Palm Sunday

The Service today has been compiled by Susan Smandych (Intern at St. Paul) and follows the format of the BAS of the Anglican Church of Canada with some modifications

Prelude          Ride On King Jesus

Land Acknowledgement 

Welcome (Susan)

“Blessed is the one, who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” Welcome home to St Paul’s Fort Garry on this final Sunday of Lent, known as the Sunday of the Passion (with the Liturgy of the Palms), or simply as Palm Sunday. Today, we will commemorate Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, and then we will accompany Jesus on our Saviour’s final journey, by reading the passion narrative from the Gospel of Mark, which recall some of the events of the last week of Jesus’ life. 

We begin today’s service with the rather curious way in which Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem: riding on a donkey. In Jesus’ time, when kings wanted to announce their intention of keeping the peace rather than making war, they would ride on a donkey which was considered to be a noble beast. So what Jesus was saying, rather symbolically, upon entrance to Jerusalem, was essentially: “I am your King. I come, not as a warrior, ready for battle. But I come to you in love and peace. Will you take me as your King?” This is a question each one of us faces. Will we enthrone Jesus as the Lord of our lives and commit ourselves to service in God’s kingdom? (adapted from “Approaching Easter: Meditations for Lent” by Joyce Huggett)

Gathering Hymn      183     Into Jerusalem Jesus Rode

Into Jerusalem Jesus rode,
Triumphant king acclaimed;
Palm branches spread to honour his way,
Garments laid down as tokens of praise;
Shouts of “Hosanna” surged through the throng
In Jerusalem.

With Jerusalem Jesus stood,
Masquerade king reviled;
Thorns made a crown (grim satire of truth),
Robe like a wound thrown over his back;
Echoes of “Crucify” filled the air
Within Jerusalem

Outside Jerusalem Jesus hung,
Crucified King despised;
Wood formed a cross suspending his life;
Soldiers cast lots to deal out his clothes;
His lonely cries; my God”; “it is done,”
Outside Jerusalem

Gathering of the Community
(an adapted form of the ‘Call to Worship’ on p. 39 of ‘Bread for the Journey’ by Ruth C. Duck)

Come! From the city streets.
Join the happy throng that gathers to honour Jesus!

Come! From your homes, from near and far.
Put down your work, in joyful celebration!

Come! Lay down your sorrows and worries.

Turn your eyes towards the Saviour whom God has sent!

Let us join together in joyful song.
Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is Jesus Christ, who comes in God’s name. Amen.

Collect (Adapted from BAS, p. 297 and from Bread for the Journey’ by Ruth C. Duck)

Dear friends in Christ, during Lent, we have been preparing for the celebration of our Lord’s paschal mystery.

On this day our Lord Jesus Christ entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph.  The people welcomed Jesus with palms and shouts of praise, but the path before Jesus led to self-giving, suffering, and death.

Today we greet Jesus as our King, although we know Jesus’ crown is thorns and Jesus’ throne a cross.
We follow Jesus this week from the glory of the palms to the glory of the resurrection by way of the dark road of suffering and death.

We follow Jesus this week, first from hosanna, then through horror, and finally to hope.

United with Jesus in suffering on the cross, may we share in the resurrection and new life.

Let us pray.
God of infinite power, we praise you for Jesus Christ, who came riding into the city of Jerusalem on a lowly beast, victorious through love and not through violence. Help us to learn the meaning of power and of glory through Christ, who, though being one with you, took on the form of a servant and shared our human life and sufferings. May we truly participate in the life and struggles of the world’s peoples, and fulfill the promises that we made during our baptism, including our commitment to strive for justice and peace among all people, even if or when it means we are called to go against the crowd. Amen.

Lenten Cross Liturgy (One purple candle and Christ candle are lit prior to worship)
Today we will extinguish the last purple candle. We have contemplated the barriers in our lives which separate us from God and which prevent us from living as children of the Covenant. The final barrier we reflect upon is that lack of commitment.

Like learning to play a musical instrument or riding a bike, being an active member of the family of God means hard work and practice. Sometimes we simply do not care enough to keep on trying. We get tired, or bored, or it gets too difficult and so we quit.

We can imagine how easy it must have been to shout hosannas with the rest of the crowd as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Most of us can also imagine how easy it might have been to shout "crucify Jesus" with the crowd only days later. Being a responsible person of faith takes commitment. It often means going against the crowd.

As we put out this candle, let us think of those times when we have not kept our word and failed to keep our promises. Today we remember Jesus, the light of our lives.
(6th candle is extinguished).

Let us pray:
God, our Saviour, we praise and adore you. In your mercy you have reached out to us. We want to be faithful, O God, yet our feet slip easily from your pathway. Transform our wavering steps into solid conviction. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Two Processions Entering Jerusalem

Two processions entering Jerusalem, two opposing kingdoms on display.
Which of these processions are we part of? Which one will we follow on its way?
Will we shout “Hail Pilate” or “Hosanna” when we have a choice whose praise to sing?
Will we trust the violent mighty ruler? Will we trust the peaceful peasant king?

Two processions entering Jerusalem, power of love against the love of power.
Will we choose the path of domination? Will we let compassion have its hour?
God has had a dream of joyful justice. Rome has spun a nightmare of neglect.
If we trust the commonwealth of servants, we may bring God’s joy and justice yet?

Two processions entering Jerusalem; Realm of hope dominion built on fear.
As we choose the path that love has opened, we will see the realm of hope draw near.

