Daily Reflections and Worship Resources
I am all nightfulness,
not yet me,
smoke wafting up out of a dream.
I have not come to myself yet,
my arms beside me
like two warm animals,
and two legs crawling up out of blackness
to join me.
My mind has not come to me yet,
nor the room, or the light,
or the universe.
Before I think of thinking,
of troubling myself with thought
you love me.
This alone wakens me.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
Hold this seed in your hand
its durable wisdom
knowing all it does
how to wait
how to endure
how to become
how to accept confining soil
winter’s abandonment
cruelty of all darkness.
Night and day
cold and thaw relentless
promising withholding.
In grip of ice or fire
time digestion and
whatever may be called suffering
nevertheless
holding within
its bare moment
(hold it in your hand
your mind
the deep soil of your Being)
what it has been given
furled infinite
irrepressible
a word a world a blessing
already
here
waiting
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
Thanksgiving
It does not take—although
it could—our breath away,
this warm November day
that should be dense and dark;
instead it gives.
The park is washed: a tide of light
leaves the day’s bright spine
exposed, the clear sun beached
upon the evening’s shore,
reposed where children each
reflect it, young and pure.
How is this day not old
and grey, but yet a bride,
lap full of wedding gifts,
all tied with gold, with light?
It lifts our hearts, too cold,
and too soon winterized,
to watch our children run
in ribbons through the gold,
the bright gift
wrapping strewn, untidy sheets of light,
across the afternoon,
not innocently laughing
jewels into our laps
until our arms collapse,
and we are warm. How can
this laying on of hands
of light, so late, be right?
What are we to remember
of this gilded not-november
miracle of days?
The oracle of praise
this day of Magi lays
abiding at our feet,
the reason given
for tidings of light,
light piled against the trees and benches,
against our legs and feet,
against our thoughts of sleet:
God has no oughts, but gifts.
This is our tithe: let light
be more than interlude,
life little more than this—
delight and gratitude.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
March 25, 2023
Lectionary Texts
Ezekiel 37.1-14. The prophet is sent in a vision to a valley of dry bones, symbolic of his people who are lifeless and despairing in exile. God tells him to speak hope to the bones, and then to speak hope to the wind (breath) that will give the bones life. In this image Ezekiel brings God’s promise of restoration to the people of Israel.
Psalm 130 is a cry from the depths of despair, especially the despair of our own sin and brokenness.
Romans 8.6-11 Paul speaks of the difference between life “in the flesh,” and “in the spirit.” The Spirit that raised Christ from death is in us and will raise us to new life, too. In
John 11.1-44 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
Preaching Thoughts
Today’s texts explore not only God’s gift of new life, but especially the death that must precede it.
Ezekiel
The vision of dry bones is announced to people in exile: a vision of God bringing life and hope into a situation of death, loss, defeat and despair. It’s not a promise that things will be OK. It’s an acknowledgment that things already are awful—and that out of that God can make something new. Death will come first—then revival.
Psalm.
A woman was doing a “fill-in-the-blank” Bible study that asked “With what are we to come before the Lord?” The answer, I bet, was supposed to have been “with joy and thanksgiving” or something like that. But what I saw she had scrawled in the blank (and into the margin) was “With every human emotion imaginable, just like David did!!” Yep. The Psalms cover it all, including “the depths.” This psalm is an invitation to take our depths seriously, to befriend our “shadow” side: to be honest about our guilt, fears, wounds, rage, doubts, sorrows, evil fantasies—they’re all there in the depths. It’s out of this honest self-awareness that the Psalm can wait in hope for God, who loves us, the whole of us, including our shadows, including our depths. Redemption is nothing less than that.
Romans
Paul does not mean that the flesh is bad. (After all, God chose for the Word to become flesh.) What Paul means by “being in the flesh” is the illusion that we are contained and confined to our flesh, our physical bodies, as if each of us is a separate, discreet object. In fact, Paul, says, we’re not separate objects at all: we’re all members of one living Being, the Body of Christ, united in one Spirit. Like your fingers, which may look like separate things but they’re all part of one hand, guided by one mind. We’re like different parts of one body, (Paul develops this more in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.) Living in the flesh we’re guided mostly (and mostly unconsciously) by our ego. Living in the Spirit we’re guided by the Spirit. Living in the Spirit is being mindful of our holy oneness in God, our belonging to God, with the Spirit of God uniting and guiding us.
“To set the mind on the flesh is death” because it’s like amputation: when we think of ourselves as separate from God we cut ourselves off from our true source, our true life. Living in the Spirit, we connect with the Life that flows through us from God. We are part of the risen Body of Christ, included in Christ’s resurrection. Hence “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through the Spirit that dwells in you”—because your mortal life belongs to Christ’s eternal body.
Lazarus
Why did Jesus wait to go to Bethany? Hm. Maybe he knew he couldn’t protect even his best friends from death and suffering.
When Jesus decides to go to Bethany, he’s getting pretty close to the people who want to kill him. Thomas gets it. “Then let us go die with him.” Maybe Thomas understands that death has to come before resurrection, which is why later when he’s told Jesus has risen, he wants to see Jesus’ wounds: not because he doubts his friend has risen, but because he wants to make sure it was the crucified Christ who has risen.
In John as we know it Lazarus has two sisters, Mary and Martha. This may not have been the case in John’s original story. Elizabeth Schrader is offering up scholarship that suggests that in John’s original story Lazarus had one sister, Mary Magdalene. Martha didn’t actually exist. (See a presentation here.) Mary was originally a prominent figure in the early church, the first to proclaim Jesus as Messiah, to witness his resurrection, and to be charged to preach the good news. In the second century or so, (male) church leaders began to dislike Mary’s prominence over Peter’s, so they diminished Mary’s importance by splitting her into two people—Mary and her sister Martha, borrowed from Luke—and distributed her actions to both sisters, notably Martha, so that Mary’s prominence was erased. Changes were made in the manuscripts of John 11 that effectively erased Mary Magdalene. What does this mean for our preaching? It doesn’t change the message of “Jesus as Messiah,” but it puts it on different lips. And it suggests that our traditions, our texts and maybe even our faith itself are subject to erasures, especially of women, that we need to be aware of.
Both Mary and Martha scold Jesus: “If you’d been here this wouldn’t have happened.” But maybe it would have. Everybody dies. Jesus can’t heal everybody. It’s a little dangerous to think that Jesus intentionally let Lazarus die just so he could perform a miracle. God doesn’t use us as disposable stage props. God doesn’t cause us suffering just to make a point. Nevertheless, God can bring blessing out of suffering, life out of death, and something real out of impossibility. Because of God, in your life and in our world, a hopeless cause is not without hope.
Many people focus on Martha’s (or Mary’s) proclamation: “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” Generations of preachers have repeated this, as if telling congregations that Jesus is the Messiah would somehow change them. I think the point is not any special status Jesus may have, but that we are called to orient our lives around the source of life in the face of death, and the promise of resurrection in the face of injustice and suffering. The point is not Jesus’ status but our orientation. What it means to “believe” Jesus is “the One” is to live with his energy of healing, forgiveness (which is a kind of resurrection), and radical trust in God.
Jesus wept. Out of the depths. Part of the mystery of the cross is that God suffers our pain. Even if Jesus knows he’s going to raise Lazarus, the pain is still real. He weeps for his own loss, for Lazarus’ suffering, for Mary and Martha. Of course grown men cry, unafraid to feel their own pain and the pain of others. That’s true strength. The capacity to feel pain is the capacity to love; the courage to feel it is the courage to love.
“Lazarus, come out!” Jesus calls to life what has died in us. Nothing, not even death, is as powerful as God’s love. No shame or failure, no suffering or evildoing, no past or present can hold us from living in God. No power can stop God from setting us free. “Unbind him, and let him go.”
I wonder: what was Lazarus like after that? A changed man, I bet. When we’re raised from death it changes us. Whatever form our raising takes—surviving a crisis, receiving forgiveness, restoration of a relationship, revival of one’s spirit, release from addiction, recovery from trauma—we don’t just go back to life as it was. We’re raised to new life. We’re invited to let our old life die. And, yes, it can feel like death. The Lazarus story isn’t just about God’s miraculous rescue of a terrible situation. It’s about how God raises us up out of old, deadened, deadly ways of living, out of the illusion that we’re confined to the life of our mortal bodies, into new lives, new ways of living, living “in the Spirit,” living as members of the crucified and risen Body of Christ.
The rest of the story in John 11, beyond the lectionary selection, is that after this some powerful people wanted Jesus killed. God’s life-affirming grace is a threat to human hierarchies and systems of privilege and exclusion. The powers that be will always oppose resurrection. Of course Jesus carried on. To paraphrase, “Nevertheless, he persisted.”
Call to Worship
1.
Leader: Spirit of life, light of life, breath of life,
All: breathe new life into us.
Christ of love, Christ of sorrow, Christ of hope,
breathe new life into us.
Wind of God, breath of God, spirit of God,
breathe new life into us.
We worship you, open to your grace.
Raise us to new life in your spirit. Amen.
2.
Leader: I see a valley of dry bones.
All: All that is dead and ruined. All that is hopeless and despairing.
And yet, I hear a Word to the bones, a wind among the bones.
Where there was death, life!
Out of the depths comes a cry.
The song of sorrow, the voice of shame.
And yet, there is grace, forgiveness and redemption.
We wait for God, more than those who watch for the morning.
Out of old lives and the ways of death, the voice of grace calls us.
Out of the tomb of our hearts, we come,
made new, alive in Christ, and grateful.
With open hearts we worship. Amen.
3. [Ps. 130]
Leader: Out of the depths we cry to you, O God.
Holy One, hear our voice! Let your ears be attentive to our cry.
If you, O God, kept account of our sins, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore we worship you.
We wait for the Holy One; in God’s word we hope.
Our soul waits for God more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the dawn.
O people, hope in God! For with God there is steadfast love;
with God there is great power to redeem.
It is you, God, who redeems us! We thank you, and we worship.
4.
Leader: God is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
All: God does not deal with us according to our sins,
but forgives us and receives us as God’s beloved.
Come, let us walk in the light of God,
that God may teach us God’s ways,
and lead us in God’s paths.
Create a new heart in us, O God,
and put within us a new and right spirit.
Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace.
Collect / Prayer of the Day
1.
God of grace, into the dry bones of our hearts breathe your Word. Into the deep place of our sorrow speak your hope. Into what that is dead in us breathe your life. Into our trembling, fearful hands place your new life, pulsing with grace. Speak, Lord, for we are listening. Amen.
2.
Gracious God, like Lazarus in the tomb, our hearts are still and waiting for your call. Speak to us now. May your Word call us out of our death, out of old lives, into the light of your grace and your presence, and the loving companionship of Christ. Amen.
3.
Gracious God, Christ is the light of the World, and so we come to walk in his light. Christ is the resurrection and the life, and so we come to enter into his life. Christ raises us to new life, and so we come to surrender our lives to you, and be raised anew. Speak to us now, that we may hear the words of life. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
1.
Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, we confess all that is in us that is not of life.
Receive our death, forgive our sin, and breathe new life into us,
that we may perfectly embody your love. Amen
[…Silent prayer … The word of grace]
2.
…
Life-giving God, we confess that we have separated ourselves from you,
and so from life: we have died in our sin.
We confess the death that is in us.
Forgive us, and call us back to life.
In your grace, we listen for your life-giving word.
Listening Prayer
(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
Dry bones of my heart,
listen.
Breath of God,
enter.
Jesus, at the tomb,
call my name.
Response / Creed / Affirmation
We love you and trust you, God, creator of the universe, who brings light out off darkness, who creates anew every day.
We love you and trust you, Jesus, the Christ of God, crucified and risen, who healed the sick and fed the hungry, who gave hope to the despairing and raised the dead. You save and redeem us, and raise us to new life.
We love you and trust you, Holy Spirit, in whom we live not as separate beings but members of one Body; in whom our mortal lives are given infinite life. By your grace we die and rise daily, released from old ways and called out into new lives, in love and service for the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
Poetry
For Lazarus to Rise
When Lazarus heard his name
he took a sudden breath.
With visceral trembling blood resurged.
But then, as when awakening some days,
he lay a moment, mired,
reluctant to rise from the familiar
swaddling of his death.
Rising, even more than dying,
there could be no return:
for if he chose to stand,
all he knew would then be lost
And still now every morning,
each momentary wish for healing
is a risk, a wakening call
to change, to choose,
to leave so much behind,
and be again made new.
Psalm 130
This cry crawls up from somewhere deep,
from deep beneath all words or feelings,
deep where only you can hear, O God.
Hear with your deepest heart
the unheard voice of my trembling soul.
If you let our sins keep us from you
you’d be alone in this universe.
But you do not.
I praise this miracle:
you forgive.
I wait for you. My soul hangs on you.
To the lungs of my soul your word is air.
I wait for you,
more than those who ache for the dawn,
more than those who ache for the dawn.
O people, hope in God!
God is pure, steadfast love,
and the power to re-create.
From our ruined ways
it is God who will save us.
Psalm 130
Out of my sea depths
a cry, a wordless noise.
You hear, like a sound through the earth,
Like my spine hears me.
If you measured, I would disappear.
All of us would be too small.
But you allow us to fill you.
So we fill you.
I hold open a space for you,
emptiness in me that widens
like sky waiting for dawn,
like the whole sky waiting,
and the dawn, rising,
filling the whole sky.
We, your people, of your making,
even, even in our clutter,
we are your open space
where your light appears.
In your spaciousness
we become new.
Lazarus, come out!
