As is usual for this time of year, the Lectionary begins with our hope in Christ, the coming of God’s reign in Christ, and the challenge for us to live from this hope, remembering God’s comings in the past, recognising God’s comings now, and awaiting God’s comings into our future. Just this one day, if embraced mindfully and wholeheartedly, can change us forever.

This week, let’s celebrate and open ourselves to the power of God’s gift of hope in Christ.

READINGS:
Isaiah 2:1-5: A prophecy of the days when all people will seek to learn God’s ways, and God will teach them justice and peace; and an invitation to walk in God’s light.

Psalm 122: A song of celebration for Jerusalem, the place of worship, the place where God’s people are taught and led by God, and a place for which the Psalmist prays prosperity and peace.

Romans 13:11-14: Believing in the soon coming of God’s day of salvation, Paul encourages the believers to live lives of morality, peace and modesty.

Matthew 24:36-44: Because we do not know the day or time when Christ will come, Jesus encourages the believers to be ready at all times.


REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The first Sunday of Advent always leads us to reflect on Christ’s Second Coming, which is both problematic and exciting. The problem lies in how we deal with the issue of the Second Coming – especially with the ongoing tendency to try and predict times and dates, with the recent obsession with the Mayan calendar and 2012, and with the possibility that it creates a “pie-in-the-sky” theology for our people. The readings offer us another possibility, though – and this is where the excitement lies. In every reading, the promise of Christ’s coming is related back to how we live now – which is as it should be. Isaiah and Paul both invite us into a life lived in God’s light – a life of peace, justice and morality. The Psalmist encourages us to pray for peace, and to continue to gather for worship where God’s presence and ‘judgment’ are encountered. Finally , Jesus, encourages us to live in ‘readiness’ – always aware that Christ’s coming is immanent, and avoiding the temptation (unlike those in Noah’s day) of growing absorbed in self-interest and personal pleasure (what Paul refers to as ‘wild parties’).

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: At it’s heart, this week in the Lectionary is about hope, and living up to a higher standard. If this world is all we have, we can “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die”. But, if we truly have hope in Christ, in the coming of life, and of the day when God’s reign is the norm, not the exception in our world, we must live according to this hope now. We live as people who believe enough in God’s coming reign that we will begin to practice it’s values and principles now. This means we commit ourselves to integrity, justice and peace, and invite others into this way of life – embracing Isaiah’s image of the nations streaming to God’s mountain.This means we cannot accept things as they are just because “it’s just the way it is”. Rather, we commit ourselves to working to create the world of which we dream. This means we live in peace, so far as we can, with all people. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics and morality. We embrace a life of gentle modesty, not in the unfortunately limited sense in which that word is usually used – of dressing to cover up our bodies out of a fear of our sexuality – but in the sense that we reject ostentatious displays of wealth, wild and excessive self-pleasuring events and exercises, and over the top attention-seeking ploys. Rather we seek to demonstrate the kind of life that enriches the world and all creatures who live in it.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In too many ways the life of Christians and their churches simply reflects the values and beliefs of the societies around us. To look at us you wouldn’t know that we wait for a different world, and hold out the hope of peace and justice. If we really lived our faith in the coming of Christ, we would seek to express hope in all our interactions, we would invite others into a hope-filled way of living, and we would live the kind of life that demonstrates what we believe the world will one day be. This means we must embrace a life of simple, daily justice – reducing our personal carbon footprints through modesty and simplicity; bringing peace through the practices of forgiveness, negotiation and listening; seeking justice through serving those in need and challenging injustice wherever we find it in our communities. In addition we need to develop the habit of readiness – looking for every coming of Christ into our lives and world, and noticing and proclaiming the presence of Christ whenever we can. If we can do this, we become the fulfilment of the prophecies in this week’s readings. In what way can you seek to be a quiet, but prophetic community through this Advent season?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
An Incredible Hope
Quietly Prophetic
Your Coming

Hymn Suggestions:
There’s A Light Upon The Mountain
Sing We The King Who Is Coming To Reign
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
At The Name Of Jesus
There’s A Light (Upon The Mountains): Chord Chart; Mp3 Download
Hear Our Praises (Link to YouTube video)
Hosanna (Link to YouTube video)
Prepare The Way (Link to MySpace video – it’s not the greatest video, but it will give you a sense of the song)

Liturgy:
A Foretaste Of The Heavenly Banquet

Video Suggestions:
The Prophet’s Candle – Hope
Christ Is Coming

May our worship lead us into God’s Shalom and transforms us into agents of Shalom in every moment, every situation and every interaction.

READINGS:
Isaiah 11:1-10: Isaiah proclaims the coming of the “shoot from the stump of Jesse” who, through God’s Spirit resting on him, will bring peace, justice, righteousness and equity to the earth.

