Looking into the lectionary - Holy Week prayers, liturgy and visio divina ✝️

April 7, 2024 Second Sunday of Easter John 20:19-31 Easter is a triumphant reversal and vindication of Christ’s suffering and death, no question. But no Easter text begins triumphantly. In fact, Mark’s original chapter 16 cliffhanger ends with the urgent question of what will happen next. In today’s reading, we drop into that place of fear where Scripture left us last week. John 20:19-31 picks up with the disciples after they heard Mary Magdalene’s story of the empty tomb (John 20:1-2), after Peter and John ran to the scene and saw the empty linen cloths (v.6), after Mary shared her encounter with the risen Jesus with the group (v.18). Now, it is evening. The disciples wonder: If what they say is true, what will happen to us? Is this Messiah who we deserted and fled from going to enact payback? Are we going to be even more exposed? They lock the doors, and the risen Christ walks right through them and appears among them. Beyond just showing up, the risen Christ brings the disciples Pentecost. He offers the group peace (not fear or anxiety or disappointment) before breathing the Holy Spirit on them and sending them out from the room: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (v. 21-22). For a long time, I harbored a grudge, if that is possible, against the hymn “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky,” better known as “Here I Am, Lord” (GTG #69). To me, it represented all that is wrong in our decadent, self-indulgent 21st-century Christianity. We are much more interested in our personal call and feeling special than the work of Christian community, the life of discipleship. To me, a virtue of life together in Christ is that the movement becomes self-forgetful. It exists beyond mountaintop moments, which are wonderful but fleeting. Yet, like many things in life and in the life of faith, my attitude has (somewhat) changed toward “Here I am, Lord.” On my desk, amid lists and calendars and paperwork and urgent messages, I keep a couple of reminders about what I believe to be the heart of ministry and discipleship. One of these mementos is a quotation from Karl Barth in 1948: “One never is a Christian, one can only become one again and again: in the evening of each day, somewhat ashamed about one’s Christianity of the day just over, and in the morning of each new day, glad that one may dare to be one all over again, doing so with solace, with one’s fellow humanity, with hope, with everything. The Christian congregation is of one mind in that it consists of real beginners.” ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Thanks to this week's writer Chris Currie.  Order of worship for April 7, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. Austin-area Presbyterian church calls for fasting in solidarity with famine victims in Gaza by UPC Friendship, stories and justice (April 7, 2024) by Sheldon Sorge Believing the impossible — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for March 31, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... An Easter mealtime prayer Brendan McLean offers a prayer that can be used alongside an Easter meal shared with friends and family. The Exvangelical plight: ‘Hurting because we followed the rules’ NPR reporter Sarah McCammon's memoir of growing up evangelical is both timely and superb. — William Schult Full-time ministry drains too many clergy and church budgets. Part-time pastors can help. The happier, healthier future of ministry is in part-time clergy. — G. Jeffrey MacDonald Praying Easter would happen again "I’ve never stepped into the mouth of an empty tomb, but I have walked into my grandmother’s one-bedroom apartment three days after she died," writes Lisle Gwynn Garrity. PC(USA) retirement staying on predicted course  Retired clergy’s income boosted with help of retirement credits. — Gregg Brekke Holy Saturday prayer "Help me stay with the transformative tomb./ Help me trust it’s not over," writes Arianne Braithwaite Lehn. Order of worship — Maundy Thursday You are welcome to use this liturgy by Carol Holbrook Prickett in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. Visio divina for Holy Week We invite you to prayerfully reflect on the incarnation with a piece of original artwork by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Sarah Scoggin.

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, April 1 and Sunday, April 7, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, April 1, 2024 - That our leaders would be honest, humble and God-fearing men and women who recognize that they are accountable to God for each decision and action.
• Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - That God bring peace to the Middle East.
• Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - That people stop expressing their frustration through violence.
• Thursday, April 4, 2024 - That Americans put aside partisan differences so that we can address the problem of gun-violence.
• Friday, April 5, 2024 - That doctors and nurses claim and use the skills given to them by God.
• Saturday, April 6, 2024 - That God would protect our service men and women both home and abroad.
• Sunday, April 7, 2024 - That Americans celebrate the values on which our nation was founded.