There is no birth without pain.
There is no life without suffering.
There is no love without surrender.
There is no struggle without hope.
Though we would cry out to God
to save us from all hurt—
“Lord, if you had been here
this wouldn’t have happened”—
God won’t shield us
from the blessed demands of our own lives,
from the living that is given to us
enfolded in what is required of us,
the birth pangs wrapped in pain.
Each new gift or challenge invites us
to become new, to be born again.
The Beloved walks our boundaries;
when we meet, it opens something new,
a spring in us gushing up with life itself.
People may ask, “Is this the same person?”
and we will insist, “I am the one!”
But we will be changed, and leave behind
what once we had clung to.
Our grave wrappings are swaddling cloths,
in our travails the voice of the Beloved,
crying out to us in our tombs,
“Lazarus, come out!”
“Come out!”
Under the roaring silence of your death,
Tunneling under the the world yelling at you,
a bird song that pierces iron walls,
a strong hand, unflinching, a voice
reaches into the dark mountain,
reaches through the cages and sewers,
the vast abandoned valleys,
into the shark’s mouth of fear,
into the cave of your death, and its own,
and finds the skeleton,
finds the bones made of stone and despair,
gathers your bones from trash piles,
and speaks to your fragments,
wraps its flesh around your bones,
gives them its blood, its breath, its life.
Only the voice of a love that fierce
can call your name
and you come out,
out of your old death
into the quiet morning,
a squinting newborn,
stunned, beloved, swaddled,
ready to be set free,
knowing nothing
but the sound of that voice.
Come out
Come out, you who have been entombed
in silence, in fear, in condemnation,
come out!
Come out to the one who loves you.
You who are afraid for your life,
who are afraid of your life,
you who are ashamed,
you who have been bound,
come out into your own life!
You who have been told you’re unworthy,
you who are afraid of failing,
come out into your whole life.
You who are wounded and grieving,
who are hopeless or depressed,
you who wonder if you’ll ever live deeply,
come out into life’s fullness.
You who are well defended in your fortresses,
in armor, in costumes, come out.
Gays and abuse victims, transgender and shy,
gifted and doubtful, queer and other,
you can come out.
Come out of your closets, out of hiding,
out of exile, out of the wilderness.
Ou who dwell in darkness and shadow,
you who are in prison, come out!
You have a place, and the tomb is not it.
The One Who Weeps for You
calls to you.
You are wanted. You are mourned.
Come out.
And keep coming; every day, coming out
into this bewildering, wonderful world.
And you who are hiding in lies and deception,
come out, come out in to the light.
And you who have rolled the great stones
over other people’s lives,
roll them back. Stand aside.
Never mind the stench.
Call to them. Open your arms.
Unbind them.
Let them go.
Eucharistic Prayer
[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.
We thank you God, for you create all things,
bringing light out of darkness.
Out of despair, hope!
Out of shame, forgiveness!
Out of death, life!
In your Spirit we are one, given life beyond our lives.
We thank you, and with all Creation we sing your praise.
[Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
[or alternate version]
Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who healed the broken, fed the hungry, and raised the dead.
He wept with our sorrow; he shared in our death.
Crucified for love, he was raised in love,
and calls us into new lives
as members of his Body and partakers of his Covenant.
(The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
[Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
—or—
Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
Christ will come again in glory.
[or alternative]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
dead to old lives and raised to new life,
in the name and the love of Christ,
for the sake of the healing of the world.
[Spoken or sung]
Amen.
____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]
On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion
[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have entered our death, and fed us with the food of eternal life. Send us into the world as new people, alive in your Spirit, in the name of Christ. Amen.
2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have called us out of old lives, out of the death of our souls, into new life, life in your Spirit, in your love. Send us into the world in the name and the love of Christ. Amen.
[Rom. 8.6-17][Rom. 8.6-17]3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You are our light, and our life. By your grace at work in Christ, and by your Spirit alive in us, you raise us to new life. Send us into the world to live in the spirit of prayer, to walk in your light, and to proclaim your word, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)
Live by the Spirit [Rom. 8.6-17] (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)
God has now done what the law could not do:
God set you free and God reconciled you.
Live by the Spirit that God freely gives,
Spirit of Christ, by which each of us lives
Setting your mind on the Spirit is peace:
rooted in grace, from our sin we’re released.
Live, then, by the Spirit that raised Christ from death,
Spirit that raises us in every new breath
Go in God’s peace. Go in Christ’s gentle light.
Go in the Spirit that leads us aright.
Children of God, go in love as you do,
Dying with Christ and arising anew.
Out of the Deepest Depths (Psalm 130; Original song)
Out of the deepest depths I cry to you, O God.
O listen with your heart, and hear my pleading voice.
If you counted sins, then no one could stand with you;
but Love, you forgive.
I wait for you, my God, for in your word I hope.
I wait for you, Love, more than those who wait for dawn,
yes, more than those who watch for the morning light
I wait for you.
O Hope, O Israel, hope in the Holy One.
For with our God is love, God’s steadfast, faithful love,
and power to redeem; for God is the one
who will redeem us from sin.
Wake Us From Our Sleep (Original song)
God of mercy, wake us with your light.
Rouse our sleeping hearts and give us sight.
Raise us up from death; fill us with your breath.
Wake us from our sleep to live new lives in you.
Life comes only from the Word you give.
You alone have power to make us live.
Seeking what is True, Love, we turn to you:
springs of living water flow, and so we live.
Christ, you touch our hearts and heal our fear.
Even in our pain your grace is near.
Spirit, you who save, raise us from our grave.
Born again, dry bones who rise, we live in you.
Christ, light of the world, your radiance bright
wakens us to day out of our night:
shining in, it heals; shining out, reveals.
Help us all to live as children of the light.
March 19, 2023
Lectionary Texts
1 Samuel 16.1-13. God sends the prophet Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel.
Psalm 23 celebrates God’s gentle hospitality, guiding us through deadly places. (Here are nine paraphrases of Psalm 23.)
Ephesians 5.8-14. In Christ we are light, and we are to live as children of light, so that God’s love is visible. The writer quotes an early baptismal pronouncement: “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you.”
In John 9.1-41 Jesus heals a man who was born blind. An extended comedy follows the healing, as the Pharisees, blinded by their fear of Jesus, try to figure out a way to deny the power of what Jesus has done, but remain “in the dark” about it all.
Note: Consider presenting this story (and others in this season)as a dramatic reading with several roles. You can break the story up into scenes, with a brief reflection, music or prayer between scenes. (Click here for a script.)
Preaching Thoughts
Seen and unseen
Today’s texts explore the themes of light and dark, seen and unseen, sight and blindness. God leads Samuel to anoint David according to unseen qualities, not physical appearance. That part is easy to get. Most of us don’t vote for candidates according to who’s cutest. But go deeper: what qualities do we value that are not only character traits that are not physical appearance, but often entirely unnoticed? God sees something in David that people don’t see. When we look at ourselves, and others, what are we missing? What about forgiveness, gentleness, patience, trust, prayerfulness, good listening, humble service? For that matter, what are bad qualities we often overlook, like unresolved anger, untruthfulness, manipulativeness, denial? What are qualities we don’t usually see that really do matter?
Psalm 23
Here are nine paraphrases of Psalm 23. This psalm is usually thought of as all light and loveliness, not engaging the light/dark, seen/unseen theme of the other readings. But the psalm does walk from the light of green meadows at the beginning through the shadows of the dark valley in the middle to the light again of the welcome, safety and shared meal at the end. In this way it leads us in embracing our shadow (see “Light and dark” below.). The shepherd walks us safely through the dark places in our lives, and in our own psyches. The darkness is not to be feared, but faithfully traversed. Consider reciting the psalm in a way that highlights this journey from light to dark to light: maybe accompanied by music in a major key in vv. 1-3, a minor key in v. 4 and again to major in v.v. 5-6. (Here is a version with handbells that does this.) If the room you worship in accommodates it, you could also do it with lighting (though find a way to let people know it’s intentional, not just that you’ve lost power…).
Light and dark
Ephesians tells us once you were darkness, but now in Christ you are light. “Light” is often equated with “good,” and “dark” with “evil.” Be careful with this. It easily lends itself to racist ways of thinking related to skin color. Further, even aside from skin color, sometimes darkness is actually good. It doesn’t denote something that’s necessarily bad, just unseen. The Mystery. In fact as Mystery, darkness is holy. Darkness is where stars shine, seeds sprout, babies are conceived and grow. When the ark is moved into the Temple in 1 Kings 8.12 Solomon remembers that “God would dwell in thick darkness.” Faith includes a healthy embrace of the darkness of life, the unknowable stuff in which there is grace even though we can’t see it or understand it. And Jungians remind us how important it is to acknowledge, integrate and appropriately express the “shadow” side of ourselves—all that stuff that’s unseen, unconscious, even repressed—even though some of it is actually very good. How do we live in the light of God and also trust the dark mystery of God? How do we “shine the light” and also embrace our shadow?
John 9.1-41 – A Dramatic Reading
The gospel readings for Lent in Year A are all long stories of Jesus’ ministry. They certainly deserve to be told as they are written. But you might also explore breaking them up into separate scenes, with a brief reflection, music or prayer between scenes. They can also be presented as dramatic readings. Here is a script for a dramatic reading of John 9 in four scenes, for seven or nine readers.
Blind and seeing
The gospel story isn’t just about a miraculous healing: it’s about our willingness to look and see. As we are wary of the racist danger in how we think of the black/white, good/evil binary, as well as the denial of our shadow in the light/dark binary, we should also be wary of the danger of ableism in treating sightedness as good and blindness as somehow deficient.
The gospel story is full of humorous irony about seeing and unseeing, which makes it clear: there’s nothing “wrong” with being blind, but there is something wrong about choosing to be oblivious. The blind man sees quite well: he’s the one who sees who Jesus is. But those whose eyes work seem to be blind to what is going on: they can’t recognize the man, or behold God’s grace, or witness the miracle, or focus on the issue, or see themselves clearly. They keep asking the one who was blind to describe something that they themselves saw. Their eyes work but their hearts are blind. Jesus has told them, “I am the light of the world,” but blinded by their expectations and their fear of Jesus, they are still “in the dark.” Blindness is a physical state, but denial is a moral one. What makes racism, (and all the ways we discriminate) so powerful is our refusal to see what’s going on. Cancel culture, and a whole ethos of denial and whitewashing are practices of unseeing. “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains” (Jn.9.41). How do we unsee our neighbors? Who do we not see? Whose suffering do we choose to not see? What wounds and injustices, and what gifts and wonders, do we overlook?
How we see
The gospel story really isn’t about seeing with our eyes, but seeing with our hearts. Do we see with the eyes of distrust, or the eyes of faith? Eyes of cynicism or eyes of wonder? Eyes of judgment or eyes of love? “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Mt. 6.22-23). It’s not about whether we see, but how we see. Eyes of of love fill us with light. Eyes of judgment fill us with darkness. How do we see? How do we fail to see people? How do we fail to really see them? Jesus asks us to really see people, see them for who they are, see them as God sees them, not just through the filter of our own habits, assumptions, expectations and fears. (Remember in Luke 7 when the woman anoints Jesus at Simon’s house he says, “Do you see this woman?”) How do you see your neighbor?
Ah, I see
When we understand something we say, “I see.” This story is about “seeing” as understanding. Which we actually don’t. We think we’re so damn smart. But our smug worldly wisdom is not as clever as we think. Conventional wisdom doesn’t actually see God’s truth, which is beyond our rational understanding. We see only what fits our preconceived notions. Believing is seeing. So God has to subvert our “seeing” and confound us smartypants to get us to see that we don’t see everything. John 9.39: “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Isaiah 6.9-10: “Say this to the people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.” 1 Cor. 1.19, 25: “It is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’… God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom.” In the ancient Wisdom tradition, Jesus thwarts Conventional wisdom and opens our eyes to the wonder of God’s grace. How good do you think your spiritual eyesight is? Will you confess you’re in the dark? It’s there, in the unknowable, that God takes our hand and shows us what we can’t see.
Healing the blind
We may not be given the gift to do miracles with people’s eyes, but we are sent to open the eyes of people’s hearts. We are sent to open people’s eyes to the world around them—to the suffering and injustice, and also the glory and beauty. To help people really see each other is a wondrous gift. To open people’s eyes to racism is a prophetic calling. It’s a miracle of healing to empower people to see themselves as God’s beloved, to enable those who despair to see hope, to help those who have been shamed to see their own beauty and dignity, to help those who struggle in life to see themselves with mercy and gratitude. Sometimes it’s a miracle just to get people to notice the beauty that’s around the.m.. and within them.
Call to Worship
1.
Leader: Creator God, your glory surrounds us.
All: Help us to see with eyes of gratitude and wonder.
Loving Christ, you come to us in the humble and needy.
Help us to see with eyes of compassion and mercy.
Holy Spirit, you work among us with power and grace.
Help us to see with eyes of faith.
We worship you with praise and thanksgiving. Amen.
2.
Leader: God of all creation, out of darkness, light!
All: We worship you.
Christ, in our blindness, healing!
We thank you.
Holy Spirit, from our old ways, new lives!
We praise you. We give ourselves to you.
Fill us with your light, that your love may be revealed in us. Amen.
3.
Leader: The grace of God be with you.
All: And also with you.
We gather in the power of the Spirit, as the Body of Christ.
We were blind, and now we see, so we come to praise our God.
We were dead, but now we are alive, and we come to worship.
But still we are blind, and still we are dead in our sins.
So we come to be healed, that we may see by God’s grace.