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19: A prayer for the King to rule wisely and justly, protecting the weak and vulnerable and refreshing the world and the godly who live in it.

Romans 15:4-13: Paul’s prayer that God may empower the Church to live in harmony, since Christ came for both Jew and Gentile, and together they form one  voice of praise to God.

Matthew 3:1-12: John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness, baptising those who repent and speaking out against the corrupt religious leaders, and challenging people to prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
From the dream of the future world where God’s reign is actively and visibly manifest, the lectionary now moves to the promise of the Messiah, and the harmony and justice he will bring. Both dreams are essentially one – that God’s reign will take root among us bringing in a world in which the weak and vulnerable are cared for, in which justice prevails and in which all people live in harmony in spite of (or maybe even because of) their differences. Perhaps the word that best sums up the Messianic dream of this week, and which John proclaimed, is the word “shalom” – well-being, peace, salvation, harmony, goodness, justice are all implied in this word. Isaiah proclaims it in the image of predators living in harmony with their prey. The Psalmist uses the word ‘Shalom’ in describing the peaceful refreshed world for which he prays. Paul pictures Jew and Gentile as one celebratory voice offered to God in worship, and John the Baptist, while speaking of judgement, which may seem to be the opposite of shalom, invites people to be ready for the coming of the Messiah who wil immerse people in God’s Holy Spirit. God’s presence and power available to all, irrespective of title, position or background – this is, perhaps the ultimate Shalom!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The dream of Shalom may seem like a fantasy in a world at war, a world in which so many issues divide us so strongly – “pro-life” or “pro-choice”, “liberal” or “conservative”, “creationist” or “evolutionist”, “capitalist” or “sociaist”, “pro-gay” or “anti-gay”, “rich” or “poor”. It’s tempting to define the world in clear terms like this, but when we do so, all we do is deepen the enmity between us, and keep us all from knowing and living God’s Shalom. Ultimately justice is not something that can be achieved by alienation and by taking sides. While there are real evils in the world that must be resisted, it is wise to remember Paul’s words that it’s not the people we fight so much as the “principalities and powers”, and as we embrace a Shalom way of being – which includes loving even those we consider to be our enemies – we reflect the light of God’s grace and love, and we begin to bring God’s Shalom into our world as a lived reality. In what ways can you opt out of the polarising habits of your society and embrace a Shalom-bringing inclusiveness that welcomes all and that seeks and celebrates common ground wherever it may be found?

LOCAL APPLICATION: In so many ways we attempt to create Shalom for ourselves. Unfortunately, though, our attempts are often the exact opposite of what God shows us is the real route to Shalom. We think we can find security by preemptive attacks on our enemies, and then we find ourselves more at risk. We think we can find peace by excluding those who challenge and disagree with us, only to find our safe community growing smaller and smaller, until we only have ourselves to agree with (and even that fails sometimes!). We think we can find joy and abundance by amassing money and stuff, only to discover scarcity growing around us, and our planet dying, and the reality of losing it all robs us of any joy we might have known. We think we can find love by turning inward and making our own needs, potential and purpose more important than relationships, or the service of others – even those closest to us – only to find that our self-absorption leaves us alone and empty. We think we can find God by ignoring the realities of our world and escaping to an other-worldly faith, while waiting for a heavenly bliss after death, only to discover that our souls remain dissatisfied and God feels distant and unattainable. If we are to know Shalom, we need to change how we do things. We must allow ourselves to be driven to the risky acts of listening, dialogue, hospitality, service, justice and compassion. Then, as we give ourselves to create shalom not just for ourselves but for others, we discover that shalom finds us, and God’s reign is truly within us.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Shalom
Preparing The Way

Hymn Suggestions:
Hail To The Lord’s Anointed
O Come, O Come, Immanuel
See How Great A Flame Aspires
I Cannot Tell Why He Whom Angels Worship
Everyone Belongs: Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon.com Mp3 Store)
Jesus Messiah (Link to YouTube video)
Mighty To Save (Link to YouTube video)
Consuming Fire (Link to YouTube video)
God With Us (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Agape

Video Suggestions:
Child Of Hope
A Voice In The Wilderness
Kumi, Ori Sar Shalom

Image Suggestion:
Wilderness

Let’s fill our sanctuaries and our world with singing and celebration this week, and let’s rediscover the healing power of joy as we wait on the joyous incarnation event.

READINGS:
Isaiah 35:1-10: God’s promise to restore God’s people, creating a land of peace and prosperity for them, and providing a safe and sure way for them to return home, guaranteeing their arrival in God’s Zion where they will find gladness, joy and an end to their suffering.

Psalm 146:5-10: A celebration of the God who helps those in need – the poor, the blind, the prisoner, the bent over, the widow, the orphan – and who trips the wicked up.
OR
Luke 1:46b-55: Mary’s song of praise to the God who has chosen her, even though she is lowly, and who helps and sustains the weak and needy, while opposing and bringing down the rich and powerful.

