Ministry Matters Preach. Teach. Worship. Reach. Lead. "7 things the church can't do for the pastor | Helpful hosts don't assume | Down with the patriarchy" for Tuesday, 24 March 2015
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7 things the church can't do for the pastor by Ron Edmondson
Pastor, there are some things your church can’t do for you.
They simply can’t.
Please understand. I love the church. Greatly. I’m a local church guy. But, they just can’t do these things for you.
And, if you think they can, or you leave it up to them to do these things, you’ll someday find out the hard way — they can’t.
I’ve watched many times as pastors didn’t do these. They followed the demands of the church and somehow expected the church to be providing these needs. It caused a void.
Some pastors have even crashed and burned waiting for someone else to do for them what only they could do.
Granted, you may have the greatest church of your ministry career, but regardless of how wonderful the church is, they can’t do all the things for you that your soul, personal life and ministry demand.
You’ll have to do them yourself — by God’s grace — if they’re going to be done.
Here are 7 things your church can’t adequately do for the pastor:
Hold you accountable. The church can’t guard your heart and character. It doesn’t matter how many rules or committees they have, if you want to ruin your life, you’ll find a way around the structure.
Love your family and protect your time with them. They may love your family. They may respect your time with them, but if you really want to protect your family, you’ll have to take the lead role here.
Understand the demands on your time. They can’t. And, you’ll only be disappointed if you expect them to. All jokes aside, they know you work more than Sunday, but they don’t know all the pressure placed upon your role. They can’t understand any more than you can understand what it’s like to sit at their desk, or operate that machine they operate, or drive that police car or teach that classroom. We only know what we know and we can’t fully understand what another person’s experience is until we experience it.
Ensure you discipline your Sabbath time. You can teach it and they can know it, but if they need you they aren’t going to necessarily understand that you’re on a Sabbath. If you’re going to rest — if you’re going to have a biblically commanded Sabbath — you’ll have to discipline yourself to take it.
Read your mind. People are usually waiting to be led. They are looking for a vision to follow. They can’t follow an unspoken vision.
Build your sense of self-worth. If you’re waiting to hear how wonderful the message was, what a good job you’re doing, or how much the church loves you in order to feel you’re doing a good job, you’re going to be very disappointed most of the time. You’ll have to find your sense of self-worth in your relationship with God and living out his purpose for your life — the same place you’re hopefully encouraging the church to find their sense of self-worth.
Completely discern your call from God. Some may be used of God to speak into your life, but your personal calling is between you and God. They won’t always understand when you’re “called away” or when you feel “led” to lead in a certain direction. And you can’t expect them to.
Don’t expect others to do for you what only you — by God’s grace — can do.
Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.
Down with the patriarchy: On the path to real inclusivity by Kira Schlesinger
I was recently asked to give the prayer for the commencement festivities at the local university in the small town where I serve. In his request, the president noted that he had made an effort to get clergy from outside of the white, male, Southern Baptist/Church of Christ pastor box that is the majority of the town, namely an American Indian and a rabbi. He also noted that, in his memory, I will be the first woman with this honor. At first, my tendency towards pride took over. “Well, aren’t I special?” I thought to myself. But my second thought turned towards the ridiculousness of this. “It’s 2015. Why am I the first woman to do anything?”
It is 2015. Women are doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, engineers, rocket scientists, soldiers, professors, basketball players and politicians. There might be two women running for the highest political office in our country. Women sit on the Supreme Court and are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. The presiding bishop of my denomination is a woman, and I am not even the first woman clergyperson to serve my congregation. So why are there still barriers for women to break and uncharted territories for us to enter? And why, as clergy in a Mainline denomination, am I seen as an “outside-the-box” pick to say a prayer in public?
Some of this goes to the demographics of the area where I serve, but surely I should not be charting new territory simply by exercising my God-given vocation and role in the community as a female at this point in our history. Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is often asked how many women are enough on the Supreme Court. Her answer in an interview last year? “Nine … For most of the country’s history there were nine, and they were all men. Nobody thought that was strange.”
Her response exposes our patriarchal system that, in spite of equality gains for women and minorities, still sees male (usually white) power as normative. To include others as a nod towards inclusivity but treat them as tokens still upholds this normative power structure. It does so by regarding us as curiosities and novelties, while allowing the existing powers-that-be to pat themselves on the back for being so progressive and open-minded.
Presently, I am in the middle of reading Andrew Maraniss’ biography of Perry Wallace, the first African-American athlete to play in the Southeastern Conference, “Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South.” Just because Perry Wallace successfully played basketball for four years at Vanderbilt University did not automatically mean that the conference or the university was successfully integrated, much to the chagrin of several Vanderbilt administrators and white society in Nashville. As the book tells, Mr. Wallace found the experience extremely lonely and difficult. Tokenism is not equality.
While I may be the first woman to pray at this particular commencement, I certainly hope that I am not the last. I pray that, maybe, in that crowd of people is at least one other young woman who will see someone who looks like her in a role of spiritual leadership and think, “That’s what God is calling me to.” And I pray that when she is asked to pray in public for a mixed group of people, no one will think twice about her gender or consider her “outside the box.”
Helpful hosts don't assume by Joseph Yoo
"Just take APS and you can't miss us! We're on APS," said the person on the phone.
"APS? What is that?" I asked.
"Oh, uhm, it's the street that we're on."
"The street's name? How do you spell it?"
"Oh, no. It's an abbreviation. A-P-S."
"Oh, got it. Uh, what's it stand for?"
"I should know this. I guess you're new in town, huh? We haven't had to say what APS is short for in a long time. Man, I honestly can't remember. I'm so sorry. Once you find out what APS stands for, you can't miss us."
"Oh, all right. I'll try to find my way."
At that point, not even Siri could find the destination I was looking for. I had just moved to Santa Barbara and was trying to meet someone at a nonprofit organization. I couldn't even make it home without the aid of a GPS so finding what APS stood for and where it was on my own was going to be next to impossible. Siri (which had been recently introduced) was of no help. I eventually found out that APS was Alameda Padre Serra. And he was right, once I was on Alameda Padre Serra, the place wasn't that hard to find.
But I was annoyed at the conversation and at the effort it took for me to find the place. Why assume everyone knows what APS stands for? Why assume everyone who reaches out to you is a local? It was frustrating how unhelpful the representative of this organization was.
A season or so later, a friend of mine visited my church to "check up on me." We were catching up in my office and he asked where the bathroom was. Our women's bathroom is easy to find, as it's right next to the main entrance of our sanctuary. The men's bathroom is also easy to find, just not as easy as the women's.
"Go out of the sanctuary, take a right. Then go into the fellowship hall, take a right, and you'll see it. You can't miss it."
Five minutes later, he came back saying, "Dude. I can't find the bathroom." At first, I was annoyed with my friend for not being able to follow directions well. So I walked with him and then I realized that there are four different doors that you can take to enter our fellowship hall. How was he to know which door I meant, no matter how obvious it seemed to me?
I assumed that he'd know what I was talking about when I said, "Go into the fellowship hall." The guy on the phone assumed that I'd know where APS Road was. We had been insiders long enough that we began to assume that everyone is already an insider.
It's natural (and easy) for us assume that people know what we know. But it's probably safer to assume that not everyone is enlightened as we are.
Not everyone knows where the bathroom is located on your campus. Not everyone knows where the nursery is or where to take their children when they arrive at church. Do they go into the worship service? Is there Sunday school for the kids? Where are the classes?
Not everyone knows what occurs after the worship celebration ends. One of the loneliest times in worship is when the service is over because people are on a mad dash to their lunch plans or after-service duties / classes / studies / fellowship. Where's everyone going? How do I join that class? Where's the fellowship hall? Do I just go pick up my kids or are they going to be led to the fellowship hall? Are there refreshments available after worship? Are the doughnuts and coffee free?
We also shouldn't assume that people who visit us are familiar with church and Christian lingo — that everyone knows what Communion is and how to take it, that everyone knows what the Doxology is and knows to stand while singing it, or that everyone knows the Lord's Prayer, Amazing Grace, O For a Thousand Tongues and other church favorites by heart.
We should be welcoming, informative, understanding, grace-filled and loving — helping people feel like they've always been part of our community — that they've always belonged here even if it's their first time setting foot on the church campus.
We could be really helpful and put visitors at ease if we just stopped assuming.
Lyle Schaller, widely considered by pastors to be the most important and influential observer of church culture during the twentieth century in the United States, died March 18, 2015, at the age of 91. He is survived by six children and Agnes Peterson Schaller, his wife for 69 years. Agnes was a Vanderbilt student whom he met in 1946 at a Fourth of July picnic in Nashville, after serving as an aerial gunnery photographer for three and a half years during World War II.
Lyle Schaller studied at the University of Wisconsin and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in American history, a master’s degree in the new field of city and urban planning, and a master’s degree in political science. In 1957 he earned a divinity degree “with distinction” from the school now known as Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, while serving as the student pastor of a rural three-point charge in The Methodist Church.
During the 1950s, Schaller worked and published as a city planner in Madison, Wisconsin, and in the 1960s he was hired as a regional church planner by a group of eight denominations, which later grew to 14 denominations. For several years he taught at a seminary in Naperville, Illinois. While teaching, he invented the role of the independent church consultant, which many consultants have since imitated, and was the first to base consultations with congregations and denominations on the use of demographic and geographical data. He left the seminary to become a full-time parish consultant from the Yokefellow Parish Institute, a nondenominational study and retreat center in Richmond, Indiana. He served with Yokefellow for twenty-two and a half years. He continued interacting with seminaries, serving as a guest lecturer at more than thirty theological seminaries and as a resource person for dozens of pastors’ schools.
Lyle Schaller’s publications exceed three million words. His first book was published by Abingdon Press in 1964. The book probed the crisis facing urban churches. Between 1964 and 2005 he published 55 books (all with Abingdon Press), editing 41 more titles in series such as the Creative Leadership Series, and he produced thousands of essays in periodicals such as Christianity Today, Leadership Journal, The Lutheran Standard, The Episcopalian, Gospel Herald, Christian Century and Presbyterian Survey. His monthly periodical, The Parish Paper, had a circulation of over 200,000 in twenty-eight denominations. At least three of his books exceeded 100,000 copies sold: “Getting Things Done,” “Assimilating New Members,” and “The Change Agent,” which was also widely read in medical andnursing schools. All of Schaller’s books were about helping church leaders adapt to change. Schaller’s best known “one-liner” in his presentations was a variation of the idea that most churches still don’t know what time it is. “Eight out of ten church leaders think that next year will be 1955,” he said in his deadpan style, “and if 1955 comes around again, they’ll be ready.”
In 2002 Schaller published “The Interventionist,” which explains his method (including more than three hundred questions) for diagnosing and resolving problems in churches. Shortly after the publication of “The Interventionist,” Cynthia Woolever, a sociologist of religion and consultant, took a one-week course with Schaller. “I feel I learned everything I ever needed to know about congregations that week. He reminded me of a country doctor—wise and perceptive—who relied on intuition to diagnose illness. His approach involves equal parts caring from the heart and thinking with the head.”
In the 1990s, the Los Angeles Times polled pastors and other church leaders nationwide to determine who had the most influence on their ministries and organizations. Lyle Schaller was listed first in the poll, named more often than any other leader, because millions of church leaders read his books and experienced his advice and interventions through more than 6,000 church consultations and hundreds of seminars among congregations and denominations of all types.
The breadth of Lyle Schaller’s influence spanned most US denominations and theological traditions, and his broadly accepted wisdom was impactful across the spectrum of diverse Christian belief systems. For example, when W. A. Criswell, two-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention and seminary president, died in 2002, Dallas Theological Seminary contracted with Lyle Schaller as a consultant to guide their planning following the death of Criswell. The following week, Lyle Schaller led a strategic planning consultation with the Metropolitan Community Churches, a denominational network of LGBT congregations. 
Schaller’s work influenced many effective ministries. United Methodist pastor Charles Anderson compared Schaller to today’s social media. “For me, reading or listening to Schaller is like a precursor to Twitter: Schaller could always deliver profound ideas and predictions in 140 characters or less.”
Church leaders unfamiliar with the works of Lyle Schaller, which are still in print and available digitally, may start with survey book about his work, found in “Wisdom From Lyle E. Schaller: Elder Statesman of Church Leadership,” compiled by Warren Bird (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012).
Tributes to Lyle E. Schaller
“Lyle Schaller was the first expert to recognize that the secret of the megachurch’s attraction was not its size but its ability to meet personal needs in a large-scale way. This revelation helped me focus on assimilation rather than the growth, which caused our growth. That was a game changer for me.” —Rick Warren, Lead Pastor, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA
“Lyle Schaller changed my ministry. He told me that I think too small, and he was right! Let his writings stretch you in the same way.” —Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of LifeChurch.tv
“I credit Schaller’s books for clarifying my call into ministry.” —Tammy Kelley, Founder, Intelligent Design, Inc., previous senior staff at Willow Creek Community Church and Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church
“As a young seminarian, while serving as a youth pastor, I first heard the name Lyle Schaller spoken by leaders who I respected. They spoke of him as a mystical, Moses-like character who had the wisdom of Solomon. He was a catalyzing influence in my life who gave me permission to dream bigger dreams for the beautiful mess that is the local church.” —Jorge Acevedo, Lead Pastor, Grace Church, Cape Coral, Fort Myers Shores
“Lyle Schaller has had an incalculable impact upon American Christianity. He devoted his life to challenging, encouraging, and sometimes cajoling church leaders in the hope of seeing congregations renewed and disciples made.” —Adam Hamilton, Senior Pastor, Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, KS
“We learned very quickly that Schaller understood the dynamics of a large church much better than any other author or consultant we knew. His book [The Multiple Staff and the Larger Church] and his insights have had a vital role in shaping my ministry throughout the last thirty years, especially about staffing. Big churches really are unique.” —Linda McCoy, pastor at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, IN
“He taught a generation of church leaders to think strategically, both in large-scale matters like how to be a change agent and in small nuggets like learning to find more variables at play than a church’s leadership team currently has in mind.” —George Hunter, emeritus professor at Asbury Theological Seminary
“Schaller is the most important and clearheaded observer of American Christianity in this century. Schaller is to American Christianity as Peter Drucker or Alexis deTocqueville is to the broader culture.” —Bob Buford, cable TV pioneer and co-founder of Leadership Network
This week of Lent, my suggestion is to give up going to church. Some of you already have. The rest of you may be wondering why on earth I would make this suggestion. Isn’t the whole push for congregational renewal to get people back in to church?
Jesus went to synagogue on Sabbath, “as was his custom.” So did Paul. So why shouldn’t we followers of Jesus, and of the teachings of Paul, go to church?
Is it that in many ways church has served its purpose?
After all, the message of Jesus has already escaped into the world. The focus on sacrificial love, the need for community, servant leadership — all these concepts have made their way deep into the culture of the world we live in. Even business leaders are counseled to practice servant leadership.
No, that’s not what I had in mind.
Is it that the idea of going to church is relatively new, at least in U.S. history? As Diana Butler Bass writes in “Christianity After Religion,” people didn’t really go to church much before the Civil War. “Because of the lack of trained clergy and the long distances people sometimes had to travel to even get to a church building, parents acted as the arbiters and authorities of a faith tradition, teaching their children the Bible, Christian ethics and even liturgy in the their own homes. Mothers and midwives often baptized infants, especially those in distress. Homes often served as ritual space, as most baptisms, marriages and funerals happened in the family parlor.” It wasn’t until after the Civil War that religion restructured and became more like big business.
No, that’s not what I had in mind either. Although the house church, the local Bible study, and other forms of re-emergent Christian community are intriguing.
Is it that just like you don’t have to go to a store to buy what you need, since you can get almost everything online, do you really have to a church building to fill your religious or spiritual cup?
Nope. In many ways it’s true. But that’s not what I was thinking either.
The biggest reason I am suggesting to give up going to church has to do with the meaning of the word church. Church is drawn from the Latin ecclesia and the Greek ekklesia. It’s where we get the words ecclesiology and ecclesiastical.
Rather than refer to a building, biblically speaking, it means a called out people of God. Just as Jesus called Andrew and Peter, then James and John to follow him, so in a sense all followers of Jesus are called out too.
The point is, church is more about being a community of believers than it is about the building that people may meet in. It’s more about our way of being, than our location for meeting.
So we can’t very well go to church, when we are the church. In fact, that may be a cop out. A way of avoiding our own personal responsibility for letting the Light shine through us, or actually practicing our faith.
Maybe that’s why there’s such an emphasis these days on getting beyond the church walls to do mission and ministry. It’s the church in action, out in in the world, that makes a difference. Not necessarily the quality of the building.
Or maybe that’s why more people report feeling closer to God in nature than in a church building. The buildings themselves, notwithstanding the ancient churches of Europe, often aren’t inherently special. It’s we the people — alive with the Spirit — that can be something special.
This Lent, it’s time to give up going to church. Time to finally be church.
Reggie McNeal suggests 3 ways congregations can make this shift in his book “Missional Renaissance.”
1. Shift from an internal to an external focus. Look beyond organizational goals to the needs of the community around you.
2. Shift from program development to people development. Instead of focusing on delivering specific doctrinal content to people, cultivate a culture in which people can pursue their own customized spiritual journeys.
3. Shift from church-based to Kingdom-based leadership. Free people up from club-based activities like chairing committees that don’t make much of a difference to reaching out to the world around you. This can be even at the simplest levels of praying for and blessing others. Or the level of abolishing hunger or homelessness in your town.
Jesus himself spent more time out and about proclaiming the Kingdom than he ever did in synagogue. His followers were with him every step of the way. Isn’t it time we followed suit and did the same?
Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com.
As an extrovert, I often strike up conversations with people on my 15 minute train ride every day from my home to my church in Portland, Oregon. Sometimes I’ll say “I’m a pastor.” Other times I’ll say “I’m an executive in a nonprofit and I work in the department of quality assurance.” Though I “come clean” about what I mean, the latter sometimes transforms the conversation in ways the former does not, and I wonder why …
We are a global enterprise …
I recently watched a short clip featuring the British evangelist J. John about an airport encounter he had when someone asked him “What do you do?” Here’s the video and the transcript is below.
Quote (light editing):
I like to be a little bit creative in telling people what I do. I sat next this lady on an airplane at Heathrow Airport and I said “Hello, where are you going?” and she says “I’m going to Singapore, where are you going?” I said “I’m going to Australia…what to you do?” And she told me then she said “what do you do?”
I said “Well…I work for a global enterprise.” She said “Do you?” I said “Yes I do, we’ve got outlets in nearly every country of the world.” She said “Have you?” “Yes, we’ve got hospitals and hospices and homeless shelters, we do marriage work, we’ve got orphanages, we’ve got feeding programs, educational programs, all sorts of justice and reconciliation things. Basically, we look after people from birth to death and deal in the area of behavioral alteration.”
She said “Wow…what’s it called?”
I said “It’s called the Church.”
The what or the why…
I have mixed feelings about such an approach.
On the one hand, being coy about being an evangelist where the objective with every interaction is to help the other person know Christ is a bit irritating. People assume that because you are an evangelist that your ultimate goal with that particular interaction is to change them. So hiding one’s objective behind humor or cute wordsmithing doesn’t change that your goal with the interaction is to–in J. John’s words–modify them.
On the other hand, it is refreshing to focus on the what of Christianity rather than just the why. That Christians are spurred to start hospitals and have collectively cared for the sick since the trade routes from the Middle East to China were begun. Educational organizations, advocacy organizations, or just a homeless shelter for one person one night a week–that’s the WHAT of what Christians do (not exclusively, but descriptively).
Too often, evangelical conversations begin with the “why”: Why you should believe in Jesus Christ. Why your life will be better. Why you will get eternal life. In its worst forms, why God hates the gays and you should turn or burn. Even prooftexting begins with the why: “these words have authority. Why? Because they are in the Bible.” By beginning with the why, it often shuts people out to hear the what.
So the what is more powerful than the why, and opens the conversation by allowing people to connect with what your life’s work is actively doing. Eternal life is pretty important, sure, but it often becomes important to the individual later in the conversation, in my experience.
… or the how?
But ultimately, while people care about the what, the key question is the how. Toms shoes is uninteresting until you know about the Buy One Get One model. In the same way, we must ask “how” the Church achieve the “whats.”
Too often in this day and age, we venerate the churches who do the whats. If their numbers of worshippers are up, we lift them up. If their donations pour in, we lift them up. If they havespontaneous baptisms by the hundreds, we lift them up. By every account, Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill church in Seattle was a success by the “whats.” The ends are more important than the means.
But since most of those soap bubbles break, the how is more important. People care about the how, about the means justifying the whats, so we must be forthright in the church about the how.
My denomination of the United Methodist Church has a mission statement: “Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Transforming the world is the what … but the how is by making disciples. By strengthening discipleship, by connecting passion for transformation with the why “because of Jesus Christ,” that’s ultimately how things are best done. By being intentional about community and thoughtful about engagement, the whats are achieved in the best “how” possible.
In a world where the whats no longer sustain Christendom, it’s the process that matters, not the product. It’s the means that matter, not the ends. It’s the how that really matters, not the what or the why. If we aren’t solid on that, in the 24-7 youtubed and archived world we live in, then the whats ultimately don’t matter.
Thoughts?
Enough from this pastor; what are your thoughts?
Does focusing on the “what” rather than the “why” change your conversations about your ministry context?
And is being open and correctable about the “how” an active part of your ministry?
This post was first published at Hacking Christianity.