We come to be raised to new life, by the mercy of God.4.
Leader: The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
All: God does not deal with us according to our sins,
but forgives us and receives us as God’s beloved.
Come, let us walk in the light of God.
Holy One, teach us your ways,
and lead us in your paths.
Create a new heart in us, O God,
and put within us a new and right spirit.
Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Amen.
5.
Leader: Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine upon you.
All: Once we were darkness,
but in Christ we are light.
May we live as children of light.
Collect / Prayer of the Day
1.
God of mystery, you saw something in David that others did not see, and anointed him king. So you see things in us that we do not see. Open our eyes to see ourselves and one another as you see us: beloved and worthy. Open our eyes, God, and help us to see.
2.
Gracious God, you have given us Christ as our light, and given us as light for the world. As Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, open our eyes so that we might see; and open our hearts so that we might truly serve you and set free those who sit in prisons of darkness. God, come to us, speak to us, heal us, and make us your servants. We pray in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
3.
God of light, we come to you in need of healing, for the eyes of our hearts are clouded. Embrace us in your love, touch us with your Word, and transform us by your Spirit. Make us whole, so that we might live new lives. Bless us in our worship, that we may become children of light. Amen.
4.
God of truth, as Jesus healed the blind man, we ask you to heal us. Open our eyes to see ourselves honestly, to see you clearly, to see your world as you would have us see it. Open our hearts, so that as the scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you are saying to us today. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
1.
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see all that is in us that is loving,
and all that is not loving.
God of love, with your eyes
we look on those times we have been in harmony with you,
and we give thanks. [Silent reflection…]
God of love, with your eyes
we look on those times we have been out of harmony with you,
and we receive your grace. [Silent reflection…]God of grace, we give thanks that you look upon is with love and mercy.
By the grace you show us in Christ,
forgive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.
[Silent prayer … the word of grace]
2.
God of love, create in me a clean heart,
and put within me a new and holy spirit.
Where there is falseness, give me your truth.
Where there is denial, give me vision.
Where there is fear, kindle your love.
Where there is guilt or shame,
let me see myself with your eyes of love.
I release all the ill I have suffered,
and repent of the harm I have done.
Forgive me, and create me anew.
3.
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned
and that we are blind to our sin.
We have failed to see our neighbors in need,
and failed to hear your calling.
We have been blind to your grace,
and have sat in prisons of darkness.
Forgive us, God, heal us, and set us free;
fill our hearts with light, so that we may be light to the world,
in the spirit of Christ, who is our light.
Listening Prayer
(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
1.
Leader: Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine upon you.
All: Once we were darkness,
but in Christ we are light.
May we live as children of light.
2.
Generous God,
you prepare a feast for me, even
in the presence of my fear and self-centeredness.
My cup overflows.
I hold it out to you.
Shepherd me, O God.
3.
Leader: Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned;
he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”
All: God, help me to trust
that with you there is no deserving,
no punishment,
no imprisonment in the past;
only grace,
and the the opportunity to receive it.
Open the eyes of my heart,
that whatever my circumstances
I may see your grace,
trust your unfinished work in me,
and know that I was born that your love
might be revealed in me,
and that, unseen,
you stand beside me
ready to heal.
Readings
1.
Click here for a script for a dramatic reading of John 9, Jesus healing the blind man and the controversy afterward. In four scenes. For seven or nine readers.
2.
Here are nine paraphrases of Psalm 23.
3. A Reflection on Ephesians 5.8-14
There are plenty in this world who sneak about in darkness, hidden, relying on lies and misperceptions. Most of them do not know it. There are those who thrive in the spotlight, but only in costume, enclosing their true selves in lightless biers that are impervious even to their own seeing. Afraid to know themselves, they avert their lives. Their defenses are thick walls that protect their frightened souls, and seal them against the light. They waste away in tombs of delusion.
But it is not so with you. You are light. You pay attention, looking to see clearly both what is before you and what is within you. You do not rush past yourself, but live deliberately enough to be able to see everything. You welcome the truth, even when it challenges you. You are transparent to the light of God shining through you. You gladly bear the beams of grace into this world. You do not lurk past anyone, but beholding all as your sisters and brothers, you humbly serve them in the ways God has given you, and draw them into the day, surrounding them with light.
Children of light, keep shining.
Poetry
Sleeper, awake!
The healing of blindness is not a correction
but an opening.
Repentance is not improving
but opening your eyes.
Seeing is not judging
but letting the light in.
In the dark chaos of the deep
let there be light.
Whether or not your eyes see it
your very being is the light of Love.
You are the lamp;
the Beloved is the flame.
You don’t need to birth fire,
just become transparent.
Awake; open your eyes.
The dawn has come.
You are light
You don’t need to seek the light.
You are light,
light of God’s Word,
light of Gods love,
shining in your being.
Meditate on this light,
glowing from within.
Trust this light,
given, not made.
Don’t worry to shine the light;
it already shines.
Simply be mindful.
Open the shutters of your heart,
and let the divine light radiate.
You are light.
Today
We must work the works of the One who sent me
while it is day;
night is coming when no one can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
—John 9.4-5
This is your day, your life.
Night will come, when you are no more.
Now you are God’s light in the world.
This is the time to shine,
to love, to forgive and ask forgiveness,
to speak for justice, to give yourself
to the mending of the world.
This day.
My mommy (Ps. 23)
God is my mommy.
She’s all I need.
She gives me a soft place for naps;
she takes me to safe places.
When I’m upset she holds me
’till I become myself again.
She leads me by the hand.
Quite the pair, my mommy and I!
When I am scared to death
you are right there. No worry.
Your strong hand and firm voice save me.
You set the table for me and
for the siblings I’ve been fighting with.
You wash me up with that gleam in your eye.
My plate is full.
Your motherly love stays with me every day.
I will be your beloved kid forever.
Sweet.
[Download nine paraphrases of Ps. 23 here.]
Eucharistic Prayer
[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.
We thank you God, for you create us in the image of your love.
You have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the realm of your light.
Each of us shines with the light of your glory.
We are being transformed into your image,
from one degree of glory to another.
In love you sent us Jesus, the light of the world.
He is the light on our path and the life in our hearts.
[Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
[or alternate version]
Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
in whom we see your mercy and love.
As he gave sight to the blind, he opened the eyes of our hearts.
He showed us the miracle of your grace,
and enabled us to see your presence.
In him the powers saw only threat and untamable mystery,
so they crucified him.
But you raised him from the dead,
bearing your everliving covenant to be with us in love.
(The Blessing and Covenant) *
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
[Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
—or—
Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
Christ will come again in glory.
[or alternative]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
May we see with eyes of love,
and by your presence in us be light for the world,
in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
[Spoken or sung]
Amen.
____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]
On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion
[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Your love has opened our eyes. Send us into the world to see your beauty, to witness your miracles, to behold your light in each person, to trust your grace in every moment. Amen.
2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) In your light we are given new vision; in your grace we are given new life. Send us into the world in faith, that your love may be revealed in us, in the name of Christ. Amen.
3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) As this food enters us and becomes part of us, may your light fill us, so that we radiate your grace. Send us out as light for the world, to open the eyes of the blind and release the prisoners, in the name of Christ. Amen.
4.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May our eyes be opened to see your presence and your grace in our lives. May we continually open our hearts to your healing, and bear your healing to this hurting world. Send us into the world now to bless and to heal, to proclaim your good news, in the name of Christ, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
5.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May our eyes be opened to see your presence and your grace in our lives. May we continually open our hearts to your healing, and bear your healing to this hurting world. Send us into the world now to bless and to heal, to proclaim your good news, in the name of Christ, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)
Communion Song (Tune: Just As I Am)
O God, you call us to life anew,
and so we bring our lives to you.
Forgiven, free and blessed, we give
our gifts that in us Christ may live.
With joy we set the table here
with gifts of Jesus’ presence dear.
God, in our feast may Christ be near,
and in our lives his love shine clear.
Christ Our Healer (Tune: Joyful, Joyful,
or HOLY MANNA, or Love Divine All Loves Excelling)
Christ, our healer, you have touched us, reaching through the dark divide,
healing broken hearts and bodies, casting death’s old shroud aside:
raised us from our bed of sorrows, put your arm around our pain,
raising us to new tomorrows, bringing us to life again.
Christ, our teacher, in our healing you have given us your gift:
grace to bless, your love revealing, pow’r to heal and hope to lift.
In your Spirit, your forgiveness, your compassion we embrace
ev’ry wounded, shamed or silenced child of God with gentle grace.
Christ, our savior, you are going on to every town and field,
on to every land and people, on until the world is healed.
Use us in the whole world’s mending, use us as your healing hands,
’till as one the world, made whole, takes up its mat with joy and stands.
Grant Me Your Vision (Tune: Be Thou My Vision )
Grant me your vision, O God of pure light.
May your deep wisdom and love give me sight.
Help me to see who I am as you see:
lovely and wounded and worth setting free.
Take my illusions, my fear and my lies;
shedding my veil, Lord, I open my eyes,
seeing my beauty, my wounds and my sin,
past all pretending, in truth deep within.
Give me the eyes of your mercy and grace;
help me to see you in each time and place.
God, you who know me, please guide me, I pray,
following Jesus in his loving way.
Psalm 23 (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)
God is my shepherd; I have all I need. God
Makes me lie down in green pastures to feed.
By the still waters God gently will lead.
Love, you’re my shepherd. I have all I need.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I
fear not, for you are as close as my breath.
For you are with me, your staff and your rod
they are my comfort, my shepherd, my God.
You set my table before all my foes. You
pour out your blessing; my cup overflows.
Goodness stays with with me wherever I roam,
and I will live in you, my Heart, my Home.
Sleeper Awake (Original song)
Sleeper, awake, come rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine upon you.
March 12, 2023
Lectionary Texts
Exodus 17. 1-7. The Israelites are traveling through the desert after their escape from Egypt. They have no water, but by God’s command Moses strikes a solid rock, and out flows water.
Psalm 95. Though the psalm ends on a sour note, it celebrates God’s life-giving grace, and refers to the event of water from the rock at Meribah (meaning a place of testing).
Romans 5.1-11. The Apostle Paul says suffering leads to hope, which never lets us down. And this: “Christ died for the ungodly.” So know that God loves us unconditionally, and that we are reconciled with God. Therefore we are at peace. We can endure suffering knowing that God is with us.
John 4.5-42. Jesus speaks with a woman at a well in Samaria, disregarding taboos against rabbis speaking publicly with women, as well as Jewish prejudice against Samaritans. They talk about worship, the coming of the Messiah, and living water—flowing water—that gives eternal life.
Note: Consider presenting this story as a dramatic reading, with roles for Jesus, the Samaritan woman, the disciples, and a narrator.
Preaching Thoughts
Water from the rock
Maybe the miracle is that there was water there. Maybe it’s that Moses, trusting God, hauls off and strikes the rock. What a great way to make a fool of himself—except that he trusts God, and God is trustworthy. Maybe the word is to act boldly for the sake of the people. Maybe it’s to trust God’s providence. We don’t need to know how God provides, just trust that what we need is there. Maybe it’s that in the dry places in our lives, even within ourselves, there are secret springs of water gushing up to eternal life—if only we trust it.
Suffering and hope
Of course not all suffering automatically leads to hope. Let’s not kid ourselves. Suffering often leads to despair. Paul isn’t glorifying pain as a Christian virtue. It’s not that we enjoy or value suffering. It’s that even suffering can be the soil where hope grows. Hope doesn’t mean believing things will get better. Sometimes they don’t. It doesn’t mean things will turn out OK. (They didn’t go so well for Jesus, or thousands of martyrs…) Hope isn’t really about the future as much as the present. Hope is trust in what is already present but unseen. Even when we’re hurting, trust in the mystery of grace turns our suffering into the soil of hope. We see the Big Picture, the reality of Love that surrounds and upholds and permeates our lives, so that even when we’re suffering we know we belong to something lovely. The sense that “all shall we well, and all manner of things shall be well,” as Julian of Norwich says, is not that things will improve in the future, but that when all is added up—all of it— it’s all good; even the bad parts are redeemed by being embedded in goodness. Trust bin this mystery is what gets us through the rough patches, and enables us to endure suffering with hope.
Christ died for us
Paul says “Christ died for the ungodly.” That’s pretty universal, huh? Some people spin this toward guilt: Jesus died for you, so you ought to believe in him. But Paul is not brokering a transaction. This isn’t about what you need to do, but what God does. Jesus embodies how God thinks so highly of us that God is willing to die for us. The point is not that you should have some opinion about Jesus’ death, but that God loves you that much. Maybe faith has something to do with allowing ourselves to see ourselves as that lovable and beloved. Even at our most ungodly.
Reconciled
Paul says we will be saved through Christ from the wrath of God. The old substitutionary tale has it that Jesus “saves” us by taking the punishment that God originally imposed on us. Well, I don’t see how that reconciles us to God. The thought of God intending my destruction, requiring Jesus’ intervention, does not draw me close to God. No, I don’t think being saved means being saved from God. I think we’re saved from our distrust of God, by God’s self-sacrificing love. We’re saved from thinking God is wrathful toward us. In fact God is loving and loving only, and coming to trust this (through Christ’s love) is truly liberating—that’s salvation, and that’s true reconciliation with God.
