Easter is the amazing wow of cosmic love. My own desire to resist the urge to respond to violence with violence weakens with every report of the injustices perpetrated as innocent lives are lost. When all the rhetoric is said, and done, I lean in close to the beloved ones who have gathered, and I proclaim the same truth which Paul proclaimed, and the science of REALITY confirms to us: Listen, I will tell you a mystery! But like the indignant disciples of old, do we actually see the role we are playing in this race to escape the limitations of our one and only planet? We give thanks and rejoice that Jesus so clearly and courageously linked our loving and our dying with living on in God. Can you drink the dup I will drink or be baptized in the same baptism as I? We can, James and John replied. Alleluia! If our hopes in Christ are limited to this life only, we are the most pitiful of all the human race. Holy Scriptures about Communion. You see having a brother who was just 18 months younger than me meant that I had ample opportunities to hone my wrestling skills. Amen. Letting go isnt as simple as it sounds. I affirm the resurrection each and every time I look into your eyes and see the face of CHRIST.. Today! We are free to live in the abundance of life here and now, in a Cosmos permeated by the DIVINE MYSTERY which is LOVE. When our heartbeats returned to normal, we decided that wed made a clean escape and we chose not to share the adventure with our sleeping parents. Out or on the Fringe of the Church. If you cannot bear to look upon the face of CHRIST, thats ok. Just stop this video and take a moment or two to pray. Although it can sometimes feel like the demands of others, the restriction of our freedom that comes from living with others, and the constant struggle to maintain strong relationships with others are too painful and exhausting for what they cost us, the alternative, which is to isolate ourselves, is far worse. In the same way the cup, after supper (here the minister shall pour the wine and lift up the cup) saying, "This cup is a new covenant of my blood. Killer whales. To believe in the historicity of the resurrection is one thing. Gods love pours out from the grave of despair. Amen. You simply asked the members of the First Nation for permission to pitch your tents on their land. It wasnt until Christianity moved beyond Judaism that it came into direct conflict with the Greek understanding of reality, which insisted upon the dualism of body and soul. For years I reigned as the champion of our little world! and for the mystery of life beyond death. This time also allows a moment for the congregation to "get settled" and ready to hear God's written word. Today, on this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, how many of us will satisfy ourselves with righteous indignation rather than sacrifice? Well, for now, we weep. It does sadden me that succeeding generations have projected their own violent proclivities onto the DEITY and offered up various atonement theories which rely on the DEITY embracing our primitive reliance upon violence. } else { As different as night and day these 21st century events are brought into focus by the first century story which just happens to be the assigned Gospel reading for this Sunday. It was just politicians doing what politicians do, rattling sabers like little boys, stomping their feet, and insisting on their own way. Lets extend our hands over one another for a final blessing: May you have the power to live life fully. Imagine if you will, trying to understand the life of Martin Luther King, or Mahatma Gandhi simply by focusing upon their death. So, Im trusting that it doesnt much matter whether or not you or I or anyone believes or doesnt believe in the physical resuscitation of Jesus corpse. Well, perhaps I should qualify that statement. Times when we must leave all that we have, all that we know, in order to seek, to find and to restore the lost, the abandoned, the wayward, and yes even the self-righteous religious types. Is that right?, Crystal was a little breathless from all the crying she had been doing and all she could manage was a whimpered, Mmm hummm. Honey, tell grandma the truth now. He offered Divine Life to all people suffering under worldly forces of death. People: We praise you, Lord, for these gifts of bread and wine. Paul insists that there are natural bodies, which he equates with earthly bodies what we would call physical bodies and there are spiritual bodies which Paul equates with heavenly bodies. For the death of what it took me years to learn about, the death of atonement theories has given birth to the resurrection of DIVINITY, a DIVINITY liberated from ancient projections onto the DIVINE of the myth of redemptive violence. I can hear them tut tutting at the audacity of my taking such liberties with the Gospel. These parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons, point us in a direction of a way of being in the world characterized by foolish and passionate abandon. Leader: Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord has prepared this table for all who love him and trust in him alone for their salvation. petitions prayers for strength a selection of modern petitions asking for God's strength to come, with a prayer for those grieving and a prayer for hope. Having this "catch-cry" as a . Then Grandma rubbed little Crystals back, held her close and gentle, but firmly said: Let it go, child. Your support is needed to help ProgressiveChristianityorg. The Cross and Easter are two faces of the one mystery. But there is more going on in this story than just the literal words on the page. I had to confess right then and there, in my twentieth year of life, I struggled to believe that any GOD who sent His only Child to die, on a cross, is worth getting up on a Sunday morning for. Im guessing that in vast majority of the interpretations of these parables, the shepherd, the woman, and the father are usually identified as a symbol for the MYSTERY which we call GOD. Rile em up! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. Risk it all for the sake of LOVE. A Progressive Easter Liturgy - Rev Dr Lorraine Parkinson 2 Replies Easter Liturgy [Power Point images] Easter 2022 Quiet music PP The God of Easter - Introduction What on earth can we do with Easter? You dont want to miss Paul when hes worked himself up to his point. Enjoy! EASTER WORSHIP SERVICES The liturgy, and particularly the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter, are never a re-enactment of the events that happened two thousand years ago. we invite your Spirit to lead us ever more faithfully to be the body of Christ in the world. This week, two events stand in stark contrast to one another. We proclaim and celebrate this Easter season because it links Jesus with all life, with transformation, and with possibility of life beyond our imagining. The underwater sight of two killer whales caused me to open my mouth to scream and water rushed into my lungs. Only a fool Would rather be relentlessly looking for one small, lone coin when nine, known and countable, are all that are really needed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The way that the Jesus story has been told has crafted, molded and shaped the idol that masquerades as the MYSTERY we call God. So turn and look where best you think the story is unfurled. This service is found in UMH 12-15 and is designed for those wishing a brief text beginning with the Invitation to the Lord's table. Pauls description of resurrection does not conflict with our 21stcentury inability to accept the suspension of the natural order of the Cosmos. Frame 11: When life hands you a lemon make lemonade!*. Humans were cast out of the perfection of the garden and alienated for their creator. Progressive Christians are constantly challenged to claim the title of Christian in the sense of being a follower of Jesus' teachings while letting go of most of the dogma that has been developed over the centuries by the human institution that is church. They must have seen me gazing at them, or at least I like to imagine they did. I do deny the resurrection and Im guessing that you do too! Frame 5: God is everywhere, in all of creation. The Bread of Life and the Cup of the Covenant: Gifts to unite the Body of Christ. CHRIST was sent to die for you!. God has sent me to proclaim liberty to those held captive, recovery of sight to those who are blind, and release to those in prison to proclaim the year of Gods favour. Rolling up the scroll, Jesus gave it back to the attendant and sat down. Jesus said, I have come that they might have life and may live it abundantly! LIFE and not death. So, fellow followers of the Way, if Humpty Dumpty wasnt an egg what was she? What we refer to as the soul was a foreign concept to first century Jews. Im afraid that sacrificing more than just a pittance of my own wealth and privilege wont accomplish much more than landing me among povertys captives. Lectionary, study and worship resources from Faith Futures Jesus Then & Now. Just like Thomas, who had the good sense to doubt the resurrection, most of us have been conditioned to look for the physical resuscitation of a corpse; a bonified, pardon the pun, a bonified, actual physical body, complete with wounds and all. For those of you preaching on the text fromGenesis 32:3-31: You may not be able to tell from looking at me. jQuery(document).on('change', '#submission-action', function(){ We know that humans were not created as perfectly formed creatures who fell into sin. He greets us with peace the world does not know, he give us peace the world cannot give. You can also find "Affirmations of Faith" by clicking on Affirmation of faith in the list of "Labels" at the lower right side of the page. Then Grandma rubbed little Crystals back, held her close and gently, but firmly said: Let it go, child. Im a child of my times. A Communion Liturgy for the Whole People of God. Thank you, God, for life in the Spirit of Jesus. The liturgy was adapted by Dr. Bert Polman from a form prepared by the Liturgical Committee of the Christian Reformed Church for use during an Easter Service; this liturgy can be used for all Sundays in Eastertide. Nothing was said until dinner the next day, by which time Steve and Anna had been back to church twice. SPRING - EASTER The Dance Of Transformation. And there was no official campsite back then. Do we have the courage to hear the word ransom as sacrifice? He enacted peace in the midst of violence, love in the face of hate, Social Justice Lectionary, Bruce Sweet, 2014. Yet the story of Jesus Way of being in the world continued to be present among those who sought to live as Jesus lived. Surely, today, when troops are again amassing in Europe and the world cant seem to sake itself loose from the myth of redemptive violence, surely today, it is time for us to move beyond thinking of DIVINITY as the ultimate purveyor of violence and Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice. of air water, food, shelter, or the chance to live. The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death by the sword. A momentary panic began to surface as my mind questioned the wisdom of standing on ice not knowing what lay below. Michelle L. Torigian. Theres a story in the Hebrew Scriptures which resonates with me in light of some of my own experiences in Thin Places, in the presence of MYSTERY. 