Posted by stpauls on April 11, 2010 under Sermons | 
[This sermon was written and delivered by The Reverend Dr. Yazeed Said on April 11, 2010, the First Sunday after Easter.]
It is common to greet one another during the Easter season with: “Christ is Risen”. The response of course is: “He is Risen indeed,” said with a sense of awe and trust.
I often came across people in churches in England, who would reply to my greeting: “Christ is Risen” with “I know,” reflecting an inherent English reticence in spelling out responses, or as a result of coming to Church after having had some beers in the pub. But, it is also as if saying, Christ is Risen, so what? What is the point? It is becoming more common that people know less about Easter than they do about the Christmas story.
There is no doubt that Easter is awkward. It was even awkward to the disciples themselves and famously so as we heard today to Thomas: A saga about a judicial murder and a public execution is followed by a series of events that challenged Thomas’ and our assumptions about how the natural world works (which is what the bishop told us in his Easter message).
But, also the story does not have the usual good ending. Jesus returns from death, but he is neither a ghost, nor a resuscitated corpse. (Resuscitation is what they do in hospitals these days, nothing special about those). So what is it all about then?
In the different gospel stories, we hear of Jesus meeting his disciples, but they do not all recognize him at first. In the earliest gospel, Mark, there are no meetings, just a visit to Jesus’ grave by some women disciples. The grave is empty; a stranger informs them: “He is not there,” and they depart in fear and panic.
Even in John’s Gospel, the end, which we will hear in fact next Sunday, is a sort of fading rather than a climax: a meeting on the lake shores between Jesus and the disciples, and then the author saying: “I could tell you much more, but I would never finish.” Disappointing.
So it is hardly surprising that the Easter story is a bit difficult to relate to, especially for Western societies today, not least here in Canada. They seem to operate too far beyond what we could cope with. But, the fact that these are not tidy stories might be good enough reason for wondering about them, rather than thinking of them as unnecessary.
The style of writing of the Easter stories is different. Reading the story up to Jesus’ death, there is a repertoire of images from the Old Testament to draw on. For example, Judas betrays Jesus, and we are told this was to fulfil the saying in the psalms: “someone who has eaten my bread has turned against me.”
Jesus is stripped naked and the guards throw dice for his clothes, just like another psalm: “They divided my garments between them; they threw lots for my clothing.”
But, when they move on to the Resurrection, the gospel writers stop quoting the Old Testament. Instead of the tightly plotted passion stories, the impression is that there is confusion.
Also, there is no clear time scale. According to Matthew, the women flee from the tomb, and suddenly run into Jesus. Luke tells us of an encounter on the road out of Jerusalem, when two disciples of Emmaus get into conversation with a stranger and recognise him as Jesus when he breaks bread with them. John has the story of Mary Magdalene alone at the tomb in tears hearing her name spoken in a voice she recognises. People hurry between the tomb, the city, and the Galilean mountains, sharing confusing incidents, sometimes interrupted by Jesus inexplicably being there among them. Finally, Jesus is seen no more; what is left is the gathering of the disciples trying to put it all into words.
Now, when someone stumbles and searches for words, especially someone who is otherwise fluent and coherent, you may well conclude that something has happened for which their experience has not prepared them. The new feelings are utterly real and chaotic. The confused phrases show how deep they go.
And we know that this reflects our lives too. We can all think of those times when we feel we have nothing to say that will help or make sense – not because there is nothing to say, but because there is too much to say.
These are not just symbolic narratives as if the disciples felt their faith internally renewed after his death. If that were the case, they made a disastrously bad job of the narrative. Instead, here we have people trying to make sense of something that has happened outside them, not inside them, as they wrestle with inexplicable experiences and encounters, not finding a helpful language to express their emotions.