Woman at the well
Remarkable Thing #1: Jesus knows her story. Is he omniscient? Does he read minds? Maybe he’s just a really good listener and picked up clues. Women didn’t have the power to initiate divorce. So she has been used and thrown away five times. And now the guy who she’s with doesn’t have the decency to marry her. She’s not a sinner; she’s a victim. Coming to the well at noon, long past when you want cool, clean water, clearly she’s a social outcast. Remarkable Thing #2. Still he treats her like a peer. He doesn’t relate to her as a needy person, a victim, a loser, but as a whole, intelligent person. Like, “I recognize your pain, but it sounds like you want to talk theology.” That in itself is healing. She’s not defined by her need. And Jesus not only oversteps social taboos about class and gender and Jews and Samaritans—especially rabbis and Samaritans—but he goes so far as to treat her as a worthy peer, to engage in theological banter as he would with another rabbi! In fact they converse longer than Jesus talks with anyone else in the Gospels. He’s in his element: no trickery, no game playing, just exploration. Note: Jesus loves questions.
A spring of water
John plays with the symbolism of the water in the well and in our hearts, and the woman’s thirst for water of both kinds. “Faith” is not about certainty or even belief at all, but about reaching out. The woman has faith because, to borrow some language from Matthew, she hungers and thirsts for righteousness. And she is satisfied. Jesus (John) gives us the beautiful image of “a spring of water in you gushing up to eternal life.” It’s a gift that comes from beyond—but from below, not above, from deep within. (Yes, God is beneath us, giving life.) The spring is unfailing, unaffected by passing weather, unpolluted by use or misuse, fresh and life-giving. Baptism and Eucharist in one gulp.
She left her jug
Of course. Because she knew she was coming back., She went specifically to call other people to Jesus. Yep, the first Christian evangelist, and a very effective one, calling people to Christ. Which, by the way, feeds Jesus. “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
A reflection
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” —The woman comes to the well because she wants water—but Jesus wants something from her. What might Jesus be asking you for?
“How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) —What separates you from God, or makes you feel unwelcome, unworthy or unwanted by God? Name it… and imagine Jesus accepting you anyway.
“Where do you get that living water?” —Where do you seek spiritual nourishment? Do you receive it it? Is it adequate? Is God leading you to dip into a deeper well?
“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” —Imagine this spring of God’s love flowing up in and through you right now.
“You have had five husbands.” —Jesus brings her brokenness to light—she is “damaged goods”— but he does not judge her for it. What hurt, shame, guilt or fear burdens you? Offer these to God. Let God take them from you.
“Worship in spirit and truth.” —What does it mean to you to worship God? Be mindful of God’s presence and God’s loving grace. Be present; make yourself available to God.
She said to the people, “Come and see…” and they left the city and were on their way to him. —She was an outcast, but like water from a well, Jesus has drawn a wonderful gift out of her. What gifts might Jesus see in you? What good news might he be asking you to bear?
“I have food to eat that you do not know about.” —Imagine Jesus has been spending this time with you, right now—not because it’s his duty but because it nourishes him. Dare to delight in Jesus’ delight in you.
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. —Jesus doesn’t regard her according to her shame, but according to the gifts he sees in her. Ask God for the gift of seeing people as Jesus sees them: as gifted, worthy and beloved, even as they are brokenhearted and in need of healing. Imagine all people in this light. Imagine God’s love flowing out from you like a “spring of water gushing up,” spreading to al people, all living beings, all creation. Give thanks for this spring of living love in you, flowing from the heart of God.
Call to Worship
1.
Leader: Creator God, we come, thirsty for your Word.
All: You offer to us flowing water, and we give you praise.
Loving Christ, we come to you hungry for your grace.
You touch living springs within us, and we give you thanks.
Holy Spirit, we come to you thirsty, yet you hunger for us to be vessels for you.
You nourish us for service, and we give you our lives. Thanks be to God.
2.
Leader: Everyone who drinks water will be thirsty again.
All: But those who drink of the water that Christ gives us will never be thirsty.
The water that Christ gives will become in us
a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.
Christ, give us this water, so that our spirits will never dry up.
We draw from the deep well of your love, O God.
Fill us with your Spirit, for we are thirsty for you.
3.
Leader: We wander in desert wastes,
All: We are thirsty for life-giving grace.
But there is water in the rock.
We come with our brokenness and need
But there is a life-giving spring in you.
We’re not sure how to worship.
But the Spirit and the truth is in you. Worship in spirit and truth.
God, we trust your grace,
and we offer you our thirst, and our worship.
4.
Leader: Desert thirst; fear and and doubt.
All: Water from the rock!
Shame and failure, heartbreak and despair.
A spring of water gushing up!
A people, ungodly and unwilling.
Love that would die for us!
This is the good news.
We give thanks, and worship.
Collect / Prayer of the Day
1.
Generous God, your Word is a spring of water gushing up to eternal life. Like the woman of Samaria we come to the well of your Word to drink, to be satisfied, to receive life. Fill the jars of our hearts with your love. Draw from the deep well of your grace and change us. Make us living vessels of your love for a world that is thirsty for you. Amen.
2.
God of love, we are thirsty for you, thirsty for your love, your blessing, and your presence. We open ourselves to your grace—for you gush forth with the water of life. Renew us with your Word. Amen.
3.
God of love, we confess that the well of love in our souls sometimes runs dry. Forgive our sin, fill us with your Word, and open that spring of life in us, that we may flow freely with your love for all the world. We worship you in spirit and in truth. Speak to us. Jesus, help us listen. Amen.
4.
Leader: Like the woman who came to draw water at a well,
we come to draw life from you, O God
All: Jesus, as you spoke to her, so you speak to us now.
Fill us with your grace, and help us to worship in spirit and in truth.
May your grace become a spring of living water in us, gushing up to eternal life. Amen.
5.
God of abundant grace, as the woman came thirsty to the well we come, thirsting for your presence and your grace. Draw from the wells of salvation and pour out your Spirit upon us. Feed us with your Word, and refresh our souls with your living, flowing grace. Let your love in us be a spring welling up to eternal life. We pray in the name and the presence of Christ. Amen.
6.
Leader: We are tired and thirsty. We sit by the well our ancestors have dug.
All: Christ, you come, and offer us living water.
We wonder about life, about truth, about our place.
Christ, you cross all boundaries to speak with us, and your Word stirs in us.
We doubt our abilities. We believe people’s judgments. We feel alone.
Christ, your love changes us, and a spring of life wells up in us.
Give us, please, the living water of your life-giving Spirit,
gushing up to boundless love and the joy of being.
For this, God, we are thirsty.
Come and quench the thirsting of our souls. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
1.
Gracious God, we confess our need for your life-giving grace.
We are thirsty for you,
yet we have sought sustenance elsewhere.
We come again to the well of your mercy.
May your forgiveness, your healing and your love
become in us a spring of living water gushing up to eternal life.
2.
Gracious God, before you there are no secrets.
Our sins are clear. Our wounds are open.
You see us as we truly are.
O God, we repent and turn to you,
for we are thirsty for your grace,
and hungry for the life that you alone can give.
Accept us, O God, and forgive our sins.
Heal our wounded spirits.
Wash us in the living spring of your grace,
so that guided by your Word,
we may go forth to serve you in holiness and joy.
We pray in the name of the Crucified and Risen Christ. Amen.
Listening Prayer
(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
Our hearts may be as stone, O God,
but you strike them, and out flows water.
Our hearts are empty buckets, God.
We lower them into the well of your grace.
We lower the buckets of our hearts
into the deep, clear well of your grace.
Poetry
Living water
You are not dying of thirst in a desert,
searching for the magic well of salvation.
It is within you.
Take the jug of your soul
to the place where it is filled.
When you get there, sit.
You know where it is: a shrine or a meadow,
a holy book, silence or song,
or kneeling with someone in need.
Listen to the voice in the silence,
the song in the water,
the blessing pouring out of the moment.
Let it fill you, soak in, sink deep.
It does not pass, but becomes you.
A spring opens up in you.
That for which you most deeply thirst
wells up inside you, from deep beyond,
eternally present.
There is a place in you
where God bubbles up into the world.
Build your house near that spring.
Drink deeply from that source.
Abandon your paths to other, muddy holes.
Let your life flow with this living water.
Weather or a thief
can take the water
but not the spring.
The water is not yours.
Let if flow. Other are thirsty, too.
Draw from that well. This is life.
Eucharistic Prayer
[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.
God, we thank you, for you create us in your image, covenant to be our God,
and feed us with grace.
You judge the forces of oppression and work for the liberation of all your children;
you set us free from all that traps and enslaves us.
You have provided for us—bread in the wilderness and water from the rock.
You have given us Christ, the bread of life, whose spirit in us
is a spring of living water, gushing up to eternal life.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise.
[Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
[or alternate version]
Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He fed the hungry; he shared water with the thirsty; he taught your Way,
feasting on your Word with all who were hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
He called for justice and subverted the world’s judgment and divisions,
befriending the outcast and gathering a community that included everyone,
calling them to your table of grace to feast on your Word and drink of your Spirit.
For opposing unjust systems he was crucified; but you raised him from the dead.
(The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
[Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
—or—
Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
Christ will come again in glory.
[or alternative]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
May your Spirit be in us a spring of living water,
gushing up to eternal life, for the sake of the world.
[Spoken or sung]
Amen.
____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]
On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion
[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Your Spirit flows in us, a spring gushing up to eternal life. We are vessels of your grace. Send us into the world to serve, to bear witness and to bring others to the table of your love, in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.
2.
Loving God, your Spirit is within us, a flowing spring of love.
May we be a vessel of your grace,
an ample jug for the water of your love for all people.
Send us, refreshed, in the name and the company of Christ.
Amen.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)
The Heart of Heaven (Original song)
There’s a heart in heaven that knows you,
and speaks your name in love from heaven’s throne,
that has laughed and labored here beside you,
and says, “I know your journey as my own.”
There are eyes in heaven that adore you,
and weep with joy at the beauty of your soul,
for they see the courage of your living,
and share your deepest yearnings to be whole.
There’s a tear in heaven that remembers,
there’s a deep, weary sigh that understands;
there are gentle, wounded hands that know the struggle
to do the work of God with human hands.
There’s a voice from heaven within you,
a spring of life-giving water flowing free.
Let it flow, let grace and peace shine in you
with heaven’s loveliness for all to see.
Oh, the heart of heaven is within you,
the universe embraces you in love,
for the humble One who walks beside you
is the One who rules the sun and stars above.
I Take Up My Cross (Original song)
Congregation:
Letting go, I am held. I take up my cross and follow.
Cantor:
1. Jesus, you call to me, and draw me into your life.
2. Christ, I who thirst for you, you ask of me a drink.
3. Christ, I leave all behind, to follow you in love.
4. Your Word is a spring of life that gushes up in me.
Jesus, Come Speak to Us (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)
[John 4.1-42]
God, you have gathered us, hungry for the Bread of Life,
thirsty for waters of flowing grace.
Our broken hearts are yours, open and waiting.
We want to meet you face to face.
Jesus, come speak to us. Sit beside the way with us.
Draw from the well and refresh our souls.
Shine light into our hearts, heal hidden wounds within,
call forth our gifts and make us whole.
Spirit, our Breath of Life, fill us with your grace and truth.
Make us your vessels of love and light.
Flow like a river, welling up within us
with waters of eternal life.
We Feast On Your Love (Original song)
Chorus: We drink from your presence.
We feast on your love.
This is the banquet we’ve been dreaming of. (Repeat.)
You gather us; none is unworthy;
and no one is “greatest” or “least.”
You multiply what we offer,
so multitudes may feast. — Chorus
We hunger and thirst for your spirit,
we open ourselves to your grace.
In flows the mercy you offer
in every time and place. — Chorus
We taste the sweet wine made from water,
our bread is your body you give.
“Drink of the water I give you,
so you may truly live.”
March 5, 2023
Lectionary Texts
Genesis 12.1-4. God calls Abram, at the ripe old age of 75, to leave his relatives and his homeland and journey toward a new land and a new life, in which, he is told, “you will be a blessing.”
Psalm 121 may have been sung by people, like Abram, on a journey: pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. The traveler looks at the mountains she must cross in her journey, where bandits hide and other religions have their shrines, and asks, “Where does my help come from?” It comes from God, who is faithful.
Romans 4.1-5, 13-17. Paul refers to Abraham in discussing faith as trust in God. God gives us life as a gift, not something that we earn. “Righteousness” does not mean being good enough to deserve God’s blessing; it means trusting that the blessing is already there.
John 3.1-17. Nicodemus, in the night, visits Jesus, who says we must be “born anew from above.”
Preaching Thoughts
New identity. Repentance, the great theme of Lent, is not just about renouncing the past. It’s creating a new future. God calls us out of our established ways into new ways of living. Abram leaves behind his familiar reality to venture to a new place—and he will even become a new person, with the name Abraham. What do we have to leave behind in order to repent? What do we need to learn to say No to? Sometimes we see our sins as “just part of who I am.” How are we invited to renounce part of who we thought we were to become whole new people?
Righteousness. It’s tempting (gosh, should a preacher ever add to our temptations in Lent?? But I digress…) it’s tempting to imagine righteousness as “rightness,” somehow having the right religious answer or being on the right spiritual track. But being “righteous” doesn’t mean being “right.” It means in right relationship. And our relation ship with God, despite all our maneuvering, is established, and determined by God. And the relationship God makes with us is that we are God’s beloved. Period. No attempts on our part to be more or less deserving make any difference. It’s God, not us, who makes our relationship with God what it is, and the relationship God establishes with us is one of grace and harmony. This is the grace of God’s love. No matter how out of tune we are, God makes of it beautiful music.