I wonder what non-Christians would think of us Christians if they could see us practicing tolerance. I have to wonder, because tolerance of divergent views in the church seems to be in short supply when it comes to certain explosive issues.
One recent example is the split among Alabama Baptists regarding same-sex marriage. This month, the Madison Baptist Association voted to remove the Weatherly Heights Baptist Church from its association because Dr. David Freeman, Weatherly’s pastor, is pro-same-sex marriage.
"It is truly a sad evening for Southern Baptists and the Madison Association Baptists," Charlie Howell, MBA’s director of missions, told AL.com. “Our Association has lost one of its sister churches. But our Executive Board has deemed it necessary that we remain true to the biblical definition of marriage in belief and practice.”
The recent legalization of gay marriage in Alabama and the decision of the Rev. Dr. Ellin Jimmerson, one of Weatherly’s unpaid staff pastors, to marry the first same-sex couple in Madison County undoubtedly brought the conflict between Freeman and the MBA to a head.
“We cannot waver on the absolute truths that will last for all eternity," preached outgoing Alabama Baptist Convention President John Killian in November of last year. It was his final sermon to convention attendees, a message that vigorously reiterated opposition to same-sex marriage on what Killian said are Biblical grounds. And it likely helped set the tone for the MBA’s decision.
Freeman could have reacted by making a public defense of his position. Instead, he opted to make a plea for tolerance and individual spiritual integrity.
"Gay marriage is ripping some denominations and churches apart,” Dr. David Freeman told AL.com. “But not all. It is not an essential of the faith; therefore it does not have to damage relationships. I have people in my congregation who disagree on this issue and still love and respect each other. Each person is encouraged to open his or her mind, open his or her Bible, and then, before Almighty God, wrestle with the issue and the text. We do not all arrive at the same conclusion, but we do respect the others' honest struggle with God."
We live in an era defined by partisan polemics and ideological attacks. Politics has become a zero-sum game. But isn’t faith supposed to be different than politics? Shouldn’t mature Christians be able to co-exist in a denomination without line-by-line doctrinal agreement?
I’ve talked to enough believers to know that many of us already share pews with people whose beliefs don’t line up with our denominations’ company lines. These dissidents include both clergy and laity. Some dissent quietly, even secretly, sharing their true thoughts only with a select few. Others are quite public, putting their dissent on display without explanation or even defense.
What I’ve often noticed with the public dissidents is that once it’s clear that they don’t disagree with church doctrine out of hatred or a desire to be contentious — but because they have, as Freeman advised, engaged in an honest struggle with God — they are accepted and keep a place in the family.
I believe that’s how the MBA could have chosen to handle its disagreement with Weatherly Heights. And if it had, the message that many of us would have gotten is that unity doesn’t have to mean uniformity. Differences don’t have to result in division. We can, as Freeman said, disagree but still love and respect each other.
This is what people have to do in families. Spouses don’t always agree on their deeply held beliefs. Neither do parents and children, or siblings. Yet if we truly value family, we don’t let differing opinions about religion, sexuality or politics divide us from our loved ones.
So if we can practice tolerance in our families — the most intimate of all social units — then why can’t we in churches? Perhaps we can and will, once we decide that having a fellowship based in love is more important than proving who’s right and who’s not.
(RNS) “Bless you for playing Jesus, peace be upon him.”
This was the reaction of Lebanese-born actor Haaz Sleiman’s mother after she learned that her son had been cast as Jesus inNational Geographic Channel’s “Killing Jesus.” The three Abrahamic religions will collide on Palm Sunday (March 29) when the television special premieres, with a 24-year-old Muslim actor playing Jesus, the Jewish rabbi who Christians believe was God made flesh.
The television movie is adapted from the New York Times best-selling book by Fox News host Bill O’Reilly and co-author Martin Dugard. Sleiman digested the book, among others, in preparation for the role. He says he was excited to portray Jesus, a person he described as “the ultimate teacher,” who has “heavily influenced” his life.
Both the book and film retell Jesus’ crucifixion and accounts of his resurrection — two events that are central to Christianity but not embraced by Islam. Sleiman said he wasn’t aware of the difference before he accepted the role, and it wasn’t a concern for him.
“As an actor, my No. 1 focus was to be on the same page with the writer, director and producers,” he said.
Christians believe that Jesus was both divine and human, while Muslims accept only his humanity. The script’s focus on this aspect of Jesus is something that Sleiman said was important to him.
“The idea that we got to focus on the humanity of Jesus was very inspiring and empowering to me,” Sleiman said. “It is what Jesus came to show us, the beauty of humanity and the love we are capable of having towards one another; even to love your own enemy.”
Asked about any disapproval from conservative Christians to the idea of a Muslim playing Jesus, the actor replied: “I cannot speak for Jesus, but I can quote his teachings, and he said, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ … How would he react to me playing Jesus? He wouldn’t judge it. He wouldn’t judge his own enemy. … Playing this part highlights his teaching in a very nice way.”
Either way, Sleiman is a rare choice in Hollywood — a person of actual Middle Eastern descent playing the lead role in a biblical epic. The film’s executive producer, Ridley Scott, was widely criticized for casting white actors to play Egyptians andHebrews in “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and for saying it would have been impossible to finance a film filled with actors named “Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such.”
Sleiman said he hopes people of all faiths, including Muslims, will watch “Killing Jesus” (8 p.m. EDT on the National Geographic Channel) and be transformed by Jesus, just like he has been.
“Today more than ever,” he said, “we need to apply (Jesus’) teachings in our lives.” 
The pastoral letter from Presbyterian Church (USA)’s leadership shot through our ranks in the minutes after last week’s deciding presbytery vote approving same-sex marriage —undoubtedly written weeks in advance as the totals rolled in from across the U.S.
“We encourage the congregations … to continue to be in conversation about marriage and family,” it read. “We hope that such ‘up/down’ voting does not mark the end, but the continuation of our desire to live in community.”
Fat chance, I thought.
How do we keep talking about an issue so divisive that about 300 congregations have left for other denominations since a 2011 vote approving openly gay clergy? How do we keep talking when pastors say they’re fearful that leadership will renege on a promise never to force them to marry anyone?
It seems I’m wrong. Observers with vastly more experience say the conversation absolutely will continue, because it must.
Let me give you some context on the vote and its aftermath through a look at my Nashville church and the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee. Downtown Presbyterian Church is an historic building, its sanctuary decorated in 1880 to look like an Egyptian (read: pagan) temple. Artists lease studio space on our upper floors for a pittance. Our largest ministry is feeding homeless people, and we incubated the nation’s largest street newspaper in our offices.
All that to say Downtown Presbyterian tends to draw a membership ranging from social moderates to liberals whose hearts aren’t just bleeding, they’re gushing.
If anyone at my church is angry about the recent vote, they haven’t told me. Most people expressed wild support of 14F — the amendment that changed PCUSA’s constitutional definition of marriage from a “civil contract between a man and a woman” to a “unique commitment between two people.” When the Middle Tennessee Presbytery took a vote required of all 171 presbyteries by the 2014 General Assembly, there was little doubt how Downtown Presbyterian’s representatives would go.
But their votes are by no means representative of our presbytery as a whole, where the final tally on 14F was 92 in favor, 84 against. There are PCUSA congregations a few miles down the road with genuine concerns about the amendment.
A similar amendment narrowly failed on a vote at the 2012 General Assembly, but a lot has changed in that short time. Six states and Washington, D.C., allowed same-sex marriage then. Now, it’s legal in all but 13, with Supreme Court hearings pending that could overturn bans in those.
Some Presbyterians compare denying the marriage ritual to same-sex couples with supporting slavery: an antiquated concept that enjoys biblical support but no Christian believes in now. Others say allowing same-sex marriage means capitulating to modern society at the expense of God’s approval.
Bruce Reyes-Chow, a San Francisco pastor and 2008-10 General Assembly moderator, is of the first variety. He also believes most congregations that were going to leave already have done so or at least made their intentions known.
“Presbyterians, once we take a step forward, won’t go back. So how do we live in disagreement between churches? We have to,” he said.
“I want to reserve the right for myself not to perform a wedding for whatever reason, and I want to make sure that’s an option for other pastors, whether it is right or wrong. We need to make sure there’s not a demonizing of those who disagree. That will be the conversation.”
He said some of his conservative friends are realizing marriage isn’t as big of an issue to the denomination as they initially thought. The Presbyterian Church doesn’t consider marriage a sacrament like baptism and communion, but a sacred ritual, like laying on of hands. Yet Presbyterians don’t deny baptism or communion to gay people.
Reyes-Chow said he’s not hearing resignation in the voices of those who opposed same-sex marriage, just an understanding that they’re still welcome, and that those who supported it are willing to work together with them.
Carmen Fowler LaBerge, president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, a Tennessee-based conservative watchdog group and news agency, agrees the conversation can continue. But she questions the idea that performing same-sex unions will remain voluntary instead of compulsory. If it’s a matter of justice, she said, how can it?
On the other hand, she’s ready for PCUSA to move on to something else.
“There are huge issues we could all be addressing together,” Fowler LaBerge said. “In terms of our public witnesses, for the world to see Presbyterians talking about something other than sex would be really good.”
She’s predicting another 200-400 PCUSA churches will shift to the more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church and ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
But Fowler LaBerge, who set aside her PCUSA ordination over these sorts of issues, said she’s staying put and will keep talking.
“You can only speak to these issues if you remain in the conversation,” she said.
Matt O'Reilly discusses the importance of the doctrine ofjustification by faith in this video from Seedbed's Seven Minute Seminary series.
Matt O'Reilly blogs at Orthodoxy for Everyone.
This article is part of Ministry Matters' ongoing collection of responses to President Obama's Selma speech. Follow the project as it grows and join the discussion at www.ministrymatters.com/SelmaSpeech
Anniversaries are special times. We remember the past and tell the stories that have shaped our lives. We celebrate old victories and renew long-standing relationships. We ask hard questions about why things happened and discuss what might have been. We also think about our values and envision a future that can move forward from where we are and where we have been.
As bishop I attend many anniversary celebrations of local churches where all of those aspects are part of a well-planned celebration. The recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama was a powerful event. President Obama’s remarks cast a vision that should be compelling for all of us.
Selma calls us to a vision of an inclusive America. Our diversity is our strength. We are black, white, brown, yellow and mixed-race. We are raised speaking many different languages at home but share English as a common tongue. We eat many different kinds of food and embrace many different cultures. We have deeply held values expressed in our founding documents such as “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Yet even those documents expressed the limitations of the 18th century, for we would now say “all persons” are created equal to show our commitment to the equal rights of women as well as men.
As Christians our commitment to such radical inclusiveness is founded on three crucial doctrines. First, we believe that God created humanity in God’s own image (Genesis 1:28). That means that every human being is a beloved creature of God and worthy of respect and dignity. Yes, all of us are sinners, but the image of God has not been destroyed — it has only been disfigured by the disease of sin.
Second, Christ died for all. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Wesleyan Christians believe in universal redemption — the idea that God desires the salvation of every human being.
Third, our understanding of heaven is that people from all nations and races will say yes to God’s offer of salvation and join together around the throne. When I live on earth with diverse groups of people, I am simply practicing for heaven, because God is going to save people from all the different groups in the world.
At the same time, President Obama’s speech also focused on the reality of our sin. Racism is alive and well in America. We have made significant progress since 1776. Laws have been changed, customs are different, and we have a black man as our leader. Yet, the reality of discrimination and oppression must be confronted.
People of all races should recommit to building the relationships that transcend racial barriers. We should focus on laws and public policies that change the discrimination which limits opportunity for so many. Police-community relations in our cities need a great deal of work. We need to change our immigration policies to allow a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented among us. We need to teach the value of diversity in our schools and churches. We are committed to an inclusive America and an inclusive United Methodist Church.
When we face the reality of our national sin, such as continued evidence of racism, we should not give in to cynicism and despair. We believe in God, and we know that God is working for justice for all and we want to be part of that. As Christians, we believe in that kind of America. May the anniversaries of the civil rights movement remind us of how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go.
(RNS) Pardon the yawn.
The 1.8 million-member Presbyterian Church (USA) on Tuesday (March 17) voted to officially approve of same-sex marriage, an announcement that shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed the mainline Protestant denomination’s trajectory. Perhaps a more substantial but less widely reported story was the decision by City Church, San Francisco’s largest evangelical congregation, to affirm LGBT couples.
Evangelicals are among the most stalwart opponents to LGBT marriage, but a number of evangelical congregations have publicly shifted their stance in the last year. Among them are Seattle’s Eastlake Community Church, Nashville’s GracePointe Church, Portland’s Christ Church, and New Heart Community Church in La Mirada, Calif. Other prominent evangelical pastors tell me off the record that they are in the midst of similar conversations.
Churches aren’t the only evangelical factions inching left on matters of sexuality. Popular Christian musicians and worship leaders have either come out of the closet or publicly voiced support of LGBT equality. And evangelical publishers have released a glut of books taking progressive positions on sexuality and marriage. These stories are part of an ongoing media narrative about shifting evangelical attitudes on LGBT issues.
Support for LGBT concerns has increased among nearly every subset of Christians, and a look at data from organizations such as the Pew Research Center and Public Religion Research Institute shows evangelicals are indeed shifting. If the Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide as early as this year, shifts in public opinion could quicken.
The data makes clear that opposition to same-sex marriage is coming mainly from a small and aging subset of the Christian world. If you follow the headlines, it feels like an invisible finger has flicked the first domino in a long row of tiles.
But don’t be fooled. Evangelicals are still mostly opposed to same-sex marriage and concerned about how gay rights might infringe on religious freedom. A lot of time remains on the game clock, and much of the field is yet to be negotiated.
The Barna Group, for example, reports that evangelicals have “become more resistant toward LGBT concerns on several fronts.” But Barna uses an extremely narrow nine-point definition of evangelical that is not embraced by any other major polling organization.
Many conservative Christian leaders and political organizations tell me that they consider same-sex marriage to be a fait accompli, and most seem to have shifted their attention away from legally banning gay marriage and now focus on churches, nonprofits and businesses.
The Southern Baptist Convention cut ties with New Heart Community Church after its pastor endorsed homosexuality, and the Evangelical Covenant Church withdrew its support of Christ Church after its pastor made similar statements. After World Vision announced it would hire people in LGBT marriages, the swift public outcry forced the organization to renege. And conservative Christian organizations are pouring money and energy into religious liberty battles to protect Christian florists, cake bakers and photographers from having to serve LGBT couples.
The jury is still out on each of these matters, and it is possible that compromises may arise. Consider, for example, how evangelicals evolved on the issue of divorce during the past three decades. As the general public became more accepting of divorce, many conservative Christians followed suit. But others found ways to be more inclusive of divorced Christians in their congregations and communities without moral affirmation of divorce itself. It seems quite possible that a similar path may be carved on sexuality.
To hear some commentators talk, debates on these matters are over and conservatives have lost. But such predictions are premature. Some evangelicals have indeed shifted on LGBT issues, but it’s no avalanche — at least not yet.
RNS) “Dig,” the new action-thriller series from the USA Network, is starting to add up — at least in terms of its religious content.
The third episode, broadcast Thursday (March 19), advanced plot lines involving an apocalyptic sect of Jews, a desert-dwelling Christian cult, a stolen Torah breastplate rumored to be a telephone to God and a really cute baby cow named “Red” who is having a less-than-excellent adventure.
Tossed like a ball of spices into that potboiler of a story is a difficult biblical text, a secretive society dedicated to restoring the Jewish temple on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and what may be a nod to Jewish numerology.
“It’s all about XIX,” or the number 19, FBI agent Peter Connelly (Jason Isaacs) reads in a journal swiped from a murdered archaeologist.
Here — with spoiler alerts — is what’s behind the newly introduced religious elements to the “Dig” storyline.
Numerology:
Ever notice how in the Bible there are always 12 of this (Tribes of Israel, disciples) and 40 of that (days of rain, years in the desert)? It’s never eight or 11 or — heaven forbid — 17?
That’s because ancient cultures, especially biblical-era Jews, practiced numerology — the belief that numbers have specific religious or spiritual significance. There is a whole branch of study in Judaism called “gematria” by which letters of the Hebrew alphabet are given numerical values and scholars add them up in a search for meaning. The creators of “Dig” seem to be aware of this and are having some fun.
Twice in episode three, the number of Peter Connelly’s hotel room — seven — is pointedly shown. In numerology, seven is considered a perfect number, a “divine” number, the number of God. It represents holiness and sanctification — two themes that pop up over and over again in the search for the “pure” red heifer and the apparent need to keep the boy Joshua’s feet “unsoiled.”
And when Peter has a bad dream, his bedside clock reads 11 p.m. In the BIble, 11 represents chaos, disorder, even impurity.
Then there’s that pesky number 19, which is behind much of the episode’s action. In biblical numerology, one is considered the number of God and nine is the number of his judgment. That sounds ominous enough for a thriller-conspiracy-action series like “Dig.”
And here’s something that may mean all or nothing at all — in Islam, the 19th verse of the 19th chapter of the Quran announces Jesus’ birth — “a pure boy.” And there’s something very Jesus-y going on in “Dig” surrounding the character of Joshua — the boy who has to be kept “unsoiled.”
Spoiler alert! Slowpokes, read on at your peril!
The Book of Numbers:
Peter’s quest to decipher the meaning of dead (young, hot, haunting) archaeologist Emma Wilson (Alison Sudol) leads him to a courtyard in Jerusalem’s Old City where an open book sits on a podium. Lo, it is open to Numbers, the fourth book of the Jewish Bible. And what chapter is it open to? Behold: Chapter 19.
This is the chapter that refers to a pure red heifer as something required to purify the Israelites before they can restore the Temple, the home of God, or Yahweh, in Jerusalem. “Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee a red cow of full age, in which there is no blemish, and which hath not carried the yoke.”
Numbers 19 has occupied Jews and Christians for millennia. Some scholars say the color of the heifer refers to the sins of humanity. The requirement that it not have carried a yoke may symbolize that it obeys no man, only God.
Whatever it means, it bodes nothing good for poor little Red, who spends all of episode three hungry and crying in the hold of a ship bound for Croatia.
“Welcome to The Jerusalem Heritage Center”
That’s the greeting of a (young, hot, beautiful) woman as Peter and Israeli detective Golan Cohen (Ori Pfeffer) read the Book of Numbers in the ancient courtyard. She gives them a tour of what seems to be a museum or cultural center dedicated to the Old Testament, with videos of the Ark of the Covenant and a priestly figure in a golden breastplate.
Jerusalem has a Heichal Shlomo Jewish Heritage Center, but it is in a modern building. And maybe it has a mysterious basement with electronic locks and menacing rabbis who sneak up on snooping FBI agents. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI visited there in 2009, but he didn’t mention any.
Perhaps the creators of “Dig” are referring to the Temple Institute, a private organization that promotes the re-establishment of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount — a controversial endeavor as the Temple Mount is now home to the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine.
And as for that sneaky, scheming Rabbi Lev (Shmil Ben Ari), could he be a not-so-veiled reference to Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the current leader of the Temple Institute?
It might add up.
In a few weeks, many churches will be sending out their first quarter report. It may share some things about the church and will certainly contain some notation about the giving of the recipient. What will be different this year than last? The only reason to do the same thing as last year is if you hope to have exactly the same results as 2014. If you hope for more disciples and more generous people and subsequently more dollars, then perhaps you should consider something different from what you did before. DUH!
1) The email blast or congregational letter died about 10 years ago. They are not helpful. Successful churches have learned that they must segment their communications. The person who is a lifelong tither should get one type of letter, and the person who has not given in over a year another type of communication. First time donors should get something unique. Just like the longtime $50.00 a week donor. This first quarter every church should segment out the congregation's donor base into at least five segments and in larger churches, it may be more. At a minimum these should be 1)Tithers; 2)Those continuing to give as before; 3)Those who have increased from previous year; 4) First time donors; 5) Non-donors.
2) With your quarterly report statement, you must have a story that has passion in it about the ministry of the church. You want your communication to touch the heart and not the head. Giving comes from the heart! Write out what you want to send to the congregation, and then ask someone in the office, "When you read this, do you feel anything or do you just know more than before?" "Does this letter show passion and the impact our church is having on persons and the community?" If you get a yes to both, then send it. If you get a no, then redo it.
3) In your quarterly report, is there any information to help people know all the different ways they can give to the church — website, kiosk, EFT, Plate, QR code, cellphone? Have you created any new avenues for persons to use this year? If not, what else might you do? Have you even created a new way to give since you had a flip phone? The donor world is changing. Is your church changing with it?
4) Finally, what two things that have historically been supported through your operating budget can you give your members the opportunity to support through a designated gift this year? The unified budget quit working with the typewriter. Today's donors like designating more than ever before. How can you fulfill that desire in them and help the church at the same time?
For a great many of our churches the first quarter report is the time to start making a difference in stewardship for 2015. Of course, you could just wait till December and beg again!
J. Clif Christopher blogs at Horizons Stewardship.
A recent parody poked fun at innovation in the church by pretending that an ancient church, 1,700 years old, had rebranded its name to match an American, nondenominational megachurch. It’s pretty funny stuff, and I congratulate the authors because parody is a persuasive rhetorical tool. The unspoken criticism of the image is directed toward church leaders who ostensibly advocate change on a trendline, with the accompanying loss of the church’s traditions.
I agree with the parody makers that such change is a bad idea. But not because new forms of worship are bad; rather, a lot of what passes for innovation in the church is a backward, outside-in approach to creative thinking, and invariably it fails.
It’s critical to understand what innovation is and what it is not.
