Forgiveness Is Key

Forgiveness Is Key is our worship theme for the third Sunday in Lent, March 3, 2013. Our focus scriptures are Psalm 103 and Isaiah 55:1-13.

In Lent we are exploring the foundations for peace as we find them in the lectionary readings for each Sunday. This week, the readings from both Psalm 103 and Isaiah 55:1-9 directly promise God’s forgiveness. And since Jesus teaches us that we should be like God, who makes the warm sunlight and blessed rain fall on both the good and the bad alike, we know that we should follow God in forgiving others. In fact, Jesus goes further, teaching that we should forgive one another “not seven times, but seventy times seven.” And he advises that before we bring our gift to the altar to present it to God, we make peace with any brother or sister with whom we are estranged. We apparently cannot truly be at peace with God if we are not at peace with one another.

There are selfish reasons why forgiveness is good for us. Frederick Buechner puts it succinctly in his book Wishful Thinking, A Theological ABC.

Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back—in many ways it is a feast fit for a king.

The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.

Forgiveness is good for our souls. It is stressful to hang on to bitter grudges. But hanging on to past grievances and refusing to forgive or even talk to those who have hurt us creates a logjam that is bad for society as well. Think of the interminable and hurtful impasse between Israel and Palestine. Or North and South Korea. Or Iran and the United States. Or between gangs of young men in our cities. Or between estranged couples with children. Or… you name it. The sunlight of forgiveness is necessary to melt the ice jam of hatred and suspicion and create the conditions where foundations for peace can be carefully laid.

Here are two Calls to Worship based on Psalm 103 and Isaiah 55:6-13. Please use or adapt anything helpful to you.

** Call to Worship    From Psalm 103

L: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

          P: All that is within me, bless God’s holy name!        

          L: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

          P: Forget not all the benefits of the Lord!

          L: Who forgives all your sins and heals your diseases.

          P: Who redeems your life from destruction

               and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness.

L: Who satisfies you with good as long as you live,

               and renews your youth like an eagle’s.

          P: The Lord is full of compassion, slow to anger, rich in love.

          L: The Lord does not deal with us as our sins deserve.

          P: For the Lord knows how we are made.

          L: God remembers that we are dust.

          P: Bless the Lord throughout all creation!

       All: Bless the Lord, O my soul!

    **Call to Worship   From Isaiah 55:6-13

L: Seek the Lord while God may be found, call while God is near.

     Let the wicked change their ways, the unrighteous their thoughts.

P: Let them return to the Lord, for our God will have mercy on them.

     God will abundantly pardon.

L: For God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts.

     Nor are your ways like my ways.

P: For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher than your ways,

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

L: For the rain and snow come down from heaven to water the earth and make it bring forth an abundant harvest.

P: And likewise, the Word that I speak shall not return to me empty.

It shall accomplish my purpose and achieve my objective.

L: Your destiny is to go out in joy and return in peace.

The mountains before you shall burst into song,

and the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

     P: Cypress and sequoias will grow in fields once choked by thorns.

     They shall stand as a memorial to my promise, an everlasting sign that shall never be removed.”                                           

  All:  Thanks be to God! Let us worship God!

Our True Home

Our True Home is our worship theme for the second Sunday in Lent, February 24, 2013. Our focus scriptures are Psalm 27, Luke 13:31-35 and Philippians 3:17-4:1.

During Lent we are exploring the foundations for peace as we discover them in the lectionary passages for each Sunday. In our gospel reading Jesus is warned of a threat from Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, and executer of John the Baptist. He is encouraged to flee for his life, but remains steadfast in his commitment to do his work and then go to Jerusalem to die a prophet’s death. He calls Herod a fox, and then as he ponders Jerusalem, he laments the city’s tragic ways: “killing the prophets and stoning those God sends to you.” Jesus wishes it were otherwise: “How often I have longed to gather your children together like a hen gathering her chicks under her wings, but you will not come. So your house is left to you.”

In this brief passage we see the ways of the world – Herod, the fox; Jerusalem the would be holy city which kills prophets and stones messengers – contrasted with the ways of God, the hen who would gather and protect her babies under her wings. In the face of worldly power, Jesus is resolute. He marches to a different drummer, unmoved by the threat or death or any other consequence he may be forced to suffer. His north star is the call of God and God’s power is sufficient for him in any circumstance.

Psalm 27 also celebrates the power of God in the face of danger: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

And Paul, writing to the Philippians, reveals the source of this strength: “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ… Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven.... Therefore, my brothers and sisters… stand firm in the Lord...”  We are not citizens of earth, but citizens of heaven. That knowledge is the foundation of creating peace. That knowledge frees us from the grip of fear in the face of the world’s power.

