lundi 26 avril 2010

An Easter service on the promise of peace

This order of service was prepared by the WCC's general secretariat for the beginning of the WCC's staff planning days. The service was led by Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit who also preached.
Morning Prayer, Monday, 26 April 2010 – Chapel, Ecumenical Centre

(This week in the ecumenical prayer cycle we prayer for the people and churches in Eritrea and Ethiopia.)

Prelude

Welcome

(L) Christ is risen!
(All) Indeed, he is risen!

Hymn: Cantai ao Senhor (Thuma Mina 3; verses 1-3 in Portuguese) (stand)

Invocation
(L) Eternal God, as you created humankind in your image,
women and men, male and female, renew us in that image:

(All) God the Holy Spirit, by your strength and love
comfort us as those whom a mother comforts:

(L) Lord Jesus Christ, by your death and resurrection,
give us the joy of those for whom pain and suffering become,
in hope, the fruitful agony of travail:

(All) God the Holy Trinity, grant that we may together
enter into new life, your promised rest of achievement
and fulfilment -- world without end. Amen.

Hymn: Cantai ao Senhor (Thuma Mina 3; verses 4-5 in English)

(L) The risen Lord is our peace; those who are divided he has made one.
He has broken down the barriers of separation by his death and his resurrection
and he has built us up into one body, with God.

(All) To all of us who repent and believe God promises forgiveness and reconciliation.
(L) Bless the Lord, my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, my soul, and forget not all that the Lord has done for you.

(All) The Lord forgives all our iniquities, heals all our infirmities,
redeems our life from corruption, crowns us with mercy and compassion,
satisfies our desire with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

(L) The Lord performs deeds of mercy, and justice for all who are wronged.
The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

(All) The Lord will not always strive with us, nor will he keep his anger forever.
The Lord has not dealt with us according to our iniquities,
nor has he rewarded us according to our sins.
For as heavens are high above the earth,
so great is the Lord’s mercy toward those who fear him.

(L) Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion.
In all places of his dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul.

Hymn: Let us praise the Lord our God (Thuma Mina 2) (stand)

Gospel Reading: John 20:19-23
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".

Hymn: Hallelujah (Thuma Mina 55)

Meditation (sit)

Intercessions
(L) We give praise to Christ, our risen Lord, the radiant light of the world. He guides our steps in a path of light and we no longer live in darkness. Let us pray to the Lord.
(All) Kiria alayson









(L) Christ, our Saviour, may your word take flesh in our lives and your truth shine forth in our actions. May your love burn brightly within us. Let us pray to the Lord.
(All) Kiria alayson

(L) Teach us to work for the good of all, whether the time is right or not; make your Church a welcome light for the human family. Let us pray to the Lord.
(All) Kiria alayson

(L) Bless the work of our effort, bring together those you have called into unity, and give us the grace to be faithful to your calling. Let us pray to the Lord.
(All) Kiria alayson

(L) We pray for unity among the Christian churches and genuine dialogue with people who confess other faiths. Let us pray to the Lord.
(All) Kiria alayson

(L) We pray for churches and people in Eritrea and Ethiopia. We pray for peace in the region, for harmony between its peoples, for genuine ecumenical relations among churches. Let us pray to the Lord.
(All) Kiria alayson

(L) O Christ, our God, author of life and giver of peace, guide us so that we may walk in your ways of righteousness. For you are our helper and our deliverer and to you is fitting glory, dominion and honour, now and for ever and unto the ages of ages.
(All) Amen.

Lord's Prayer (stand)
(L) Let us, in fellowship with Christian people of all nations join in united petition to the one God and Parent of all humankind, after the manner of the prayer which our Lord himself has taught us.
(All) Our Father in heaven.

(L) We are weak and blind and selfish; but you are wisdom and love and life, and give us wisdom, love and life in its fullness to those who trust in you:
(All) Our Father in heaven.

(L) Through the continued search for fullness of life for all people, regardless of race and ideology:
(All) Hallowed be your name.

(L) Through the persistent desire in all people to seek fellowship with one another in your one family:
(All) Hallowed be your name.

(L) By the faithfulness of your people in seeking first your kingdom and your righteousness:
(All) Your kingdom come.

(L) By the new dedication of churches in all lands to the establishment of justice in all the earth:
(All) Your kingdom come.

