Making connections 7 March 2021 Knox Bayfield Rev Dolson
Call to Worship
Psalm 19:1–4
Heaven is declaring God’s glory; the sky proclaims God’s handiwork. One day gushes the news to the next, and one night informs another what needs to be known. There is no speech; there are no words; their voices cannot be heard by us. Yet their sound extends throughout the world; the message reaches the ends of the earth!
Hymn# 270 The head that once was crowned
Call to Confession and Assurance of Pardon
Psalm 19, Exodus 20
Brothers and sisters, siblings in Christ, we are now freed to live in grateful response to God, following God’s law, which is our guide for full and abundant life.
We are freed to worship God and God alone … freed from having to make anything an idol. We are freed to call on the name of the Lord. We are freed for a day of worship and rest, freed to love those who gave us birth and nurtured us.
Freed from all that binds us, we shall not kill or break sacred bonds. We need not steal or lie, nor crave anything that belongs to another. God’s law brings us goodness and blessing; God’s grace gives us confidence and joy.
Join me in prayer …
Merciful God, how fickle we can be without even knowing it. Save us from willfully ignoring your way. Let your commandments rule and guide us. Forgive us for worshiping anyone or anything except you. Help us to speak words of blessing and kindness, rather than words that belittle or destroy. Turn us away from violence and selfishness. Forgive us for thinking everything depends on our efforts and power, for you are the God who made us. You lead us out of slavery into the community of faith. Help us to depend on you alone and to rest in your peace. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Rejoice! We are forgiven and set free to live in faithfulness with God and with one another! Thanks be to God! May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. And also with you.
Hymn # 461 Be thou my vision
Prayer For Illumination
Psalm 19:14
Holy Spirit of God, let the words of my mouth and the mediations of our hearts
be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Readings
Exodus 20:1–17, Psalm 191, Corinthians 1:18–25, John 2:13–22
May God bless our understanding of this, God’s holy word. The Word of the Lord.
The scriptures readings take a journey to understand the ways in which we live in our faith. Moses received the Torah, the ten commandments, Paul wrote to the people of Corinth about the foolishness of Christ, and John provides his account of Jesus clearing the temple. The connections between the readings help us to understand the importance of reflecting on the writings.
Walter Brueggemann wrote, “These commands might be taken not as a series of rules,” he writes, “but as a proclamation in God’s own mouth of who God is and how God shall be ‘practiced’ by this community of liberated slaves.”
We understand the commandments are in the form of two neatly formed tables. One side has to do with how we are to live before God and the other defines how we are to live with one another. The two tables are different and they are inseparable. We are not to emphasize one or the other. We are to live in in the balance of understanding the two together.
In the gospel of Mark , Jesus responded to a request to define the most important commandment. He simplified the first four commandments “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might”. Jesus continued, “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'”
Barbara Brown Taylor reminds us that God chose Abram and Sarai long before God provided the ten teachings. She goes on to write that the teachings are not suggestions, they express the will of God.
The giving of Torah on Sinai, when Moses received the ten teachings, is celebrated during the Jewish festival of Shavuot [shuh · voo · owt ]. Many religious Jews observe the first night of Shavuot in a meaningful way. They will stay up all night with others and study Torah, Talmud, and other sacred writings. The night gathering, called the tikkun [ti kn], is set aside to focus on the mending of the world.
John Calvin wrote of three reasons for he Ten Commandments. First, we are taught how to live before God and others. This allows us to recognize our self deception. Secondly, the commandments provide an important structure for people to live within for the good of community. Thirdly, and Calvin noted this is the most important aspect, the commandments are ‘a lamp unto our feet’ as they guide our journey in our life before God and neighbours.
In the current book study, Entering the Passion of Jesus, the author AJ Levine, provides a rich history of the setting of the gospel story. As we explore her book our small group is developing new perspectives about the gospel stories. Levine provides us with a deeper understanding of the meanings behind traditions rooted in the Jewish faith. We are growing in our understanding of familiar words. Last week we delved into the meaning of the Hebrew term hosanna. Levine writes that hosanna literally means ‘save, please’ or ‘save, we pray’. When the people shout ‘hosanna’ it is in reference to Psalm 118 that Jews recite on the Passover holiday.
Levine’s writing provides interesting perspectives and historical information about today’s passage from John’s gospel. You may be tempted to think that Jesus was being critical of the Jewish institutions and practices but there are much deeper issues here. In this story of the cleansing of the temple John points toward the replacement of the temple with the temple of Jesus’ body. In looking back we are aware that this event occurred just before Passover and foreshadows his death and resurrection.
