Lectionary Worship Resources from Sacredise » Lent

Ash Wednesday A

Sacredise — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:48:00 +0000

We live in a world that doesn’t particularly enjoy self-examination or facing our own shadows. There is much that would call us to think about life, our potential, and reaching for our dreams, but very little to call us to see ourselves truly and confront those thing within us that are destructive. This is why we need times like Ash Wednesday. Although it may be painful to acknowledge our brokenness, our selfishness and our capacity for destruction, ultimately life can only be found by traveling through this “valley of the shadow of death”. So, Ash Wednesday is not just a day of repentance and solemnity. It is also a day of celebration and possibility – the possibility of life in abundance.

May our repentance and honesty lead us to life as we worship this day.

READINGS:
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17: A proclamation that the Day of the Lord has arrived, with a call for repentance, and a plea for God’s mercy.
OR Isaiah 58:1-12: True fasting requires repentance and justice, not just going through the motions.

Psalm 51:1-17: David’s plea for God to cleanse him after his adultery with Bathsheba is exposed by Nathan the prophet.

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10: Paul explains the suffering he and other apostles have endured in order to proclaim God’s appeal for repentance, and God’s offer of salvation.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21: The most authentic way to give, fast and pray – Jesus explains the true practice of the Lenten disciplines.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The Ash Wednesday theme is easy to identify – Our lives, like David’s, are on a trajectory of self-destruction and harm to others. God calls us to hear his warning and convicting voice, and to turn back to the ways of mercy, justice and humble service. The way God offers is not an easy or comfortable way, but it is the way of life. And so, while Ash Wednesday is a day of solemnity and repentance, recognising that we are “sinners in need of a Saviour”, it is also a day of celebration, because what is offered to us is a path that leads to life. And so, as we begin the metaphorical journey of following Jesus through the wilderness, we are given, already now – right at the beginning – a glimpse of the resurrection that awaits.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It seems to have become a normal practice to deny responsibility or to avoid acknowledging when our actions are destructive or harmful. Little true repentance has followed the economic crisis, a lot of work is being done to deny human responsibility for climate change, and the broken systems that burden developing countries with debt that outweighs whatever aid they receive are not easily acknowledged in the corridors of power. Yet, before we can possibly begin to create the world we long for, we must admit our sin – our greed, our carelessness, our ignorance, our self-centredness, our idolatry, our consumption. And to do this work of repentance effectively, we need a global spiritual revival, for only in the light of God’s reign can we see our need, and get a vision for what we, as a species, can become.

LOCAL APPLICATION: While David’s repentance after the Bathsheba incident is famous, it’s always bothered me that it took a confrontation by Nathan the prophet to bring out this repentance. What would repentance look like if we made it a habit that we practiced without confrontation? Ash Wednesday offers us a doorway into developing the discipline of confession and repentance, which not only builds our spiritual connection with God, but which also strengthens our relationships, gives us a clearer and more humble perspective on ourselves, and which leads us to live well in the world, bringing life, rather than bringing pain. Where in our communities and churches could we use a more consistent practice of repentance?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Wisdom of Ash
Dust

Hymn Suggestions:
Blow Ye The Trumpet, Blow
Jesus, Priceless Treasure
Just As I Am
No Sack Cloth
Lord Have Mercy (Link to YouTube video)
Change My Heart, O God (Link to YouTube video)
Show Us The Ancient Paths (Link to YouTube video)
In Your Mercy, Lord (From my CD Songs for the Road. Chord Chart here. Preview it here)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Ash Wednesday

Video Suggestions:
Lenten Reflection
Psalm 51

Additional Resources:
The Sacredise Lent Page
GBOD Lent Resources

Lent 1A

Sacredise — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:24:00 +0000

The Lenten journey has sometimes come to be thought of as a time of “giving things up”. This is a rather domesticated way of thinking of the disciplines which are the true characterisation of this season. The disciplines of Lent (fasting, prayer and giving – including giving of oneself in service) are really tools to enable us to deal with the big three temptations that we all face – sex, power and money. These were, essentially, the temptation that Jesus had to face, and the Lenten disciplines enable us to learn from Jesus how to render these temptations powerless in our own lives. This, first Sunday in Lent, gives us the opportunity to confront these temptations head on, and make the commitment to follow Jesus in the Lenten disciplines for the next few weeks.

May our worship today empower us to do the work of becoming more Christ-like.

READINGS:
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7: God warns the man and woman in Eden not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they are tempted by the serpent, and eat some of the fruit, at which point they realise their nakedness and cover themselves with fig leaves.

Psalm 32: A Psalm of David celebrating God’s forgiveness which is given so freely to those who confess their sin and do not try to hide it, and also an acknowledgement of God’s invitation to guide God’s people and lead them to life.

Romans 5:12-19: Through one person sin entered the world, and all people have likewise sinned against God, but in Christ, God has given the free gift of forgiveness and right relationship with God.