James 5:7-10: James encourages the believers to be patient as they wait for God’s coming, even as the farmer waits for rain, and as the prophets of old faithfully endured their suffering with patience.

Matthew 11:2-11: John the Baptist sends his disciples to question whether Jesus is the One or if he should wait for another, and Jesus assures him with the example of his ministry of liberation, healing and proclaiming the Good News. Then he teaches about John’s role, explaining that, as great as he was, those who embrace God’s reign are greater still.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The invitation to find fullness of life in the commonwealth of God resonates through all of this week’s readings. God’s grace and love covers and protects those who seek God’s reign, and God guides them – provides a ‘way’ for their journey – bringing them joy and gladness as they enter God’s home. The journey, though, is not easy, even though it is protected. It is a journey requiring patience (James), and in which the poor, the needy, the vulnerable and the weak are to be served and protected – for these are the marks of God’s reign, both in those God ‘chooses’ (like Mary) and in the Messiah God’s people seek to follow (as in Matthew’s Gospel). Ultimately, though, those who endure and stay on the path will find an end to their suffering (and that of those they have served) and eternal joy. What an awesome vision!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: What does the word “Joy” mean in a world of suffering, inequity, war and terrorism, and climate change? In what ways can God’s reign be seen as an invitation to joy for the weak and vulnerable of our world. Sometimes joy is seen only as a distant hope awaiting us after death, and historically this joy has been inspiring and sustaining for the exploited and poor. However, sometimes this promise of joy has also been used to excuse injustice in this world. Joy must be embraced, then, as both a goal for us to work for – the quest for ‘a home’ for all people, and for peace and equity to flood our world -  and a characteristic of those who do this Christ-following work. God’s reign is seen in the way God’s people find joy in whatever circumstances they face, and it is seen as they spread joy around them through healing, uplifting, and proclaiming Good News. Our call then is to be cheerful, but firm, activists, identifying the places in our world where joy is being robbed, and challenging the unjust “killjoys” in our society, while joyfully serving those who mourn and grieve. This is the call of Jesus’ example, of Mary’s song, of Isaiah’s promise and the Psalmist’s celebration. It is also the source of patience and hope as we wait for God’s reign to be fully realised, both in this world and the next.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Where are the places of greatest grief and hopelessness in your community? What are the sources of this pain, and in what way do we, perhaps inadvertently, contribute? In what ways have you allowed a future hope to “let you off the hook” of bringing joy to those in need? As we wait, in Advent, for the coming of the One who brings joy and Good News, how can we allow this hope to inspire us and empower us to Gospel action? It may mean simply addressing areas of complacency and neglect in your community – cleaning up rubbish dumps and fixing broken windows wherever you may find them. It may mean refusing to buy into the suspicion and scepticism of the times, and committing to hope and compassion. It may mean speaking out against the politics and religion of fear and slander that so easily become the loudest voices in our world. In small ways we can become those who make this world ‘homely’ even for the most vulnerable, and we can speak prophetically against any power that would seek to control through fear, grief and corruption. In the way we live, speak and interact we can be “counter-cultural” demonstrating that joy can be known in this world without oppressing, bombing or ignoring others, and without buying into rampant consumerism and “achieveism”.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Magnificat
Seeing Glory
Joy To The World

Hymn Suggestions:
Joy To The World
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Blessed Assurance
Blessed Be Your Name (Link to YouTube video)
Give Thanks (Link to YouTube video)
Sing Sing Sing (Link to YouTube video)
You Are: Chord Chart; Free Mp3 Download

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Eucharist

Video Suggestions:
Advent: Joy
Joy
Joy

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

May we be challenged to live under the authority of the Servant King as we worship together this week.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 23:1-6: A prophecy of judgement on the unrighteous rulers of God’s people, and a promise of a new, righteous leader from David’s line.

Luke 1:68-79: Zechariah’s song proclaiming God’s fulfiment of the promise tt send a righteous ruler from David’s line, and celebrating his son, John, as God’s prophet.
OR Psalm 46: A celebration of God’s protection and shelter, God’s presence and awesome works, and a call to silent and humble recognition of who God is.

Colossians 1:11-20: In Christ, who is supreme over all, and the visible image of God, we have been transferred from the realm of darkness into the realm of God’s reign.