Born again. Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the dark (so to speak) and Jesus tells him we must be “born from the top,” meaning both over again and also from above, from God. Each breath is a re-birth, a receiving of life not from the status quo of having been born once but directly God’s life-giving. That means we let go of who we think we are, who we want to be, and especially who others think we are or ought to be, and completely allow ourselves to be who God creates us to be. Imagine surrendering your whole past every moment, and starting anew with each breath. Imagine all your doubts and regrets, all your guilt and all your accomplishments wiped away. It’s just you, being made new, this instant, living fresh out of God’s love, with no other precedent, no other agenda, no other requirements, or expectations, no other identity. Abram got a new name, a new identity. Each moment God gives you a brand new “You.” Wow.
By the way, note how well biblical literalism fares with Jesus. “You’re a teacher,” Jesus says, “and you don’t get metaphor? Sheesh.”
Eternal life. As much as John 3.16 is a verse used to clobber people who don’t (yet) “believe,” it’s not about the necessity to believe. It’s about God’s love. For the whole world. That’s everybody, not just those who believe. In v.15 Jesus (well, actually John) says “that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” The fundamentalist interpretation is that if you say you “believe in Jesus”—whatever they think that means—you get to go to heaven after you die. (And if you don’t believe no heaven for you. Bod dog.) My take on it: whoever receives life breath by breath as a gift from God, whoever lets God continually re-create them, receives life that’s infinite and can’t be taken from them. (I think “eternal life” is infinitely deep, not infinitely long.) We participate in a Life—the life of God—that is eternal. It doesn’t mean we are immortal, but that we share in something that is. You don’t get your own personal eternal lifespan. Eternal life is not a privilege awarded people who believe the right things; it’s a gift that is offered unconditionally and that is infinitely present whenever we simply receive it.
Condemned. The lectionary mercifully omits v. 18, “Those who do not believe are condemned already.” But what do we do with that? Partly, we allow for John’s militant and particularly anti-Jewish proselytizing, his belief that Christians are right and others, especially Jews, are wrong. Adjust for that slant. But still, there’s something to this: those who don’t trust in God are cut off from God, and so really from their own true life. Those who don’t trust God are self-condemned to lives of self-isolation, condemned to solitary confinement in their own egos. In that sense, John is right.
Light. I often include verses 19-21 in the reading.In v. 19 we close the circuit with the fact that Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the night, in the dark, presumably so as not to be seen. John says God’s judgment is light, God’s answer to Nicodemus’ attempt to be invisible. What is hidden will be revealed. Notice God’s judgment is light, not condemnation. God’s judgment is not a divine opinion or decree about what’s “right or wrong.” (Golly- that old tree of the knowledge of good and evil again!.) It’s simply light, which illuminates the truth without labeling it. Light both reveals what is hidden, and also transforms it. Light does not judge or punish the darkness; it just changes it.
Call to Worship
1.
Leader: Mother God, you give birth to all Creation.
All: We your children praise you.
Mother Christ, you give us new birth, death and resurrection in your Spirit.
We your children thank you.
Mother Spirit, you give us new birth through water and through love.
Mother Spirit, we serve you with joy.
Have mercy on us, that we may be your faithful children. Amen.
2. [Ps. 103.8, 10]
Leader: God is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.All: God does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor punish us for our unfaithfulness.
Then let us turn to the Gracious One, trusting in God.
We praise you, O God, and return to you,
that you may give us new birth in your Holy Spirit.
3.
Leader: Holy One, you called Abram and Sarai and they listened.
All: Call to us. Lead us on.
Beloved, you led them to a new place.
Accompany us through the mystery.
Spirit of life, you promised blessing, and you have kept your promise.
Bless us, that we may hear and follow,
that we may be a blessing for all the families on earth.
We are yours. By your Spirit in us, birth us to new life.
Collect / Prayer of the Day
1.
God of grace and mercy, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, seeking to know your truth. We come in the day, still seeking. Bring to light our questions our wondering, and our hunger for you. Speak to us, that your Spirit may breathe through us today. Amen.
2.
God of love, like Nicodemus, we come to you seeking wisdom and life. Speak to us the Word that gives us new life, that we may be born again from your love. Amen.
3.
O God of Mercy, your grace comes to us in darkness and mystery. Your call leads us into the unknown. We know we will resist. Speak to us anyway, Lord: let your Word come to life in us, and lead us into the Realm of your grace. Amen.
4.
Leader: Nicodemus came to Jesus at night.
All: We, too are in the dark, and so we come to you, God, to teach us.
Jesus told him that God so loved the world that God gave the only Son to save us.
We are in sin, and so we come to you, Love, to save us.
Jesus said we must be born again, from above, to see the Realm of God.
We are trapped in small lives of our own making.
Speak your Word to us, Holy One, that we may see the Realm of God,
and be born again, and enter into the eternal life you give us.
Speak to us, God, for we are open to your grace. Amen.
5.
Gracious God, you loved the world so deeply that you gave us your only Son, your Word made flesh, that in communing with him we might find infinite life. We come to him now, to listen, to let our hearts speak, and to be born anew. Let the light of your truth fill us, so that in your light we become light. Amen.
6.
God of new life, Jesus said that we must be born again from above to enter into your Realm. We surrender ourselves to you now, that we might receive life from you, in this moment, and each moment to come. May your Spirit blow through our worship, and transform us by your grace. We pray in the name of Jesus, and in the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
7.
God of truth, as Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to learn from him, we come that you may lighten our darkness and bring us to new life. Open our hearts, so that as the scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you are saying to us today. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
1.
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of gentle mercy,
we confess our sin,
for even the brokenness we don’t see
keeps us from loving perfectly.
Receive us, forgive us;
heal our fears and our desires;
relieve us of our shame,
and set us free.
2.
God, we recall when we have been in harmony with you, or with life, and we give thanks. [silent prayer…]
We recall when we have been out of harmony, and we seek your grace. [silent prayer…]
God of mercy, in Christ you have shown us your grace.
Forgive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.
[Silent prayer … the word of grace ]
3.
…
God of love, we give you the lives we have tried to live.
We confess that we are not God;
we have not created our lives perfectly as you would.
We give you our lives,
that you might take them,
and that we may be reborn in your Spirit.
Here, God, are the lives we give you:
receive them with love, forgive us,
and create us anew, by your grace.
Listening Prayer
(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
1.
Womb of God, hold us in your love.
Womb of God, birth us in your love.
Breath of God, live in us in love.
Light of God, shine in us with love.
2.
Light of God,
shine in my heart
and transfigure my darkness,
that I may become your light,
radiant with your presence.
Amen.
Readings
Psalm 121 (a paraphrase)
I look up at these mountains I must cross.
Who will help me through?
Our help comes from God,
who made these mountains, and knows them.
God will not let your foot slip,
but will be watchful every step.
The One who holds all of us close
will not lose interest or get distracted.
The Holy One holds you close,
and is your shade in the hot sun.
Neither the brutal heat nor the biting cold
will hurt us in the arms of the Beloved.
The Loving One will guard you from all evil,
and will keep your life.
God will hold in loving hands
our traveling and our resting,
each moment, now and always.
Poetry
Born again
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can anyone be born after having grown old?
—John 3.4
I’m sorry. There is no how.
There is no jump, leap, crawl,
climb, push or swim.
There is only allow.
Being born again
isn’t something you can do.
It’s something your mother does
for you.
Breathing in and out
you descend into that dark tomb
that only when you enter
is a womb.
Much you can’t save,
you must shed to fit,
surrender to become
a fracturing seed
like broken bread.
What you leave behind in the grave.
Dying is your only choice,
surrendering your only how.
The rest is gift and mystery,
and God’s work, not yours.
There is only allow.
Eucharistic Prayer
[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.
Holy Mystery, we give you our thanks and praise.
In the swirling darkness you created light.
You create us as children of light.
You called Sarai and Abram and they followed you.
In the unknown you accompany us and lead us to new life.
in the deep night of oppression and injustice you set us free.
From the chains of our sin you set us free.
You call us to be born again in your love.
Moment by moment, breath by breath, again and again,
you birth us in love—new people, a new Creation.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise.
[Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
[or alternate version]
Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who taught and healed and fed the hungry
so we might know the fullness of life.
He is a vessel of infinite life,
and so we come to feast on his love.
(The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
[Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
—or—
Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
Christ will come again in glory.
[or alternative]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
born anew in your love, shining with the light of your love,
serving others in the strength of your love.
[Spoken or sung]
Amen.
____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]
On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion
[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for [ the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.] You have received us in love, so that we might die and rise in you. Born anew by your grace, we go into the world to love and serve in the name and spirit of Christ. Amen.
2.
Gracious God, we thank you for [ the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.] You so loved the world that you gave us your Son; and we have received him, and he has become part of our hearts, and we are part of his Body. Send us into the world, borne by the wind of your Spirit, to love you and serve you by loving and serving others, in the name of Christ and the power of your Spirit. Amen.
3.
Gracious God, we thank you for [ the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.] You have spoken to us in [bread and in] scripture. Speak to us now in our daily lives. Send us into the world, listening for your voice and radiant with your love. Bless us, that we may walk in the light, in the name of Christ. Amen.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)
Always New (Tune: Gift of Love/ Water is Wide)
O God, you make me always new.
Each breath I breathe is life from you,
a gift of love that sets me free.
Beloved, breathe new life in me.
O Christ, you call me to new birth
like God’s creation of the earth,
to leave the things I’m fastened on
and walk into the rising dawn.
O loving Spirit, live in me.
Forgive my sin and set me free.
Give me new birth, life from above,
that I may live in your deep love.
Communion Song (Tune: O Love, How Deep)
O Love, how deep, that you would give
your life to us so we may live,
to raise us up to life from death
and birth us new with every breath.
You call us to your table here,
to feast on love and know you near.
We give our gifts, our lives to you—
with you to die and be made new.
Communion Song (Tune: Gift of Love/ Water is Wide)
O God, our Love, we come to you,
to die and rise, and live anew.
Our hearts are weak; our souls near dead.
Revive us with your wine and bread.
Forgive our sin, and heal and bless:
our only life your life in us.
We bring our gifts, in love made one.
Grant us your grace. Your will be done.
I Wait for Your Will – (Original song)
A dialogue between soloist (verses) and congregation (refrain).
(Refrain) I wait for your will, I wait for your will, I wait for you will O God.
Verses:
All I desire to control I let go and place into your hands, my God.
Heal and protect and provide. Hear me and stay by my side, my God.
You are my wisdom and strength. I will do your will alone, my God.
Into the Light (Original song)
God, I come into the light of your mercy and grace:
may I receive your forgiveness, your loving embrace.
You know my brokenness better than I, and my sin.
You love me perfectly, setting me free once again.
All of myself I now humbly bring into your light:
wash me, renew me, forgive me and set me aright.
God, I surrender myself to your life-giving love:
may I be born by your Spirit, anew, from above.
God, you have loved us so much that you even would give
Jesus, your Son, the Beloved, so that we would live.
Help us to live so we bring your good news into sight.
Help us to trust in your grace and come into the light.
Spirit Wind – (Tune: What Wondrous Love)
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul,
what wondrous love is this, O my soul!
That you who made the earth with love would give us birth
and by your Spirit’s breath lead us on, lead us on,
and by your Spirit’s breath make us whole.
Great Spirit, may the wind of your love freely blow,
oh, let your wind of love freely blow,
and guide us in your grace in every time and place,
to bear your love and peace as we go, as we go.
Oh, let the winds of love freely blow!
As we are born anew from above, from above,
God, send us out to serve in your love.
And may we freely go wherever your winds blow,
though how we do not know, in your love, in your love,
wherever your winds blow, in your love.
Wake Us From Our Sleep (Original song)
God of mercy, wake us with your light.
Rouse our sleeping hearts and give us sight.
Raise us up from death; fill us with your breath.
Wake us from our sleep to live new lives in you.
Life comes only from the Word you give.
You alone have power to make us live.
Seeking what is True, Love, we turn to you:
springs of living water flow, and so we live.
Christ, you touch our hearts and heal our fear.
Even in our pain your grace is near.
Spirit, you who save, raise us from our grave.
Born again, dry bones who rise, we live in you.
Christ, light of the world, your radiance bright
wakens us to day out of our night:
shining in, it heals; shining out, reveals.
Help us all to live as children of the light.
February 26, 2023
Lectionary Texts
Genesis 2. 15-17, 3.1-7. Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil—not the tree of life.
Psalm 32. When we hide our sin it eats away at us; but when we confess it, God forgives us.
Romans 5. 12-19. Paul says that death rules over us because of our sin (since we are cut off from God, who is the source of life). But in Christ we are reconnected to God, and so we are given the gift of life. So just as our sin began with Adam, our salvation begins in Christ.
Matthew 4. 1-11. Jesus, in solitude in the desert, faces his temptations.
Preaching Thoughts
Genesis
The traditional interpretation is: “Adam and Eve disobeyed God and the punishment is death. Everyone inherits Original Sin and its death sentence—from which Jesus saves us.” That’s nice and neat but runs a little shallow for me. I’m wary of that story for a few reasons. One is that it characterizes our relationship with God in terms of God’s laws and our obedience or disobedience, rather than God’s grace despite our inconsistent trust of it. Another is that what’s “original” about sin is not, despite what Paul says, that it’s Adam’s fault (oh, wait; he blamed it on Eve, so it’s her fault); no, we can’t blame it on anybody. It’s not Adam, or Satan, but our own distrust of God’s grace. Another problem is that the story as presented, especially at the beginning of Lent, makes it sound like sin is the problem that Jesus came to solve. (He came to show us how to love, not destroy sin. “The lamb of God who takes way the sin of the world doesn’t eliminate sin: he engenders trust.) That story easily slides into the idea that Christianity completes Judaism, which is false and hurtful. (And also non Jesus-like. He was a Jew, remember.) Blaming Adam too easily leads to blaming Jews, and blaming women—and if anything, blaming is our sin. So I look for other meaning in the story than pinning original sin on Adam & Eve.