Matthew 4:1-11: Jesus is tempted by the devil in the wilderness, but overcomes the temptation to satisfy his appetites by turning stone into bread, to gain power and influence by the miraculous act of throwing himself off the temple, and to gain the world’s wealth by worshiping the devil.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
It is a simple and basic message that the Lectionary offers this week. We are all tempted to go our own way, to ignore God’s guidance and direction and to hide our sin and brokenness when we fail. But, God’s gracious and extravagant offer is forgiveness and right relationship with God, guidance and a pathway to life, if we will only confess our shortcomings and receive God’s restoration, and then follow God’s ways. The three sins which have always afflicted human beings – greed for wealth, lust for power and unlimited satisfaction of our appetites (money, power & sex) - also afflicted Christ, and in his overcoming, we find inspiration and guidance for our own lives. The challenge, in today’s world of unconditional acceptance, is to have the courage and integrity to acknowledge our brokenness and destructiveness, and admit that we need both forgiveness and empowerment to become creative, contributing human beings who embody God’s reign.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The world – both the planet itself, and the people who live on it – suffer because of humanity’s inability to control our basic sinfulness. Our appetites have grown addictive and demand immediate satisfaction, leading to world of exploitation, human trafficking and epidemics of obesity and sexual brokenness. Our greed for wealth and all that it brings has become immense and widespread, leading to a shortage of resources for some, unhealthy dependence on fossil fuels, climate change and devastation of natural resources and many species, while also leaving many people with desperate need as they are paid unfairly, or subject to unjust trade restrictions. Our desire for power and fame has lead to a world of celebrity voyeurism, dissatisfaction with quiet and gentle living, and an increasing sense of powerlessness among those who are unable to reach the heights of fame that our world seems to demand. The call of the wilderness, and of Jesus’ example of facing temptation and overcoming it, is a challenging lesson for our world. Justice can only be done as we learn to live lives of discipline and simplicity, of consideration and sharing, of prayer and service. Global movements that call us to a different way of living are deserving of our support, and it is up to us, through our participation in political process and law-making, and through our own work of advocacy, ethical consumption and Christ-like living, to make a contribution to changing the core values by which our world operates. This will be a wilderness for sure – in many ways life will get more painful and sacrificial before it gets healthier and more comfortable.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Christianity has, unfortunately, become a religion of excess in many ways. Prosperity preaching, alignment with political parties or the arms of government, and spiritualising of our appetites, our greeds and our celebrity culture all dd to the brokenness and injustice of our communities, our churches and our families. We desperately need to learn simplicity and generosity – the sharing of our resources, and the reduction of our wants and ‘needs’ to create an equitable and sustainable world, and reduce disparities in our corner of the planet. We desperately need to learn servanthood and humility – the respect of other, especially those we disagree with or who follow different religions to create a world of peace and to bring the true meaning of the word ‘community’ back into lived reality in our neighbourhoods. We desperately need to learn self-discipline, moderation and fidelity – the right channeling of our appetites toward creativity and life-bringing, not exploitation and destruction, if we are to restore health, real relationships and human dignity in our societies. The disciplines of Christ in the wilderness, and of the Lenten season, are just the gift we need to address our own brokenness and addictions, and to make a contribution to healing in our families, our churches and our communities. Acting locally in lives of daily discipline and quiet Christ-likeness can have a communal, and even global, impact. The challenge is to make the sacrifices necessary to live such a life.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Darkness And Light
Overcoming Temptation

Hymn Suggestions:
I Know Whom I Have Believed
I Cannot Tell Why He Whom Angels Worship
Be Thou My Vision
Saviour, Like A Shepherd Lead Us
Heart Word
How Long? Chord Chart; Mp3 Download
Thy Word (Link to YouTube video)
Blessed Be Your Name (Link to YouTube video)
Your Grace Is Enough (Link to YouTube video)
Mighty To Save (Link to YouTube video)
Change My Heart, O God (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Celebration of Sacrifice

Video Suggestions:
Tempted By The Devil
Temptation
Shine Your Flashlight

Lent 2A

Sacredise — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 12:47:00 +0000

“Faith” is a word that is used all the time in religious circles, in Christian worship, and even in political discourse. Unfortunately, all too often, the way we use the word is a shadow of the richness, vitality and challenge of the biblical meaning. This week the Lectionary allows us to eavesdrop on a conversation about faith between Jesus and a rather hesitant visitor who comes to him at night – and what Nicodemus heard from Jesus was both shocking and surprising.

We come to worship in faith this week. May we leave empowered to put that faith into action in our daily lives.

READINGS:
Genesis 12:1-4a: God calls Abram to leave his home country, and promises that he will be blessed and will be a blessing to others, and Abram obeys.

Psalm 121: A song affirming God’s help, attention and care.

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17: Paul holds Abraham up as an example of faith and relationship with God, and points out that it was not so much Abraham’s obedience as Abraham’s relationship with God through faith that ensured that God’s promise would be fulfilled through him.

John 3:1-17: Nicodemus comes to speak to Jesus at night, and is told that he must be born of the Spirit in order to see God’s reign, and that Christ came into the world to save through faith, not to condemn and judge.
OR Matthew 17:1-9: Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain and he is transfigured into a glowing white light, and is seen to speak with Moses and Elijah.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
[Note: The transfiguration reading appeared just two weeks ago as the focus of the last Sunday after Epiphany - sometime called Transfiguration Sunday. However, in the Roman Catholic Lectionary - and I believe sometimes in the Anglican Lectionary as well - the Transfiguration is remembered on the second Sunday of Lent. This offers us a choice - we can revisit the passage from a different angle, or choose rather to focus on the John reading - which I will do here.]
The clear focus of this week’s readings is the idea of faith or believing. Abram, believing God’s promise, sets out from his home to a new land. The Psalm expresses deep faith in the God who protects and cares for God’s people. Paul emphasises Abraham’s faith as the doorway into relationship with God, and invites believers to embrace a similar faith in Christ. And Nicodemus, coming to Jesus in the night, is invited to be born again, born from above, in order to see God’s reign, and to recognise that Jesus is the one who came to bring life – salvation – to those who believe. The call to faith is unavoidable here, but, of course, the question it raises is this: what is faith? Is it simply an intellectual agreement with certain propositions? Or is it something deeper? The key lies in the conversation with Nicodemus, where faith and the new birth are brought together by Jesus. This faith, then, is not just accepting ideas in the mind. It is an experience of new birth. It is a completely new way of being that enables us to ‘see’, to ‘know’ God’s reign and then to live out of this new birth as leaves driven by the wind. This is certainly more than just signing a pledge card, or praying a specific prayer in order to be “saved”. This believing is completely transforming, and must, therefore, like birth and the life which follows it, be a growing, developing experience that is embraced anew each day.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: If there is anything that our world needs today, it is faith. In the face of cynical partisan politics, divisive and cynical polarisation around issues as diverse as climate change and abortion, and faith communities that offer nothing but negative, cynical or doom-saying assessments of the world, it is both prophetic and healing to live and speak from a position of faith. As we engage the world and its struggles from a deep faith in the God who is at work to save creation, we cannot help but offer hope and connection to all we encounter – whether we agree with them or not. As we engage people with the faith that they are created in God’s image, and that God is at work in their lives, we cannot do other than embrace them in Christ’s name and call out the God-imaged glory within them. Such faith must lead to completely different responses to the challenges of our world. Greed and hoarding is a symptom of a lack of faith in God’s provision, and leads to poverty for others. War is a lack of faith in God’s protection, and leads to escalating violence and insecurity. The refusal to address issues of justice is a lack of faith in God’s resources within us to make a contribution, and leads to ongoing disparity and suspicion between “the haves” and “the have nots”, between the perpetrators and victims of injustice. If we can begin to live in faith, though, we may appear foolish or even naive, but it will make a huge impact on the big issues of our world. Just a few faithful people really can make a big difference.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In our churches it is easy to reduce faith to a system of ideas that we call our people to accept. It is easy to make salvation nothing more than praying the right prayer and signing the right card. But, if we do this, we rob our people of the true power and value of faith. A faith that is simply a set of ideas does not lead us to new birth. It does not change our very lives and give us a new way of seeing or a God’s-reign way of being – which may be why Christians are so often accused of being hypocrites. The faith of Abraham that Paul calls us to experience, the faith that leads to new birth, which Jesus offered to Nicodemus, is a transforming encounter with a God who leads us into a whole new world – the world of God’s reign, where children are the leaders, the meek inherit the earth, and the poor, the mourners and the peace makers are the recipients of God’s presence and grace. Once we have embraced this faith, we cannot help but begin to live this new life in such a way that it makes a difference in our families, our places of work and leisure, our communities and our churches. Once we have been born anew, we find ourselves recognising Christ in those we would normally shun, and we begin to care about issues that we would normally ignore. It is not our obedience that leads us to life – as Paul points out – but our faith. However, faith that does not change who we are and how we live, is not faith at all. Ultimately believing does not happen in our heads alone, but in our whole being, and in lives that in small but significant ways, touch the least with grace and compassion, and seek to make the world a more hopeful, celebratory and gracious place.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The New Birth
Faith In Action
The Faith We Need
Faith That Carries the Cross

