In the work of justice, forgiveness can feel like weakness, giving up the high ground, or letting “perpetrators” off the hook. But, until we can admit our own faults, and reach out to those we may disagree with or oppose, we have not learned the way of Christ. And if we truly believe that God’s reign is the way to healing and liberation for our world, then we must also embrace forgiveness – both received and given – as an integral part of God’s work among us and in us

May we find the grace to receive and share forgiveness as we worship this week.

READINGS:
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4: Habakkuk complains to God that justice is perverted and God’s help does not come, but then, as he waits for God’s answer, God’s word comes to him offering him a vision of the downfall of the proud and the vibrant life of the righteous.
OR Isaiah 1:10-18: God expresses displeasure at the feasts and sacrifices of God’s people, because these acts of worship are not accompanied by justice and compassion. But, God also assures the people of forgivenss and restoration if they repent and change their ways.

Psalm 119:137-144: The psalmist celebrates God’s regulations, affirming their value and goodness for all time, and giving thanks for the strength they offer even in times of hardship.
OR Psalm 32:1-7: There is blessing and liberation in confessing our sins to God and receiving God’s forgiveness.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12: Paul celebrates the faith, love and endurance of the Thessalonian Christians in the face of persecution and hardship, and prays for God’s strength to sustain and inspire them, so that they may glorify God.

Luke 19:1-10: In Jericho Jesus invites himself to be a guest at the house of a chief tax collector, Zacchaeus, in spite of the criticisms of people. As a result, Zacchaeus is transformed into a man of generosity and compassion.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Once again the question of repentance and forgiveness is highlighted in the Lectionary. This time, there are two complimentary emphases in the readings. The first is the need to face our own darkness, greed, fear and empty worship, confess it and receive God’s forgiveness for ourselves. Both Habakkuk and Isaiah reflect God’s displeasure at lovelessness and faithlessness, and call for repentance. The psalms celebrate the goodness of God’s law and the liberation that comes through repentance and forgiveness. The Gospel tells the story of someone who experiences this reality and is deeply changed and healed. The second emphasis this week is that of the need to offer grace, welcome and forgiveness to others, especially those we would usually be tempted to reject. Within all the readings, God’s offer of forgiveness is extended to all. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he encourages the church to remain faithful and loving even as they endure hardship and persecution. In the Gospel, Jesus reaches out to Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, and enjoys fellowship with him, which is what ultimately transforms him.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It may seem that simplifying and clarifying issues necessitates a certain polarising of opinions and camps, but I’m not sure that the work of building a world of equity, peace and compassion is helped by this approach. I wonder what would happen if, instead of separating ourselves into groups who are “pro-life” or “pro-choice”, for example, we rather worked together to reduce unwanted pregnancies and make alternatives more available and attractive to young mothers, while also ensuring that when abortion is required (for serious health or other legitimate reasons) it is done with reverence, reluctance and care. What if, instead of creating opposing forces with regard to issues of poverty, trade, climate change, immigration and health issues, we listened to one another’s concerns and worked together to find solutions? This may seem like an impossible ideal, but one simple and powerful practice can help to facilitate this process: forgiveness. If we can recognise that our methods and attitudes aren’t always helpful, and may in fact contribute to the injustice and pain of our world, we can confess, repent and receive the transforming forgiveness of God that leads us to behave in more compassionate, gracious and humble ways. Also, if we can approach those with whom we disagree with grace and forgiveness for the hurts they may have inflicted on us, or on those we defend, we open the door to creative and compassionate dialogue that can lead to new ways of being and doing for all. Ultimately, the underlying truth that opens us to forgiveness is that we are all part of the pain and brokenness of our world, even as we can all be part of the healing and restoration of it – and God’s grace really is sufficient for us, individually and collectively.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In too many communities the work of justice and compassion is hindered by the way we separate ourselves along lines of organisation, denomination and religion. In our fear of one another and in our arrogance, we end up duplicating work, squandering resources that could be pooled and maximised, and even rejecting and offending those who need our love and ministry through our exclusivity, rigidity and close-mindedness. The impact of a forgiving attitude on these realities is not hard to discern. As we grow more ready to confess our own fear and sectarianism, we open ourselves to God’s forgiveness and healing and we change, little by little, into the Christ-like, welcoming people we long to be. As we grow more ready to forgive and understand those with whom we differ, and to focus on our commonalities and shared values, we are able to offer forgiveness for perceived or actual hurts and to open doors to true collaboration. And as we become more practiced at giving and receiving forgiveness, so our communities begin to experience the grace and love that flows from followers of Christ to all people, and the benefit that can result from focussed, collaborative efforts. In addition, the common perceptions of Christians as judgemental, aloof, self-righteous and uninvolved can be gently and slowly changed. This same truth can be applied, of course, on the level of inter-personal relationships and ministries, as much as to inter-organisational ones.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Unlikely Companions
Skeletons
Grace and Forgiveness

