Lectionary Worship Resources from Sacredise » Epiphany http://sacredise.com/lectionary Loving God | Loving the World Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:12:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Epiphany 5B http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-5b/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-5b/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-5b/ Epiphany 5B

05 February 2012

There is both comfort and challenge in the Lectionary for this week. On one hand there is the assurance of God's care, and the particularity of grace as God meets each person at their point of need. On the other hand there is the call to extend a similar adaptive particularity to one another - willingly becoming what others need from us - in order to carry the Gospel's grace and restoration to the world.

May we find the grace we need, and learn to become the grace others need as we worship this week.

Read more..]]> 05 February 2012

There is both comfort and challenge in the Lectionary for this week. On one hand there is the assurance of God’s care, and the particularity of grace as God meets each person at their point of need. On the other hand there is the call to extend a similar adaptive particularity to one another – willingly becoming what others need from us – in order to carry the Gospel’s grace and restoration to the world.

May we find the grace we need, and learn to become the grace others need as we worship this week.

READINGS:

Isaiah 40:21-31: To whom can God be compared? God created the earth and human rulers are short lived. Why should God’s people complain that God has forgotten them? Those who wait on God will be renewed.

Psalm 147:1-11, 20c: An exhortation to praise God for the way God restores those who have been exiled and broken, for the way God provides for God’s people and for the creatures of earth, and for the way God treasures those who honour God.

1 Corinthians 9:16-23: In his preaching of the Gospel, Paul explains how he becomes all things to all people in order to win them for Christ.

Mark 1:29-39: Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law and then many sick and demonised people come to be healed. After that Jesus goes off alone to pray, but Simon and others track him down. Then Jesus leads them off to other towns to preach and heal.
For a more detailed commentary on this passage, see this blog post.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This week the Lectionary offers us a message of great comfort and reassurance. All of the readings speak about God’s compassion and grace in healing, restoring and strengthening God’s people – those who wait on and honour God. In each reading there is a clear indication of the way God meets us at our point of need in order to transform and save us. In the famous song of Isaiah 40, God’s saving power is praised and the weary exiles are reminded that God will restore and strengthen them if they will just turn to God in hope. In the Psalm, God’s gracious restoration and provision for God’s people, and for all of creation, is praised. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he explains how he strives to meet every person where they are in order to bring them to Christ, becoming as they are so that he can share the Gospel with them. Finally, in one of those wonderful moments of particular care, Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law. But, then, immediately the Gospel moves to a wider focus, as Jesus heals and restores the many who come to him, and then, seeks to travel throughout Galilee to preach and heal. The amazing grace of the God who comes to us at our point of need and restores and calls us makes this week a truly celebratory one.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Over the last few decades the emphasis of human development teachers and spiritual gurus has moved away from self-sacrifice and towards self-actualisation. This quest to "be true to yourself", while it has brought some measure of healing and growth to some, has also been used to justify all kinds of destructive behaviour, from the breaking of marriages and committed relationships in favour of "my needs", to the militant and violent defence of materialistic and consumerist "ways of life" in wealthy nations. The cult of selfishness is the exact opposite of both God’s Reign and of the God who comes to us in Christ. The Scriptures offer us a startling vision of a God who is willing to go out of God’s way to meet us where we are – a God who would be incarnated and suffer death in order to draw humanity into God’s Reign. The Reign of God which is established by the self-sacrificial Christ, also calls its citizens to follow in this sacrificial life by "becoming all things to all people" in order that they too may know God’s grace. This revelation of God’s gracious glory is a challenge to every human system at work in our world – from the careless consumption of planetary resources, to the power games played in national and international government, from the self-interest of big business and political and religious lobby groups to the violence that all too easily erupts between factions, ethnic groups and countries who refuse to share. How different might our world be if leaders sought to be "all things to all people" and if they, like Christ, were willing to meet people at their point of need, and spread the good they do as far and wide as possible? How different might our world be if Christ followers, rather than trying to manipulate the world’s systems according to their own agendas, were more willing to serve and restore others irrespective of differences in belief, conviction, morality and association? In what ways can we commit this week to being true followers of Christ, sacrificing our own interests and agendas in favour of the greater good of God’s Reign?

LOCAL APPLICATION: It is both shocking and disturbing that, in many segments of society, Christianity has been used as an excuse for an attitude of entitlement. The way the Gospel has been presented has left many outside of the Church feeling coerced and manipulated and rejected. It’s like we’re saying that, rather than us meet others where they are, they must change to become like us. Rather than touch and heal the sick and demonised, we have told them that they have no place among us, while we have refused to acknowledge our own demons. Rather than become "all things to all people" we have tried to make all people become like us. Rather than inviting people to be restored and saved by God’s grace, we have used the Bible as a club to break people down when they believe or live differently from us. In this way God’s glory has been hidden from the world, rather being reflected through us. In this way Christ has become for many a false prophet rather than a true reflection of the glory and grace of God. This week, while we can celebrate that God meets us where we are and offers us healing and restoration, we must also acknowledge that we need to repent and change to become those who sacrifice ourselves – our own needs, our own desires, beliefs and agendas – in favour of the wholeness, justice and goodness of others. If we are to embody the Reign of God which Jesus preached and demonstrated we need to release our self-interest and begin to step into the shoes, and the world’s of those who need to experience God’s love. This will mean letting go of our need to be right, and our need to be comfortable and our need to control the world. But, it will also lead us even deeper into God’s grace and love as we experience God working in us and through us even more.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:

The Mystery Of Your Love
Extending The Invitation
Serving All
Ripping Off The Labels

Hymn Suggestions:
Jesus, Lover Of My Soul
Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Just As I Am
Lord, Speak To Me That I May Speak
Proclamation
Everlasting God (Link to YouTube video)
Everyone Belongs
The Power Of Your Love (Link to YouTube video)
Jesus, You Are My Healer (Link to YouTube video)
Healing Hands

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Breaking of Bread

Video Suggestions:
A Solitary Place

Drama Suggestion:
You’re Not Like Me

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-5b/feed/ 0 Epiphany 6B http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-6b/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-6b/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:50:00 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-6b/ Epiphany 6B

12 February 2012

The healing narratives continue this week - with a twist! The connection between the healing of the man with the skin disease on Mark's Gospel and the healing of Naaman in the Old Testament is clear, but things get very interesting - and a little uncomfortable - when the Epistle reading about discipline and focus is added to the mix. Could it be that the nature and extent of the healing we receive differs according to our willingness to submit to Christ? This is the disturbing but life-giving question that the Lectionary asks this week.

I pray that... Read more..]]> 12 February 2012

The healing narratives continue this week – with a twist! The connection between the healing of the man with the skin disease on Mark’s Gospel and the healing of Naaman in the Old Testament is clear, but things get very interesting – and a little uncomfortable – when the Epistle reading about discipline and focus is added to the mix. Could it be that the nature and extent of the healing we receive differs according to our willingness to submit to Christ? This is the disturbing but life-giving question that the Lectionary asks this week.

I pray that our worship may lead us into a deeper commitment to the ways of God’s Reign this Sunday.

READINGS:
2 Kings 5:1-14: Naaman, the general of the king of Aram, suffers from a skin disease, but an Israeli slave girl informs him of the prophet Elisha who she believes can heal him. So Naaman sets out to Elisha, who, through a messenger, tells the general to wash in the Jordan seven times. At first Naaman is indignant, but then, after some pleading by his servants, he obeys and is healed.

Psalm 30: A psalm of celebration for God’s grace and protection, for ensuring that the psalmist’s enemies did not overcome him, and for his favour. Also a recognition of how easy it is to get comfortable in God’s presence and goodness, but how easily this sense is lost – although when this happened and the psalmist cried out to God, God responded and turned mourning to dancing.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27: The apostle encourages his readers to be disciplined and to stay focussed in their following of Christ, like runners in a race or boxers in a ring, in order to claim the prize of an eternal crown.