Proclamation of the Word

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark: Mark 11:1-11

“When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
“Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.”

The Gospel of Christ.            Praise to you, Lord Jesus Chris

 

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 This is the Day That The Lord Has Made (from Catholic Book of Worship III)

This is the day the Lord has made,
God calls the hours his own;
Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad,
And praise surround the throne.

Hosanna to the anointed King,
To David's holy Son;
Help us, O Lord; descend and bring
Salvation from thy throne.

Hosanna in the highest strains
The church on earth can raise;
The highest heavens, in which God reigns,
Shall give him nobler praise.

Oh give us all praise this holy day
To God, thee in One,
To creator, Son, and Spirit blest,
Who reign while ages run.

Proclamation of the Word

A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 50:4-9a

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning the Lord wakens — wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore, I have not been disgraced; therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; the one who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?”

The word of the Lord.           Thanks be to God

 

 

Psalm 31:9-16      Creator, I Put My Life In Your Hands

Creator, I put my life in Your hands
In you O Lord, I take refuge
Let me never be put to shame
Into your hands I commend my spirit
You will redeem me, faithful God

Creator, I put my life in Your hands
For all my foes reproach me
Neighbours laugh and friends stand off
I am forgotten like dead unremembered
I am like a dish cast down

Creator, I put my life in Your hands
But my trust is in you, O Lord
I say "You are my God."
Into your hands I place my future
From the clutch of foes you rescue me

Creator, I put my life in Your hands
Let your face shine on your servant
O save me in your love
Be stouthearted, and come, take courage
All you who now hope in the Lord

 

A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:5-11
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though Jesus was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but was emptied, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, Jesus was humbled and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. Therefore, God also highly exalted Jesus and gave Jesus the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Creator.”

The word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn          Judas and Mary
Said Judas to Mary, "Now what will you do
with your ointment so rich and rare?"
"I'll pour it all over the feet of the Lord,
and I'll wipe it away with my hair," she said,
"I'll wipe it away with my hair."

"Oh Mary, O Mary, O think of the poor-
This ointment, it could have been sold;
and think of the blanket and think of the bread you
could buy with the silver and gold,” he said,
" You could buy with silver and gold."

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll think of the poor;
tomorrow," she said, "not today;
for dearer than all of the poor in the world
is my love who is going away," she said,
"My love who is going away."

Said Jesus to Mary, "Your love is so deep
today, you may do as you will.
Tomorrow, you say, I am going away,
but my body I leave with you still." he said,
" My body I leave with you still."

"The poor of the world are my body," he said,
"to the end of the world they shall be.
The bread and the blanket you give to the poor
you'll know you have given to me.
he said," You'll know you have given to me."

Dramatic Reading of The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark: 14.1 – 15.47

Homily

The Apostles’ Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say,

I believe in God almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Redeemer,
Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary,

Who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried,
And who descended to the dead.
On the third day Jesus rose again, ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Creator.
Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers of the People
(Based on the poem ‘Have Mercy on Us’ from “Kneeling in Jerusalem” by Ann Weems)

O God, from whose eyes the measure of our faith is not hidden, wrench from us all religiosity, all rules and regulations of our selves that separate us from your Holy Spirit.

O God, who calls each of us by name to be the Church, give us love enough to make a difference, give us vision enough to follow, give us endurance enough to hold steadfast in the face of the unholy.

O God, who claims us as disciples, bless us now and touch us with your holiness that we might have enough commitment to be good news to the oppressed, to the vulnerable and to the marginalized.

O God of the bruised and of the broken, we pray for healing and wholeness. Comfort those who cry in dark corners: the lonely, the strangers, the weary, the fearful, the disappointed, the anxious, the depressed, the forsaken, the dispirited, the grieving, and those who live in sickness and in pain. Open our eyes to those around us who scream in silence in the depth of their despair.

O God of the hungry, we pray for those who have no bread. Remove, O God, the bondage of hunger by removing our shackles so that we might share our bread.

O God of the homeless, we pray for those who have no land, and for those whose land has been stolen. Open the doors of our hearts and let your people in.

O God of the captives, have mercy on those who are enslaved to someone else because of their race or politics or economics or faith. Loosen our bonds that we might risk our own securities on their behalf.

O God who gave us the rainbow of covenant and parted the Red Sea, give us the courage to dare to pray for miracles for the powerless. Open our hearts to tenderness and ignite the fire of justice within us.

O God of compassion and grace, give peace to our hearts, our community, our nation and our world.
O God have mercy upon us!   Amen

Confession and Absolution

Dear friends in Christ, God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy; God welcomes sinners and invites them to this table. Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.

God of steadfast love and purpose, you know how we love to serve you in the sunshine of our success and popularity, and how we tend to shrink away when you ask us to walk through the fire of trial of suffering. Forgive our unfaithfulness, and teach us to walk with steady obedience in both joy and suffering, through Jesus Christ, your faithful servant.

Almighty God have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Peace 
As God has poured out the grace of forgiveness and love and peace through Christ, let us also share that same grace amongst ourselves, through sharing a socially distanced sign of peace. Peace be with you.

Offertory Hymn      Communion song

In the upper room, twelve men are sitting round the lord as he stands to share the meal they hear him say;

This is my body which is broken for you and for you I’ve known the pain.
This wine you drink recalls my blood that is shed, please don’t let it be in vain.

