April 2020 | Shaughnessy Heights United Church

Note: Each time you see a musical link in the liturgy, mute or lower the volume on your device before clicking on the link. Once you have done that then click on the blue text for the link. If an ad pops up, you can then “Skip Ad” and not be disturbed by the noise of the advertisements. Once you see that the music is beginning then unmute or raise the volume on your device. This will allow a more meaningful worship experience for you. Peace be with you.

Prelude: Hallelujah, L. Cohen

Maybe there’s a God above,

and all I ever learned from love

was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you.

And it’s not a cry you can hear at night.

It’s not somebody who’s seen the light.

It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.

Our Acknowledgement:

We acknowledge that we live and work on the unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of indigenous peoples. We accept that Mother Earth and the peoples near us and around the world are all our relations. Thanks be to God. Let us worship God together.

The GATHERING

Introit: Ain’t No Grave, Spiritual arr. P. Caldwell/S. Ivory

*Call to Worship:

That first Easter morning,

Jesus’ women friends went to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed. An angel greeted them there and said, “Do not be afraid.”

They were told that Jesus had been raised.

While they were running to tell the others what they had seen and heard, Jesus met them and said, “Do not be afraid.”

Today we proclaim the mystery of our faith that Christ has died, and Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. With praise and thanksgiving, we lift our hearts to God!

Hymn: The Day of Resurrection

*Prayer of the Day:

God of resurrection, you have rolled the stone away and the tomb of our world has been opened wide. With the dawn has come a new creation. Let our worship today empty our tombs, renew our lives, and release your power; through the risen Christ we pray. Amen. VU 174

Listening for THE WORD

A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke.

Listen for what the Spirit is saying to the Church. (Luke 24:13-35)

13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah [the Christ] should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So, he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

This is the story of our faith. Thanks be to God!

Choral Anthem: Abendlied, J. Rheinberger

Bide with us, for evening shadows darken, and the day will soon be over.

Reflection: Rev. Jay Olson

A few days ago, I had the sermon nearly finished and this is not that sermon. I had written something quite different a few days ago.

This is the week when I dug deep to re-set my weekly schedule with deadlines. Even with every ounce of diligence that I mustered I was not able to meet one of those deadlines. I even came frightfully close to missing a video conference meeting because I had misread my calendar.

This week has not been at all what I thought it might be, virus or no virus. In light of the violence perpetrated against the people of Nova Scotia, why would it be? On top of the suffering already present and the profound grief over the losses from COVID-19, the people of Nova Scotia had additional horrific violence heaped on them. And then the revelation of a wee babe that had died and was found in a porta-potty in Vancouver – the violence of poverty in one of the wealthiest cities in the world.

The violence committed against our Nova Scotia neighbours and my imaginings of that wee babe and its mother have taken me to my knees in grief. I honestly cannot imagine the shock and terror of any of it. Any words that I had last week were crushed under the weight of this horror. No words can truly describe it and no words will make sense of it.

If it were not for this virus, the people of Nova Scotia would surely be together today (physically together), caring, protecting, hugging, supporting, praying, fully engaged in the communal rituals of mourning and the binding up of all manner of wounds. They would go and be present to and for each other. They would be out on their streets and in their parks side by side. They would go to each other‘s homes and be welcomed in. They would bear each other’s suffering and together they would slowly, slowly begin to glimpse the miracle of the emergence of the tiniest sprigs of healing. The caring, the hugs and the support of people being present for each other would fill the homes of those who are suffering so profoundly. But now, physical distance is needed in order to not exacerbate the harm.

I imagine too that the many who minister in the Vancouver neighborhood where the babe was found will be searching for ways to love and support those experiencing that deep grief.

This week is not as we had hoped it would be. It is certainly not what we imagined it would be.

After days of suffering, humiliation and death, after that brilliant moment of angelic presence, some followers of Jesus took a trip to Emmaus. They walked and they talked about all that had happened.

Perhaps they were trying to make sense of it, to put words to it, understand it or make it fit into a world that would make sense to them again.

And in that a stranger showed up and walked and talked with them. They shared with him their stories and maybe even their anger, their despair and grief over it all. Luke says they shared their wonder too, the wonder and the bewilderment over their experience at Jesus’ empty tomb and about their friend who was dead and the angels who said, well actually no he’s not. And Mary who said, well actually no he’s not.

The stranger spoke into their bewilderment using their own sacred texts asking basically, “Don’t you get it? Don’t you see? You might have had a glimpse of this coming.”

Then, at the end of the day, Jesus’ followers, even in their grief, tapped into their communal practices of hospitality and offered the stranger a meal and a place to stay. It was at their table, with Jesus taking the initiative to give thanks to God for the bread, that their vision was awakened, and they saw the Christ present with them. He had been there all along but now they saw him. Jesus made himself known through the breaking of the bread at their family table. We want to be at our big family communion table today, but we must not. Yet we can remember past meals and envision ourselves at the table together in the future with those we care about, with strangers, with global partners and with our ancestors.

Each time we come to the table we share in the banquet that was, that is and that is to come. The Christ is our host, the head of the household, and all our relations are there including our ancestors. Our communion is the Great Banquet now and yet to come.

We all long to be together, I mean really together, at our table. I can only imagine that the people of Nova Scotia are aching for that too. And I pray that the mother of the babe has someone there just for her.

As we sit at our own tables today, make sure there is an extra seat beside you, an empty seat to remind you that we are not alone at our own tables and we are not alone if we have no table.

After the horror of the crucifixion and even after that brilliant moment where Mary saw and heard her friend resurrected, it took them a while to see and know that everything had truly changed, and that there would be no going back to life the way it was and no understanding yet of what the future would or could be like. The one thing they did know to do was to re-live, to re-enact that table moment with Jesus, that moment of crisis when they thought they were alone but were not. That act of remembering put them back together. It re – membered them.

So today when you gather at your own lunch table be it a kitchen table, a dining room table, a coffee table or be it a curb, make an empty space as a reminder that we will be together again one day soon and that even now we are not alone. If the grief-stricken people of Nova Scotia can feel love and support from around the world while they are physically distant and isolated from even their closest loved ones, then we can know that also. It takes a while to see and to recognize the who and the what of circumstances but eventually the Holy One shows up, speaks to us, eats with us and blesses us. It is so today. And yes, the Christ will disappear from our sight and then reappear over and over as our healing progresses and our vision restores.

This week has not been at all what I thought it might be, virus or no virus. The weeks ahead are laden with uncertainty and they will not be as I want them to be or as I think they should be. So, I will keep a place at the table of my heart for the One who is present, whether I see that presence or not, and I will ready my table(s) for the days ahead when we will be fully present with and for each other.

May those experiencing the deepest and most profound grief today be nourished in God’s presence by whatever means God chooses. Amen.

The RESPONSE

SOLO: Lindsay Gillis – I Know My Redeemer Liveth, G.F. Handel

Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer: Please click on the YouTube link and hear Jonathan Torrens, organizer of “Nova Scotia Remembers: A Virtual Vigil”, speak from his heart of the support that the people of Nova Scotia are feeling in this traumatic time. I hear whispers of a call to prayer in this. Listen to Jonathan’s “heart talk” and then return to the text below and we will pray together.

