing, feeling hunger and thirst, fatigue and pain, joy and love. This moment with friends comes at the end of Jesus’ time with them, indeed, he was in his final days on earth. Jesus was no doubt grateful for their hospitality. A good meal in good company. A gift. He welcomed the gentle anointing Mary provided. When Judas complained, Jesus told him to leave her alone- she was preparing him for his burial. Can we place ourselves in that scene? If you were one of the guests that night, what might you be feeling? Not only was the room filled with the scent of rich perfume, it was filled with memories, miracles, acts of compassion, confrontations with the powerful, acts of love. Their hearts must surely have been breaking at the notion of Jesus’ death. It should occur to us that to break something may be a desirable thing. Like breaking a piñata at a child’s party, or cracking an egg for breakfast. We hope how soon we can housebreak a new pet. We are relieved at the breaking of a habit. Athletes thrive on breaking records. In some cultures, breaking plates after a wedding is supposed to bring the newlyweds good luck. Those of us who follow Jesus hope to break the ways of sin that bring so much destruction upon God’s people. The promise of Easter is that, in his death and in his rising, Jesus has broken the powers of sin and death. Centuries before this night, the psalmist wrote, “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” About this psalm, theologian Frederick Buechner writes: “You never know what may cause them. The sight of the Atlantic Ocean can do it, or a piece of music, or a face you’ve never seen before. A pair of somebody’s old shoes can do it. Almost any movie made before the great sadness that came over the world after the Second World War, a horse cantering across a meadow, the high school basketball team running out onto the gym floor at the start of a game. You can never be sure. But of this you can be sure: Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not, God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go next.” The same health issue that has me taking frequent sips of water standing at this pulpit, causes great problems for my eyes. They do not tear and this has damaged my vision. But, my doctor has me trying something new and I am hopeful. Last weekend, I had little Freya in my arms and she was fussy. It was naptime, but she couldn’t quite get there on her own. So, I claimed the rocking chair. And you know what happened. The combination of motion and squeaking worked its magic and soon Freya had wiggled herself to sleeping position, working her little blond head under my chin, her soft breath brushing my neck. I closed my eyes, just enjoying the silence, the sweetness, and I must have fallen asleep, too. You know, it’s amazing what God can do when we’re not looking. I woke to find something wet slipping down my cheek. A breakthrough. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 * Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Gracious, loving, and abundant God, we praise you for the gifts presented today and for the intentions of your people in giving. Bless these offerings, of hearts and resources. May they equip the saints for their ministry and be a comfort to those in need. Amen. *Hymn 702 Christ Be Beside Me *Blessing The cross…we will take it. The bread…we will break it. The pain…we will bear it. The joy…we will share it. The gospel…we will live it. The love…we will give it. The light…we will cherish it. The darkness…God will perish it. From Stages On the Way: Iona Community, Wild Goose Worship Group *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading John 3:1-8 Michael and Stephanie Noel *Call to Worship St. Columba, 521-597 Kindle in our hearts, dear God, the flame of love that never ceases, that it may burn in us, giving light to others. May we shine forever in your temple, set on fire with your eternal light, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Amen. *Hymn 802 The King of Love My Shepherd Is, verses 1, 2, and 3. Prayer of Confession Holy One, you know our hearts. You have knitted our inmost being and you know our deepest desires, fears, and worries. Help us to journey during this Lenten season into a new awareness of your presence in our lives. Save us from our own temptations, so that we may more freely follow you. Amen. Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The Lord removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. In this is our great comfort in life. Friends, believe the good news. Our sins are forgiven. We may rest in God’s peace. First Reading Psalm 23 Moments With Our Young Disciples The Gospel Reading John 9: 1-41 The Morning Message John Morgan *Hymn 451 Open My Eyes that I May See *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer God of mercy, grace, and love, the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ makes every day new. Especially today we thank you for the beauty of creation, the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness, the sustaining love of family and friends, the fellowship of the faithful in your church. Merciful God, renew this weary world. As the earth breaks forth in bud and bloom, may our hearts be opened afresh to the power