To Live in Hope, Not in Fear

Some of the most comforting words from the Bible are: Do not be Afraid.


To Live in Hope, Not in Fear

I choose to live in hope, not in fear.
Hope that shines in the darkness,
  that lights a path;
Hope for what is to come, 
  because of what has been conquered and defeated;
Hope in life for opportunities,
  dreams to be followed.


I choose to live in hope, not in fear.
Caution, common sense, and taking care are good,
  yet, life cannot simply stop.


I choose to live in hope, not in fear.
Hope of face to face encounters
  as distances fade away;
Hope of travel and adventures,
  and scencery beyond our windows;
Hope of going and doing,
  working and worshiping together.


I choose to live in hope, not in fear.
Life on pause may be needed for a moment,
  yet, not to where it damages lives.


I choose to live in hope, not in fear.
Hope for small businesses opening again,
  opportunities for growth amid lessons learned;
Hope for gatherings conferences, reunions,
  enjoying a meal with friends again;
Hope for freedoms, life, liberty,
  and pursuit of happiness.


I choose to live in hope, not in fear.

At Dawn

Easter Sunday April 12, 2020

At Dawn     

Alleluia, Christ is Risen, Alleluia

Three years ago, I was blessed to lead worship on Easter Sunday

at a church in Richmond, VA. 

That sermon was titled With Fear and Great Joy,

and recalled the emotions of the women who arrived at the tomb at dawn.

The women’s emotions were a mix of fear and joy. 

You and I have all felt these same emotions, feeling overwhelmed,

          not knowing whether to run towards something or away from it.

In our current challenging times, we are overwhelmed with emotions.

This Holy Week has been different from all past ones.

However, in an effort to gather in community on this Easter Day,

I have included liturgy of a worship service

(in the reformed tradition of PCUSA).

          The hymns listed are from the Glory to God Hymnal

(Westminster John Know Press © 2013).

Gathering in response to God’s call

Call to Worship                   Psalm 118

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    his love endures forever.

The Lord is my strength and my defense

    he has become my salvation.

Shouts of joy and victory

    resound in the tents of the righteous:

“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!

I will give you thanks, for you answered me;

    you have become my salvation.

The Lord has done it this very day;

    let us rejoice today and be glad.

Invocation

Almighty God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ you broke the power of death and opened the way to eternal life.

As the empty tomb stands witness to his triumph over death,

make your church to be a bold testimony to his enduring victory in life,

that all we do may proclaim to the world, “He is risen, indeed!”

Through Christ, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit

now and forever. Amen

Hymn        Jesus Christ is Risen Today                    Glory to God #232

Call to Confession

God has opened to us the gates of righteousness that we may enter through them. Confident in God’s love, let us confess our sin.

Prayer of Confession

Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit we have been raised from the waters of baptism to share in your glorious resurrection.

Yet we have not lived as Easter people.

We are unsure of your promise, confused about your will, and afraid in the face of danger. 

Whenever we are tempted to fear death, give us courage to confess your Easter victory.

Whenever we are distracted by petty conflicts, keep our minds on your reconciling love.

Whenever we are overwhelmed by the power of evil, reveal again to us your triumph over the destructive powers of oppression.

Forgive us our sin and let our lives be a testimony to your salvation

through the love of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Listen, church:

God who raised Jesus from the dead has not given us over to death.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

The Word proclaimed

Prayer of Illumination

Almighty God, by the power of your Spirit roll away the stone and reveal to us the Word of Life. Amen.

Jeremiah 31:1-6

31 At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

² Thus says the Lord:
The people who survived the sword
    found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest,
³     the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
⁴ Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
    O virgin Israel!
Again you shall take your tambourines,
    and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
⁵ Again you shall plant vineyards
    on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant,
    and shall enjoy the fruit.
⁶ For there shall be a day when sentinels will call
    in the hill country of Ephraim:
“Come, let us go up to Zion,
    to the Lord our God.”

Matthew 28:1-10

28 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” ⁸ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Sermon:     At Dawn

Alleluia, Christ has risen! Alleluia!

Today we celebrate the risen Christ!

Yet, you and I are celebrating differently today:

no sunrise service,

no Easter egg hunts,

no gathering in the church for worship.

All our recent celebrations are being done differently:

          birthdays, graduations, weddings.

Social distancing means no community picnics,

no fellowship lunch, no hugs or passing of the peace.

Some days it can be hard to find reasons for joy, for celebrating;

fear has taken over our lives.

So, let us talk about fear…you and I have our fears;

          snakes, spiders,

loss, illness,

conflict, loneliness,

our fears are plentiful.

Fear is a belief that someone or something is dangerous.

You and I become overwhelmed, anxious, apprehensive;

we yearn to find safety and be protected.

We long to hear the words: Do not be afraid.

What calms us, what comforts us, what makes you and I feel secure?

What can change fear to joy?

Faith, faith in God’s eternal love,

love that did not end with death on a cross,

Jesus risen, resurrected,

Alleluia, Christ has risen! Alleluia!

The 2 Marys began their day with loss and grief,

they were overwhelmed with awe, uncertainty, and fear,

and then the calming words Do not be afraid,

brought amazement and joy and celebration.

A new day was dawning, light was coming into the world,

renewal, revitalization, rejuvenation, restoration.