For two thousand years believers have remembered still that a Saviour died and rose and calls today;

This is my body which is broken for you and for you I’ve known the pain.
This wine you drink recalls my blood that is shed, please don’t let it be in vain.

Everyone through all of time is dead or dying now; what this good gift means: that we can live again

This is my body which is broken for you and for you I’ve known the pain.
This wine you drink recalls my blood that is shed, please don’t let it be in vain.


Prayer over the Offering   (from BAS Propers 300)
Gracious God, the suffering and death of Jesus, makes us pleasing in your sight. Alone we can do nothing but through Jesus’ sacrifice, may we receive your love and mercy. Amen

Eucharist Prayer  (adaptation of the Anglican Church of Canada Supplementary Eucharistic Prayer 1)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 Holy God, Lover of creation, we give you thanks and praise for in the ocean of your steadfast love you bear us and place the song of your Spirit in our hearts. When we turn from your love and defile the earth, you do not abandon us. Your Spirit speaks through prophets, sages, and saints in every age, to confront our sin and reveal the vision of your new creation.
Joining in the song of the universe we proclaim your glory singing:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Gracious God, in the fullness of time you sent Jesus the Christ to share our fragile humanity.
Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection you open the path from brokenness to health, from fear to trust, from pride and conceit to reverence for you. Rejected by a world that could not bear the Gospel of life, Jesus knew death was near. His head anointed for burial by an unknown woman, Jesus gathered together those who loved him.

He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it and gave it to his friends, saying, “Take and eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave you thanks, and said “Drink this all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” And now we gather at this table in response to his commandment, to share the bread and cup of Christ’s undying love, and to proclaim our faith.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Breathe your Holy Spirit, the wisdom of the universe, upon these gifts that we bring to you: this bread, this cup, ourselves, our souls and bodies, that we may be signs of your love for all the world and ministers of your transforming purpose. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, Creator of all, and we bless your holy name for ever.     Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Breaking of the Bread
We break this bread
Communion in Christ’s body once broken.

Let your Church be the wheat which bears its fruit in dying.
If we have died with Christ, we shall live with Christ; if we hold firm, we shall reign with Christ.

The gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.


Communion          386 Instrumental When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

 

Prayer after Communion 

God our help and strength, you have satisfied our hunger with this eucharistic food. Strengthen our faith, that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we may be led to salvation, for Jesus is Lord, now and for ever. Amen

Closing Hymn      482 Come and Journey

Come and journey with a Saviour
who has called us from our birth,
who has washed us in the waters,
and who loved us on the earth.

Come and journey, journey inward,
come and seek him deep within,
where he meets us in our living,
in our striving and our sin.

Refrain
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.

Come and journey, journey outward,
telling others of his name,
telling others of his glory,
of his cross and of the shame.

Come and journey, journey outward,
where that cross calls us to care,
where injustice and where hunger
and the poor call us to share.

Refrain
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.

Come and journey, journey upward.
Sing his praises, offer prayer.
In the storm and in the stillness
find his presence everywhere.

Come and journey, journey onward;
all our gifts we now shall bring
to the building of a city
that is holy, Christ its King.

Refrain
Come and journey, come and journey
with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God's sons and daughters;
in the Spirit we are one.

Blessing
Faithful God, we thank you for sending Jesus to be our King. We thank you that we are known by you, that we are made in your image, and that you have called us to go into the world to do your work. We thank you for the opportunity to recommit ourselves to service in your kingdom. And may the blessing of God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, be with us and remain with us, now and forevermore. Amen.

Dismissal (adapted form of the ‘Act of Dedication’ on p. 40 of ‘Bread for the Journey’ by Ruth C. Duck)

Go forth in celebration.
Jesus is present amongst us. Christ is here as promised.

Go forth in reflection.
Remembering how quickly we can change. We reject tomorrow the One whom we embrace today.

Go forth in joy.
Knowing that God is with us, our suffering is not in vain. Amen.


Postlude     Could We Start Again Please

 

 

Lent 5 -- March 21 -- Wake Now My Senses

                                                                                               Blauvac, France

 Wake Now My Senses

Acknowledgement

For thousands of years Indigenous people have walked in this land, on their own country. Their relationship with the land is at the centre of their lives.

We acknowledge the Indigenous People of Canada and their stewardship of this land and its water throughout the ages.

Welcome

Welcome to this time of worship here at St. Paul, we hope you enjoy your time with us this morning
As we enter into this sacred time together

We come from our own places to this special sacred place.
This is a place where we know we can share community and be blessed.
Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life. 

Gathering Song     FORTY DAYS

Forty days, Lord you spent in the wilderness,
bed in the sand and sky for a cover,
The forty days we will keep them with willingness,
fasting and prayer will proclaim that we care
for the world’s tremendous lover.

In forty days we’ll have entered Jerusalem,
smiled at the palms and knelt at the vision
of your great Cross
but the pain of our losing you dies as the word
gathers strength ad is heard,
saying “Jesus Christ is risen”.

For forty days we’ll get ready for Eastertide,
share in your death and rise, as the story becomes a song
share in your death and rise, as the story becomes a song
of which love can never die
love we must share with a world unaware
that the world may know your glory.