Here are two Calls to Worship based on Psalm 27 plus a well-known passage from a second century letter from Mathetes (= “a disciple”) to Diognetus. The letter was found in a collection of Justin Martyr. Please use or adapt anything helpful to you.

Call to Worship     From Psalm 27

L: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

P: The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

L: When evildoers assail me they shall stumble and fall.

P: Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.

L: One thing I asked from God: to live in God’s house all my days.

P: For God will shelter me in the day of trouble;

     God will set me high upon a rock.

L: I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

P: Wait for the Lord; be strong; let your heart take courage!

All: Wait for the Lord! Let us worship God.                        

Call to Worship (L: Leader; P: People) From Psalm 27 – New Living Translation

L:  God is my light and my salvation — why should I be afraid?

P: When evil doers attack me, they will stumble and fall.

Though a mighty army surrounds me, I will not be afraid.

L:  The one thing I ask of God — the thing I seek most—

is to live in God’s house all the days of my life,

meditating on God’s goodness and delighting in God’s love.

P: For God will conceal me there when troubles come;

God will hide me in the sanctuary, out of reach of my enemies.

L:  In the sanctuary I will offer praise with shouts of joy,

singing to God with all my heart.

P: Hear me as I pray, dear God.

Be merciful and answer me!

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

And my heart responds, “God, I am coming.”

L:  Do not turn your back on me.

Do not reject your servant in anger.

Even if my father and mother abandon me,

I know that God will hold me close.

P: So I am confident I will see God’s goodness

while I am here in the land of the living.

All: Wait patiently for God, my soul.

Be brave and courageous.

Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Christians are not distinguished from the rest of mankind by country, or by speech, or by dress. For they do not dwell in cities of their own, or use a different language, or practice a peculiar life. This knowledge of theirs has not been proclaimed by the thought and effort of restless men; they are not champions of a human doctrine, as some men are. But while they dwell in Greek or barbarian cities according as each man’s lot has been cast, and follow the customs of the land in clothing and food, and other matters of daily life, yet the condition of citizenship which they exhibit is wonderful and admittedly strange. They live in countries of their own, but simply as sojourners. They share the life of citizens, they endure the lot of foreigners. Every foreign land is to them a fatherland, and every fatherland a foreign land. They marry like the rest of the world. They breed children, but they do not discard their children as some do. They offer a common table but not a common bed. They exist in the flesh, but they live not after the flesh. They spend their existence upon earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, and in their own lives they surpass the laws. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown, and they are condemned. They are put to death, and they gain new life. They are poor, and make many rich. They lack everything, and in everything they abound. They are dishonored, and their dishonor becomes their glory. They are reviled, and are justified. They are abused, and they bless. They are insulted, and repay insult with honor. They do good, and are punished as evildoers; and in their punishment they rejoice as gaining new life therein. The Jews war against them as aliens, and the Greeks persecute them; and they that hate them can state no ground for their enmity.
          In a word, what the soul is in the body, Christians are in the world. The soul is spread through all the members of the body, and Christians through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, but it is not of the body. Christians dwell in the world, but they are not of the world. (Letter to Diognetus, 5:1-17; 6:1-4)

Obedience to God

Obedience to God is our worship theme for the first Sunday in Lent, February 17, 2013. Our focus scriptures are Exodus 26:5-11 and Luke 4:1-13.

At the Church of the Nativity we are using the lectionary passages in Lent to help us reflect on the foundations of peace. In the wake of the shootings of elementary school children in Newtown, Ct. and the continued killings of youth and adults every day in cities across the United States we cannot conclude that God’s will is being done “on earth as it is in heaven”. Therefore we must ask, what is God’s will for us at this time? What are the things that make for peace?

During his temptation Jesus practices self-restraint and obedience to God alone. He is hungry and could rationalize turning a stone into bread. It would be easy to misuse miracle by making a spectacle of himself, jumping from the top of the temple to draw followers. And accepting the devil’s offer of political and military power beyond the power of Rome would make him an instant hero. But in every instance, the devil’s appeal is to forsake the worship of God. Jesus turns away from the prison of easy self-interest and takes the road to true freedom by remaining obedient to God. Likewise, our passage from Exodus underscores that the people of Israel have escaped slavery not under their own power, but by the leadership and strength of God.