Hymn Suggestions:
My Faith Looks Up To Thee
Breathe On Me, Breath Of God
The God Of Abraham Praise
If Thou But Suffer God To Guide Thee
My Redeemer Lives (Link to YouTube video)
I Believe That God Appeared In Human Form (Link takes you to lyrics. The tune is the famous “I believe that every drop of rain that falls…” that has been sung by many famous performers.)
Give Thanks (Link to YouTube video)
Now To Live The Life (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy For The Lord’s Supper

Video Suggestions:
Encounters – Nicodemus
Psalm 121

Lent 3A

Sacredise — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:42:00 +0000

It’s common to think about ‘living water’ – the powerful metaphor from this week’s readings – as something we receive. We focus on our own dryness and thirst, and feel rightly grateful that God comes to us with the offer of gracious refreshment and life. But, to stop there is to leave the extraordinary message of this passage incomplete, and to allow the Gospel to support what can become little more than selfishness. As we follow Christ the call this week is to move from being only recipients of living water to givers of it – especially to the poor and the marginalised. This was the journey of the Samaritan woman, and it is the inevitable, and even uncomfortable, journey for anyone who is serious about living life under God’s reign.

May our worship this week fill us and refresh us, even as we are sent out as “water-bearers” into the world.

READINGS:
Exodus 17:1-7: The people of Israel grumble against Moses because of their thirst and the lack of water, so God commands Moses to strike the rock, and when he does so, water gushes out.

Psalm 95: An invitation for God’s people to worship God, and not harden their hearts as Israel did at Meribah, resulting in them not entering God’s rest.

Romans 5:1-11: In Christ we have been made right with God, and have the Holy Spirit as assurance of God’s love. It was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us, and now we are God’s friends.

John 4:5-42: Jesus, while resting at Jacob’s well in Samaria, meets a Samaritan woman, speaks to her about living water and reveals himself as the Messiah to her. In delight she returns to her village and brings others to meet Christ, and they too believe.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The image of water is strong this week, primarily in the Gospel and the Old Testament lesson. Moses provides water for the thirsty Israelites in the wilderness – although their grumbling and hardness of hearts remains a problem throughout their wilderness journey. Jesus offers the living water that only he can give to this outcast, Samaritan woman of dubious sexual history. In the light of these two stories, the Lectionary calls us to respond to Christ’s offer of life – in the Psalm to reject the Israelites’ hardness of heart in favour of faithful, trusting worship, and in Paul’s letter to the Romans, to embrace and enjoy God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, which is our assurance of God’s grace and presence, and which sustains us through whatever hardships life may throw at us. The living water is still given for us, and we still face the choice: to receive it with faith, thanksgiving and worship, trusting in our Messiah and the life he offers, or to complain, grumble and allow our fear, self-interest and hard-heartedness to keep us from enjoying this life.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The image of water in this week’s readings offers us two ways of approaching this week. The one is to highlight the very real issue of clean drinking water which is a massive justice issue in our world today – and which will only continue to be more of an issue in the foreseeable future (one writer even suggested that the next world war will be fought over water). The other option is to focus more broadly on living water as the symbol of God’s life brought to us in Christ, and the call for us to seek to bring life wherever it may be restricted or destroyed. Either way, we can’t help but come face to face with the poor and marginalised – because in both cases, they are the ones who suffer from desperate need. Much like the Samaritan woman who was driven to the well in the heat of the day when no one else would be there, and who clearly expected nothing good from this Jewish man she found there, the poor are the ones for whom life is a daily struggle. If there is anything that Jesus’ engagement with the Samaritan woman teaches us, it is that we need to befriend the least in our world, and seek to bring them life, both by providing physical and living water for them and by bringing them into the centre of our communities. In truth, the real living water is the relationship we develop with those who are cast out – much as in Christ, God has befriended us and brought us into relationship with Godself.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In every community, in every church, are those who are on the edges – if not completely excluded, certainly unsure of their acceptance and right to belong. In every community there are those who are ‘thirsty’, who struggle to make ends meet, who have little access to fullness of life. And in every community there are those whose lives are dry and desolate, whether from their own destructive choices, or from the effects of what others have done. In all of these cases, what people long for is a community that will embrace and include them, bringing them into a safe place of love and belonging. What they long for is a place that they can be supported and enabled to create a vibrant and meaningful life for themselves and their families. What they long for is a place where they can be healed, restored and discover fullness of life in freedom and connectedness. This ‘living water’ which we have access to as followers of Christ can easily and freely be given to the ‘Samaritan outcasts’ in our midst, and can make all the difference for them. We cannot afford to keep our life to ourselves, nor can we allow ourselves to become grumblers and complainers when the world doesn’t fit our ideas. Rather, we need to be those who lead others to the water, who soften our hearts and trust that God can and will give life to us and to those we seek to serve, and who learn to freely embrace those who need friendship with God and people, and who long for the life that can be found in such friendship. As we share this living water, so we will find, slowly but surely, that we have less need for grumbling, and that the world begins to be infused with signs of God’s reign.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Living Water
Around The Well

Hymn Suggestions:
As Pants The Hart for Cooling Streams
Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
As Water To The Thirsty
I Hunger And I Thirst
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
As The Deer (Link to YouTube video)
Only In You: Chord Chart, Lead Sheet, Free Mp3 Download
All Who Are Thirsty (Link to YouTube video)
Hungry (Link to YouTube video)
Let Your Mercy Rain (Link to YouTube video)
O Let The Son Of God Enfold You (Spirit Song) (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Communion

Video Suggestions:
A Spring Within
Woman At The Well: For All Who Are Thirsty
Fulfillment

Lent 4A

Sacredise — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:02:00 +0000

This week’s Gospel reading could offer a year’s worth of sermons! The story of the blind man who is healed by Jesus, and the subsequent investigation by the Pharisees is so rich in detail, so filled with metaphor and symbol, so compelling in its narrative that preaching it is both easy and very, very difficult. The problem is not so much what to say, as what not to include. I hope you have fun with it!