WCC News: Korea Easter prayer envisions “a daily life of peace”

An Easter prayer from the Korean Peninsula—a tradition that has continued for 28 years—brings forth the vision of reunification and peace.  Ribbons with messages of peace and reunification hung on the Freedom Bridge at Imjingak, a park located on the banks of the Imjin River in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth 28 March 2024 “Many agreements that have been made so far with some difficulty are losing their power,” laments the prayer. “The Kaesong Industrial District Support Foundation has been dissolved, and the tasks of connecting the people's separated families are disappearing.” Published this year by the National Council of Churches in Korea, the prayer notes that at least 100,000 families remain separated by the barriers between North and South Korea.  “Despite our longing, we have been unable to properly wipe away the tears of the separated families looking for each other from the North and from the South,” the prayer reads. “The violence of division that permeated Korean society has extensively contaminated us and our wounds have grown.” The prayer notes that the wound of division is far too large. “God, please have pity on all those who have contributed to the division, and forgive us for not being more active toward reunification,” the text reads. “Forgive us for not holding the cross of the nation upright and as we have instead deepened the division.” The prayer asks for a consistent reunification policy that can be maintained even if the regime changes. “Let us prepare for the future of the Korean Peninsula with a daily life of peace,” the prayer reads. “Let the power that raised Jesus Christ from death be the source of the breakdown of division.” 2024 Joint North-South Korea Easter Prayer See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: In Easter message, Jerusalem heads of churches confirm Christ’s triumph over sin and death

The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem published an Easter message that confirms Christ’s triumph over sin and death. Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 28 March 2024 In issuing this Easter proclamation, we fully recognize the intense suffering that surrounds us here in the Holy Land, as well as in many other parts of the world,” reads the message. “Speaking more directly to our own circumstances, we repeat our denunciation of all violent actions in the present devastating war, especially those directed against innocent civilians, and we reiterate our call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire.” The message also renews a plea for the speedy distribution of humanitarian aid; the release of all captives; the unimpeded access of fully-equipped doctors and medical staff to tend the sick and injured; and the opening of internationally facilitated negotiations aimed at ending and moving beyond the present cycle of violence.  “Only in this way, we believe, can a comprehensive solution be finally advanced for a just and lasting peace here in the land where our Lord sacrificed his life, breaking down the dividing wall of enmity, in order to offer the world the hope for reconciliation,” the message reads.  “While extending this Easter message to Christians and others around the world, we offer our special greetings to those of the faithful in Gaza who have been bearing especially heavy crosses over the past several months.” The message specifically notes those taking refuge inside St Porphyrios and Holy Family churches, as well as the staff and volunteers of the Anglican-run Ahli Hospital, along with the patients they serve.  “It is in this confident spirit, that, whatever our circumstances, we can join with each other in repeating the ancient and joyous Easter greeting that continues to echo across the ages: ‘Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!’” the message concludes.  Read full message: Heads Of Churches - Easter Message 2024 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC prayer on overcoming racism “based on love for all”

The World Council of Churches (WCC), closing the Week of Prayer for Overcoming Racism and Xenophobia, drew people together to reflect that humans are made in the image of God.  Photo: Albin Hillert/ Life on Earth Pictures 28 March 2024 The closing prayer was held on 25 March, the UN International Day for the Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.   In one of the opening prayers, Rev. Dr Angelique Walker-Smith, strategist for Pan-African and Orthodox Faith Engagement, Bread for the World, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA governing board member, and WCC president from North America, said: “God of the universe, all praise honour and glory be to you. You are an awesome God whose ways are unfathomable but always based on love for all.”   Bishop Everald L. Galbraith, president of the Conference of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas, shared a reflection. “This world is God’s world, and the peoples are all God’s creation,” he said.   Those gathered also, within the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, prayed for the churches and people of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. Resources for the prayer were drawn from the Week of Prayer for Overcoming Racism and Xenophobia  and prayers prepared by Pan African Women of Ecumenical Empowerment Network - PAWEEN.   WCC shares Week of Prayer for Overcoming Racism and Xenophobia (WCC news release, 21 March 2024) Learn more about the WCC work on overcoming Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Looking into the lectionary - Easter Sunday resources

