{Better late than never}
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First Reading: Isaiah
50:4-9a A reading from the prophet Isaiah The 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. The Lord God has
opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I 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. The
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; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us
stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It 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. The
Word of the Lord |
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:
9-16 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in
distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body
also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my
years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and
my bones waste away. I 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. I have passed out of mind like one who is
dead; I have become like a broken vessel. For I hear the whispering of many— terror all
around!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O Lord; I say,
“You are my God.” My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and
persecutors. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in
your steadfast love. |
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Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 A reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ
Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality
with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the
form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human
form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even
death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the
name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father. The
Word of the Lord. |
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Gospel: Luke
23: 13-49 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the
leaders, and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as
one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your
presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against
him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done
nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release
him.” Then they all shouted out together, “Away with
this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” (This was a man who had been put
in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for
murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them
again; but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time
he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground
for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release
him.” But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should
be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So
Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released
the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection
and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished. As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of
Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and
made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed
him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for
him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not
weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days
are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs
that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will
begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover
us.’ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when
it is dry?” Two others also, who were criminals, were led away
to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called
The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his
right and one on his left. Then Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they
cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but
the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if
he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked
him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the
King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over
him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged there kept
deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself
and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since
you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been
condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this
man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you
will be with me in Paradise.” It was now about noon, and darkness came over the
whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light
failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus,
crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my
spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw
what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was
innocent.” And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle
saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But
all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee,
stood at a distance, watching these things. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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The Prayers of the Church
The mercy of God is everlasting. With that in mind, we offer
our prayers for the world, the church, and for all people according to their
needs.
[Short pause]
Saving God, as we hear again of the passion and sufferings of
your Son, lerp us to be ever mindful of your care and grace. Lord, in your
mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, help us all follow the example of Christ, who
came to the world in humility and self-sacrifice. Lord, in your mercy, Hear
our prayer.
Saving God, grant your mercy to all in need in our
neighborhood – the sick, the lost, the forgotten, and those without hope. Lord,
in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, Be with all those who remain vulnerable to the
pandemic and with those who work to relieve their sufferings. Lord, in your
mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, grant peace to the peoples of both Ukraine and
Russia and to the people of Iraq. Grant wisdom to their leaders as well as a
true desire for peace and reconciliation. Lord, in your mercy, Hear
our prayer.
Saving God, watch over teachers and students and all who
work in education. Let their time together be safe and productive for their
future. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, look with favor on all who minister in the name of
your Son. Bless the congregation of Trinity,
Windsor and their interim pastor, Pastor Jack Dressler. Lord, in
your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, all life, health, and blessing comes from you.
Hear the prayers we keep in our hearts… * … Lord, in your mercy, Hear
our prayer.
{*Rose Gotzmeister, Gail
Mauer, Bill Ungar, Deb Kirschner, Pr. Bob Zimmerman}
Saving God, we thank you
for your mercy to our sister, Suzie Theiss, newly called to you, and to her
family in their grief. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Into your hands, O Lord,
we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Let the
same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
- Every year we hear the “Passion” read either on
Palm Sunday or on Good Friday. We know the details almost by heart.
Personally I think we need to hear it and hear what it means every year.
- Today’s reading from the letter to the Philippians
is an example of theology. Paul takes the story of Jesus’ life and death –
yes, and resurrection – and looks at what it means. He looks at what it
means for our salvation and the understanding of our own life and death.
He also looks at it for what it means for how we act and behave toward one
another as sisters and brothers in Christ. It appears that the Philippians
were having some trouble with that.
- Paul looks behind the event and applies its
meaning to both the proclamation of the Gospel of grace and to the
situation of the church in that place.
- Paul tells the people Let the same mind be in
you that was in Christ Jesus, saying the best thing for any
Christian would be to empty themselves of personal ambitions and
aggrandizement as Christ did. He gave up what he was and taking the form of a slave, becoming as we are, born in human form. This is
done so we might serve one another and not so we might be doormats for
every manipulative or selfish person. Dealing with that situation requires
a very different type of servanthood.
- There’s a theological term for the “emptying” but I’m not going to
say it or go into it today. What I will say is that the Christian is to be
empty but is not to remain empty!
- We are to be filled with the grace of God, the grace that comes to
us through Jesus’ own emptying, the emptying that led to his death on the
cross. His emptying leads to our fullness and the fullness of grace leads
us to eternal life.
- That emptying took Jesus from death to resurrected life, a specific
life and blessed name so that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- When I was a small child, I was taught to bow my head slightly when
I said or heard the name “Jesus.” I still do it now, although not always
and not perfectly. But maybe, just maybe, I’m taking part in that
confession of Jesus Christ as Lord.
…at the
name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
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