Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Palm Sunday – 2 April 2023 – 10am or whenever possible
You may like to light a candle during your time of worship.
Feel free to text the Peace to other members of the congregation.
We will share Communion during this service so you may like to have the elements ready.
Introit: “He became poor” – (Click this link and skip the ads – TIS words below)
Lighting the Christ Candle:
On this first day of Holy Week,
we remember Jesus riding a donkey
and the crowd following along.
May we follow the light of Christ
as we seek to walk the path before us.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we gather,
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung
People of the Kulin nation,
traditional custodians of this land and these waters.
I pay my respects to elders past and present,
and to all future leaders and generations.
As First and Second Peoples walking together,
we commit ourselves to be people of the covenant,
listening, truth telling and seeking justice for all.
Call to Worship:
Wisdom calls us,
may we hear her.
On the highways and byways,
may we hear her.
At the crossroads and boundaries,
may we hear her.
At the gates and doorways,
may we hear her.
Wisdom raises her voice
and Jesus is on his way.
Wisdom says: “my cry to all that lives”
and the Saviour rides on into Jerusalem.
We Sing: “Made in God’s likeness” – (Click this link and skip the ads )
Prayer of Adoration and Confession:
Lord God,
maker of humankind,
jeweller behind each star,
crafter of all creation,
we praise you and adore you.
As we gather this day
we give you thanks for all that has been
and entrust to you all that is yet to be.
Lord Jesus,
confounding lover of all,
today we remember your ride into Jerusalem.
You ride into our experience too,
through the turmoil, in simplicity on a donkey.
Help us to get to grips with your coming to us
in new, unexpected ways, still.
We celebrate the nature of your coming,
riding through all the clamour
and broken trust of our world
bringing a message of peaceful, transforming resistance.
As we gather this day we pause to reflect
on the things we could have done differently;
the things we could have done but didn’t,
the words we could have said and left unsaid.
(Pause)
Creator, listener, redeemer, forgive us.
Be with us as we worship you this day..
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
Words of Assurance (from Psalm 118):
This is the Good news …
God is good and has become our salvation.
The steadfast love of God endures forever!
Thanks be to God!
The Peace:
The peace of Christ be with you …
and also with you.
We Sing: “She sits like a bird” – (Click on this link and skip the ads – TiS words below)
Bible Reading: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 –
The Gifts of Wisdom
1 Does not wisdom call
and understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
4 “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all who live.
Wisdom’s Part in Creation
22 “The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.
23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 when he had not yet made earth and fields or the world’s first bits of soil.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him, like a master worker, and I was daily his delight,
playing before him always,
31 playing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.
Pilate’s Wife:
Nameless, unknown, anonymous.
Isolated from the decision-making process,
yet, always by his side,
always supporting,
always having his back,
that is the role of the politician’s wife.
I shouldn’t even have been there,
but I had family in all the right places,
and permission was granted to allow me
to be at Pilate’s side,
to support him, encourage him,
and in my own way advise him,
when he got carried away
with his own self-importance.
Trouble was brewing.
Some of the religious leaders
felt threatened by the man they called Jesus,
and they were pushing for him to be crucified,
and by some miracle they arranged a trial
at which Pilate was to reside,
and there were pressures from all corners
to do the right thing.
Pilate admired Jesus,
felt challenged by Jesus,
and from all that he heard,
Jesus treated his own folk well,
healing them, feeding them, providing water for them.
It did not seem to be that he wanted our kind of power,
but spoke about God’s values, God’s way, God’s reality,
which was putting the wind up the religious leaders,
and making them very agitated and angry.
The night before the trial,
I had a strange and disturbing dream;
blood red skies, flashing lights,
angry shouts, mobs rioting,
soldiers defending,
religious leaders sneering,
money clattering,
a child at the centre,
innocent eyes, gentle words, accepting of all,
a paragon of virtue,
in the muddy world of politics wrapped with the blindness of organised religion,
and the manoeuvring of the wannabees,
scheming, plotting, calculating the next move.
I could feel the heat of their breath,
smell the odour of their sulphuric bodies,
feel the piercing of nails being hammered into my hands,
and woke up screaming,
“NO”, “NO”, “NO”!
On the morning of the trial,
I sent a note to warn Pontius
that this Jesus was an innocent man, and deserved to be set free,
and told him of my dreams,
which he promptly ignored and passed the death sentence
because the crowds turned ugly and there was no other way
he said!
Coward, I thought,
but never said,
and I feared for all our futures.
Bible Reading: Matthew 27:11-24 –
Pilate Questions Jesus
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Barabbas or Jesus?
15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus Barabbas. 17 So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”
Watch and listen to the reflection
Reflection: Creation to Crucifix.
On Palm Sunday, we are used to hearing the story of Jesus riding into Bethlehem on a donkey. We might recall the other procession which arrives in town on the same day. We generally think about the crowd of people who throw their cloaks on the road like a royal red carpet. We remember the waving of palm branches and the shouts of ‘Hosanna!’ that ring out through the air. Yet we also know that things change quickly in the narratives of Holy Week. The joy felt at Jesus’ arrival is quickly forgotten, and some of the crowd that welcome and celebrate Jesus’ coming , will soon be part of the crowd that call for death, screaming out ‘crucify!’.