Innovation comes from within
Change that works isn’t a trend to adopt or a technique to add or a committee or staff person to acquire. Innovation comes from within, from our inherent creativity. We’re made to be co-creators, in the image of God. Creativity is what we’re called to do and how we’re called to live. Part of the beauty of redemption in Christ is that we now have the freedom to rediscover the creative wonder we were given in the beginning.
Creativity is raw material. It’s the process of having new ideas with value. Most of us lose sight of our creativity and become content with following and maintenance and comfort and even consumption, and we lose track of our capability to generate new ideas.
Innovation is the process of acting on new ideas. When we create, and we make new things, we call the resulting deliverable “innovation.” Innovation is the resulting new product or program, the new service that leads to new attendees, the new communication system that keeps people plugged in better to the church, and so on. Innovation is the end result of creativity.
Innovation seems novel when creativity is latent
The problem is that, since we’ve lost sight of our innate creativity, in most organizations — education, business, and the church — innovation is scarce, and invariably meets with resistance.
This is perhaps why over 90% — almost all — congregations decline after their 15th year of existence. (Meaning, statistically speaking, there is a dramatic reduction in baptisms in congregations after their fifteenth year.) To use an old Texas saying, they begin to confuse Jesus and the horse he rode in on. They make holy the methodologies that they used at their inception, then the time and space around the congregation changes.
Jesus fought against the practices of the religious establishment of his day because they had done precisely this — they had come to value their methodologies more than their source.
The problem with the image above is that the basis for its mockery suggests that there is one perfect incarnation of a Christian congregation, aloft above time and space, when there is in fact not. There is a universal body of Christ, but the form that the body of Christ takes is through local congregations, and each congregation is Incarnational — it lives in a time and space, and as a result trades in ideas limited by that time and space. These ideas get old as time and space changes. What the church needs is people being who they’re made to be, creating.
When we create, we introduce new ideas
I don’t know many people who set out to upset those who prefer the status quo. I just know people who want to create. Creativity is what we’re made to do and who we’re made to be, as humans and as Christ followers. When we create, the things we make grow. When our focus is on making something new, innovation is what happens. To be creative, to innovate, is to be a change agent — not because it’s trendy, but because it’s what we’re made to do.
Church growth isn’t the goal; it’s the outcome.
Len Wilson is Creative Director at Peachtree, a large Presbyterian congregation in Atlanta. He blogs at LenWilson.us.
I keep coming back to the issue of violence in the Old Testament because I have two concerns — one as a theologian, and the other as a pastor (I'll get to that a little later). Of late there has been a resurgence of a kind of quasi, neo-Marcionite reading of some of the Old Testament texts that simply dismiss difficult themes, in this case, God's participation in violence, particularly in the conquest narratives in the Old Testament book of Joshua. These texts are viewed as incompatible with the revelation of God in Jesus Christ in the New Testament, so they are simply to be dismissed as primitive projections of a primitive tribal people. I have suggested in a previous post that a Christological understanding that leads to such a view of these Old Testament texts is itself based on a deficient Christology.
In the video posted below, Walter Brueggemann says that such a dismissive approach to the violence of the Old Testament is too easy, and I agree. What we have in such passages cannot be viewed simplistically as primitive projections from a primitive people, but such texts are, says Brueggemann, indeed revelations of God. Brueggemann's claim, thus forces us to take these text seriously as Scripture precisely because they are Scripture and are indeed difficult to understand in light of the decisive revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, Brueggemann's approach is to be preferred over the dismissive approach that has once again reared its quasi, neo-Marcionite head. And that leads to my two concerns.
My concern as a pastor is that once we start dismissing certain biblical passages because they offend our 21st century, modern, Enlightenment, individualistic, self-determined and rationalistic sensibilities, we give Christians permission to dismiss any texts they don't like. I can tell you that in my 30 plus years as a pastor, I have heard it all in reference to Christians dismissing all sorts of Old Testament passages of Scripture because persons found them to be offensive. As a pastor, I want believers to take all the Scripture seriously, even the most difficult passages and, like Brueggemann, wrestle with how to understand them, instead of just cutting them out of the Bible like Thomas Jefferson and casting them aside. My friend and Old Testament scholar, Dan Hawk writes:
Here's the main flaw in this line of reasoning. Who decides which texts are humanly-contrived and which are inspired? And on what basis? This is a slippery business to say the least, and especially so when historically-oriented interpreters attempt to ground their decisions by discerning the intent of ancient authors and redactors. While we have learned a great deal about the historical and cultural environments of the ancient world, we cannot even today confidently locate the composition of most texts in a particular historical and social context. Furthermore, our ideas of what was in an ancient author’s head will inevitably be infused with the projections of our own ideas and perspectives.
My second concern is a theological one. For better or for worse, whether we like it or not, the canon of Scripture we have is the standard the church gave us. We simply do not have the luxury, and no one has been given the authority, to write off portions of the canon that offend them. Many years ago, a pastoral colleague of mine lamented that the book of Hebrews was in the canon, for its theology amounted to nothing more than, in his words, "slaughterhouse theology." My response to him was that he was not given the authority to cut it out of the canon, and if he was simply going to dismiss what he didn't like, instead of truly encountering the book and attempting to make sense of it in the larger biblical narrative, he was in essence dismissing it.
Moreover, as a theologian I must say that while the historical critical approach to the interpretation of Scripture is an important and necessary discipline, it suffers from what I call the "two-eyed keyhole syndrome." As the old joke goes, some people are so narrow-minded they can see through a keyhole with both eyes. Historical critical scholars are not narrow-minded, to be sure, but they are so narrowly focused on the historical minutiae that it can be difficult to see the larger theological picture. In other words, they are so focused on a single tree that they forget they are standing in an entire forest. Thus, the God in Joshua who tells the Israelites to exterminate a town cannot be the same God in Jesus who insists we love our enemies. But this is where theological reflection can rescue us from the two-eyed, keyhole either/or approach. As a theologian I want to try to understand how the God who fights for Israel in the Old Testament can be seen in the context of the decisive revelation of God in Jesus Christ who tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Can it not be that the conquest narratives are not the primitive projections of a primitive tribal people, but rather are actually proto-incarnational events that reveal a God who gets into the mess of history to preserve the people of Israel for the express purpose of leading them to the fullness of time and the decisive revelation of God in Jesus Christ-- a revelation in which nonviolence is at its heart? The historical critical reading of Scripture is necessary, but it has its limitations. We need a canonical hermeneutic as well.
It may seem strange to those who know me that I continue to take such an approach to violence in the Old Testament; after all, those who know me know how deeply I believe that nonviolence is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, I don't believe we can make sense of Jesus and his message and his work apart from his own refusal to resort to violence. I bemoan the sad truth that too many Christians today are so ready and willing to approve of and justify violence, sometimes using the Bible in support of what I believe are actions that Jesus would condemn. It would, therefore, be so easy for me simply to dismiss the violence in the Old Testament as primitive projections of a primitive people. It would sure make my argument easier.
But I agree with Brueggemann: such an approach is too easy. And actually, it's not very interesting.
Allan Bevere blogs at AllanBevere.com.
What sort of day is Palm Sunday?
What was it they saw in that figure riding up to the grand mount of the Temple on a working beast? Was his entry into Jerusalem a triumphant procession? An act of political rebellion? A forgettable sideshow among the multitudes who made their way to the city for the week of Passover?
Palm Sunday, which looks back to that scene, is a significant liturgical observance for Christian churches, but what is its significance? If it’s a celebration, it’s conducted in a minor key because it stands at the beginning of the drama and suffering of Holy Week. And those palm leaves and fronds and branches that we wave as we sing and shout “Hosanna!” — for whom are we waving them?
Journey’s end
One last time, Jesus turns to the band of followers who had been with him from Galilee and tells them what to expect when they arrive in Jerusalem: arrest, sentencing, torture, death and at the end a surprising resurrection. The response of the disciples is unrecorded, but the next thing they ask reveals a shocking lack of comprehension, at least to us who live on this side of the Crucifixion. “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left,” James and John ask, “when you enter your glory” (Mark 10:37).
It has been this way for a while. No one can get their minds around what Jesus’ glory will look like or what the substance of his kingdom will be. So Jesus offers up another lesson on the importance of humility and service as an alternative to their misconceptions of greatness.
Then, as if to emphasize the inability of his closest followers to see what’s really going on, Jesus does one last miracle before heading up to Jerusalem. He heals a blind beggar named Bartimaeus whose only request is to see and to receive mercy at the hands of the one he calls “Son of David,” a messianic title (Mark 10:46-52). It only takes a word from Jesus, and the man whom the crowd had tried to shush walks away with his faith affirmed and his sight restored.
A humble entry
If Jesus is the one to restore King David’s throne, he chooses a strange mode of entry into the capital city. On a horse, he might be seen above the crowds. But there is no horse and no chariot — only a borrowed beast of burden that had never been broken.
Of course, discerning eyes might have seen this as a fulfillment of royal prophecy. Zechariah speaks of a king coming to Jerusalem “humble and riding on an ass, on a colt, the offspring of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). There is also the direction of approach. The Mount of Olives, just to the east of the Temple, is no ordinary hill. The book bearing Zechariah’s name concludes with a grand vision of Israel’s salvation coming from the same mountain with all sorts of earthshaking events (Chapter 14).
But you need eyes to see those things; and if you don’t, you just see a man with his band of starstruck stragglers working his way to the city gates. If it’s a triumph, it’s not enough of one to overwhelm the city. As Francis Spufford describes the scene in his recent book, “Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense,” “the details are off-script somehow, from the donkey, to the way that only some of the friends seem to be shouting the slogans you’d expect, to the way that the man himself doesn’t have his face set in the shining megawatt mask of charisma.” But he is clearly headed to the Temple, and that in itself has implications.
The politics of the temple
“Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem is an unmistakable political act,” notes theologian Stanley Hauerwas. “He has come to be acknowledged as king.” And though it seems foreign to people living with a notion of separation of church and state, “his going to the temple is perhaps even more significant than his triumphant entry.”
Jesus doesn’t go to confront the titular “powers that be.” He goes instead to the Temple to look it over and then returns the next day, in Mark’s account, to cleanse it of those things that keep it from being “a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17). It’s this act that stirs the religious leaders to seek his death. Jesus has confronted them because “without true worship of God, there is no way to know what a true politics might be,” according to Hauerwas. Jesus is reclaiming the people’s identity, an identity that is determined by their connection to Israel’s God rather than to any other authority.
A Roman interest
The powers that be are interested, however. From the high tower of the Antonia Fortress overlooking the Temple plaza, Roman soldiers cast a wary eye on the procession. The Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate, was in town, up from the coastal city of Caesarea to supervise the Passover pilgrims in their multitudes.
It wasn’t the pretensions of religious teachers and zealots that concerned them; the Romans were relatively tolerant in that regard. It was the instability of the Jewish population that they feared, seemingly sparked by, as historian Justo González notes, “the least challenge to their faith.” In Jesus’ childhood, one of these periodic revolts led to the crucifixion of 2,000 Jews in Galilee. Some 35 years after his death, the whole Temple complex would be destroyed, and many more would die as the Romans crushed a major rebellion.
So they are watching Jesus’ entry and wondering what to make of it as well. How much of a disturbance will Jesus cause? How much will the Romans be asked to do by their Jewish puppet king, Herod Antipas, in whose citadel Pilate is encamped? How much violent display will be required?
From the streets
Then there are the people in the streets, two and a half million of them, according to the estimate of the classical historian Josephus. From all over the known world, Jews had returned for the Passover celebration. Along with the people, there were tens of thousands of sheep awaiting the ritual sacrifice. The city couldn’t hold them all, and so many stayed outside the gates, in villages like Bethany where Jesus and the disciples lodged. As Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of “Jerusalem: The Biography,” describes it, pilgrims jammed the ritual baths, and the “smell of burning meat and heady incense wafted — and the trumpet blasts, announcing prayers and sacrifices, ricocheted — across the city.”
What hopes and fears did Jesus inspire in the people as he entered the city that day? All sorts of expectations swirled around him. He was a teacher, a healer, a prophet, a rabbi and a challenger of the establishment. But some of them also recognized him as the fulfillment of the hopes for a new king, and so old royal praises found voice on their lips: “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9).
Speaking of Jesus
Perhaps we think we know how to speak of Jesus now, after the events of that week all played out. We know now, better than those who watched him that day, who he is and what his kingdom looks like. We assume this.
It’s very easy for us to cast Jesus into a role of our choosing, however. We still would like to see him come to champion our hopes and expectations and to disrupt and frustrate the designs of our enemies. Jesus leads us to the Temple, though, and points us to a God who upends all our notions of power and rule. Jesus’ kingdom operates with different priorities and to a different end. He is there among the people, teaching his followers the way of humility, offering sight to the blind, overturning tables, and removing every obstacle that would keep us from the living God. And if you can see the King in these actions, Palm Sunday has come.
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PALM SUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Mark 11:1-11 PASSION SUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Mark 14:1–15:47 or Mark 15:1-39 (40-47)
Passion/Palm Sunday-COLOR(S): Red or Purple
Liturgy of the Palms
Mark 11:1-11
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Liturgy of the Passion
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:1-15:47
Lectionary Scriptures
Passion/Palm Sunday-COLOR(S): Red or Purple
Liturgy of the Palms
Mark 11:1 As they were approaching Yerushalayim, near Beit-Pagei and Beit-Anyah, by the Mount of Olives, Yeshua sent two of his talmidim 2 with these instructions: “Go into the village ahead of you; and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it, and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it,’ and he will send it here right away.”
4 They went off and found a colt in the street tied in a doorway, and they untied it. 5 The bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They gave the answer Yeshua had told them to give, and they let them continue. 7 They brought the colt to Yeshua and threw their robes on it, and he sat on it.
8 Many people carpeted the road with their clothing, while others spread out green branches which they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who were ahead and those behind shouted,
“Please! Deliver us!”[a] [b]
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai!”[c]
10 “Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David!”
and,
“You in the highest heaven! Please! Deliver us!”[d] [e]
11 Yeshua entered Yerushalayim, went into the Temple courts and took a good look at everything; but since it was now late, he went out with the Twelve to Beit-Anyah.[Footnotes:
Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:25
Mark 11:9 See note, p. 1249.
Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:26
Mark 11:10 Psalm 118:25
Mark 11:10 See note, p. 1249.]
Psalm 118:1 Give thanks to Adonai; for he is good,
for his grace continues forever.
2 Now let Isra’el say,
“His grace continues forever.”
19 Open the gates of righteousness for me;
I will enter them and thank Yah.
20 This is the gate of Adonai;
the righteous can enter it.
21 I am thanking you because you answered me;
you became my salvation.
22 The very rock that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone!
23 This has come from Adonai,
and in our eyes it is amazing.
24 This is the day Adonai has made,
a day for us to rejoice and be glad.
25 Please, Adonai! Save us!
Please, Adonai! Rescue us!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai.
We bless you from the house of Adonai.
27 Adonai is God, and he gives us light.
Join in the pilgrim festival with branches
all the way to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I thank you.
You are my God; I exalt you.
29 Give thanks to Adonai; for he is good,
for his grace continues forever.
Liturgy of the Passion
Isaiah 50:4 Adonai Elohim has given me
the ability to speak as a man well taught,
so that I, with my words,
know how to sustain the weary.
Each morning he awakens my ear
to hear like those who are taught.
5 Adonai Elohim has opened my ear,
and I neither rebelled nor turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
7 For Adonai Elohim will help.
This is why no insult can wound me.
This is why I have set my face like flint,
knowing I will not be put to shame.
8 My vindicator is close by;
let whoever dares to accuse me
appear with me in court!
Let whoever has a case against me step forward!
9 Look, if Adonai Elohim helps me,
who will dare to condemn me?
Here, they are all falling apart
like old, moth-eaten clothes.
Psalm 31:9 (8) You did not hand me over to the enemy;
you set my feet where I can move freely.
10 (9) Show me favor, Adonai, for I am in trouble.
My eyes grow dim with anger,
my soul and body as well.
11 (10) For my life is worn out with sorrow
and my years with sighing;
my strength gives out under my guilt,
and my bones are wasting away.
12 (11) I am scorned by all my adversaries,
and even more by my neighbors;
even to acquaintances
I am an object of fear —
when they see me in the street,
they turn away from me.
13 (12) Like a dead man, I have passed from their minds;
I have become like a broken pot.
14 (13) All I hear is whispering,
terror is all around me;
they plot together against me,
scheming to take my life.
15 (14) But I, I trust in you, Adonai;
I say, “You are my God.”
16 (15) My times are in your hand;
rescue me from my enemies’ power,
from those who persecute me.
Philippians 2:5 Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua:
6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
7 On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.
And when he appeared as a human being,
8 he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake as a criminal!
9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place
and gave him the name above every name;
10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua,
every knee will bow —
in heaven, on earth and under the earth —
11 and every tongue will acknowledge[a]
that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai —
to the glory of God the Father.[Footnotes:
Philippians 2:11 Isaiah 45:23]
Mark 14:1 It was now two days before Pesach (that is, the festival of Matzah), and the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers were trying to find some way to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death; 2 for they said, “Not during the festival, or the people will riot.”
3 While he was in Beit-Anyah in the home of Shim‘on (a man who had had tzara‘at), and as he was eating, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfume, pure oil of nard, very costly. She broke the jar and poured the perfume over Yeshua’s head. 4 But some there angrily said to themselves, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for a year’s wages and given to the poor!” And they scolded her. 6 But he said, “Let her be. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 7 For you will always have the poor with you; and whenever you want to, you can help them. But you will not always have me. 8 What she could do, she did do — in advance she poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial. 9 Yes! I tell you that wherever in the whole world this Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in her memory.”
10 Then Y’hudah from K’riot, who was one of the Twelve, went to the head cohanim in order to betray Yeshua to them. 11 They were pleased to hear this and promised to give him money. And he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Yeshua.
12 On the first day for matzah, when they slaughtered the lamb for Pesach, Yeshua’s talmidim asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare your Seder?” 13 He sent two of his talmidim with these instructions: “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him; 14 and whichever house he enters, tell him that the Rabbi says, ‘Where is the guest room for me, where I am to eat the Pesach meal with my talmidim?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations there.” 16 The talmidim went off, came to the city and found things just as he had told them they would be; and they prepared the Seder.
17 When evening came, Yeshua arrived with the Twelve. 18 As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, “Yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me.” 19 They became upset and began asking him, one after the other, “You don’t mean me, do you?” 20 “It’s one of the Twelve,” he said to them, “someone dipping matzah in the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man will die, just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him had he never been born!”
22 While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “Take it! This is my body.” 23 Also he took a cup of wine, made the b’rakhah, and gave it to them; and they all drank. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many people. 25 Yes! I tell you, I will not drink this ‘fruit of the vine’ again until the day I drink new wine in the Kingdom of God.”
26 After singing the Hallel, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 Yeshua said to them, “You will all lose faith in me, for the Tanakh says,
‘I will strike the shepherd dead,
and the sheep will be scattered.’[a]
28 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil.” 29 Kefa said to him, “Even if everyone else loses faith in you, I won’t.” 30 Yeshua replied, “Yes! I tell you that this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times!” 31 But Kefa kept insisting, “Even if I must die with you, I will never disown you!” And they all said the same thing.
32 They went to a place called Gat Sh’manim; and Yeshua said to his talmidim, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Kefa, Ya‘akov and Yochanan. Great distress and anguish came over him; 34 and he said to them, “My heart is so filled with sadness that I could die! Remain here and stay awake.” 35 Going on a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that if possible, the hour might pass from him: 36 “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”) “All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me! Still, not what I want, but what you want.” 37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Kefa, “Shim‘on, are you asleep? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? 38 Stay awake, and pray that you will not be put to the test — the spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak.”
39 Again he went away and prayed, saying the same words; 40 and again he came and found them sleeping, their eyes were so very heavy; and they didn’t know what to answer him.
41 The third time, he came and said to them, “For now, go on sleeping, take your rest. . . .There, that’s enough! The time has come! Look! The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners! 42 Get up! Let’s go! Here comes my betrayer!”
43 While Yeshua was still speaking, Y’hudah (one of the Twelve!) came, and with him a crowd carrying swords and clubs, from the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the elders. 44 The betrayer had arranged to give them a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want. Grab him, and take him away under guard.” 45 As he arrived, he went right up to Yeshua, said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 Then they laid hold of Yeshua and arrested him; 47 but one of the people standing nearby drew his sword and struck at the servant of the cohen hagadol, cutting off his ear.
48 Yeshua addressed them: “So you came out to take me with swords and clubs, the way you would the leader of a rebellion? 49 Every day I was with you in the Temple court, teaching, and you didn’t seize me then! But let the Tanakh be fulfilled.” 50 And they all deserted him and ran away. 51 There was one young man who did try to follow him; but he was wearing only a nightshirt; and when they tried to seize him, 52 he slipped out of the nightshirt and ran away naked.
53 They led Yeshua to the cohen hagadol, with whom all the head cohanim, elders and Torah-teachers were assembling. 54 Kefa followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the cohen hagadol, where he sat down with the guards and warmed himself by the fire.
55 The head cohanim and the whole Sanhedrin tried to find evidence against Yeshua, so that they might have him put to death, but they couldn’t find any. 56 For many people gave false evidence against him, but their testimonies didn’t agree. 57 Some stood up and gave this false testimony: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with hands; and in three days I will build another one, not made with hands.’” 59 Even so, their testimonies didn’t agree.
