For those who find themselves unable to take part in the in-person worship for Good Friday at St. John's, here is the link for the YouTube service at 1:00pm that day:
Word & Worship for Good Friday -- 2 April
God be with you all!
Pr. John
Tuesday, 30 March 2021
A Moment Aside for 30 March 2021
A Moment Aside --- 30 March 2021
There’s so
little I could add to this.
Holy Week
is all about grace. The betrayal, the meal, the commissioning, the trial, the
Cross, the burial, and the mystery of the Resurrection are all about grace. We
might be doing ourselves a mis-service by focusing on the details, important as
they are. The real question is “Why?”
Did we
deserve it? Did we pay for it? Did we work for it? Should we spend our time
fretting about the style of bread or the number of nails used or how the
Resurrection was accomplished?
No. Oh, we
could and sometimes it’s worthwhile, don’t get me wrong.
However,
during Holy Week, we’d best let the whole thing wash over us with the solid and
amazing view that all this was done FOR us and with US in mind. You and me and
everyone else. God’s mind is awfully big!
“Grace does not depend on what we have done
for God, but rather what God has done for us.” Free gift… waiting for us to
pick it up. All because God did this out of love.
Thanks be
to God!
Monday, 29 March 2021
Palm Sunday Holy Communion from the Church
St. John's held an in-person Service of Holy Communion on Sunday 28 March 2021.
The link to the recording is here: Palm/Passion Sunday Service of Holy Communion
The Service of the Cross for Good Friday will be celebrated in the church at 11:00am on Friday, April 2
The YouTube Service for Good Friday will be held at 1:00pm that Friday.
The Service of Holy Communion for Easter Sunday will be celebrated in the church at 11:00am, Sunday, April 4.
The YouTube Service for Easter Sunday will be held at 1:00pm on Sunday.
Have a blessed Holy Week!
Pastor John
Sunday, 28 March 2021
Word & Worship for Palm/Passion Sunday --- 28 March 2021
|
Word and Worship
for Palm Sunday Blessed is
the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna
in the highest! Mark 11: 1-11 11When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and
Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2and
said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter
it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and
bring it. 3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’
just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here
immediately.’” 4They went away and found a colt tied near a
door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5some
of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6They
told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7Then
they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on
it. 8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others
spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9Then
those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! 11Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and
when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out
to Bethany with the twelve. |
|
Psalm 31: 9-16 (today’s Responsorial Psalm) 9
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul
and body also. 10For
my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my
misery, and my bones waste away. 11I
am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my
acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. 12I
have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 13For
I hear the whispering of many— terror all around!— as they
scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. 14But
I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15My
times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 16Let
your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love. |
Opening Prayer for the Fifth Sunday in Lent
Everlasting God, in your endless love for the human
race, you sent our Lord Jesus Christ to take on our nature and to suffer death
on the cross. In your mercy, enable us to share in his obedience to your will
and in the glorious victory of the resurrection, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
New
Testament Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who,
though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something
to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a
slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8he
humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a
cross. 9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the
name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
Gospel Reading: Mark 15:1-39
15As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the
elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and
handed him over to Pilate. 2Pilate asked him, “Are you the King
of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” 3Then the chief
priests accused him of many things. 4Pilate asked him again,
“Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5But
Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
6Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for
whom they asked. 7Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with
the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. 8So
the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. 9Then
he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the
Jews?” 10For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the
chief priests had handed him over. 11But the chief priests
stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12Pilate
spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the
King of the Jews?” 13They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14Pilate
asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more,
“Crucify him!” 15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,
released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be
crucified.
16Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the
governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. 17And
they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a
crown, they put it on him. 18And they began saluting him,
“Hail, King of the Jews!” 19They struck his head with a reed,
spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20After mocking
him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then
they led him out to crucify him.
21They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry
his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22Then
they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a
skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he
did not take it. 24And they crucified him, and divided his
clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
25It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26The
inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27And
with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his
left. 29Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads
and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three
days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31In
the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him
among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let
the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may
see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
33When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the
afternoon. 34At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud
voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?” 35When some of the bystanders heard it, they
said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” 36And someone ran,
filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink,
saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37Then
Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38And the curtain
of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39Now when
the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last,
he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
Sermon
(added at the end of the document)
Thanks and Offertory
The
Prayers of Church:
Relying on
the promise of God, we pray boldly for the world, the church, and all in need. [Short pause]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we see a true picture of your glory: not overwhelming, but inviting; not overpowering, but serving. Give us the grace to follow in the same way. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we encounter your patience with the misunderstanding crowd. Open us to our own misconceptions, that we may change direction. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we catch a glimpse of suffering love beyond comprehension. Pour this same love into our hearts, that we may share your compassion with our suffering world. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we hear your call to follow, to serve, and even to die. Strengthen the faith of your church, that we may embrace the opportunities which surround us. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we experience your willingness to join us in our pain, our illness, and our distress. Give us the willingness to do the same for those who suffer around us, especially those we name before you. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
· Gracious God, in the humility of Jesus we are challenged to let go of all things for the sake of the cross. Give us the humble faith we need, to go where you call us to go. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious God, we pray for our bishops,
Susan and Michael and the congregation of St. Peter Church, Zurich and their
pastor, Pr. Nadine Schroeder-Kranz. In
your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious God,
we pray in thanksgiving for those who lived and served in your name and who now
rest from their earthly labours, those saints who have been gathered into your
eternal embrace, remembering. In your
unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
Into your
hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The
Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Our
Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven.