Whatever else this is, it is not the account of something happening just to someone else in the past. It tells you that something in the world has opened up. The disciples in the reading from Acts proclaim to the people who were involved in killing and sentencing Jesus to death, that meeting Jesus is possible even after his horrendous death. The reading from Revelations adds: “even those who pierced him” are able to meet him, but not for revenge, but as their only hope, they are to meet their victim, and by doing so, there is an influx of grace, or vision and energy that takes them and us beyond our usual frame of reference. Once Thomas comes to realise the effect of the new reality, he does not simply reason it away with: so what? The new reality instead makes him fall on his knees and say: “My Lord and my God.”
Therefore, the Resurrection is not a happy ending to a sad story. It is the beginning of a new story, a new phase in the life of the disciples – and a new phase for us too. This explains the abrupt ending of Mark’s Gospel.
Today, with Thomas the doubter, we come to realize as well that faith is not about getting everything clear and settled. It is about stepping into a disoriented world, like the disciples have done. The stories we tell about ourselves, and the world, may need to be interrupted and questioned. Familiar things and people may need to be looked at with a new depth of attention. If Easter is awkward, it is because it is always a shock to be told who we really are, and what we really might be … the kind of shock that makes us fall on our knees and say with Thomas: “My lord and my God,” especially at the altar now.
Posted by stpauls on under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
John 20:19-31 ~ Gospel Reading for April 11, 2010
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Posted by stpauls on April 4, 2010 under Contributors, Webmaster Blog |
We will soon be assembling working groups to initiate and support the revitalization of our ministries in light of the four ministry areas identified by the MAP Parish Study – Reflection, Healing, Worship and Hospitality.
The working groups will consist of a leader and 3 to 4 members. They will be provided with mandates to guide their work, as well as consultation and support from MAP leaders. The initial commitment would be until the end of 2010, at which time we will re-evaluate the process.
If you are interested in participating in one of the working groups please email our Office Administrator Barry Goheen at: office[at symbol]stpaulsangkican.bc.ca Please specify the area or areas you are interested in. Submission of your name does not guarantee placement in a working group, but there will also be opportunities to participate in delegated tasks and support the work in other ways.
Posted by stpauls on under Sermons |
It is one of those lovely German words, which are hard to translate. Words like “Fahrvergnügen” or “Gemütlichkeit.” These are words that speak more of a program rather than convey a single meaning. And, of course, these are compound words consisting of a couple of nouns thrown together. “Weltfremd” consists of the words “Welt,” meaning “world” and “fremd” meaning “alien.” So, “weltfremd” literally translates into “alien to the world.”
The word is used to describe people who have lost a grip on reality, who are a bit naïve, or who are just a little off. It is also a word used to dismiss somebody, who might suggest something so straightforward that its simplicity is disarming and can even be threatening to those “who run the show.” And, of course we can’t have that!
The last time I encountered this word, it was uttered by a German politician. He was describing the former Lutheran bishop of Hanover. The bishop in suggesting a speedy return home for German troops from Afghanistan was calling for (and I quote) “new fantasies for peace.” Well, that sounds a bit naïve indeed, doesn’t it?
The irony, however, is this. As much as the politician meant his comment as an insult, he is on to something. He is on to something, because Bishop Margot Käßmann’s statement stands on the shoulders of people acting on God’s behalf. In fact, the heart of the Christian message is just that: it is “weltfremd,” because it challenges the mighty and powerful, it disarms the self-righteous, and it overturns our egocentric ways of doing things. The Christian message is at its core alien to the world.
This does not mean that Christians are called to just exit stage left, never to be seen in the world. We are not an exclusive club, better than the rest of the world. No, we are as fallible, as sinful, as screwed up as anybody else. We only might be more willing to acknowledge this… And we are more capable of seeing how the world’s way can be deceiving.
However, the members of the church should not shy away from the world, retrieving into an ivory tower of saintliness, closing the doors to the “evil” world. All of God’s beloved live in the world and God can be found in the faces of our sisters and brothers, and especially in the faces of our sisters and brothers in pain. As Christians we are to engage the world, are to bring the light of Christ into any darkness as we continue to be advocates for those who are marginalised; as we become a voice for the voiceless; as we assist in God’s work to mend what is broken in body, mind, or soul; and as we become healers of the nations.