Luke 23:33-43: While dying on the cross, Jesus assures the penitent thief that he will be with him in paradise that day.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This final week in Year C brings together two central aspects of Christ’s life and activity. On the one side there is the proclamation of Christ as the incarnation of God, the supreme ruler over, and creator of, all things. This transcendent vision of Christ (primarily from the Colossians reading) is reflected in the praise of Psalm 46 which proclaims God’s awesome works and concludes with the exhortation to “be still and know that I am God”. In a similar vein, Both Jeremiah and Zechariah proclaim the Christ as God’s righteous ruler, in the line of David, who will judge the unrighteous leaders of Israel and replace them with a just reign. The cross narrative from Luke 23, offers the other side of this reigning Christ. God’s reign – God’s kingdom – is most profoundly expressed and revealed through the cross. It is in the self-giving, gracious, life-bringing act of dying that Jesus wins the nations and establishes God’s reign in the world. This is not radically different Kingship – and it is one that the world desperately longs for.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The celebration of the rulership of Christ is a significant one for our interaction with the world and its power systems. On the one hand it reminds us that no human power, however it may pride itself on military might, wealth or global influence, is truly in control of the world. All human empires ultimately fall. On the other hand, it reminds us that we are called to work within – and also in opposition to – the systems of this world to bring the values and justice of God’s reign into being in our human reality. This is complex and difficult task, although an inspiring and rewarding one. It engages our best energies on all levels of our participation in society. In so far as we are involved on a national level – be it in some form of leadership, or simply through participating in processes like voting, petitioning and lobbying – we are called to be accountable to Christ’s standard of sacrificial, servant leadership, rejecting the corrupt leadership against which the prophets spoke. On a community level, our leadership in Church, in our neighbourhoods and cities, in our schools and organisations, must similarly reflect the leadership values of Christ. And on a personal level – in our conversations, in our families and homes and in the ethical and moral decisions we face, we are called to act as leaders – reflecting Christ’s reign in the way we live under Christ’s authority. In these ways, God’s reign begins to influence the affairs of the world through small, significant groups of people who are committed to living differently, and to reflecting Christ in every situation. Make no mistake, when God’s reign is revealed like this, it has a massive impact on power dynamics and justice issues on a global scale.

LOCAL APPLICATION: At it’s most basic, the reign of God is manifest when those who, like the thief on the cross, recognise their brokenness and need to change, open themselves to the influence of Christ, and invite God to be the frame of reference for their lives. This does not just apply to those without faith, or those who have not made a conscious decision to follow Christ. It is a daily choice that must be made by all – especially those who are committed to the way of Christ. God’s reign will only be seen – Jesus will only be recognised as King – when we who are called by Christ’s name begin to live as true disciples, true followers of the sacrificial, life-giving Gospel. This requires two simple, but difficult, tasks to be undertaken. The first is to examine ourselves and our lives in the light of Christ’s teaching and example, allowing God’s Spirit to reveal where we still need to come under the rulership – the Lordship – of Christ. This must then lead us into a life of repentance and change which allows Christ’s character to be revealed in us a little more each day. If our faith doesn’t change us, then we’re wasting our – and God’s – time. The second task is to allow the change which God’s reign brings to us to filter through everything we think and say and do. Every interaction, every decision, every moment and every place we find ourselves in must be submitted to the influence of Christ, and must be received as an opportunity to experience God’s reign in our lives, and to share the blessing of God’s reign with others. This is not about evangelism in the “tell them about Jesus” sense. It’s about turning our faith into a life-transforming practice, rather than just an intellectual assent to some ideas about God. Ultimately, for Christ to truly be King in our world, Christ must be King in individual lives in such a way that God’s peace and justice, God’s love and grace, constantly flow through God’s people into the world – one moment, one interaction and one step at a time.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The UnKing
This Hidden Kingdom
May Your Kingdom Come
The Subversive Kingdom

Hymn Suggestions:
God Is Our Strength And Refuge (Link to YouTube video)
Jesus Shall Reign
O Worship The King
I Cannot Tell Why He Whom Angels Worship
The Servant King (Link to YouTube video)
Above All (Link to YouTube video)
How Great Is Our God (Link to YouTube video)
We Bow Down Before You (Scroll down for link)
The Lord Reigns: Chord Chart (Scroll down for link) Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for link)
Now And Forever: Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon)

Liturgy:
A Foretaste Of The Heavenly Banquet

Video Suggestions:
Colossians 1
The Cross Of Christ
That’s My King (Remix)

Image Suggestions:
Christ King (A nice, simple set of images from Organic Videos)

May we be inspired to continue our small, faithful acts of following Christ through this week’s worship.

READINGS:
Isaiah 65:17-25: Isaiah’s vision of a new heaven and new earth, a place where God dwells, and where all people enjoy prosperity, health, well-being and long life.
OR Malachi 4:1-2: Evil and arrogant people will be destroyed like straw burned in a furnace, but for those who love and fear God, the “Sun of Righteousness” rises as healer and liberator.