of your love. Heal the hurts of all your children, put your words in our mouths, and bring about your peace for all in Jesus Christ, the living Lord. We pray for those who govern the nations of the world, the people who live in countries damaged by strife and warfare, for those who work for peace and international harmony and those who devote themselves to the care of your natural world. We pray for our friends and family who are in need of wholeness in body, mind, or circumstance. Assure them, and those who provide their care, that your love surrounds them and give them a sense of your presence and peace. Safely guard all those who are far from home, and those who long for home. We pray for all who worship you, dear God, though we may call you by different holy names. We pray for ourselves, that you might find us faithful today and on the day of your promised return. We pray in Jesus’ name and as he taught us, saying, Our Father…Amen.” Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication All our resources are gifts from you, gracious Lord. In gratitude, help us to use them wisely, that we may serve the needs of your people and spread the good news of salvation near and far. Amen. *Hymn 802 The King of Love My Shepherd Is, verses 4, 5, and 6 *Blessing May the Three that are over you, the Three that are below you, the Three that are above you here, the Three Who are above you yonder, the Three Who are in the earth, the Three Who are in the air, the Three Who are in heaven, the Three Who are in the great, pouring sea- bless you. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three in One and One in Three. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading John 2:13-22 Judy Napier *Call to Worship Someday, the house of God will stand on the highest mountain. People will come from every place to learn how to walk in God’s path. God will show us what is fair and put an end to our fighting. People will turn their old weapons into new tools for mutual benefit and blessing. Come, people of God. Let us walk in the light of the Lord. *Hymn 441 Hear the Good News of Salvation Prayer of Confession Holy God, you have called us to love you with heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. But, if we are honest, we know that sometimes we hurt each other and fail to keep our promises to you. Forgive us, God of grace. Teach us, day by day, to turn away from what is wrong and to turn to you in faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news: We are dead to sin and evil and alive to God in Jesus Christ. Friends, I urge you to walk in his light- forgiven, reconciled, and free! First Reading John 4:5-26 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading John 4: 27-42 Morning Message *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Thank you, Lord, for your many gifts-for the world’s helpers, peace and security, recreation and rest, friends and family, life and health. We thank you for your Son, Jesus, who came to embody your love and compassion for the world, calling us into lives of joyful service. Amen. *Hymn 443 There Is a Redeemer *Blessing May God bless you and keep you safe. May God smile on you with grace. May God watch over you always and give you peace. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading Betty Dennison *Hymn 450 Be Thou My Vision Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our failure to be what you created us to be. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. By your loving mercy, help us live in your light and abide in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Amen. Old Testament Reading Psalm 121 Moments With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading Luke 13:31-35 Morning Message “Who do people say that I am?” That was a loaded question Jesus asked his friends. As we have traveled through the scriptures of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, we learn the importance attached to the name of Jesus. When he is born, Mary and Joseph call him, “Jesus,” which in Hebrew is “Yehoshua,” because he will save his people from their sins. Cruden’s Bible Concordance lists 198 names given to Jesus, each one packed with meaning. Like many of you, I’m sure, we get pictures and videos almost every day of our grandchildren. One of my favorites is of Tad, when he was just a few months old. Sturdy enough to propel himself in his exer-saucer, we hear his father call his name, “Thomas!” and his little round head turns in the direction of the iphone video-ing the moment. A smile forms on his chubby little face. “Thomas!” dad calls again, and the smile grows. “Is your name Thomas?” and his little body just starts to bounce for all its worth, his bright eyes locked onto his dad’s in this grand moment of recognition. Our names are important. Your name is important. If I hear your name, I am immediately on alert, asking questions, like, are you in the hospital? Should I give you a call? It is with this kind of attention that I read the paper. One night last winter, I settled in with a cup of tea and the Herald-Dispatch. As I turned to the obituaries, I noticed the name of a dear friend, Robert, and shook my head in disbelief. Surely this couldn’t be right. While our kids were still at