Gathering (based loosely on the hymn Wake now My Senses)

As a new day dawns and we breathe in the fresh and the new we call upon God to fully awaken our senses
Feel the deep power of the web of creation, giving and receiving as God’s love shows us

Draw upon wisdom, reach out in new ways to those who are pilgrims on this journey with us seeking truth
As we journey, we honour the beauty of creation and the wisdom of history and elders

Awaken our compassion as we hear the cries of suffering all around
Help us to recognize strangers and friends who are in need of our help and our voice to bring an end to the hardships that so many endure

Awaken our conscience so that justice becomes our guide, God’s love is for all of creation
Let us raise our voices for those whose rights are denied and no longer take for granted the privilege that we enjoy

We pray that our coming and our going be blessed, this day and forever more. May it be so. Amen

In the safety of this sacred place, I invite you now into a time of silence
(Silence)

May this time together renew our hope, refresh our courage, lift our spirits, restore us in faith.

Lenten Candle Liturgy  (Two purple candles and Christ candle are lit prior to worship)

On this fifth Sunday in Lent, we move ever closer to Good Friday and Jesus suffering and death.

Yet in the midst of the darkness of Lent, we hear both Jeremiah and Jesus speak words of hope about walking in God’s way.

Jeremiah speaks of a new relationship, a covenant written on people’s hearts. Jesus reminds us that ‘only if a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies will it bring forth fruit.’ As we put out the fifth candle, let us consider what in our lives needs to die in order that fresh growth and a renewed spirit might be born in us. (Fifth candle is extinguished.)

Together we pray 

O God, you have given us the challenge of following your way of justice. Help us to be brave when following your way makes others angry with us. Help us to know your will, and give us the strength to do it. Amen.

Proclamation of the Word

A Reading from the prophet, Jeremiah 31:31-34 
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church              R: Thanks be to God

 Psalm 51:1-12    Create In Me a Clean Heart
Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from your presence,
And take not your Holy Spirit from me
Restore to me, the joy of your salvation
And uphold me with your free spirit

Create in me a clean heart, O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from your presence
And take not your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and uphold me with your free spirit Amen
(Thomas Keesecker)

 A Reading from the letter to the Hebrews 5:5-10

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you; as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church          R: Thanks be to God

Gradual Hymn  A Grain of Wheat    (from the TuneIn Songbook)

He left his home, fam’ly, friends, a livelihood undone
He listened to a call within and took a path that none
Had taken before him
He said life was different to what we had known
He took the message of God’s love and he really brought it home

Chorus
Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground
Unless a grain of wheat dies to the world around
Its shell will not be broken or its heart reach for the sun
Roots won’t grow deep into the earth
The seed will never become
All that it is (Hmm)
All that it is, All that it is (Hmm)
All that it is

He spoke as if God’s loving touch was right within his heart
His hands reached out to heal with love and this was just the start
Of a new world revival
He said we’d do greater that what he had done
He let the Spirit’s power unfold and he grew into God’s son

Chorus
Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground
Unless a grain of wheat dies to the world around
Its shell will not be broken or its heart reach for the sun
Roots won’t grow deep into the earth
The seed will never become
All that it is (Hmm)
All that it is,  All that it is (Hmm)
All that it is

He scared us with a love so bold we nailed him to a tree
And as he let his body break it was clear to see
God flowing through him
He said this could happen for all who believed
A life empowered by truth and love is waiting as a seed

Chorus
Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground
Unless a grain of wheat dies to the world around
Its shell will not be broken or its heart reach for the sun
Roots won’t grow deep into the earth
The seed ‘will never become
All that it is (Hmm)
All that it is, All that it is (Hmm)
All that it is

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John 12:20-23 
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

The Gospel of Christ                      R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The Homily

Affirmation of Faith

I believe in God the Creator,
who made me and all things,
who set me on my path in this world.

I believe in God the Savior,
who is one with the Creator,
who rescued me and all creation
from the depredations of our violations
against God and creation.
This man, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ,
walked a path through this world,
taking on human form having been born of a woman
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
He lived and worked in this world among people just like me.
He walked God’s path to death on a cross,
and rose from the dead to open our pathway to eternal life.

I believe in God the Holy Spirit, my counsellor and guide,
who is one with the Creator and the Christ,
who through the body and blood of Jesus
brings me into communion with all people, past, present and future;
who calls me to walk a sacred way of life through this world,
caring for creation and the people I meet on the way,
loving them, helping them, welcoming them without prejudice,
being God’s hands and feet in the world.

— written by Lisa Frenz, and posted on Lisa’s Liturgies.

https://sites.google.com/site/lisasliturgies/home “Copyright Lisa Frenz. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission."

Offering Hymn   Because You Came (MV  64 vs 1-4)

Because you came and sat beside us
Because you came and heard us speak
And we ignored you and we refused you
We ask forgiveness Lord Jesus Christ

Because you laughed and loved the childlike
Because you lived from day to day
And we love status and steady money
We ask forgiveness Lord Jesus Christ

Because our peace was your agenda
Because you wept to see us war
And we love power and winning battles
We ask forgiveness Lord Jesus Christ

Because your cross compels and answer
Because love absorbs our sin
And we are wounded because we wound you
We ask forgiveness Lord Jesus Christ

Prayer over the Gifts
Eternal God, your only Son suffered death upon the cross to bring the world salvation. Accept the praise and thanksgiving we offer you this day, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.  Amen

The Prayers of Intercession (https://www.faithandworship.com/Lent_intercessions)

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. (Psalm 95:6,7)