Mark 1:40-45: A man with a skin disease asks to Jesus to heal him and Jesus does, instructing the man not to say anything to anyone but to show himself to the priests as a witness to them. Instead the man spreads the news which makes it impossible for Jesus to enter any towns, forcing him to stay in deserted places outside the cities. But even there, people keep coming to him.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:

The main thrust of this week’s readings is clearly God’s healing power and grace. In this case, the particular affliction of skin diseases is the focus, but the wider implication is easy to see. In the reading from 2 Kings, the well-known story of Naaman, the king of Aram’s general, is related, along with the dismissive way that Elisha facilitates his healing. There are resonances here with the man who is healed by Jesus – both in the disease that is experienced, and in the response to the healer. In Elisha’s case, Naaman is initially indignant at the prophet’s instruction, almost to the point of rejecting them and the healing they promised. In Jesus’ case, the man ignores the clear instruction to tell no one but the religious leaders, with overwhelming results for Jesus. We are not told whether he ever obeyed the instruction to go the priests. These two stories also have resonances with the Psalm in which God’s rescue, God’s presence and God’s answer to prayers for help are all praised.
It is the epistle reading that seems like an odd one out this week. Paul speaks about discipline, focus and hard work as the necessary requirements for receiving the eternal crown. You may decide to leave it at this, and not seek any connection between this passage and the others, choosing to focus either here or on the Gospel. Alternatively, you may want to contrast Paul’s call for discipline with the undisciplined responses of those who came to God to be healed – both Naaman and the man Jesus healed wrestled with choosing their own agenda over God’s. In the end Naaman, submits and is healed. The man in the Gospels is healed anyway, but never submits to Jesus’ instruction – he receives the benefit, but cannot have received the relationship that comes with following Christ’s ways. He had found a healer, but not a Teacher or Master.
This may be a good angle from which to approach the theme this week. There is a difference between coming to Christ in order to receive benefit only – clinging to the hope of being saved, for example, or receiving healing, prosperity or happiness – and coming to Christ in order to become a disciple. There are all too many who choose the former, but Christ calls us to the latter. There is, of course, the benefit of the "eternal crown," of abundant life, when we become disciples of Christ, but discipleship is far more than just receiving a benefit. The benefit is simply a by-product of a life lived for Christ’s sake. The call to follow Christ and to submit to God’s ways, is, in itself, sufficient reward because there is no other way that is worthy of our full devotion.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: We don’t like to hear that God’s grace and healing is in any way conditional, but there seems to be an element of that stark reality in the readings this week. While on the one hand, the healing of the man in the Gospel story indicates that Jesus heals first, and then the instructions come – which he is free to obey or not – the Naaman story reveals that he was required to follow Elisha’s instruction before the healing could happen. Then, of course, there is Paul’s challenge that, in order to know God’s life, we need to be disciplined and "run to win". What might this mean for us in today’s world? To begin with, we need to define what the healing of the world might look like. For those who seek a "quick fix" the healing of the world would probably mean "getting things back to how they were" – which would be a world without challenges to the status quo, and free from economic crises. This can certainly be achieved, but would this be healing? I don’t believe so – since the brokenness would remain, and our political, economic and social systems would inevitably collapse again at some future time. This is where the call to obedience – to discipline – comes in. Like the man who is healed by Jesus, but fails to submit to Jesus’ Lordship, we can find ways to get the benefits without cost – and we often try to do this. But, when we do, we lose the life-giving reality of true wholeness and of God’s Reign that comes when we submit to Christ and live according to God’s ways. So, if we seek true wholeness for our world, we will discover that we must learn the discipline of the Gospel – the simplicity and restraint, the generosity and compassion, the patience and commitment, the justice and peace – that can change the systems of our world in radical and creative ways. I am not suggesting that we can create God’s Reign on earth. I am suggesting, though, that as we begin to live according to the principles of God’s Reign we begin to embody the prayer that God’s kingdom may come "on earth as it is in heaven" and that we facilitate an environment in which the work of God’s salvation, healing and justice may be manifest. However, when we fail to embrace God’s discipline – the ways of God’s Reign – we make it impossible for us, and our world, to experience the benefits that God’s Reign would bring.

LOCAL APPLICATION: It seems to me that there is a tendency in our society to believe that we can "shortcut" our way to anything. We try to fight obesity with creams and pills, without the discipline of exercise or healthy eating. We try create relationships with quick sex and none of the work of navigating our own, or the other person’s, "rough edges". We try to find wealth and fame through reality TV or lotteries with none of the "paying of dues" that is usually required for lasting influence of that magnitude. And we try to find physical and spiritual wholeness through quick routines of affirmations, prayers and thought processes that cost us nothing. Yet, by and large, we remain unhealthy, disconnected, disillusioned and unfulfilled. Somehow we just don’t want to hear that the abundant life we seek might require discipline, time and submission to something other than ourselves. We have even tried to frame the Gospel in these quick-fix terms to our own detriment. However, both healing stories and Paul’s exhortation reveal that, while we may find some benefit from our self-centred solutions, we won;t find true life – the eternal crown – without the disciplined work of learning to follow Christ and follow the ways of God’s Reign. Nor will we find the life we seek if we seek it simply for ourselves. The call of God’s Reign always involves the slow, patient work of learning, growing, discipline and walking together in community. If the man with the skin disease had thought for a moment about the consequences of his actions, he would not have subjected Jesus to the crowds that followed his story. He would also have prioritised going to the religious leaders in order to give Jesus the benefit of official recognition (which may not have happened anyway, but at least he could have tried). Instead, he used his story to gain glory for himself without thought of the impact of spreading the word against Jesus’ request. He sounds a lot like us! And we can learn from him and from Paul’s wise instructions, to find life by becoming true disciples – disciplined followers – of Jesus.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Call Of Compassion
Hope-Bringer
Counting The Cost
Healing The World
Wholeness

Hymn Suggestions:
I Cannot Tell
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Heal Us, Emmanuel, Hear Our Prayer
Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross
The Gift Of His Touch
How Long?
Hallelujah What A Saviour (Link to YouTube video)
Lord, Why Does It Seem
Jesus, You Have Called Us
Who Is This? (Miracles)
Your Grace Is Enough (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Communion Liturgy for a Healing Service

Video Suggestions:
A Man With Leprosy
Spiritual Discipline

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-6b/feed/ 0 Epiphany 7B / Transfiguration Sunday B http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-7b-transfiguration-sunday-b/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-7b-transfiguration-sunday-b/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-7b-transfiguration-sunday-b/ Epiphany 7B / Transfiguration Sunday B

19 February 2012

Once again Epiphany closes with the Transfiguration of Jesus - the turning point, the final affirmation before Jesus set his sights on Jerusalem and the coming confrontation and sacrifice. The challenge of this week is for us to learn to recognise God's glory - in Christ, but also in all people and all things. It is this capacity for glory that can make a massive change to how we live in the world, and then through us, make a change to the world itself.

May God's glory fill our eyes, our hearts and our lives as we worship this week.

Read more..]]> 19 February 2012

Once again Epiphany closes with the Transfiguration of Jesus – the turning point, the final affirmation before Jesus set his sights on Jerusalem and the coming confrontation and sacrifice. The challenge of this week is for us to learn to recognise God’s glory – in Christ, but also in all people and all things. It is this capacity for glory that can make a massive change to how we live in the world, and then through us, make a change to the world itself.

May God’s glory fill our eyes, our hearts and our lives as we worship this week.

READINGS:
2 Kings 2:1-12: Elisha prepares for his time to leave the earth (since he never dies in the Scriptural account) and Elisha refuses to be separated from him. Then, when Elijah asks Elisha what he wants before he leaves, Elisha asks for twice Elijah’s spirit. Elijah tells him that he will receive it if he sees Elijah being taken away. Then, Elijah is caught up in a wind and carried away, but Elisha sees and grieves the departure of his master.