And so we pray,

loving God, let us know that you are present today at each and every table. We want to see you and know that you are really here. We are grief stricken today over the violence committed against our Nova Scotia neighbours. We are heartbroken for the mother whose babe has died. We are grief stricken over the ongoing violence done to people through the perpetuation of poverty. We hurt today for those who hurt.

And we are thankful.

We are thankful for the myriad of people giving themselves fully to the causes of healing, wellness, justice and peace. We cheer them on and long for them to know how grateful we are to them. We owe our lives to them.

We long to know that you hear us as we pray and that you answer. We ask you to help us unleash our resources and all the powers of good to find cures, therapies and vaccines for devastating diseases.

We pray for comfort for those who are lonely and feeling lost. We pray for the restoration of your world and all its creatures. We pray that we would not go back to the way things were but that we will truly commit to co-creating a better world with you especially for “the least” among us. We invite you to take a seat at our tables. Come, break bread with us again that we might see you.

Taize’ Song – Ubi Caritas

Our Father-Mother in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

Our Offering:

Take a moment now to offer the gift of your gratitude for the resurrection moments in your life and those resurrection moments yet to come. Give thanks for the many who are saving and those seeking to save life today.

Choral Anthem for Reflection on the Offering: Alleluia, E. Whitacre

Prayer of Dedication:

God of grace, it is our delight and our devotion to give gifts to you. All we are and all we have are yours alone.

May our offerings be tokens of our true abiding love that breathe peace, justice and comfort into all the world. Amen.

The COMMISSIONING

Hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness

Commissioning and Benediction:

Be witnesses in the world of God’s resurrection power by caring for the safety of others and doing so with all the confidence, joy and courage of an Easter people. Shout with all your might that the God of Life has had the last word, for Christ is Risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen!

Postlude: Fare Thee Well, Love (arr. Stuart Calvert)

This well-known folk song is acknowledged to be the unofficial anthem of Nova Scotia. We on the west coast surround our friends and countrymen on the east coast with prayerful support and love during their time of great loss and profound sorrow.

Fare thee Well, love

Far away, you must go

Take your heart, love

Will we never meet again no more?

Far across, love

O’er mountains and country wide

Take my heart, love

No one knows the tears I’ve cried

So I’ll drink today, love

I’ll sing to you, love

In pauper’s glory, my time I’ll bide

Will we never meet again no more?

Note:

Each time you see a musical link in the liturgy, mute or lower the volume on your device before clicking on the link. Once you have done that then click on the link. If an ad pops up, you can then “Skip Ad” and not be disturbed by the noise of the advertisements. Once you see that the music is beginning then unmute or raise the volume on your device. This will allow a more meaningful worship experience for you. Peace be with you.

Prelude: ‘Rhosymedre’ R. Vaughan-Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQIu6xDyiwM

Our Acknowledgement:

Let us worship God together.

GATHERING

Introit: Let All the World in Every Corner Sing A. L’Estrange https://youtu.be/MlEYV4N2iQ4

Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing, “My God and King!”. The heavens are not too high, God’s praise may thither fly; The earth is not too low, God’s praises there may grow. Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing, “My God and King!” Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing, “My God and King!”

The church with psalms must shout, no door can keep them out. But, more than all, the heart must bear the longest part. Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing, “My God and King!”

*Call to Worship: That first Easter morning,

Jesus’ women friends went to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed.

An angel greeted them there and said, “Do not be afraid.”

They were told that Jesus had been raised.

While they were running to tell the others what they had seen and heard,

Jesus met them and said, “Do not be afraid.”

Today we proclaim the mystery of our faith that Christ has died, and Christ is risen.

Christ is risen indeed. With praise and thanksgiving, we lift our hearts to God!

Hymn: Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain Tune: Ave virgo virginum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbQ_5pzRllM

Come, ye faithful, raise the strain of triumphant gladness;

God hath brought forth Israel into joy from sadness,

loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke Jacob’s sons and daughters,

led them with unmoistened foot through the Red Sea waters.

‘Tis the spring of souls today; Christ hath burst his prison,

and from three days’ sleep in death as a sun hath risen;

all the winter of our sins, long and dark, is flying

from his light, to whom we give laud and praise undying.

Now the queen of season, bright with the day of splendor,

With the royal feast of feasts, comes its joy to render;

Comes to gladden faithful hearts, who with true affection

Welcome in unwearied strains Jesus’ resurrection!

Hallelujah! now we cry to our King immortal,

who triumphant burst the bars of the tomb’s dark portal;

hallelujah! with the Son, God the Father praising;

hallelujah

*Prayer of the Day:

God of resurrection, you have rolled the stone away and the tomb of our world has been opened wide. With the dawn has come a new creation.

Let our celebration today empty our tombs, renew our lives,

and release your power; through the risen Christ we pray. Amen. VU 174

Listening for THE WORD

A Reading from the Gospel according to John.

Listen for what the Spirit is saying to the Church. (John 20:19-31)

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the [religious authorities] , Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

This is the story of our faith. Thanks be to God!

Choral Anthem: The Peace of God J. Rutter https://youtu.be/NP2QqUJutII

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord:
And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen.

Reflection Rev. Jay Olson

The gospel of John, though not easy to understand, is easy to misuse. Knowledgeable theologians warn us to take care to not be too quick in our interpretations of this gospel. Thinking John’s gospel easy to understand is a sure sign that one most likely does not.

The gospel of John was formulated by people who by then had been marginalized by the religious establishment. If we are to hear the fourth gospel honestly in our time, then we must reject prejudice directed against Jews and Judaism and recognize that the marginalization of people in our communities of faith is a very real Christian problem.

The gospel of John reflects peoples’ fear of being thrown out of their family of faith because of their beliefs and practices as disciples of Jesus. The gospel is not about Christians versus Jews in any universal way. Instead, John’s gospel reveals a kind of “nobody’s innocent” community. The establishment of the day judged those who did not believe and practice belief as they did. It is understandable then that those who were marginalized, reciprocated by demonizing their “judges”.

What then is the message for us living in a world turned upside down? Perhaps it is that belief is a gift from the Holy. It is not something that can be dispensed by anyone or group except God. Faith is not a feature of religious prowess or something to be earned and it does not belong to the majority alone or to the elite Christian establishment, whoever we think “they” are. Belief, that when expressed in the world is life-giving, is a gift from God. Wrapped up in the gift are the complex roles of forgiveness and the emergence of new expressions of life.

In the reading, the disciples had gathered in a house behind locked doors; the lock was a symbol of their fear of the establishment and its power to judge and reject them. And Jesus just appeared. He was not locked out by fear but joined them with the offering of his peace. The breath is reminiscent of the Genesis story when the Spirit breathed life into creation way back in the beginning.

The Holy Spirit here is giving new life and intertwined in that life is the role of forgiveness and the forgiving of the sins of others. “…forgiveness of sins is not about the act of penance in relation to individual deeds. Rather, forgiveness of sins is the community’s Spirit-empowered mission to continue Jesus’ work of making God known in the world…” (NRSV footnote pg. 1949)

The forgiveness of which John speaks is not “anything goes”, nor is it a disregard for injustice or abdication of responsibilities. Forgiveness is to be restorative thereby witnessing to God’s grace at work. It is to result in new or renewed life. The community of believers, thanks to the faithfulness of Jesus the Christ, shares responsibility for the divine mission of restorative justice.