Good Shepherd, within your embrace we are safe and secure. Within your embrace, we know that we are precious in your sight. Within your embrace, we feel the warmth of family and belonging. Within your embrace, we grow and are nurtured together as one flock, the people of your pasture under your loving care and protection. Come, let us bow down
Before the LORD our Maker

Good Shepherd, within your embrace we find comfort and healing. We bring to you those who are weak or struggling with physical, mental or spiritual health. You are the great healer, and we pray for the healing of mind and body for those we now name in the silence of our hearts. Come, let us bow down
Before the LORD our Maker

Good Shepherd, within your embrace we find justice. We bring to you the brave voices who cry out for freedom, those prepared to stand up and be heard without counting the cost. We pray for those who have been imprisoned or tortured for their race, colour, caste or faith. For all Christians who have taken up the Cross and know its weight and pain. Come, let us bow down
Before the LORD our Maker

Good Shepherd, within your embrace we find peace. We bring to you those orphaned, crippled or dispossessed by war, for refugees wandering this earth in search of a home, for all victims of strife and warfare, and for all those who have dedicated their lives for the search for peace and reconciliation.
Come, let us bow down
Before the LORD our Maker

Give thanks to the LORD, for the Lord is good; God’s love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)

The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect
Most merciful God, by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ, you created humanity anew. May the power of his victorious cross transform those who turn in faith to him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

The Blessing

Closing Hymn    I Want Jesus To Walk With Me

I want Jesus to walk with me
I want Jesus to walk with me
All along my pilgrim journey
I want Jesus to walk with me

In my trials, Lord, walk with me
In my trials, Lord, walk with me
When my heart is almost breaking
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me

When I’m in trouble, Lord walk with me
When I’m in trouble, Lord walk with me
When my head is bowed in sorrow,
Lord, I want Jesus t walk with me

Words of Mission for the sending out (https://www.rexaehuntprogressive.com/liturgy_collection)
The God we worship is never confined to this holy place. So go and travel with the God found in ordinary and surprising places.

You are wayfarers, following roads to the end of the earth, pilgrims on your way to the end of the age.
We are travellers on the road to freedom, a community of grace, with good news for all we meet.

Travel lightly, travel together, learn as you go: you are disciples, the mission is urgent, the journey is long.
We will take heart. When the way is uncertain, shadows are sinister and dangers threaten, we will not be afraid. For we are in God and God is in us.

Lent 4 -- March 14 I am for You

 

Prelude  Lost in the Waves

Acknowledgement

For thousands of years, Indigenous people have walked in this land, on their own country. Their relationship with the land is at the centre of their lives.

We acknowledge the Indigenous People of Canada and their stewardship of this land and its water throughout the ages.

Welcome

Welcome to this time of worship here at St. Paul, we hope you enjoy your time with us this morning

As we enter into this sacred time together

We come from our own places to this special sacred place.
This is a place where we know we can share community and be blessed.

Let us celebrate the richness and diversity of life.

Gathering Hymn   A SPENDTHRIFT LOVER IS THE LORD (CP177)

A spendthrift lover is the Lord
who never counts the cost
or asks if heaven can afford
to woo a world that's lost.
Our lover tosses coins of gold
across the midnight skies
and stokes the sun against the cold
to warm us when we rise.

Still more is spent in blood and tears
to win the human heart,
to overcome the violent fears
that drive the world apart.
Behold the bruised and thorn-crowned face
of one who bears our scars
and empties out the wealth of grace
that's hinted by the stars.

How shall we love this heart-strong God
who gives us everything,
whose ways to us are strange and odd:
what can we give or bring?
Acceptance of the matchless gift
is gift enough to give.
The very act will shake and shift the way we love and live.

Gathering (based on the hymn Before the World Began)

In the beginning was the word, grounded in God, rooted in care
Through the word all things were made, love was displayed and as we listen, God speaks “I am for you”

In the word life found its source, death found its end, light shone
Neither death doubt or darkness could extinguish the light and the voice of God continues to shout “I am for you”

The word was in the world at the time of creation, unrecognized and unknown
the word came into the world to be one with all of humankind, convincing us through sight and mind, reminding us all of God’s promise “I am for you”

All who receive the word by God are blessed, sisters and brothers because of this guest
And the word of God proclaims in time and space, showing now a human face and yet the message remains strong and true as God says “I am for you!”

We pray:
In this season of Lent, may we become more aware of the presence of God. May we see this presence in each other, hear it in the music, and experience it, as we give and receive gifts of love. Amen

Lenten Cross Liturgy
(Two purple candles, pink candle and Christ candle are lit prior to worship)

Today we continue our journey toward Easter, by reflecting on how fear can cause us to turn away from God. Fear can paralyze our ability to respond and grow. Fear of death, of getting old, of being alone, of growing up, of loving, can rob our lives and our relationship with God of all signs of vitality.

Being afraid can stop us from doing new things, learning new things, and meeting new people. Being afraid can stop us from doing what we know God wants.

Our covenant with God is not like a covenant with people which ends if one party breaks the conditions of the agreement. God keeps the covenant even when we do not. God forgives. Even so, we often live as though we don't really trust God's promises. We are apprehensive, even fearful of the future; we let guilt eat away at us; we mistrust one another; we refuse to take risks because we cannot come to fully trust in the good news of the gospel - God's message of love to the world.

As we put out the fourth candle let us thing of the ways in which we have not trusted God. Let us remember the kind of trust that Jesus showed us by the way he lived. (Pink candle is extinguished.)