Psalm 50:1-6: God radiates and God’s voice speaks across all the earth calling God’s people to God’s self.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6: Jesus is the glorious image of God, and God has shone into our hearts the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in Christ. It is this glorious Jesus that the Apostle preaches.

Mark 9:2-9: Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain where they see Jesus transfigured into a radiant white, and Moses and Elijah appearing and talking to Jesus. Then they hear God’s voice of affirmation and then all is back to normal. Then Jesus instructs them not to tell anyone until after he is raised.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:

The Transfiguration is the obvious focus of this week, which is both exciting and challenging. The excitement comes from the wonderful celebratory possibilities that this amazing event offers. The challenge comes from having to choose how to approach this week with all the options, but also in how to ensure that our worship avoids the familiarity which so easily dulls the transforming potential of the theme. When all of the readings are placed together one strong message emerges – God allows God’s glory to be seen in order that God may communicate with human beings. In the Kings passage, Elisha seeks to see the glorious departure of Elijah in order to receive Elijah’s spirit. It also offers an opportunity (if we keep reading past the end of the set pericope) for others to recognise God’s anointing on Elisha once Elijah has gone. In the Psalm, god’s radiant glory is accompanied by God’s voice calling God’s people to God. In the letter to the Corinthians, Christ is praised as the glorious image of God – communicating the knowledge of God to whoever will receive Christ. Finally, in the Gospel reading, the glory and affirmation of God is communicated both to Jesus but also to the disciples who witness this event. It is clear that the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets (represented by Moses and Elijah) which Jesus brings is to be recognised by the disciples, and with the coming death and rising to which Jesus alludes at the end of this passage, they will need to memory of God’s glory and God’s communication to and through Christ to sustain them on the road to and through the cross.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: God’s glory and God’s communication are two ideas that may, at first glance, seem to be thoroughly theological and philosophical, with little real connection with the very real and pragmatic work of justice and peace in the world. However, it is the loss of our ability to perceive God’s glory and to hear God’s voice that has resulted in much of the injustice we encounter in the world. When we fail to see, as the Psalmist describes it, God’s glory shining over and through the created world, it becomes easy to use the earth and its resources as commodities, forgetting their sacred nature. When we fail to recognise that Jesus is the image of God, revealing God’s character and values, God’s ways and God’s purposes, it is easy to believe that God calls us to actions that contradict Christ’s sacrificial life and teaching, and to ignore Christ’s message of God’s Reign as the basis for faith and life – the peaceful, compassionate, gracious and just Jubilee-style Reign. When we fail to recognise that God’s glory is also revealed in all people – that Christ hides within them in a "distressing disguise" (as Mother Teresa put it), it becomes easy to abuse, dehumanise and exploit others. But, when we learn to recognise God’s glory in Christ, we also learn to recognise God’s glory in all things and in all people – and this changes everything. The moment our lives become flooded with glory we grow more celebratory, more compassionate, more careful of other people and of the earth, more just and more selfless. God’s glory draws us inexorably into a life that seeks to reflect that glory – which is what Paul testifies to in his letter to the Corinthians. More, when we become aware of God’s glory, and begin to reflect it, we also become those who, like Christ, call glory out of everyone we meet, inviting them to radiate as God has created them to – listening to hear the voice of God’s affirmation even as Christ did, even in the darkness journeys of our lives. How different our world would be if we could develop an international culture of awareness of glory. It’s certainly a dream worth striving for!

LOCAL APPLICATION: In homes, communities and even churches, relationships, systems and structures break down when we fail to recognise their glory. At the heart of this truth is the belief that God revealed God’s glory in Christ, and that Christ taught us to recognise God’s glory in all things and all people. When we fail to be aware of glory, we start to take one another for granted. When we fail to see glory, the "broken windows" syndrome that Malcolm Gladwell described kicks in, and our environment begins to deteriorate for lack of care. When we fail to see glory, we lose our sense of connectedness with God, and God’s voice grows silent for us – or we become blinded by the things of this world and its systems as Paul describes. It is glory, however, that stirs us to care and reverence for other people and for the world. It is an awareness of glory that reminds us that God is always with us, and that enables us to recognise what God is saying to us at any point in time. Further, when we have learned to recognise God’s glory around and within us, we, like Jesus, are inspired, strengthened and given the courage to face the darkness, knowing that, whatever we may suffer, the light will never be completely extinguished. It may sound naive, but what the world needs is people who have learned the capacity to recognise glory wherever it may be found. This is the capacity that sustains relationships, that maintains communities, that unites people and that drives us into selfless service of one another and of our world. Without a vision of God’s glory, of God’s glorious Reign, it becomes very difficult to work for true justice and healing. But, with this vision, no sacrifice is too much in the quest to let God’s Reign be manifest among us – not even the cross.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Simple Logic Of Light
Whole-y God
Darkness And Light
The One We Worship

Hymn Suggestions:
Crown Him With Many Crowns
At The Name Of Jesus
Christ, Whose Glory Fills The Skies
Transfigured Christ, None Comprehends
Fairest Lord Jesus
O Wondrous Sight, O Vision Fair
Voices And Choices
The Mountain
We Bow Down Before You
Now And Forever
How Great Is Our God (Link to YouTube video)
Out Of The Darkness (Link to YouTube video)
Shine Jesus Shine

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Sacrament

Video Suggestions:
Transfiguration

Image suggestions:
Skies, Clouds & Suns Collection

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2012/01/epiphany-7b-transfiguration-sunday-b/feed/ 0 Epiphany A http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-a/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-a/#comments Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:25:13 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/?p=290 Epiphany AThe readings for Epiphany can be used either for a mid-week celebration on January 6th, or on the Sunday prior to this (January 2nd) making it Epiphany Sunday in place of Christmas 2A. Epiphany embodies two journeys for me. The first is the new vision that the Gospels present of God's grace and love being extended to all people, and not just those descended from Abraham. This inclusivity is radical, scandalous and exciting, and offers a wonderful opportunity for celebration and welcome in our communities. The second journey is that of going deeper into our understanding of Christ -... Read more..]]> The readings for Epiphany can be used either for a mid-week celebration on January 6th, or on the Sunday prior to this (January 2nd) making it Epiphany Sunday in place of Christmas 2A.

Epiphany embodies two journeys for me. The first is the new vision that the Gospels present of God’s grace and love being extended to all people, and not just those descended from Abraham. This inclusivity is radical, scandalous and exciting, and offers a wonderful opportunity for celebration and welcome in our communities. The second journey is that of going deeper into our understanding of Christ – an opening to the epiphany (the insight, the revelation) of who this Christ child is that we have welcomed to our world in the Christmas season. Of course, both journeys are really one, and both offer us an awesome reason for worship and devotion to Jesus.

May our Epiphany worship be both revelatory and welcoming.

READINGS:
Isaiah 60:1-6: The light of God’s glory and God’s goodness shines on God’s people.

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14: A prayer for God’s love of justice to fill God’s king, who will then defend the poor and rescue the oppressed.

Ephesians 3:1-12: In Christ both Jews & Gentiles enjoy the riches of God’s blessings.