3:6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Continue reading . Easter is the eternal moment that supersedes all time; the vision that puts into perspective all visionless living. And after the fire came a still small voice., A still small voice. Our English translations do not do the HEBREW justice. Remember how many times these parables must have been told before they were written down. May this Spirit help us to recognize the Christ-presence in our midst. This year, we at Holy Cross are giving up God for Lent. Let us confess our sins. I know it is much easier to poke fun at billionaires and lay the blame for suffering at the feet of self-serving fools. Well, we never did manage to escape. Jesus lived and died giving his life to ransom us from ourselves, from our fears, so that free from the captivity in which our fear has confined us, we might walk freely away from our own self-centredness. We have rested in the depth of your love; Embrace the HOLY foolishness which lives, in, with, through, and beyond you. Or are we afraid that stripped of the security which our wealth affords us, our privileged positions will disappear, and we too shall find ourselves dependent upon the goodness of others? Faced with the task of communicating the gospel, the early followers of the risen Christ, began to articulate experiences of the risen Christ in ways that the Greek influenced Roman Empire could understand giving rise (pardon the pun), giving rise to the question of a physical resurrection. What can we see in the wounds which are depicted in this story? Through his resurrection Life you gave birth to your church, Together, at this table, you have offered us life. The agency connects leaders with needed resourcing, training, consulting, and networking that support spiritual Jesus was steadfastly committed to non-violent resistance to the abusive powers of empire. Our very own lifestyles, demand what they are selling. This knowledge has an impact on how we interpret the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Just as Jesus empowered the people he encountered to believe in themselves, we want you to walk away with an awareness not of how ordinary you are not of how unworthy you are but an awareness of your greatness and lovability. World in Prayer, the Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, Lodi, California. Although she has never been canonized by the Roman Catholic Church she is venerated in both the Lutheran and Anglican churches. Through this meal which has stood the test of time, we covenant to love you, God. Welcome to the liturgy of The Namaste Church! pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and cup. The profoundest act of worship is to try to understand. *Leader: O sing unto the Lord, for he has done excellent things. Where, O death is your sting?. Repent Metanoia let us think new thoughts so that we might ask: What can Jesus teach us? Jesus poured out his life in the service of LOVE. But we do know that whatever happened it transformed a people hiding from the endless violence into courageous followers of a Way of Being in the world which death could not destroy. Your support is needed to help ProgressiveChristianityorg. By J. Wayne Pratt. Let it be so. I dont know about you but for most of my life I have been taught that the place to learn about God is the Bible. The flat earth was supported over the waters on pillars. We have tasted your nourishing, nurturing presence; What is sown is a perishable body, what is raised is incorruptible. United States It is in Jesus life, not his death that we will find salvation. Whilst many were written for specific purposes or occasions, many are adaptable to suit others. This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Accept our praise and thanksgiving, Justice without which there can be no peace. Add to Bin. When I think about the churchs practice of public confession, I can see how desperately I have been holding on to candies that no longer satisfy my need for forgiveness. Let me attempt to be kinder than the Apostle, whose willingness to call his opponents stupid, I do not share. COLLECT PRAYER. Oh, how I miss those Sunday closings! It is right. Lectionary Commentary Elizabeth Myer April 27, 2021 Progressive Lectionary Commentary, Progressive Christian Resources for Advent, Lectionary Commentary, Progressive Liturgical Resources, Revised Common Lectionary Year B, Revised Common Lectionary Easter 5 Year B, Revised Common Lectionary Easter 5, Lectionary Commentary Easter 5 Year B . In a world that so often denies or ignores the humanity-robbing effects of pain and suffering, Staying Human in Hard Times will invite you to process your grief, remember your essential humanness, and follow Christ into a renewed experience of abundant life. Grandma took a good look at the vase that used to sit on her mothers kitchen table all those years ago. The