60 The cohen hagadol stood up in the front and asked Yeshua, “Have you nothing to say to the accusations these men are making?” 61 But he remained silent and made no reply. Again the cohen hagadol questioned him: “Are you the Mashiach, Ben-HaM’vorakh?” 62 “I AM,” answered Yeshua. “Moreover, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of HaG’vurah and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[b] 63 At this, the cohen hagadol tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You heard him blaspheme! What is your decision?” And they all declared him guilty and subject to the death penalty.
65 Then some began spitting at him; and after blindfolding him, they started pounding him with their fists and saying to him, “Let’s see you prophesy!” And as the guards took him, they beat him too.
66 Meanwhile, Kefa was still in the courtyard below. One of the serving-girls of the cohen hagadol 67 saw Kefa warming himself, took a look at him, and said, “You were with the man from Natzeret, Yeshua!” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about!” He went outside into the entryway, and a rooster crowed. 69 The girl saw him there and started telling the bystanders, “This fellow is one of them.” 70 Again he denied it. A little later, the bystanders themselves said to Kefa, “You must be one of them, because you’re from the Galil.” 71 At this he began to invoke a curse on himself as he swore, “I do not know this man you are telling me about!” — 72 and immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Kefa remembered what Yeshua had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times.” And throwing himself down, he burst into tears.
15:1 As soon as it was morning, the head cohanim held a council meeting with the elders, the Torah-teachers and the whole Sanhedrin. Then they put Yeshua in chains, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate put this question to him: “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “The words are yours.” 3 The head cohanim too made accusations against him, 4 and Pilate again inquired of him, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many charges they are making against you!” 5 But Yeshua made no further response, to Pilate’s amazement.
6 Now during a festival, Pilate used to set free one prisoner, whomever the crowd requested. 7 There was in prison among the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection a man called Bar-Abba. 8 When the crowd came up and began asking Pilate to do for them what he usually did, 9 he asked them, “Do you want me to set free for you the ‘King of the Jews’?” 10 For it was evident to him that it was out of jealousy that the head cohanim had handed him over. 11 But the head cohanim stirred up the crowd to have him release Bar-Abba for them instead. 12 Pilate again said to them, “Then what should I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Put him to death on the stake!” 14 He asked, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But they only shouted louder, “Put him to death on the stake!” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the mob, set Bar-Abba free for them; but he had Yeshua whipped and then handed him over to be executed on the stake.
16 The soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the headquarters building) and called together the whole battalion. 17 They dressed him in purple and wove thorn branches into a crown, which they put on him. 18 Then they began to salute him, “Hail to the King of the Jews!” 19 They hit him on the head with a stick, spat on him and kneeled in mock worship of him. 20 When they had finished ridiculing him, they took off the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him and led him away to be nailed to the execution-stake.
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Shim‘on, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country; and they forced him to carry the stake. 22 They brought Yeshua to a place called Gulgolta (which means “place of a skull”), 23 and they gave him wine spiced with myrrh, but he didn’t take it. 24 Then they nailed him to the execution-stake; and they divided his clothes among themselves, throwing dice to determine what each man should get. 25 It was nine in the morning when they nailed him to the stake. 26 Over his head, the written notice of the charge against him read,
THE KING OF THE JEWS
27 On execution-stakes with him they placed two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 28 [c] 29 People passing by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! So you can destroy the Temple, can you, and rebuild it in three days? 30 Save yourself and come down from the stake!” 31 Likewise, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers made fun of him, saying to each other, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself!” 32 and, “So he’s the Messiah, is he? The King of Isra’el? Let him come down now from the stake! If we see that, then we’ll believe him!” Even the men nailed up with him insulted him.
33 At noon, darkness covered the whole Land until three o’clock in the afternoon. 34 At three, he uttered a loud cry, “Elohi! Elohi! L’mah sh’vaktani?” (which means, “My God! My God! Why have you deserted me?”)[d] 35 On hearing this, some of the bystanders said, “Look! He’s calling for Eliyahu!” 36 One ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar, put it on a stick and gave it to him to drink.[e] “Wait!” he said, “Let’s see if Eliyahu will come and take him down.” 37 But Yeshua let out a loud cry and gave up his spirit. 38 And the parokhet in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw the way he gave up his spirit, he said, “This man really was a son of God!”
40 There were women looking on from a distance; among them were Miryam from Magdala, Miryam the mother of the younger Ya‘akov and of Yosi, and Shlomit. 41 These women had followed him and helped him when he was in the Galil. And many other women were there who had come up with him to Yerushalayim.
42 Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before a Shabbat), as evening approached, 43 Yosef of Ramatayim, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who himself was also looking forward to the Kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead, so he summoned the officer and asked him if he had been dead awhile. 45 After he had gotten confirmation from the officer that Yeshua was dead, he granted Yosef the corpse. 46 Yosef purchased a linen sheet; and after taking Yeshua down, he wrapped him in the linen sheet, laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47 Miryam of Magdala and Miryam the mother of Yosi saw where he had been laid.[Footnotes:
Mark 14:27 Zechariah 13:7
Mark 14:62 Daniel 7:13; Psalm 110:1
Mark 15:28 Some manuscripts include verse 15:28: And the passage from the Tanakh was fulfilled which says, “He was counted with transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12)
Mark 15:34 Psalm 22:2(1)
Mark 15:36 Psalm 69:22(21)]
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Passion/Palm Sunday-COLOR(S): Red or Purple
Liturgy of the Palms
Mark 11:1-11
Verse 11
[11] And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
Matthew 21:10,17.
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Verse 19
[19] Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:
Open — O ye porters, appointed by God for this work.
The gates — Of the Lord's tabernacle: where the rule of righteousness was kept and taught, and the sacrifices of righteousness were offered.
Verse 20
[20] This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
The righteous — As David was a type of Christ and the temple of heaven, so this place hath a farther prospect than David, and relates to Christ's ascending into heaven, and opening the gates of that blessed temple, both for himself and for all believers.
Verse 22
[22] The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
The builders — The commonwealth of Israel and the church of God are here and elsewhere compared to a building, wherein, as the people are the stones, so the princes and rulers are the builders. And as these master-builders rejected David, so their successors rejected Christ.
Head stone — The chief stone in the whole building, by which the several parts of the building are upheld and firmly united together. Thus David united all the tribes and families of Israel: and thus Christ united Jews and Gentiles together. And therefore this place is justly expounded of Christ, Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:32; Ephesians 2:20. And to him the words agree more properly than to David.
Verse 24
[24] This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Made — Or sanctified as a season never to be forgotten.
Verse 25
[25] Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
We — These seem to be the words of the Levites, to whom he spake verse 19.
Verse 26
[26] Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
Blessed — We pray that God would bless his person and government.
Cometh — To the throne; or from his Father into the world: who is known by the name of him that cometh or was to come, and of whom this very word is used, Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 35:4.
Name — By commission from him.
We — We who are the Lord's ministers attending upon him in his house, and appointed to bless in his name, Numbers 6:23; Deuteronomy 10:8. So these are the words of the priests.
Verse 27
[27] God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
The Lord — Or, The mighty God, as this name of God signifies, and as he shewed himself to be by this, his wonderful work.
Who — Who hath scattered our dark clouds, and put us into a state of peace, and safety, and happiness.
The horns — These are supposed to he made for this very use, that the beasts should be bound and killed there. These three last verses are David's words.
Liturgy of the Passion
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Verse 4
[4] The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
Given me — This and the following passages may be in some sort understood of the prophet Isaiah, but they are far more evidently and eminently verified in Christ, and indeed seem to be meant directly of him.
The tongue — All ability of speaking plainly, and convincingly, and persuasively.
Weary — Burdened with the sense of his, deplorable condition.
Wakeneth — Me, from time to time, and continually.
To hear — He by his Divine power assists me to the practice of all his commands and my duties, with all attention and diligence.
Verse 6
[6] I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
I gave — I patiently yielded up myself to those who smote me.
Verse 8
[8] He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
Justifieth — God will clear up my righteousness, and shew by many and mighty signs and wonders, that I lived and died his faithful servant.
Let him come — l am conscious of mine own innocency, and I know that God will give sentence for me.
Verse 9
[9] Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
They — Mine accusers and enemies.
The moth — Shall be cut off and consumed by a secret curse.
Psalm 31:9-16
Verse 9
[9] Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.
Grief — With continual weeping.
Verse 10
[10] For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
Iniquity — For the punishment of mine iniquity.
Consumed — The juice and marrow of them bring almost dried up with grief.
Verse 11
[11] I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.
A fear — They were afraid to give me any countenance or assistance.
Fled — To prevent their own danger and ruin.
Verse 12
[12] I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
A broken vessel — Which is irreparable, and useless, and therefore despised by all.
Verse 13
[13] For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
Fear — Just cause of fear.
Verse 15
[15] My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
My times — All the affairs and events of my life, are wholly in thy power.
Philippians 2:5-11
Verse 6
[6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Who being in the essential form — The incommunicable nature.
Of God — From eternity, as he was afterward in the form of man; real God, as real man.
Counted it no act of robbery — That is the precise meaning of the words,-no invasion of another's prerogative, but his own strict and unquestionable right.
To be equal with God — the word here translated equal, occurs in the adjective form five or six times in the New Testament, Matthew 20:12; Luke 6:34; John 5:18; Acts 11:17; Revelation 21:16. In all which places it expresses not a bare resemblance, but a real and proper equalitg. It here implies both the fulness and the supreme height of the Godhead; to which are opposed, he emptied and he humbled himself.
Verse 7
[7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Yet — He was so far from tenaciously insisting upon, that he willingly relinquished, his claim. He was content to forego the glories of the Creator, and to appear in the form of a creature; nay, to he made in the likeness of the fallen creatures; and not only to share the disgrace, but to suffer the punishment, due to the meanest and vilest among them all.
He emptied himself — Of that divine fulness, which he received again at his exaltation. Though he remained full, John 1:14, yet he appeared as if he had been empty; for he veiled his fulness from the sight of men and angels. Yea, he not only veiled, but, in some sense, renounced, the glory which he had before the world began.
Taking — And by that very act emptying himself.
The form of a servant — The form, the likeness, the fashion, though not exactly the same, are yet nearly related to each other. The form expresses something absolute; the likeness refers to other things of the same kind; the fashion respects what appears to sight and sense.
Being made in the likeness of men — A real man, like other men. Hereby he took the form of a servant.
Verse 8
[8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
And being found in fashion as a man — A common man, without any peculiar excellence or comeliness.
He humbled himself — To a still greater depth.
Becoming obedient — To God, though equal with him.
Even unto death — The greatest instance both of humiliation and obedience.
Yea, the death of the cross — Inflicted on few but servants or slaves.
Verse 9
[9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Wherefore — Because of his voluntary humiliation and obedience. He humbled himself; but God hath exalted him - So recompensing his humiliation.
And hath given him — So recompensing his emptying himself.
A name which is above every name — Dignity and majesty superior to every creature.
Verse 10
[10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
That every knee — That divine honour might be paid in every possible manner by every creature.
Might bow — Either with love or trembling.
Of those in heaven, earth, under the earth — That is, through the whole universe.
Verse 11
[11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And every tongue — Even of his enemies.
Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord — Jehovah; not now "in the form of a servant," but enthroned in the glory of God the Father.
Mark 14:1-15:47
Verse 3
[3] And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
Matthew 26:6.
Verse 4
[4] And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
Some had indignation — Being incited thereto by Judas: and said - Probably to the women.
Verse 10
[10] And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.
Judas went to the chief priests — Immediately after this reproof, having anger now added to his covetousness. Matthew 26:14; Luke 22:3.
Verse 12
[12] And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
Matthew 26:17; Luke 22:7.
Verse 13
[13] And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.
Go into the city, and there shall meet you a man — It was highly seasonable for our Lord to give them this additional proof both of his knowing all things, and of his influence over the minds of men.
Verse 15
[15] And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.
Furnished — The word properly means, spread with carpets.
Verse 17
[17] And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.
Matthew 26:20; Luke 22:14.
Verse 24
[24] And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
This is my blood of the New Testament — That is, this I appoint to be a perpetual sign and memorial of my blood, as shed for establishing the new covenant, that all who shall believe in me may receive all its gracious promises.
Verse 25
[25] Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, till I drink it new in the kingdom of God — That is, I shall drink no more before I die: the next wine I drink will not be earthly, but heavenly.
Verse 26
[26] And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Matthew 26:30; Luke 22:39; John 18:1.
Verse 27
[27] And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
This night — The Jews in reckoning their days began with the evening, according to the Mosaic computation, which called the evening and the morning the first day, Genesis 1:5. And so that which after sunset is here called this night is, Mark 14:30, called to-day. The expression there is peculiarly significant. Verily I say to thee, that thou thyself, confident as thou art, to-day, even within four and twenty hours; yea, this night, or ever the sun be risen, nay, before the cock crow twice, before three in the morning, wilt deny me thrice. Our Lord doubtless spoke so determinately, as knowing a cock would crow once before the usual time of cock crowing. By Mark 13:35, it appears, that the third watch of the night, ending at three in the morning, was commonly styled the cock crowing. Zechariah 13:7.
Verse 32
[32] And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.
Matthew 26:36.
Verse 33
[33] And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;
Sore amazed — The original word imports the most shocking amazement, mingled with grief: and that word in the next verse which we render sorrowful intimates, that he was surrounded with sorrow on every side, breaking in upon him with such violence, as was ready to separate his soul from his body.
Verse 36
[36] And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Abba, Father — St. Mark seems to add the word Father, by way of explication.
Verse 37
[37] And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?
Saith to Peter — The zealous, the confident Peter.
Verse 43
[43] And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Matthew 26:47; Luke 22:47; John 18:2.
Verse 44
[44] And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.
Whomsoever I shall kiss — Probably our Lord, in great condescension, had used (according to the Jewish custom) to permit his disciples to do this, after they had been some time absent.
Verse 47
[47] And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
Matthew 26:51; Luke 22:49; John 18:10.
Verse 51
[51] And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:
A young man — It does not appear, that he was one of Christ's disciples. Probably hearing an unusual noise, he started up out of his bed, not far from the garden, and ran out with only the sheet about him, to see what was the matter.
And the young men laid hold on him — Who was only suspected to be Christ's disciple: but could not touch them who really were so.
Verse 53
[53] And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
Matthew 26:57; Luke 22:54; John 18:12.
Verse 55
[55] And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
All the council sought for witness and found none — What an amazing proof of the overruling providence of God, considering both their authority, and the rewards they could offer, that no two consistent witnesses could be procured, to charge him with any gross crime. Matthew 26:59.
Verse 56
[56] For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
Their evidences were not sufficient — The Greek words literally rendered are, Were not equal: not equal to the charge of a capital crime: it is the same word in the 59th verse.
Verse 58
[58] We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
We heard him say — It is observable, that the words which they thus misrepresented, were spoken by Christ at least three years before, John 2:19. Their going back so far to find matter for the charge, was a glorious, though silent attestation of the unexceptionable manner wherein he had behaved, through the whole course of his public ministry.
Verse 61
[61] But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
Matthew 26:63; Luke 22:67.
Verse 66
[66] And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
Matthew 26:69; Luke 22:56; John 18:25.
Verse 72
[72] And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
And he covered his head — Which was a usual custom with mourners, and was fitly expressive both of grief and shame.
Verse 3
[3] And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
Matthew 27:12.
Verse 7
[7] And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
Insurrection — A crime which the Roman governors, and Pilate in particular, were more especially concerned and careful to punish.
Verse 9
[9] But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
Will ye that I release to you the king of the Jews — Which does this wretched man discover most? Want of justice, or courage, or common sense? The poor coward sacrifices justice to popular clamour, and enrages those whom he seeks to appease, by so unseasonably repeating that title, The king of the Jews, which he could not but know was so highly offensive to them.
Verse 16
[16] And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
Praetorium — The inner hall, where the praetor, a Roman magistrate, used to give judgment. But St. John calls the whole palace by this name. Matthew 27:27; John 19:2.
Verse 17
[17] And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
Purple — As royal robes were usually purple and scarlet, St. Mark and John term this a purple robe, St. Matthew a scarlet one. The Tyrian purple is said not to have been very different from scarlet.
Verse 20
[20] And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
Matthew 27:31; John 19:16.
Verse 21
[21] And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
The father of Alexander and Rufus — These were afterward two eminent Christians, and must have been well known when St. Mark wrote.
Verse 22
[22] And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
Matthew 27:33; Luke 23:33; John 19:17. 24, 25. St. Mark seems to intimate, that they first nailed him to the cross, then parted his garments, and afterward reared up the cross.
Verse 28
[28] And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:12.
Verse 29
[29] And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
Matthew 27:39.
Verse 33
[33] And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
Matthew 27:45; Luke 23:44.
Verse 34
[34] And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me — Thereby claiming God as his God; and yet lamenting his Father's withdrawing the tokens of his love, and treating him as an enemy, while he bare our sins.
Verse 37
[37] And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46; John 19:30.
Verse 41
[41] (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
Who served him — Provided him with necessaries.
Verse 42
[42] And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
Because it was the day before the Sabbath — And the bodies might not hang on the Sabbath day: therefore they were in haste to have them taken down.
Verse 43
[43] Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
Honourable — A man of character and reputation: A counsellor - A member of the sanhedrim.
Who waited for the kingdom of God — Who expected to see it set up on earth. Matthew 27:57; Luke 23:50; John 19:38.
Verse 46
[46] And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
He rolled a stone — By his servants. It was too large for him to roll himself.
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Upper Room Ministries, a ministry of Global Board of Discipleship
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004 United States
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Sermon Story "Remembering As We Listen" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 29 March 2015 with Scripture Text: Isaiah 50:4 Adonai Elohim has given me
the ability to speak as a man well taught,
so that I, with my words,
know how to sustain the weary.
Each morning he awakens my ear
to hear like those who are taught.
5 Adonai Elohim has opened my ear,
and I neither rebelled nor turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
7 For Adonai Elohim will help.
This is why no insult can wound me.
This is why I have set my face like flint,
knowing I will not be put to shame.
8 My vindicator is close by;
let whoever dares to accuse me
appear with me in court!
Let whoever has a case against me step forward!
9 Look, if Adonai Elohim helps me,
who will dare to condemn me?
Here, they are all falling apart
like old, moth-eaten clothes.
As we remember that after Jesus death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, many of the Jewish believers in Jesus worshipped still in the synagogue and heard the Tanakh be read as they worshipped God. as they heard this particular text, they may have remembered Jesus teachings and his arrest and trial and crucifixion listen intently to the words of Scripture remembering what Jesus went through. How Jesus was arrested, spit upon, tortured, nailed to a cross, beaten, riduculed, and killed with ones who were actually criminals breaking the laws of the Romans and maybe even the Torah. As they heard these passages of Scripture read and spoken about in the Synagogue they may have wrote that their memory or at least talked with other followers of Jesus about the meaning of this Isaiah text in relationship to what happened to Jesus. They may heard some words from the Non-Messianic Jewish Rabbis that this text may mean about the who nation or Israel in their own oppression by governments such as Babylon or even Rome, yet the believers in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah heard this story as a prophesy to what actually happened to Jesus. They continued to talk this story over and over with each other until someone who was able to write wrote it down on parchment and then passed it on to others who they were discipling or evanglizing with the Message of Jesus. Now we come and use this text in remembering the suffering of Jesus during this Holy Week that he freely did for us at our own sins agsinst Him and the Father. Lord, Have mercy on us that we do not continue to bring bad words to Jesus Message of Hope to all people of the earth. Who do you relate to in this story? Are you able to see Jesus as the one Isaiah was talking about in this passage of Scripture> How do your relate to Jesus' suffering and giving us an opportunity to be forgiven of our sins and to live Holy Lives as Jesus' witnesses to other people we come in contact with? We come forward to receive the elements of The Eucharist remembering Jesus Broken Body and Shed Blood as we eat the bread and drink the wine or juice. We come sing the Hymn "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross" by Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915
1. Jesus, keep me near the cross;
there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream,
flows from Calvary's mountain.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find
rest beyond the river.
2. Near the cross, a trembling soul,
love and mercy found me;
there the bright and morning star
sheds its beams around me.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find
rest beyond the river.
3. Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day
with its shadow o'er me.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find
rest beyond the river.
4. Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
hoping, trusting ever,
till I reach the golden strand
just beyond the river.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find
rest beyond the river.
_____________________________
Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idaho Street, Apt. 1
San Diego, California 92104-1844
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Philippians 2:5-11
I remember vividly the first time I saw a professional production of the life of Christ acted out upon the stage. There were beautiful sets, talented actors, and lots of activities to focus upon as many extras moved about the stage. I saw many familiar scenes from the life of Jesus recreated before my eyes. I saw a nativity scene where Mary and Joseph welcomed the Christ child in humble surroundings. I witnessed some of the healing miracles as Jesus laid his hands upon the sick and the outcast. I heard the words of Jesus delivered in the Sermon on the Mount. I gazed upon the scene of the final Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples. I even experienced anew the horrors of Jesus’ crucifixion, and celebrated as I watched Jesus come forth from the tomb following his resurrection.
The thing that was most impressive to me however, was the final scene of the play. The play concluded with a reenactment of the ascension of Christ. The disciples were gathered around to hear Jesus’ departing words of commission and as they watched Jesus ascended into the sky. I am not exactly sure how they did it so convincingly, but through the use of lighting, screens, and an elaborate scaffold, the actor playing Jesus ascended into heaven surrounded by angels. The angels held trumpets and offered arms outstretched in praise, as they celebrated Christ’s majesty and his glory. I remember standing there with goose bumps on my arms. It was a transformative scene for me. I realized, for perhaps the very first time, the entire scope of Jesus’ experience. I had caught glimpses of the story before, but I had never been able to reflect upon the entire sweep of the divine drama that was played out in the life of Christ. In this play I had not only beheld the human experience of Jesus’ life, but also now beheld the divine celebration of Jesus’ life.