Let me be perfectly clear. It does not mean that people are not to be held accountable for their actions or that we should not be diligent in making our communities safe for everyone especially for the most vulnerable among us. It does mean that we should never confuse justice with retribution.

In this call to witness to God’s grace, Thomas is the figure that represents the spirit of the early community. He is not a doubting fool but appears to be rational and sensible. He is one who needed to see and to touch in order to believe. Proof! We believe it when we see it.

Lest we be too hard on Thomas, remember that in the verses previous to these, the disciples did not believe Mary when she declared that she had seen the Lord. They didn’t believe until the proof stood right in front of them.

Through Thomas the hearers were being told that believing without the standard empirical data was what God was asking for. God’s ways are not our ways. God’s grace is manifested in whatever ways God chooses and to whomever God chooses. God’s ways then and now are not always according to majority opinion, social standards or social measurements. Remember that into that small group on the fringe, on the margin of acceptability, clearly not the elite establishment or those who considered themselves to be the righteous, Jesus appears, offers peace and breathes a new community into being.

They were “sheltering in place”, locked in their fear and the gift of the vision of new life appeared to them, just showed up.

God in Christ came unsolicited. Then God in Christ came again to the stubborn community (Thomas) who would only believe on their own terms. In both cases, belief was a moment of visibility that they would learn to trust. There had been and would be more moments like that. God who went before their ancestors through the desert as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night met them again.

These are fearful times and the fear reveals that we and our systems are grafted intimately to the idols of certainty, predictability and blame. Many are experiencing loneliness, total uprooting and situations so painful that we marvel at how they survive them. This is when Christ’s body should be its most restorative, a safe presence especially for those who cannot envision the next step ahead.

Christ continues to show up unsolicited with a peace that cannot be explained. Though we are not rescued in the ways for which we long, we are not alone in our need. Death did not have the last word and neither did those who abused their power.

And so, together in this new reality, in our own rooms of doubt, fear, hope and longing, the Christ is present gifting us with new life. Let that belief be enough for you today. Let it shine out of your soul so that others will feel God’s new life being breathed into them.

Let your faith be stronger than your fear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acgUnFmg03w

The RESPONSE

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer:

Loving God, let us know that you are here with us in each and every room.

We want to see you here and everywhere.

We want to know that you are the force for good behind the new life that is emerging.

We long to know that you hear us as we pray and that you answer.

Search our hearts and find gratitude. We are grateful for… (speak your gratitude)

We pray for the restoration of your world and all its creatures… (name them now)

We ask you to help us unleash all the powers of good to find cures, therapies and vaccines for devastating diseases.

We ask you to free us from our enslavement to the way things were so that we might make the world better than it was especially for “the least” among us. Breathe life into us again, into all of us.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.

https://youtu.be/hHkmOi5Wzgo

Amen.

Our Offering: Take a moment now to offer the gift of your gratitude for the resurrection moments in your life and those resurrection moments yet to come. Give thanks for the many who are saving and those seeking to save life today.

Choral Anthem for Reflection on our Offering: Hallelujah, Amen G. F. Handel https://youtu.be/ZmXOb0TzlX8

Prayer of Dedication:

God of grace, it is our delight and our devotion to give gifts to you.
All we are and all we have are yours alone.
May our offerings be tokens of our true abiding love that breathe peace, justice and comfort into all the world. Amen.

The COMMISSIONING

Hymn: Lift High the Cross Tune: Crucifer (lyrics included) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbcBXYP4AlE

Commissioning and Benediction:

Be in the world as witnesses of God’s resurrection power by caring for the safety of others and doing so with all the confidence, joy and courage of an Easter. Shout with all your might that the God of Life has had the last word, for Christ is Risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen!

Postlude: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir J. S. Bach (We thank you, God, we thank you) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVRjK2bOxX4

As a way for our Shaughnessy Faith Community to gather again and acknowledge the end of the Easter week, we invite you to set aside some time this evening. Take a moment to catch your breath. Settle yourself into a comfortable chair, pour a cup of tea, light a candle, and allow yourself to refresh and nourish your soul.

Follow the short service below, listen to the music suggestions via the Youtube links (again, ads are unfortunately unavoidable), and give yourself up to quiet meditation and reflection. And even though we are doing this as individuals, we are also doing this as a faith community, connecting ourselves to each other in prayer and intention.

You are invited to share this service with others.
We ask that anyone using this document, outside of our own SHUC community, to please acknowledge that this is the work of Shaughnessy Heights United Church, Vancouver, Canada.

SHAUGHNESSY HEIGHTS UNITED CHURCH

PRAYERS AT THE CLOSE OF DAY

Friday, April 17, 2020

Theme

“The earth is what we all have in common.”

– Wendell Barry

God’s Presence

“God is the ground, the grounding, that which grounds us. We experience this when we understand that soil is holy, water gives life, the sky opens the imagination, our roots matter, home is a divine place, and our lives are linked with our neighbors’ and with those around the globe. This world, not heaven, is the sacred stage of our times.”

Grounded: Diana Butler Bass

Musical Reflection: The Ground: Ola Gjeilo

https://youtu.be/4lf26JLbVF4

Translation: Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace.

Our Prayer

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous, and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

From The Book of Common Prayer | St. Augustine

The Psalm

Unless You, O Divine Creator, build the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless You watch over the city,

the watchers stay awake in vain.

For it is in co-operating with You

from morn to evening,

eating the bread of your Word,

that we rest in peace throughout the night.

Reverence the sacred gift of life that nourishes all.

Who will grow in wisdom,

abandoning themselves into the chalice of Love?

Who will open themselves to the imprint of

Love’s gifts upon their heart?

Unless You, O divine Spirit, make your home within us,

we wander through life in vain.

Psalm 127 from Psalms for Praying: Nan C. Merrill

Musical Reflection: The Road Home: Arr. Stephen Paulus

https://youtu.be/nsE-ZYL_Q1M

Reflection

Excerpted from: Ten Truths I Learned from Life and Writing: Anne Lamott [Ted Talk]

My seven-year-old grandson sleeps just down the hall from me, and he wakes up a lot of mornings and he says, “You know, this could be the best day ever.” And other times, in the middle of the night, he calls out in a tremulous voice, “Nana, will you ever get sick and die?”

I think this pretty much says it for me and for most of the people I know, that we’re a mixed grill of happy anticipation and dread. So I sat down a few days before my 61st birthday, and I decided to compile a list of everything I know for sure. There’s so little truth in the popular culture, and it’s good to be sure of a few things.

… People feel really doomed and overwhelmed these days, and they keep asking me what’s true. So I hope that my list of things I’m almost positive about might offer some basic operating instructions to anyone who is feeling really overwhelmed or beleaguered.

Number one: the first and truest thing is that all truth is a paradox. Life is both a precious, unfathomably beautiful gift, and it’s impossible here, on the incarnational side of things. It’s been a very bad match for those of us who were born extremely sensitive. It’s filled simultaneously with heartbreaking sweetness and beauty, desperate poverty, floods and babies and acne and Mozart, all swirled together. I don’t think it’s an ideal system.

Number two: almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes – including you.

Number four: everyone is broken and scared, even the people who seem to have it most together. They are much more like you than you would believe.

Number five: chocolate with 75 percent cacao is not actually a food. Its best use is as a bait in snake traps or to balance the legs of wobbly chairs. It was never meant to be considered an edible.