Give
us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against
us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For
thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the
glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
4The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may
know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens
my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5The
Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn
backward. 6I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks
to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and
spitting. 7The Lord God helps me; therefore I have
not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I
shall not be put to shame; 8he who vindicates me is near. Who
will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let
them confront me. 9It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty? All of them will wear out like a garment; the moth
will eat them up.
Benediction and Sending
Go forth into
the world to serve God with gladness;
be of good
courage; hold fast to that which is good;
render to no
one evil for evil;
strengthen
the fainthearted; support the weak;
help the
afflicted; honour all people;
love and
serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Go in peace. Share the Good News. Thanks be to God
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
·
There’s a saying: “To be of one mind.” It goes
beyond the idea that a group of people think alike. It means that a group has
determined that a certain way of doing things is the way they will go. It
carries with it the idea that actions will flow from the values and ideas that
the group holds in common. When it happens and pretty much whenever it happens,
things are accomplished.
·
For Paul to say Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, it
means that the mind of Christ Jesus was to be the model of the mind of all
Christians.
·
Our reading starts in the middle of Paul’s thought.
The Chapter begins with this: If
then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any
sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make
my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full
accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition
or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let
each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of
others.
·
Were the Philippian Church to have the “same mind”,
Paul as much as says it would be a comfort to him and he would take it almost
as a personal favour. If those Gentile Christians had the mind of Christ, their
conversion would be complete. They might be examples to the rest of the
Christian world and Paul would be able to feel that his preaching had
accomplished what it was supposed to do. Their faith would be known by all as
strong in what they did even without further words.
·
What would constitute the mind of Christ Jesus? That
would not be easy to say here and now. Jesus did not live in our times with all
the strangeness of our days. Yet his example and his way of living would hold
for any time and any place.
·
The main hallmarks of the mind of Christ are simple
and powerful – humility and obedience. There is more, yes, and still
these remain the bedrock of Jesus’ life.
·
Jesus humbled himself by emptying himself and not
grasping at the form of God.
He became human in every way possible, enduring hunger, thirst, anger, fear,
frustration, and probably physical illness. We know he suffered on the cross,
but he suffered even before that. He humbled himself to die a convict’s death,
the death of a rebel.
·
This was also Jesus’ obedience. We have a hymn
called A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth. None of the Passion narratives
mention Jesus reactions during the crucifixion. He refused to speak during the
trial and said only a few things on Calvary. Whether he complained or not is
not the point; the point is he did it and did it out of obedience to the
Father’s will.
·
Humility and obedience; possibly two of the hardest
virtues to have and maintain. They fight against our nature quite often. Yet we
are faced with them as the bedrock of Jesus’ life and because of that, the
bedrock of discipleship. To have the same mind as Jesus means more than merely
thinking good and happy thoughts; it implies taking on the nature or character
of Jesus.
·
We could say that humility and obedience in Jesus’
life are his nature and character. We recall Jesus’ own prayer in the Garden of
Gethsemane, asking Abba, Father,
for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want,
but what you want. (Mark 14:36) That is what we are called to; not to
a redemptive death but a redeemed life that show’s Jesus to the world by having
the same nature and character, the same mind that we find in Jesus.
…be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
Thursday, 25 March 2021
Word & Worship for Palm/Passion Sunday ---- updated
Please pardon my mistake! I scheduled the YouTube service for Palm/Passion Sunday at the same time as the in-person Worship service in the church! I've corrected it.
The YouTube service will be available at 12:30pm on Sunday, 28 March. The In-person Worship Service will be recorded and will be available that same day once proper editing is done.
Here is the link to the YouTube Service: Word & Worship for Palm/Passion Sunday
Thanks.
Pr. John
A Moment Aside for 25 March 2021
A
Moment Aside --- 25 March 2021
The human mind is a wonderful thing. The mind has invented things previous generations could not imagine. The mind has come up with inspiring poetry, fascinating prose, beautiful music, and breath-taking works of art. At the same time, the human mind has conceived of horrors beyond telling as well.
What the mind cannot do is grasp the reality of God.
Augustine was right in saying that the mind can touch God and in that find a
blessing. At the same time, he was right in saying that the human mind cannot
grasp God.