Of course, you may not be using the Gospel reading. But even if this is the case, the focus on seeing, perception and whether we live in ‘light’ or ‘darkness’ flows throughout.

May our eyes be opened in new ways to God’s glory, God’s light and our place in God’s purposes as we worship this week.

READINGS:
1 Samuel 16:1-13: God instructs Samuel to stop mourning for Saul and to anoint a new king for Israel in Bethlehem. After examining seven of Jesse’s sons and rejecting them, Samuel finally anoints the youngest boy, David, and God’s Spirit comes upon him.

Psalm 23: David’s Psalm of praise for the God who cares for him like a shepherd, providing nurture, peace, care, protection and an eternal place of belonging.

Ephesians 5:8-14: Paul encourages the believers to live as people of the light, doing what pleases God.

John 9:1-41: Jesus heals a man who was born blind, and, because his was done on the Sabbath, the religious leaders start an investigation, calling in the man’s parents and ultimately throwing the man out of the synagogue. Then, Jesus teaches that he came to bring sight to the blind and to reveal the blindness of those who think they see.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Blindness and sight, light and darkness, rejection of those in power and annointing of those who are unknown – these are the threads in the Lectionary readings of this week. The heart of the theme is this: how do we choose to see? Samuel is tempted to look at Jesse’s sons in an ordinary human way – outward strength and primacy in the family hierarchy – but God commands him to look differently, ultimately choosing the son who is the least. Paul encourages believers to walk in God’s light, avoiding the “deeds of darkness” that cause brokenness, stumbling and pain, but rather seeking to live in the light – seeing clearly and moving securely through the world because we can see. David’s famous psalm gives a picture of what this “living in the light” looks like – being shepherded by God in grace and nurture. Finally, and most importantly, the Gospel uses a dramatic story to show the difference between those who claim to see but don’t, and those who truly can see. The corruption, power-grabbing and judgmental condemnation of anything new and different is a mark of those who cannot see – although they always protest that they see clearly. On the other hand, the acceptance, healing and grace that Jesus shows – and the response in worship of those who have been made to see by Christ’s touch – is the mark of those who “live in the light”. Our choice, then, as individuals and as Church, is whether we will allow God’s light to change how we see, or whether we will go through the motions and continue to see as the rest of society does, while claiming falsely that we see as God does.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Perception is everything. It’s not just what we see or don’t see, but how we interpret what we see that determines our actions, our responses and our beliefs. We can look at the poor and see unfortunate victims of circumstance, or lazy people who refuse to work, or dignified human beings making the most of a tough situation. We can look at climate science and see a natural cycle which has just happened to hit us now, or human actions putting our planet under pressure. We can look at issues of sexuality, consumption, energy, immigration, health care, abortion, and capital punishment and see every issue from different perspectives. Ultimately, how we determine what we see and what it means must flow from Christ’s example. How did Christ address poverty? How did Christ view the natural world, sexuality, power, violence, sickness, and human dignity? Of course, even when it comes to Christ there are problems of perspective, but if we are to follow Christ into a world of justice, we will have to wrestle with these questions and not see them as outside of the realm of faith. Of course, once we have seen, we also have the task of helping others – our leaders, our neighbours, our children – to see as well. We can do this through coercion (like the religious leaders tried with the man Jesus healed) or we can do it through simple gracious action that opens eyes, as Jesus did. Of one thing we can be certain, though, if we are to learn from this week’s readings: we do not see, in our natural human capacity, as God does, and so if we are beginning to see clearly, it will almost certainly lead us to see the world and its systems differently from the dominant view. And this seeing, will inevitably work itself out in a new way of navigating the world as well as we recognise the need and the calling for us to act on what we see.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In our daily lives we all make choices (consciously or subconsciously) about what we will see and what we won’t. It’s tempting to choose not to see the suffering and injustice in our world – to switch off the news, and to ignore reports of grief, war and trauma. It’s tempting to avoid seeing certain people and to allow them to just blend in with the landscape, removing their need and struggle from our vision. It’s tempting to avoid seeing God’s truth and grace in those we disagree with, and who we would rather see as “all bad”. It’s tempting to avoid seeing the brokenness in those we support and agree with nd to see them as “all good”. It’s tempting to avoid seeing the resources, the opportunities and the capacity we have for making a difference, and to rather believe we can do nothing. But, if we have really seen Jesus, and if we have truly seen God’s reign proclaimed and manifest in Christ, then we have to confront how we see things, and allow God’s grace and mercy, God’s truth and justice to change our seeing and shed light on our world, our relationships and our neighbourhoods. And, once again, our seeing must be informed by God’s different perspective where the greatest are the least, and where everyone – even a young shepherd boy, or a carpenter from the countryside – can make significant differences in the world.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Seeing
Seeing The Signs
God, You Are Enough (A paraphrase of Psalm 23)
New Eyes

Hymn Suggestions:
The Lord’s My Shepherd
The King Of Love My Shepherd Is
Hail To The Lord’s Anointed
Be Thou My Vision
Here I Am To Worship (Light of the world)
Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Lord
Shine Jesus Shine
Shine

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Sacrament

Video Suggestions:
The Light
Do You See The Needs

Ash Wednesday B

Sacredise — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

22 February 2012

Once again we move into the season of repentance, reflection and preparation for the journey to the cross and beyond. Like Advent, Lent was a season of preparation for baptismal candidates (who were baptised on Easter Sunday). For us now, although we may not be receiving baptism in a few weeks time, the disciplines of Lent remain a profound invitation to allow God’s life and values to direct our lives. As we receive the ash on our foreheads today, may it be more than just a ritual, but a reminder that all that is not rooted in God’s Reign ultimately becomes ash, but with God’s life at work within us, we are more than just dust – we are the children of God.

READINGS:

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17: A proclamation that the Day of the Lord has arrived, with a call for repentance, and a plea for God’s mercy.
OR Isaiah 58:1-12: True fasting requires repentance and justice, not just going through the motions.