Matthew 2:1-12: Wise men from the East arrive, worship the Christ-Child and present him with fine gifts.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The Festival of Epiphany reveals to us who this Christ is that has incarnated himself among us. There are two clear revelations that would have been startling for the first readers of Matthew’s Gospel. The first is that the Messiah has come inclusively – for all people: Jew AND Gentile, Wealthy AND Poor, Oppressed AND Oppressor. This inclusivity is a significant aspect of the scandal of the Gospel. The second revelation is the mind-bending truth that has traditionally been seen as reflected in the Wise Men’s gifts: This Child is Royalty (gold), Divinity (frankincense), and yet, also, self-giving Sacrifice (myrrh). All of these passages call us into praise for God’s inclusive incarnation!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Defensiveness and otherness are two of the main characteristics of today’s political, social, economic and relational world. In the quest for self-development, human beings have increasingly seen their individual selves as distinct from and “other than” other people. Businesses work hard to “distinguish” themselves from their competitors and even nations work hard to identify themselves, drawing boundaries, naming enemies and allies, and putting huge investments into defending what is “uniquely theirs”. Epiphany, scandalously reveals that Christ crosses all of these boundaries, refusing to be defensive or self-protective, and refusing to draw lines of separation. This incarnate Messiah draws all creation together into one, and gives up his own safety, security and comfort in order to do it.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Every church community, and every person, longs for the light of God’s glory and blessing to shine on them. This longing often leads us into trying to earn God’s blessing through legalism, doctrinal purity or separation from those who are considered “unrighteous”. Too often faith becomes something exclusive, something to defend against others who see things differently. Epiphany reveals an alternative view of God’s glory – that in Christ’s incarnation God’s glory and blessing are already ours – not something to earn; and that the experience of God’s glory is found in connection and sharing with others, while protecting and defending the least. It is a good discipline to ask: “Who needs to be included in our community right now?” and “Who needs to be protected?” – two questions that necessarily call us to emulate Christ’s self-sacrifice in our own lives.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
About the Light
Light And Glory
Who Are You, Jesus?

Hymn Suggestions:
What Child Is This?
We Three Kings
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Christ From Whom All Blessings Flow
Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken
Marvelous Light (Listen to preview here)
Shine Jesus Shine (Link to YouTube video)
Here I Am To Worship (Link to YouTube video)
How Great Is Our God (Link to YouTube video)
Open Our Eyes, Lord (Link to YouTube video)
Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Lord (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Breaking of Bread

Video Suggestions:
Psalm 72
To Know The Creator

Image Suggestions:
Word And Table – Epiphany PowerPoint
Word And Table 2
Wise Men And Star Still

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-a/feed/ 0 Baptism Of Christ A http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/baptism-of-christ-a/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/baptism-of-christ-a/#comments Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:27:31 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/baptism-of-christ-a/ Baptism Of Christ AWhat struck me in the readings for Christ's Baptism this week was the quietness of it all. There is no fanfare, no glitz and no loud, forceful declarations. God's affirmation of Christ, and the ministry of Jesus, are all rather quiet and subdued. This does not mean that proclamation does not happen, but that the proclamation of the Gospel happens less through loud, dramatic displays and more through gentle, quiet, ordinary encounters. May we be inspired to live lives of quiet proclamation as we worship this week. READINGS Read more..]]> What struck me in the readings for Christ’s Baptism this week was the quietness of it all. There is no fanfare, no glitz and no loud, forceful declarations. God’s affirmation of Christ, and the ministry of Jesus, are all rather quiet and subdued. This does not mean that proclamation does not happen, but that the proclamation of the Gospel happens less through loud, dramatic displays and more through gentle, quiet, ordinary encounters.

May we be inspired to live lives of quiet proclamation as we worship this week.

READINGS:
Isaiah 42:1-9: A prophecy of God’s coming servant, who fulfils God’s promise, and who will bring justice and comfort.

Psalm 29: An exhortation for the heavenly beings to give glory to God, for God’s mighty, majestic voice.

Acts 10:34-43: Peter preaches about the Jesus who was baptised by John and empowered by God’s Spirit, who taught about God’s reign and did good, and who is now the judge of all and the one who brings forgiveness.

Matthew 3:13-17: Jesus appears at the Jordan and John hesitates to baptise him, but ultimately submits to Christ and baptises him. Then the heavens open, the Spirit descends on Jesus as a dove, and God’s voice proclaims God’s pleasure in Jesus.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The twin themes of proclamation and justice run through the readings this week. Isaiah prophecies the servant who fulfils God’s previously proclaimed promise and who brings justice by proclamation without raising his voice, in word and action. The voice of God, which causes strong responses in creation, is praised in Psalm 29. In Acts, Peter’s proclamation of the Gospel is the focus, and he points people to Jesus’ own message, proclaimed and demonstrated in words and acts of compassion and justice. In the encounter with John, Jesus proclaims that what they do is in fulfilment of righteousness (what God requires) and then God proclaims Christ to be God’s well-beloved son, in whom God delights. The beautiful challenge of these readings is that justice, God’s reign, God’s presence and God’s salvation in Christ, must be proclaimed, and be seen to be proclaimed, for them to have impact and influence in our world. However, as Isaiah indicates, and Peter preaches, the proclamation is quiet, without a raised voice, and is shown to God’s “hand-picked” witnesses who must then carry the message further. The Baptism of Christ, then, is for us a listening to God’s proclamation of who Christ is, and what Christ has come to do. We are the witnesses to Christ. And then, it is also a call for us to be proclaimers, messengers, carrying what we have seen and experienced into the world in quiet, but significant, words and deeds.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Some years ago there was an advert on South African television that began with a quiet voice saying “If you want to catch someone’s attention, whisper!” This may be one way of seeing this week’s theme. Although, the Baptism of Christ may be thought of as a dramatic event with lots of fanfare, and great supernatural proclamation, it appears that it was actually a rather quiet affair. Certainly, it did not create the kind of stir that would be expected if such an event was witnessed publicly. Rather, Matthew seems to indicate that only Jesus saw the dove and heard the voice, and directly after this event, Jesus is led into the wilderness – a place of seclusion and isolation. The other readings also indicate the power of quiet proclamation in word and deed, and the effect of Jesus’ practice of such quiet proclamation, which still had very significant impact. In the same way, we who follow Christ and seek to influence the world in the direction of justice and love, would do well to allow our words to be quiet, and our proclamation to be as much in lives of gentle justice as in words of challenge. It may seem that such quiet proclamation can have little effect on our world, but in fact it is really the only thing that makes any significant difference. When my neighbours see justice in my life, when those around me are treated with compassion and dignity, when my giving, my ethics and my values all speak of God’s reign and justice, then my world is made a little more whole, and the world is changed for the better. And when the numbers of people doing this grow, then the impact grows too. So, whatever issue you may seek to proclaim God’s justice into, reflect on how you can adopt, at least in part, the strategy of Jesus’ baptism – quiet proclamation.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Somehow Christianity seems to have become a religion of public words proclaimed loudly: from Christian billboards, to street evangelists complete with sandwich boards and bullhorns; from sports stars publicly making a show of kneeling and praying, to celebrity preachers; from political lobbying to religious media – you would think that the church would be growing in leaps and bounds. And yet, people seem to be deaf to our message and disinterested in our words. Perhaps that’s because in all the noise, there is has been little action – a lot of shouting, but not much grace and love. Perhaps the word we need to hear from Jesus’ baptism is that God seems to like quiet proclamation. No raised voice, no huge public displays (note Jesus’ rejection of the temptations to this kind of attention grabbing). Rather, a quiet affirmation here, a gentle act of justice there, a constant lived love and grace that gently, but profoundly, touches and changes lives. I wonder if God might be calling communities of faith to this kind of quiet proclamation in their neighbourhoods: seeking to bring life and grace and love and justice, without expecting anything back (not even a commitment to attend on Sundays); giving a voice, where possible and necessary, to the voiceless and challenging whatever brings pain and destruction, but doing so with a strong, gentle, enacted message – not loud, emotive and actionless words. What might it mean for us to put our baptism into practice? What might it mean for us to take St. Francis’ words seriously – “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Whispers of Love and Justice
Quiet Proclamation
God Speaks

Hymn Suggestions:
O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
O Thou Who Camest From Above
Sing Of God Made Manifest
Thou Whose Almighty Word
When Jesus Came To Jordan
Breathe (Link to YouTube video)
Over The Mountains And The Sea (I could sing of your love forever) (Link to YouTube video)
May The Words Of My Mouth (Link to YouTube video)
Let Me Shine: Chord Chart; Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for link)
Your Word: Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon.com Mp3 Store)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy For The Sacrament

Video Suggestions:
Isaiah 42
Baptism

Image Suggestions:
Christ Baptism Stills

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/baptism-of-christ-a/feed/ 0 Epiphany 2A http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-2a/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-2a/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:47:28 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-2a/ Epiphany 2AIt is a joy and a blessing to be called by Christ - as we all are. Answering the call is not easy, however, and asks of us, as it did of Jesus, a commitment to giving of ourselves, to making the sacrifices - small and large - that allow the reign of God to be manifest in our lives and in our world. Sacrifice is not a popular word, but it is one that needs to be rediscovered if we are to address the massive challenges facing our world.