What God is and what God is about is beyond human comprehension.
It remains a mystery and a mystery that cannot be solved. Mysteries engage the
human mind, and so curiosity and scientific enquiry continue. Books of
mysteries to be solved continue to sell and delight their readers. However, the
mystery of God is not one that will be solved by the application of human logic
and thought. The mystery of God will remain beyond each and every one of us.
We may be able to touch that mystery in any number of ways. Some
fine that mystery in the Scripture or in the Worship services that take part
in. Others experience that mystery in nature, in a sunset or a sunrise, or at
the edge of the ocean. So experience it in other people or through other
people. Any and all of those are great.
Still…
The mystery of God cannot be “grasped” to the point of fully
understanding it. It simply cannot be done. There will always be limits to our
understanding and knowledge and there will always be questions that will remain
unanswered… and unsolved… and it will bother us.
Still it’s a good thing that we can touch that mystery
… and let the mystery touch us.
Tuesday, 23 March 2021
A Moment Aside for 23 March 2021
A
Moment Aside --- 23 March 2021
The book of Job is not an easy read. It is quite long and it
starts out with tremendous tragedy. It ends with God answering Job’s objections,
but not has Job, an innocent and upright man exposed to horrible suffering, had
expected. God appears out of the whirlwind and asks “Who is this…?” (Job 38: 2) Job repents “ in dust and ashes.” (Job 42: 6b)
Job cries out his grief and anger and sense of injustice. He
doesn’t like the answer but he accepts it. (That is the whole point of the
book, by the way. Why do the innocent suffer? Good question!)
Job is not alone in contending or arguing with God. Jacob
wrestled with a stranger who is thought to be God “in disguise” until the
stranger cheats at wrestling and punches Jacob in the hip, leaving him limping.
Abraham dickers with God over the fate of Sodom. (“What if there are only one
hundred righteous people? Will you still destroy the city? Okay, how about
ten?”) Elijah grumps at God, asking to be allowed to die, to which God replies
with an angel, a jug of water, a small pastry, and a nap for the prophet. Moses
faced off with God over the fate of the Hebrews. (“I’ll destroy them and make a
nation from you!” “But God, what will the nations say if you’re unfaithful to
your own people? Hmm?”)
This
wrestling with God is not lost with Christians. Teresa of Avila, the reformer
of the Carmelite Order in the Roman Catholic Church was traveling by when her
coach became stuck in the mud. While working to pull the thing out, Jesus spoke
to her: “Don’t be worried! This is how I treat all my friends!” Sister Teresa
replied “That’s why you don’t have so many!” The ancient funeral hymn, the
so-called Dies Irae holds
these verses:
Think, kind Jesu!
– my salvation
Caused Thy wondrous Incarnation;
Leave me not to reprobation.
Faint and weary,
Thou hast sought me,
On the Cross of suffering bought me.
Shall such grace be
vainly brought me?
In
simpler words, “You said you’d save me! That’s the promise!”
Don’t be afraid to argue with God and tell God exactly how
you feel. It might seem strange and close to blasphemy, but if Job, Moses,
Abraham, Elijah, Teresa, and Thomas of Celano might shake a finger at God, at
times we could as well.
At the very least, if we’re angry with God, we are surely
taking God seriously in our lives.
Sunday, 21 March 2021
Word & Worship for the Fifth Sunday in Lent --- 21 March 2021
|
Word and Worship for the Fifth Sunday in Lent |
|
The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all. And also with you. |
|
Psalm 51: 1-12 (today’s Responsorial Psalm) 1Have
mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your
abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2Wash
me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3For
I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4Against
you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that
you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 5Indeed,
I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. 6You
desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret
heart. 7Purge
me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than
snow. 8Let
me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9Hide
your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 11Do
not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from
me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing
spirit. |
Opening Prayer for the Fifth Sunday in Lent
O God, with steadfast love you draw us to yourself,
and in mercy you receive our prayers. Strengthen us to bring forth the fruits
of the Spirit, that through life and death we may live in your Son, Jesus
Christ our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
New
Testament Reading: Hebrews 5:5-10
5So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was
appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten
you”; 6as he says also in another place, “You are a priest
forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” 7In the days
of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and
tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because
of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a Son, he learned
obedience through what he suffered; 9and having been made
perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10having
been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Gospel Reading: John 12:20-33
20Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some
Greeks. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in
Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22Philip
went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23Jesus
answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very
truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it
remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those
who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will
keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father
will honor.
27“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from
this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28Father,
glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I
will glorify it again.” 29The crowd standing there heard it and
said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus
answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31Now
is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven
out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all
people to myself.” 33He said this to indicate the kind of death
he was to die.
