Evolving beyond the myth that violence can solve our problems, or bring us peace, is vital. One: On this day, we celebrate the risen Christ Let it be so among us. April 17, 2022 (Readings on USCCB website) . *All sing: (suggested: "I Serve a Risen Savior" or "Christ Our Lord Is Risen Today"). Heidi Carrington Heath, Sabbath: SALT's Lectionary Commentary for Second Week after Pentecost, Year B, Into the World: SALTs Lectionary Commentary for Easter 7. The endless loop projects many faces of CHRIST. He lives, and presides at this Feast! Jean and I have studied the historical Jesus in depth and found him to be someone who had a powerful impact on the world because of his radical perception: He modeled for us how to live in the Truth and stand up for justice. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Jesus. Many of the pages are "decorative" but material can simply be cut and pasted into a word-processing program. I proclaim these words from Pauls conclusion to the chapter at every funeral I have ever presided over. What can Jesus teach us about God? To which Jesus responded, From the cup I drink of, you will drink; the baptism I am immersed in, you will share. The basileia ton THEON, the Empire of GOD, the GOD which Jesus knew as ABBA, a LOVING PARENT, the basileia ton THEON, the Reign of the GOD that IS LOVE, where justice and not violence creates the kind of peace in which everyone has enough to live the abundant life Jesus insisted he came to give to the world. Im pretty sure that the anonymous gospel-storyteller we call Mark had no idea that Jesus life and death would be portrayed by the powers of empire as a ransom to be paid to the very MYSTERY which Jesus insisted is LOVE. I suspect that most of us have heard these parables of loss so many times that it is the many and varied of interpretations of these parables, which tend to stick with us, rather than the details and circumstances under which these particular parables were born and raised. Jesus suffered the worst of his worlds violence. It is hard to maintain the heights that we attain on the celebration of Resurrection Day. Free from misguided struggles to appease the idol god of our design, we are free to see beyond our blind self-centered desire for a life beyond this life, free to see the face of DIVINITY in our neighbours face, free to see DIVINITY in the majesty of the Cosmos, and in the beauty of the Earth. Think about it, Jeff Bezos net worth is estimated at just shy of 200 billion dollars. As the ancient storytellers weave their tail, Elijah was familiar with the voice of YHWH, so much so that he dared to argue with the voice. !P$: \6M8eQU@}gv4f~ _W $>5b?hVQqD%cf(HC +l8Z%ooP~>Q?(`0j4PCI3lho"`1R1ZZsMf7sNG? Bit by bit, hope has begun to build upon hope as we look forward to Spring when we call launch forth into fuller more robust living. Change). This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. (from Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 45). and for the mission of justice you have made our own. In fact, in a specific celebration the Presider might select only one or two items from the many alternatives . These parables cant just be about a lamb, or a coin, or even a couple of squabbling children. Only a foolWould know the joy, the absolute delight of finding what really isnt needed. We turn Easter back into Good Friday when we worship ugliness, sterility and unthinking conformity. I dont think that Jesus, or his followers, or Luke, told these parables in order to teach their listeners about the character of YAHWEH. And our Creator needs us to pay for our sinfulness. Alleluia! But Anna and Steve were always at it. Let us be LOVE in the world. It does not surprise me that Paul may have framed Jesus death in the context of both Pauls own Jewish sacrificial theologies and Romes violent philosophies. But I suspect that like the sons of Zebedee, who earned renown by jockeying for privileged positions, the powerful images of an aging Captain James Kirk and his merry band of billionaires will earn far more renown than the 150 million poor souls who are about to slip into poverty as a result of the COVID pandemic. I also want you to resist making the story all about you. You see the Pentecostal church was located down in the neighboring town of Hinton, about an hours drive away. Pachena Bay with its warm Pacific waters, heated even more by virtue of its shallow depths, attracted schools of salmon, ling cod and halibut, who make up a veritable smorgasbord for the pods of whales, that continue to visit the bay to this very day. Too many Hollywood movies tempt me to flirt with violence, as I yearn for some secret agents to just take him out! These days they are called orcas. You responded with grace, humility, and welcome. Vladimir Putin created in the image of the DIVINE. We do tend to point to those characters in order to personify the MYSTERY. Glory to the Three-in-One: To the