Number eight: families. Families are hard, hard, hard, no matter how cherished and astonishing they may also be. Again, see number one.

At family gatherings where you suddenly feel homicidal or suicidal –remember that in all cases, it’s a miracle that any of us, specifically, were conceived and born. Earth is forgiveness school. It begins with forgiving yourself, and then you might as well start at the dinner table. That way, you can do this work in comfortable pants.

Number Nine: food. Try to do a little better. I think you know what I mean.

Number 10: grace. Grace is spiritual WD-40. The movement of grace is what changes us, heals us and heals our world. To summon grace, say, “Help,” and then buckle up. Grace finds you exactly where you are, but it doesn’t leave you where it found you. But the phone will ring or the mail will come and then against all odds, you’ll get your sense of humor about yourself back. Laughter really is carbonated holiness. It helps us breathe again and again and gives us back to ourselves, and this gives us faith in life and each other. And remember — grace always bats last.

…And finally: death. Number 12. Wow and yikes. It’s so hard to bear when the few people you cannot live without die. You’ll never get over these losses, and no matter what the culture says, you’re not supposed to. We Christians like to think of death as a major change of address, but in any case, the person will live again fully in your heart if you don’t seal it off. Like Leonard Cohen said, “There are cracks in everything, and that’s how the light gets in.” And that’s how we feel our people again fully alive…Grief and friends, time and tears will heal you to some extent. Tears will bathe and baptize and hydrate you and the ground on which you walk.

Do you know the first thing that God says to Moses? He says, “Take off your shoes.” Because this is holy ground, all evidence to the contrary. It’s hard to believe, but it’s the truest thing I know. When you’re a little bit older… you realize that death is as sacred as birth. And don’t worry — get on with your life.

As Ram Dass said, “When all is said and done, we’re really just all walking each other home.”

Syndicated from ted.com. With disarming familiarity, Anne Lamott tackles what most don’t like to consider. Her honest writing helps us make sense of life’s chaos.

Poem

… My foot falls. The ground rises to meet it.

A holy, ordinary moment is repeating itself.

All the time I am meeting and being met like this.

Your whole creation is ground.

Help me to remember that in this mutuality

We can become home for each other.

You are asking us slowly to become

Your holy site.

From “Walking,” in Being Home: Gunilla Norris

What Can We Do?

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'”

– Mary Anne Radmacher

Photo: Bessi | Pixabay

Musical Reflection: Sure on this Shining Night: Morten Lauridsen

https://youtu.be/UwxlMvV6LkE

Sure on this shining night of starmade shadows round,

kindness must watch for me this side the ground.

The late year lies down the north. All is healed, all is health.

High summer holds the earth. Hearts all whole.

Sure on this shining night I weep for wonder

wand’ring far alone of shadows on the stars.

– James Agee

A Closing Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought me in safety to the end of this week: Preserve me with your strength and in your love, that I may not stray away from you, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose. Amen.

Paraphrased from The Divine Hours: Phyllis Tickle

Note:

+Each time you see a musical link in the liturgy, mute or lower the volume on your device before clicking on the link. Once you have done that then click on the link. When an ad pops up, you can then “Skip Ad” and not be disturbed by the noise of the advertisements. Once you see that the music is beginning then unmute or raise the volume on your device. This will allow a more meaningful worship experience for you.

+In preparation for worship, have a candle and matches with you in preparation for the lighting of the Christ candle. Peace be with you.

GATHERING THE PEOPLE

Luke 23:50-55:

Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid.

It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

Were You There? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRaFdFkOVyY

Easter Story – The Resurrection of Jesus

John 20:1-18 read by Meghan Martin https://youtu.be/vTlBzZwbWwg

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Easter Song of Praise R. Shephard https://youtu.be/feMyqiDVGNc

Easter Proclamation: (Light a candle, raise it up and say…)

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!

Hymn: Jesus Christ Is Risen Today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6sj9ljVsfk

Prayer of the Day:

God of Easter, whose will is communion with creation,

whose power is revealed in resurrection:

we celebrate with joy the great festival of our faith, the foundation of our existence;

enable us to show the power of resurrection

in all that we think and feel and say and do,

and to celebrate the signs of resurrection throughout the universe especially today,

that we and all creation might be one with the risen Christ,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever. Amen.

Choral Anthem: Hallelujah Chorus (from Messiah) G. F. Handel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NNy289k6Oc

Sermon Rev. Jay Olson

And so, it was over. Jesus was executed in full public display. Lots of people watched it. Mary saw it all. A righteous man named Joseph arranged for the care of Jesus’ body which included the providing of a tomb. Mary, lost in her grief, went to sit at the place where Jesus had been laid. It was the place that held all that was left of her Lord and friend. Surely, she must have longed for him, for one more connection, to be close to him one more time.

When she arrived at the tomb what she found was not at all what she expected. She must have been horrified to see the tomb had been opened. She ran to her friends for help and they returned with her to see what had happened. The body was gone. The death wrappings were all that was left. And so, the men left and went home.

Mary stayed. As she wept, she looked again, and this time saw two angels who sat in the tomb at the place where death had lain. They spoke together, the angels questioned her about her grief and Mary answered them in her bewilderment and despair.

At some point she turned around and saw a man standing by her. As the angels had done, he inquired of her, I imagine out of his deep empathy for her, asking, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

It was not until this man called her by her name that she could see through her grief to the reality that Jesus, her Lord and friend, stood right there with her. His life had not been encased in stone but stood right beside her, calling out to her.

She had been alone. As she stood all alone, he came to her! The others had left. Mary thought she was alone.

God is with us today in our aloneness and in our physical distancing. God is with us, sees us and knows us by name even and especially when we cannot see God through our bewilderment, our fear and boredom, even when we cannot be with the people we so want to be close to.

God is present even today when many of us are sitting alone. This Easter Day we are living the beginning, the first telling, of the Resurrection story. It began long ago with one woman alone, in her grief, longing for what had been taken from her.

Many sit alone today both remembering the times when we were together and imagining our future reunions. God is with each of one. Many are run off their feet today working in high risk situations, being the angels of comfort and healing. Many of these same workers will be the angels who will bless some on their way into the next life. Many will be caring for us in our grief by providing food, medicine and products that give sustenance, comfort and safety. God is with each of them too especially when they feel alone and overwhelmed.

The Easter story, this revelation of God, became known because of one woman’s experience. It became known because she told of her experience of what she had seen and heard. Jesus did not allow Mary to cling to him alone. He commissioned her to tell others of her experience of resurrection, of everlasting life.

Fred Craddock wrote, “this story tells of the experiences (not once but many times) of the ancestors throughout time – they talked about what they saw – they told others the stories of their experiences of the holy presence. Their rituals and traditions helped bring them to the experiences of the presence of the holy – taking them home to the world of Spirit…to the presence of the Holy Spirit who will come to lead, comfort, and empower the church.” (from Preaching through the Christian Year. Year A)

We may feel very alone today. We may feel overwhelmed with work even though we are not in a workplace with others. We may be among those who wish they had the privilege of being able to self-isolate. We may feel despair because, as yet, we see no end to this disruption. No matter your circumstance, the Holy One is with you, calling out to you.

We are in the presence of the Holy at all times and in all places, in the memories of rituals observed and in new forms of rituals being discovered and practiced. Open your eyes now. Open your soul to resurrected life now. Look. Listen. God is with you.