The readings this week also tell of a journey … a journey from creation to crucifix. This journey begins with Wisdom being present at creation and moves to the arrival of God’s wisdom, God’s revelation, processing into Jerusalem on a donkey. The image of Wisdom explains a particular part of the nature of God as Creator: the intuitive and creative Spirit that is expressed in both Creation itself and the nature of humanity. In Jesus, God’s wisdom is fully present, and it is a different wisdom to that which the world understands.
Reading the text from Proverbs reveals many similarities with the introduction to the gospel of John, which begins ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … All things came into being through him.’ (John 1:1, 3a). The verses from Proverbs are poetic and Wisdom has been humanised and personified as a woman. Of course this does not mean that wisdom is only a feminine virtue, but it is a way that we can lean into our understanding of God.
Interestingly though, in the early church Jesus was often imaged and celebrated as Woman Wisdom. (Uniting Church Minister Rev Dr Sally Douglass has explored this in some detail so let me know if you are interested in reading further.)
The opening lines of Proverbs 8 mirror the description of Wisdom from last week, but also go further: Wisdom is also on the heights and beside the way; Wisdom is present everywhere; and Wisdom calls out to everyone who lives so that no-one can say they have not heard Wisdom’s voice. Yet Wisdom also appears early in the story of God; as if God gives birth to that part of God’s ‘self’ early in the timeline of God’s activity. The processes of Creation would not be possible without ‘her’. Wisdom is everywhere. In every part of Creation, she leaves her mark. Wisdom is like a senior architect or designer in God’s work; but is also like the little child, full of imaginative spirit, and displaying the sheer delight of a child living in a wondrous, magical world.
Wisdom is not separate to God. Just like the Gospel of John where Jesus, as ‘the Word’, is not separate to God, but with God from the beginning and forever, Wisdom is God. In this poem, God as Wisdom, stands at the crossroads and at the entrance in front of the town, as in the previous week’s description. God is brought to life in this image as the One present at the essential moments: the place where choices are made, directions of travel are chosen, intentions are conceived and induced into actions which have consequences.
In light of this, the question that we might need to ask ourselves is whether we give God a place in the pivotal moments of our lives, in the decisions that help define who we are and what matters to us. Do we let Wisdom have her place and allow the infusion of Spirit to influence the choices we make in life? Wisdom is present at the threshold to everything, ahead of us. We talk about discerning the Spirit, and choosing to pay attention and be animated by the wisdom of God is just that. Wisdom calls, pay attention, take heed! I wonder if we do this enough?
The defining moment of Jesus arrival in Jerusalem, connects with this idea of God being present in the pivotal moments of life. In that moment of the joyous acknowledgement of the person and presence of Jesus as God’s son, arriving in Jerusalem is also a metaphor for God’s self-revelation at the most crucial defining moment of life. In God, through Jesus, we see a different type of divine power to the stereotypical human power revealed too often in our world. God’s power is, nonetheless, effective against the systems of the world so at odds with God’s intended Creation. In much the same way as Wisdom herself shows up at these moments of crux, Palm Sunday reminds us (much as Christmas does) that God is ‘present’ in these moments and God’s power goes on ahead into the circumstances of the world that need attention. God’s power goes on ahead, despite what the world might do to stop it.
Each one of us has a choice. When we are alert to the arrival of Wisdom, the divine one of God coming as the incarnate Jesus, what do we do? Do we rejoice and join the procession towards a restored world, or do we stay behind, caught up in the influence of a false wisdom that says we, or the world, knows best? Do we risk not falling in line with God’s wisdom, because we labour under the misapprehension that there are other people better suited for the task, and that God couldn’t possibly intend for us to step up?
It’s a choice that we see in the story of Jesus before Pilate. As the prefect of Judea, Pilate is the Roman official the Jewish leaders need to work through to get Jesus executed. Pilate questions Jesus, but when given the opportunity to defend himself against the accusations brought against him, Jesus does not respond. Pilate tries to release Jesus as part of a festival custom, but the crowd demand an execution.
It is into this that we see Pilate’s wife as she beseeches her husband not to get involved in the political games that are afoot. Jesus, a man she has never met, has disturbed her dreams. In a divine revelation she, a Gentile, hears from God and understands that Jesus is a ’righteous man’. She knows Jesus to be innocent and fears the outcome of sending an innocent man to his death. Yet her wisdom and appeal to Pilate fall on deaf ears, or maybe it would be fairer to say that the shouts of the crowd drown them out. Either way, her wisdom is not heeded, and in a moment Jesus’ fate is sealed. Pilate washes his hands, wanting to separate himself from the sentence he has given, even though it is too late.
Let us continue to listen to the Wisdom of God, and let us be prepared to speak God’s wisdom to the world, again and again.
Amen.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Rhonwen Pierce):
Let us pray,
Lord God,
As we reflect on Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem, we prepare ourselves for first the celebration then the reaction of the authorities. Was Jesus aware of what his actions would lead to? We pray that we become much more aware of what our actions can lead to.