home, we saw Robert and his wife regularly. But we saw less of each other now that our nests had emptied. In recent years, Robert and his wife had moved to Ohio to be closer to their daughter and her family. We understand that, don’t we? The funeral home visitation was that night, so I rushed upstairs and got myself put together enough to make a visit. I tried to reach Ed while I drove. He was at a music conference out of town with students. I knew this news would hit him hard. I finally reached him as I was walking into the funeral home. I could hear the grief and disbelief in his voice. I detected a note of guilt that we had lost contact with this couple. I was feeling it, too. When we confess our sins each week in worship, we ask God to forgive us the wrongs we have done and those things we have failed to do. I was feeling the full awful truth of that in those moments. I waited behind a long line of friends, neighbors, and colleagues to speak to the family. Then I was wrapped in a warm embrace that closed the gap that absence and neglect had created. I started to apologize to Rachel that I was so completely out of the loop and so sad about her husband’s death. She gave me one of those looks that said, “You need to hear the rest of the story.” And so I did. I learned that for nearly the whole time they had lived in Ohio, her husband had been battling a brain tumor. He underwent surgery and radiation treatment to no avail. He suffered two massive strokes. The illness devastated his body and his mind. For his loved ones, his death was a blessing. His suffering and theirs, had ended. He had been received into the mercy and everlasting arms of God. My friend described their lives as being consumed by Robert’s illness. There was no time for much of anything else. The pastor and members of the church they had joined were very supportive and helpful, present with them through the whole ordeal, just as their friends here would have been. And then she said, “I want to tell you something. You will understand.” One Sunday, she explained, “Our pastor spoke about finding our purpose. And I spent a good deal of time thinking about that. What is my purpose? What is Richard’s purpose?” Now, I would have said she had found her purpose in being a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and for more than thirty years, an outstanding teacher. And her husband’s purpose could be found in much the same way through his family connections, and as a mechanical engineer. They were both valuable community members and faithful Christians. That’s a lot of purpose in my estimation. As she was contemplating the question about purpose, she went to the facility where Richard was a patient and found herself at the nurses’ station. She said she hadn’t planned it, but, she heard herself ask if they had ever thought of holding a worship service there. The nurse said no, but, sounding interested, asked Rachel if she knew of a church that might be approached. Rachel said she pointed out the window. “See that church across the field? I go to that church. I’ll ask the pastor about it. The next Sunday, a worship service was held for patients, family, and staff. And from one spontaneous inquiry, a relationship was born and has grown beyond a single worship service. She said that was confirmation that she and her husband were exactly where they were supposed to be. Their lives still had purpose. Robert’s very altered life still had purpose. In fact, they had a fresh purpose, even at 70 years of age. Why do I tell you this story? After all, you heard it last year during Lent. Because the kingdom of heaven and eternal life are gifts of God and we don’t have to wait til life on the other side to appreciate their benefit. They may be enjoyed now. Today. Nicodemus asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life, how he could be born again. Surely, he couldn’t literally be birthed from his mother’s body again. That is a powerful, blunt question. It strikes at the heart of the matter. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, one of the most devout Jews of his day. He was one of the most highly educated people of his community. He was important, respected. His life had purpose. It was nighttime when Nicodemus sought Jesus out. It was believed that the most serious, most dedicated study was undertaken at night. So, here he was, a faithful Jew, a law scholar, asking Jesus about life after death. What does our reformed tradition tell us about life after death? We start with what we know of Jesus’ experience. The Jesus story is our story, too. We will follow him. Through the witness of Scripture and our confessions it is understood that we are destined, when we die, to follow Jesus into God’s presence. In Second Corinthians 5:8 we read these comforting words: “We do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Sometimes we interpret that verse as “absent from the body, present with the Lord.” We also take counsel from our confessions. The Scots Confession declares, “The chosen departed are in peace, and rest from their labors, not that they sleep and are lost in oblivion as some fanatics hold, for they are delivered from all their fear and torment, and all the temptations to which we and all God’s chosen