Psalm 51:1-17: David’s plea for God to cleanse him after his adultery with Bathsheba is exposed by Nathan the prophet.

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10: Paul explains the suffering he and other apostles have endured in order to proclaim God’s appeal for repentance, and God’s offer of salvation.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21: The most authentic way to give, fast and pray – Jesus explains the true practice of the Lenten disciplines.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The Ash Wednesday theme is easy to identify – Our lives, like David’s in Psalm 51, are on a trajectory of self-destruction and harm to others. God calls us to hear his warning and convicting voice, and to turn back to the ways of mercy, justice and humble service. The way God offers is not an easy or comfortable way, but it is the way of life. And so, while Ash Wednesday is a day of solemnity and repentance, recognising that we are “sinners in need of a Saviour”, it is also a day of celebration, because what is offered to us is a path that leads to life. And so, as we begin the metaphorical journey of following Jesus through the wilderness, we are given, already now – right at the beginning – a glimpse of the resurrection that awaits.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:

The Wisdom of Ash
Dust
Overcoming Temptation
Remembering And Returning
Skeletons

Hymn Suggestions:
Blow Ye The Trumpet, Blow
Jesus, Priceless Treasure
Just As I Am
No Sack Cloth
Lord Have Mercy
Change My Heart, O God
Show Us The Ancient Paths
In Your Mercy, Lord

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Ash Wednesday

Video Suggestions:
Lenten Reflection
Psalm 51

Lent 1B

Sacredise — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

26 February 2012

We often talk about God’s Reign in human terms – what it means for us, how it affects us. This first Sunday in Lent, though, at the start of our penitent journey of preparation for Holy Week and Easter, we are invited to expand our vision of God’s Reign and recognise that it embraces all of creation, and that it whispers of a connectedness between all things that, once we embrace it, is truly world-changing.

May our worship and our penitence open our eyes to the connectedness of all creation.

READINGS:
Genesis 9:8-17: God promises Noah that God will never again destroy all life through a flood, and God gives the rainbow as a sign of this promise.

Psalm 25:1-10: A plea for God to be merciful and to not remember the sinfulness of the psalmist’s youth, but to teach the psalmist God’s ways and deliver him from his enemies.

1 Peter 3:18-22: Jesus died for us and was raised to life, having preached to the "spirits in prison" who disobeyed in Noah’s time. And now we are given the sign of baptism to show that we are saved & cleansed within by Christ, who now rules with God in heaven.

Mark 1:9-15: Jesus is baptised by John, affirmed by God and sent into the wilderness to be tempted. Then after John is arrested he begins his ministry calling people to repent and believe in his Good News message.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Water – in the flood and in the baptism of Jesus and of Christ’s followers – is the striking image at the heart of this first week in Lent. But, along with it comes God’s promise of restoration, of grace and of the united creation toward which God is working. In the Noah story, the promise – freely given – that God will not again destroy the earth with a flood is given, not just to Noah and the human beings, but to the whole of creation. In Peter’s letter, Christ’s work in saving both the living and the "spirits in prison" from Noah’s time, is explained, with baptism as the sign of our salvation. Importantly, though, Christ’s place as ruler of all "angels, authorities and powers" is also proclaimed here – indicating again, the unity that comes through God’s grace. In the Psalm the writer expresses trust in the God who restores and protects and who leads the psalmist in God’s ways of life. Finally, in the Gospel, we return to the account of Christ’s baptism (which we last encountered in the first week of Epiphany on Baptism of Christ Sunday), but now, the temptation narrative is included, along with the start of Jesus’ ministry. Here again, God’s affirmation of Jesus, along with the baptism experience, is a highlight, leading on to God’s sustaining of Christ in the wilderness. Here, too, a vision of a united creation is offered, as we read that Jesus was cared for by angels and wild animals.
If we are to bring all of these threads together, we find a simple, but transforming message coming through. The act of baptism, which is a sign of our welcome into God’s community of grace and salvation, embraces and includes all of creation. And, as all of creation is brought together, so we are all called to be agents of God’s grace and sustenance and life to one another. The mission of Christ, of which his baptism was the start, proclaims the Reign of God in which all creation, not just human beings, are included and restored. As we embrace the Lenten fast and the journey of repentance, it is important that the scope of God’s saving work be remembered, for ultimately our spiritual work must lead us to be better participants in this work.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: There is much that we, as global citizens, need to repent of in this Lenten season. The increasing fragmentation of our world along religious, political, economic and racial lines, and the disconnect between humanity and the rest of creation are all destructive forces that have no need to exist. Somehow we need to learn that we are all welcomed into the community of God’s grace and love, and that our wellbeing depends on us recognising our connectedness. Certainly, when we place Christ’s message of the availability of God’s Reign alongside the events of his baptism and temptation, we cannot help but recognise that his message was inclusive of all of humanity, but also of all of creation. The Lenten disciplines are all useful ways for us to re-orient our lives around God’s Reign, and live out the truth of our connectedness. Fasting teaches us to "live simply so that others may simply live" and provides a discipline of restraint that could potentially keep us from over-consumption of the world’s resources, and from the fight for resources that so often leads to war and violence. Giving – of time, abilities and resources – teaches us generosity and sharing, and grows compassion and thankfulness, which strengthen our ability to be peaceful, loving and welcoming people. Prayer teaches us that our quest for power is futile, that we cannot be our own gods, and that the most effective power is that which is shared and given away. If we will allow these disciplines, and the Lenten vision of a unified creation, shape our lives, this journey can transform us into true participants in God’s saving mission, and through us help to bring some measure of peace and healing to our communities and our world.