Sermon
(added at the end of the document)
Thanks and Offertory
The
Prayers of Church:
Relying on
the promise of God, we pray boldly for the world, the church, and all in need. [Short pause]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
·
Gracious and
loving God, we wish to see Jesus. In our
tiredness and weariness, we ask for healing and hope.
In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious and
loving God, we wish to see Jesus. We are
surrounded by hatred and fear, and crave the love and welcome you promise. In
your unbounded mercy, Hear our
prayer.
·
Gracious and
loving God, we wish to see Jesus. We are
overwhelmed with racism and injustice, with displacement and death. Reveal yourself, that all may know your love.
In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious and
loving God, our world wishes to see Jesus.
Inspire your church, that we may go to the margins, and listen to the
outsider, and bear the kind of fruit you desire.
In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious and
loving God, our world wishes to see Jesus.
Use your people to bring healing where there is sickness, relief where
there is suffering, and unity where there is division. We especially ask that you use us to be your
presence with those whom we name before you.
In your unbounded mercy, Hear
our prayer.
·
Gracious and
loving God, our world wishes to see Jesus.
In the middle of separation, in the middle of pandemic, in the middle of
our broken lives, show yourself to us.
And then, gracious and loving God, show yourself through us. In your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious and loving God, we pray for our
bishops, Susan and Michael and the congregation of St. Peter Church, Broadhagen
and their pastor, Pr. Laura Sauder. In
your unbounded mercy, Hear our prayer.
·
Gracious and
loving God, we pray in thanksgiving for those who lived and served in your name
and who now rest from their earthly labours, those saints who have been
gathered into your eternal embrace, remembering. In your unbounded mercy, Hear
our prayer.
Into your
hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The
Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Our
Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven.
Give
us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against
us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For
thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
31The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It
will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them
by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke,
though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33But this is
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says
the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their
hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No
longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know
the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,
says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin
no more.
Benediction and Sending
Go forth into
the world to serve God with gladness;
be of good
courage; hold fast to that which is good;
render to no
one evil for evil;
strengthen
the fainthearted; support the weak;
help the
afflicted; honour all people;
love and
serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Go in peace. Share the Good News. Thanks be to God
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
·
This passage from John’s Gospel is often used as a
funeral reading because it reminds the congregation (and the preacher) that
what leads to life and growth of a crop involves the “death” of the grain of
wheat. Any number of you with me today understand this far better than I do!
·
However Jesus is not talking about agriculture or
farming here. In his preaching, he used examples and figures from farming or
fishing or other daily activities because his listeners could grasp those
examples and through them, grasp his message.
·
Jesus seems to know that his time among his disciples is coming to a close. His mission is not ended. In fact, the pinnacle of that
mission is coming quickly. He realized that his preaching and example and his
opposition to the abuse of power around him will put him in opposition to the
powerful and will most likely cost him his life.
·
Yet that cost will not be the end of it all. His
death will bring on the hardest lesson of the Kingdom of God. The lesson is
that death leads to life and a harvest of fruit for the Kingdom of God.
·
Alone one seed, one grain of wheat grows to a single
plant. Yet even that single plant requires the seed to break open and change.
It requires the seed to give up being a seed and become something more.
·
Should Jesus give up his life for the sake of the
Kingdom of God, it would lead to a strong witness to the values of that
Kingdom. It would also ultimately show the power and mercy and grace of God in
this world highlighted in the ultimate mystery of the Resurrection.
·
There the seed has fallen, died, broken open, and
come to new life! Such a mystery also points to the new life of those who
follow Jesus. As John tells us, Jesus said Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my
servant be also. We as his followers and disciple have our hope in
him to lead us to where he is.
·
However, if we are to be where Jesus is, somehow,
some way, we will follow the same path there. If Jesus could or would not
escape suffering, neither will we, although our suffering does not save us or
redeem us. It may let us be a little more like Jesus though.
·
This far into the season of Lent - even in the
middle of this pandemic and its isolation – we are facing the power of the
Church’s observance of Holy Week. Next week is Palm Sunday where we see and
experience both the triumph and joy of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the terror of his passion and
death. Good Friday follows shortly and we hear again of Jesus’ suffering for
the sake of those he loves and we are faced with the sadness and terror of the
cross.
·
Then Easter, where fallen and broken grain of wheat
is seen to bear fruit, not simply for itself but for the whole world, a world
that has to stand in awe of the grace of God portrayed in such a way.
·
The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the mystery of
this time in the Church’s life. We lost last Easter to it and we’re limited for
this Easter, but what we have in Holy Week cannot be destroyed by this disease
that both takes life and complicates life. The seed still falls, dies, and
ultimately bears fruit.
·
And in that fruit is our hope and our life.
·
“Pour
forth, we ask You, O Lord, Your grace into our hearts; that as we have known
the incarnation of Christ,
your Son by the message of an angel, so by His passion and cross we may be
brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
Very
truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it
remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
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