Hymn Suggestions:
Amazing Grace
And Can It Be
There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy
Come Let Us Sing Of A Wonderful Love
Everyone Belongs: Chord Chart; Mp3 (Link to Amazon.com Mp3 Downloads)
Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace (Link to YouTube video)
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) (Link to YouTube video)
Amazing Love (Link to YouTube video)
Freely, Freely (Link to YouTube video)
Song For The Nations

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Breaking of Bread

Video Suggestions:
Beyond Mercy
Forgiveness
Kids Talk Forgiveness 1

It’s not the first time the Lectionary has brought us face to face with the scandalous inclusivity of the Gospel, but that’s the thread running through all of this week’s readings. As tempting as it may be to find ways to draw lines and keep some people out for whatever reason, the Scriptures do not allow us that luxury – and, in truth, our world desperately needs us to be people who, like Christ, embrace, include and welcome all people indiscriminately.

May our worship this week lead us into the scandalous inclusivity of Christ again – and there find a welcome not just for ourselves, but for all.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7: Jeremiah encourages the exiles in Babylon to settle into their new country, to vuild homes and lives there among the Babylonian people and to work for the propserity of their new land.
OR 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c: Naaman, the Aramean commander, is healed of his skin affliction after reluctantly obeying Elisha’s instruction to wash in the Jordan River seven times.

Psalm 66:1-12: A call for all the earth to praise the God who rules over all, and for all nations to bless God.
OR Psalm 111: A Psalm of celebration for God’s mighty acts, and for God’s miraculous, merciful and compassionate acts on behalf of God’s people.

2 Timothy 2:8-15: Although Paul is inprisoned for preaching the Gospel of Christ’s resurrection, the Gospel itself is not imprisoned. God offers life to those who die with Christ, and God remains always faithful, which is why Paul encourages Timothy to remind people of these thigns and to continue to serve and teach faithfully.

Luke 17:11-19: Jesus sends ten men with a skin disease to show themselves to the priests and they are healed as they go, but only one, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks.

(more…)

There is a lovely progression in these first few weeks of Ordinary Time. Two weeks ago we faced a challenge to prioritise God’s strength and grace, and to reject the idea that mission and justice oriented faith leans only on human resources and abilities. Last week we were reminded of God’s call to be forgiven and to forgive. In the face of the world’s challenges and the work of justice, forgiveness is the Gospel response. This week the call to grace continues with a challenge to define good and evil not according to law, but in the light of God’s grace and liberation.

May we embrace a marriage of grace and justice, of inclusion and of confrontation with legalism and exclusivity as we worship this week, and may our experience of grace deepen as we do.

READINGS:
1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a: God instructs Elijah to go to Mount Sinai, and comes to him there. At Elijah’s cave he experiences wind, earthquake and fire, but God’s voice is only heard in the whisper that follows. In spite of his fear at the threats against his life, God leads him back into ministry.
OR Isaiah 65:1-9: A prophecy of judgment against the wickedness of God’s people, with the promise of a remnant who will be saved.

Psalm 42 & 43: A song of lament, with a commitment to praise God in the face of persecution of suffering.
OR Psalm 22:19-28: A prayer for God’s help in the midst of persecution and a commitment to worship and stay faithful to God.

Galatians 3:23-29: Now that the way of faith in Christ has come, the law is no longer needed. Those who trust in Christ are God’s children, and we are all equal in God’s family.

