A Day of Mourning
April 11, 2020
Holy Saturday
For the disciples, today was a day of mourning. A day of confusion. A day of bewilderment.
Each scattered and apart from one another. Each, perhaps, reflecting on the meal they had with Jesus just a couple of days earlier. Trying to remember what he said.
Did he say “Take this in remembrance of me”? It seemed odd at the time. A bit dramatic. But now? No. Now, I understand. Now, it makes sense.
He must have realized that his message of love was too radical for the religious authorities to abide. His willingness to eat with those on the margins, to have compassion and care for the outsider, his example, even command, to tear down boundaries that divide people, revealing God’s love and grace comes in many forms and expressions. That “love your neighbor” isn’t only for those who look like us, believe like us, love like us. “Neighbor” is everyone, even our adversaries. Well, that was just too radical.
I can’t believe he’s really gone. My teacher. My friend.
He said “remember me.”
By tomorrow many of the disciples will have made their way back to one another, but today, they are scattered. Today, they each begin to navigate the journey of grief. There’s no hope of resurrection in their minds; in their hearts. Only loss.
We know and anticipate the rest of the story. But today…
On the Cross, God is There.
April 5, 2020
Church of the Servant, Wilmington, NC
Palm Sunday – Year A
The Passion of our Lord according to Matthew
Transcript:
This Palm Sunday, as with every Palm Sunday, we hear the Passion story. This year, it’s from Matthew’s gospel. Instead of having it in our worshiping sanctuary and hearing it from many adult voices, we have a virtual Zoom version, told in the voices of our teens from Church of the Servant. I don’t know about you, but for me it holds even more meaning hearing it in their voices and knowing that they came together to do it for us as a worshiping community.
A couple of days before the taping of that Passion story, I got a text from Jesus’s mom. Read the rest of this entry »
Fix Our Hearts
March 29, 2020
Church of the Servant, Wilmington, NC
5th Sunday in Lent – Year A
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Collect for the 5th Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Sermon Transcript:
Hi everyone. I hope you’re doing well. And more than that, I hope you’re being safe. As we are embarking on the challenges that come with a brand new virus that no one has an immunity for, we have to take extra precautions. And one of those is for us to suspend worship together for a time. So while we aren’t gathering in person, I’m thankful we have ways to gather virtually. Read the rest of this entry »
Walking through the Valley
March 22, 2020
Church of the Servant, Wilmington, NC
4th Sunday in Lent – Year A
Psalm 23
“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” – Marie Curie
As a physicist, Marie Curie studied radioactivity and actively promoted the use of radium to alleviate suffering. This was unheard of in her time, yet she applied her intellect and imagination toward something unknown so it could be harnessed for therapeutic use.
Today we find ourselves at a time of discovery. Not you and me personally, although the amount of information we consume from our media sources – whether electronic or paper – can make us feel that we know more than we actually do. But I rest in the knowledge that there are countless Curies out there right now using their intellect and imagination. They are doggedly working to gain an understanding of the COVID-19 virus.
As understandable as it is to focus on the frightening progress of this new virus, it’s also inspiring to think that there is already a prototype vaccine being tested for something we didn’t even know existed a few months ago. Even so, we would be foolish not to acknowledge that we have a long valley to walk through first. Perhaps that’s why Psalm 23 resonated with me as I confronted this week’s lectionary texts. Read the rest of this entry »
jodygreenwood 