The gift of this passage in Philippians is that it also invites us to take into account the entire sweep of the divine drama that took place in the life of Christ. In the space of these few verses, Paul reminds us of the very nature of Jesus as it was revealed in his actions. We are encouraged to celebrate both the divinity and the humanity in the experience of the Christ event. First, Paul reminds us that Jesus was the preexistent Lord, who indeed was “in the form of God.” Jesus’ existence did not begin in a manger in Bethlehem, but rather he was present from the beginning, at the right hand of God. The one who came and dwelt among us was the Son of God. As the Son of God, Jesus had every reason to enjoy the status and rights of the divine life.
Yet, Paul tells us, Jesus “did not regard equality with God / as something to be exploited, / but emptied himself, / taking the form of a slave.” Here Paul reminds us of the mystery of what we call the incarnation. We are sometimes guilty of celebrating the mystery of Jesus’ incarnation only at Christmas, but it is perhaps here, during this season of the journey to the cross that the incarnation most fully realizes its scandal. Jesus’ birth in the humble surroundings of poverty lies at one end of the incarnation, but Jesus’ suffering and death at the hands of humanity lies at the other end. Paul marvels at the wonder of Jesus’ willingness to lay aside his divine privileges and power, “taking the form of a slave” and ultimately becoming “obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” Jesus, the divine Son of God, literally pours out his life on our behalf. Jesus sets aside his own will for the will of God so that we might know that power of God in and through him.
Finally, once Jesus had lived this human life of radical obedience and humility through his death on the cross, Paul reminds us that God exalted Jesus to the highest level. We are shown the divine approval of Christ’s actions on our behalf, “that at the name of Jesus, / every knee should bend . . . and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, / to the glory of God the Father.” It’s this final scene in the drama that gives us goose bumps. It is only when Jesus loses his life for our sake that he receives it back again. It is when Jesus humbles himself that he is most highly exalted. Jesus’ act of self-emptying is the act that God works in most powerfully.
I believe that during this most holy season of the year the church sometimes fails to focus on the big picture of Jesus’ journey. As we approach Holy Week we sometimes look only at the human suffering of Jesus on the cross. Yet when we focus only on the humanity of Jesus’ experience we lose the very essence of its mystery and power. Palm/Passion Sunday calls us to celebrate the tension inherent in Jesus’ self-emptying and radical obedience. We are called to lift up both the humanity and the divinity of Christ, for only in doing so can we realize the power of Jesus’ surrender. We are called to struggle with our cries of “Hosanna” one moment and “Crucify him!” the next. We are called to ponder anew the mystery that God is most glorified in the moment of Jesus’ most profound weakness and suffering. We are called to remember that the one crucified “King of the Jews” is also the “King of the Universe.” We are called to remember that Jesus’ radical obedience in death leads ultimately to his resurrection, glorification, and ascension through the power of God. The overwhelming love of Jesus is revealed to us most fully when we contemplate the fullness of all that he offered up and sacrificed on our account. If that doesn’t give us goose bumps I don’t know what will.
Palm—Passion Sunday
Consider the children when deciding whether to celebrate Palm or Passion Sunday. If they will not worship around the Passion stories on Holy (Maundy) Thursday or Good Friday, and worship last Sunday did not focus on the crucifixion, celebrate Passion Sunday rather than Palm Sunday. No worshiper of any age can fully understand or share in Easter joy without first exploring the betrayals and crucifixion.
Only the Gospel texts for Palm/Passion Sunday differ from year to year. Check other cycles of this series for additional commentary and suggestions.
From a Child's Point of View
Gospel: (Palm) Mark 11:1-11 or John 12:12-16. Mark's account of the triumphal entry is filled with details that make it the more interesting of these two for children. But both focus on what might be called the Palm Sunday Misunderstanding. That misunderstanding began with what Jesus "said" to the crowd as he came to Jerusalem. By riding on a donkey he "said" that he came in peace, as a humble rather than a warrior king. But the people "heard" only that Jesus was coming as a king. So they expected him to save them as a warrior king would. John points out that it was not until after Easter that the disciples understood what Jesus was "saying" and realized that he had indeed saved them but not the way they expected.
Gospel: (Passion) Mark 14:1-15:47 or Mark 15:1-39 (40-47). Two themes stand out in Mark's text: The King is crucified; the loving friend is betrayed and killed by those he loved. The second speaks more clearly to children, who value the loyalty of friends highly and know first-hand the pain of betrayals by those they have trusted. This theme is announced in verse 14:27, in language children understand: "You will all become deserters" (NRSV) or "All of you will run away and leave me" (GNB).
It is then detailed in the disciples failing to stay awake with Jesus as he prayed, Judas helping Jesus' enemies arrest him, Peter disowning his best friend, Pilate refusing to protect Jesus, the once welcoming crowd calling for his death, and finally Jesus' cry from the cross, wondering if even God had abandoned him. Children feel this kind of pain keenly and are impressed that God and Jesus could forgive these people. Though they cannot yet feel solidarity with the deserters and accept God's forgiveness with them, they can conclude that if God would forgive those who betrayed and deserted Jesus, then God will forgive them (the children) for their betrayals and desertions.
Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11. Children will grasp neither the language nor the theology of this hymn as it is read. They depend on the preacher to explain it's message. If the focus of worship is on Jesus' mission of forgiveness, verses 6-8 become a description of Jesus' commitment to forgive all those who betrayed and abandoned him during Holy Week. Jesus, who could have fought back, chose to love and forgive. Children appreciate such tenacious forgiveness. They also can be challenged to follow Jesus' example in forgiving their friends.
Psalm: (Palm) 118-2, 19-29; (Passion) Psalms 31:9-16 and Isaiah 50:4-9a. If either of these poems is well read, children will hear in them phrases related to the New Testament stories and Holy Week themes.
Watch Words
Hosanna may be used simply as a greeting meant only for Jesus, or it's meaning, save us, may be explored.
For most children, passion is related to sexual feelings. Go back to the dictionary definitions that speak of caring very strongly about and being ready to make sacrifices on behalf of, some object. In his crucifixion, Jesus showed passion for loving forgiveness.
Let the Children Sing
On the last Sunday in Lent, chuckle about the possibility of having a thousand tongues, imagine a choir of a thousand people singing God's praises, then sing "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing." "To God Be the Glory," if the difficult verse that begins "O perfect redemption" is omitted, is another good choice.
Palm Sunday: "All Glory Laud and Honor" and "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna" are the most familiar Palm Sunday hymns for children. "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus," which many children know, also includes a verse about Palm Sunday.
Passion Sunday: "Were You There?" is the most understandable and emotionally powerful crucifixion song for children. Remember that children have difficulty understanding hymns that speak symbolically of the cross and use abstract atonement language.
The Liturgical Child
1. Turn the crowd's shouts into an intergenerational Call to Worship. An adult choir might respond to a children's class or choir. Or the adults in the congregation, led by an adult, could respond to the children, led by a child or a children's class. A processional hymn led by palm-waving children follows naturally. For example:
Children: Hosanna!
Adults: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Children: Hosanna!
Children and Adults: Let us worship God together.
2. Use the part of the Apostles' Creed about Jesus as an Affirmation of Faith. After a worship leader recites each phrase, the congregation responds, "Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!":
Leader: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
People: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Leader: Who was conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary.
People: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
3. As the Passion is read, present a series of tableaus of events. Position the actors for each scene to emphasize the rejections by facing them away from Jesus, folding arms over chests and/or putting hands palms out to separate themselves from Jesus. Help actors show appropriate facial expressions. To keep the focus on rejection, dress actors in dark turtlenecks and pants rather than biblical costumes. Children pay close attention to such tableaus, but are not mature enough to do the acting. Well-prepared youths and adults are needed for these strong scenes.
Sermon Resources
1. Peter, the rough and ready fishing disciple, is a character to whom children relate. He was always first to rush in and frequently got into things he could not complete. He was one of Jesus' very best friends. So devote the sermon to telling and interpreting the stories of Holy Week from his point of view. Speak from the pre-Easter point of view to communicate the strength of Peter's feelings about his failures and about what happened.
2. If you explore the Palm Sunday Misunderstanding, begin by citing ways people want to be saved and things from which they want to be saved. Include some children's wishes, such as being saved from homework by simply not having to do it (rather than by getting needed help with it), or being saved from a pesty or bullying sibling by someone who would make the sibling "be nice" (rather than by someone who would help the child learn to get along better).
Palm/Passion Sunday
COLOR: Purple
PALM SUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Mark 11:1-11
PASSION SUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Mark 14:1–15:47 or Mark 15:1-39 (40-47)
CALLS TO WORSHIP
[Note: Calls to Worship 1-3 focus most directly on a Palm Sunday celebration. Call to Worship #4 may be used if you are celebrating Palm/Passion Sunday]
Call to Worship #1:
L: This is the day that the Lord has made!
P: Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
L: Open wide the gates of your hearts.
P: Let the Savior enter!
L: Shout with joy, all you people.
P: The Savior has come forth bringing peace. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: Let all creation shout!
P: Let us wave the palm branches high. Jesus is coming!
L: He comes in humility to claim God’s own.
P: May he claim us this day and heal our hearts!
L: Hosanna to the Son of David.
P: Hosanna to the blessed Son of God. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3:
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2109, "Hosanna! Hosanna!, have the call to worship done as directed below]
Choir (singing) [verse 1] "Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Hosanna! Hosanna. All the people sang their praise to him. Hosanna! Hosanna. Came to town upon a donkey’s back; Hosanna! Hosanna! Seemed so lowly but he’s Lord in fact. Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! Hear the people say Hosanna! Save us today. Hosanna! It’s a faithful song. Hosanna! Sing it all night long!"
L: Wave your branches high. Jesus is coming!
P: Blessed is the one who comes in God’s Name!
L: Spread your garments on his path.
P: Prepare the way for the Savior. Hosanna!
Choir (singing) [verse 2]: " Everybody brought their hopes and dreams. Hosanna! Hosanna! Life just isn’t always what it seems. Hosanna! Hosanna! Need somebody who can help us be Hosanna! Hosanna! Liberated from captivity. Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! Hear the people say Hosanna! Save us today, Hosanna! It’s a faithful song. Hosanna! Sing it all night long."
Congregation (repeating with the Choir the Refrain) "Hosanna! Hear the people say Hosanna! Save us today. Hosanna! It’s a faithful song. Hosanna! Sing it all night long!"
Call to Worship #4:
L: The parade today is just the beginning of our hope.
P: We wave our branches and shout "Hosanna!"
L: But there will come a time of silence and of mourning.
P: Help us to be ready for that time, O Lord.
L: Blessed is Jesus, who came into Jerusalem on that day.P: Blessed is Jesus who comes into our hearts always. AMEN.
PRAYERS, READING, BENEDICTION
[Note: The prayers, litany, and benediction will have the flavor of celebration, the Palm Sunday emphasis. In certain prayers there will be an added suggestion if you celebrate Palm/Passion Sunday. ]
Opening Prayer
Hosanna! Blessed is Jesus who comes in God’s Name! We stand at the gates of our Jerusalem and wave our branches high. We get caught up in the excitement of the parade. Jesus sits astride a donkey, a beast of burden bearing a most precious gift. Let the joy fill your hearts this day as we shout our Hosannas. Praise God for the wondrous ways in which our lives have been touched. Prepare our hearts to worship and celebrate this day!
[Addition for Palm/Passion Sunday: But remember that the shouting will die out and the time of trial will still lie ahead of us. Soon there will be a deathly quiet on the land. Soon the Savior will give his life for us.]
Prayer of Confession
We love parades! We love the excitement, the colors, the noise! Today we celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. His followers have stripped branches from the trees and wave them in the air. They have thrown their cloaks in the path of the donkey that his steps might be cushioned. And the scene is wonderful. But there is a reality here. The reality is that although we wave our branches and shout "Hosanna!", we have not always behaved as disciples. Too often we have wandered from the path of Christ and stumbled along on our own, believing our way to be superior. We have turned from those who have needed help, because it wasn’t convenient for us to be of help of service. We have done and said things that are not worthy of disciples. Yet, here we stand, in the parade route, waving our branches. Forgive us, Lord. Help us to turn our lives around and truly serve you. Help us to really mean "Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the Name of the Lord!" [ ** ] Let Jesus enter our hearts and transform our lives today, for we ask this in his holy name. AMEN.
[**Addition for Palm/Passion Sunday: And as we are led to the table of forgiveness and to the cross, help us to realize the power of God’s love through the gift of Jesus Christ. Make that love a transforming agent in our lives so that, finally, our celebration may truly reflect our faith and joy in Jesus Christ.]
Pastoral Prayer
Through the shouts and branches, the Savior rides again into our hearts, our Jerusalems, the places that we have fortified, sometimes against even God’s truth and love. Patient God, be with us today as we witness again the entry of Jesus into the holy city. Remind us that our "holy cities", our souls, need to welcome Jesus, truly in celebration and in commitment to his witness to us. We can so easily get caught up in the noise and forget the Savior. We can get so focused on the celebration and colors that we look past the solitary figure on the small donkey. We stand at the gates this day to welcome Jesus. May our welcome of Jesus also be reflected in our welcome of others who come into our midst. Free us from judgment and prejudice, that we may be open to hearing your word through the ministry of Jesus and the disciples. As we have spoken the names of ones who are near and dear to us who need your healing love, O God, help us also to remember that we need a good measure of your grace and mercy. Bring us through this parade into the comfort of your love. [** ] Hosanna! Blessed is Jesus! Blessed is He who has come and who continues to come into our lives forever. AMEN.
[** Addition for Palm/Passion Sunday: Walk with us to the cross. Stop us from running and hiding, from siding with the enemy because we are too afraid to speak the truth of your love. Help us to look up at the figure on the cross, remembering how Jesus was faithful to the end of his earthly life. Cause us to be as faithful in all that we do. Then we can truly shout with the others in the parade.]
Reading:
[Note: this Reading should be staged as follows: The two readers should be at the front of the worship area, sharing the conversation in an excited and animated fashion. The Leader, whose speeches appear in bold print, should be off to one side. If you are using the Palm Sunday format, the reading ends with the final speech of the Leader. If you are using Palm/Passion Sunday format, (see the ** portion), Readers 1 and 2 gradually move to the side for the final speech by the Leader]
Reader 1:Have you heard the good news? Do you know what’s about to happen?
Reader 2: I see lots of people with branches in their hands and there are swatches of brightly colored fabrics being waved. But I am not sure what it’s all about.
Reader 1: Jesus is coming! Isn’t that great?
Reader 2: Well, sure, it’s great! But I still don’t get it.
Reader 1: For so long the people have prayed for one who would release them from bondage. This is the person who can do it. He’s parading into Jerusalem. He will take over!
Reader 2: You’re sure about that? He looks pretty mild to me.
Reader 1:Believe me, he’s not mild. He has done miraculous things. People who were blind can see, and people who were deaf can hear, because he healed them. He even walked on water. What do you think of that?
Reader 2: I’m not sure. I expected that the one who would come would to take over Jerusalem would be clothed in armor with an army which could defeat the enemy. I expected that there would be loud blaring trumpets, not a raggedy group of people waving branches.Leader: Sometimes our expectations and the reality don’t equal each other. Sometimes we have to trust God to do what is right. Maybe the Savior will change life in a new and different way. Maybe the way of peace will be found.
Reader 1: Listen! All I know is there’s a parade, and I’m joining in. I want to celebrate!
Reader 2: I’ll watch for a while. Maybe I’ll join in or maybe I’ll just watch. I’m not making any commitments until I know what’s going to happen. I want to be on the right side.Leader: But what is the right side? For some it would be release from the oppressor. Oppression comes in many forms, in many guises. We can’t always so easily identify the core of the problem. Perhaps for today, the parade will be sufficient. [** }
[** Addition for Palm/Passion Sunday: (leader continues): The sounds are drowned out by the clinking of silver coins and a disciple betrays his teacher. The shouts are driven out by the stomping of boots, the cords that bind as the Savior is brought to the hall of judgment, to be shuttled back and forth between religious and temporal authorities. The branches become broken and ground into dust as the nails are driven into the hands and feet of the One who would save us. Wave the branches, people. Weep. For your Savior is about to give you his whole life.]
Benediction, Blessing, Commission
The road has been long. You have seen much on this journey, but it is not time to quit. There is much to be done. Go in peace, dear people of God. Go ready to proclaim with your lives that Jesus is Lord and Savior. Go to offer God’s love and peace to all. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
Note: It is a good idea to write a brief description of the visual presentation in the worship bulletin describing the symbols and their meaning.
[The Lenten Services will be progressive in nature, that is, we will create a visual display that will move people through the services of Lent to the Easter Resurrection Celebration. There are several ways in which this visual display can be accomplished. The first way uses multiple levels, both on the worship center and in front of the worship center. Each Sunday and worship service during Lent, the symbols of a barrier and its "key word" will be placed on a riser. All symbols will remain on the riser to which they are assigned. The list will build as the Sundays progress. The second way, more simple than the first, will be using only two or three levels. The barrier for the week or worship service will be put in place each week prior to worship and then following the service it will be removed in preparation for the next week’s worship service. ]
THE TRADITIONAL COLOR FOR LENT IS PURPLE
SURFACE: The surface or structure of this display is created through the use of multiple risers. Create three levels with risers on the worship center. The center riser, placed near the back of the worship table, should be the highest, approximately 12" high. The two other risers should be about 4-6" high and should be to the left and right of the center riser. They should come toward the front of the worship center so that a gap of about 6-8" occurs. The other risers should be placed in front of the worship center. You will need a two risers that are 4" shorter than the level of the worship table. These should be placed in front of the worship table with a space of about 12" between them. The next two risers should be about 6" shorter than the previous risers and are placed in front of them, slightly off center so that they do not look like stair steps. The floor may suffice for the first level, although you may want to make risers about 2-3" high to create slight elevations from the main floor.
FABRIC: Purple is the traditional color for Lent. However it is very effective if you cover the entire worship area in burlap. Landscaper’s burlap, once it is aired out, is a great cover. It comes in 50 foot rolls and can be purchased at any landscape or home improvement store. However, do air it out! Using purple cloth, weave the cloth from the center riser, across the worship table and then down onto some of the other risers. Do not cover all the risers with purple cloth, but rather create a draping effect with it. Puddle both the remainder of the burlap and purple cloth on the floor in front of the worship center. Have a piece of dark material, black or very dark navy blue, approximately 1 yard in length, cover the brass cross on the top riser On the sixth riser (representing Palm Sunday) places some 12" swatches of bright fabric representing the cloaks.
CANDLES: Place a candle on each of the risers, with the exception of the top center riser, the riser on which the suitcase is placed, and the riser which will be used for the "coins". [The coins will be placed on the riser on Good Friday, or on Palm/Passion Sunday, whichever is your focus]. The pillar candle which was in place in front of the top riser is to remain there during most of the Lenten Services. These candles may be purple, the traditional color for Lent. They should be pillar candles about 4-6" in height. On the sixth riser, representing PalmSunday, place a small votive candle, along with the palms and fabric..
FLOWERS/PLANTS: Taking "fan palms" or "Ti" Palms, put the branches near the sixth riser. Some individual palm fronds may be strewn on the floor in front of the worship center.
ROCKS/WOOD: Place some rocks in the setting, in the "valleys" of fabric. The larger rocks that were in place in the Ash Wednesday service may remain at the base of the worship center.
OTHER: Place a brass cross on the top riser and cover it with dark fabric. The cross remains hidden during the first portion of Lenten services. The other items remain on the risers on which they were placed. The "keyword" today is False Expectations.. Today’s gospel lesson focuses on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the waving of palm branches. If it is your tradition to hand out the palm branches, it would be good to give them out early in the service. The Reading makes mention of False Expectations and the preacher may want to allude to these expectations in his/her message. .
SERMON OPTIONS: MARCH 29, 2015
The Cost of Discipleship
Isaiah 50:4-9a
On this Palm Sunday we remember the ride Jesus took into Jerusalem on the last week of his life. But we remember more than that. We remember a prophet who lived before Jesus and who laid out his life as a testimony to God. Isaiah wrote about a servant of the Lord who was willing to pay any price in the cost of discipleship. Discipleship is costly because of what it requires from us. Here are some qualities that characterize true disciples.
I. A Teachable Nature
Being open to the truth is a quality needed for all disciples. How can we learn if we are closed-minded? Like Isaiah’s servant, we can remain receptive to whatever God has for us. The servant has an “instructed tongue.”
But this matter can go awry if we are not careful. Right after the Civil War, a host of people became teachers because they thought teaching was an easy way of making a living. In his autobiography, Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington told about one of these fellows. This man went from village to village teaching a little and receiving pay for it. In one town the people asked if he taught that the earth is round or flat. The teacher replied that he was prepared to teach that the earth was either flat or round, according to the preference of a majority of his patrons. Truth by survey!
A true disciple is teachable but not gullible.
II. A God-Formed Conscience
The servant in Isaiah has his ears opened by the sovereign Lord. He has not been rebellious, nor has he drawn back from the task. Even physical violence did not deter him. The description in verse 6 of the abuse is appalling. But the servant did not run. Disciples have their consciences formed by the Lord himself.