March 31, 2024 Easter Sunday Mark 16:1-8 Natural light is a mood booster and good for my mental health, so I’ve added a quick walk outside to my morning routine. I wake up to my alarm on my cell phone but resist the urge to check email or social media or anything that involves a screen or artificial light. Instead, I pull on warm clothes, leash up the dog, and head outside for a few minutes of fresh morning air and whatever natural light I can turn my face towards. Sometimes it’s still the moonlight. Other times, if my schedule and daylight saving time allow, it’s the sun peeking over the horizon, casting hazy pink and orange streamers through the fading dark of night. As I take in this beauty, I ready myself for the work of the day: contemplating my tasks, writing deadlines and the people with whom I will meet. I set my intentions. More deeply, I consider who I want to be and how I want to be. The reading from Mark’s Gospel for this Easter Sunday begins with Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, setting out “very early” for the tomb, just as the sun had risen. I imagine their morning sun appearing just as it does for me, and these women turning their faces toward it, contemplating their somber work for the day – anointing the body of their beloved Jesus – and setting their intentions for how they would go about this sacred task. No morning ritual could have prepared them, though, for what they found: an empty tomb; an otherworldly young man dressed in white; the admonition, “Do not be afraid.” But of course, they were afraid. According to Mark, all of Jesus’ disciples should be afraid. And originally, the story ended here, the women fleeing the tomb in “terror and amazement.” In his book Preaching Mark in Two Voices (co-written with Gary Charles), Brian Blount reflects on the original ending of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:1-8) and why early church leaders felt the need to add to it (Mark 16:9-20). Mark’s focus, Blount writes, is not on resurrection but discipleship. Therefore, Mark doesn’t end with appearances of the resurrected Jesus or the convincing of other disciples and spreading the good news. Mark ends with the women’s fear. “Fear is the natural reaction to a discipleship whose content is the way of the cross,” Blount writes. “If you’re not afraid, you don’t understand.” Mark stresses the call of discipleship and its challenges rather than resurrection appearances that displace fear and doubt with a happy, victorious ending. ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Order of worship for March 31, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. An Easter mealtime prayer by Brendan McLean Like the women at the tomb (March 31, 2024) by Shea Watts Alleluia! Christ is Risen! — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for March 24, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... PC(USA) Board of Pensions restructures benefit offerings for 2025  ‘Season of Rebuilding’ plan blueprint affirmed at board of directors spring meeting with pricing to follow in April. — Gregg Brekke Exploring the uses and possibilities of digital ministry In this Faithful Conversation, Outlook’s Social Media Producer Jesy Littlejohn and Washington National Cathedral Pastor for Digital Ministry Jo Nygard Owens explore the uses and possibilities of digital ministry. The nones have changed campus chaplains’ jobs — and made them more interesting All students, not just Christians, come talk to me about class and life in general. — Lyn Pace If the tool becomes the master, the greatest commandment remains "We do not have to solve the world’s problems, but we do have to love our neighbor," writes Jay Blossom of AI. Beyond artificial words: The pastoral heart in an age of AI ChatGPT may be efficient, but pastors can't give up on specificity and authenticity, writes Jeremy Wilhelmi. Easter season vocabulary words: Resurrection In this children's message, Sara Pantazes explores how resurrection is something that we all experience. O Lord, I Thank You for the Gift A free Easter hymn by Carolyn Gillette.