Resurrection is everywhere! It is here and now. And this truth has been made known to us through the courage of one woman who, alone in her pain, dared to tell her story.

So, be at home in resurrection, in this irrepressible life, especially now.

Mary told her story, so you tell the story now as you experience it. Tell the stories of the power of life in the Spirit because God is with you. Tell the world and do not be afraid.

*Hymn: Christ is Alive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-M3cuTAINo

THE RESPONSE OF THE PEOPLE

Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Meghan Martin https://youtu.be/WQrJTMOptbk

Gracious God,

We come before you in prayer, each in our own space, in our own way, but unified by your Holy Spirit.

With Hallelujahs ringing in our hearts, we thank you for the eternal story of Christ’s resurrection and for the enduring promise that we are not alone.

Holy One, on this Easter morning, of all mornings, as we hear the familiar story, we pray that you will make us more like Mary.

Give us the strength of Mary to sit by the empty tomb – examining, acknowledging, and grieving what has been lost. The loss of gatherings with friends and family, the loss of work and income, medical treatments delayed, and loved ones falling sick or succumbing to illness. We lift up to you all of the loss in our communities and pray that you will meet it with your comforting presence.

As Mary turned to the gardener to seek his help, we pray, God, that you will give us the courage to identify our needs and share them with those who can support us. Free us from our ego and our individualism so that we can be open to the love and support of those around us. And in turn, we pray that you will give us generous spirits to meet the needs of others.

Eternal God, as you opened Mary’s eyes to recognize the risen Christ, we pray that you will open our eyes to notice the signs of hope and new life all around us. The changing of the seasons, the birds in the sky, the flowers bursting forth, but most of all the compassion and care that’s being shown by people all around us. Open our eyes to witness your hope in the world.

And finally, God, inspire us so that we, like Mary, will run to tell others the good news, filling your world with the message that love triumphs over all of our pain and sorrow.

On this Easter morning, of all mornings, we pray that you will make us more like Mary.

God, as we move through this new way of living and being with one another, we pray for our leaders. We give thanks for the wise leadership of public health professionals and for the collaboration demonstrated by all levels of government in Canada. We give thanks for the leaders within our church as they draw on their creativity to bring us together in new ways. We pray that you continue to guide our leaders in wise decision making, God, and give them moments of rest and peace along the way.

We pray for workers of all types in our communities. For those who keep our grocery stores stocked, for those who keep our health facilities clean, for those who respond to emergency situations, and for those who provide social and health care services in the face of personal risk. We give thanks for their commitment and ask that you surround them with a tireless spirit and your protection.

Compassionate God, we recognize the privilege we have living in a nation like Canada and know that there are others who are not as well placed to respond to emerging threats. We bring to mind those people and places around the world that are facing violence, disasters, and civil unrest on top of the threat of a new virus. We pray that all people find safety and security as they move through a multitude of challenges.

Loving God, although we celebrate Christ’s resurrection apart this year, we know that we are not alone in our celebration. We are connected to a worldwide church that extends across time and space, united in our commitment to be resurrection people. We feel the connection to followers of Christ and on this Easter Sunday, God, we trust that you hear us as we pray together saying,

Our Father Mother who art in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen

Choral Anthem: Singt dem Herren J. Haydn https://youtu.be/sZUzzpbzTZs

Sing the Lord, ye voices all! Give him thanks, for all his works. Let us honour his name, let it resound on high. The Lord is great; his praise shall last forever. Amen.

Music for Reflection on our Offering:

Grand Choeur Dialogue Arr. R. Smedvig E. Gigout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdCh0ZUxTyY

THE TABLE

We Remember our times together at the Table:

On this highest Holy Day of the year we remember the Easter Sundays when we gathered together at Christ’s table to receive the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Though we are sad that we cannot be together around the same table this Easter Day, we remember and give thanks that we will again gather together around the table in the Shaughnessy Heights sanctuary. We give thanks too that we can sit today at our own tables praying the same prayers as others at the same time this Easter day. In this table moment we remember God’s saving works.

God is with us and we lift up our hearts. It is right to give God our thanks and praise. And so we pray,

Holy God, before all that is, You were God. Outside all we know, You are God. After all is finished, You will be God. You beyond the galaxies, under the oceans, in the rain, opening flowers, feeding insects, You giving us and all the peoples of the world your image, carrying us through the waters, holding us in the night, your smile on Sarah and Abraham, your hand with Moses and Miriam, your words through Deborah and Isaiah, you living as Jesus among us, healing, teaching, dying, rising, inviting us all to your feast.

Holy One, power of small streams and great rivers, Creator of all that moves and flows, we pray that at each and every table today your Spirit will touch us. May we be signs of living water in thanksgiving and joy for all the world.

Living God, you raised Jesus from the grave and through him set in motion the resurrection of the whole of creation. Grant that we, baptized into his death and his rising, nourished at each table, members of his body, may be worthy of the name “EASTER PEOPLE”. We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

SENDING FORTH

Closing Hymn: Thine is the Glory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw9eB5LP3FU

Commissioning and Benediction:

Postlude: Toccata (Symphony No. 5) C.-M. Widor

https://www.youxtube.com/watch?v=jtj300j129k

Friday, April 10, 2020

You are invited to share this service with others.

We ask that anyone using this document, outside of our own SHUC community, to please acknowledge that this is the work of Shaughnessy Heights United Church, Vancouver, Canada.

*Please note that in order to hear the music you must click on the blue name of the piece you wish to hear*

Tenebrae: The Service of Shadows

Tenebrae (Latin for “shadows” or “darkness”) is a solemn observance of Jesus’ passion and death which has been practiced by the church since medieval times. Once a service within the monastic community, Tenebrae became an important part of Holy Week for many denominations. Our service this morning marks Jesus’ journey to Golgotha, and allows for extended meditation through scripture, music and silent reflection. We gather today, on Good Friday, to enter into the dramatic narrative of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion, and to reflect on God’s wondrous love.

If possible, gather 8 candles and light them as you begin this time of reflection. Directions will be given as to when to extinguish each candle. The final candle, your Christ candle, will remain the only burning candle at the end of the Tenebrae.

If you so wish, place a small stone or rock beside the candles to symbolize your present pain, burden and worries you wish to leave at the cross, in the hands of God.

PRELUDE:
O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß, BWV 622 J. S. Bach
(O Man Bewail your Grievous Sin)

Opening Prayer

(by Walter Brueggemann)

“Holy God who hovers daily round us in fidelity and compassion,

this day we are mindful of the pieces of our lives and the parts of your world

that are on the loose in destructive ways.

We notice that wildness midst our fear and our anger unresolved.

We mark it in a world of brutality and poverty and hunger all around us.

But on this day of all days, that great threat looms so large and powerful.

It is not for nothing that we tremble at these three hours of darkness

and the raging earthquake.

It is not for nothing that we have a sense of our helplessness

before the dread power of death that has broken loose

and that struts against our interest and even against our will.

So, we come in our helpless candor this day… remembering, even giving thanks…

but not for one instant unmindful of dangers too ominous and powers too sturdy and threats well

beyond us.”

While the darkness descends, we dare to pray.

I. THE SHADOW OF THE AGONY OF THE SPIRIT

Image: Pastor John Keller

Choral Reflection: Adoramus te Eric Barnum

Christ, we adore thee, and bless thee: For by your holy cross and passion you have redeemed the world. O Lord, have mercy on us.