Let us pray:
You, O God are the ever-faithful One. We confess our lack of trust in your promises. O God, breakthrough our fear which separates us from one another. Empower us to respond to your call - like Jesus, with courage and conviction. Amen. 

The Proclamation of the Word

A Reading from the Book, Numbers (21:4-9) (Message translation) 

They set out from Mount Hor along the Red Sea Road, a detour around the land of Edom. The people became irritable and cross as they traveled. They spoke out against God and Moses: “Why did you drag us out of Egypt to die in this godforsaken country? No decent food; no water—we can’t stomach this stuff any longer.”

So God sent poisonous snakes among the people; they bit them and many in Israel died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke out against God and you. Pray to God; ask him to take these snakes from us.”

Moses prayed for the people.

God said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it on a flagpole: Whoever is bitten and looks at it will live.”

So Moses made a snake of fiery copper and put it on top of a flagpole. Anyone bitten by a snake who then looked at the copper snake lived.

Listen for the leading of the Spirit             R: Thanks be to God

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

Give thanks to the Lord who is good, and whose mercy endures for ever. Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim that God redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

The Lord gathered them out of the lands; from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Some were fools and took to rebellious ways; they were afflicted because of their sins. They abhorred all manner of food and drew near to death’s door.

Then they cried to you, O Lord, in their trouble, and you delivered them from their distress. You sent forth your word and healed them and saved them from the grave. Let them give thanks to you, O Lord, for your mercy and the wonders you do for your children. Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and tell of your acts with shouts of joy.

A Reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians (2:1-10) The Message

It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Listen for the leading of the Spirit          R: Thanks be to God

Gradual Hymn     You Have Passed By (CP 510)

You have passed by, you came
Like fire that lights the skies;
Sparks falling your name
Glow in our hearts like eyes.
In tatters hand your word,
Draped round our world and torn;
Now we shall live in you;
Like clothing you are worn.

You have passed by, as brief as footprints on the sea;
Why did you go so far? You went too far from me.
You are forever now as deep in God as breath;
No stillness captures you, unthinkable your death.

You have passed by, a strange and yet familiar face,
A fragment of our being, a flickering light, a trace.
Your light is in my blood, my body is your day;
I hope my whole life long to meet you on the way.


The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John (3:14-21) NRSV
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

The Gospel of Christ          R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The Homily

Offering Hymn   Seek Not In Distant Ancient Hills (CP 470)

Seek not in distant, ancient hills
The promised holy land,
But where you live do what God wills
And find it close at hand.

A single heaven wraps around
This whirling, watered stone,
And every place is sacred ground
Where God is loved and known.

To climb the templed, footworn peak
Where pilgrims long have trod,
Unlock the bolted soul and seek
The present, living God.

In spirit and in truth, you’ll find
What human thought can’t be frame;
The source of breath and pulse and mind,
The primal wind and flame.

Prayer over the Gifts
God of mercy and compassion, your Word calls us home to faith and love. Accept all we offer you this day, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen

Affirmation of Faith

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.

We believe in God, who created all things:
for by God’s will they were created and have their being.

We believe in God the Son,
who was slain: for with his blood, he purchased us for God,
from every tribe and language,
from every people and nation.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit:
the Spirit says, 'Come!' Even so come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

(Adapted from New Patterns for Worship, and throughout Common Worship: http://www.churchofengland.org/prayerworship/worship/texts/newpatterns/contents/sectione.aspx)

Prayers of Intercession

God of the blessed we praise you, for mercy shown, grace given, living water, Spirit’s power.
We ask you for daily strength, hope for tomorrow, your word to guide, strong feet to follow

The Psalmist says:
“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.”                (Psalm 25:4-5)

God of the oppressed we bring to you the broken ones, forgotten ones, exploited and abused ones.
Bring freedom and release, love and compassion to damaged hearts and souls
(silence)

God of compassion     Hear our prayer

God of the distressed, we bring to you the grieving ones, hurting ones, suffering and wounded ones.
Bring wholeness and healing comfort and relief, to broken bodies and minds
(silence)

God of compassion        Hear our prayer

God of the dispossessed we bring to you the lonely ones, the homeless ones, thirsty, tired and penniless ones. Bring hope and sustenance physical and spiritual food, to hungry bodies and souls
(silence)

God of compassion        Hear our prayer

The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. May the peace, love and compassion of the Lord Be with you now and always. AMEN
(from faithandworship.com)

Pray for those who celebrate Birthdays and Anniversaries in March 

God of all creation, we offer you grateful praise for the gift of life. Hear the prayers for those who celebrate their birthdays and anniversaries in March we rejoice in your gifts of life and love, family and friends. Bless those who celebrate with your presence and surround them with your love, that they may enjoy many happy years, all of them pleasing to you. We ask this through Christ our savior. Amen.
(Adapted from the United Methodist Book of Worship)

Collect of the Day 

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world, evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Lord’s Prayer (sung)

Blessing (based on John 3: 16-17) 

Just as God’s Word was sent into the world to heal and redeem,
so God sends you into the world this day to be light and love, healing and hope.
Go now to be light for the world!

And may the grace and peace of God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sustainer come upon you this day and remain with you always. Amen.

—  from “O Merciful God: God of Wisdom: Prayers for the Fourth Sunday in Lent,” written by Rev. Kathryn Matthews Huey and the Rev. Susan A. Blain. Posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website.