I pray that our worhsip gives us the courage and the faith to lay down our lives in service of Christ and God's reign again.

Read more..]]> It is a joy and a blessing to be called by Christ – as we all are. Answering the call is not easy, however, and asks of us, as it did of Jesus, a commitment to giving of ourselves, to making the sacrifices – small and large – that allow the reign of God to be manifest in our lives and in our world. Sacrifice is not a popular word, but it is one that needs to be rediscovered if we are to address the massive challenges facing our world.

I pray that our worhsip gives us the courage and the faith to lay down our lives in service of Christ and God’s reign again.

READINGS:
Isaiah 49:1-7: Isaiah’s second servant song seems to refer to both an individual and to the nation of Israel. Either way the message is clear – the work is hard and leads to mockery and rejection, but God will make God’s servant a light to the nations and will ultimately bring the servant praise and recognition.

Psalm 40:1-11: Praise for God’s grace and rescue, and a commitment to serve God and proclaim God’s justice.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9: God has gifted God’s church with all they need to serve in partnership with God, and to remain strong until the return of Christ.

John 1:29-42: John the Baptist testifies that Jesus is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit, and two of John’s disciples follow Jesus. One of them, Andrew, calls his brother Simon to meet Jesus, and Jesus names him Peter.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Following on from Jesus’ baptism, his mission is now proclaimed and affirmed in the readings this week. The prophetic song of Isaiah’s servant holds challenging foreshadows of Christ’s sacrificial life. The psalmist’s commitment to serve God is echoed in Jesus’ own ministry, as is God’s gifting of followers of Christ in God’s church. Finally, as John testifies, Jesus is the one who leads people into transforming encounters with God (baptism in the Holy Spirit) and who is the “Lamb of God” who will be sacrificed for all people. The Scriptures this week hold Christ up for us as the example of one who is called, and one who has responded to that call, and is committed enough to make profound sacrifices in service of God’s reign. Like the first disciples, we also find ourselves called, and needing to respond and commit. Along with the call is God’s equipping – the hope of God’s ultimate glory (as reflected in the Psalm and Isaiah), the Baptism of the Holy Spirit given by Christ and the gifts God has given to God’s church, spoken of by Paul. If God’s reign of justice and love is to find a place on the earth, it will be through faithful, sacrificial followers of Christ who have responded willingly to God’s call.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It seems amazing to say it, but one of the most significant shifts that needs to be made in the world is for every person and organisation to recognise their part (their calling) in addressing the great challenges we face, and to embrace the necessary sacrifices required to bring about justice. On a global scale this involves wealthy nations making such changes as doing away with trade restrictions and unjust trade subsidies and reaquirements in order to level the playing field for poorer, less powerful nations. It may involve refusing to use sweat shops, and doing the necessary checks to ensure that producers of the products we import and sell are treating their workers fairly. It may mean cancelling third world debt, and prioritising health care and getting medicine to those who need it over the profits that can be made through these medicines. It may also mean, for those who live in poorer countries, addressing the corruption and lack of accountability that sometimes plagues aid in these countries. These are just some thoughts, but if we are truly to follow the Lamb of God, it will not be without significant commitment and sacrifice. As we work for these changes, we may be mocked and threatened, labelled and rejected. But, ultimately, as the world’s systems change, so God’s reign is manifest, and God’s life is made available to all.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Answering the call to follow the Lamb of God, as Andrew and Peter did, is a daily decision made in the little details of how much we consume, what and how we buy, what we drive, where we live, what we eat, how we use energy, how we work, how we treat others and how we care for ourselves. Many of these decisions result in sacrifices that we would probably prefer to avoid. At its heart discipleship is about recognising that our faith is not an individual journey, but is connected into community. Our choice to sacrifice or not impacts others in our churches, neighbourhoods and world, and so we find that as we follow Christ, we are brought face to face with others, and the impact of our choices and lifestyle on them. To make the sacrificial changes that will lead to a more just world – the world that Jesus proclaimed – we need resources beyond ourselves. For this it takes both the recognition that the Christ we are called to follow is the Lamb of God who calls us to take up our crosses, and an openness to receive the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” – the transforming, empowering encounter with God – that John said Jesus would offer. But as we embrace the life of sacrifice and of following Christ, we each become foundations stones – Peters, rocks – in the reign of God being built among us.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Call Of Compassion
A Small Price, Really
Counting The Cost
Faith That Carries The Cross

Hymn Suggestions:
A Charge To Keep I Have
O Loving Lord, Who Art Forever Seeking
The Church’s One Foundation
Jesus Calls Us! O’er The Tumult
Hail Thou Once Despised Jesus
May The Words Of My Mouth (Link to YouTube video)
Let Me Shine: Chord Chart; Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for link)
I Give You My Heart (Link to YouTube video)
I Will Offer Up My Life (Link to YouTube video)
Everyday (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Celebration of Sacrifice

Video Suggestions:
A Voice In The Wilderness
Following Jesus

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-2a/feed/ 0 Epiphany 3A http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-3a/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-3a/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:53:22 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-3a/ Epiphany 3AFollowing Christ - especially in the work of justice and living out the values of God's reign - can sometimes get in the way of true relationship with Christ, but without a lived experience of intimacy with God, we lack the empowerment and resources to be a positive influence on the world. This week, the Lectionary calls us, no matter what struggles or challenges we may, or what work we may be called to do, to nurture a strong and vibrant relationship with God. Ultimately this the work of our worship - and it then empowers everything else we do as followers of Christ.

In th... Read more..]]> Following Christ – especially in the work of justice and living out the values of God’s reign – can sometimes get in the way of true relationship with Christ, but without a lived experience of intimacy with God, we lack the empowerment and resources to be a positive influence on the world. This week, the Lectionary calls us, no matter what struggles or challenges we may, or what work we may be called to do, to nurture a strong and vibrant relationship with God. Ultimately this the work of our worship – and it then empowers everything else we do as followers of Christ.

In the light of this, you may want to consider reading The Hour That Changes Everything – How worship forms us into the people God calls us to be, if you haven’t already. This book, that is designed as a 50 day journey for individuals, small groups and congregations, is a journey into a deeper, more empowering relationship with God that flows from a vibrant and committed discipline of worship. More details can be found here.

May we be drawn into a deeper and more vibrant relationship with God as we worship this week.

READINGS:
Isaiah 9:1-4: Isaiah prophesies a reversal of fortune for the people of God who are occupied by Assyria – though they are in darkness, light will break in, and they will be freed from their oppression.

Psalm 27:1, 4-9: David’s Psalm celebrating God’s protection and the security he finds in God’s presence and in God’s sanctuary.

1 Corinthians 1:10-18: Paul confronts the Corinthians about the divisions and factions among them, reminding them that it is only the message of the cross that is important and that offers God’s power for salvation.