Scripture: Matthew 26: 36-46

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

Extinguish First Candle

Choral Reflection: In Monte Oliveti Terry Schlenker

On Mount Olivet he prayed to the Father: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Your will be done.”

II. THE SHADOW OF BETRAYAL AND ARREST

Image: Caravaggio

Scripture: Matthew 26: 47-56

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Extinguish Second Candle

Hymn: O Come and Mourn with Me Awhile

O come and mourn with me awhile; O come now to the Saviour’s side;

O come, together let us mourn: Jesus, our Love, is crucified.

Have we no tears to shed for him, while soldiers scoff and foes deride?

Ah! Look how patiently he hangs: Jesus, our Love, is crucified.

Seven times he spake, sev’n words of love; and all three hours his silence cried

for mercy on the souls of all: Jesus, our Love is crucified.

O Love of God! O sin-filled world! In this dread act your strength is tried,

and victory remains with love: Jesus, our Love, is crucified.

Words: Frederick William Faber 1849, alt.

Music: John Bacchus Dykes 1861

III. THE SHADOW OF INTERROGATION

The Trial of Jesus: James Tissot

Scripture: Matthew 26: 57-68

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered. But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’” The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?”

But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. ”Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spat in his face and struck him; and some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?”

Extinguish Third Candle

Choral Reflection: O vos omnes Matthew Harris

All you that pass by, behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.

VI. THE SHADOW OF DENIAL

Scripture: Matthew 26: 69-75

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Extinguish Fourth Candle

Organ Meditation: Jésus Accepte sa Souffrance (La Nativité du Seigneur) O. Messiaen

Jesus Accepts His Suffering

V. THE SHADOW OF ACCUSATION AND HUMILIATION

Scripture: Matthew 27: 11-34

Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.

Extinguish Fifth Candle

Hymn: O Sacred Head, Surrounded

(Please note: lyrics included on video)

VI. THE SHADOW OF LOVE: CHRIST ACKNOWLEDGES HIS MOTHER

Scripture: John 19: 23-27

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

Extinguish Sixth Candle

Image: Rogier van der Weyden

Choral Reflection: And the Mother Did Weep Karl Jenkins

Poetry: “Mary Speaks” Madeleine L’Engle

O you who bear the pain of the whole earth, I bore you.
O you whose tears gave human tears their worth, I laughed with you.
You, who when your hem is touched, give power, I nourished you.
Who turn the day to night in this dark hour, light comes from you.
O you who hold the world in your embrace, I carried you.
Whose arms encircled the world with your grace, I once held you.
O you who laughed and ate and walked the shore, I played with you.
And I, who with all others, you died for, now I hold you.
May I be faithful to this final test, in this last hour I hold my child, my son;
His body close enfolded to my breast: The holder held, the bearer borne.
Mourning to joy, darkness to morn. Open, my arms; your work is done.

Hymn: At the Cross Her Vigil Keeping

At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, his sorrow sharing, all his bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed was that Mother highly blest
of the sole begotten One!

VII. THE SHADOW OF THE CRUCIFIXION

Image: Ben Denison

Choral Reflection: Were You There Spiritual, arr. Norman Luboff

Scripture: Luke 23: 26-28; 32-43

As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews. ”One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Extinguish Seventh Candle

Hymn: Jesus, Remember Me

VIII. THE SHADOW OF DEATH

Image: Daniel Bonnell

Scripture: Mark 15: 33-39

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”

which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.”

And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick,

and gave it to him to drink, saying,

“Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”

Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Now when the centurion, who stood facing him,

saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said,

“Truly this man was God’s Son!”

REMAIN A FEW MINUTES IN REFLECTIVE SILENCE

Choral Reflection: Trauert ihr englischen Chőre Heinrich F. Müller

Grieve ye angelic choirs and weep, weep with us in mourning, for the Saviour has been crucified. Sound the harp’s lowest tone. Seraphim – stir the human heart, tell it to the stars and to every sea: Today on the cross, in great suffering, the Son of God has died, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Scriptural Reflection: Isaiah 53: 1-12

Who has believed what we have heard?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way,

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away.

Who could have imagined his future?

For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people.

They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich,

although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.

When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;

through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.

Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.

The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore, I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Hymn: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

(Please note: lyrics included on video)

Closing Prayer

(by Rev. Jay Olson)

Holy God,

we are here at the foot of the cross daring to look up to see Jesus hanging there.

We are afraid. We want to run away from this crisis.

We want to go back and re-write this script. We want this not to be.

We see the horror of injustice.

We see right before our eyes the power of death revealed in acts and attitudes of fear, in some putting their own interests above others and in our collaboration with systems that deny truth and trivialize the lives of some justifying the acceptance of collateral damage.

We are afraid of the power of death in disease.

Stay with us now.

Stay with us as we grieve.

Stay with us in the promise that this day, this crisis, will not have the last word.

We humbly ask in the name of Christ crucified. Amen.

Choral Blessing: Ubi caritas Maurice Duruflé

Where there is charity and love, God is there. The love of Christ has gathered us together.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us revere and love the living God.
And from a sincere heart may we love one another.

Music License: A-729850

Friday Evening March 27, 2020

You are invited to share this service with others. We ask that anyone using this document, outside of our own SHUC community, to please acknowledge that this is the work of Shaughnessy Heights United Church, Vancouver, Canada.

*Please note that in order to hear the music you must click on the blue name of the piece you wish to hear*

Compline, also known as Night Prayer or the Prayers at the End of the Day, is a service of the Divine Office of the Western Christian Church. Derived from the Latin word completorium, Compline prayerfully acknowledges the completion of the working day and is often said just before retiring for the night.

As a way for our Shaughnessy Faith Community to gather again (albeit via technology) and to acknowledge the end of yet another challenging, at times overwhelming, week, we invite you to set aside some time this evening. Take a moment to catch your breath. Settle yourself into a comfortable chair, pour a cup of tea, light a candle, and allow yourself to take a little time to refresh and heal the soul. Follow the short service below, take time to click on the Youtube links for the music suggestions (again, ads are unfortunately unavoidable), and give yourself up to quiet meditation and reflection. And even though we are doing this as individuals, we are also doing this as a faith community, connecting ourselves to each other in prayer and intention.

A SHAUGHNESSY HEIGHTS UNITED CHURCH COMPLINE

Our Request for Presence: God be in my head and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes and in my looking; God be in my mouth and in my speaking; God be in mine heart and in my thinking;

Musical suggestion: God Be in My Head: John Rutter

Our Prayer: Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by they great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Keep watch with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous, and all for your love’s sake. Amen

Musical suggestion: Lighten Our Darkness: Alexander L’Estrange

The Psalm: I will praise You, O my Beloved, for You have raised me up, and have not let my fears overwhelm me. O Compassionate One, I cried for help and You comforted me. You, Love, released my soul from despair and restored me to life from among those who live in fear.

[Excerpt from Psalm 30: Psalms for Praying: Nan C. Merrill]

Reflection: Not all silence is the same. There is the awkward silence of the road trip with someone we do not know quite well enough to be silent next to, the refrigerating silence of hardened anger, the reverential silence of dogwoods in winter, the vast silence of a cathedral, the focused silence of absorption in our sewing or a good book. Each features physical silence, the absence of sound waves, but this silence is merely the outer form of other dynamics. In the spiritual life silence is characterized by a powerfully searching and subtle dynamic. If we know how to dwell in physical silence, then silence becomes not a threat but attractive, nurturing, and liberating.