are subject in this life.” Westminster is even more precise, declaring that “the bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God.” Of course, we would amend that to include women. And the verse I read at every funeral service : “If we are buried (in baptism) with Jesus in a death like his, we will also be raised in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:5. If there is a Presbyterian narrative about life after death, this is it: When we die, our souls, or spirits, go to be with God, where we enjoy God’s glory and wait in anticipation for the promised day of the kingdom fully revealed. Say this with me: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” This is the gospel in a nutshell, isn’t it? It is the most-often quoted verse in the Bible. And this was the ultimate answer to the deep and probing questions Nicodemus brought to Jesus. That verse announces that the story of our salvation begins with God and God’s love. God initiates a relationship with us out of love. God sent his Son to live among us, to be one of us, to close the gap between God and ourselves, to save us. Behind everything is the love of God. In the Letter of First John we read, “God is love. Those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” This is not the image of God to which some cling. Some Christians cling in fear to the image of God as judge and monarch whose subjects adhere to a strict code of conduct in order to please him. But the God Jesus describes that night to Nicodemus, is the Father whose greatest desire is to have all his children home. Augustine said, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love.” And that is the essence of what my long-time friend shared with me that night at the funeral home. God had loved them in West Virginia. God loved them in Ohio. God loved them in the hospital, and God loved them in the nursing home. And God loved them so much that the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ shone through their suffering, to bring comfort and courage to others of similar need. And if that was the purpose at the end of Robert’s life, then God’s kingdom did come. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Intercessions for Lent Jesus, remember us when you come into your kingdom. As we journey with you toward Jerusalem, may we be aware of both crises and opportunities in this life of discipleship. Increase in us our capacity to empathize, to work for peace, to forgive as you have forgiven us. Hear now our prayers for the world, our neighbors, and ourselves: For your church around the world, we ask for new life. For all who carry out ministries in your church, we ask grace and wisdom. For those who have accepted the spiritual disciplines of Lent, we ask inspired discipleship. For Christians of every land, we ask unity in your name. For Jews and Muslims and people of other faiths, we ask your divine blessing. For those who cannot believe, we ask your faithful love. For governors and rulers of every land, we ask your sober guidance. For people who suffer and sorrow, especially your sons and daughters in Ukraine, Syria, and Turkey, we ask your healing peace. Holy God, Your Word, Jesus Christ, spoke peace to a sinful world and brought humanity the gift of reconciliation, by the suffering he endured. Teach those who bear his name to follow the example he gave us. May our faith, hope, and charity turn hatred into love, conflict to peace, and death to eternal life. We lift our prayers to you now for the health and well-being of our church members, families, and friends in their particular circumstances. Silence. Save us from weariness, but, strengthen us to seek health and wholeness for all people, here and everywhere. We lift our prayers with the confidence of the children and God, saying, Our Father…Amen. Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Blessed are you, O God, giver of all things. Through your goodness, we have these gifts to share. Use us and what we have gathered, in serving the world with your love and compassion, through the one who gave himself for us, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 725 O, Jesus, I Have Promised *Blessing Go now, and live before God in openness and integrity. Set your minds on the ways of God, not clinging to your own life, but taking up your cross to follow Jesus. And may God give you a share in the eternal covenant; may you be found faithful when Christ comes again in glory; and may the Holy Spirit strengthen you in faith and courage, and lead you in the way of righteousness. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading Mark 1:9-15 Hala Mosrie *Hymn 12 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise Prayer of Confession O God, our strength and fortress, forgive us when we fail to trust in you. We fall easily to temptation, swayed by false words, and false statements of our own making. We choose ease and comfort over the claims made upon us as Christians devoted in faith and service. In turning from you, we settle for less than the abundant life you intend. We keep the Good News to ourselves and neglect to demonstrate your generosity to those desperate to find relief. Forgive us, Lord, and do not put us to shame. Show us your salvation when we call upon you. In the name of Jesus Christ, who died that we might live. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The Lord is generous to all who call on him. God does not turn us away, but, desires to bring us into the glorious freedom offered in our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Friends, know you are forgiven and be at peace. Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 4:1-13 Morning Message It wasn’t until I walked into my bedroom Wednesday night and caught sight of myself in the mirror that it dawned on me why I’d received some funny looks when I stopped at a store on my way home from the Ash Wednesday service. I had a black smudge right in the middle of my forehead. It was pretty unattractive. And that’s as it should be, isn’t it? Ashes, dark and grimy, traced on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. Two symbols in one: ashes to remind us of death and the sobering words, “From dust you came and to dust you shall return.” But in sort of a secret language, that truth is overlaid with the sign of resurrection…the empty cross. Christians do not receive the sign of the cross to attract attention. They receive the sign of the cross to focus on who they are as human beings, bound in death and life to Christ. Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent provide time to explore the mystery at the heart of the Gospel… that being a Christian means a new life through Christ. And so Lent begins…forty days, except Sundays, between last Wednesday and Easter. The forty days remind us of other big events in the story of God and God’s people: the flood of Genesis, Moses’ sojourn at Mt. Sinai, Elijah’s journey to Mt. Horeb, Jonah’s call to Ninevah, and Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness, as we read just now. In the early church, Lent was a time of preparation for baptism, which was done at the Easter vigil. Imagine for a moment what that may have looked and felt like. New believers, many of whom were converts from some other faith, or no faith at all, were given months of instruction before the final act of commitment, baptism. We light candles each Sunday, and special candles for baptism. In the early church, because baptisms were done in living, or running, water, they were conducted outside, and held just after midnight. I can close my eyes and visualize the scene. Believers lining the riverbank or the lakeshore with torches, maybe singing songs of the faith, praising God in prayer, witnessing the uninitiated wade into the water, plunged beneath the surface, washed clean, raised as new-born brothers and sisters in this great communion of saints we call the Church. Men and women were baptized in separate ceremonies, and they were baptized without a stitch of clothing on. When they came up from the water, they were wrapped in new robes, to symbolize the new life they put on in Christ. Today, we still observe Lent. Catholics and Orthodox Christians have observed it for centuries. Presbyterians are late in coming to the practice. As you remember from church history, the Reformers, like Calvin and Zwingli, tossed out rituals that could not be found in Scripture and anything that they deemed “too Catholic.” That was pretty short-sighted. I am most appreciative that we have re-claimed Lent as a time set apart in the church year. Unlike the four weeks of quiet expectation we observe in Advent, the outcome of which is Christ’s birth, Lent plunges us into six weeks of somber reflection on our humanness, our penchant for sin, and our mortality. Remember those ashes. In the lectionary texts, we will walk through the final days of Jesus’ life, and feel the pressure building between spiritual power and civil power. And we will pray, as Jesus prayed, and sought God’s purpose and will for his life those forty days in the wilderness, as he prayed that night in the garden when all his friends fell asleep, and as he cried out to God in agony, in those excruciating final hours on the cross at Calvary. All of it adding shape and texture to the purpose of Jesus’ life. What is your spiritual purpose? How did you come to faith? Did God call you in a dramatic way to love and serve him? Or was it a more gradual process? I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know God. As you’ve grown and matured, has your faith been strained or has it grown stronger? I’ve experienced both. How is your faith different from your earlier years? We received word last Sunday that Ernest Thompson, former Senior Minister at First Presbyterian Church, had died. He was 89. I worked with Ernest as the Christian Education Director there for several years. Time with Ernest shaped my faith in specific ways. I learned so much about being a pastor from him. On his last Sunday at the church, we had Communion. It was a solemn occasion. You could hear sniffles and muted crying all around the sanctuary. ET himself looked at the floor while the trays were being passed through the congregation. We had already begun to mourn our loss. But, Ernest would be the first to say as important as the moment was, we would always be connected through our faith, and we must remember that we do not live by bread, even holy bread, alone, but by finding our purpose in the true