Matthew 4:12-23: Jesus begins his ministry and is seen by Matthew to be fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy of the light shining in the darkness. He preaches the nearness of God’s reign, calls his first disciples and heals those who are afflicted with disease.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
In times of oppression and distress – Assyria’s occupation of Israel, David’s fear of attack by surrounding enemies, internal strife and divisions in the Corinthian church, John the Baptist’s arrest and imprisonment – we need light to guide our feet, to give us sight and to warm and protect us. We need a sense of God’s enfolding presence, of dwelling secure in God’s house, of being saved by God and claimed by God’s love. All of these passages reflect this need, and all of them offer a vision of God’s faithful response in the promise of salvation, in God’s presence in our pain, and in the healing and strength that God provides. It is this sense of the reality of God’s presence and action on our behalf, this lived experience of God’s help and grace, that makes faith real. Without it, our faith is nothing more than an intellectual exercise, cold and powerless – having the form of godliness but lacking the power. And so as, with the disciples, we seek to answer Jesus’ call to follow, as we seek to experience the reign of God that Jesus proclaims, as we seek to live out the message that Jesus preached and embody the healing and liberation that Jesus demonstrated, we can ask for, and expect, a real, vibrant and strengthening relationship with the Living God. Only in this way can we hope to know life, and to truly know and share the blessing of God’s reign.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: As we work within the systems of this world to bring about justice it is tempting to get caught into the factionalism and calls for loyalty of the systems we challenge. We may find ourselves subtly becoming more devoted to our causes than to Christ. We may discover that we are seeking to build a kingdom according to our dreams and ideas, rather than according to the values of God’s reign. Any time that we, as followers of Christ, allow our place in political parties, advocacy groups or even religious affiliations to become more important than God’s truth and grace, we have lost our way. As we face the threats to our world’s wholeness – violence and war, poverty and greed, consumption and environmental degradation, exclusion and discrimination – we can only do so in the security and strength of a strong and vibrant lived relationship with God, and an inspiring and challenging vision of the reign of God that Jesus preached and enacted. And, as we allow this relationship with God to be our primary loyalty, we will find ourselves welcoming even those we oppose and disagree with. We will find ourselves challenging the injustices within our own organisations and groups as much as we challenge those we are not part of. We will find ourselves called to stand in places of vulnerable mediation, in-between-ness, and love without partisan loyalty. It may feel like it is only through the system that real change can happen, but in reality it is only as more and more of us are prepared to opt out of the systems as much as we can, and embrace the new way of God’s reign, that the kingdoms of this world can truly become the kingdoms of our Lord and of God’s Christ.

LOCAL APPLICATION: There are two responses that must be made to the readings this week. The first is to remember, as we seek to serve the most vulnerable in our communities, that meeting their physical and justice needs is only part of the work. If we do not also invite them into an experience of God’s reign themselves, if we do not allow them to discover, or deepen, a relationship with the Living God, we are little more than a social service organisation. The poverty of soul, the violence of feeling abandoned by God, the oppression of being at the mercy of this world’s systems with no awareness of another reality – these are also justice issues to address. And the Gospel addresses them powerfully in the teachings, the example and the sacrifice of Christ. The second response is for each Christ follower to ensure that we, personally and collectively, nurture our own relationship with God. Without a constant, vibrant and empowering experience of God’s grace and presence, we all too easily grow despondent, cynical and even destructive. The power to live from the reality of God’s reign, to work to change the world and bring justice, flows from knowing God’s light and presence. Ultimately our first calling is simply to follow Christ and invite others to do the same. Changing the world, then, is not our task – it is God’s. We simply get to participate sometimes.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Simple Logic Of Light
God Of Presence And Light

Hymn Suggestions:
The People That In Darkness Sat
In Heavenly Love Abiding
Christ, Whose Glory Fills The Skies
Jesus, Hope Of Every Nation
There’s A Light Upon The Mountains
There’s A Light (Upon The Mountains): Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon.com Mp3 Store)
Consuming Fire (Link to YouTube video)
Here I Am to Worship (Link to YouTube video)
Shine Jesus Shine (Link to YouTube video)
Shine (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet

Video Suggestions:
The Calling
Land Of The Living
Light Of The World

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-3a/feed/ 1 Epiphany 5A http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-5a-2/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-5a-2/#comments Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:23:40 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-5a-2/ Epiphany 5AWhen I was studying at university, we often used to speak about how the "conservative" or "charismatic" Christians seemed to be the ones with a real, vibrant relationship with God, and the "liberal" or "activist" Christians were the ones who were concerned to make a difference in the world, but did not seem to be really interested in experience God's presence or power. It was like relationship with God and service of God were separate and disconnected things, and you needed to choose to be either one or the other. It did not seem to occur to us that both could be experienced and embra... Read more..]]> When I was studying at university, we often used to speak about how the “conservative” or “charismatic” Christians seemed to be the ones with a real, vibrant relationship with God, and the “liberal” or “activist” Christians were the ones who were concerned to make a difference in the world, but did not seem to be really interested in experience God’s presence or power. It was like relationship with God and service of God were separate and disconnected things, and you needed to choose to be either one or the other. It did not seem to occur to us that both could be experienced and embraced by a single individual. Yet, this is the call of this week’s Lectionary readings. In truth, the Scriptures seem to say to us, no real impact can be on the world without a vibrant, empowering relationship with God, and no real relationship with God can be found outside of engagement with the struggles and needs of our world.

May our worship this week lead us into true encounter with God, and lead us out in the power of God’s Spirit to serve the world that God loves.

READINGS:
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12): The people complain because God does not seem to notice when they fast and pray, but Isaiah speaks God’s word that challenges them on their injustice and exploitation – that they have the appearance of penitence without a true change of heart.

Psalm 112:1-9, (10): Those who live righteously are compassionate, just and generous, and they have confidence that God will care for them.

1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16): God’s wisdom is Christ crucified, which cannot be understood without opening our spirits to God’s Spirit. But, for we who have received God’s Spirit, we are able to know and receive the wonderful blessing God offers us in Christ.

Matthew 5:13-20: Jesus calls his followers to be as salt and light in the world – allowing our good works to be seen in order that others may praise God. Further, Jesus calls his followers to true righteousness, beyond the external legalism of the Pharisees, but embodying the true spirit of the law.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
What is authentic spirituality? In what ways do we know – and do others experience – that we have a real, vibrant relationship with God? These are the questions raised by the Lectionary this week. In Isaiah a contrast is drawn between the indulgent spirituality of the people, which leaves them disconnected from God and from God’s purposes, with the result that they feel no answer from God when they fast and pray, and true fasting and prayer which is expressed in lives of justice and compassion. In the Psalm, those who live justly and righteously are celebrated, and are assured of God’s care. In Paul’s letter, we are reminded that God is not known by the usual means that the world tries to find life and goodness, but only in Christ and Christ’s crucifixion. It is as we open to God’s Spirit that we receive God’s presence and power, and that we receive “the mind of Christ” which will inevitably lead us into lives that emulate Christ’s selfless service and sacrifice. In the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew’s Gospel, we discover that true righteousness is not that of the Pharisees – legalistic, individualistic obedience to law – but is to be light and salt in the world, fulfilling the heart of the law by bringing life and goodness to others, and drawing them into healing and saving knowledge of God. Clearly, for the Lectionary this week, true spirituality is seen in a living, vibrant relationship with God through Christ, and by God’s Spirit, which is then reflected and expressed through actions of compassion, justice and service in the world. If we live this kind of spirituality, it will inevitably draw others to this God we serve – and that’s a huge bonus for us!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It is all too easy to allow our spirituality to become “otherworldy” and disconnected from life’s realities. It is all too easy, even for those of us who are committed to justice and compassion in our world, to become like Pharisees who focus on outward, legalistic observances – becoming social justice fundamentalists, if you will – and losing the life-giving relationship with God and the empowerment of God’s Spirit that makes us true salt and light – healing, creative, colourful, restoring influences in our world. Yet, as we engage with the systems of our world, we need to keep asking ourselves how we can be those who lead both victims and perpetrators to “give glory to God”, to find a real relationship with God for themselves. How do we work with the powerful, the connected, the wealthy, the influential in such a way that they are led into lives of justice and compassion as well? Judgement, self-righteousness, or adopting the world’s methods of control, coercion and condemnation will not bring true change to our world. Rather it is as we commit to a cross-embracing way of living, and offer ourselves in service and compassion of all people that we are able to bring something of God’s life and justice into being. It is as we commit to authentic, lived righteousness – becoming salt and light in word, action, thought, communication, participation in the systems and processes of our world, and engagement with others – that our different way of living demonstrates the power and wisdom of God, and invites others into this alternative life, while also gently bringing change where it matters.