Our consciences inform us that we humans have a fatal flaw. We are lost and cannot save ourselves. We simply cannot pay the price. Even if we could, who would be willing? We are like a slave in the antebellum South named Tom. His owner allowed him to take jobs off the plantation at night, on holidays, and on weekends. He worked hard for his owner and then would walk fifteen miles into town, work there, and return home. After two hours of sleep he would repeat the action. This went on for years, and he saved every penny. He refused to marry but spent every waking hour working.
After he saved a thousand dollars he went to his owner and asked how much he was worth. The man said that most slaves brought from between eight to twelve hundred dollars. However, since Tom was getting old and did not have any children, if he wanted to buy himself, the owner would let him go for six hundred dollars. Tom thanked his owner and went back to his cabin and dug up his money. He fondled the cash and remembered how long it took to get it. He put it back into its hiding place, went back to his owner, and said, “Freedom is a little too high right now. I’m going to wait till the price comes down.”
III. An Assurance of God’s Vindication
Discipleship is not up to us alone, thankfully. Following the Lord is not a do-it-yourself project. It is living with the awareness that God will bring all things together under his control in the end. Waiting is difficult, but the wait will be worth the effort.
In Carl Sandburg’s books on the life of Abraham Lincoln there is a chapter entitled, “Palm Sunday’65.” It was about April 9, 1865, when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. On that Palm Sunday the war ended and peace began to reign. A few skirmishes flared up here and there until everyone finally got the word, but the war really was over.
That is not a bad definition for Palm Sunday. God was ready to present his peace plans to men. There would be no compromise. A skirmish broke out on Friday, but men did not yet realize that the battle was over.
Palm Sunday is the day when Christ proclaimed his victory over the hostile forces opposed to him. He faced these forces armed only with power of self-giving love, but that was enough. God is still seeking to let everyone know the battle is over and that Christ has won. His life was the treaty. Discipleship is the honor of signing the peace treaty with God. (Don M. Aycock)
Palm Sunday from the Inside
Philippians 2:5-11
Palm Sunday is such a joyful occasion! The decorations are festive, and we eagerly look forward to the coming Easter celebration! Yet there are times when I feel kinship to the Pharisees who urged Jesus to quiet the chants of the people crowding the way that Sunday as he came down the Mount of Olives riding on a donkey: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matt 21:9) That was fiery stuff; the sort of thing rebellions are made of!
Jesus response was startling and firm: If the crowd ceased to proclaim his glory, the very stones of the streets would take up the chant! Still, somehow I see the rider of that donkey, the object of this adoration and celebration, looking rather sadly at the crowd, mindful of where this road will lead before the week is out, and equally mindful of the contrast between this charade and his previous existence. And I think it took a mind and heart full of love and determination to stay the course that day.
Paul dares to speculate on the thinking and heartbeat of Christ. “Have the mind of Christ,” he tells his beloved church. What was the mind-set of Christ as he rode the donkey that day? What is the mind of Christ which we are to have?
I. It Is a Mind-Set of Self-Renunciation
Can you picture in your mind’s eye the leave-taking of Christ from heaven to come to earth? I see Christ preparing to leave heaven, looking around at what he is about to leave. All the unspeakable glories of that place! He leaves all the beauty; he leaves the exalted position he has in heaven as the Son; he leaves the equality he has with the Father.
As he stands at the portals of heaven and looks downward, he is thinking of how incredible it is that he who created this universe should place himself into the body of a man, the mind of a man, the knowledge of a man; confined in time and space to the backwaters of history, to the tiny country of Palestine, and to the care of the young girl Mary. But it goes further. In his divinity as he takes leave of heaven, Christ sees the ordeal ahead when, experiencing all a man can experience of hatred and pain and suffering and evil, he will endure the cross because of the goal ahead.
II. It Is a Mind-Set of Humility and Obedience
It is a mind-set of commitment to a descent from glory, round by round descending into the domain of the devil, into the territory claimed by the spiritual powers who had rebelled from the Father. In verse 5 we are told that Jesus, having the nature (morphe) of the Father, having the inner character, essential and permanent, laid it aside, not seeing equality with the Father a thing to be held to, but rather, emptying himself, and taking on the nature of a servant, a slave. He humbled himself, taking on the skema—that which is changeable about one’s self—of a man. And not just a man, but a servant. And as a servant, he became obedient even to death. Executed as a common criminal, as one who plotted against the good of the people, as one who would foment rebellion against Rome.
III. It Is a Mind-Set Honored by the Father
In answer to this self-renunciation, this humility and obedience, the Father has raised him from the dead, says Paul. And not just that, but God has given to Jesus a name that is above every name. God has declared that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord! That was the earliest Christian confession, and still the only one that counts: Jesus is Lord!
This paragraph, nestled in the middle of Paul’s Letter, is no mere exercise in academic theology; it is a basis for daily living. I heard a talk radio host call a group fanatics because they believe that if they lose their life in an act dedicated to their faith (not Christian), they will go to heaven and be much better off. He thought it ridiculous that the prospect of how one will spend eternity beyond this life should dictate one’s actions and lifestyle here. He is the deluded one, the fanatic about this world.
Paul knew that Jesus was able to go through the garden and face the cross because he trusted in the Father, and trusted him to make all well beyond the cross. We must have this same mind-set, the mind of Christ, enabling us to look beyond this world and live in a way that will glorify Christ. As Charles Wesley said, “Mild he lays his glory by . . . Veiled in flesh the Godhead see” (“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”). (Earl C. Davis)
Which One Are You?
Mark 14:1–15:47
This Gospel text of Jesus passion is a moving narrative with all of the elements of powerful drama. Jesus is the object of a sinister plot involving betrayal and murder. The woman who anoints him at Bethany demonstrates the devotion of his disciples. Jesus transforms the traditional Passover meal into the sacred mystery of the Lord’s Supper. Christ is the only character in this drama who fully understands the plot and has already anticipated the ending.
It is a drama in which you might find yourself. The question is, which one are you?
I. There Are Those Who Deny Their Faith Because of Fear
Peter thought that he would never betray Jesus, but he discounted his own fear. His actions betrayed his true belief. Peter feared judgment by the Sanhedrin or the Romans more than judgment by God.
Fear is our greatest enemy. It keeps us from sharing fully of what we have. We are afraid that we will not have enough if we give some away.
Fear robs us of the power God brings to our life. When we live by faith, we can do all things through Christ. When we live in fear, our timidity robs us and others of the blessing of faithful living.
II. There Are Those Who Will Only Accept God on Their Terms
Fear is involved here, as well. Fear of change. Fear of God acting in new and different ways. Fear of things not being the way they have always been. Fear of life not being predictable. Fear of being challenged to grow and mature. Fear of being moved outside our comfort zone.
Judas had other expectations of Jesus. Judas frustration and disappointment led him to betray the one for whom he had been waiting. Judas wanted the messiah to come on his own terms.
Most of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and those of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Council) looked for a messiah who believed as they did. They expected God to meet their criteria. God’s kingdom needed to fit their mold of what was law. Though convinced that they were right, they would prudently wait until after the festival to make their move. After all, they did not want a riot on their hands (14:2).
III. There Are Those Unwilling to Accept the Radical Nature of the Kingdom of God
Christianity can never be faith on our own terms. It is not about building the church as we like it, but building the kingdom as God desires. When we insist on being in control, we are unable to give God the control.
Some people saw Jesus as someone to save them from tyranny and oppression. For them he was a miracle worker and a mystical prophet. He awed them, and they shouted, “Hosanna!”
Some people saw Jesus as a threat to established religion, a manipulator of men and women, and a purveyor of trickery. They shouted, “Crucify him!”
Today, some people see Jesus the way they see the church: with skepticism. Some folks wonder if Jesus can really do anything to save them from injustice, poverty, or a lifestyle of unhappiness.
Some people see Jesus as a good-luck charm. Christ is a “Saint Christopher medal,” which not only protects, but saves us from sin.
Some people see Jesus as a demanding Lord whose expectations are great and whose love we must earn. The notion of grace is foreign to these folks.
Some people see Jesus as a friend and companion, a Savior and a Lord who is worthy of a lifetime of commitment.
The question is: Which one are you? (Gary G. Kindley)
WORSHIP ELEMENTS: HOLY THURSDAY 2015 by Bill Hoppe
Color: Purple
Scripture Readings: Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10), 11-14; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19;1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Theme Ideas
It was by the blood of a sacrificial lamb that the Hebrews were saved in Egypt, as God passed over their homes. And it was at his final Passover feast that Jesus ate his last meal on earth, showing himself to be the sacrificial Lamb of God, by whose blood the entire world is saved. This was a Passover feast unlike any other. Jesus changed its imagery forever by asking his disciples to eat his body, with the breaking of the bread, and to drink his blood with the sharing of the cup. And so, this meal became for us the Lord’s Supper, commemorated as the sacrament of Holy Communion. As doubtful and confused as the disciples must have been, Jesus left no doubt about his love for them, as he washed their feet—even the feet of Judas Iscariot, his betrayer. Sacrifice and love, then, are the foremost themes of Holy Thursday: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34b).
Call to Worship (John 13, 1 Corinthians 11, Exodus 12)
A table is set before us. A feast is prepared for us.
A meal of bread and wine, of meat and bitter herbs.
The Lord calls us to this supper of remembrance.
The Lord calls us to serve and to be served.
As we break the bread and share the cup,
our understanding may fail us.
But we will never forget Christ’s example.
We will never forget the full extent of his love.
Contemporary Gathering Words (John 13)
Christ’s love is poured out for us
like water poured into a basin.
Christ’s love washes us clean.
Christ’s love shows us who we are to be,
and what we are to do.
How blessed we are to know such love!
Contemporary Gathering Words (John 13)
God invites us to the table.
All are welcome, even those with their own agenda.
Christ serves us at this meal.
All may partake, even those who feel unworthy.
All are welcome; all are served; all are loved.
Opening Prayer (Psalm 116)
We love you, Lord. You hear us.
You listen to our prayers.
You have always heard us
whenever we’ve called to you.
Though death tries to bind us
and the gates of hell open before us,
we will call on the Lord’s name for deliverance.
You are full of grace and righteousness.
Lord, you are full of compassion!
You have saved us and preserved us, God.
We rest in your love and care.
How can we repay you, Lord,
for the gifts you’ve showered upon us?
We offer our thanksgiving to you
before all your people!
O praise the Lord!
Praise be to God! Amen.
Opening Prayer or Inivtation to Communion (1 Corinthians 11)
On the night of his arrest,
the Lord Jesus took bread and broke it, saying:
“This is my body, given for you. Remember me.”
As Jesus gave thanks to God,
we also give thanks for his sacrifice.
On that same night, in the same way,
the Lord Jesus took the cup, saying:
“This is my blood, poured out for you. Remember me.”
As Jesus gave thanks to God,
we also give thanks for this new covenant.
When you eat this bread and drink this cup,
remember the Lord Jesus. Remember and be thankful.
Remember until he comes!
Remember us when you come, Lord Jesus!
Thanks be to God!
Prayer of Confession (John 13)
Loving Christ,
on that night long ago,
you knew that your hour had come.
You knew full well what lay ahead of you.
Your disciples loved you and followed you,
but they had also failed you.
They would fail you yet again that night,
and one would betray you.
Yet you washed their feet, as a servant would.
even the feet of your betrayer.
We have also loved you and followed you.
We have also failed you,
and we cannot comprehend the love that you show us,
the love that is our example,
the love that tells us to do
as you have done for us.
May we be like you, Master, servants of all.
May all see how we long to be your faithful disciples.
May all see how we love each other,
just as you have loved us.
In your holy name we pray. Amen.
Words of Assurance (John 13)
Now the Son of Man, the one who loves us, is glorified.
In him, God is also glorified.
The one who loves us gives us a new commandment:
to love one another!
As the Lord has loved us, you are to love each other.
Let all see this love among you, and glorify God.
Let all see how you belong to Christ!
Benediction (Psalm 116, John 13)
How precious to the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.
How precious is the sacrifice of Christ.
You are the treasure for which everything was given.
Know that you are precious to God.
And know that you are worthy of Christ’s sacrifice.
From “The Abingdon Worship Annual 2006,” edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © 2005 Abingdon Press. “The Abingdon Worship Annual 2015” is now available.
WORSHIP ELEMENTS: HOLY THURSDAY 2015 (OPTION 2)By Hans Holznagel
Holy Thursday
COLOR: Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10), 11-14; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35
THEME IDEAS
These readings, depicting the moment before Jesus’ persecution, crucifixion, and resurrection, contain familiar high drama: death and deliverance, blood as sign and symbol, shared food weighted with meaning. But they also stress something unfamiliar and countercultural in today’s individualized world: communal caring that transcends personal and family boundaries. “If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one,” Exodus instructs. “Wash one another’s feet,” Jesus commands. “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” Even Paul’s famous words of the Lord’s Supper are set within a larger exhortation of right practice and relationship within the community of faith.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (John 13)
From busy weekday lives
we pause this hour, gathered as friends,
to remember Jesus’ last earthly night
with his disciples.
May we listen for God’s invitations
to personal discipleship and service;
to communion with one another
and with the Holy One.
Let us prepare our hearts and minds
to worship God.
Opening Prayer (Exodus 12, John 13)
Holy God,
remind us on this special day
of the many ways we know you:
as strong deliverer,
as humble servant,
as the One who bids us love one another,
that the world might know you.
Lead us not only to the beauty of solitary reflection
but also to community, as we remember together
your words and your example.
In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Exodus 12, 1 Corinthians 11, John 13)
God of service and abundance,
on this night of holy meals,
we are reminded that we ought to love
and share with one another.
We confess that your ways
are not always our ways.
When we drift toward isolation and indifference,
may we remember this night of communion
and your ever new commandment of love.
May our love and sharing
be signs of hope for the world. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Psalm 116)
The Lord has heard our voices and our supplications. God has loosed our bonds. Know that when we fall short, God hears our prayers and frees us for lives of gratitude and service. In Christ we are forgiven. Let the whole church say amen.
Amen.
Response to the Word (1 Corinthians 11)
May the word opened, like bread broken, nourish us for God’s service. Thanks be to God! Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to the Offering (Psalm 116:12-14)
To the question, “What shall I return to the LORD for all [God’s] bounty to me,” the psalmist answers: “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all [God’s] people.” As we prepare to lift the cup, let us offer thanksgiving through our tithes and offerings. Praise be to God.
Offering Prayer (Psalm 116, John 13)
We offer these gifts, O God,
with joy and thanks.
May they strengthen your church
for acts of love and service,
in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Invitation to Communion (John 13)
We are gathered as disciples, and tonight Jesus reveals himself to us. He is the master teacher who unexpectedly washes our feet, as would a servant. He has led us triumphantly into Jerusalem, and yet he speaks of going where we cannot go, of being broken and poured out for us. We remember him now as he asked us to do, in a communal meal. Whether bewildered that he must depart, sobered before the cross that awaits, or quietly anticipating Sunday’s joy, let us center ourselves now—in this moment,
connected with those around us—to seek God’s presence in the breaking of the bread.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (John 13)
Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
you also should love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
Go in peace, then, loving one another
and loving the world that God so loved. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Gathering Words (John 13)
Thursday night is not our usual time to meet.
Something is up.
Why the teacher as a servant?
What of leaving and remembering?
What does this mean?
Jesus, help us understand.
Praise Sentences (Psalm 116)
For all God’s bounty, what shall I return?
I will lift the cup of salvation.
I will offer thanksgiving.
I will pay my vows to God.
For God has heard my voice
and my prayers.
Gracious is God, and righteous!
Praise God!
From The Abingdon Worship Annual 2011, edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu
Copyright © 2010 by Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.
The 2015 edition of The Abingdon Worship Annual is now available.
HOLY THURSDAY (Option 1)
A DRAMATIC SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION
For HOLY THURSDAY written by Rev. Nancy Townley
[A table is set up in the front of the sanctuary, within full view of the congregation. It is covered in a white cloth, which extends down to the floor. There needs to be a place set off to the side for the NARRATOR, who may also be the Pastor. Thirteen chairs are set up behind the table. [as you are looking at the table from the congregation’s standpoint] The chair in the center is for JESUS. The other disciples will fill the other chairs, with PETER and JOHN to the left of JESUS, JAMES to the rightof JESUS, and JUDAS at the end of the table on the right hand side. You may choose to wear long robes, or contemporary dress. However, it will be important for PETER to be wearing a pair of sandals. On this table place thirteen glasses (you may use chalices/wine glasses, or regular glasses), a bowl to the left of JESUS, within reach of JUDAS; a plate on which an uncut loaf of bread is placed. To the left of the table will be a chair and a stand on which a basin, pitcher, and towel have been placed (these should not be blocking the main table, but may be moved forward for the foot-washing sequence. When the foot-washing is complete, the chair, table, pitcher and basin may be moved to the side.]
GATHERING MUSIC “What Wondrous Love Is This” Instrumental only.
PASTOR: Tonight is a special night, for it is on this night that we gather to commemorate the Lord’s Supper, as it is known to us. Welcome to the table of the Lord.
*HYMN “Saranam, Saranam” UMH #523
UNISON PRAYER: Ever-gracious God, we gather in this evening hour as friends gathered with Jesus in an Upper Room long ago. We come bearing the marks and burdens of a bitter and broken world. We come from anonymous places, with dry and thirsty spirits. Remind us, in the breaking of the bread, of our need and of your great sufficiency. Refresh us and make us whole with the cup of forgiveness. Draw us nearer to each other in mutual service and closer to you in the covenant of faithfulness and thanksgiving. As the night advances, deepen in us a sense of your steadfast love for us in Jesus Christ, our friend and Redeemer. AMEN.
**********************************************************************
NARRATOR: The road to Jerusalem had been a long, dusty trail. They had willingly followed this man, this Jesus. Now was the time of his triumph, they felt. At last, in the Holy City of Jerusalem, God would make God’s Kingdom manifest.
[breaking the “freeze” position - PETER speaks, and when done, again “freezes”]
PETER: I’m the one that they call the “Big Fisherman”….Big, I guess, and definitely a fisherman. But He called me to become someone who fishes for people. And I left my nets, my boats, and my family and followed Him. I never thought I’d be here, in this place, with this man. He is God’s Son, there’s no doubt about that, and now we have gathered for a meal and enjoyed each other’s company. I don’t know what lies ahead, but I am sure that something incredible is going to happen.
[breaking from “freeze” position - JAMES speaks, and when done, again “freezes”]
JAMES: I remember the first time I heard Him speak. I had gone to hear Him with my brother, John. There was something so compelling about this man, something which seemed to touch my very soul. His words pierced my heart, and yet at the same time drew me in. Then one day, He came to the lakeshore and asked us to follow Him. My father, Zebedee, was not very happy about our decision to follow this wilderness preachers, as he called Him. But follow, we did…over hills, and through valleys, into cities and towns. The things we witnessed! We saw healing, hope restored, lessons taught, the loves of people were changed. It was exciting. Tonight, in this Holy City, we have gathered to share a meal together. I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I know it will be something exciting.
[breaking from “freeze” position - JOHN speaks, and when done, again “freezes”]
JOHN: Everyone else seems so calm, but there is an uneasiness in my soul tonight. Something is wrong, at least that is how I feel. Things have been rather hectic, and this should be a wonderful time to share a meal, but I can’t help the way I feel. I just don’t want this journey to end. I know there are wondrous things yet to happen, but somehow, this sense of foreboding is sneaking into my spirit.
[breaking from “freeze” position - JUDAS speaks, and when done, again “freezes”]
JUDAS: Well, it has been a nice meal, although I can tell you that it cost us a pretty penny to gather all the supplies. I am required to keep the treasury, to make sure that all the needs of these people are taken care of and that we have funds to do our work helping people. He, this Jesus, talks about the Kingdom of God being at hand, and He has done some miraculous things….but when is it truly coming? Am I the only one who really desires God’s intervention right now? We have been in the Temple every day. He preaches, and proclaims God’s presence. But we need to have action right here and now. I don’t know why He’s stalling….but maybe it’s my turn to do something to get this thing rolling.
***********************************************************************
NARRATOR: Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world and to go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Him. And during the supper, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off His outer robed, and tied a towel at his waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciple’s feet, and to wipe them with the towel that has tied around Him.
[JESUS gets up from the table, comes over to the stand where the basin, pitcher and towel are placed. He takes a towel and fastens it to His waist (rope cinture if he’s wearing a robe; otherwise, tucking it in the belt of his slacks). He places the basin on the floor in front of the chair (which is to the right of the table), and pours water into the basin. He signals to PETER to come to the chair to have his feet washed. PETER comes over, but does not immediately sit in the chair]
PETER: Lord, are you going to wash my feet?
JESUS: Yes, Peter. But you do not know now what I am doing, later you will understand.
[PETER sits in the chair and removes a sandal. JESUS washes his foot, dries it and then places the sandal back on his foot. They both return to their places at the table]
[Note: if you desire, you may have the other disciples come forward and each of them receive a foot washing from Jesus, then return to their previous seats - this will depend on the amount of time available for this worship service]
**********************************************************************
NARRATOR: But Judas was disturbed by these things. As he reached to dip a piece of bread in the bowl, JESUS spoke to him.
JESUS: Do quickly what you must do, Judas.
[JUDAS looks startled and then puts the bread down - stands up and leaves the table.]
[After the litany of Confession and Assurance, the other disciples come out of the “freeze” positions and begin conversing quietly among themselves]
***********************************************************************
PRAYER OF CONFESSION and ASSURANCE:
Pastor: God of mercy and love, when Judas went out that door, a part of each one of us went with him.