And we have our work cut out for us: Human rights are consistently threatened around the globe, not just in far away places, but here at home, too. Just think of the ongoing treaty negotiations with our first nations’ sisters and brothers, to name but one issue. Furthermore, war is a reality for far too many.
Closing our eyes to this is not an exercise in being alien to the world.
In a similar way, the church should never ignore the fact that we are all part of the created order. And this created order is accessible for everybody to explore. Science, both natural and social sciences, are not enemies of God, but they can make us understand and can help us live better, healthier, smarter, and more adjusted lives. Believers should not crawl into a hole ignoring the discoveries of biology, physics, chemistry, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and whatever other science there is. Both religion and science can learn from each other, as they both explain creation, but do so on very different levels.
Being “weltfremd” also does not mean that our actions are sacrosanct. Ours is not an arcane or secret society. Secrecy is an enemy of the Gospel. Jesus came into the world to reveal God’s purpose for us openly.
When church officials break the law or violate others, it cannot be that they are hidden and protected by the organisations that claim to act in the name of Christ. And I want to be clear: the sex-abuse scandal is not just a Roman Catholic problem. We have had pedophile priests in our church, too. And we hid them, too. And we have actively participated in the abuse of children in residential schools. But I hope we have learned from our mistakes long ago – even though it was far too late for many victims.
In the same way, our Roman Catholic sisters and mostly brothers must now face the hard questions and must be willing to acknowledge systemic wrong. This is no witch-hunt or finger-pointing exercise. But, we must remember that the organisation is not the victim here. The victims are the many children and women who have been abused by priests who were then hidden by the institution. The church cannot and must never set herself above the law and justice. Rather, the church must be a safe place for all God’s children, particularly those who are fragile, young, and dependent on others.
Yes, being “weltfremd” does not mean we can pull up the drawbridges.
However, being “weltfremd” does also not mean that the Christian message is naïve. Bishop Käßmann’s suggestions on the surface might look like they are just that. But they aren’t. They aren’t because she speaks as one who experienced the power of prayer during the bloodless revolution that toppled the Communist regime in East Germany and brought down the Berlin Wall. And she speaks as someone who expects God to act, just like God has done throughout history, to change the face of the earth and the heart of the cosmos:
There is Moses who challenged the mighty Pharaoh to let God’s people go so that their slavery and oppression would end. God had heard the cry of God’s people. And through Moses God acted.
Then there are people like Ruth and Naomi, two women whose love for each other was special and true. Their relationship challenged the “tradition.” Ruth eventually became the alien ancestor of King David, something easily forgotten by some who distort the Word of God for racist and prejudiced views. With Ruth, God acted through somebody from the margins.
John the Baptist might have been only a lone voice in the wilderness crying. But his words that spoke of returning to God rather than staying with our selfish ways were heard in royal palaces. Eventually, this truth cost John his life. But even in death, John’s words remained forceful, because they were words from the heart of the living God.
Then there were the women who stood at the cross, who would not abandon their master. Despite a world that had betrayed and crucified Jesus, they did not give up, but stood with Him in whom love had walked the earth. In their steadfastness, God’s enduring love even in the midst of darkness was revealed.
And finally, there is today’s story, which is so alien to the world, so alien to the way we expect things to happen, so alien to how we run the show: Dead people are to remain dead. Gravestones are not to be moved. Tombs once filled are not to be empty. Yet, we have just heard the message, and we proclaim it: this unbelievable, alien news that Jesus is not dead, but is alive!