LOCAL APPLICATION: It is very easy to allow our sense of call to be reduced to becoming the conscience, or the moral watch dogs, of our communities and neighbourhoods. It is easy to point fingers and judge, to identify evil and, like Pharisees, make our religion about separating ourselves from “others” who don’t live up to our standards. This can be true for both conservatives and liberals, for both evangelicals and social justice Christians. But, such engagement with the world seldom brings any real change. It is when we are salt and light – those who live out in our own lives what we seek to see in the world – that we make a real difference. In the early days of the apartheid struggle, a group of church leaders went to see the then Prime Minister of South Africa, to challenge him to do away with apartheid. His response was to look at the division and discrimination in the churches and to tell them to get their own house in order before trying to sort out the country. Salt and light people are those who bring flavour and colour, integrity and insight, healing and compassion into the world by the way they live, love and interact. Their influence is felt not through judgement or legalism, but through a life lived with a completely different quality, that touches others with grace and truth and compassion and calls out to the best in them, leaving them longing to live better lives themselves. This is what it means to let our good deeds be seen so that others will praise God, and it’s the only thing that really brings change into the world. As Gandhi famously said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Light And Salt
True Fasting
A Goodness Worth Pursuing

Hymn Suggestions:
A Charge To Keep I Have
Take Time To Be Holy
Being Of Beings, God Of Love
Take My Life And Let It Be
God Of Justice (Link to YouTube video)
Priceless Vision: Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon.com Mp3 Store)
May The Words Of My Mouth (Link to YouTube video)
Lord, Reign In Me (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy of Compassion

Video Suggestions:
Salt And Light
Light Of The World
Salt Of The Earth
Give, Fast, Pray
iFast

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-5a-2/feed/ 0 Epiphany 4A http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-4a/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-4a/#comments Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:25:47 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-4a/ Epiphany 4AFollowing on from last week, the Lectionary this week explores the interconnectedness of our intimacy with God and our lives lived in justice and mercy. In truth, without lived expression of our intimacy with God, our faith is little more than platitudes and dreams. But, in a challenging call this week, the Scriptures demonstrate how we find God in the poorest, the weakest and the most vulnerable among us, and how as we work for justice and mercy, we participate in God's reign and God's life. There is no division between justice and worship, between ministry and liturgy, in the Gospel... Read more..]]> Following on from last week, the Lectionary this week explores the interconnectedness of our intimacy with God and our lives lived in justice and mercy. In truth, without lived expression of our intimacy with God, our faith is little more than platitudes and dreams. But, in a challenging call this week, the Scriptures demonstrate how we find God in the poorest, the weakest and the most vulnerable among us, and how as we work for justice and mercy, we participate in God’s reign and God’s life. There is no division between justice and worship, between ministry and liturgy, in the Gospel – and so we are called to embrace a vibrant relationship with God that is manifest and experienced in a vibrant interaction with the world.

May we find God not just in our sanctuaries this week, but also in the world we enter into as we live through the week.

READINGS:
Micah 6:1-8: God challenges God’s people regarding their tiring of God, and calls them to love mercy, do justice and walk with God in humility.

Psalm 15: Those who are true worshipers, who may enter God’s presence, are the ones who live with consideration and compassion for their neighbours, and with justice and integrity.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31: God is not known through the wisdom and power of this world, but in the foolishness of the cross, which, to those who believe, is the wisdom and power of God. In this cross alone do we boast.

Matthew 5:1-12: Jesus teaches his disciples that those who are poor, mourning, pure in heart, working for peace, desperate for justice and persecuted for following Christ are the ones God blesses.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This week we get a glimpse into God’s longings and the ‘workings’ of God’s heart. God longs for us to know God and be in intimate relationship with God – as shown by Micah’s challenge and the Psalmist’s question, by Paul’s reflection and Jesus’ teaching – all of which show us God’s longing to have us in God’s presence (Psalm 15), to bless us (Matthew), to be ‘walking with us (Micah), and to be known by us (Corinthians). But, what also stands out is that knowing and being in relationship with God is not done in ways that make sense from a human perspective – individualist spirituality, self-protection and using material gain, personal satisfaction, power and human wisdom as measures of God’s blessing. Rather, God is known and encountered in our following of Christ into different values, different interactions with others and different ways of being in the world. Sacrifice, justice, compassion and integrity – these are the doorways to God’s presence, the crosses in which we know Christ and the places in which we discover God’s presence and blessing. It’s time – these verses seem to say – that we move away from the dualistic spirituality that makes worship and social action separate, that makes God’s presence and the work of justice separate and that leaves us hoping for evacuation to another world, while this world suffers and dies. It is time that our worship leads us into lives of justice and transformation, and that it teaches us to encounter God in the least and most vulnerable in our world.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: What Brian McLaren calls “evacuation theology” – the belief that this life is just a testing ground for another, better world, and that faith is about separation from this world and its issues in order to be ready for this other world – is a deeply destructive influence in our world. In such a theology, it makes sense to hate and kill those who believe differently, because they are a threat to our purity, and therefore to our attaining this other world (even as ‘they’ seek to kill us for the same reasons). In such a theology, it makes sense to use up the planet, and care little for the impact of our consumption of its resources, because it will all be ultimately be destroyed anyway. In such a theology, the poor, the sick and the marginalised are ‘unclean’ and deserving of their disadvantaged lot in life, because we know the ‘blessing’ of God that comes from being pure and righteous and separate from sin. This theology is not the message of Jesus’ Gospel. If our world is to become more whole, and if the injustice and inequity in our world is to be addressed, we desperately need to revisit the Bible’s teaching about what God requires and what Jesus actually taught. And as we look again at the Gospel, we discover that God is found in working for justice, in caring for the least and in opposing forces of violence, destruction, materialism, greed, and power. Let us revisit the cross, and embrace again it’s call to be powerless fools in the name of Christ, bringing justice and compassion wherever we may find the opportunity.