Hymn        What Wondrous Love Is This (CP 400)

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this,
that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down
when I was sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down,
beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
to God and to the Lamb,

who is the great I AM,
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
while millions join the theme, I will sing!

And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
and when from death I'm free, I'll sing on.
And when from death I'm free,

I'll sing God’s love for me,
and through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
and through eternity I'll sing on!

Dismissal 

The God we worship is never confined to this holy place.
So go and travel with the God who is found
in ordinary and surprising places.

Those who dodge growing pains will never arrive at their full spiritual height.

As you prepare to leave this special place, pray that you may have the courage
to stretch once more towards the goals set by Jesus of Nazareth.
There is no shame in failing. But there is in not trying.              (Bruce Prewer 2006).




Post Christmas Lullaby

Lent 3 -- March 7, 2021

The Service this week is prepared by and presided at by the Reverend Tim Sale

Prelude    900 Miles

Gathering Hymn    At the Name of Jesus (375 CP)

At the name of Jesus ev'ry knee shall bow,
ev'ry tongue confess him King of glory now.
'Tis the Creator's pleasure we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning was the mighty Word.

Humbled for a season to receive a name
from the lips of sinners unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious, when from death he passed.

Name him Christians name him, with love as strong as death

but with awe and wonder, and with baited breath;

He is God the Saviour, he is Christ the Lord

ever to be worshipped, trusted and adored.

In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue
all that is not holy, all that is not true;
crown him as your Saviour in temptation's hour:
let his will enfold you in its light and pow'r.

Christians, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
with his Creator's glory, with his angel train;
for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him King of glory now.

Acknowledgement of the Land

Opening Responses:
Among the poor, among the proud, among the persecuted, among the privileged,
Christ is coming to make all things new.

In the private house, in the public place, in the wedding feast, in the judgement hall,
Christ is coming to make all things new.

With a gentle touch, with an angry word, with a clear conscience, with a burning love,
Christ is coming to make all things new.

That the kingdom might come, that the world might believe, that the powerful might stumble, that the hidden might be seen,
Christ is coming to make all things new.

Lenten Cross Liturgy  (Three purple candles, pink candle and Christ candle are lit prior to worship)

On this third Sunday during Lent, we reflect upon the walls we build between God and ourselves and others by our disobedience to God’s call for justice and commitment.

God’s laws call us to a world where all people are valued, not put down. But we often do not treat everyone as important. We forget God’s way.

We are called to a right relationship with God and each other. Sometimes we do the letter of the law but neglect the spirit in which God commands it. Sometimes doing what is right upsets others and brings with it a high cost. Responding to God’s call is not always easy. (Third candle is extinguished.)

Let us pray:

O God, you have given us the challenge of following your way of justice. Help us to be brave when following your way makes others angry with us. Help us to know your will, and give us the strength to do it. Amen.

First Reading Exodus 20:1-17 

God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work - you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

A reading of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 1: 18-25

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

Gradual Hymn    Before My Journey's Start (MV 63)

Long before my journey's start

when in my youth I searched in my heart,

I would pray for her, wait for her,

Wisdom my road, my goal and my star.

From the blossom to the seed, 

long as she filled my cup in need, 

may I cling to her vine, taste of her wine, 

Wisdom my life, my perfect design

When I stretched my hands to the sky

when in despair my soul raised a cry

I was saved by her gaze, led in her ways

Wisdom, my love, the light of my days.

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John 2: 13-22

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Homily: Laws, Foolishness and Empathy

Is there anybody listening or watching today who has kept all ten commandments? Go on, put your hand up… I can’t see you. Sadly, and I mean sadly, that’s what the reading of the ten commandments, and the 600+ laws that follow in the five “Books of Moses”, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy gets reduced to… individual failure, individual guilt. And so, through the Christian ages, Lent becomes a time for individual reflection on individual failure, individual sin.

But Moses descent from the Mountain of God is about something much more important than individual behaviour and individual repentance. It is the foundation of Israel… it is the “becoming moment” if you like. This when Israel becomes a nation under a Creator God. It is the birth of monotheism. It is the moment when a collective people take seriously their collective power, their agency, to frame their collective with laws and expectations. It is a moment for great celebration. Canada, (well most of Canada) celebrated the bringing home of our constitution from Britain, and the end of the role of the House of Lords in our country.

Good laws are sources of joy. When I was Minister of Family Services, I had a meeting with Metis leaders, and told them that we were committed to giving them their rightful authority to legally, in law, care for their children and families, there was joy in the room; there were tears. Rosemary McPherson from Dauphin gave me a huge hug, and cried tears. That is the power of good law. Of course we also know the power of bad law… but enough of that. The “Moses moment”, was a moment of joy, not sorrow, of hope, not despair, of possibility, of covenant and the future of a new nation.

Fast forward to Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Corinth. Read that first sentence carefully…”The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing”. So what is this “foolishness”? Is it just the message of the resurrection of a Jewish prophet? No, surely not. The resurrection is the Holy one’s proclamation that justice and mercy, compassion and truth will always triumph over the forces of death. The resurrection is about the whole of Jesus’ life; the whole of his ministry, the whole of the message of inclusion, justice for the poor, forgiveness for all. His judgement of the oppressors in both the secular and the religious world.

The ones who are perishing are those who cannot hear the message, or simply do not want to hear because it upends their priorities, upends despotic power over others, upends greed, upends prejudice. For those with power and privilege, it is frightening message.