We pray for those whose work involves the rescue of people suffering from the disasters that seem to be occurring more frequently and in much greater intensity. We thank you that there are animals trained to help and for the comfort these animals give. We remember too those in war torn places and the dangers they face trying to flee the conflict, often in more danger for trying to escape to make a new life elsewhere.
Let us remember those who feel they are wrong in the body created for them. This is occurring much more often and we need to search for why. Have we altered food so much that we are disrupting our health? You Lord will lead our scientists to find answers.
Thank you Lord that at last some governments are moving to recognize the indigenous people in their states. We pray that this move is of value to these people and that as time goes on more indigenous people welcome it and see its worth.
We hold up to you Lord the leaders in the Assembly, Synod and Presbytery. We give thanks for their faithful service and pray they are able to continue to lead. We remember, too, the elders of our community and all the other people who keep our fellowship able to function. We pray for Rev Heather and her family and thank you for them. Let us remember all those we know who are grieving, unwell or unable to worship with us. We hold them up in this time of silence.
Lead us now on our journey into Easter and travel with us.
Amen.
We Sing: “Feed us now” – (Click on this link and skip the ads for the tune – TiS words below)
Feed us now, bread of life, in this holy meal;
Let us know your love anew: we hunger for you.
Feed us now, bread of life, come and live within;
Let your peace be ours today, Lord Jesus, we pray.
Piece of bread, cup of wine: Lord, this food is good:
Love and mercy come to us your promise we trust.
Piece of bread, cup of wine: who can understand
How your mercy works in these? Yet, Lord, we believe.
God is here, O so near, nearer than our thoughts.
Stay with us where’er we go; Lord, help us to grow.
God is here, O so near, in this heaven’s meal.
May we always feed on you – on the bread that is true.
Watch and participate in the communion service
Communion:
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
It is right that we give you thanks and praise at all times and in all places
for you have created and sustained us.
We praise you that through your eternal Word you brought the universe into being
and you made each one of us in your own image.
You have given us this earth to care for and delight in.
You love us and have bound yourself to us.
Above all thank you for Jesus, the living Word, born as one of us, living our common life
and walking the path to death, yet through his actions reconciling us to you
and to one another.
Therefore we gladly join our voices to the song of the Church on earth and in heaven, singing:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of love and light,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
On the night of Jesus betrayal and arrest, as he shared a meal with his friends,
Jesus took bread; gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his followers, saying:
“Share this bread among you; this is my body which will be broken for justice.
Do this to remember me.”
When supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to his disciples, saying:
“Share this wine among you; this is my blood which will be shed for liberation.
Do this to remember me.”
Invocation
Creating, Redeeming, Sustaining God,
let your Spirit come upon your people gathered here and in their homes.
Spirit of compassion, bless us and this bread and wine.
May this meal be food and drink for our journey –
renewing, sustaining and making us whole.
When we eat and drink may we experience again the presence of the risen Jesus in our midst.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name;
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.
Amen.
Distribution
The bread we take is a sharing in the body of Christ.
The wine we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
The bread of life – the cup of hope.
May this meal nourish and refresh you, strengthen and renew you,
may it remind you that you are loved. Amen.
(Eat and drink)
Prayer
God of love, we give you thanks for satisfying us with this meal.
Send us from here to reveal your love in the world.
Inspire us to use our words to point others to the Word.
Inspire in us the resolve and the courage, the compassion and passion
to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with you.
Amen.
Sing: “Great God, your Spirit, like the wind” – (Click on this link for the tune – TIS words below)
Great God, your Spirit, like the wind – unseen but shaking thing we see
Will never leave us undisturbed fulfil our dreams, or set us free
Until we turn from faithless fear and prove the promise of your grace
In justice, peace and daily bread with you for all the human race.
Lord, shake us with the force of love, to rouse us from our dreadful sleep;
remove our hearts of stone, and give new hearts of flesh, to break and weep
For all your children in distress and dying for the wealth we keep.
Help us prevent, while we have time, the blighted harvest greed must reap.
And then, in your compassion, give your Spirit like the gentle rain,
Creating fertile ground from which your peace and justice spring like grain;
Until your love is satisfied, with all creation freed from pain,
And all your children live to praise your will fulfilled, your presence plain.
Blessing:
With Jesus, we journey to the Cross –
symbol of pain, symbol of shame.
The world seems upside down –
somehow darker, somehow meaner.
And yet:
as we move from whispered betrayal
to the mob baying for blood,
when all seems lost …
wisdom begs to differ;
the story continues through night and into light.
For in the ending is a new beginning.
May God bless us with courage to keep walking
as those who hold the hope of a new tomorrow
in our hearts:
today, this week, and always.
Amen.
Thanks to all those who have assisted in preparation for this liturgy with encouragement, prayers and conversation. I have also utilised the following resources:-Spill the Beans (Issue 46) and The Women’s Lectionary: Preaching The Women Of The Bible Throughout The Year (Ashley M Wilcox), WorkingPreacher.com and Fig Tree Worship.