Father, and the Savior, who the victoryhas won;glory to the Holy Spirit, fount of loveand sanctity; alleluia, alleluia to the triune Majesty! So, in the same way, we, of the Namaste Church, honor the Divinity in all people and this is why we called this church Namaste which means We honor the Divinity Within You.. Salvation is not about saving us for life after death. But we can do something, and we can work together. "Our Father". So, it made it difficult for us to work up much speed. Thich Nhat Hanh. Im not sure how many whales entered the bay. We are privileged. We know we still have work to do. Old and New Testament Canticles at Morning and Evening Prayer. This dear friends is what it means for you and me to sit at Jesus side. You can put it Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. It was as if my whole being was alive. 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. . The story begins with a familiar nursery rhyme: Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; All the kings horses and all the kings men Couldnt put Humpty together again. McCourt asks his young students to tell him whats going on in this nursery rhyme. I confess, that I cant quite see CHRIST in that face yet. Only a fool would rejoice with such extravagance. jQuery('#submit-action').click(); She looked at the miserable look on her grand-daughters face, and she said, Crystal, sweetheart. Prayer of Communion Bert Polman (bdp5@calvin.edu) is a hymnologist who is a professor and chair of the music department at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. For GOD is not safely ensconced in the Heavens and we do not need saving from our own depravity by a human sacrifice because there simply is no Hell below us. It was as if my body was teaming up with my mind to convince my spirit to abandon this peculiar excursion. Fosdick Dr. NW #80 Where, O death is your sting?. We join our tears to theirs and when we have no more tears to cry, we roll up our sleeves and we do what we can to help them. Strip away our biased convictions so that through our selfless giving we can gaze clearly on your vision for our lives. We break and share this bread, as Jesus broke and shared it. If there is a natural body, then there is also a spiritual body., Theres more, lots more, but lets just stop and catch ou breath. Christs peace is ours forever! Support our mission with a tax-deductible donation! Hosanna in the highest. by our lack of courage to say yes to the Voice within. Pauls understanding of resurrection was good enough for those early followers of Jesus way. A Prayer for Sad Days of the Pandemic. So, there could have been half a dozen or there could have been only one whale. If you are watching this on a screen, chances are that your own wealth far exceeds the expectations of billions of people struggling to survive on this planet. I first heard it at a retreat on the West Coast a lifetime ago), In this fast paced world of ours, I often find myself in little Crystals predicament. So, let us see the wounds inflicted by violence, and practice resurrection. A neighbour suggested Vaseline. read more A Good Friday Prayer by Lenny Duncan on March 1, 2021 | 0 Comments But sometimes letting go is the only way to preserve the integrity of the heirloom. In this, the 21st century, there is a movement among progressive Christians that focuses more on who Jesus was and why he had such an impact on the world rather than his death. But those fools made their billions serving us, satisfying our desires, fortifying our comforts, delivering our lifestyles to our doorsteps. Ask congregation if they have any resurrections they would like to share. Years ago, a good many years ago in fact, when my life as an adult had only just begun, I was backpacking around Europe, and I began to hear people talk about the land of the mid-night sun. So, I waved and was gifted by their own energetic response. Alison Etter. % Crystal was very upset and still very stuck. Last week, I compiled a list of online video resources for worship. Here's a call to worship and opening prayer for Memorial Day or Remembrance Day. var thisact = jQuery('#submission-action').val(); Revealing your love, radiating your life, Jesus taught those who listened to him, ELOHIM, the GOD who is the feminine plural of MAJESTY, said to Elijah: Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of YHWEH, for YAHWEH is about to pass by. Imagine the MYSTERY, which is the I AM, the very essence of BEING is about to pass by. He enacted peace in the midst of violence, love in the face of hate, We know that humans were not created as perfectly formed creatures who fell into sin. Traditional interpretations of the life of Jesus insist that Jesus sacrificed himself, took all our respective punishment onto his shoulders, died for us, upon a cross, so that our relationship to our creator could be restored. 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