(L) In the struggle against all that diminishes life in our world:
(All) Your will be done.

(L) In the determination among all to work for secure peace in a world order that is fair to the generations yet to be:
(All) Your will be done.

(L) By the establishment of peace and the unremitting search for justice:
(All) Give us today our daily bread.

(L) By passionate caring and committed sharing:
(All) Give us today our daily bread.

(L) Because by our self-interest and self-concern we have increased the bitterness between peoples and nations:
(All) Forgive us our sins.

(L) Because we have been arrogant, seeking to exalt ourselves rather than to find your will for us and do it:
(All) Forgive us our sins.

(L) If other countries while pursuing their own interests have hindered ours and impoverished the life of our people:
(All) We forgive those who sin against us.

(L) If any have injured us by exploiting our ignorance and weakness:
(All) We forgive those who sin against us.

(L) When opportunity comes to secure better living standards for ourselves at the cost of increased poverty to others:
(All) Save us from the time of trial.

(L) When fear distracts the mind or security lulls the conscience, and we are in danger of forgetting you:
(All) Save us from the time of trial.

(L) At times of self-satisfaction, self-seeking and self-confidence:
(All) Deliver us from evil.

(L) When we fear the designs of others, and desire to gain security or advantage by unjust means:
(All) Deliver us from evil.

(L) For over all races and nations you rule as sovereign; your parental love embraces all; and in your will is our peace and in your life our life.
(All) For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn: La paz del Senor (Thuma Mina 187) (stand)

(L) O Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles,
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you:
grant us that peace and unity which is agreeable to your will.
(All) Amen.

(L) Brothers and sisters, in the love of Christ, let us offer each other a sign of peace.

(L) May the Lord of peace give us peace in all ways at all times.
(All) Amen.

Postlude

lundi 19 avril 2010

A meditation by Theodore Gill on images of the invisible and how we are all called to be icons

Images of the invisible - a meditation by Rev. Theodore Gill for the opening of an icon exhibition in the Ecumenical Centre chapel on Monday 19 April 2009

This morning we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. For the next two weeks, this ecumenical chapel plays host to the exhibition of icons you see around us, painted by contemporary artists Josette Laissue and Didi Marmoud.
Icons have been described by admirers as windows into the kingdom of heaven, and also as mirrors that aid us in our spiritual self-reflection.
“Icon” comes from the Greek word for “image” – it is used in the Septuagint, the early Greek translation of Hebrew scripture, when God is said to create humankind in God’s own image (the word applies neither to a man nor a women, but all of “humankind…male and female”; Gen.1:27). And the word appears again in the hymn near the beginning of Colossians, when we are told – somewhat paradoxically, it has seemed to many – that Jesus Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (Col.1:15).
The whole notion of theological imagery is confusing. The phrase “image of the invisible” is not easily grasped. It is part of the mystery of Christ and the challenge of being Christian. How can anything, or anyone, be a “true” image of the invisible?
I hope it is not anti-ecumenical to observe that a lot of nonsense has been preached by Christians about icons and representational art. But as in many things ecumenical, the nonsensical element is not easily identified or agreed by all parties.
One of the prime commandments of Hebrew scripture forbad the making of graven images, much less bowing down to them. The psalmist’s opinion was harsh:
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell…
Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them. (Ps.115:4-6,8; cf. Ps.135:15ff)
And during periods of great reforms, as in the days of Hezekiah or Ezra, we are told that decorations including representational sculptures and similar idols were stripped from the Temple in Jerusalem – despite elaborate, apparently positive descriptions in some books of the Bible and instructions explaining their purpose in acts of worship.

In the early centuries of the Christian church, paintings and drawings began to appear in catacombs and surface structures, and in the margins of written works. Among many, the term “graven image” was understood as a three-dimensional object, so two-dimensional illustrations were accepted long before Christian statuary appeared. The development of the Christian “icon” had begun.
But by the 8th century, and encounters with an expanding Islam and its call to reject artistic representation of any living thing, a controversy arose within the Byzantine church. New traditions of iconography had evolved, traditions that have borne fruit in this chapel today. But not everyone was pleased – the so-called “iconoclasts” inaugurated a reform of Biblical proportion against what they called “the evil art of painters”. The iconoclastic Synod of Hieria in 754 A.D. condemned the use of such art:
If anyone ventures to represent the divine nature of the Word after the
Incarnation with material colours, let him be anathema! ...If anyone shall
endeavour to represent the forms of the saints in lifeless pictures with material
colours which are of no value (for this notion is vain and introduced by the
devil), and does not rather represent their virtues as living images in himself,
let him be anathema!
It is important to hear that last injunction – and not lightly dismiss the inconoclasts as mere haters of art: their point was that we are called to become images of the virtues of God, in ourselves, and not to be distracted by showy objects outside ourselves. When empowered by grace to appear more Christ-like, we are the “icons” God approves.