bread of heaven, Jesus Christ. In a staff meeting one day, we were all called on to share something of our faith story. Ernest had grown up in faculty housing at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, where his father was an esteemed professor. He was also heavily involved in the civil rights movement and was instrumental in launching the Presbyterian Outlook magazine, which is still published today. ET, as he was affectionately known, was fully immersed in the life of the church, but yet, he didn’t show much interest in cultivating his faith. He described it as superficial. That is, until one summer, while working at Montreat, he heard the gospel message in a way that woke him up to the good news of the gospel, of life and death, and life after death, all wrapped up in the irresistible love and grace of Jesus Christ. Upon his return home, he sat with his father and shared this newly-ignited faith. To which, with a tear coursing down his cheek, his father said, “Son, that’s what I’ve been trying to teach you all along.” In the Companion to the Book of Common Worship, we find this description of the Lenten season. “What we hear during Lent is the power and possibility of the paschal mystery, and that the way of the cross, the way to Easter, is through death. To appropriate the new life that is beyond the power of death means we must die with Christ who was raised for us. To live for Christ, we must die with him. New life requires a daily surrendering of the old life, letting go of the present order, so that we may embrace the new humanity. “I die every day!” asserts Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:31. Resurrection necessitates death as a preceding act. The church’s peculiar Lenten claim is that in dying we live, that all who are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death. To be raised with Christ means one must also die with Christ. In order to embrace the resurrection, we must experience the passion of Jesus. The way of the cross, the way to Easter, is through death of the “old self.” In dying, we live. Therefore, at the beginning of Lent, we are reminded that our possessions, our rulers, our empires, our projects, our families, and even our lives do not last forever. The difference in age between my daughters, Katy and Sarah Beth, is nearly six years. Like most kids who have enjoyed first or only-child status, Katy had a wee streak of jealousy that sometimes came out in devilish behavior. When SB became mobile, I put her in a playpen while I took cooked or did something that required both hands to accomplish. She wasn’t pleased about that habitat, but she could tolerate it for a little while. One day, I noticed she seemed to be crying a lot. I let that go for awhile, but, soon walked from kitchen to living room to see what the problem could be. And, what I saw made me laugh and it made me hurt: Sarah Beth had just learned to pull herself up to standing, her little fingers gripping the padded rail around the playpen, quite pleased with herself, her eyes firmly focused on her big sister, whom she adored. And her adored big sister was peeling those baby fingers off the rail, one by one, until SB lost her grip and fell backwards with a thud and let out a stunned cry. I was concerned for years that she was irreparably scarred, until I caught SB lowering a giant stuffed clown down the wall from her top bunk-bed to the bottom bunk to scare Caroline, who had clown phobia. That’s the way it goes in the world of siblings. I tell you this story because the liturgies throughout Lent try to pry loose our fingers, one by one, from presumed securities, and plunge us into unknown baptismal waters, that turn out to be not only our death tomb, but surprisingly, our womb of life. Rather than falling back into nothingness, we fall back on everlasting arms. Death? How can we fear what we have already undergone in baptism? It is the power of the resurrection on the horizon ahead that draws us into repentance toward the cross and tomb. Through the intervention of God’s gracious resurrection, lifelong changes in our values and behavior become possible. By turning from the end of the old self in us, Lenten repentance makes it possible for us to affirm joyfully, “Death is no more!” and to aim toward the landscape of the new age. Faithfully adhering to the Lenten journey of “prayer, fasting and almsgiving” leads to the destination of Easter. So, I invite you to observe a Holy Lent. Take up a spiritual practice. Read one of the gospels from beginning to end. Take your time. Pray. Experience God in silence. Wait for a sense of God’s presence and listen with your heart. Help someone. Practice fasting if your health allows. In all things, I urge you to ponder these words, “Lent is the season of penitence. To be repentant is to be aware of your human nature, your tendency to sin, and the remorse you feel as a result. And, to repent means to turn around…to turn from sin and to turn toward Christ, that your life speaks of your love and devotion. In our baptism and confirmation rites we are asked, “Do you reject sin and its power in your life, and is it your intention to turn from sin and toward God?” And the answer is, “I will, with God’s help.” And so, my dear friends, we