Isaiah 12: A promise that a time is coming when God’s people will call on God and be delivered, when they will praise God for God’s goodness and mighty acts on their behalf, and when they will publicise God’s praise to the world.
OR Psalm 98: A song of praise inviting all creation to celebrate God’s salvation and mercy.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13: Paul admonishes the believers to be disciplined, to concentrate on their own work and do it well, and to ensure that they do not grow tired of doing what is right.

Luke 21:5-19: Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, and warns his followers about the false messiahs, wars, and persecutions that they will have to face.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
In most of the readings this week, two themes seem to stand side by side. The first is the theme of evil, persecution and God’s judgement on wickedness. Malachi and Luke’s Gospel speak directly about this, and of how God protects God’s faithful ones through such turbulent times, while Isaiah 12 implies it. The second theme is that of restoration and of God’s final, peaceful, prosperous world, in which all people live in well-being and joy. Isaiah 12 & 65 and Psalm 98 all describe this. These two themes complement each other in that they describe the working out of God’s salvation history in human affairs: evil and strife are at work in the world, and people who live according God’s alternative values are misunderstood and persecuted, but God’s reign continues to work, and to transform the world and its people into loving, peaceful and just men and women. This is not so much a war between good and evil as it is the evolution of the world from chaos and immaturity into beauty, creativity and maturity in God’s gracious, compassionate purposes. In the middle of this grand cosmic scenario, Paul’s message to the Thessalonians appears prosaic and misplaced. However, when it comes down to it, the very thing that sustains us during the turbulent times, and that ultimately transforms worlds, is the committed, disciplined living of a good, responsible, practical life by people of faith. Simply by working each day faithfully and in goodness, God’s salvation and ‘shalom’ enters our world. Small contributions really do make a difference in the grand scheme of things.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION:  If we are to take the Gospel call to justice – to participating in Jesus’ saving mission – seriously, we cannot ignore the big global injustices that continue to harm people and our environment across the globe. It is significant and important that there are people and organisations that tackle these issues broadly and with geat influence and reach. As followers of Christ we do well to support them through our contributions, our support and adding our voice and presence to petitions, marches and legislative initiatives. However, it is equally important that we recognise the power of our daily decisions and actions to bring about significant change. When we commit to the discipline of conscious consumerism – buying only fair trade goods, and buying for usefulness and longevity, rather than fashion – we contribute significantly to justice in the world. When we eat mindfully, choosing only produce that is farmed and transported ethically and with care for the environment, and when we recycle, precycle and manage our waste carefully, we make a significant contribution to justice in the world. When we treat our neighbours respectfully, regardless of religion, ethnicity or immigrations status, we contribute to justice in the world. When we joyfully, honestly and generously contribute our share to society through charitable giving and paying taxes, we contribute to justice in the world. When we love even those who might persecute or attack us, and when we work towards understanding and peace with our enemies, we contribute to justice in the world. All of these simple daily actions are part of what Paul calls “doing what is right”, and they are manifestations of God’s peaceful, prosperous reign. They are not always easy or comfortable, and sometimes they will even get us into trouble with those who defend the status quo and resist change, but they are, nevertheless, a genuine Gospel way of being and living. Of course, what I’m saying here is nothing new – and it’s not the first time the lectionary has approached God’s reign from this perspective this year. But, it’s often good to be reminded how our small, faithful, disciplined actions can make a big difference.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the “big issues” of justice in our world, and forget that justice also needs to be worked out right on our own doorstep – as Mother Teresa so wisely put it: “we cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love”. In the past the church communities have sometimes become so focused on “overseas mission” that we have neglected the mission fields in our own neighbourhoods. We have sometimes been so concerned with fighting injustice “out there” that we have ignored the battered women, the neglected children, the abusive leaders and the exploitative practices in our own churches. As important as it is to work for justice in the world, and to contribute to the big issues, we must never forget the small, daily disciplines of worship, prophetic preaching, care and nurture that ensure that together we become more whole, peaceful and compassionate human beings. And as we care for the hurting, exploited and abused people among us, the healing and justice we bring is like a stone dropped into a pond – it send ripples out into the world that make a big difference. So, perhaps a question to ask this week is this: how does our worship and our life together as a community of faith provide safety for those who are abused and under threat, provide community and belonging for those who are excluded and judged, and provide nurture and support for those who are in need of physical, emotional, mental or spiritual resources?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Power of the Ordinary
Our Small Difference
Small, Random Acts of Peacemaking

Hymn Suggestions:
O Loving Lord, Who Art Forever Seeking
O Master Let Me Walk With Thee
Dear Jesus In Whose Life I See
O Worship The Lord In The Beauty Of Holiness
Let Me Shine: Chord Chart, Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for the link)
Priceless Vision: Chord Chart, Mp3 (Amazon Mp3 Download)
May The Words Of My Mouth (Link to YouTube video)
Hear Our Praises (Link to YouTube video)
God Of This City (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy of Compassion

Video Suggestions:
Rumours Of War
A Starfish Called Enoch

As we reflect on worship and how it leads us into Christlikeness, I hope you won’t mind if I announce that my new book The Hour That Changes Everything – How worship forms us into the people God wants us to be, is now available for purchase through Amazon.com. Check it out here.