Notice there’s actually nothing about a “Fall” in the text. It describes a rift in our relationship with God, but it does not denote an “original sin” or a change in human nature, or a change in the relationship between God and us. (The story is never referred to again in the Hebrew Bible.) It is about our distrust of God, but even that is a mixed bag. In good Jewish rabbinic style Eve questioned the law. That’s not a bad thing. In fact she exercises discernment in seeing “that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise” (3.6). Good on you, Eve!
But obviously the story is also about a failure, a breakage. I think the mistake is eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (and instead of the tree of life!). Rather than receive life from God, we imagine we are able to judge good and evil on our own. We think we’re as wise as God. We don’t need God. We sever our relationship: it’s not just that we break a rule, but that we break trust. That’s where the trouble is. The Serpent is not some sneaky devil slithering around trying to make us do bad things. It’s all the voices that urge us to distrust God, and to think we can do this without grace, and that there’s ever anything more important than love. Where are the serpents in your life?
Still, God is gracious, providing clothing for the people who are now ashamed. The results of Adam & Eve’s offense is not exactly punishment but the outcome of their broken relationship with God and Creation: birth and life will involve pain and hard physical labor. We will live always in the throes of trying to both realize and ignore the truth that we are dust, and to dust we shall return.
God drives Adam and Eve from the garden not as punishment, but so they won’t try to eat of the tree of life (that’s what the angel guards in v. 24). We can’t just get life from a vending machine. We have to receive it daily, moment by moment, breath by breath, from God, in relationship with God, in the world, not in some Eden-bubble. And that’s what Lent is about: not beating ourselves up for being disobedient, but learning to trust.
Romans
Paul, who was trained as a religious lawyer, uses legal language of “trespass, judgment, condemnation and justification” to talk about our relationship with God. These are metaphors, not a literal reality. God is not enforcing laws and administering punishment. God is Love. Love, as Paul himself reminds us, makes no demands; it “does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful” (1 Cor. 13.5). Paul is getting at how in fact God’s grace sets us free from the legal restraints of demand-and-punishment; By God’s grace and forgiveness we are free to simply be God’s Beloved. Adam symbolizes the old way of thinking and living; Jesus offers us a new way of being. The key to Paul’s legal metaphor is the “free gift” of God’s grace. It doesn’t fit a legal framework, but springs us free!
When Paul says “sin came into the world through one man” this is metaphorical language. It doesn’t mean we inherit sin like a genetic disease. Sin is an aspect of human nature: a consequence of self-consciousness is the illusion of being an independent “self,” rather than part of God. This illusion of separateness is sin. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s just the downside of having an ego. But even as we cut ourselves off from God, God still stays connected. We are kids who run away and end up in jail; God is the parent who comes and rescues us and brings us home. Jesus is the one who shows up at the jail, who leads us out, who walks with us into our freedom, back into our belovedness.
Matthew
Jesus is not being tricked by some sneaky guy in a red suit. He’s facing his own inner temptations. And they’re the basic wants of the human ego: power, security, possessions, belonging, superiority—things we all crave. The temptations are graphic representations of the desires of the human ego—that part of our consciousness (that’s actually mostly subconscious) that keeps track of SELF. “Who am I? What’s me and what’s not-me? Where’s the boundary, and how do I keep it safe? What’s safe? How do I do what I need to do in the world? What power do I have? How do I belong in the world? Where do I fit in?” Each of us in our own way desire power: to affect the world around us, to turn stones into bread, to make things turn out the way we want. We desire security: safety, protection from harm, avoidance of pain, the fantasy of being able to make it through life unhurt, to fall off a cliff and be unharmed. We desire belonging: to fit in, to “own” our place, to be admired, to “possess” everything, to have all the kingdoms of the world.
These desires are not bad or evil. They’re part of the natural functioning of our egoic mind. Jesus experienced these things. Jesus’ triumph is not that he isn’t tempted, but that he knows he can only find security, power and belonging in God. Any effort to secure these for himself lead him away from God and away from authentic life. It’s as if he is back in the Garden and the serpent (within himself) says “You don’t need God,” and Jesus says, “Well, sometimes I sure feel that way, but it’s an illusion. I’m choosing God.” His replies to the devil say nothing about rules or “good and evil,” but about absolute trust and devotion to God, The victory is in choosing to trust God rather than blindly follow our egoic desires.
Lent is a season to confront how our desires for power, security, comfort, safety and belonging mislead us. And to continually practice turning again to God— turning now, in this moment, and again, and again, and again….
Call to Worship
1.
Leader: Creator God, maker of earth and provider of life,
All: You are our bread, and our strength.
Loving Christ, willing to love at the cost of your life,
you are our courage and our hope.
Holy Spirit, you give us a world to serve for you.
You are our love, our belonging, and our calling. We worship you.
2.
Leader: God of life, we do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from your mouth
All: Feed us the Bread of Life, O God.
We do not need to test you; we only need to receive.
Help us God, to trust you deeply.
The things of this world and their splendor,
the pride and belonging promised by its kingdoms, are illusions.
We come to be shaped by your Word,
that we may serve you and you alone, in the name of Christ.
We thank you. We trust you. We worship you.
3.
Leader: Gentle God, we are searching.
All: We come out into the wilderness with Jesus to find you.
Loving Christ, we are tempted.
We come out into the wilderness with you to find our way.
Holy Spirit, we are yearning for life.
You lead us out into the wilderness to find life.
We come to worship, to be filled with your Spirit, and to be changed.
Grant us your blessing. Grant us your mercy. Grant us your grace. Amen.
4.
Leader: Eternal God, Fountain of Life, River of Blessing, we worship you.
All: We go with Jesus into the desert, and learn to thirst for you.
Humble Christ, Bread of Life, you journey toward the cross, steadfast in love and self-giving.
We walk with you in the shadows, and seek your hunger for justice.
Holy Spirit, Breath of Life, you sustain us in the wilderness as we journey toward freedom.
We walk in your strength, and draw our courage from you.
God of grace, receive us as we worship. Loving Christ, accompany us.
Holy Spirit, burn in us, and transform us by your grace. Amen.
5.
Leader: God is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
All: God does not deal with us according tour sins,
but forgives us and receives us as God’s beloved.
Come, let us walk in the light of God,
that God may teach us God’s ways,
and lead us in God’s paths.
Create a new heart in us, O God,
and put within us a new and right spirit.
Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace.
Collect / Prayer of the Day
1.
God of mercy, as Jesus was led out into the desert in solitude for self-examination, lead us into a place of clarity and simplicity, that in this Lenten season we might see ourselves as you see us and open ourselves to your loving transformation. Speak to us, that we may hear, repent, and be changed. Amen.
2.
God of love, we are tempted by many things, many urges and voices and powers. Help us listen to you, trust you and serve you. As we hear your Word we return to you. Help us always to return to you, in the Spirit and the company of Christ. Amen.
3.
Loving God, Jesus went out into the wilderness to face his temptations. Help us go with him, to see ourselves clearly, to know your love for us, and to let ourselves be changed by your Spirit at work in us. We enter the desert silence to hear your grace. Jesus, help us listen. Amen.
4.
O God, our deliverer, you led Jesus in the wilderness, where he fasted and faced his temptations. Lead us now through the wild places in our own souls. Help us to know and to claim our deepest hunger for you. In the desert of silence, in the wilderness of our solitude, speak to us, God, for we are hungry for your Word and thirsty for your Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
1.
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, we open ourselves in honesty to God.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see what is in us that is loving,
and what is not loving.
God, we recall when we have been in harmony with you, or with life, and we give thanks. [silent prayer…]
We recall when we have been out of harmony, and we seek your grace. [silent prayer…]
God of mercy, in Christ you have shown us your grace.
Forgive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.
…(Silent prayer … The word of grace)
2.
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see all that is in us that is loving,
and all that is not loving.
We have failed to love, in what we have done and what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with all our heart, mind, soul and strength,
nor have we loved our neighbors as ourselves.
By the grace you show us in Christ,
gather us in your loving arms and have mercy on us;
heal us, forgive us, and perfect your love in us.
…(Silent prayer … The word of grace)
3.
Gracious God,
you love us so much more than we know,
more than our sin, which itself is more than we know.
Trusting in your grace,
we open our heart to you,
that we may see our self-centeredness,
and know your forgiveness.
Hold us in your gentle embrace,
that we may die and be reborn
in your perfect love.
Set us free by your grace
for we are broken, and we are beloved.
4.
…Gracious God, we confess our sin,
for our fears have overcome us,
and our desires have misled us,
and we have tried to live without you.
But you, and you alone, are our life.
Forgive our sin,
heal the desperation in our hearts,
and feed us with your Bread of Life,
that we may walk in your ways forever. Amen.
Listening Prayer
(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
Into the dry places,
to the empty places,
to the fearful places
we come.
By your grace
we face where we are faint,
where we are broken,
and find there—there
in the wilderness
your grace,
our absolute belovedness.
Amen.
Readings
Psalm 32 — A Paraphrase
How blessed we are, that you forgive us so completely!
When we’re honest, we know our sin,
yet you treat us as if we have none.
When I tried to deny my brokenness
the wound ate me up from within.
Then I got honest with myself.
stopped trying to hide.
I confessed my waywardness to you,
and you forgave me— you forgave me!
Therefore we have come to trust you deeply,
and we offer prayer to you.
Even in this anxious flood
the seething waters won’t reach us.
You are our hiding place, our safe place.
You surround us with songs of deliverance.
Be glad in the Holy One and rejoice!
Oh, sing for joy, you whose hearts have been saved!
Poetry
Temptations
What are your temptations?
Not sex and chocolate, OK?
Not beauty, not pleasure.
I mean the things that ruin you,
things that get in your way,
that lead you away from deep life.
What gets in the way of your perfect love?
What distorts your wisdom and vision?
What inhibits your kindness and courage?
Now. Remember when you fell in love?
You didn’t work at it, did you? It was a gift.
You bring the gift with you to the desert.
You’ll never vanquish your temptations.
You just have to remember the gift:
you already love God more than those things.
Eucharistic Prayer
1.
[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.
God, we give you thanks, for we live not by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from your mouth.
You create us in your image, claim us as your children,
and covenant with us to be our God.
In our hunger for life we stray, and seek blessing in fruitless places,
but you set us free from our inner demons and lead us back to life.
In our greed for power and yearning to belong we use other people,
but you judge the forces of injustice
and set all your children free from all that oppresses.
In hunger for your grace we turn to you, dependent,
and trusting in your grace we come, singing your praise with all Creation:
[Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
[or alternate version]
Blessed are all who come in your name,and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
With courage he looked within; with clarity he saw himself;
with compassion he saw others, and loved them.
He fed and taught them; he gathered a community of grace and kinship;
and he established an empire of justice and mercy.
For resisting injustice he was crucified; but you raised him from the dead.
[The Blessing and Covenant…]
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
[Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
—or—
Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
Christ will come again in glory.
[or alternative]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
made clean by your Word, filled with your grace,
and set free to love, in the name of Christ.
[Spoken or sung]
Amen.
______________
2.
[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.
Creator God, you provide abundantly for us:
earth and all living things, food and beauty,
love and forgiveness and life without cost.
You judge the forces of injustice,
set us free from all that oppresses,
and walk with us toward your new world.
Yet we are tempted to go away from you.
Jesus was tempted: “If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But he relied on you alone, and proclaimed,
“One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
And so with all Creation we thank you for the Bread of Life.
[Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
[or alternate version]
Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved and taught, healed the broken and fed the hungry.
For such love he was opposed, and was tempted to seek security:
“Throw yourself down and angels will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
But he relied on you alone, and proclaimed,
“Do not put God to the test.”
And so he was crucified for the sake of love;
but on the third day you raised him from the dead.
[The Blessing and Covenant…]
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be the Body of Christ, dead and raised
for service to you and to the world.
We are tempted to serve ourselves, as Jesus was tempted:
“The kingdoms of the world and their splendor I will give you.”
But he relied on you alone and proclaimed,
“Worship Yahweh your God, and serve only God.”
May this meal strengthen us to resist all temptation,
to repent and return to you, to rely on you alone,
and to proclaim your good news.
Bless us in this meal that we may serve you,
and serve the world for your sake.
All glory and honor is yours, loving and mighty God,
now and forever.
[Spoken or sung]
Amen.
____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]
On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion
[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) We live not by bread alone but by your grace. Send us into the world, fed by your presence, to love all in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May we trust in your abundant grace, and turn aside from every temptation, to serve you and serve the world in the name and Spirit of Christ.
3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have fed our deepest hunger; you have saved us and brought us to new life. Send us into the world now, to share the Bread of Life with all who are hungry, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)
Into the Darkness – (Original song)
Only the seed that has died and is buried lives to bear fruit, Jesus said.
Lead me then into the darkness and dying, so you can raise me up from the dead.
Jesus, help me die and rise.
All of my living, my loves and desires, all of the things that I cling to,
now I surrender to die and be buried. Raise me in following, serving you.
Jesus, help me die and rise.
Lead me to truth, and have mercy, and wash me dep in the dark of my being.
A spirit like bread that is taken and broken: this is the death that is freeing.
Jesus, help me die and rise.
Give me a clean heart, a heart poor in spirit, willing and steadfast and made new.