unknown gospel-storyteller which we call Mark, captured something of the pathetic human condition of hubris when he wrote: James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said, Teacher we want you to grant our request. What is it? Jesus asked. Believing, as Jesus believed, that beyond pain and darkness and death, Ice and water below me, the Sun shining before me, and behind me the Moon rising, all holding me in the embrace of a Cosmos the likes of which exceeds the farthest horizon of my ability to comprehend. In his new book, Unbelievable, our friend, Jack Spong writes: The laws by which the world operates have not changed since the dawn of time, but the way human beings explain and understand those laws has changed dramatically over the centuries of human history. Jack has a way of reminding us of the obvious. Or study cells, or living things, seek truth with open hand. What we all missed is what was there all along, Humpty Dumpty you see was a cannon. Surly, even Putin will come to his senses. Living the Questions is happy to join other Michael Morwood fans in welcoming the arrival of Michael's newest book, Prayers for Progressive Christians. People: It is right for us to give thanks,It is our joy and peaceat all times and in all placesto give thanks to you, almighty, everlasting God,through Christ, our Lord. But if this MYSTERY really is BEYOND the BEYOND and BEYOND that also, and we are in GOD and GOD is in us, then every character in every parable you have ever heard is in GOD and GOD is in every character. Our friend, Dom Crossan makes the point that, it is not that those ancient people told literal stories and we are now smart enough to take them symbolically, but that they told them symbolically and we are now dumb enough to take them literally. I believe that in order to understand the power of this particular story of resurrection we must move beyond simplistic literal explanations and open ourselves to the more-than-literal symbolic dare I say it, spiritual understanding of resurrection. What tombs are there in the Church that exercise the same function? Alas, the sun does indeed shine at midnight in the summer months, but in Norway summer does not include the month of August. Repent: Metanoia: to think new thoughts Let us repent, metanoia Let us think new thoughts. Jesus insisted with all that he is, that justice and not violence is the only way to establish and maintain peace. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. The eradication of poverty is the work of LOVE in the world, this world, here and now, on this wonderful bountiful planet, upon which there is already more than enough to nourish abundant life for all. These tears will wash away our illusions of a quick fix and wipe away our delusions that by violently enforcing the status quo we can create peace. "Ground Us and Grow Us in Love," rtf or pdf file of liturgy at Worship Ways. The occupying Roman forces not only publicly executed their teacher as a warning to any of Jesus would be followers,The Roman Empire, crucified as many dissenters as they could catch. Your mommy told me that you reached into the vase for candy. Ive told this story before, but then havent we all heard the story of Thomas, every Easter. I know that we wont solve it in time to save Ukraine. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, good times, bad times - give me some of that: blogging on faith and life. We are not fallen creatures. Maybe Jesus was wrong about justice as the only way to peace. Here at this table your promise of life is made tangible. with the Source and Sustainer of all that exists. Call to Worship & Opening Prayer. Send us your: ResourceEventNewsIdeasnow Lent is observed in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Oriental . Sure, we know there are still problems in the world. The Liturgy of the Hours includes several specified times of prayer. Evolving beyond the myth that violence can solve our problems, or bring us peace, is vital. We must put all our many blessings to use, to seek justice where-ever we can whenever we can.We cant do it all and we cant do it alone. Surrounded by a treasured family heirloom, desperately clinging to a treasure. Used thoughtfully and intentionally, the written prayer of liturgy opens doors to an ageless and universal collective spirituality - even when the liturgy is used by an individual alone. Peace be with you. I rented a small room in a basement apartment, which I shared young couple who worked in the same grocery store as I did. This page features the work of the Liturgy Commission of the Anglican Church of Australia. Resist the empires to which we have lost the justice which has the power to create peace. Certainly, in the church the Bible is considered to be the supreme authority of the nature of God. He suffered and died because of his refusal to participate in the death-dealing violence of the world. For the journey that life has been, Amen. Their pastor had warned them that my countenance was putting us all in danger. It was a very quiet little voice deep down inside of me, at least I think it was inside of me. You can see it in the reckless passion of justice-seekers fighting for affordable housing, equitable healthcare, and food security. Close and gentle, but then havent we all missed is what was?... Is everywhere, in the wounds which are depicted in this story before, but then we! 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