Pastor Michelle presided for her second Sunday at Creator worship. Today's setting was the African and American Folk Mass liturgy by John Ylvisaker, a favorite of the liturgies Creator knows and loves.
Creator Praise began with a sweet, reverent I Love You, Lord that led into a joyous Cry of My Heart. Pastor Michelle read a letter expressing our prayers for Harney County, the Melheur National Wildlife Refuge and the recent events that have transpired that she had written on behalf of Creator responding to Bishop Dave's letter on the same subject. The ties of Creator to our neighbors and the Oregon landscape was obvious as Craig talked about his connection with his son to Slot Canyon featured this week in an Oregon Field Guide episode.
The Gathering Hymn was Christ Be Our Light with a slight, sweet bounce and swing.
Before this post addresses this Sunday's readings I want to write about this blog more generally. Currently I am Council Secretary for Creator and now I ponder what is being recorded here. This feels at once personal and public.
I wrote some blog entries years ago about Creator's worship and community life. I tried then to be as objective as possible. This time is different. Not writing a personal response to what is our "public service" in the name of objectivity feels incomplete this time around. And I find, in talking to others, that my response may not be as personal as I initially judged.
Last week my reaction to the gospel reading built on Pastor Jim's sermon rather than relying on it. The double Isaiah / Luke scripture had a similar effect on others, not only at Creator but with those who offered some very interesting reactions. There was, for example, a beautiful sermon by Pastor Amanda Zentz-Alo, a former Creator Intern gave at Central Lutheran Church on this text.
Trish Voss, drew my attention to Nadia Bolz-Weber's online sermon. The Sarcastic Lutheran's writing is often inspiring and this was no exception. Her words, together with today's Gospel Luke 4:21-30 and Pastor Michelle's sermon, all now provide the opportunity to expand on last Sunday's posting. She (Nadia) imagines Jesus going on after his first words of a sermon "The Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to bring good news to the poor" She imagines Jesus saying more to her congregation, for example, "- to bring gifts of fine wine and rich food to those who exist only on McDonalds and Funions because it’s the only food in walking distance from their decrepit neighborhood "
Is it good news for the poor that they can drink fine wine and rich food rather than McDonalds and Funions today? Is that what Jesus meant when he said "Today, the scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing? Nadia continues Jesus' voice in her imagination "to endow us with a sense of worth that has nothing to do with bank accounts and status " Closer to good news, perhaps . As for freeing captives she has Jesus talking about freeing addicts from their addiction and " to remove all resentments from those who can’t let go of the past".
From this, again I see why the synagogue is in the uproar they were. Pastor Michelle put it this way in her sermon, "The gospel does not speak in harmless generalities". Right, what Jesus says is maddeningly specific. There are echoes of other Bible passages for me, specifically Nicodemus.
Like Nicodemus, the synagogue seems to acknowledgement Jesus' authority with the They spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words from his mouth but and Jesus takes a provocative stance in both cases and responds to something wrong he finds in their hearts regarding their false perceptions or assumptions. He tells them what he will do in the future will be like Elijah and Elisha and is different than what they expect. God chooses to help those the synagogue would label as the outsiders in the scripture Jesus quotes, as Pastor Michelle -pointed out.
Pastor Michelle talked about Jesus being clothed in the mantle of his power after the temptations of the wilderness. He was able to respond, not to the synagogue's outward reaction but what was in their heart. He saw and loved them for what they truly were. Is that what was meant by Today the scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing? The promise of the kingdom is always there in scripture and always here today in our response.
How can I describe how differently I am responding to the gospel readings, lessons music and worship in general the past few Sundas? They are definitely passing the "shiver* test, the prickle at the back of the neck. I had another shiver this week when I ran across a 1968 Smothers Brothers performance of three songs from Hair! It serves as good illustration here of the "shiver" test in action.
Musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell were closer to the time I was monumentally moved and inspired by musical performance but this performance captures something of what is going on in worship. First there is the initial lyrics of Age of Aquarius sung as if some invitational incantation and recognition of change in the heavens. There is a promise with something slightly simultaneously it is a little, ridiculously, muddle-headed on the face of it. Yet for me I find there is that shiver and goosebumps each time I hear those lyrics sung.
Musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell were closer to the time I was monumentally moved and inspired by musical performance but this performance captures something of what is going on in worship. First there is the initial lyrics of Age of Aquarius sung as if some invitational incantation and recognition of change in the heavens. There is a promise with something slightly simultaneously it is a little, ridiculously, muddle-headed on the face of it. Yet for me I find there is that shiver and goosebumps each time I hear those lyrics sung.
Disregarding the title track in the sequence for this discussion the next song The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In) illustrates a gospel response perfectly, Later performances this is a song where everyone joins hands in a kumbaya-type cockeyed optimism of how great it is to let the sunshine in. When you link into this performance the performers are comforting one another as they are singing. I think this captures some of the beauty - pain contrast that is contained in the gospel at its best moments. Incredible hope and sorrow exist together.
Canticle of the Turning echoes this with the first line My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great. There is hope and doubt in the question Could the world be about to turn? The dual pleading and response came back in the Communion hymn Bread of Life, Our Host and Meal. Is the feed us with your love a plea or an acknowledgement of what was happening that moment during communion.
Finally the Sending Song - We Are Called, emphasized that our response is needed for the gospel to connect to others. The line to walk humbly with God grounded the sentiment in a beautiful way that was needed.
Photo; Ron Houser
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