May our worship this week be a mirror to our own brokenness and a portal to lives of humble service and compassion.

READINGS:

Joel 2:23-32: God promises restoration from the judgement (what the locusts have eaten) and the outpouring of God’s Spirit on all of God’s sons and daughters.
OR Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22: A prophecy of judgement against God’s people who have turned away from God, and a prayer of confession, pleading for God’s forgiveness and restoration.
OR Sirach 35:12-17: The cries of the weak and vulernable -the oppressed, the orphan, the widow – are heard by God.

Psalm 65: Praise for the God who answers prayer, who forgives sin, who formed the earth and who sends rain to bring an abundant harvest.
OR Psalm 84:1-7:A song of praise and longing to dwell in the presence of God who cares for the sparrow and refreshes the pilgrim.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18: Paul reflects on his faithfulness as he nears the end of his life and looks forward to the reward he will receive, assured that God, who rescued him in the past, even when others deserted him, will bring him safely into God’s kingdom.

Luke 18:9-14: Jesus tells a parable about a self-righteous Pharisee, who fails to find a right relationship with God, and a penitent tax collector who finds justification.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:

The lectionary this week seems to turn back to pretty mainline theological territory – the need for forgiveness, and the necessity for repentance in order to know and receive God’s grace. From a conservative perspective, this is the heart of the Gospel – our sinfulness, God’s grace, and our need to repent and believe in order to be saved. This is, unfortunately a pretty one-dimensional approach to these passages and the ideas they present. The parable is the heart of the matter: there is danger in self-righteousness and self-aggrandisement, and there is life to be found when we evaluate ourselves clearly, soberly and with humility enough to recognise our brokenness. Jeremiah’s prayer, which acknoweldges the sin of the people, is an Old Testament reflection of the tax collectors plea for forgiveness. Paul, who may at first glance look rather like the Pharisee in his confidence and positive assessment of his life, nevertheless recognises that his life is God’s; it is God who has worked – and will continue to work – in him, and he graciously forgives those who abandoned him. And the promise, seen in the Psalms and the Joel reading, is that the grace that the tax collector received is available to all who come to God in brokenness asking for help. While this may seem to have little to do with justice, as we shall see, it actually lies at the very root of it.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION:  The role of arrogance in creating injustice in our world is twofold. Firstly, injustice comes through the attitudes that society holds toward the ‘greatest’ and the ‘least’. On the one hand, the poor and vulnerable are seen to be responsible for their own problems. They are thought to be lazy, weak and ignorant and so in some way they are thought to have deserved what life has given them. On the other hand, the powerful and wealthy believe that they deserve what they have because they are somehow better – be it wiser, harder working or whatever. The second role that arrogance plays is in those who work for justice, who also can come to believe that they are somehow better, more noble, more ‘righteous’ than those who cause injustice (even though they may knowingly or unknowingly be supporting these unjust systems themselves). This “mean streak” among activists often results in nothing more than a polarisation of issues and positions, while the arrogance among the powerful (both activists against and ‘perpetrators’ of injustice) results in marginalised people being treated with less dignity and humanity, and being controlled or “fixed” by others instead of being given just what is needed, in terms of resources and relationships, to become independent and self-sustaining. Arrogance always robs the other of their humanity and dignity. Humility, on the other hand, results in an openness to the story of the other, to true compassion for the many complex causes of their plight (many of which are beyond their control), and to a commitment to mutual care, learning and collaboration for the benefit of all. It is this humility which opens us to God’s Spirit which works among us and in us as we serve one another, and which allows us to experience God’s reign among us even now.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Some of the main criticisms that are levelled at the church today are that Christians are arrogant and hypocritical. The tendency for Christians to judge others, to offer unsolicited advice or try to “fix” everyone we meet, and to come across as “holier than thou” have left far too many people feeling hurt and angry. It’s a shame that Christians in the developed world are so often seen as most likely to blame the poor for their poverty, to support unregulated, free market economics, to be inhospitable to immigrants, and to support limiting health care for those who cannot afford it. These are all felt as arrogant and harmful attitudes by those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves struggling, especially in the Third World. But, even in our own back yards, the Gospel is most powerfully demonstrated when we acknowledge our own brokenness, when we enter the world with humility and when we recognise that we have much to learn from those we seek to serve – even the poorest and weakest in our communities. It is this humility that drives us to our knees in prayer for God’s empowering Spirit, that keeps us always mindful of our own shortcomings, failings and blind spots, and that opens our eyes to the signs of God’s reign that always precede our work in any place or time. The challenge of this week’s worship is to do an “arrogance audit” in our churches to recognise where we may need to embrace humility even more if we are to be effective servants of all as Christ has called us to be.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Growing Together
Healing Humility