Luke 8:26-39: Jesus liberates the Gerasene demonaic, who begs to go with Jesus once he has been healed. But Jesus sends him home to tell of what God did for him.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The reality of evil and the destruction it brings is brought into sharp focus in this week’s readings. The threat that the forces of darkness pose to justice and to those who work for it is shown by Elijah’s isolation in the face of Jezebel’s threat, in the cries of the psalmists facing persecution, and in the diseased mind and body of the Gerasene demoniac. The hope of God’s people, though, is that evil does not have the last word. God’s presence and help is assured for those in need, God comes to strengthen and guide Elijah, Christ frees the demonised man, and Paul assures us of our place of belonging in Christ’s family, in which there is no privilege based on gender, social status, race or anything else. In Christ the divisive tools of evil are removed, and the power of evil is neutralised. Now, we who follow Christ are called, like Elijah, as prophets who live according to a different order, a different set of values, and who invite others into the freedom that Christ offers. This is an appropriate next step after the call to trust in God’s Spirit and the invitation to forgiveness that we have explored in the last two weeks.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: As we engage, as Church, with the big issues in our world, it is disturbing to see how the “big issues” are sometimes defined. Are issues of sexuality and the exclusivity of Christ really the main issues of good and evil in our time? Or does the Gospel call us to define global evil differently – using this weeks’ readings of God’s grace, protection of the threatened, and liberation as a basis? Could it be that any economic or political policies that deprive the poor of the opportunity to support themselves is evil? Could it be that ignoring the damage that our greed and exploitation of natural resources does to our planet is evil (especially in the light of the Deepwater oil spill crisis)? Could it be that any faith that leads us to justify violent conflict with people who are different from us, or who believe differently from us, is evil? And could it be that using “the law” – whether human or ‘divine’ – to justify these evils is equally evil? How would we stand against evil if we used God’s grace, protection and liberation as the lens through which we looked at the world? What good might we celebrate and embrace if we used these lenses? What role would we seek to play in the policy-making, opinion-forming, global-crisis-addressing work that goes on in our world. In reality, it is easier to defend law, and condemn law-breakers, than it is to offer grace and stand against those who deny grace to others. But, the work of the Gospel was never about what is easy.

LOCAL APPLICATION: As we seek to resist the work of evil in our churches and communities, it is important that we  are careful in what we identify as evil. Jesus correctly recognises the forces at work within the demoniac, but does not label the person as evil. In contrast, Elijah, finds himself in confrontation with people who have given themselves over to evil purposes and actions. As Paul points out, it is tempting to use the law as the basis for deciding what is good or what is bad, and obedience to the law as the basis for deciding who is good and who isn’t. But, from the basis of grace, and of Christ’s inclusive invitation, good and evil look very different. Anything that would persecute another (as the Psalmists experienced), anything that would oppress another (like the demoniac) or anything that would deny grace to another (as Paul teaches) violates God’s grace and love, and brings division and destruction. As we seek to stand for God’s justice, it is important that we keep God’s grace and love in mind, and that we rightly choose what to oppose and what to embrace.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Goodness of Grace
Give Us Your Grace

Hymn Suggestions:
It Is Well With My Soul
Blessed Assurance
If Thou But Suffer God To Guide Thee
We’ll Understand It Better By And By
Sing Praise To God Who Reigns Above
Song We The King Who Is Coming To Reign
Above All (Link to YouTube video)
God Of Justice (Link to YouTube video)
How Long: Mp3 Download (Amazon Mp3); Chord Chart
Hear Our Praises (Link to YouTube video)
I, The Lord Of Sea And Sky (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy For The Foretaste Of The Heavenly Banquet

Video Suggestions:
Jew Nor Greek
Amazing Grace
Spoken Word – His Grace

Image Suggestions:
Cross Shadow
Love

In conversations around justice and the Church, or justice and worship, the idea of forgiveness, it seems to me, is often absent. Perhaps in reaction to hyper-evangelical, “pray the prayer and you’re saved” theologies, we have moved into a place where we prefer to speak of actions that bring justice and wholeness, rather than attitudes. Perhaps we struggle with forgiveness because it could lead to letting perpetrators “off the hook”, or because those who regularly speak about forgiveness seem to use it as a way to avoid engagement with social justice issues, preferring to speak about the transformation of the heart alone.

However, the Gospel message of forgiveness cannot be avoided, and when we embrace it, we discover that it is central to any real work of justice and peace-making. May our ability to receive and give forgiveness be strengthened and expanded as we worship this week.