The Second Council of Nicaea met in 786 and 787 to address the iconoclastic controversy. It was pointed out that the symbol of the cross was universally accepted as a sign of Christ’s sacrifice and an object of devotion. The proceedings of the council concluded:
…like the figure of the honoured and life-giving cross, the revered and holy
images, whether painted or made of mosaic or of other suitable material, are
to be exposed in the holy churches of God, on sacred instruments and
vestments, on walls and panels, in houses and by public ways… The more frequently they are seen in representational art, the more are those who see them drawn to remember and long for those who serve as models, and to pay these images the tribute of salutation and respectful veneration. Certainly this is not the full adoration in accordance with our faith, which is properly paid only to the divine nature, but it resembles that given to the figure of the honoured and life-giving cross and also to the holy books of the gospels and to other sacred objects.

This was a significant word, but it was not the final word. To this day, generations of iconoclasts arise – and one such generation had great influence on the faith traditions of some of us who are here today, particularly on the Reformed tradition as it arose in parts of Switzerland like Zürich and Geneva. To see the great church art of the middle ages in these cities, one must visit a museum. But a substantial number of heirs to the Swiss Reformers have had second, third and fourth thoughts about art and iconography.
Even in the 16th century, not all were in agreement. Martin Luther commented on the rejection of the arts by contemporary exponents of the radical reformation…
I am not of the opinion that all the arts should be banished and driven away, as
some zealots want us to believe; but I wish to see them all, especially music, in the service of God who gave and created them… Would to God that I could persuade those who can afford it to paint the whole Bible on their houses, inside and outside, so that all might see; this would indeed by Christian work. For I am convinced that we should hear and learn what God has done, and especially what Christ suffered. But when I hear these things and meditate upon them, I find it impossible not to picture them in my heart. Whether I want to or not, when I hear of Christ, a human form hanging upon a cross rises up in my heart, just as I see my face reflected when I look in water. Now if it is not sinful for me to have Christ’s picture in my heart, why should it be sinful to have it before my eyes?

And for now, let us accept Luther’s implication that, yes, some works of art may serve as windows to the kingdom, or as mirrors of the soul. We peer into icons, as we look through a pane of glass or into a pool of water, wondering what may lie beyond or beneath. We look closely, hoping to glimpse an image of the invisible.
Philip, we are told, wanted to see God more clearly, yet Jesus suggested he was already seeing all that was needed. “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father,” he said. And he added, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me” (John 14:8-10). And later, Jesus prayed that all his followers might share in the divine: “…may they all be one: as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, may they also be in us” (John 17:20f).
Whether the art on display represents a set of windows to heaven or mirrors for reflection, or some combination of the two, icons invite us to consider our own potential as images of divine love – and to re-conceive our own lives as a means of portraying the reality of Christ in the world.
Even so, we may also affirm with Paul (1Cor13:12) that, for now, we see through a glass, dimly… but one day we shall see face to face.

dimanche 18 avril 2010

Prayer for Monday 19 April 2010 and opening of Icon exhibition

Worship in the Ecumenical Centre Monday 19 April 2010
Praying through the ecumenical prayer cycle for the people of Somalia and Djibouti

Musical preparation

Welcome

Christos anesti!
Alithos anesti!

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!

Cristo ha resucitado!
!En verdad ha resucitado!

Le Christ est ressuscité!
Il est vraiment ressuscité!

Christus ist erstanden!
Er ist wahrhaftig erstanden!

Christos anesti!
Alithos anesti!

Sing - Agios o Theos, Agios Ischiros. Agios Athanatos, Eleison imas (three times)

Prayer
When we are all despairing
When the world is full of grief
When we see no way ahead
And hope has gone away:
Roll back the stone.
Although we fear change;
Although we are not ready;
Although we would rather weep
And run away:
Roll back the stone.
Because we hope where hope is vain;
Because you call us from the grave
And show the way:
Roll back the stone.