My life I lose; let your cross lift me up now. One joy restore to me: life in you.
Jesus, help me die and rise.
Return, My Soul (Tune: Finlandia)
Return, my soul, from all your hungry wandering,
your fearful search for comfort and control.
Let go my grasp of things apart from God,
for God alone can heal and hold my soul.
Return to God, for God alone will love me,
and give me life, and bless and make me whole.
Return, my soul, from all the things that dull me,
that soothe my sense, but leave my sin in place.
My broken heart, return from tricks and bargains;
turn to the One who meets me face to face.
Return to God. Each moment turn again;
receive unending love and life and grace.
February 22, 2023
Lectionary Texts
In Joel 2.1-2, 12-17 the prophet alerts us to the coming judgment of God—which will not be easy. We are called to fast and pray, and return to God. We plead for God to save us. But we don’t despair: God will give us what we need to worship and serve God faithfully (v. 14) We trust that God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (13).
Psalm 51 is the quintessential penitential psalm, confessing sin that’s part of our human nature, seeking “truth in the inward being,” and opening ourselves for God to “create in us a clean heart and put a new and faithful spirit within us.”
In 2 Corinthians 5.20b – 6.10 Paul appeals to us to be reconciled to God. Paul says though Christ knew no sin God made Christ to “be sin” so that in Christ we might “be the righteousness of God.” Paul enumerates the ways a disciple may suffer for their faith, and still endure.
Matthew 6.1-6, 16-21 is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus instructs us in the traditional penitential disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (which is not just charitable giving but also working for justice). Jesus tells us to focus not on outer appearances but our inner relationship with God.
Preaching Thoughts
Joel. The prophet imagines the judgment God will pronounce (and enact) on Israel will be harsh, because of our sin. But. God is, after all, “ gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (a creed repeated often in the Hebrew Bible—for instance Ex. 34.6; Num. 14.18; Neh. 9.17; Ps. 86.15, 103.8, 145.8…) The point of repentance is not to feel bad, but to open our hearts to God’s grace, which changes us. Repentance is a transformation that requires our both openness (“return to God”), and God’s grace (“God will leave a blessing”).
Psalm 51. Again, repentance is a conversation, and flow between us and God: we get honest about our brokenness with openness to God (“you desire truth in the inward being… wash me “); God responds with grace (“have mercy on me… wash me…let the bones you have crushed rejoice”), and the result is transformation (“put a new and right spirit within me”). (Readers of John Wesley will recognize his description of the prevenient, justifying and sanctifying nature of grace.)
2 Corinthians. Sloppy theology says Jesus’ Jesus’ sacrifice changes God’s mind about us: that because of the cross God decides to forgive us after all. But Paul doesn’t say God is reconciled to us; it’s the other way around: we are reconciled to God. Paul urges us to choose to enter into that relationship.
“God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God does not make Jesus sinful. But Jesus accepts our sin, and takes it into himself, physically suffering the effects of our sin. And God’s response is pure love and grace for Jesus—and for us! Even in the bull’s eye of our sin, Jesus, on behalf of God, forgives us. Even though we are out of harmony with God, we are given the gift of a harmonious relationship with God, which is righteousness. When we assent to that grace, when we allow ourselves to “be reconciled to God,” we become God’s faithfulness. In that sense Jesus takes on our sin so that we can take on his righteousness.
Matthew. In his discussion of prayer, fasting and almsgiving (or working for justice) Jesus tells us to focus on the inner reality, not the outward appearance. This echoes Joel (“Rend your hearts, not your clothing”) and Psalm 51 (“you desire truth in then inward being”). In all these spiritual practices the emphasis is not on our (outward) performance but our inner relationship with God. This passage is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount, which we’ve been hearing in the lectionary, with its emphasis on trust in God’s grace, especially in the Beatitudes. Repentance isn’t a gloomy thing, but a joyful, hopeful, grateful reliance on God’s love and mercy.
Call to Worship
1.
One: The grace of the Beloved, Jesus Christ, be with you.
All: And also with you.
Bless the Holy One who forgives all our sins.
God’s mercy endures forever.
2.
Leader: O God, we come.
All: We are ashes, crying out.
We come, broken and in need.
We come, trusting and open-hearted,
We come, forgiven and welcome.
We come to be honest, to confess, to be ourselves.
We come to be received, to be blessed, to be anointed;
in the name and the mercy of Christ, we come.
3.
Leader: Beloved in Christ, we come at the invitation of the Gentle One.
All: And we are loved, and received with joy.
We come, broken and in need.
And we are healed.
We come, dust and ashes.
And we are filled with the Breath of Life.
God of grace, receive us, bless us,
and renew in us the gift of life. Amen.
Prayers
1.
Gentle God,
you created us in love and for love.
We are the pure light of your love, given flesh.
Your Spirit is our life; your breath is our breath.
Your love shines in us, the image of Christ,
and we are all being transformed into this image,
from one degree of glory to another.
But we deny your light and obscure your image.
Help us to see all that impedes your perfect love in us,
and to remove it, so that we may truly shine with your light.
In this Lenten season, help us to see, to repent,
and to be perfected in love,
in the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.
2.
God, we turn to you, we who are made of the dust of the earth.
Receive us in our brokenness.
We turn to you, we who are made of the dust of stars.
Breathe your light into us once again.
Create in us a new heart, O God,
and put a new and right Spirit within us. Amen.
3.
Creator God, from stardust you have made us
and from the dust of death you raise us.
Your spirit alone breathes life in us.
Create new hearts in us, O God,
and put a new spirit within us,
that we may repent of our sin, be made new,
and live lives in harmony with your delight,
through Jesus Christ, the Beloved. Amen.
4.
God of love,
Jesus calls us to lives of love, trust, justice and compassion.
We want to be faithful, but our fears and desires interfere.
We want to trust in you, to rely wholly on your grace.
We want to be whole, to be true to the people you create us to be.
We want to be a healing presence and a source of grace.
But our fears and desires interfere.
We want to be kind to all, including our enemies.
We want to reach out to those who are in need,
and heal those who are hurting.
We want to be bold in doing justice.
We want to pass on to those who struggle
the way of living Jesus taught.
But our fears and desires interfere.
Forgive us. Heal our fears, re-direct our desires,
and give us the courage and compassion of your Spirit.
Create in us a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within us. Amen.
5.
Gracious God, you made us from the dust of the earth,
and breathed your Spirit into us to give us life.
The dust is the dust of stars.
You have made us from light,
and your Spirit blazes within us; your glory shines in us.
But we have veiled your glory, and lost sight of your light.
We have clung to the dust,
but not the light, the Spirit, the Life.
Renew your light in us this Lenten season.
May we again become true earthlings, pure stardust, living light.
Renew your Spirit within us, that we may live.
Amen.
6.
Most holy and merciful God,
to you and to one another we confess our sin. We have sinned in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven as you have forgiven us.
We have been untrue to the spirit of Christ. We have grieved you, and we are sorrowful.
Have mercy on us, O God.
Our unfaithfulness to you, our distrust, our neglect of your faithful grace, our failure to live wholly for you,
we confess to you, God.
Our unfaithfulness in prayer and worship, our failure to nurture the faith that is in us, our negligence of the Holy Spirit,
we confess to you, God.
Our self-indulgence and exploitation of others, our participation in injustice and oppression, and our failure to act or speak out, our love of worldly goods and comforts, our defense of our privilege, our pride and impatience, our envy and our quickness to judge and not to heal,
we confess to you, God.
Our waste and pollution of your creation, our blindness to the awe and beauty which you have given us,
we confess to you, God.
Accept our repentance, God, for the wrongs we have done. For our blindness to human need and suffering, and to your presence in the poor, for our indifference to injustice and cruelty, for our failure to love courageously,
accept our repentance, God.
For our judgments, fear, anger and all uncharitable thoughts toward others, for our prejudice and contempt of those who differ from us, for all that is hurtful that we have done,
accept our repentance, God.
Restore us, gracious God, for your mercy is great.
Hear us, O God,
for your grace is the source of our life. Amen.
Listening Prayer
(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
God of grace,
my life is ashes.
Breathe your breath into that dust,
that I may be created anew,
and live by the grace
of your Spirit alone.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)
See all songs with tags for Confession or Repentance; especially these:
Darkness (Tune: Tallis’ Canon or CONDITOR ALME)
The darkness is a covering
to hide the questions that I bring.
God bless me even in the night
to bring my love into the light.
The darkness is where fears may hide,
but help me, God, to look inside.
Give me the courage, Love,
to face my demons with your saving grace.
The darkness is a mystery,
the way that is unclear to me.
Yet God, you lead me by the hand
to journey toward a promised land.
The darkness is a place of rest,
where I may sleep and be your guest
until the rising of the sun.
I rest in you, O Loving One
God of Mercy (Original Song)
God of mercy, you forgive me,
may I myself forgive.
Now confessing, I ask your blessing.
By your grace I shall live.
God, heal my sin, brokenness deep within.
Too often I bear pain I make others share.
Set me free from what I have been.
God of mercy, you forgive me,
may I myself forgive.
Now confessing, I ask your blessing.
By your grace I shall live.
You are gentle with me; gentle I learn to be.
You touch me and heal; deep in my soul I feel
burdens gone, and I am free.
God of mercy, you forgive me,
may I myself forgive.
Now confessing, I ask your blessing.
By your grace I shall live.
By your grace I shall live.
God, we are broken (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)
God, we are broken, for all flesh is weak.
Grant us the healing and peace that we seek.
For all that pains us, beyond our control,
grant us your healing, our bodies made whole.
God, we are broken; our hearts are not one.
Sometimes it seems that our souls come undone.
Bring us renewal and calm in our soul.
Grant us your healing and make our hearts whole.
God, we are broken: for families and friends
suffer when love fails and faithfulness ends.
May your forgiveness and grace play its role.
Grant us your healing; make covenants whole.
God, we are broken, for many are poor,
and we ignore those who lie by our door.
God, may your justice like great rivers roll.
Grant us your healing; make all people whole.
God, we are broken for hate and all war
wound us so we are not free anymore.
Make us one people from pole to pole.
Grant us your healing, and make the world whole.
God, you have searched me (Tune Be Thou My Vision)
God, you have searched me; you know from within
all of my beauty, my wounds and my sin.
Deep in my heart—I’ve not spoken a word—
you know my soul, and my thoughts you have heard.
You who have made me and always are near,
help me to shed my illusion and fear.
Help me be truthful, and truthfully see,
humbly transparent to your grace in me.
Your loving presence within me each day
go with me, guide me, and show me your way.
Give me the eyes of your mercy and grace,
to walk in love in each moment, each place.
Into the Darkness (Original tune)
Only the seed that has died and is buried
lives to bear fruit, Jesus said.
Lead me then into the darkness and dying,
so you can raise me up from the dead.
Jesus, help me die and rise.
All of my living, my loves and desires,
all of the things that I cling to,
now I surrender to die and be buried.
Raise me in following, serving you.
Jesus, help me die and rise.
Lead me to truth and have mercy and wash me
deep in the dark of my being,
a spirit like bread that is taken and broken:
this is the death that is freeing.
Jesus, help me die and rise.
Give me a clean heart, a heart pure in spirit,
willing and steadfast and made new.
My life I lose; let your cross lift me up now.
One joy restore to me: life in you.
Jesus, help me die and rise.
Into the Light (Original tune)
God, I come into the light of your mercy and grace:
may I receive your forgiveness, your loving embrace.
You know my brokenness better than I, and my sin.
You love me perfectly, setting me free once again.
All of myself I now humbly bring into your light:
wash me, renew me, forgive me and set me aright.
God, I surrender myself to your life-giving love:
may I be born by your Spirit, anew, from above.
God, you have loved us so much that you even would give
Jesus, your Son, the Beloved, so that we would live.
Help us to live so we bring your good news into sight.
Help us to trust in your grace and come into the light.
Return, My Soul (Tune: Finlandia)
Return, my soul, from all your hungry wandering,
your fearful search for comfort and control.
Let go my grasp of things apart from God,
for God alone can heal and hold my soul.
Return to God, for God alone will love me,
and give me life, and bless and make me whole.
Return, my soul, from all the things that dull me,
that soothe my sense, but leave my sin in place.
My broken heart, return from tricks and bargains;
turn to the One who meets me face to face.
Return to God. Each moment turn again;
receive unending love and life and grace.
I turn, O God, to you who love with patience.
You walk beside me, though I cannot see.
You are my life in dry and weary deserts,
my spring of life that flows eternally.
I turn to you, from false desire and grasping,
and letting go, I find that you hold me.
Our Living Breath (Tune: Londonderry Air: “Oh Danny Boy”)
O Holy One, Creator of the stars of night,
whose dust we are, created with your light,
now breathe your spirit into us and give us life;
give us new hearts that beat with your delight.
Our dust and ashes, Lord, we give in faith to you.
Receive our lives, our sin, our wounds, our death;
and raise us up with Christ from death to life by grace.
Lord, may we be your love and you our living breath.
Set Me Free (Red Sea) (original song)
1. Forgive me, God of mercy, set me free. (Repeat)
Refrain: From slavery to the past, through the deep Read Sea,
lead me God of love. Set me free.
2. From anger and resentment, set me free… Refrain
3. From blaming and from judgment, set me free… Refrain
4. To be completely loving,set me free… Refrain
Lent is about giving stuff up and generally being miserable, right?
No. Lent is about returning to delight.