Jesus went into the city at Passover and proceeded to disrupt the activities surrounding the temple. Jesus was outraged. Moving through the “market” with a whip, he created havoc. The marketplace activities were for the benefit of the pilgrims. The Synoptics – the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, suggest that overcharging was the problem. In John’s gospel there is reference to Zechariah 14, when he describes Jesus rejecting the buying and selling: “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” Zechariah foretold this event and may help us to better understand. “There shall no longer be traders in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day,” that is, on the day when the Lord comes to Jerusalem.
Later, Jesus will respond to the Samaritan woman’s question about the proper place of worship. She will discover that worship restricted to a physical place is to be abandoned, for “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” The temple is where the spirit and truth of God are found.
During this season of Lent we are offered an opportunity to ask whether we are keeping the commandments. God is all around us. Neighbours are everywhere.
The religious leaders assume that Jesus is referring to the physical temple built by Herod. It is ridiculous to think that he could rebuild the temple in three days … it has been a work in progress for over 40 years! John’s Gospel warns against such misunderstanding. Do we continue to misunderstand the teachings? Is there more to his words than we are hearing, more to his will than we are doing? The disciples did not, could not, and perhaps they simply would not understand Jesus until after the resurrection. We have the remarkable advantage of knowing the story from different perspectives across the centuries. During this last year we have the remarkable experience of knowing that our faith continues to grow and deepen even when our worship services change. Even when we cannot gather together in one place, at one time, we continue to worship. We continue to reach out to one another in relationship. During Lent we are reminded that the story of Jesus does not end at the cross. The ways of Christ urge us to connect more deeply in our love of God, neighbour, and self as we continue our journey of faith. Praise be to God.
Hymn # 505 O Christ the Word Incarnate
The Offering Of Our Life And Labour To The Lord
Quote: Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
The house of God is a house of prayer, a place of healing and restoration. The house of God is the world around us. We bring our offerings to God to be used for present needs.
Blessing Of Gifts & Prayers Of The People
Exodus 20
Join me in prayer:
Holy Creator of all that was, all that is, and all that will be. We pray for your church throughout the world. We join with all who seek your divine wisdom and everlasting grace.
We pray for the nations of the world as they struggle with the pandemic. O holy One, where there is poverty, war, or oppression … may all repent of the harm they inflict on your creation. We pray for the planet Earth, your gift of creation. May we work together to stop the exploitation and tend to the earth with care. God of the wilderness and the Promised Land, in days of want and in days of plenty you have been with us. By these gifts we now share, may others know of your wisdom and care.
Holy loving God, you have called us to live before you and with one another. We yearn to follow all your commandments— to love only you, not worshiping the things of this world; to love our neighbor, not desiring what they possess.
Restore us to communion with you and one another that we might live in the freedom you intend.
We pray for people who are victims of crime. We pray those who are harmed will find healing and safety. We pray for those who have committed crimes, that they may seek and find forgiveness, and begin a new life with you and in the community.
We pray for healing and reconciliation where trust is broken, hostility is flaring, or misunderstanding festers. Restore us to one another and reconcile us to you, loving God. When restoration proves beyond hope, may new beginnings be granted. In every relationship, we seek your grace.
We pray for those who are ill, in mind, body, or spirit; for those lonely and isolated from community; for those burdened by guilt or grief, by depression or despair.
There are many within our church family in need of your special care at this time. We lift up Ron, Sandy, Rudy, Peggy, Betty Lou, Jane, Bonnie, Jessie, Marlene, Rob, Courtney and Kyla, and Grace’s daughter Lisa. We lift up all those who prefer to remain un-named as they face immense challenges of health and finances.
O holy One, we pray for clarity, passion, and true fellowship to awake us to your presence. We desire to hear your voice of love, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and to see you clearly. Send us out in love, with open eyes, ears, and hearts. Make us true neighbors to one another and true children of your own calling. Lead us to serve others faithfully as disciples of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray…Our Father who art in heaven, hallow’ed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Hymn # 626 Lord of all power
Benediction
Psalm 19:1–4
In the week ahead, find time and space to listen for God’s glory as it is spoken in the world around you. May the mercy of God ground us. The love of Christ take root in us. The Holy Spirit grow in us. This day and forevermore.
Postlude #623 Holy Holy Holy
Questions for Reflection
Exodus 20:1–17
The third Sunday of Lent looks to the gift of God’s law. John Calvin (1509–1564) described three uses for the Ten Commandments: First, they show us how to live before God and neighbour, and expose our sins in failing to live as God intends. Second, they instruct our civic or common life, showing us how to live responsibly in the freedom God gives. Third, rather than show us what we must do in order to receive God’s grace and love, the commandments show us how we should live because we are a people who have already received God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ. Does God’s law restrict or enhance our freedom as human beings?