will, with God’s help. *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Prayers of the Faithful and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Gracious God, we give you thanks for all your gifts, including these forty days of Lent. May they be to us a time of deep searching, be it during walks into the wilderness or courageous choices. May we dedicate ourselves anew to discipleship, even as we dedicate our gifts to your kingdom. Amen. *Hymn 215 What Wondrous Love Is This? *Blessing These Lenten days will take us to the cross of Christ. Go forward, knowing that you do not walk this way alone. Do not fear, for the Word of God empowers us and the Holy Spirit sustains us. May the God of the exodus lead us into freedom. May the Holy Spirit bind us to God’s will and to fellowship with believers over time and space. May Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Announcements Today is ECCHO and Cents-ability Sunday. Your contributions for those in need are appreciated. A Lenten study is offered today, (you’ll have to fill this in per last week’s bulletin)The study begins at 10:00AM in the chapel. A congregational meeting will be held April 2 immediately following worship. This is the Annual Meeting during which committee chairs present a review of mission and ministry. *Postlude Prelude
*Call to Worship “Listen to him!” Our God cries from the mountaintop. It is good for us to be here. We bow before our God in worship. May God’s Word resonate in our ears and sink into our innermost beings. May our hearts be transfigured, our minds filled with understanding *Hymn 1 Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! Prayer of Confession God of compassion, in Jesus Christ you reveal the light of your glory. But we turn away, distracted by our own plans. We confess that we speak when we should listen, and act when we should wait. Forgive our aimless enthusiasms. Grant us wisdom to live in your light and to follow in the way of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Though we were blinded by sin, God’s saving light has been beamed into our hearts that we may see the radiant mercy of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Sisters and brothers, I declare to you, your sins are forgiven. Be at peace. Amen. Old Testament Reading Exodus 24: 12-18 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 17:1-9 Morning Message I slid into a place in the choir loft, not quite late, but not quite on time either. The woman next to me turns and says, “Cinda, I’m so glad you’re here. I want to ask you something.” Great. I had kids to get home after church, go over homework, get baths, and tucked into bed. Wednesdays often turned out to be late nights which became grumpy mornings on Thursday if the girls were up too late. I knew I was in trouble, because a conversation with this person was never quick. But, I stayed after the rehearsal to listen to her concern. “So, what’s up?” “Well, I don’t understand the transfiguration. Can you explain it to me? And please don’t say it’s a mystery…or a metaphor. I’ve heard that before and its not very satisfying.” “It’s a hard one for me, too. That’s why I’m in seminary. I’m hoping to learn. You might ask Dr. So and So.” “I guess I could do that.” She walked away, disappointed. Not wanting to be caught flat-footed again, I took a few books from the library, which did provide some background and insight. We should remember that the gospel of Matthew is written to a Jewish audience. There is a lengthy genealogy in the first chapter which anchors Jesus’ place in Hebrew history. We hear echoes of Old Testament stories. And then, there’s the story of the transfiguration, and it’s more than a hint, more than an echo. We clearly remember Moses up on Mt. Sinai, receiving the law, the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, from God. It is Elijah and Moses who appear with Jesus, the prophet and the law-giver. It is as though they have come to accompany Jesus and his disciples to Jerusalem. Peter, James, and John accompany Jesus up the mountain. Tension has been building around them. Jesus has a following. People are responding to news of a new way of life, one that shuns strength of oppression and values strength born of the spirit of righteousness and peace. The trouble was the authorities weren’t having it. It threatened their power. And Jesus and his friends could see around the corner. The next days and weeks ahead were fraught with danger. And so they begin to look for alternatives, a second opinion, a way to stop time. Here on the mountaintop, they find safety and declare that they will build a sanctuary around themselves, and stay awhile, far from the crowds and the authorities. In that way, they might be spared the heartache to come. Lent does that to me. True confession time: I love Advent and Christmas and the weeks of Epiphany which call us to prolong the singing of carols and the warmth of candlelight. But, way before I’m ready, Lent steals its way into the calendar and we’re headed to Jerusalem all over again. The inevitability of the cross hangs like a pall over us and we can’t do anything about it. So, we pack away the decorations, silence our bright alleluias, dress the sanctuary in solemn purple garb, and