READINGS:
1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a: Jezebel and Ahab conspire to lay claim to Naboth’s vineyard. After Naboth has been falsely accused and executed, Elijah confronts Ahab with his sin and prophesies his death.
OR 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15: The prophet Nathan confronts David after he arranges for Uriah to die so that he can marry Bathsheba.

Psalm 5:1-8: A cry for help and guidance, and a recognition that God takes no delight in wickedness.
OR Psalm 32: David’s song of joy and thanksgiving for God’s forgiveness.

Galatians 2:15-21: It is not the law that can make us right with God, but only God’s grace which comes to us through Christ. We can only believe, die to the law, and live our lives in Christ.

Luke 7:36-8:3: Jesus is anointed in the home of Simon the Pharisee by an immoral woman. He confronts Simon’s hypocrisy and forgives her.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
There is no way to avoid it. This week, the readings are all about forgiveness – especially forgiveness that is undeserved, and that comes through confession, brokenness and repentance.The difference between Ahab and David is this broken repentance. The psalmists cry is of confession and a plea for forgiveness. Paul makes it clear that we are made right not by our own efforts and obeying the law, but through the grace of Christ. Jesus confronts the religious elite who make the law a gatekeeper to God, and offers forgiveness and restoration to a broken and penitent woman. The power of this undeserved forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian experience and allows us to live “in Christ” – or live as those in whom Christ lives, as Paul puts it.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Let’s dream a little: what might a world look like in which forgiveness was our culture rather than retribution and retaliation? In what ways is the prophetic ministry of Elijah and Nathan an example to us of how to confront those who abuse their power, while still offering grace and forgiveness? In what ways can we work to make forgiveness a serious consideration in our policies (especially with regard to corrections, law enforcement, social services, immigration, health care, education and foreign policy)? Is all this just a bit too idealistic for the real world? Or is there truth in the idea that a world without forgiveness must ultimately destroy itself? If the Gospel has anything to say to the big issues of our time, the gift of forgiveness must have a place in this conversation. Perhaps it’s time for the Church to call both oppressed and oppressor to forgiveness, both perpetrator and victim to forgiveness, both aggressor and defender to forgiveness. Perhaps, if the Church’s public discourse was more biased toward repentance for our own failings (think of the sex scandals currently rocking many churches) and forgiveness toward those who have hurt or opposed us, people would be more isnterested in listening to us. And perhaps, we would have the kind of gracious, Christ-reflecting influence on the world that we hope to have.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Often when conversation about forgiveness come up, it is common to speak about repentance as the requirement for forgiveness. And so, as Church, we have rejected and judged others on the basis of their perceived lack of repentance. However, for Jesus, it seems, repentance is a response to forgiveness, not a pre-requisite for it. On the cross Jesus says “It is finished” without waiting for the world to queue up to repent. In his dealings with this woman, she comes to him in love and brokenness, but Jesus indicates that her love flows from her being forgiven much, not that her love is the requirement which “earns” her forgiveness. For Jesus, it appears, forgiveness is contingent on nothing. He chooses to forgive whether the other person repents/changes or not. Forgiveness is the mark of those who follow Christ, and it is in the reckless freedom in which this forgiveness is offered that part of the scandal of the Gospel lies. Forgiveness which is based upon a legalistic need for evidence of repentance first is what both Jesus and Paul reject. Both appear to believe implictly in the power of the experience of being forgiven to change people. Perhaps part of our struggle to reach the world in Christ’s name, and to really influence the culture of our world, lies in our determined clinging to “repentance first, forgiveness second”. How many hurting and broken people might find healing, justice and an ability to contribute to others if they were just assured of God’s forgiveness up front, and if we trusted God’s grace to be strong enough to reall make a difference? Is this not a significant work of justice in itself?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Tyranny Of Vengeance
Skeletons
Grace And Forgiveness

Hymn Suggestions:
And Can It Be
Amazing Grace
Let Us Plead For Faith Alone
There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Jesus Messiah
Shout To The North And The South
Hallelujah, What A Saviour
Freely, Freely (God Forgave My Sin)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy For The Agape

Video Suggestions:
Anointed By A Sinner

Image Suggestions:
Church Power Point – Pentecost 3: Page 1 & Page 2
Light In The Dark