Sing - Agios o Theos, Agios Ischiros. Agios Athanatos, Eleison imas
(three times)
please be seated

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation;
for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created,
things visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers
all things have been created through him and for him.
He himself is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have first place in everything.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Sing - Agios o Theos, Agios Ischiros. Agios Athanatos, Eleison imas (three times remain seated)

Reading from the Hebrew Scripture Genesis 1:26-31

Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ 27So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ 29God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. 31God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Stand to sing - A Toi la Gloire, verse 1 in French - remain standing for the gospel readings
À toi la gloire, O Ressuscité!
À toi la victoire pour l’éternité!
Brillant de lumière, l’ange est descendu,
Il roule la pierre du tombeau vaincu.
À toi la gloire, O Ressuscité!
À toi la victoire pour l’éternité!

Gospel Reading John 14:8-12
Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Sing - A Toi la Gloire, verse 2 in English - remain standing for second gospel reading
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
Thine is the glory, risen conqu'ring Son,
Endless is the vict'ry, Thou o'er death hast won.

Gospel John 17:11-22
And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.
‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.

Sing - A Toi la Gloire, Verse 3 in French (be seated)
Craindrais-je encore? Il vit à jamais,
Celui que j’adore, le Prince de paix;
Il est ma victoire, mon puissant soutien,
Ma vie et ma gloire : non, je ne crains rien!
À toi la gloire, O Ressuscité!
À toi la victoire pour l’éternité!

Meditation “Images of the invisible” by Theodore A. Gill Jr.

Prayers of intercession ~ with the peoples of Djibouti and Somalia
O God Eternal, good beyond all that is good,
Fair beyond all that is fair, in whom is calmness and peace: reconcile the differences which divide us from one another and bring us back to the unity of love which may bear some likeness to your divine nature. Grant that we may be one, through the grace mercy and tenderness of your son, Jesus Christ.
Sing Agape 110: Yarrabba ssalami amter alay na ssalam
Yarrabba ssalami imla’qulubana na ssalam.

O God, you who are glorious and truly bounteous,
we pray to you for the countries and peoples of Djibouti and Somalia.
Even where drought and famine reign,
may sustenance be given to those suffering from malnutrition and facing starvation.
Even when rivers run dry and rain doesn’t fall,
we pray that all may have access to clean water.
Sing: Yarrabba ssalami amter alay na ssalam
Yarrabba ssalami imla’qulubana na ssalam.

O God, your Son had “nowhere to lay his head”,
we pray to you now
for the hundreds of thousands of Somalian refugees throughout the world,
and for the refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia who have fled to Djibouti;
we pray that they may find shelter, protection and people willing to welcome them and offer practical support.
As we remember them,
we also pray for all refugees and displaced peoples in our world today.
Sing: Yarrabba ssalami amter alay na ssalam
Yarrabba ssalami imla’qulubana na ssalam.

O God of peace,
we pray for peace in Somalia.
With heavy hearts we pray
for peace in our time and in the times to come;
that, throughout our world, swords may be beaten into ploughshares.
Sing: Yarrabba ssalami amter alay na ssalam
Yarrabba ssalami imla’qulubana na ssalam.

God of resurrection and promise
we pray for the Church of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
And we pray also for ourselves, for our work here and elsewhere,
for our families, friends and loved ones, for those we find it hard to love.
Teach us, too, to beat our swords into ploughshares.
May our prayers, and our actions, become icons
that illustrate the abiding reality of your love.
Sing: Yarrabba ssalami amter alay na ssalam
Yarrabba ssalami imla’qulubana na ssalam
.