An important lesson that I believe can be learned from these passages is that we go astray when we make gods out human-made weapons. Safety is not something that we can make for ourselves at the point of a gun. No matter how we arm ourselves, we cannot be vigilant every moment, nor can we prevent someone else from getting a larger weapon. The foundation of peace is the building of a just community which recognizes that freedom that comes from respecting God instead of making up our own rules as we go along. Humans can and do give into temptation and rationalize all kinds of mischief, much of it violent. Humans on their own often act in paranoid ways, believing things about others that are really rooted in their own fears. That note of paranoia is often expressed in the fears of citizens who imagine a plot on the part of Congress to take away their rights to bear arms. Respecting and following God’s will instead of our own desires is the key to creating a community where there is a maximal chance for citizens to feel like there is a secure place for them, that they do not have to take matters into their own hands, and that no powerful group wishes them harm.

Here is a Call to Worship based on Exodus 26:5-11. Please use or adapt anything that is helpful to you.

Call to Worship     From Exodus 26:5-11

L: Sisters and brothers, let us recite our history as Moses taught us:

     A wandering Aramean was my father.

P: He journeyed down to Egypt and settled there.

L: At first, we were a mere handful of family,

     but soon we grew to a great people, many and mighty.

P: Then the Egyptians abused us and threw us into slavery.

L: We cried out to the God of our ancestors and God listened to our cry.

P: God saw our trouble, our toil, our torment.

     God took us out of Egypt.

L: With a strong hand and a long arm, God delivered us.

     With signs and wonders God led us to a land of milk and honey.

P: And here we are now. We bring the first fruits of our labors.

    We bow before you, God. We give thanks to you.

All: All in our family including the faith leaders, and the refugees who

        have wandered in to live with us, rejoice and celebrate your goodness!

    Let us worship God.

The Shining

The Shining is our worship theme for Transfiguration Sunday, February 10, 2013. Our focus scriptures are Exodus 34:29-35 and Luke 9:28-43.

As Moses’ face reflects God’s glory, so Jesus shines before his disciples. Both experiences strike the people around them as frightening. The people of Israel draw back from Moses in fear. The disciples take cover, particularly when they are enveloped by cloud as Moses was on the top of Mt. Sinai. In both passages the glory of God’s presence causes his chosen leaders to shine. In both passages, the shining means they have something from God to convey to their followers. In Moses’ case he has the commandments of a covenant that will bring life to God’s people. In Jesus’ case, he has words about what it means to follow him that the disciples need to hear (see Luke 9:22-27).

In the Bible, God’s presence often illuminates. A bush flames. A star shines. The Word burns within and can’t be held back. A stranger sets hearts afire. Sometimes in our own experience our poor eyes are blessed to catch the glory of God shining in a face, glowing in a sunrise, or blazing in a prophetic word. May it be so…

Here are two Calls to Worship and the obvious scriptural benediction. Please use or adapt anything helpful to you.

Call to Worship    From Exodus 34:29-35

L: Remember when the people of Israel made a golden calf and Moses smashed  

     the Ten Commandments in anger at their sin? Let us recall what happened when

     he came down from Mt. Sinai the second time…

P: Moses descended from Mt. Sinai. In his hands were new stone tablets.  

L: His face shone because he was talking with God, but Moses didn’t know it.

P: When Aaron and the people saw Moses, they cowered in fear.

L: But Moses beckoned them close and spoke with them.

     He told them all the commandments that the Lord had given him.

P: When Moses finished speaking, he put a veil on his face.

L: When he went into the Tent of the Presence to see God, he took the veil off.

P: When he came out to tell the people God’s commands, his face was shining.

L:  So Moses put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with God.

All: May God’s face shine on us, so that we may know and do God’s will.

Call to Worship    From Luke 9:28-36

          L: Sisters and brothers, we’re almost there!

               A few more steps up this mountain and...

P: Now we see him! It’s Jesus praying.

               But look! He’s changing!

               His face... his robe... they’re dazzling white!

               They’re shining like the sun!

          L: And see! There’s Elijah... and Moses!

               They’re talking to Jesus... talking about his exodus...

                beginning at Jerusalem???

          P: This is amazing! We could stay here forever!

               Maybe we could make a shrine for the three of them.

          L: I don’t think so. The weather’s changing!

               Look at that cloud coming fast! It’s swallowing us!

               Now everything’s dark and scary!

          P: Is that thunder? Are we going to live?

          L: Wow! Did you hear that? I think that was the voice of God!

          P: It seems like we’re safe. Everything’s back to normal.

               Now look: there’s only Jesus...

          L: There’s only Jesus...

               And God said to listen to him...

       All:  Let us worship God in Christ!

Scriptural Benediction

“May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26)