What had been dark,

what had lurked in the shadows,

where there had been sadness, loss, grief, and fear

was illuminated by God’s love,

God’s risen Son,

Jesus our Savior, conqueror of death and fear.

There may have not been a sunrise service this morning,

but the sun did rise (as we remember the risen Son of God).

The Son who said:

          “I am the light of the world. 

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness

but will have the light of life.”  -John 8:12

Light, dawns, sunrises remind us daily of Easter morning.

What memories do you have of sunrises?

Views from a mountain top, the dawn appearing over the ocean,

          light growing brighter in your own backyard.

The sun awakens us to a new day, new possibilities,

new challenges and opportunities.

Each day brings light into our lives,

light to make things grow,

light to show us the path to follow,

light to shine in our hearts,

light that proclaims the good news of resurrection.

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

Up early, the sun slowly dawning,

they not knowing the miracle that was about to happen,

the promised fulfilled.

Jesus’ words lightened their hearts and

they were told to share the message:

          Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid;

go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The women were the first proclaimers of the good news,

passing on light to the disciples.

As disciples we too can pass on this light.

The good news of God’s love is that we as Christians

must share with others.

God’s eternal love,

love’s own crucified risen light shines.

The tomb is empty!

Jesus has risen!

The light dawns,

Jesus has gone ahead, and his light will lead our way.

Alleluia, Christ has risen! Alleluia!

Affirmation of Faith           from The Confession of 1967 9.53-6[1]

God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ embraces the whole of man’s life: social and cultural, economic and political, scientific and technological, individual and corporate. It includes man’s natural environment as exploited and despoiled by sin. It is the will of God that his purpose for human life shall be fulfilled under the rule of Christ and all evil be banished from his creation.  Biblical visions and images of the rule of Christ, such as a heavenly city, a father’s house, a new heaven and earth, a marriage feast, and an unending day culminate in the image of the kingdom. The kingdom represents the triumph of God over all that resists his will and disrupts his creation. Already God’s reign is present as a ferment in the world, stirring hope in men and preparing the world to receive its ultimate judgment and redemption.  With an urgency born of this hope, the church applies itself to present tasks and strives for a better world. It does not identify limited progress with the kingdom of God on earth, nor does it despair in the face of disappointment and defeat. In steadfast hope, the church looks beyond all partial achievement to the final triumph of God.   “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Hymn        Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty           Glory to God #35

Lord’s Prayer

Sending forth to serve in the World

Hymn        Be Not Afraid (x3)                                   Glory to God #243

Charge and Blessing

Receive the good news: Christ is risen from the dead.

Tell the good news: the power of death shall no more oppress us.

Live the good news: we are free to love as he has loved us.

May God who raised Jesus from the dead bless you and by the power of the Holy Spirit raise you with him in glory.

Amen.

Beautiful Egg painted 3/28/20

Liturgy from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion Year A

---

[1] PCUSA Book of Confessions

Silence

Holy Saturday April 11, 2020

Silence

Please read and pray on your own today as we wait…

Romans 6:3-11

³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

⁴ Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.

⁷ For whoever has died is freed from sin.

⁸ But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

~~~~~

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors;

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen

Waiting painted 7/11/19

What is Truth?

Good Friday April 10, 2020

What is Truth?

The scripture today is a long one, both chapters 18 and 19 of John’s Gospel.

Let us take time to read the scripture,

perhaps finding something new in these familiar verses:

18 After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. ² Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. ³ So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴ Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” ⁵ They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. ⁶ When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. ⁷ Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” ⁹ This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” ¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. ¹¹ Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

¹² So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. ¹³ First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. ¹⁴ Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.

¹⁵ Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, ¹⁶ but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷ The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” ¹⁸ Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.

¹⁹ Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. ²⁰ Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” ²² When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” ²³ Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” ²⁴ Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

²⁵ Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” ²⁶ One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” ²⁷ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

²⁸ Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” ³¹ Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” ³² (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

³³ Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” ³⁷ Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. ³⁹ But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ² And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. ³ They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. ⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” ⁶ When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” ⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”

⁸ Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. ⁹ He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” ¹¹ Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” ¹² From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.”

¹³ When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” ¹⁵ They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” ¹⁶ Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus; ¹⁷ and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. ¹⁹ Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. ²¹ Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” ²² Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” ²³ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. ²⁴ So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says,

“They divided my clothes among themselves,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.”

²⁵ And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

²⁸ After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

³¹ Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. ³² Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. ³⁵ (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) ³⁶ These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” ³⁷ And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

³⁸ After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. ³⁹ Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. ⁴⁰ They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹ Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴² And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

As I read through the scripture once and then again, there is so much happening.

A half a dozen sermons or more could be drawn from these verses.

   Judas’ betrayal.

   Peter’s denial.

   Pilate’s indecision.

   Fulfillment of Old Testament scriptures.

   The women at the cross.

   Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and the burial customs.

   From one garden to another.

I have a few questions which I wish you to respond to on your own,

pray and find the answers in your heart,

find your truth.

What does this scripture say to you?

How does this scripture speak to all of us in today’s uncertain world?

Who do you relate to in the scripture?

How do we understand our relationships with each other? with God?

What happened to Barabbas? to those in the crowd? to the soldiers?

   Were they changed by what had happened?

How has the knowledge of Jesus’ sacrifice influenced your life?

What actions of love do you see in these 2 chapters?

How is love shown in today’s world?

What is truth?

How do you and I speak truth in our daily lives?

Amen.

Easter Cross painted 3/28/19