The Lord’s Prayer ~ said by each in their own language

A prayer of sending

O Creator and Mighty God
You have promised
Strength for the weak, Rest for the labourers, Light for the way,
Grace for the trials, Help from above, Unfailing sympathy, Undying love.
O Creator and Mighty God
help us to continue in your promise.
Amen

Blessing

Sing - Agape 77:
Reamo leboga
Modimo wa rona

We give our thanks to God
We give our thanks to God

Wir danken unserm Gott
Der Dank gilt unserm Gott

Merci à toi Seigneur
Nous te rendons grâce

lundi 12 avril 2010

The Way - an Easter sermon by Jooseup Keum

The Way - A sermon preached by Rev Dr Jooseup Keum in the Ecumenical Chapel 12.04.2010
John 13:1-16
Mathew 28:19-20

It was a lonely way. Jesus' way to the cross was a lonely way.
Nobody dared to walk together with him, even his disciples, maybe even us.
Imagine him, imagine his journey, he who is walking alone toward a cross. He carries all the agonies and sad stories of powerless people there. Somebody has lost their son, someone is crying, and someone is beating someone, someone is attempting suicide – can he provide any hope in their lives?
In the Gospel of John, Jesus is claiming the way is through washing the feet of his disciples. How ridiculous!
In Jesus' time, there were four different groups of Jewish traditions or restoration movements. They competed with each other, claiming that only their group knew the truth, the way of salvation. They each claimed they were the only hope for the restoration of Israel.
The Sadducees gave up any religious position and conviction, such as the resurrection doctrine, just so long as they could retain secular political power.
The Pharisees had no concerns about political oppression and the hardness of ordinary people's lives so long as they could maintain their ecclesiastical power, through the control of the Jewish temple. They did not care what happened outside the temple: they even betrayed their people and joined hands with the Roman Empire to maintain power.
The Essenes believed that there was no hope in the world. So they retreated to the desert. They withdrew into the spiritual realm, leaving the reality and hardness of people's daily lives behind them.
Lastly, the Zealots attempted to reclaim the sovereignty of Israel by force, arms, struggle and terrorism. They believed that all other choices had disappeared. They were liberation fighters.
And what was Jesus doing? He did not identify with any of them. Rather he chose to die alone in the cross. He was washing the feet of his disciples as a farewell ceremony. In fact he did identify with one group; Am Ha'aretz, the "people of the earth" in the Old Testament, and Ochlos, the "suffering people" in the New Testament.
Like the Dalits in India, Chin People in Myanmar, Burak in Japan, Minjung in Korea these were the people who suffered and cried. They were oppressed and manipulated by the Romans and their own leaders.
Through his cross, Jesus is bringing the kingdom of God to these people where they are. They did not need to climb ecclesiastical, social and political ladders to find the Kingdom. Jesus built and builds a community based on love and service. He provides a new dignity and identity to these suffering people as the people of God through washing their feet. He encourages them to see a new horizon of mission.
Traditionally, so called the Great Commission in Gospel of Mathew has been a mandate to evangelise individuals, baptise them, make them part of the church, and teach them that they may follow the law. Colonialism made the Great Commission a mandate to Christianise the world: to convert the spirituality of the natives to a Christianised spirituality (one we are comfortable with) and a western culture as a part of it. The present conservative approach would be to “enrich” or “civilise” people who are not enlightened.

However, I would like to draw your attention to three key words in verse 19 of Mathew chapter 28. “All nations”, “Baptise”, “Teach them”. The text says “all nations” which in Jesus’ time does not refer to member states of the UN! It does contain a plural concept, i.e. not individualistic. In Jesus’ time all nations were subject to Roman Empire – other identity was lost. Jesus is saying “go to all people who are subject to the Roman Empire.” The Roman Empire was the only one nation among “all nations” which exercised absolute earthly power.

Jesus was commissioning his disciples to go to the peoples and nations colonised by earthly power. Baptism in this context means restoring the dignity of these peoples and nations colonised by the earthly power as God’s peoples. Through the emphasis on Baptism, Jesus declare that dignity and identity of politically and economically oppressed and colonised all nations by the Empire is not sourced from the earthly power but by the power of God.

Teaching them is then a reference to Jesus’ own discourse. Whereas previously if you are willing to subscribe to Roman rule, discourse, and standard of living, you will be part of the pax Romana and “safe”. This allows local despots to perpetuate whatever oppression they choose as long as they subscribe to the pax Romana. Note the difference in John’s Gospel between Jesus’ peace and the “peace of the world” – pax Romana vs pax Christi. Pax Christi re-establishes identity and dignity as referenced to God, not empire. The rule of empire is replaced by the encouragement and accompaniment of God.