Hymn Suggestions:
Just As I Am Without One Plea
Depth of Mercy
Be Thou My Vision
When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
Your Grace Is Enough (Link to YouTube video)
O The Wonderful Cross (Link to YouTube video)
Clinging To The Cross (Link to YouTube video)
I Kneel Down (Link to Graham Kendrick’s song page with mp3 preview, chord chart & lead sheet)
In Your Mercy, Lord: Chord Chart, Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for the link)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Agape

Video Suggestions:
Kids Talk Humility
Thoughts on Humility
Psalm 84

As you worship this week, may your prayer be heartfelt, and may it overflow into every action, thought, word and interaction in your life.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 31:27-34: A prophecy of restoration, of an end to generational curses, and of God’s new covenant with God’s people – written on hearts, not stone.
OR Genesis 32:22-31: Jacob wrestles with God, is given a new name, and lives with a limp from that time on.

Psalm 119:97-104: A song of rejoicing in God’s laws and instructions and the way they guide and lead to life.
OR Psalm 121: God is a help to God’s people, the One who watches over and protects them day and night.

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5: Paul encourages Timothy, in the name of the coming Christ, to remain faithful to the Scriptures and to teach God’s message faithfully at all times.

Luke 18:1-8: Jesus tells a parable of a poor widow who persistently asks a judge for justice, and he finally relents because of her persistence. Then he muses about whether, when he returns, he will find people of faith on earth.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
There are two related themes running through the readings this week. The first is that of God’s word written on the heart (Jeremiah), offering guidance and life (Psalm 119), as the basis for teaching and the Christ-following life (2 Timothy), and expressed in the parables of Jesus. The second is that of God’s coming to God’s people – in a night-time wrestling match with Jacob (Genesis), as a help and protection for the Psalmist (Psalm 121), as the coming judge (2 Timothy), as the God who comes to bring justice to God’s people in Jesus’ parable, and as the Christ who will return in Jesus’ musings at the end of the Luke passage. Of course, the idea of prayer is also found in many of these passages as well – and is, perhaps, what brings the other two themes together. On the one hand we long for God and seek God’s presence, God’s justice and God’s protection. On the other hand, God longs to come to us, offering us guidance and life through God’s word, God’s law, written on our hearts. In prayer we express our longing, and we open ourselves to God’s presence and purpose. As we pray, God’s word is truly written on our hearts, and the God of justice breaks into our human experience with justice, life and divine principles for full and meaningful living. The power of this theme of prayer as the meeting place for God and people is that it is not just the pray-er that is changed by the encounter, but the world in which the pray-er then lives and acts out the prayer each day.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION:  In the practical world of justice-bringing, prayer can feel like a rather impractical and ineffectual pursuit. If we seek to bring pressure to bear on leaders or groups with whom we disagree through prayer, in the hopes that God will somehow swoop in and bring about the changes we pray for, then we are little more than delusional, and our prayer is indeed impractical and ineffectual. If, however, we seek to be changed by God’s coming to us as judge, challenger and guide, if we seek to open our hearts in order that God’s law may be written on them, and we can live the justice we seek to bring, then our prayer is a powerful, transformative act. In this sense, no work of justice is complete without prayer. Interfaith dialogue must call us to pray together; engagement with political and social processes must be done prayerfully; protest action, where necessary, must express the prophetic nature of prayer; contribution and service must be clothed in prayerful awareness of God’s presence and purpose – or we just become another social upliftment movement. Of course, there is a difference between doing things prayerfully and imposing our form or version of prayer on those of other religions or faith communities. In this sense, prayer must also be engaged in sensitively and gently. No one can ban prayer from any aspect of our lives (even our schools), because we can always pray in our hearts, which is no less effective. What can be banned – perhaps legitimately – is imposing our way of praying on others in public gatherings or places. The true heart of prayer is welcoming, invitational, inclusive and compassionate, not arrogant, selfish, opinionated or exclusive.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In our local church communities it seems that prayer tends to take one of two places. Either we work with prayer a little like the spells and wands in a Harry Potter book – were we “wave” our prayer at situations and people, expecting God’s answer to be always dramatic and ‘supernatural’, or we ignore prayer almost altogether, apart from, perhaps, as a ritual practice within our Sunday services, acting as functional atheists as we approach our ministry and witness in the world. This week the Lectionary challenges us to engage with prayer in more meaningful ways than this. In the first instance, we are encouraged to wrestle with God in prayer, to allow our engagement with God to be a way of opening our hearts to the law of God which is to be written on them. This kind of prayer is a transformative practice that confronts our prejudice and self-centredness, while challenging us to allow God’s reign to be the reference for our living and acting. In the second instance we are encouraged to experience prayer as a true encounter with the God who comes to us, with the Spirit who fills and empowers us, and with the transforming acts of God in the world. In this sense, prayer is a way of discerning what God is doing among us and offering ourselves to cooperate with the work of God. These two realities – God’s word taking root within us and God’s coming to us are not separate realities, but are essentially one and the same experience, for which prayer is the vehicle. The question, then, is this: What is God doing (or seeking to do) in our churches and communities? Where do we see evidence of God’s presence, God’s coming, and where does God’s word need to be written on hearts? How can we cooperate with this work of God in ways that bring justice, grace, compassion and the reality of God’s reign into the lives of ordinary God-Beloved people?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Wrestling
Prayers