Morning Prayer
God of heaven and earth, I listen this morning for the sound of your glory: in the songs of birds, in quiet conversations that begin the day, in easy laughter among friends, in sunlight’s warmth, pattering rain, or silent snowfall. Give me ears to hear your glory in its many forms. Give me eyes to see your glory in its many guises. Throughout this day, I, too, will proclaim your glory, your grace, and your love so that I may be a part of the chorus of praise that stretches to the ends of the earth. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.
Evening Prayer
God of freedom, I thank you for claiming me as your own and for setting me in the midst of the community of faith. Today the news was filled with stories of people
who do not live according to your commandments, with grievous results.
Lives are shattered as your ancient tablets of stone are broken again and again.
And I struggle to live before you and my neighbors in faithfulness, generosity, and love. As the day comes to an end, I pray for forgiveness for myself and for this weary world, confident of your grace and mercy. Send your gift of Sabbath rest,
and let me sleep in peace as, over and around me, night declares to night your power and glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Daily Prayer
2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Cor. 1:25; John 2:15–21
Gracious God, your wisdom appears as foolishness in this world. In Jesus Christ,
you overturn all our usual ways of behaving and believing. You scatter our false notions of discipleship as easily as coins are spilled from a box. You correct our notions of piety and order with fierce passion. Do not let your church become content or contained as an institution. Raze to ruins what is distorted in us, and raise us to new life as a community so that we may be the body of Christ in and for the world. With fear and joy we ask this in Christ’s name. Amen.
Scripture readings next week
Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21
623 Holy, holy, holy Words: traditional Music: F Schubert
Refrain: Holy, holy, holy, God almighty, Lord!
Holy, holy, holy, everywhere adored!
God without beginning, God eternal One
reigns and rules forever all beneath the sun [Refrain]
Power and love and wonder circling round God’s throne
Praise our God most holy, Lord of Life alone [Refrain]
270 The head that once was crowned
The head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now;
a royal diadem adorns the mighty Victor’s brow.
The highest place that heaven affords is his, is his by right,
the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and heaven’s eternal Light;
The joy of all who dwell above, the joy of all below
to whom he manifests his love and grants his name to know.
To them the cross, with all its shame, with all its grace, is given,
their name an everlasting name, their joy the joy of heaven.
They suffer with their Lord below; they reign with him above,
their profit and their joy to know the mystery of his love.
The cross he bore is life and health, though shame and death to him,
his people’s hope, his people’s wealth, their everlasting theme.
461 Be thou my vision
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art, thou my best thought in the day and the night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom; be thou my true word, I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord; thou my great Father, thine own may I be, thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee.
Be thou my breast-plate, my sword for the fight; be thou my armour and be thou my might; thou my soul’s shelter and thou my high tower, raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor vain earthly praise, thou my inheritance, through all my days; thou and thou only, thou first in my heart, high King of heaven, my treasure thou art!
High King of heaven, when the battle is done, grant heaven’s joy to me, O bright heaven’s Sun; heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O ruler of all.
505 O Christ the Word Incarnate
O Christ, the Word incarnate, O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky:
we praise you for the radiance that from the hallowed page,
a lantern for our footsteps, shines on from age to age.
Your people hold this treasure from you, its source divine,
a light that to all ages throughout the earth will shine;
it is the chart and compass that all life’s voyage through,
‘mid mists and rocks and tempest, still guides, O Christ, to you.
Oh make your church, dear Saviour, a lamp of purest gold,
to bear before the nations your true light as of old;
oh teach your wandering pilgrims by this their path to trace,
till, cloud and darkness ended, they see you face to face.
626 Lord of all power
Lord of all power, I give you my will in joyful obedience your tasks to fulfil.
Your bondage is freedom, your service is song,
and, held in your keeping, my weakness is strong.
Lord of all wisdom, I give you my mind,
rich truth that surpasses our knowledge to find.
What eye has not seen and what ear has not heard
is taught by your Spirit and shines from your word.
Lord of all bounty, I give you my heart;
I praise and adore you for all you impart:
your love to inspire me, your word to obey,
I walk in your freedom to the end of the way.
Lord of all being, I give you my all.
If e’er I disown you, I stumble and fall;
but, sworn in glad service your word to obey,
I walk in your freedom to the end of the way.