LOCAL APPLICATION: As local communities and as individuals we have two choices when it comes to how we will live. The first is to keep ourselves separate from those who are different from us, from our environment and from the big issues that face our world. The second is to "think globally, but act locally", recognising that what we do affects others, and what happens to others happens to us. It takes deliberate work to shift our awareness away from our own perspectives and concerns to our connectedness with all of creation, but it’s a life-giving shift to make. When we begin to live as citizens of God’s inter-connected Reign, we start to experience the healing that comes from embracing our neighbours as friends, and from caring for our world and its creatures as companion recipients of God’s grace. Once this vision has settled into our sols, we begin to recognise that the smallest of acts can have massive healing consequences. We begin to recognise that small acts of care and generosity contribute to world peace. We discover that kindness expressed in word, action – or even just a smile – makes our world safer. We start to find that caring for our corner of the earth can help to address issues of climate change, and that learning simplicity can help in reducing our over-consumption. It’s the small acts, connected and shared, that can have a huge impact – which is why Jesus preached his message to small groups, and called individuals to follow – all of which ultimately resulted in a global community numbering in the billions which could, if we choose it, make a massive difference in helping to heal our world.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Rainbows and Promises
The Baptisms We Need
That Life Would Teach Us
A Vision Of Beauty

Hymn Suggestions:
For The Beauty Of The Earth
Praise To The Lord, The Almighty
O God Our Help In Ages Past
Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us
Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
When Jesus Came To Jordan
Indescribable (Link to YouTube video)
Creation’s King (Link to YouTube video)
Creator King (Link to YouTube video)
O God Our Help (Link to YouTube video)
Your Word

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Breaking of Bread
A Liturgy of Creation and Communion

Video Suggestions:
Genesis 9

Image Suggestion:
Rainbow

Lent 2B

Sacredise — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

04 March 2012

This week the readings remind us of the toughest part of responding to the call of Jesus. In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "When Jesus calls a person to follow him, he calls that person to come and die." The paradox of the Gospel that is highlighted this week, though, is that it is in dying that we find life.

May we, through our worship, receive the courage and the conviction to take up our crosses this week.

READINGS:
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16: God promises Abram that he will be a father of many nations, that he will be blessed with many descendants and that kings will come from him. Therefore God changes his name to Abraham, and his wife Sarai’s name to Sarah – Princess.

Psalm 22:23-31: God is praised and celebrated because God cares and provides for the oppressed, and all nations will come to worship God, both poor and prosperous, healthy and those close to death.

Romans 4:13-25: Abraham did not receive God’s promise through obeying the law, but through faith, and this faith was considered to be his righteousness – his approval by God. In the same way, when we place our faith in Christ, who died and was raised, it is considered our righteousness – our approval by God.

Mark 8:31-38: Jesus predicts his death, but Peter objects. Jesus, then reprimands Peter, and tells all his followers that they must take up their crosses and follow him, not trying to save their lives, but willingly giving them up for the sake of the Gospel.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The Lectionary this week challenges what we understand by the word "faith". What becomes clear here is that faith is not about some intellectual assent to certain propositions. Rather, faith is about the losing of our lives for the sake of the Gospel, which includes both the purpose to which we devote our lives, and the practices by which we seek to live out that purpose. In Abraham’s case, God renews the promise which called Abraham from his homeland. In response Abraham had tried to use very human methods to fulfil God’s promise, with undesirable results. Now God emphasises that not just the purpose, but the ways that purpose is fulfilled, must be directed by God’s agenda. In the Psalm, God’s rulership of the earth is celebrated, along with the justice and grace that this brings to the earth. In the midst of this song of celebration, the psalmist recommits to fulfilling vows to God. In the letter to the Romans, Paul reflects on Abraham’s faith and how it was this, and not obedience to law, that was his righteousness. Here faith is once again viewed as the giving of life to follow God’s purposes, as opposed to simply agreeing to some legalistic propositions. Finally, the Gospel drives the theme home in a very challenging way. Peter, who had just expressed faith in Jesus, is reprimanded because his faith has not yet embraced the implications of what he believes. So, Jesus challenges him, and the other disciples, to allow their faith to become the driving cause for their lives – to lose their lives for the sake of Jesus and the message of God’s Reign that Jesus embodied. Here faith moves from an intellectual activity to a radical, transforming, all-consuming way of being. The challenge of this, and of the Lenten journey, of course, is whether we are ready and willing to embrace this faith, or simply remain with a safer, intellectual pseudo-faith.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: One of the great challenges of our time is the question of to what we will give our lives. The great ideological visions of economic systems, political positions, and pride in country, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation all ask for our energy and devotion. Conversely, the pull of individualism, making the self the primary focus of our energy and purpose, may draw us away from these great visions, but replaces them with something equally inadequate. Where the Gospel differs from all of these calls for our allegiance, is in its selflessness and inclusivity. Where all of these human quests drive us toward greater focus on our group, our position, our needs or our voice, the Gospel calls us to lay what is ours aside for the sake of others. This is not to say that these human calls do have a place in our work of following Christ and seeking God’s justice for all. It is important that those who are marginalised and suffering are heard, and this usually requires that oppressed groups make strong commitments to themselves and oppose their oppressors. However, as history has shown us repeatedly, when our ideologies and groups become an end in themselves, they inevitably become oppressors of their own, and they inevitably prove inadequate to sustain true justice and life. The true prophets of justice have always called their followers to sacrifice, to love of enemy, to service, and to the selfless quest for justice for all, not just for some. Abraham was blessed, to be a blessing to the entire world, and Paul calls followers of Jesus to similar faith – a giving of themselves for the sake of the Gospel, rather than adherence to "the law" as an ideology or mark of an "in-group". And the Gospel, of course, proclaims clearly that Jesus called his followers to sacrifice and selflessness in service of God’s Reign, which more than any ideology, seeks to bring true Jubilee-justice into the world. It’s a tough call, but when our faith – or our service of society – becomes about our own needs and aspiration only, or when our quest for justice becomes a quest also to marginalise or exclude any other person or group, we have not understood God’s Reign or the justice it offers. But, when we are willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel, we will discover that we have not only brought justice, grace and peace to others, but we have found it for ourselves as well. The question then becomes whether we are willing to give our lives for the sake of the Gospel, to take up our cross, and lose our lives for others and for God’s Reign, as Jesus did. Only when the world is filled with those who will answer this call will we see significant answers to the crises we face.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In every human contact, be it the intimacy of sexuality, or the shared life of community, the question of self-preservation versus self-giving must be answered. There are many voices in our world that advise in favour of the former, preaching a message of self-fulfilment, self-development and self-care often at the expense of others. While there is great benefit in the message of appropriate self-awareness and care, when this becomes our central focus, we inevitably sacrifice our relationships on the altar of our own dreams, desires and needs. The ironic result is broken people, broken families, broken communities and broken societies. Yet, paradoxically, it is in giving ourselves, sacrificing our own longings and desires, losing ourselves in service of others, that life is truly found. This is the message that Jesus lived and preached and called his disciples to embrace. God’s Reign is not a kingdom that seeks to establish itself through the conquest of other kingdoms. Not do the followers of God’s Reign receive promotion over those who do not. Rather God’ Reign invites us into a different kind of life, one that filters through every other structure and system in societies and communities and that calls us to adopt the stance of servanthood and sacrifice. And it is here, in seeking to love and serve more than to be loved and served, that our most intimate relationships flourish and we find the safety and comfort we need. It is here, in seeking to bring justice and peace to others that we create communities of safety, equality and opportunity for all, including ourselves. It is here, in seeking to create a world of care for one another and taking responsibility for our common well-being, that we find the kind of planet we long for. In truth, the self-giving call of God’s Reign that Jesus embodied, is the most practical, common-sense way of living we could ask for. But, this does not stop it being a difficult and counter-intuitive choice to make.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:

Faith That Carries The Cross
No Dying Today
The God Who Serves
Counting The Cost

Hymn Suggestions:
When I Survey The Wondrous Cost
Take My Life And Let It Be
The God Of Abraham Praise
Come Let Us Use The Grace Divine
O Jesus I Have Promised
However
Here I Am, Jesus
Let Me Shine
All I Am I Lay It Down
O The Wonderful Cross (Link to YouTube video)
God Of Justice (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Celebration of Sacrifice

Video Suggestions:
Mark 8
Follow Me

Image Suggestion:
Crucifixion
Cross Shadow
Cross & Tree

Lent 3B

Sacredise — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:05:00 +0000

11 March 2012

In a world of seriousness and a Church of purity, the Lectionary calls us to a strange way of being this week – foolishness. The cross, which is God’s wisdom and God’s strength, is placed alongside the law in the readings this week, and as we examine these two themes side by side, we discover that they are actually both calling us to the same thing – as surprising as that may sound.

Come to worship as a fool this week, and allow God’s foolish wisdom and God’s weak strength to transform you!

READINGS:
Exodus 20:1-17: God gives the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel, instructing them how they should live as God’s people.

Psalm 19: A psalm that celebrates how creation reveals God’s glory and wisdom and how God’s commands and teachings are more valuable than anything, making those who follow them wise. Then a call for God to forgive hidden sins follows the song of praise.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25: God’s wisdom is far wiser than human wisdom, although it appears like foolishness and weakness to human beings. God’s wisdom and strength is Christ crucified which offends those who seek human strength and wisdom, but saves those who are willing to believe and embrace it.

John 2:13-22: Jesus drives out the animal sellers and the money changers from the temple. Then when the religious leaders ask for a sign to prove he has the authority to do this, he tells them that if they destroy the temple, he will rebuild it in three days – to which they respond with incredulity. The disciples, however, after he is raised, realise that he was referring to his body.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Two seemingly unrelated themes come together this week. The first is God’s gift of the law, and the value of God’s law which brings wisdom. The Exodus passage is the account of the people of Israel receiving the law and the list of the ten commandments (or Ten Words, as they are sometimes known), and Psalm 19 celebrates God’s instruction which is revealed both in nature and in the Law. The second theme is the foolishness of God’s wisdom which is shown through the cross, which Jesus cryptically points to, in the Gospel reading, as the proof of his authority to cleanse the Temple. Finally, today’s well known Epistle reading demonstrates how the cross, which appears to be weakness and foolishness, is actually God’s saving strength and wisdom. There is a tension here. The law can appear to be a call to both strength and wisdom, and the foolishness that the apostle speaks about is not immediately apparent. However, when the basis of the law is recognised – love for God (the first four commandments) and love for neighbour (the last six commandments) – the foolishness becomes clear. For a people who had just been delivered from slavery, these commandments represented the opposite of the life and systems of power and wealth that they had known in Egypt. They were offered as a liberating guide for the life of a free people. In the same way, the cleansing of the Temple by Jesus is a "foolish" act, undermining the corrupt systems of power and wealth that had crept into the religious and national life of God’s people. His act was a liberating, prophetic act revealing how a liberated people, a people of God’s Reign, should live. When questioned about his authority, Jesus pointed not to power or wealth, but to the giving of his life for the sake fo love. The question that is posed, then, this week, is whether we will embrace the foolishness of God’s law of love and live it out as Christ did in selfless sacrifice and service, or not.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The marks of human "wisdom" are seen across our world. When we feel threatened, we simply accumulate more and bigger weapons than our enemies. When we fear scarcity, we simply take what we want, hoard and protect it, and, if necessary, destroy those who compete with us for resources, or who have what we want. When we feel insecure or out of control, we simply court those in power, and manipulate our way into positions of power and control, and then "play the system" in our favour. And, in our wake lie the broken remains of lives, institutions and even our planet, that are the victims of our "strength" and "wisdom". But, sooner or later, some weak and foolish prophet reveals the truth of our lives and values, and they come tumbling down around us. It is always the jesters who can speak truth to power, and when the truth of our so-called "achievements" are revealed, the world inevitably changes significantly. This is what we have seen in so many parts of our world, from the way the internet has undermined the power of large recording and publishing companies, to the Occupy movements, to the Arab Spring. When the weak and foolish live in their "counter-cultural" way, the result is always greater freedom, life and peace for all. If there is anything we need in our world now it is foolish leaders who will have the courage to defy the accepted wisdom of our world that gives power to the few and widens the gulf between rich and poor. And we need communities of foolish people who will take the Gospel of Christ seriously and seek to live it out in the weakness and foolishness of love, inclusion, generosity, justice and peace.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Our scarcity mentality seems wise, and "winning" in a world based upon such wisdom requires us to be strong. But, in our relationships, our refusal to be vulnerable and weak leaves us alone and disconnected from each other. In our communities, our refusal to share resources leaves us afraid and suspicious of one another. In our societies, our refusal to challenge the "accepted wisdom" of our organisations, structures and systems leaves us with a few who enjoy wealth and power, and many who struggles to survive. Even in our churches, the tendency to adopt the same power dynamics and wealth-driven strategies of the society around us has weakened our witness, and made it impossible for us to influence the world to embrace Gospel ways of being. Yet, there are those who seek to follow Christ, and who willingly take the risk of foolishness and weakness for the sake of others. It is these fools who reveal the poverty of our systems and wisdoms, and who call us back to the simple laws of love for God and neighbour. It is these fools who show us a different way – a Jesus way – of living, of treating one another, and of building community. The challenge this week is for us to decide whether we will be one of those fools, or, like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, collaborate with the system. This applies to the "small" context of our homes and families to the "larger" contexts of church and community – in all of which situations we can seek power and control, or treat our spouses, children and neighbours with the foolishness of love and collaboration.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:

Overturning Tables
Law And Love
Another Way
Weak And Poor God

Hymn Suggestions:
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Rock Of Ages Cleft For Me
Trust And Obey
Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation
Forth In Thy Name, O Lord
The Ten Commandments Song
Let Me Shine
Love
King Of Fools (Link to YouTube video)
Undignified (Link to YouTube video)
God’s Own Fool (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Eucharist

Video Suggestions:
Exodus 20
1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Lent 4B

Sacredise — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

18 March 2012

It’s a week of looking up. For the Israelites in the wilderness, it was looking up at a bronze snake that would open them to God’s healing from the poisonous snakes in their camp. For Nicodemus it was looking up at the Christ who promised that when he was lifted up he would draw all people to himself. And now for us, we are called to look up, both as an act of repentance, turning away from what poisons us, and as an act of faith, trusting in God’s grace and salvation.