What we celebrate on Easter is indeed “weltfremd.” But it is “weltfremd,” not in a cute or naïve way. But at Easter, God confronts the world, confronts us, hits us over the head, challenges our and the world’s ways. This is confrontation of the highest degree. There are angelic messengers, even an earthquake, and the women at the grave are witnesses to God’s triumphal victory, to God’s interruption of our ways, to God’s cosmic redirection, to God’s revelation of life. On Easter, God cries out in triumph with the vision of new life.
And this vision is quite different from the deadly ways of our world. This is a vision of life that celebrates life in abundance and to its fullest. It liberates us from death, sin, and fear. It penetrates us with life no darkness can overcome. It empowers God’s people to be a faithful people of many languages and nations, and to be a people striving for reconciliation, justice and peace. It reveals love too deep for words, a love that seeks to embrace us all: whoever we are and wherever we find ourselves on the journey.
When Bishop Käßmann called for “new fantasies for peace,” she did so, not because she likes to play around with words. But she did so, because her identity is deeply rooted in the Easter massage, which reveals a reality stronger than destruction and death; stronger than sin, darkness, or the devil; stronger than hate and fear; stronger than war and injustice; stronger than our ways of running the world. It is the reality of God’s love for each and every one of us.
And God’s love cannot be stopped. Not by us, not by the powerful, not by politicians, and not even by the cross of Good Friday. Even when we try to kill God’s incarnate love, it will break free from our prisons, from any prison, to re-affirm and to renew over and over and over again God’s longing for us to be at peace with God, with one another, and with ourselves. And as “weltfremd” as this may be: This is what Easter is all about.
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
[The Reverend Markus Duenzkofer delivered this sermon on April 4, 2010.]
Posted by stpauls on under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
John 20:1-18 ~ Gospel Reading for April 4, 2010
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Posted by stpauls on under Contributors, Webmaster Blog |
The flowers in the Garden of Gethsemane and throughout the church are given to the glory of God by generous donations; many in loving memory of
Paul Martin Stewart
Bob Tharalson
Jim Callihoo
Gerald Armstrong
Gladys, George & Phillip Gogdale
George & Jo
Robert Bruce
John & Kay Wood
Beverley Lanigan
Oliver
Family and Friends
Charles, Joyce & Dennis Wreford
Eddie James
Myrnah & Robert
Ian Kitteringham
Jack & Irene Taylor
Bob Kemp
Betty & Dale Conklin
Ed & Genevieve Kingdom
Anne Armstrong
Chris Giroux
E. Janka v.Lützenkirchen
Stanley & Violet
Kathy & Raymond
Eva & William Calvert
Uncle Bruce and Grandma
Ken Grant
Amy Lilian & Henry John Simmons
Ewart C. Longley
Maurice B. Mehou
Helen Hancock Stewart
Jay Wadsworth
Paul Edwards
Hans & Margaret, Georg & Maria, Stefan
Posted by stpauls on April 3, 2010 under Webmaster Blog |
I danced in the morning when the world was begun
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they would not follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came to me and the dance went on.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high;
They left me there on a cross to die.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced on a Friday and the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back;
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone,
But I am the dance and I still go on.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
They cut me down and I leapt up high,
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
Posted by stpauls on under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
Romans 6.3-14 ~ April 3, 2010
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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. 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. 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. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Posted by stpauls on April 2, 2010 under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
It is traditional to sit during the Good Friday Gospel, until the text mentions the arrival of Jesus at Golgotha. At this point please stand as you are able.
Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 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. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfil the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” 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. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.
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, 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. The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 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.
Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 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. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” 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?” Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
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.” 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?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.
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. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 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.” (This was to fulfil what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 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?” 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.” 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.” 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. 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?” They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. 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.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 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.” 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.”
Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 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?” 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.” 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.”
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. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 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.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. [Please stand as you are able.]
There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 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. 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.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfil what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
And that is what the soldiers did.
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), “I am thirsty.” 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. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Posted by stpauls on April 1, 2010 under Bible Readings, Webmaster Blog |
John 13:1-17 and 31b-35 ~ Reading for April 1, 2009
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.
And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”
Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