PEOPLE: We have all betrayed Jesus in one way or another.
Pastor: And when the disciples sat unmoving at the table, each waiting for the other to wash their feet, a part of each one of us sat there with them.
PEOPLE: We have all sat unmoving, waiting for someone else to do what we should be doing ourselves.
Pastor: And when Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet, a part of each one of us joined him in that rejection
PEOPLE: We have all resisted the new hierarchy of Jesus, where those who are greatest become loving servants to all.
Pastor: Forgive us for immobility, for our fear. Help us to again return to following Jesus who would lead us to hope, forgiveness and eternal life. AMEN.
***********************************************************************
NARRATOR: But the evening was not complete…..
[JESUS looks at His disciples. Then He takes an uncut loaf of bread. As He raises it, the disciples turn toward Him, watching intently, very serious]
JESUS: Blessed are you, O Lord God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth the bread. We give you thanks for the bounty of the harvest, for the hands which fashioned this bread, and for those it will nourish.
And now, I give it to you. Take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
[JESUS breaks the bread and passes it to the disciples on either side of Him. Each disciple breaks a piece of bread and holds it, and passes the loaf to the one beside him. When it reaches the last one at each end of the table, it is placed on a plate. The communion for the congregation will be served from these plates.]
NARRATOR: Likewise, he took the cup…..
[JESUS takes the cup, raises it, and recites the blessing. Then he lowers it before he begins the second paragraph]
JESUS: Blessed are you, O Lord God, Ruler of the Universe. We give you thanks for the fruit of the vine, for those who have tended and harvested, for those who have prepared this wine, and for those it will nourish.
Drink from this, all of you; for this is my blood of the new covenant which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink of this, do it in remembrance of me.
[JESUS takes the cup and passes it, first to his right and it is returned to h im, and then to his left, and the cup is returned to him. Each disciple dips his bread into the cup and then passes it to the one next to him. Upon completion of their communion, one disciple from the right of Jesus and one from his left, will co forward, prepared to hold the plate of bread while the communion is being offered to the congregation. The Pastor will hold the Chalice]
PASTOR: Come, all who labor and are heavy laden. Come to the table of the Lord. Here find refreshment for your soul. Hear find your healing. Here remember that Christ died for you and be thankful. Come forward in unbroken line to receive this gift.
This is the body of Christ broken for you.
This is the blood of Christ poured out for you.
MUSIC DURING COMMUNION:
UMH #614 “For the Bread Which You Have Broken“, Verses 1 & 2
UMH #432 “Jesu, Jesu”
FWS #2254 “In Remembrance of Me”
FWS #2198 “Stay With Me”
(You may opt to have the whole congregation sing these songs, or the choir only)
PRAYER: Patient God, we h ave received the elements of bread and wine. We have come to the table, imperfect, flawed. Yet You, In Christ, receive us and offer to us healing and hope. Forgive our waywardness. Heal our brokenness. Challenge us to live lives of faithfulness and discipleship. AMEN.
*CLOSING SONG: “Go to Dark Gethsemane” UMH #290
BENEDICTION:
Go in peace, into the darkness of the night to await the dawn. AMEN.
[The service may end with just those spoken words, or it may end with somber music being played. There should be little or no discussion among the participants in order to create an atmosphere of solemnity]
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this night is: PURPLE
[PLEASE NOTE: The directions for the Communion Table, the Footwashing stand are given in the beginning of the service. When you are preparing a bulletin, these directions and all stage directions should be omitted]
THE THEME FOR LENT: TAKING STEPS TOWARD THE CROSS
Although the traditional color for this night is purple, I am asking you to consider covering the worship center with the brown landscapers’ burlap, so that the coarseness of the fabric will set the tone for the weeks which are coming. The movement throughout Lent this year will be taking step toward the cross. Each week, there will be a representation on each step concerning the gospel message for that Sunday (also including Holy Thursday and Good Friday). Each week will be built upon the previous week. moving upward from the bottom step toward the cross. Follow the prompts in the directions below to see the suggestions for each step. The Sunday in Lent will be in italics and bold print.
LENT 1: This is the first step (Ash Wednesday begins with the display on the floor of the worship center, in front of the steps). The journey upward toward the cross begins here. Today’s representation will be THE WILDERNESS.
LENT 2: This is the second step. Today we move forward in commitment, being willing to deny ourselves, and take up our crosses and follow Jesus. Today’s representations will be THE CROSSES of DISCIPLESHIP
LENT 3: Our greed and selfishness have become the focus of today’s representation. Jesus’ overturns the tables of the money changers, for they have been cheating the people for their own profit, they have corrupted the house of worship by their avarice. Today’s representations will the COINS.
LENT 4: We often want God’s purpose for sending Jesus to be that of retribution for all the hurts and alienation we have felt; however, Jesus came to heal and restore us to a right relationship with God….”for God sent Jesus into the world so that the world through him might be saved….God did not send him into the world for condemnation…”
Today’s representation is A SMALL GLOBE or A PARTIALLY UNFOLDED MAP.
LENT 5: Discipleship requires a willingness to give totally of one’s self to the Lord. Holding nothing back, our deeds of mercy, justice and peace will bear a great witness to all, long after we have moved on in our journey. Today’s representation is a bundle of WHEAT.
PASSION/PALM SUNDAY or PALM SUNDAY: Although churches may choose to celebrate this as either Palm Sunday or Passion/Palm Sunday, the artistic representation may vary only slightly. Today’s symbol are THE PALM BRANCHES and CLOAKS (for those specifically celebrating Palm Sunday only). If you are celebrating PASSION/PALM SUNDAY, you may want to add A CHALICE, CROWN OF THORNS, BLACK FABRIC (however, you may add some palm fronds, if you choose)
HOLY THURSDAY: There is no change in the “journey” scene, however follow the directions for the Table, etc. at the beginning of the worship service.
SURFACE: You will be creating 11 steps, leading from the cross down onto the floor of the worship area. These steps should be about 8” high You will need to make each step about 2 feet wide and about 12” deep. This might mean building some additional steps to be placed on the worship center and extending the other steps well into the chancel area. If you are limited in space, make the steps slightly smaller and put them in a staggered format to the right and left of the main step, which should be the highest one. It is on this one that the Lenten cross will rest, to be replaced by an Easter cross
FABRIC: Cover the entire worship area with landscapers’ burlap, making sure that all risers are covered and that the fabric puddles on the floor in front of the worship center.
Take 3 3” wide ribbons or strips of royal purple cloth and place them on the center of the top riser, under the Lenten cross. Make sure that they are separated about 1-2” apart. Bring them forward down over the risers and onto the floor in front of the worship center.
Passion/Palm Sunday: Add a yard of black fabric to the step. Palm Sunday: Add several pieces of colored cloth to the step.
CANDLES: Ash Wednesday: On the top step, in front of the Lenten cross, place a 10” white pillar candle. Lent 1: Place a 3” white candle on the bottom step. Lent 2: Place a 3” white candle on the next step up from the bottom. Lent 3: Place a 3” white candle on the next step up from the previous week‘s step. Lent 4: Place a 3” white candle on the next step up from the previous week’s step. Lent 5: Place a 3” white candle on the next step up from the previous week’s step. (it should be placed behind the sheaf of wheat). Passion/Palm Sunday: No candle should be placed on this step. Palm Sunday: Place a white candle on this step and several votive candles.
FLOWERS/FOLIAGE: Ash Wednesday: If you can get cacti, or other large, spiky plants, place them on the floor on either side of the steps leading to the cross. Place some smaller spiky plants on either side of the cross, but make sure that there is about 8” between the cross and the plants. Lent 1: Place several cacti on the bottom step. Lent 2, 3, and 4: no additional cacti or floral pieces necessary. Lent 5: At a local craft store you may want to purchase a bundle of wheat or grain stalks, to represent the grains of wheat that Jesus describes in today’s Gospel lesson. Place the wheat, lying on its side on the step above the globe/map and in front of the candle on that step Passion/Palm Sunday: Place several palm fronds and a crown of thorns on this step. Palm Sunday: You may place a small bundle of palms, or some Ti palms (the kind used in funeral baskets and purchased at the local florist) in a small vase to be put on the step.
ROCKS/WOOD: Place piles of rocks on each of the steps, just to give some texture. Don’t use too many, but have some there for effect. Lent 4: If you choose, you may place a small pile of rocks by the globe or map. Passion/Palm Sunday: You may place a group of rocks near the crown of thorns.
OTHER: If it is possible, have someone create a rough, rugged cross, about the size of the brass cross that you might normally use on the worship center. This is known as the Lenten Cross. Place that Cross on the center of the uppermost riser, on top of the strips of purple ribbon/fabric. Lent 2: Place a collection of small crosses, about 6” high on the second step from the bottom. Lent 3: Place coins and other monies on the step (heaped up and spilling over from a basket. Lent 4: Place a small globe or partially opened map on the step (The map should be opened so that some of it is leaning against the next step up and a small portion of it is spilling down over the edge to the step below.). If you are using a globe, place the candle slightly in front of the globe. Passion/Palm Sunday: add a chalice to the step. Holy Thursday: Prepare the table as directed. You may decide to robe or wear contemporary clothing. Make sure that the bread which you have for communion at the Table is sufficient for the worshippers in the congregation. Additionally, have a spare pitcher of “wine” in case you need to refill the chalice.
HOLY THURSDAY (Option 2)
Notes on Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday is such a powerful celebration and witness to our faith. I have presented two "almost" complete services to be offered in two differing locations. One is called THE SANCTUARY SERVICE and other is entitled THE FELLOWSHIP HALL. The time of these worship services is flexible, although generally we have them in the evening. The first service would be held in the main worship area or sanctuary. The format is contemporary, using music and visual display to enhance and support the liturgy. The Fellowship Hall service may be done in any large room in which it is permissible to have food. The idea is to provide a space in which a common meal can be shared. Note: this is not a Seder or a Love Feast. It is more like a Potluck supper. The liturgy for both these services is what I call "springboard" material, and I encourage you to use it for ideas to develop your own special liturgy. Within each of these services I have listed the supplies that you might need for both settings (Artistic Elements). At the end of each service there is a reprise of the Artistic Elements list, for your convenience. These services are designed for any size congregation.
THE SANCTUARY SERVICE
GATHERING MUSIC
THE FAITH WE SING p. 2002 "I Will Call Upon the Lord" (choir or small group)
UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL p. 432 "Jesu, Jesu", (vocal solo)
UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL p. 579 "Lord God, Your Love Has Called Us Here"
(Instrumental)
WORDS OF WELCOME
Leader: Welcome this evening to a celebration of hope and joy. On this dark night we have come to remember the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples. This Lenten Journey has brought us to this place, past many barriers, over difficult spiritual terrain. Now we are invited to the feast, the time of remembrance. Welcome, dear friends, welcome to worship and to the table of the Lord.
CALL TO WORSHIP
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2265, "Time Now to Gather", offer the call to worship in the following manner]
[Have the musician, keyboardist, organist, play the song through once. ]
[As the choir is singing the first verse, have four people bring forward the following elements: a white cloth to cover the worship center, a chalice and pitcher, a basket with bread, a white pillar candle. The cloth should be placed first on the worship center, followed by the candle in the center of the table and the bread basket on one side of the candle and the chalice and pitcher with the wine/juice on the other side. When these have been placed, the servers step to the side of the worship center.]
Choir (singing): "Time now to gather, time now to feel, Christ’s holy presence gracing this meal. Grain from the harvest, fruit of the vine; simple the supper, sacred the sign.
L: Come, now is the time to gather for this meal.
P: We come, hearts ready to receive the gift of Christ.
Choir (singing): "Time to remember Christ who was sent. Time to say, "Thank you" for all he meant. Come to this table. Come, without fear. God will forgive you, welcome you here."
L: All is ready.
P: Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of this holy meal. AMEN.
**Song "Saranam, Saranam" UMH p. 523
Psalm 116: 1-4, 12-19 [Paraphrased for inclusive language, this reading is done by several people]
Reader 1: I love the Lord, because God has heard my voice and my supplications. Because God has listened to me, therefore I will call upon the name of the Lord for as long as I live.
Reader 2: The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: "O Lord, I pray, save my life!"
Reader 3: What shall I return to the Lord for all the bounty given to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
Reader 1: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of God’s faithful ones.
Reader 2: O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
Reader 3: I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord.
Reader 1: I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
Reader 2: In the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of God, I will offer praise.
ALL: Praise the Lord!**Song "You Satisfy the Hungry Heart" UMH p. 629
[Note: either the scripture for the Evening may be read in usual form, and the traditional service of Holy Communion with the words of Institution may be offered, or you may use the following to incorporate both the scripture and the Sacrament]
Scripture in Dramatic Form John 13: 1-17, 31b-35, Mark 14: 22-24; Luke 22: 19-20
[Note: it is not necessary to have people in this drama dress in period costume. Regular clothing worn today is appropriate. If you do not have a lot of space, you may decrease the amount of disciples to 3-4 plus Peter and Judas. The disciples should vary in age and gender. They should be barefoot. They may have slippers or sandals which be slipped of and on with ease. Have the twelve disciples sit in this order, from left to right, Peter is in the 6th seat or near the middle of the small group. Judas is at the end on the right. You will need to have a narrator, who will remain off-stage. Other characters may use the scripts (Readers’ Theatre style) or they may memorize their parts. Articles you will need are chairs for each character, a pitcher [with water] and basin, towels, a small table with a loaf of bread and a cup/chalice and a glass pitcher of grape juice]
Narrator: Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table.
[Jesus: takes off his sweater (cardigan), and taking the towel and the pitcher and basin, kneels at the feet of his disciples. He pours a small amount of water into the basin and begins to wash the feet of the disciples and dry them. When he gets to Peter, the following dialog appears]
Peter: Lord, are you going to wash my feet?
Jesus: You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.
Peter: You will never wash my feet.
Jesus: Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.
Peter: Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!
Jesus: One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.
(Jesus looks at the chair where Judas is sitting. Judas looks back at him and then leaves)
[Jesus continues to wash the feet - Note: have the organist or keyboardist play softly "Jesu, Jesu", under the action that follows Judas’ departure, until Jesus stands up and returns to his seat. ]
Jesus: Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
[While the narrator is speaking, have two people bring to the center a small table (card table) covered in a white cloth and the loaf of bread, the cup/chalice, and the pitcher of grape juice (it should be about half full). Make sure that there is enough room between "Jesus" for some movement. The congregation will receive the sacrament from this table)
Narrator: Following the foot washing, Jesus ate supper with his friends. They were still puzzled about his actions and were thinking about the explanation and what he meant by it. Jesus stood up and went to the table, and took a loaf of bread in his hands.
[Jesus takes the uncut loaf of bread, lifts it heavenward and offers a prayer]
Jesus: Lord God of all, you have given to us the grain of the field from which this bread has been made. Make it a blessing for your people.
[Jesus tears the loaf of bread in half, with his hands outstretched, he looks at the disciples on his right and his left and offers the following ..].
Jesus: Look at this bread. This represents my body which is broken for you. Take and eat this bread in remembrance of me.
Narrator: Jesus passed the bread to his friends and each one took a piece, but did not eat immediately, for they were stunned at his words. What could he have meant by his body being broken?
[Jesus returns to the table and speaks as he pours the juice into the chalice. He lifts the chalice heavenward and prays the following prayer.]
Jesus: Lord God of all, you have given to us the fruit of the vine. May we be ever grateful for the nourishment which you continually pour into our lives.
[Jesus looks at the disciples on either side and then offers the following words]
Jesus: Drink from this, all of you, for this represents my blood, the new covenant, which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.
[Jesus goes to each of his disciples, and they dip their morsel of bread into the cup and eat the soaked bread. Jesus returns to the table.]
Jesus: Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God h as been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
[All participants in drama remain in their place.]
The Pastor comes forward and invites the congregation to participate in the Eucharist.
Pastor: This is the night of remembrance. Christ calls you to his table. Come with expectant and penitent hearts and spirits. Receive the bread of life and the cup of salvation with thanksgiving. It is given and poured out for you that you may have life. All is ready. Come to the table of the Lord.
[The people are ushered forward in a single line, to the table, the Pastor and the person portraying Jesus offer the bread and the cup, silently]
[The organist may play soft music under the communion service]
[When all is complete, the people from the dramatic presentation leave the area and return to the pews/chairs offstage. The Pastor remains behind the table.]
Prayer following Communion:
Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
**Song "What Wondrous Love" UMH p. 292
Benediction:
God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, has satisfied our hungry hearts and longing spirits. You have been given the nourishment needed to go into the world, proclaiming God’s eternal love. Go now in peace and may God’s peace be with you all. AMEN.
CLOSING MUSIC: (choice of the musicians - any relatively somber piece is appropriate)
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
Note: It is a good idea to write a brief description of the visual presentation in the worship bulletin describing the symbols and their meaning.
[The Lenten Services will be progressive in nature, that is, we will create a visual display that will move people through the services of Lent to the Easter Resurrection Celebration. There are several ways in which this visual display can be accomplished. The first way uses multiple levels, both on the worship center and in front of the worship center. Each Sunday and worship service during Lent, the symbols of a barrier and its "key word" will be placed on a riser. All symbols will remain on the riser to which they are assigned. The list will build as the Sundays progress. The second way, more simple than the first, will be using only two or three levels. The barrier for the week or worship service will be put in place each week prior to worship and then following the service it will be removed in preparation for the next week’s worship service. ]
THE TRADITIONAL COLOR FOR LENT IS PURPLE
SURFACE: The surface or structure of this display is created through the use of multiple risers. Create three levels with risers on the worship center. The center riser, placed near the back of the worship table, should be the highest, approximately 12" high. The two other risers should be about 4-6" high and should be to the left and right of the center riser. They should come toward the front of the worship center so that a gap of about 6-8" occurs. The other risers should be placed in front of the worship center. You will need a two risers that are 4" shorter than the level of the worship table. These should be placed in front of the worship table with a space of about 12" between them. The next two risers should be about 6" shorter than the previous risers and are placed in front of them, slightly off center so that they do not look like stair steps. The floor may suffice for the first level, although you may want to make risers about 2-3" high to create slight elevations from the main floor.
FABRIC: Purple is the traditional color for Lent. However it is very effective if you cover the entire worship area in burlap. Landscaper’s burlap, once it is aired out, is a great cover. It comes in 50 foot rolls and can be purchased at any landscape or home improvement store. However, do air it out! Using purple cloth, weave the cloth from the center riser, across the worship table and then down onto some of the other risers. Do not cover all the risers with purple cloth, but rather create a draping effect with it. Puddle both the remainder of the burlap and purple cloth on the floor in front of the worship center. Have a piece of dark material, black or very dark navy blue, approximately 1 yard in length, cover the brass cross on the top riser.
You will need white fabric to cover the card table which will be put in the center of the worship area.
CANDLES: Place a candle on each of the risers, with the exception of the top center riser, the riser on which the suitcase is placed, and the riser which will be used for the "coins". [The coins will be placed on the riser on Good Friday, or on Palm/Passion Sunday, whichever is your focus]. The pillar candle which was in place in front of the top riser is to remain there during most of the Lenten Services. These candles may be purple, the traditional color for Lent. They should be pillar candles about 4-6" in height. You may want a candle for the card table which is put in the center during the dramatic presentation, but it is not necessary.
FLOWERS/PLANTS: The palms which were placed in the worship center, remain in place. Do not add any flowers or other plants.
ROCKS/WOOD: Place some rocks in the setting, in the "valleys" of fabric. The larger rocks that were in place in the Ash Wednesday service may remain at the base of the worship center.
OTHER: Place a brass cross on the top riser and cover it with dark fabric. The cross remains hidden during the first portion of Lenten services. The other items remain on the risers on which they were placed. Place a loaf of uncut bread, a chalice, and bunches of grapes on the center of the worship area, in front of the center candle. This represents the Holy Communion. .
HOLY THURSDAY (Option 3)
THE FELLOWSHIP HALL SERVICE
CALL TO WORSHIP:
[This setting is unique in that it incorporates both a corporate supper with the congregation and the setting for the service of Holy Communion. The call to worship and the blessing for the meal are placed together. It is recommended that this service is done in a common room, a fellowship hall or such other church gathering place which is separate from the sanctuary. If a fellowship hall is not available, any large room in which food is permitted would be ok. Tables should be placed in a square, if possible so that all the people are seated outside the square. At the center of the table where the Pastor is, the covered centerpiece should be a loaf of bread and the chalice filled with grape juice. This will be used for the Sacrament. The center of the square contains a small table on which there is a purple cloth, a bible, a small loaf of bread, a bunch of grapes, and a candle. You may also place a cross on this table if you wish.]
L: Welcome to this celebration, this meal of gratitude.
P: We come here at Christ’s bidding.
L: Offer to each other words of welcome and greeting
[People will greet each other around the table]
L: Now let us return thanks to God who has provided us with such blessings.
L: Holy and gracious God, we thank you for this wonderful meal, provided lovingly by these people present. Bless this food to our good and bless us in your service, for we ask this in Christ’s Name. AMEN.
P: AMEN.
SONG: "Be Present at Our Table, Lord" UMH p. 621
THE SUPPER OF CELEBRATION: Let all gathered share the food and fellowship in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
OPENING PRAYER
[as the dishes are being cleared from the table, this prayer may be offered]
Pastor: Let us pray...
Pastor and People: We have gathered here in your presence, Lord Jesus, to share in a time of fellowship and remembrance. We have talked, laughed, and listened. Now you offer to us a time to truly remember the great gift you have given to us - the gift of yourself. AMEN.