What a wonderful last line in that reading today… “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom…” It is the foolishness of trusting and empowering us creatures to create real community, to create good law, to believe in reconciliation, to care for all creatures, wounded or whole, to love the earth and treasure its richness and variety.

Then we watch Jesus, filled with Holy Anger fashion a rough whip, striding into the Temple shouting at the money-lenders and sellers of sacrificial birds, cattle and sheep. Take a moment and imagine this scene. Crowded, bustling, money changing hands, bleating of sheep, lowing of cattle. And a roughly dressed man rushes in, swinging a crude whip and screaming at the crowd “Take this all away”, as he flips over the tables of the money-lenders, scattering coins everywhere. “Stop making my Father’s House a marketplace”. It must have been chaos. Today, Jesus would have been arrested and taken for a psychiatric assessment, and a long time in a mental institution. This is also what is seen as “foolishness” by the world.

In protest against the powers that be in Hong Kong, Myanmar, Uganda, and yes, in many places we know much better and closer to home, I see the seeking of justice for all, seeking cities of compassion for street people, of inclusion for minorities of all sorts and conditions as foolishness – impossible, unworkable, unaffordable, pie-in-the-sky foolishness. Our answer must be to weep and to rise in our foolishness to try and put on the garments of compassion and empathy, of Holy Rage and Anger.

For the Kin-dom comes only as shared empathy develops and moves us forward. It only comes when Holy Rage is shared and validated in marches and demands for good law, law that enables and frees. It is a road marked by many crosses, but the road goes on, and on, and on.

Hymn     Joy Shall Come

Joy shall come, even to the wilderness,
and the parched land shall then know great gladness;
as the rose, as the rose shall deserts blossom,
deserts like a garden blossom.
For living springs shall give cool water,
in the desert streams shall flow;
for living springs shall give cool water,
in the desert streams shall flow.

Affirmation of faith

We believe in light beyond our seeing,
Flowing forth from the flame of life in God
Who goes on creating in us down through the ages.

We believe in healing beyond our knowing,
From the Christ whose robe stands close
To the reach of our hand and the pain of our struggle
Beyond the end of time

We believe in the energy of God's spirit,
Stirring in our being with a rhythm of courage and passion,
Moving our feet to risk Christ's way again
As those who are always called to be
The humble, human witnesses to the faithfulness of God.

(from The Glory of Blood Sweat & Tears by Dorothy McRae-McMahon, p. 74)

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

In trust let us pray to the one coming into our hearts to awaken holiness in our midst...

Let us offer thanksgiving for all the blessings of this life...

(Silence)

Let us pray for the world, especially where there is conflict, poverty, hunger.

(Silence)

Let us pray for those who suffer in mind or body, for prisoners, for those in despair, for those who mourn and for those who wait.

(Silence)

Let us pray for the transformation of systems and bureaucracies, of gender relations, of race relations, of class divisions, of age and ability stereotypes.

(Silence)

Let us pray for ourselves, opening ourselves to healing and risk, to the power to let go and the courage to take on.  

(Silence)

And let us pray together,

God our Mother, Living Water, River of Mercy, Source of Life.
In whom we live and move and have our being.
Who quenches our thirst, refreshes our weariness,
Bathes and washes and cleanses our wounds.
Be for always a fountain of life and for all the world, a river of hope
Springing up in the midst of the deserts of despair.
Honour and blessing, glory and praise to you forever.  Amen 

 (Miriam Therese Winter, 1987)

Offertory Hymn Dust and Ashes

In the days of dust and ashes in the nights of rising fear

In the hour when hope is dashed, and we are bent in silent tears;

When earth in terror trembles when rivers rage and overflow

When the ground beneath us shudders, and angry winds begin to blow

God lift our eyes to see your presence

Lift our hearts from deep despair

Give us voice to offer solace, give us hands to offer care

Lift our hearts, lift our hearts, lift our hearts

These are the days of dust and ashes, These are the nights of rising fear

This is the hour when hope is dashed, This is the hour of silent tears

Let these times be met with courage Though our words are worn and weak

Let our hands not shrink from holding, and our wills not fear to break

God lift our eyes to see your presence

Lift our hearts from deep despair

Give us voice to offer solace, give us hands to offer care

Lift our hearts, lift our hearts, lift our hearts

The Eucharist

The Lord’s Prayer                     (Cameron)

Closing Hymn  Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery (179 CP)

Tree of life and awesome mystery,
In your death we are reborn,
Though you die in all of history,
still you rise with every morn,
Still you rise with every morn.

Seed that dies to rise in glory,
May we see ourselves in you,
If we learn to live your story,
We may die to rise anew,
we may die to rise anew.

We remember truth one spoken,
love passed on through act and word,
Every person, lost and broken
wears the body of our Lord,
wears the body of our Lord.

Gentle Jesus, mighty Spirit,
come inflame our hearts anew,
We may all your joy inherit,
if we bear the cross with you,
if we bear the cross with you.

Christ you lead and we shall follow,
stumbling though our steps may be,
One with you in joy and sorrow,
we the river you the sea,
we the river you the sea

Blessing and Dismissal

As we have been gathered, so must we be sown back into the world to witness to the power of God's transforming love, to support and challenge each other to bring healing and justice to the world around us.

And now may the God who shakes heaven and earth,
Whom death could not contain,
Who lives to disturb and heal us,
Bless us with the power to go forth and proclaim the gospel. Amen.

Post lude    People get Ready