LOCAL APPLICATION: The idea of obeying a few laws, and keeping ourselves pure, while enjoying ‘blessing’ until we get to bliss in the afterlife is deeply attractive, and a very popular spiritual creed in our word today. It demands little from us in the way of sacrifice, discomfort or even change. Rather, our collusion in the world’s corrupt systems is sanctified by our theology, and our worship becomes little more than a regular personal ‘pick-me-up’ that feels good, and gives a diluted and unreal sense of connection with God. It is no wonder that this ‘Gospel’ has grown so popular in our world. But, for those who genuinely long for a real encounter with God, and who believe that the Gospel is more than just a personal ticket to paradise in the next life, such a spirituality will always be found wanting. In fact, for any human being who risks looking within their own heart, such Christianity will always leave us longing for more – because we are wired to want true intimacy with God, and genuine connection to God’s purposes and reign. It is to this longing that this week’s readings speak. God is found when our lives are overtaken by the Gospel, and when all that we do and think and say is inspired and empowered by the cross. This will inevitably lead us to stand alongside the poor, the excluded and the hurting in our communities and churches, seeking to bring them to the top of our agendas, because it is in them that we encounter God, and it is in working for justice that heaven begins to manifest on earth. The challenge is whether we have the courage to commit to both a real and transforming relationship with God, and a life of loving sacrifice in the service of God’s reign and the poor for which it is Good News. So, in what ways does your worship connect with the work of justice in your context? And in what ways does the work of justice lead you into deeper, more real and transforming worship?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Blessed
Boasting In The Cross
What God Requires

Hymn Suggestions:
Blest Are The Pure In Heart
Now Thank We All Our God
I Sing The Almighty Power Of God
When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
The Kingdom Of God Is Justice And Joy: Lyrics; Mp3 Backing Track
O The Wonderful Cross (Link to YouTube video.)
Mighty Is The Power Of The Cross (Link to YouTube video.)
You Have Shown Us (Link to YouTube video. Song starts at 1:24)
Blest Are They (Scroll down for link & click icon next to the title to listen)
Act Justly (Scroll down for link & click icon next to title to listen)
This Place: Chord Chart; Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for link)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Lord’s Supper

Video Suggestions:
Blessed
Disrupt With Mercy

]]> http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2010/12/epiphany-4a/feed/ 0 Epiphany 6A http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2011/01/epiphany-6a/ http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2011/01/epiphany-6a/#comments Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:00:38 +0000 Sacredise http://sacredise.com/lectionary/2011/01/epiphany-6a/ Epiphany 6AThis blog has been quiet over the last few weeks because I've been on leave. But, now, after a very good and much enjoyed rest, I'm back. Thank you for your patience in the silence. In the next few weeks I will be making an announcement about a new Lent worship resource for Year A that I'm busy working on. I'll still be posting the weekly resources on this blog, but for those who would like something with more detail, more in depth study of the main passage and more purpose-written resources, this resource will take what I offer here to a new level. It will have a small cost attach... Read more..]]> This blog has been quiet over the last few weeks because I’ve been on leave. But, now, after a very good and much enjoyed rest, I’m back. Thank you for your patience in the silence.

In the next few weeks I will be making an announcement about a new Lent worship resource for Year A that I’m busy working on. I’ll still be posting the weekly resources on this blog, but for those who would like something with more detail, more in depth study of the main passage and more purpose-written resources, this resource will take what I offer here to a new level. It will have a small cost attached, but it will definitely be worth it. Keep watching this space for more information!

This week the Lectionary continues with the Sermon on the Mount, and with an examination of what true spirituality looks like. Here Jesus focuses on the heart as the place where true obedience and true righteousness happens, and from which a Christ-like life of grace and compassion flows.

May our worship capture and transform our hearts, so that we become true reflections of Christ in the world.

READINGS:
Deuteronomy 30:15-20: Moses offers the people a choice between life and death, challenging them to love and remain faithful to God and God’s commandments, and promising them prosperity and blessing if they do.
OR Sirach 15:15-20: Before each person are life and death, and each must choose which they will receive.

Psalm 119:1-8: Because a life of integrity is blessed, the psalmist pleads with God for the ability to live a life of obedience to God’s commands.

1 Corinthians 3:1-9: Factions among people of faith are a sign of immaturity. Paul calls the Corinthians to be mature and to recognise that those who serve God’s people are equal, and insignificant. It is God’s work in the believer to bring growth that matters.

Matthew 5:21-37: Continuing the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that righteousness is not just about following externals, but is about what happens in the heart. He challenges his hearers to true integrity, goodness and compassion with regard to dealing with anger, lust, adultery, divorce and making promises (vows).

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Not surprisingly, there is a clear development this week from last week’s readings. The Old Testament passages, though, if looked at alone, can be misleading in the sense that they seem to indicate that obedience to God’s law is a guarantee of health, wealth and happiness. This is, of course, much the way the world was believed to work back when these passages were written, but we know that it’s a little more complex than this. It is this complexity that both Paul and Jesus try to engage in their teaching. For Paul it’s about growing into a spiritual maturity that no longer needs competitive factions to feel secure and “righteous”. Paul calls the Corinthians to recognise that all of God’s servants are just that – people doing a job for God’s reign. What is important is not aligning oneself with particular people, leaders or ideas, but following God’s constant work of growth into becoming a true Christ-follower. For Christ, faithful and true spirituality is not about ticking off a few laws in a box of obedience, but is doing the work of the heart, of checking the real impact of who we are and how this works out in what we do and in our relationships. It is embracing the quest to reflect God’s grace, God’s goodness and God’s integrity that is the heart of this week’s call. Law is easy, and does not transform. Living with a God-formed integrity of heart, speech and action is what truly saves.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: There are two ways to apply the theme this week. The first is to reflect on Paul’s ideas of factions, and Jesus’ call to reflect on how we treat each other. It takes only a few seconds to identify the many ways we separate ourselves in the world – nations war against nations; political parties slander and undermine each other; religions seek to kill one another’s followers; wealthy and poor seek to protect themselves from each other. The destruction brought about by this division is devastating. If we can begin to find our common humanity within, and begin to live, globally, from a Christ-like heart, we can begin to heal some of the damage we have done. The second is to focus the challenge on living our faith from the heart in a globally connected world. It is easy to do business in ways that are legal, but that nevertheless hurt poor farmers, factory workers or the environment. It is easy to lead nations or organisations in ways that are constitutionally and legally sanctioned, but that nevertheless serve only ourselves and leave others broken. It is easy to conduct ourselves as citizens of the world in ways that are lawful, but that bring great harm to people in other parts of the world – or even our own neighbourhood. Christ’s challenge is to refuse to allow ourselves to live only according to the low standard of law, but to go beyond it to living from the heart – serving, seeking justice, offering welcome and compassion, protecting the vulnerable and preserving our rich ecological heritage on the planet. There is no question, though, that to adopt Christ’s heart-driven life is going to be painful and difficult. It will also open the doors to life for us and others, though.

LOCAL APPLICATION: It is all too easy to build our lives and our churches on programs – easy sets of rules and laws that guide what we do, but that have little connection with our real, heart-felt, lives or what’s going on in the world around us. It is easy to go to church on Sunday and sing songs and pray prayers. It is easy to not steal, not kill, not commit adultery. But, simply obeying these laws do not bring life to us or to those around us. It is when we allow God to capture our hearts with the truth of the Gospel, when we allow God to continually and disturbingly challenge and grow our hearts, when we live from the inside out, ensuring that our hearts are filled with Christ’s love and are right with God and others, and allow that to guide our speech and actions – then we become those who make a healing, restoring impact on the world around us, and who both find, and bring to others, fullness of life. This living from the heart takes far more work, and far more awareness than legalism. It requires us to allow God to constantly challenge our attitudes and convictions, to constantly transform our feelings and reactions and to constantly call us to a higher standard. In this way of living we cannot rest in a future guarantee of heaven after we die. We are called to work to be citizens of heaven now, and to actively bring heaven into our world and our lives through submitting to God’s gracious transforming guidance. But one thing is sure. If we are courageous enough to embark on the journey of heart-driven living, we will discover a richness and a fullness to life, a deeper connectedness and a more gracious way of relating and living together. In this sense the Old Testament writers are correct – following God’s ways does guarantee life for us.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Inside Out
By Heart
Law And Love

Hymn Suggestions:
O For A Heart To Praise My God
Be Thou My Vision
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Jesus Calls Us! O’er The Tumult
Dear Jesus In Whose Life I See
Let Me Shine: Chord Chart; Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for links in both cases)
What Can I Do (Link to YouTube video)
Love Enough (Link to YouTube video)
With Kindness (Press the play button in the media player to hear the song)
In My Generation (I Want To Serve The Purpose) (There’s a video of someone singing this song unaccompanied on YouTube if you want to get a sense of how this song goes. Check it out here)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy of Compassion

Video Suggestions:
After The Heart
Servant’s Heart

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