pray it doesn’t hurt all that much getting to Easter Sunday. Are any of you Pat Conroy fans? I am, too. Last week I caught the end of “The Great Santini,” which is the movie version of the book by the same name. It starred Blythe Danner and Robert Duvall. “The Great Santini” is the name given to Bull Meacham, a decorated fighter pilot in public and a despicable man in private. He inflicted pain upon his family for fun, beating his wife and children, subjecting them to all sorts of hardship, thanks to his alcoholic rages and bullish behavior. And, true to type, Great Santini declared he was cruel and hateful as a demonstration of his love. It was his way of making his family tough in the world. He was so good at convincing them of that, that when he died, his wife ordered her four children to show no emotion, not a tear, at the funeral, as it would be an offense to their father’s memory. It should be said that The Great Santini was the story of Pat Conroy’s own family, his father the famed fighter pilot and household abuser. . We know what this is all about though, don’t we? Santini was a deeply wounded human being. We aren’t provided his history, but he was a hot mess. He believed it was disgraceful to reveal one’s weakness. In fact, he taught his son to prove his strength and courage whenever he was challenged. His version of the golden rule was “do unto others before they do unto you.” “Build a fortress around your soul,” he seemed to demand. Do not risk the price of heartache or joy. Criticize, humiliate, reject people before they can reject you. Be tough. Those aren’t kingdom values. Strength and courage are important. But sometimes our strength manifests itself in our vulnerability. Admitting our fear. Accepting hard facts. Facing the future. Railing at God. Yes, even that’s ok. God can take it. Even Jesus asked God to change his mind. God is present in suffering and sacrifice and when we accept that, we find ourselves standing on Holy Ground. C. S. Lewis writes a final word from Aslan in The Silver Chair: “Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly. I will not do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it doesn’t confuse your mind. And the signs you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearance. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.” Author Maryetta Anschutz writes, “God prepares people in the transcendent encounters of our lives to endure the world below, the world of the cross, the world that has the ability to break us and yet is never beyond God’s redemption. The moment of transfiguration is that point at which God says to the world and to each of us that there is nothing we can do to prepare for or stand in the way of joy or sorrow. We cannot build God a monument, and we can’t keep God safe. We also cannot escape the light that God will shed on our path. We cannot escape God, Immanuel among us. God will find us in our homes and in our workplaces. God will find us when our hearts are broken and when we discover joy. God will find us when we run away from God and when we are sitting in what seems like hell. So, get up and do not be afraid.” Today I might say to my choir buddy that the purpose and meaning of the Transfiguration is that God is at work transforming the world God created, including you and me, day by day and year to year. It is mystery, one of the ways we are reminded that we are all moving toward that day when the “earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9) *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer O Lord, our God, you are great indeed, clothed in majesty and splendor, wrapped in light as with a robe. In the solitude of a mountain height, you revealed your glory in Jesus Christ even as he faced his crucifixion. We praise you for this glimpse of the mystery of our redemption. Transfigure us by your Spirit, and let your love shine in all we do and say that all the world may see the radiance of your light, Christ Jesus, your Son, Who guides all creation to the fullness of your glory. We lift up those in our community of faith, our friends, and family members who are in need of healing and wholeness, all those in need, the forgotten, lost, and abused, and pray for the coming of your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. We pray as Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father…Amen. Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication God of grace, you provide for us in more ways than we can know or understand. Accept these offerings as signs of our gratitude and bless them to carry out the ministry of Jesus Christ, that the radiance of his light may transform hearts and minds and wills. *Hymn 193 Jesus, Take Us to the Mountain Blessing Nathan Nettleton, Laughingbird.net Go now, and speak of what you have seen of God. Do not cling to the holy moments when heaven overshadows you. But, as the Lord lives, listen to Christ and follow him from the places of revelation to the places of mission. And may God shine the light of glory into your hearts. May Christ be with you and never leave you. And may the Spirit renew the image of God within you. *Postlude |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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