Lent invites us back into the loving arms of God. Lent is about confronting all the life-draining ways we seek cheap substitutes for God’s love and grace and mercy, and chucking them and turning to the Real Stuff. It’s about giving ourselves the gift of receiving the love we crave. No matter what we may “give up for Lent,” what we’re really giving up is the habit of withholding God’s love from ourselves by seeking it elsewhere. We give up junk to receive treasure. But, yeah, sometimes the giving up is hard. Because we’re addicted. But there’s life on the other side.
Sin
Sin is thinking (or acting as if) we’re on our own.
There’s only one thing, one Holy Being (which we nickname “God”), and we’re part of it. But we don’t get it. The part of our consciousness (actually mostly unconscious) that we call our ego is at work, as it should be, continually asking, “What’s me, and not me? How do I protect what’s me?” The trouble is, we believe it. We believe and act as if we’re our own little selves, individual physical units, contained in and defined by our bodies. (Paul calls this “living according to the flesh.”) This self-centeredness is sin. But God is infinite; there is nothing outside God. We are part of God. We are emanations of divine love, members of the Body of Christ, made one in the one Spirit. To trust this, to willingly be part of God, is what Paul calls “living in the Spirit.”
Our sinfulness doesn’t mean we’re “bad.” It means we’re afraid. It means we’re inherently self-centered. We don’t know how to trust God, and trust our belonging in God. We focus on the survival of our bodies and possessions and outward appearances, and not on the life of God within us. The only cure for separation is connection. The only cure for fear is love. The only cure for sin is grace.
Righteousness
Righteousness is being in harmony with God.
Sin is being out of tune. Righteousness is being in tune. It does not mean “being right.” In fact it’s the opposite. There are two religions in the world: the religion of being right and the religion of being in love. In the religion of being right you figure out how the universe works and play by those rules and succeed (defined as “righteousness”), or fail to get it right and suffer. The religion of being right is inherently selfish, inimical to love. In the religion of being in love you allow yourself to be loved as a gift, and in gratitude pass that love on to others because you’re all part of the same love. Righteousness is allowing yourself to be loved, and to become loving. The two religions are incompatible. If you follow all the rules sooner or later you’ll hurt somebody. And in the religion of being in love if you always do what is loving sooner or later you’ll break a rule, or fail to “get it right” for yourself, and suffer for it. You can’t practice both religions at the same time; we’re always choosing one or the other. Jesus quotes Hosea 6.6 (twice!) and says “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” (Mt. 9.13. See also Mt. 12.7).
The religion of being right is the religion of our sin. We don’t trust God’s love but instead believe we have to deserve God’s favor by being good enough. We achieve righteousness. Even our attempt to be righteous is sinful. Instead we’re invited to allow God, in love, to make us righteous, to bring us into harmony with God in loving mercy. Despite our waywardness, God, out of pure love not our merit, says, “We’re good.” God’s love makes us righteous.
Salvation
God’s love saves us from the life-sapping power of our own selfishness.
Because in our sin we cut ourselves off from life, seeking to ensure for ourselves the life that can come only from God, sin is death—that’s the bad news. But the good news is God gives us life anyway, life that can’t be taken from us—not even by sin or death. This is the gift of eternal life. We disconnect ourselves from God, but Gods stays connected anyway. This is not anything we can affect: we are unable to save ourselves from our own self-centeredness. It is a gift of pure grace.
Salvation doesn’t mean going to heaven after we die. Salvation means being rescued from the selfishness that destroys our lives—our distrust of God, our alienation from the divine breathing Spirit in us that is our our true and only source of life. God overcomes all this. It is not the result of our effort, but God’s grace. The “heaven” we go to is not the afterlife, but the paradise of being in harmony with God.
Repentance
Sin is being out of tune with God. Repentance is tuning up.
Repentance is listening to God so we can sing in tune. Even Jesus needed to listen; notice how often he goes off to pray. So we attend to the work of repentance: the work of turning from what diminishes life toward what restores life: turning away from sin, toward God. Repentance is not what we do to be saved, but what we do because we have been saved. Repentance is a three-fold process: being honest about our brokenness, opening ourselves to God’s grace, and allowing ourselves to be transformed. (Followers of John Wesley will recognize the prevenient, justifying and sanctifying nature of God’s grace.) With Jesus in the desert we face our temptations, the ways our desire for life get distorted into desire for power, security and belonging in sources other than God. We confront our ego and its fears and desires, our self-centeredness and its consequences; and practice letting go of those false fears and demands. We confess not only our individual sins but our collective sin, the systems of injustice that our sin produces and sustains. We acknowledge that we are dust in need of Spirit.
God’s response is not punishment, but grace. God’s judgment is not a verdict, but a prescription. When we fail to bear fruit fruit God does not punish us but gives us what we need to bear fruit (see Luke 13.1-9).
So our focus is not on our sin, but on God’s grace. For only God’s love cures the sickness that is our sin. Repentance is accepting the love we’ve been resisting, and giving God’s forgiveness a chance to sink in. We practice breathing-in God’s love.
And we invite and allow that grace to change us, to inhabit us, to rule us. Repentance is about turning to the divine life that is there inside us that we’ve been neglecting. When we let go of our self-contentedness and accept God’s love, our hearts are changed: we want to live in harmony with that love and grace. We allow ours old selves to die so God can re-create us, animated by the Spirit instead of our sin. We are re-born. This is the true nature of resurrection: not a comeback, but a complete new beginning.
Lent is a season of forty days of repentance and purification in preparation for Easter. We pray for the gift of repentance through fasting, prayer and works of love, that we may be healed and transformed according to the grace of God. Remembering that we are dust, and to dust we shall return, we place our trust in God alone for life. Beholding the cross of Christ, we enter into the mystery of our salvation. Giving our lives to God, we die and are raised to new life. Our guiding images in Lent are Jesus’ sojourn in the desert facing his temptations, and his journey toward the cross
Ashes
We are ashes (dust) plus Spirit. Remember that.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. The ashes represent the frailty of our faith—they are made from last year’s Palm Sunday palms. As with anything we loved but have lost, ashes represent the sorrow we feel upon facing our sinfulness, our regret over having hurt ourselves, our neighbor, God, and all Creation. (It may seem odd to speak of God being hurt, but that’s the very meaning of love—and the reality of the cross.) In the beginning God took dust up from the ground and breathed life (breath, spirit) into it, and it became a living human. We are dust and spirit. Of course what we see and touch seems most real to us, so we believe in the dust more than the Spirit. Ashes remind us that we are made of dust, dependent on God’s grace. And they remind us of our mortality. “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The future is not guaranteed: now is the time to let go of our illusions about ourselves (burning them to ashes) and to live the authentic life God has given us. Mindful that life is short and precious, we devote ourselves to using every moment we are given for the sake of love, to give and receive God’s grace while we can. We place ashes on ourselves as a sign that we are Creatures and God is Creator; that we are to die to sin, and that it is not our efforts, but God’s grace, that redeems us. Remembering that in Creation God formed a human from the dust of the ground and breathed life into it to create a living human, we present ourselves as dust to God, that God may breathe God’s Spirit into us and create us anew.
The Cross
What saves us is not Jesus’ suffering but his forgiveness.
The cross is the cost of love. In Jesus on the cross we see God’s suffering love in the face of our sin and violence. Jesus did not die “so that God could forgive us;” God forgave us already. Jesus died because we killed him. Jesus suffered the consequences of our sin, our injustice, but he did not “pay for our sins:” sin can’t be bought off. To say we have been “purchased with a price” doesn’t mean Jesus “bought” something. Our salvation is a gift, not a transaction—though it costs God. God did not arrange for Jesus to be killed; that was our doing. God didn’t “plan” the cross. Jesus didn’t set out to die; he set out to do justice, at any cost to himself. Jesus opposed unjust religious, political, economic and social systems of oppression—and the powerful struck back. In his death we see evil exposed. We see God as the victim of all injustice and oppression (“whatever you do to the least of these…”) And we see God’s love and forgiveness in the face of our evil. Jesus suffered our judgment, and brought God’s judgment in return: God’s absolute, eternal, infinite love and forgiveness.
Our sin is that we don’t trust God’s love, and think instead that we have to be good enough to deserve God’s favor. The crucifixion embodies our judgment that Jesus didn’t “get it right.” God’s judgment is mercy on one who didn’t get it right, because God’s way is to be loving, not to be right, or to demand that we get it right. God’s mercy overturns our judgment.
In the cross we see the scandal of God’s vulnerability with us. God doesn’t demand suffering; God suffers with us and even because of us—to stay with us. In the cross God lives out the reality of being in a body, with all the beauty and pain and even mortality that entails: such is the price of incarnation. God suffers with us. In the Cross God absorbs everything that separates us from God: our fear and violence, our shame, our judgment, and our death― and God embraces us, with nothing in between. In the cross we exercise the power of death and violence and God receives it and transforms it, overcoming even the power of death with love. Because Jesus trusts God absolutely, and serves God fully in the cause of justice and healing, he is not afraid to face violence. Having already given his life to God, Jesus enters into life that is infinite and can’t be taken from him (this, not the afterlife, is the meaning of eternal life). On Good Friday the Resurrected One was crucified.
To contemplate the cross is to behold our sin, God’s grace, and our calling all at once. To take up your cross is to willingly surrender your life to God, die to your old self, and allow yourself to be raised—re-created—as a new person, like dust that God breathes new life into. And to take up your cross is to be willing to suffer for the sake of love and justice.
Lament
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken heart.
Lent is not only about repentance; it’s also a time to lament. The Ashes of Ash Wednesday evoke not only our sin and our mortality; they also speak of our sorrow. We are sorry for our sinfulness; and we are sorry for the suffering of the world. We join Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem. Repentance is never just a personal thing; it’s a communal movement. Our whole society needs to repent of our injustice. To begin, we need to lament, to let our hearts be broken by the suffering of the world, with Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (Lk. 19.41-42). It’s easier to make pronouncements about the world’s problems than to stand (or sit) with the people who suffer because of those problems. Let them have a voice in your confession and repentance: those who suffer because of racism, poverty, violence, sexism, heterosexism, consumerism, mass incarceration, the climate crisis, the assault on democracy… Of course the list goes on and on, and you don’t want your worship to be nothing but grievance. But don’t overlook our need to lament and grieve with those who are the crucified ones among us.
Lent: Living beyond death
The story of Lent is the salvation story. Salvation doesn’t mean going to heaven after we die. It means being rescued from the power of self-centeredness that rules our lives. Just as the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt, we are slaves to sin and death. Sin works in us in ways we can’t seem to control, and death creates bounds for our lives that we can’t escape. But just as Moses led the people out of slavery in Egypt, Jesus delivers us from slavery to our self-centeredness. In his death and resurrection we see the grace that sets us free from the power that sin and our fear of death have over us. Jesus leads us to life in Infinite Love.
During Lent the scripture lessons will take us through the unfolding of death and new life. We go with Jesus into the desert to face our temptations, and then onward toward the cross—which is really toward resurrection.
Year A: In the garden, Adam and Eve show us the power of our desires. With Nicodemus we ponder the mystery of being “born again.” Abram models what it’s like to allow God to change our lives. With the woman at the well we name our thirst for the water of eternal life “gushing up in us,” as miraculous (and dependable) as the water Moses strikes from the rock. With the man born blind we experience transformation so profound that others may not even recognize us. In the raising of Lazarus we behold Jesus’ willingness to walk with us through death to something on the other side, and God’s power to make our lives new. The dry bones will live again. By God’s grace, we learn to live the resurrection life. We are ready for Easter.
Year B: Jesus invites us to take up our cross: to be willing to suffer for the sake of love. He scourges the temple of the religion of being right (in offering sacrifices) and invites us to imagine a temple of love. We contemplate the wisdom of the “foolish” cross, acknowledging that God’s ways aren’t like ours. We give thanks for God’s judgment of light, that we’re saved by grace, as the Son of God is “lifted up” (that is, both exalted and crucified), Jesus reminds us that we are to die as seeds do so that we can bear fruit. By God’s grace, we learn to live the resurrection life. We are ready for Easter.
Year C: Jesus is warned that Herod wants to kill him, but, to paraphrase, “nevertheless he persisted.” In the parable of the fig tree he assures us of God’s grace, not to punish us, but to help us bear fruit. In the parable of the lost sons (they’re both lost; it’s the father who is prodigal, that is, overly generous) Jesus shows us a model of God’s grace. The parable asks us if we’re ready to receive grace despite our feelings we don’t deserve it, or our conviction we do. Mary Magdalene, anointing Jesus, prepares him and us for the cross, which is to prepare us for resurrection. We are ready for Easter.
The Eucharist in Lent
In my Methodist tradition we’re accustomed to celebrating communion once a month. There’s no theological reason for this. It’s just because three centuries ago the only ordained clergy who could preside over the sacrament was a circuit rider who was only in town once a month or so. For most of history, and still in many denominations, the Eucharist is a regular part of weekly worship. If you’re a member of the once-a-month club, I encourage you to consider offering communion weekly during Lent or Easter or both. The Eucharist speaks to Lent: it replicates the meal Jesus shared the day before he surrendered to the cross. It touches on Lenten themes like repentance, grace, transformation, and reconciliation. Of course it is a Resurrection meal— but resurrection is what draws us to the cross: the promise that when we give our lives in love God gives us new ones.
Music
See Eucharistic Responses for eleven sets of prayer responses (Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen) set to familiar hymn tunes appropriate for Lent. Two of them include Table Songs, hymns of invitation to the table.
Lent is also a season for the Kyrie: Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison. (“Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.”) See Kyrie, Six Versions, for the traditional words set to original tunes. Some are part of Eucharistic settings.