Where do we then identify as church of Jesus Christ? Jesus saw the potential of people who were regarded as “useless” by the Empire and their own leaders. He claimed that their dignity came from God, not the empire. They don’t have to climb ecclesiastical, social or political ladders to find it. He built a community of confidence and sharing encouragement based on love and service. He encouraged them to see a new horizon for their missiological task. The new community goes beyond the immediate group, beyond the ethnic community and so on. The New World of dignity is there for all who will recognise where dignity is sourced.
There are many ways in the world – motorway, bullet train and flight – however Jesus chose a tough, very lonely and slow way; off road. He is walking alone on a long endless mountainous path down to Galilee and waiting his disciples and us there. On his way to Galilee, he creates a new community of hope and love even calling the people from the four religious groups in Israel.
Once again, are we going to send him alone even after his resurrection? But he promises, he will be always with us to the end of time.

copyright (c) Jooseup Keum /WCC

mardi 6 avril 2010

A Song of Ascents - An Easter Sermon by Theodore Gill

A Song of Ascents

Rev. Theodore Gill, WCC Communication
Ecumenical Centre chapel, Geneva
Tuesday 6 April 2010

Scripture lessons: Psalm 118:19-24 and Luke 24:13-35

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!

“I thank you, for you have answered me and have become my salvation.
“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone:
“This is the Lord’s doing! It is marvelous in our eyes.”

The verse from Hebrew scripture that is most often quoted in the New Testament is found in our reading from this morning’s psalm: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Ps.118:22).

Literary critics would give a name to this form of observation: “Irony”. Academics, as is their custom, distinguish among several categories of irony, and one such category is called “situational irony”. In this form of verbal construction, an obvious discrepancy is discerned between what might be expected to happen, normally or logically, and what actually occurs – a discontinuity between assumption and reality. The purpose of literary irony, we are told, is to intensify meaning.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is rich in ironic images. To cite a few …
- the all-powerful Word of God is revealed as a newborn baby
- the divine child is laid in a manger, for there was no room in the inn
- the promised Messiah, the Son of David, enters Jerusalem on a donkey
- behind him there is no conquering army, but the poor of the earth and children bearing leafy branches
- the eternal Son of God discounts equality with God as a thing to be grasped, taking the form of a servant, finally dying on the cross
- and along the way, Jesus teaches in parables that routinely turn people’s everyday expectations on their heads.

No wonder the apostles and evangelists so frequently employed the psalmist’s metaphor: The stone rejected as worthless has become the head of the corner; it now bears the principal load and is found to have the highest value of all!

This verse is part of one of those psalms that are called, in English, “a song of ascents”. It is a psalm of pilgrims ascending – going up – to a festival in Jerusalem, making their way from the plains and foothills below. It is their song of spiritual preparation as they journey toward the gates of righteousness and the Temple precincts beyond.

Jesus and the disciples had made such an ascent to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. But what transpired there confounded his followers’ expectations. In Luke’s gospel, we are told of two disciples in particular who soon left Jerusalem, descending in confusion from the high country, to a town called Emmaus on the plain. Before they left the city, they had heard of the discovery of the empty tomb; they had heard the account of the women’s angelic vision; they had heard of respected disciples who had gone to the tomb and found the earlier reports credible. But none of this was enough to persuade these two to stay in place and see what would happen next. They made their way instead along the road that led downhill and away.

Along their path they encountered an apparent stranger. (Perhaps he resembled the figure whom Mary Magdalene mistook for a gardener near the tomb – but that is another story.) When this stranger met them on the Emmaus road, he saw that they were profoundly sad. He enquired as to what was troubling them so.

The traveler named Cleopas responded rhetorically: “Are you the only person coming from Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?”

And here Luke presents us with one more example of situational irony: In fact, this stranger was the only one who truly understood what had been happening.

So the stranger – whom they would recognize as Jesus only later, in the breaking of the bread – first called them foolish for indulging their doubt and self-absorption; then, he proceeded to give them hope that scripture was indeed being fulfilled, hope that God’s promises were being kept.

And once the bread had been broken, and their perception was transformed, Luke tells us that “within the hour” they took to the road again, ascending once more to Jerusalem where the community of Jesus’ followers was gathering to share their experience, their insight, their renewed assurance. And Luke tells us that when they were gathered together, Jesus stood among them; the disciples remained in the city for some time, worshiping daily in the Temple.