[A Sunlit Absence: Martin Laird]

Musical suggestion: Dum medium silentium tenerent omnia: Wolfram Buchenberg

As this is an 8 minute composition, it is suggested you close your eyes and… simply be.

Translation: While all things were in quiet silence and the night was in the midst of her course, the Almighty Word, O Lord, came down from heaven from thy royal throne. The Lord hath appeared, he is clothed with beauty. He is clothed in strength and majesty.

[Wisdom 18 and Psalm 93]

What Can We Do? Walk into the difficulty, the fear, the change you do not want. Our stories can only move forward if we create a new relationship to the ‘obstacles’ we perceive. What if they are our greatest teachers?

[The Geography of Loss: Patti Digh]

Closing Prayer: Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous, and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

[From the Book of Common Prayer]

O, Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in Your mercy grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at last.

[John Henry Newman]

Musical suggestion: O Lord, Support Us: David Briggs

Friday Evening April 3, 2020

*Please note that in order to hear the music you must click on the blue name of the piece you wish to hear*

As a way for our Shaughnessy Faith Community to gather again (albeit via technology) and to acknowledge the end of yet another challenging, at times overwhelming, week, we invite you to set aside some time this evening. Take a moment to catch your breath. Settle yourself into a comfortable chair, pour a cup of tea, light a candle, and allow yourself to take a little time to refresh and heal the soul. Follow the short service below, take time to click on the YouTube links for the music suggestions (again, ads are unfortunately unavoidable), and give yourself up to quiet meditation and reflection. And even though we are doing this as individuals, we are also doing this as a faith community, connecting ourselves to each other in prayer and intention.

A SHAUGHNESSY HEIGHTS UNITED CHURCH COMPLINE

Our Request for Presence: God be in my head and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes and in my looking; God be in my mouth and in my speaking; God be in mine heart and in my thinking;

New musical suggestion: God Be in My Head: Walford Davies

Our Prayer: Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous, and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

[From the Book of Common Prayer]

The Psalm: Give praise to the Beloved, O heavenly hosts, Sing of Love’s glory and strength. Exalt the glory of Love’s Name, adore the Beloved in holy splendor.

The voice of the Beloved is upon the waters; Love’s voice echoes over the oceans and seas. The voice of Love is powerful, majestic is the voice of Love.

The voice of the Beloved breaks the bonds of oppression, Shatters the chains of injustice. Love invites all to the dance of freedom, to sing the Beloved’s song of truth.

The voice of Love strikes with fire upon hearts of stone. The voice of Love uproots the thorns of fear, Love uproots fear in every open heart.

The voice of Love is heard in every storm, and strips the ego bare; And in their hearts all cry, “Glory!”

The Beloved lives in our hearts; Love dwells with us forever. May Love give strength to all people. May Love bless all nations with peace.

[Psalm 29 from Psalms for Praying: Nan C. Merrill]

Musical suggestion: O Love: Elaine Hagenberg

Reflection: Let me begin with a familiar image: a candle. In its outer, sensible form a candle is an object consisting of tallow and wick. But the real secret of the candle reveals itself only when the match is struck and the candle begins to burn. It gives of the materials of its outer form in order to release the heat and fragrance within. Only then do we see what a candle really is: its outer life is tallow and wick; its inner life is flame. We are talking here about transformation, of course, a kind of sacred alchemy. And it is precisely this alchemy that defines our essential human task. The secret of our identity does not lie in the outer form or in how successfully we manipulate the outer forms of the sensible world. Rather, it lies in how we are able to set them (and ourselves) aflame to reveal the inner quality of their aliveness. The names of God lie coiled within the physical forms of things; our particular and uniquely human task is to the spring the trap and set them free…That is our job. Working within the raw materials of the physical world, we are to give “birthing” and ”body” to the names of God so that the invisible becomes visible. We are midwives of the Spirit. Hence, we are not here to build nests. The birds can do that. Rather, we are here to take our nest and make of them homes, vibrant with the qualities of kindness, order, and stability. We are not here to amass hoards. The ants can do that. Rather, we are here to take those stockpiles and release them into the energy of generosity and compassion. We are not here to live forever but to live well, releasing to the atmosphere courage, dignity and trust.

[The Wisdom way of Knowing: Cynthia Bourgeault]

Musical Reflection: The Sun Never Says: Dan Forrest

Translation: Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, “You owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky.

[Hafiz, trans. Daniel Ladinsky]

What Can We Do? Don’t give in to your fears. If you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.

[The Alchemist: Paulo Coelho]

A Closing Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought me in safety to the end of this week: Preserve me with your strength and in your love, that I may not stray away from you, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose. Amen.

[Paraphrased from The Divine Hours: Phyllis Tickle]

Musical suggestion is an ancient Latin hymn sung at Compline: Te lucis ante terminum (To Thee before the Close of Day): Thomas Tallis

*Please note: Click on SHOW MORE for lyrics and English translation

To Jerusalem with Christ Palm Sunday – April 5, 2020

*Please note that in order to hear the music you must click on the blue name of the piece you wish to hear*

Welcome to Sunday morning worship. We, Shaughnessy Heights United Church, are together again in Spirit this Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week. This day is the threshold moment from which we anticipate what happens when worldviews and values collide. It is like we are standing at the edge of a tectonic plate and the plate is about to move. The movement is terrifying and results in a new reality, a beautiful new landscape. This day, when the ground under peoples’ feet was about to shake, they called out, blessed is the One who comes in the name of God! Today is the third Sunday that our church building has been closed and we have been practicing physical isolation and staying home. The ground underneath us has definitely moved and we don’t know yet when the shaking will end. We have reached Jerusalem with Christ which means that now we stand closer to the edge of the plate, to the edge of a new landscape. It means that we have not arrived at the Easter revelation because we must still hear the invitation of Maundy Thursday’s new covenant, experience Good Friday’s injustice, and Holy Saturday’s desolation. We stand on the edge of a new month of physical isolation, of staying home, of businesses and the places where people of faith meet staying closed. Our values, our sources of financial security have collided head-on with the global effects of a highly infectious virus.

The virus will not win in the long run if we will discipline our behaviours to match our gospel values. Easter will come again though not on our fixed calendar. This crisis will pass, and the Christ will rise again.

Do not be afraid. Do not despair. Do not fret because “We live in God’s world. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God!”

A New Creed, the United Church of Canada

The Acknowledgement:

THE GATHERING

PRELUDE: March on a Theme by Handel, Op 15, No. 2 A. Guilmant

PRAYER OF INVOCATION:

Merciful God, as we enter Holy Week, steady our feet as you lead us again into Jerusalem to experience that tectonic shift which is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Open our hearts and minds to the new landscape that has been revealed through Jesus the Christ, the divine Way. In this sacred silence now, we open ourselves to your Spirit while hanging on for dear life as the earth-shattering revelation of your truth is revealed.

A MOMENT OF SILENCE

We give you thanks for your presence with us and ask for your help that, while confronting the powers of death, we would walk the divine Way that leads to life. Help us to be fearless as we stand on your evermoving tectonic plate of grace. We pray in the name of Jesus of Nazareth who revealed the Way with courage. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of God. Hosanna in the highest! Amen.