May our worship lift our eyes to the Crucified One and give us the courage to do the tough but healing work of repentance.

READINGS:
Numbers 21:4-9: The people of Israel complain about being in the desert because there is no food or water and they don’t like the food God has provided. Then a plague of snakes attacks them and they ask for forgiveness and salvation. God instructs Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole so that anyone who is bitten by a snake can look at the bronze snake and be healed.

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22: A song of praise for God who punished those who, in their foolishness disobeyed and rebelled, but who forgave and saved them when they called out to God.

Ephesians 2:1-10: Though we once followed the ways of the world and were dead in our sins, deserving judgement like anyone else, God saved us through Christ, as an act of grace that we did not earn. But God has created us to do good works in Christ.

John 3:14-21: As the snake was lifted up on a pole in the desert, so Christ is to be lifted up so that all who seek to be saved may look to him. God sent him into the world to save, not condemn, but those who love darkness rather than light are already condemned, because they want to keep their actions hidden and not have them exposed.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
On the borders of the Promised Land a generation who had never lived in Egypt (or, at least were too young to remember living there if they had) complained about the hardship of the wilderness and longed to "return" to Egypt. Hundreds of years later, Jesus uses the story of the plague of snakes that attacked these rebellious Israelites, and the bronze snake that God instructed Moses to erect for their healing, to describe the healing work he had come to do. A key to both stories is the willingness to admit what plagues us. To find healing the Israelites had to "look up" to the bronze snake. This was an act of repentance, turning their eyes from the fiery snakes, to the God who had cared for them for decades and now offered them healing. Those who love darkness, says Jesus, will not look up to him when he is lifted up, because to do so would take repentance and an admission of their need. Those who are unashamed and willing to come to the light will look up and find life. In the same way the Psalmist tells that those who rebelled but then repented (the song seems to reference the Old Testament story) found healing and were forgiven and saved. Finally, in Ephesians we are reminded that it is God’s grace in Christ that saves us, which we appropriate simply by faith – which means that we recognise our need, and turn to God to meet it. The invitation of this week’s Lectionary, then, is that God graciously and freely saves us, but, to live as "saved" people, we need to recognise our need, repent and look up to Jesus. The result of this, as Ephesians tells us, is a life of good works. We are saved by grace, changed by repentance and called to a life of meaning and abundance in the good works God has prepared for us. All of this means we face a decision today: Where do we need to repent, and how can this change our lives so that we become followers of Christ who bring grace to others through our good works?

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The big question for the world this week is whether we will admit our need – the poison that is destroying us, our communities, our economies and our planet? Like the Israelites, it’s easy to look at the hardships of the world and long for the "good old days", forgetting that those are the very days that brought us to this place. It’s easy to hanker for what we don’t have and to complain that God isn’t "fixing" everything the way we want God to. What is much harder is to acknowledge our culpability in the break down of our world’s systems. It’s hard to face the way our greed and consumerism has brought suffering to others, and has put strain on our economic systems and on our planet. It’s hard to recognise that our addiction to credit, to fossil fuels and to immediate gratification has had destructive consequences. It’s hard to release our sense of entitlement, of exceptionalism, and to stop justifying our narcissism. But, until we are willing to do this, we will not find the healing we seek. As long as we force our leaders to put expediency first, in order to retain our votes, we will find no solutions. As long as we keep rewarding unjust employment conditions, and seek financial benefits over the humanity of abused workers in other countries, we will never find global peace or personal security. As long as we keep choosing immediate satisfaction over healthy eating and exercise, our economies will pay the price in health care costs for avoidable heart disease and diabetes. As long as we deny our tendency to judge and exclude others on the basis of prejudice and stereotyping, we will never find true community and belonging. However, in a world where denial has become a global pre-occupation, such true repentance requires great courage and great humility. It may be naive to believe that widespread repentance can happen in our world, but as small groups of people begin to take responsibility for their part in their struggles, begin to dream of a different world, honestly repent and commit to the "good works" of justice, simplicity, generosity, inclusivity and love, even in small ways, some measure of healing will be found. The choice is ours.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Denial is a destructive thing. When we fail to acknowledge our brokenness and apologise for hurting others, relationships break down. When we refuse to take responsibility for our own health, our own habits of eating and exercise, our bodies break down. When we refuse to look at our finances honestly, and admit our tendency to spend what we don’t have, our peace of mind and our economic wellbeing breaks down. When we refuse to look at our beliefs and recognise when they fall into self-righteousness, exclusivity, legalism and judgmentalism our witness to Christ breaks down. In every family ad community the pain of denial can be easily recognised. But, so can the healing and freedom that comes from honest repentance, true taking of responsibility, and committed work to change and do "good works". Every follower of Christ has a daily choice to live in the darkness of denial or the light of repentance. We can choose to know the salvation of God’s healing and restoration, or stay in the poisoned wilderness of our own fear, pride and selfishness. This may sound harsh, but, it is only those who acknowledge their sickness who can find healing – as even Jesus taught. In this way, the call to repentance is not a "hellfire and damnation" message, but is an invitation to grace, to discover that there is nothing that can keep us from God’s restoring mercy, or from God’s liberating forgiveness. If we will just open ourselves to this truth, we will find the abundant life we seek by turning from our darkness, and moving into the light of truth and of God’s love. Once again, the choice is ours.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Looking Up
In The Face Of It All
Darkness And Light
Chains

Hymn Suggestions:
Beneath The Cross Of Jesus
My Faith Looks Up To Thee
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Giver Of Gifts
Man Of Sorrows! What A Name
This Place
Jesus Messiah (Link to YouTube video)
The Wonder Of The Cross (Link to YouTube video) (Free PDF Chord Chart Download)
Crucified
Clinging To The Cross (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Lord’s Supper
A Liturgy for the Agape

Video Suggestions:
Come Awake
Broken