Now, of course, that is not the end of the story – not even within the New Testament, much less over the 19 centuries after it. But the gospel writers do emphasize narratives like this for our continuing edification and improvement…

After all, those two travelers on the road to Emmaus were not the last would-be followers of Jesus to go wandering off on their own, in the wrong direction…
(my wife and I spent Easter weekend in Avignon – a majestic medieval city, but also something of a hiccup in the history of western Christianity… a bridge too far…)
No, they would not be the last to head the wrong way, only to be pulled up abruptly, to be forced to turn around and start over again on the ascent to community.

Nor were these the last disciples to be found standing, sad and dejected, so absorbed in a sense of confusion, doubt and abandonment that they momentarily lost the plot of the gospel narrative. Maureen Dowd, a columnist for the New York Times, wondered just this past weekend: “Why does the church seem more prone to self-pity than self-reflection?” I believe the answer to that question is that disciples are only human – and we disciples require regular doses of revelation to rekindle our hearts and minds.

In the case of Cleopas and his companion – perhaps Mrs Cleopas? or possibly just a very close friend? – the central revelation of the day came with the breaking of bread.

Sometimes disciples go astray. For more than sixty years, the constitution of the World Council of Churches has held out as a chief goal of our movement the establishment of one, common eucharistic fellowship, so that we together may join in sharing the one bread and together may recognize Christ in our midst. We feature this vision of “one eucharistic fellowship” in our WCC promotional brochures, but…

What have we done about that goal, lately? Have we made six decades’ worth of progress in this area? Or four-and-a-half decades’ worth, since Vatican II?

My wife and I have known one another for forty years. She comes from one tradition of Christianity, and I come from another. Whenever we have taken communion together in the same service of worship, the action has been considered illicit by someone or another. Will we ever share the same bread, licitly? Perhaps at the feast in the kingdom of heaven…? Again, I wonder: What are we honestly doing to hasten the day of a common eucharist, in this life?

Disciples sometimes wander off, making impressive progress in the wrong direction. At such times, a word of correction should be welcome. Accepting a word of correction may lift us from the mire of self-pity and move us to self-reflection, and at last place our feet once more on the upward road that leads to a more abundant life, together.

Let us pray.

We thank you, Lord: For you have answered us and have become our salvation.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
This is your doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!

In the name of the Triune God we pray. Amen.

An Easter order for morning worship

The following order for prayers at the beginning of the week was prepared by the wonderful Yvette Milosevic

Ecumenical Centre
Geneva, Monday morning prayers, 6 April 2010

Christ is risen
Christ is risen indeed!

Christus ist auferstanden
Christus ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!

Christ est résuscité
Christ est vraiment rescuscité

Cristo ha resucitado
Verdaderamente, ha resucitado!

Hristos a înviat!
Adevărat a înviat!

Χριστός Ανέστη! Αληθώς Ανέστη!
(Christos Anesti! Aleithos Anesti!)

Христос Воскресе! Воистину Воскресе!
(Khristos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese!)

Kristus er oppstanden!
Han er sannelig oppstanden!

Words of welcome

Opening Prayer
Having beheld the resurrection of Christ,
Let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one.
We venerate your cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify your holy resurrection.
You are our God. We know no other than you, and we call upon your name.
Come, all faithful, let us venerate the holy resurrection of Christ.
For behold, through the cross joy has come to all the world.
Blessing the Lord always, let us praise his resurrection.
For enduring the cross for us, he destroyed death by death.
Amen

Hymn “Now the green blade riseth”
Liebe ist wie Weizen und sein Halm ist grün
Verse 1 in English, verse 2 in German and verse 3 and 4 English.

Psalm 118:19-24
19Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD.
20This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23This is the LORD’s doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes.
24This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.*

Sung acclamation of the gospel: Alleluia!

Luke 24:13-35
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles* from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ 19He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’ 25Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah* should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us* while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Halle, Halle, Halleluia

Sermon Rev. Theodore Gill

Sing: Ubi Caritas

Intercessions

The Lord’s prayer (each in their own language)

Closing Prayer

Christ is risen from the dead:
trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
Though you went down into the grave, O Immortal One, yet you put down the power of Hades and rose a conqueror, O Christ our God: you spoke clearly to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice; upon the apostles you bestowed peace, and to the fallen you brought resurrection.
Amen

Blessing

Final hymn: A toi la Gloire