Hymn Suggestions:
Trust And Obey
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
O Word Of God Incarnate
O God Our Help In Ages Past
O God Our Help (Link to YouTube video)
God Of This City (Link to YouTube video)
Mighty To Save (Link to YouTube video)
Hear Our Prayer: Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Free)
How Long? Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy of Compassion

Video Suggestions:
Pray With Your Feet
Psalm 121

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.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This week the theme could be called “The Liberated Gospel”! The thread running through all of the readings is about “outsiders” being included in God’s grace and among God’s people – or of God’s people making themselves at home with those with whom they would normally not have associated. Jeremiah encourages the exiles to settle in Babylon, and Elisha heals a gentile soldier. Both Psalms call all the earth and all people to join in the praise of God. Jesus heals a group of men with skin diseases, including a despised Samaritan, and only the ‘outsider’ Samaritan returns to give thanks. And Paul celebrates the Gospel that is not imprisoned, but, through God’s faithfulness is available to all. It’s a week to celebrate the indiscriminate, all-encompassing love, grace and life of God, and to hear the call to live this radical inclusivity in our times and circumstances.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: As author Brian McLaren notes in his book A New Kind Of Christianity, we all woke up this morning in a world where religious conflict threatens the peace and survival of the entire planet, and in which militaristic radicals have the weaponry to destroy us all. In such a world religious exclusivity and finger-pointing is more than just an act of immaturity. It is a very dangerous way to live – as was illustrated by the threat of a Florida pastor to burn the Quran, and the reaction to his plan. In the midst of this we are challenged by a Jesus who was scandalously inclusive and who crossed all sorts of lines in order to draw circles around everyone. The only ones who were shut out of Jesus’ embrace, were (and are) those who choose to exclude themselves – and even they continue to be loved and accepted by God. In a world where we define ourselves according to nationality, race, skin colour, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, educational level, language and so much more – and use these distinction to justify everything from killing to exploitation, from stereotyping to the threat of hell – we desperately need those who will bravely follow Christ in the act of making outsiders insiders, and embracing even the ones we most struggle to love. This is not just an act of personal spiritual obedience. It is a world-changing commitment that has economic, political, environmental, and even medical consequences.

LOCAL APPLICATION: If the Church is to retain any prophetic voice in our current era, it must relearn the radical inclusivity of Christ. Contrary to the ‘popular’ version of the ‘Gospel’ that makes Christianity an exclusive enclave for those who have prayed the right prayer, or who agree to the right theological ideas, the faith of those who follow Christ must be one that opens its arms to all others. This means that, as many in the emerging church conversation have suggested, we need to move from a process that goes from believing to behaving to belonging, to the reverse process of offering belonging first (with no strings attached), and then allowing our relationships to influence behaving and ultimately lead to faith – or believing. We need to become indiscriminate about who we serve, love, give to, include and bless. We must refuse to judge or disassociate from others on the basis of any false distinctions. We can no longer allow a word like ‘Muslim’ to become an insult, but must rather honour those who follow this faith with sincerity and commitment. We can no longer allow our faith to lead us into arrogance, dominance, exploitation or dismissal of others. This means that in every community, we cannot avoid making ourselves at home among those who we would naturally avoid. What this means for your Church you will recognise very quickly when you identify those who are missing from your Sunday gatherings, but who you can’t help but notice as you pass them on the street during the week.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Ripping Off The Labels
The Life That Ignores Limits
The Ones We Long For

Hymn Suggestions:
The Church’s One Foundation
Come Let Us Sing Of A Wonderful Love
All People That On Earth Do Dwell
From All That Dwell Below The Skies
Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace
Let There Be Love Shared Among Us: Lyrics; Melody (Video)
Everyone Under The Sun (Link to Audio preview)
You Are: Chord Chart; Mp3 Preview
Everyone Belongs: Chord Chart; Mp3 Preview

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Agape

Video Suggestions:
A Simple Message of Thanks
Psalm 66

Drama Script:
You’re Not Like Me