HYMN: Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

THE WORD

Responsive Psalm 118:25-29

25 Save us, we beseech you, O God! We beseech you, give us success!

26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

We bless you from the house of God.

27 The Lord is God and has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. 29 O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good, God’s steadfast love endures forever.

This is the story of our faith. Thanks be to God.

Choral Anthem: Machet die Tore Weit A Hammerschmidt

Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Hosiana. (Psalm 24)

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-17

21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this? This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”

The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself’?” He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. This is the story of our faith.

Choral Anthem: Hosanna to the Son of David L. Jakobs

Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord. Peace be in heaven and glory. Hosanna in the highest heavens.

Reflection from Rev. Jay

There are 2 stories in today’s passage – one of celebration and demonstration, and one of unveiling and truth-telling. These together were like a tectonic shift that caused pretense to vanish and the realities of life and death to be even more immediate.

The disciples and Jesus approached the city by way of the Mt. of Olives – this was the place where for many when Jesus taught the earth moved. Professor Weatjan in his commentary on Matthew says, “…it is the mountain from which Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event that is apocalyptic in character, for according to Matthew’s redaction it causes a ‘city- quake’…” p.202 And the city was in turmoil. Two parades. Two demonstrations. The clash of these two would forever change the world.

It was soon Passover. Every year it was fraught with tension. Violent resistance was not uncommon, and everyone knew it. During this time, Jesus moved in and out of Jerusalem probably because he knew that he was on the radar of the authorities. There were many ways to silence someone especially at night so, he left the city at sundown. Jesus wasn’t looking to get killed but he knew his resisting the unjust powers of the day was risky at best. He went to Bethany at night in order to stay ahead of those who were lying in wait for him. You were safer at night if you were outside the city.

The Romans were all about keeping the peace. The Pax Romana, the Roman peace, sustained by occupying forces. These troops made a show of force at Passover. The Governor, with full military strength, entered the city from the west (from Rome). It was a military parade with chariots, horses, soldiers and swords. It was a show of military might for the benefit of those who might be considering resisting Roman rule. Disrupt the peace and you would be crushed. Roman authorities responded quickly and brutally to those who would disrupt the status quo especially if done through armed resistance. So, many of the Jewish spectators were probably both resentful and compliant not joyful or appreciative except for those amassing wealth as collaborators.

Jesus’ way was passive resistance on full public display. It turns out that the real threat to the rulers of the day was through passive resistance.

Everyone knew that the Governor and his military paraded purposefully from the West, the center of military power, swords at the ready, on the highest Holy Day of the year to demonstrate who was in charge. So, Jesus rides in from the East (the opposite direction) to demonstrate that God is sovereign.

In Matthew’s version of the story Jesus rides in astride 2 animals. The donkey is a symbol of a monarch and the colt, a pack animal, the symbol a servant. Everyone hearing Matthew’s story recognized the two demonstrations and they got it! The response to Jesus was initially one of celebration, because his passive resistance demonstrated his allegiance to the Love that will not let us go.

The first story demonstrates that the ways of God are different than those of the ones who would exploit others for their own gain. The second story is what happened after the parade. Jesus turned the tables over in the Temple and, as he did, he quoted from his sacred texts, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”

Jesus scholar, Dom Crossan, is clear that Jesus’ focus of condemnation was not that there was thieving in the Temple, but that God’s dwelling place had become a safe haven for thieves.

Crossan says it this way, “The den of thieves is not where you do your thieving. It’s a refuge for those who thieve elsewhere.”

When Jesus turned the tables over in the Temple, he effectively shut down the incomes of those who made their living by profiting from the ritual practices of sacrifice. With the tables overturned, the material tools for making amends with God were cut off. It’s not okay to exploit people during the week and then show up with an offering unless the one coming to God is willing to change his or her ways and stop ripping off those with less. Sanctuaries, named for God, are to be places where the ways of God are made real and the truth of the thieving endemic in societies is named and disrupted. The earth should shake each time this truth is revealed in the name of our Loving God.

Today we are called to ask ourselves to which demonstration do we belong? How do we tear down the walls of the havens for injustice so that there are only sanctuaries of hope and healing left? What truth do we seek today and what truth is being revealed? Though the earth shakes at the heart of these truths, the deep and unshakeable love and wisdom of God is there in it.

One of the most terrifying parts of this pandemic is the economic disruption. There are those who have lots of resources. There are those who have lost their incomes, and some have lost loved ones. There are those who are waiting to be laid off and there are those who are only worried for themselves. There are those who have no homes in which to self-isolate. My hope is that when we begin rebuilding this world, we will re-build with God’s ways in mind, God’s values as priorities. How today can we begin to prepare ourselves to demonstrative for the world what God envisions for the cosmos and not re-build a world in which the survival of the fittest and richest rules the decisions?

THE RESPONSE

Hymn: All Glory, Laud and Honour

Act of Reconciliation: The purpose of confession is for healing and reconciliation – being restored in the goodness out of which and for which we were created. It is in God that we, individuals and communities alike, find healing and wholeness. Therefore, you are invited now to admit to yourselves and to the Holy One that which is getting in the way of your, and our, healing and restoration – to admit that to God in such a way that you will then be able to help the obstacle(s) fade away. Let us together in Spirit be present in our confession as the Holy One is present with us. As we pray our admissions in the privacy of our own hearts, we begin by saying, Christ have mercy.

Silence… (end the silence by saying, Christ have mercy.)

Assurance of Grace: Hear the good news! The Apostle Paul asked, if God is for us, who can be against us? Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? And he answered his own question saying, No one and nothing! Nothing can separate us from the love of God. So, receive God’s peace. God’s gracious forgiveness is yours! We are a forgiven people. Thanks be to God!

PASTORAL PRAYER

The Offering: God is generous and has provided for us in abundance. We are asked to return to God a portion of that abundance. There is no gift of heart, word or money that is too small.

So, bring your offerings of goodness to be used for God’s purposes. This is one more way we continue to become the people God would have us be.

Offertory Hymn: When They Heard that Jesus was Coming MV128

What is your offering for this Holy Week? (Name your offering.)

Prayer of Dedication: Holy One, receive from us these our offerings, tokens of the lives of faith we return to you. We pray that we may be used in the sustaining of your good works for the sake of others and for your glory. Amen.

A New Creed: Standing on the edge of the world now, on shaky ground, let us steady ourselves by affirming our faith together:

We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God who has created and is creating who has come in Jesus the Word made flesh to reconcile and make new who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in creation, to love and to serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our Judge and our Hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

HYMN: My Song is Love Unknown

THE GOING FORTH

We have come through five weeks of Lent like none we have experienced before. We are standing amid the clash of powers both global and personal. Do not be afraid.

Choral Anthem: Ride On, King Jesus: Spiritual arr. M. Hogan

Commissioning and Blessing: Be at peace this Holy Week. Stay steady. And remember that “weeping may linger or the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Ps. 30:5

Postlude: Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV 546 J. S. Bach

The Shaughnessy Heights United Community of Faith is now gathering in a whole new way!

Please visit our newest page “Online Worship” to view our latest services.

Please click here: SHUC Re-opening Guidelines and Waiver Form to view our re-opening plan and for a downloadable copy of our waiver for all SHUC users.

Month: April 2020

I. THE SHADOW OF THE AGONY OF THE SPIRIT

You are welcome