SONG: "Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast" UMH, p. 616, verses 1 & 2
Pastor: This has been quite a Lenten journey for us. We began so long ago with the service of Ash Wednesday, the smudge of ashes as reminders of our need to look within and to repent of the many ways in which we betrayed and denied Jesus in our lives. There have been barriers and obstacles on our journey and we have worked diligently to overcome them. Now this night we have shared a fellowship meal, lovingly prepared by you all here. It has been a great time of feasting, but there is a greater feast yet to come.
[Have the pianist/keyboardist play some appropriate quiet music under the service of communion which is being offered].
Pastor: On the night in which Jesus gathered with his disciples, he ate a common meal, knowing that it would be his last meal with them before the hour of his death would come. He rose from the table and took a loaf of bread in his hands. He raised the bread, blessing it and thanking God for the bounty and the gift of finest wheat, then he offered it to his disciples, saying, "Take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
[The Pastor breaks the bread and offers it to all the people who pass it from one to another around the table, but do not consume it until directed by the Pastor]
Pastor: Likewise, after supper, Jesus took the cup and he gave thanks to God for it and blessed it. He turned to his disciples and said "Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me."
As each of you receive the cup, dip your bread into the cup and eat the bread which is given and poured out for you.
[When all have received the sacrament, the Pastor and the people share the following prayer:]
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus Christ, you have walked with us on our Lenten journey. You have been with us as we encountered each barrier and obstacles. It is by your guidance and help that we have overcome so much. We have been strengthened by you. Now we give you thanks that you have brought us to this holy meal in which we have shared and become one with you through receiving the morsels of bread dipped in the wine. Nourish our souls and spirits by your love, that having been empowered and inspired by your example, we may go into the world to serve, heal, and welcome all people in your name. AMEN.
Pastor: When Jesus had finished his supper with his disciples, he led them out to the Garden called Gethsemane, where he knelt in prayer to God. The time of trial was drawing near.
SONG: "What Wondrous Love Is This" UMH p. 292
SENDING FORTH:
Our Journey is not complete. There are more barriers that we must encounter. Remember this night and our meal together. Remember the witness of the disciples. Be prepared. The darkness of Good Friday awaits. You must continue the journey. Go in peace. Christ’s love is with you always. AMEN.
CLOSING MUSIC: (somber music, nothing spritely or bouncy. This is a time of reflection)
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
[The setting for this service is a fellowship hall or large room in which meals can be eaten.
THE TRADITIONAL COLOR FOR LENT IS PURPLE
SURFACE: The tables are set in a square in a large room or fellowship hall. There may be a side table for the food to be shared. A small table will be needed for the center if the square
FABRIC: The square tables may be covered in white cloth. The small table in the center of the square may be covered in purple cloth. You will need white cloth to cover the communion elements that are on the table where the Pastor sits.
CANDLES: A white pillar candle may be placed on the small center table
FLOWERS/PLANTS: Plants and flowers are generally not used. However, a bunch of grapes may be appropriate for the center table.
ROCKS/WOOD: None are needed for this setting
OTHER: Loaves of bread (one for the center table, and the appropriate number for the communion service; pitcher of grape juice, chalices (one for the center table and one at the Pastor’s table), a brass cross (optional). Music, either books or copied pages from the hymnal (if you have CCLI) for the worship service. Bulletins may be desired with the prayers printed in them.
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10:16-25 (16-23); John 18:1–19:42
THEME IDEAS
Good Friday is the most somber day of the Christian year. It has only one theme and only one event in mind: Jesus’ death. The flow of the service should systematically emphasize the progression toward death at Golgotha with the service finally ending on the proclamation that the world got what it wanted. Resist the temptation to point toward the hope that comes at Easter. That is for another day. Today is about the Christian doctrine that Jesus did indeed die, and that his death was painful.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Psalm 22)
(With each repetitive phrase, the worship leader should get progressively louder, until the last question is almost a demand.)
Sisters and brothers, why are we here tonight (today)?
To tell what Jesus did in the midst of our brokenness.
Sisters and brothers, why are we here tonight?
To give our praise in the midst of our pain.
Sisters and brothers, why are we here tonight?
To seek the Lord and give God our praise.
Sisters and brothers, why are we here tonight?
To join with the families of the earth
as we worship the Holy One.
Opening Prayer (Hebrews 10)
Almighty God,
we would be lying to you and deceiving ourselves
if we pretended to be joyful and satisfied tonight (today).
We are not.
The violent pain that our friend Christ Jesus endured
makes us want to hide and wait until it is over;
it makes us wish to ignore his wounds altogether.
Yet in the miracle of grace, you have drawn us here,
along with millions of others around the earth,
that we might remember Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice
and covenant of grace.
As we worship you tonight
and undertake the ancient work of remembering,
we ask that you open our hearts to feel anew
exactly why this is called “Good Friday.”
In the name of Christ our Lord, amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 52–53, John 18–19)
(This is designed for two readers. Reader 1 on the chancel and Reader 2 on the sanctuary floor, preferably in the midst of the people.)
He has borne and carried the evil of our hearts.
He has borne my evil.
Because of our transgressions, he was wounded.
Because of my hate, prejudice, immorality,
greed, lying, intolerance, and blasphemy,
he was wounded.
Our iniquities crushed him and . . .
(cutting off Reader 1)
I crushed him! I drove the nails.
I wove the thorny crown. I pierced his side.
I shouted “crucify him.”
The Lord laid it all on him—
all our iniquity, punishment, and guilt.
He heaped the ugliest part of us
onto his amazing beauty.
With every puncture, each whip stroke,
at every cry of anguish
and innumerable flinch of pain,
in every wound and bruise,
he was healing the brokenness
of my sinful soul.
Words of Assurance (Hebrews 10)
We are guilty, but God is faithful.
In this faithfulness, God chose to remember
our lawlessness no longer.
Through Christ, our sins—yours and mine—
are not only forgiven, they are forgotten.
Christ blotted out the ledger book with his love.
Response to the Word (Isaiah 52-53, John 18-19)
The Word hung between heaven and earth
on a splintery cross. At the place where two wooden
beams intersected, sin and salvation also intersected.
It astonishes us—why would Christ do this?
The Word bled, shouted, and died.
He startled us—what kind of love is this?
The Word has broken our hearts.
The tragic sorrow marks our faces with shame.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to the Offering (Hebrews 10, John 18–19)
Was there anything Jesus did not give, as he died on Calvary? Did he withhold anything as he set our spirits free from fear? The answer is no, he gave it all. Now, what will you give, in light of one who died on a tree?
Offering Prayer (Hebrews 10)
As your love brought us healing,
may our gifts be used to heal.
As your sacrifice brought us salvation,
may our sacrifices be used to save.
As your offering feeds our souls,
may our offering feed the hungry.
As you willingly gave yourself,
may we give faithfully of ourselves.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (John 18–19)
“Crucify him,” they scream,
and crucify him they do.
Pierce his side and watch him bleed.
Make certain he is dead.
They murder an innocent man on the cross.
We murder him with our sins.
We walk away from here with stained hands
and bruised hearts.
But it does not matter who did it.
It is Friday. He is dead.
Jesus is dead.
God is dead.
Did we get what we really wanted?
(W. H. Auden’s Poem, “Stop All the Clocks” may also be read at the end of this service.)
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Isaiah 53)
Come, behold the man of suffering.
We have come.
Come, look at his appearance.
We have come.
Come, gather around the cross to see him.
We have come.
Come, weep as the curtain falls
over the light of the world.
We have come.
We see.
We behold.
We weep.
Praise Sentences (Psalm 22, Isaiah 52–53, John 18–19)
The ironic plaque said it all:
The King of the Jews.
The King of the Jews:
The Lord of the Church.
The King of Kings:
The Lord of Creation,
exalted and lifted up.
From The Abingdon Worship Annual 2012, edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu
Copyright © 2011 by Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.
The 2015 edition of The Abingdon Worship Annual is now available.
Good Friday
Order of service written by Rev. Nancy Townley
[Note: Good Friday is the time of remembrance of Jesus' Crucifixion and Burial. The following service focuses on the "Approaching Darkness", before the dawn of Easter. Liturgy, Music, and Visual arts reflect the darkening time. There is no closing music - the people leave in silence]
[Begin the service with full lighting in the sanctuary. Follow the prompts in the service for the gradual dimming, or shutting off of the electric lights, so that darkness may approach the worship center]
GATHERING MUSIC:
"Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed" UMH 294
"Thou Didst Leave thy Throne" FWS 2100
Call to Worship:
L: We gather tonight in the shadow of the Cross.
P: Evil abounds. Jesus goes forth to suffer and die.
L: How we tremble with fear!
P: How we weep.
L: Why have we forsaken Him?
P: Why have we betrayed and run from his Passion?
L: Lord, have mercy upon us.
P: Christ, have mercy upon us.
READING: Portions of Psalm 22
Reader in the back of the congregation:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
**Song: "Ah, Holy Jesus" UMH 289 Verses 1 & 2
[Dim a few lights, but leave sufficient lighting for the people to easily read their music]
Reader from the right side of the congregation:
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled; I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me; they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the Dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
**Song "Ah, Holy Jesus" UMH 289, verses 3 & 4
PRAYER:
Lord, we come before you in the approaching darkness of our souls. We have traveled this Lenten journey, overcoming and conquering barriers that have kept us from serving you. We gathered at the gates of joy on Palm Sunday, and feasted at the Lord's Table yesterday. But today is a different story. We witness the arrest and trial of the Innocent Savior. We watch as he is moved brutally from place to place, to be judged by people who have hardened their hearts against you. The sorrow that we feel lies heavy upon us. Lift us, Lord. Comfort us. Help us get through this time of darkness. AMEN.
[Gradually shut off the sanctuary lights. All the sanctuary lights should be off following the singing of "Were You There" leaving only the candles of the remaining readers. The readers may have pen lights (small flashlights. Each reader will extinguish the candle after their speech. The readers should be able to move from their speaking place to a chair, and remain there until most of the congregation has left at the end of the service. There is to be no talking until they have left the sanctuary]
THE SEVEN CANDLES AND THE APPROACHING DARKNESS
a dramatic presentation of the Crucifixion
[Note: these monologs are meant to be read by very good readers. It is important for them to have an opportunity to rehearse together, so that they can sense each other's timing]
[Note: Extinguish one candle after each speech is given, with the exception of the large white pillar candle in front of the cross]
A member of the Sanhedrin:
This is not a good time. This Jesus came, proclaiming a new law, said he was the King of the Jews. That's dangerous talk. We have a very tentative peace with the Romans. They let us alone to practice our faith and we obey their laws. It is uncomfortable and we long for the avenging Messiah, but it isn't this wilderness preacher. He makes me nervous. He is chipping away at what little peace we have. If he destroys this peace, he will destroy God's people. We can't risk it, no matter how the crowds love him. We just can't risk it.
[the 1st candle is extinguished]
Woman disciple:
I can't believe this. He has done nothing wrong. He healed people, he taught them the lessons of life; he gave new hope. What is wrong with that? How is that a threat to our faith? How is that a threat to the Roman authority? I was at the table, bringing the food for the supper last evening. He was so serious, sad. The disciples didn't know what to make of his actions. He washed their feet and told them that they had to be like servants if they wanted to serve the Master. He took the loaf of leftover bread and broke it and gave it to them to eat, telling them it was representing his body which was broken for them. He didn't know it, but we women in the background also took bread as he was speaking. He passed the cup to them and reminded them of the new covenant, a new relationship between each of them and God, and said that it was like his blood which would be poured out for them. They dipped their bread in the cup and ate it. So did we. It was awful. I wanted to run, but I couldn't leave. I followed him to the garden of prayer, but at a respectful distance. Hidden in the dark of the bushes, I witnessed the parade of soldiers, the torches, and his capture. My God, my God, what has happened! How could this be?
[the 2nd candle is extinguished]
Song: "Go to Dark Gethsemane" UMH 290 verses 1 & 2
Soldier:
I do what I'm told. They assigned us to go and bring back this wilderness rabble-rouser, Jesus from Nazareth. So I went. I didn't see anything particularly threatening about him. His buddy, Judas, was the one who told the authorities where we could find him. He got paid - in silver. I don't like that business - paying for a life. He didn't seem surprised, but he did seem disappointed when this Judas kissed him on the cheek. One of his disciples drew a sword and cut off the ear of one of the servants who accompanied us. I've got to tell you, I could hardly believe what I saw. Jesus put his hands on the man's ear and it was healed. Healed! I shook my head - must be the night air, I thought. It really couldn't have happened. No matter. My job was to bring him in. He didn't struggle and we shuttled him back and forth between the religious authorities, Annas and Caiaphas, and Pilate, the procurator, the Roman law in these parts. After that, we were dismissed for a while.
[Extinguish the 3rd candle]
Woman in the courtyard:
I knew who that tall, muscular man was, all right! I'd seen him with the others who followed this Jesus. I heard the whisperings from the others all around, but I was the only one who was brave enough to speak up. "You're one of his disciples, aren't you?" I said to him. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know him", he growled at me. I knew that I was right and I wasn't going to let it be. I challenged him again, and again he told me that he didn't know this Jesus. Okay, one more try. "Are you not one of this man's disciples?" "I am not". And then a strange silence fell over the area. You could hear a rooster crowing. The man turned ghastly white and ran away. He was guilty of something. Probably more guilty than anything these authorities can drum up against the one they captured tonight.
[Extinguish the 4th candle]
**Song "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" UMH 286, verses 1 & 2
Pilate:
These people are going to drive me crazy. They are in an uproar because of some wilderness preacher. I examined him, asked him pointed, direct questions. His answers puzzled me, but I really could not find any reason why he should be brought before me. He did not commit a crime against our Roman government. He was just a thorn in the hide for the Jewish religious authorities. They wanted to have him killed and by their law, they couldn't do it. They wanted to take care of the matter for them. Scapegoat! That's what he was! I asked him if he was the King of the Jews, a charge the religious people were trying to pin against him so that I would do something. You know Caesar is our king. Anyway, he said "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice". Doesn't sound too treasonous to me. I had him flogged, thinking that would placate their blood lust. The soldiers played a little game with him. They stripped him, flogged him, put an old purple cloak on him and someone made a crown out of thorn bushes and jammed it on his head. They shouted "Hail, King of the Jews!" and spit at him. Well, they were just having a little jest with him. I finally had to do something. The crowds were getting out of hand, demanding the extreme punishment, crucifixion. I gave them a choice, Barabbas, a murderer in our custody, or this flogged and bleeding Jesus. To my surprise, they chose Barabbas, and I had to wash my hands of the whole deal. They made their choice. It was over. But, is it? Is it really over? I think not.
[Extinguish the 5th candle]
Woman at the crucifixion:
The crowds that had cheered at his entrance to Jerusalem, now jeered him as he dragged his heavy cross to the place of crucifixion. It was Golgotha, the Skull, a place where the vilest criminals were nailed to a cross and died a slow and agonizing death. My God, it was so horrible. How could they do this to him? He had done nothing wrong? How could God let this happen to this kind healer? My heart was breaking. He had healed me of a host of diseases when all others had given up. He looked at me, smiled, and told me of God's love for me......for me? And I could feel that love, God's love, pouring over me. It was unlike anything I had known before. I left everything and followed Jesus, like so many others. The words of compassion, the healing love, the reminders of how God wants us to live - I could listen to Jesus forever. My soul was healed; my spirit was restored. But now, now it was being dragged with him to Golgotha. He stumbled and fell. A strange man was grabbed from the crowd and forced to carry the heavy cross when Jesus could no longer do it. I couldn't break away. I followed. My God, I followed...... I stood near his mother, and Mary Magdalene, and John. And we watched and wept. But no one made us leave.
[Extinguish the 6th candle]
**Song "Were You There" UMH 288 verses 1-3
[Shut off all sanctuary lights, leaving only the candles of the readers' for lighting]
[Note: the person who reads the part of Jesus should pause between each phrase. The very last phrase should be shouted. ]
Jesus:
"My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?"
"Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing?
"Woman, here is your son. Here is your mother"
"I am thirsty"
"It is finished!"
" Father, Into your hands I commend my spirit!
[Someone other than Jesus extinguish the Christ Candle. Thunder, or loud crashing sound at the same time the candle is extinguished should be heard]
[In the darkness have someone read the following:]
Reader:
Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and their bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this had testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled. "None of his bones shall be broken." After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, tough a secret one because of his fear of the authorities, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial customs of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
[SILENCE - the people can leave as they are moved to do so]
Color: Black or None
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10:16-25; John 18:1–19:42
Theme Ideas
“Undying love.” Today is the day when this overused cliché holds concrete truth for the followers of Christ. While it wasn’t as evident to those who stood beneath the cross on that Friday we call “good,” it is clear to us today. In the death of Christ, there is evidence of the undying love of God. A search of the true disciple’s heart will reveal the branding of God’s redeeming love. Christ was forsaken for love’s sake. Such love is for our benefit, calling us to draw near to the throne of God’s grace. This sacrificial love is unrelenting, irresistible, never ending, and undying. We will not be forsaken. God enters humanity and dies. God’s undying love in Christ is both universal and specific—it is a love for humanity in general and for each individual in particular.
Call to Worship (Psalm 22)
All the ends of the earth will remember
and turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations
will bow down before God.
For dominion belongs to the Lord.
God rules over the nations.
All peoples on the earth will feast and worship.
Those who cannot keep themselves alive
will kneel before the Lord.
Posterity will serve God.
Future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim God’s righteousness
to a people yet unborn.
Call to Worship (Hebrews 10)
This is the covenant I will make with them, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts
and I will write them on their minds.
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart,
in full assurance of faith.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for the One who promised is faithful.
Let us consider how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds.
Let us not give up meeting together
as some are in the habit of doing.
But let us encourage one another,
as we see the Day of the Lord approaching.
Call to Worship (John 18, John 19)
Come, let us gather again in the shadow
of the Cross of Christ.
We gather to remember the overwhelming evidence
of Love’s ultimate sacrifice.
Who would have guessed that the height and depth,
the length and width of God’s love might look like this:
a forsaken savior on a cross?
Certainly not us. Not us, who are too often lost
amid the world’s distractions and responsibilities.
Not us, for whom such love was offered without cost.
Let us gather again in the shadow of the Cross of Christ
and commit ourselves to remember the price paid.
Let us live our lives in a way that indicates why
this Friday is called “Good.”
Thanks be to God, who opened the gates of heaven,
that we might have the faith, hope, and love,
witnessed in Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation.
Contemporary Gathering Words
(Referencing Charles Wesley’s hymn “And Can It Be That I Should Gain”)
Who is the victim of this terrible thing?!
Who is the scapegoat of this horrific thing?!
An innocent man has been ruthlessly killed.
An innocent man has been senselessly sacrificed.
For whom has this man been sacrificed?
For whom has this man been slain as an offering?
For a guilty man he has been hung on a cross.
For a guilty woman he has been pierced.
What kind of man is this?
Who would die in the place of the guilty?
What kind of man is this?
Who would suffer for one who has done evil?
Amazing Love! How can it be
that Thou, my God would die for me?
Amazing Love! How can it be,
that Thou, my Christ would die for me?
Praise Sentences (Hebrews 10)
Thanks be to God, who remembers our sins
and our lawless deeds no more.
Thanks be to God, whose forgiveness is now sure
and who no longer demands any offering for sin.
Praise be to God, who has removed the veil,
drawing us near to the throne of grace and mercy.
Let us honor and glorify God, by gathering together
and encouraging us to love one another,
as Christ has loved us.
Praise be to God!
Opening Prayer (John 18, John 19, Good Friday)
O God of infinite love and power,
we gather together on this Good Friday
to reflect on the passion of the Christ.
We are utterly humbled
in the presence of such love and mercy.
Open our hearts this day
to the goodness of Good Friday,
and fill us with your love
and powerful Spirit of Holiness.
Remove from us all sin.
Offer us anew this Life in Christ
that makes all things new. Amen.
Opening Prayer (Psalm 8, Hebrews 2, Good Friday)
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Who are we that you are mindful of us?
Yet, you consider us only a little lower
than the heavenly angels.
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
We who need you desperately each day,
have come to you on this Good Friday
to acknowledge the endless love
you have demonstrated on the Cross of Christ.
Inspire us to live each and every day,
in the fullness of your eternal life.
In the name of the love incarnate,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Unison Prayer or Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 53, Psalm 51)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray.
We have all turned to our own way.
We have sinned and have been the cause
of Christ’s suffering.
Please forgive us, we pray.
Remove the sins that distance us from you
and from those we love and care about.
Remove our selfishness, our pride, our envy,
and our greed.
Remove from us our thoughtless acts
and words that hurt one another.
Remove from us the tendency to hurt others
out of revenge and anger.
Forgive us please.
Create in us a clean heart, O Lord.
And renew in us a right spirit. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Hebrews 10, Jeremiah 31)
In the name of the compassionate Christ,
you are forgiven.
For God has declared, “I forgive your evil ways
and remember your sins no more!”
Benediction (Hebrews 10)
May you leave this place with the assurance
of forgiveness that is made possible
through the sacrifice of Christ.
Go forth in hope and anticipation
of the ultimate victory that comes with Easter.
Go forth! Be Easter people!
Benediction (1 Peter 2, Good Friday)
By his stripes we are healed.
By his wounds, we are made whole.
Go in the name of Jesus Christ
and live in the salvation made possible
by the Goodness of this Friday. Amen.
From The Abingdon Worship Annual 2006, edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu
Copyright © 2005 by Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.
The 2015 edition of The Abingdon Worship Annual is now available.
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