April 2, 2015
(Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12; Psalm 22; 1 Corinthians 1.18-31; John 18:1 – 19:42)
Each week, in the Parish of St Barnabas, we invite you and all who attend to respond to the big story of Jesus. We tell of the life, death, and resurrection and insure that there is opportunity for you to come forward and make the body and blood of Christ your own. We also repent together, are reconciled to each other, and we proclaim the forgiveness of God.
There are wonderful benefits to being in the liturgical tradition.
Today, however, we have ‘striped’ the sanctuary of all our symbols. Even, as you see, the altar is gone. There will be no familiar telling of the story of God through communion or even our standard liturgy.
We have, however, just re-heard the story of Good Friday – the account of Jesus death.
And it demands of us a response. Surely we cannot simply leave God’s action hanging without the God-desired answer to this timeless demonstration of the power, love, and wisdom of God: faith and love.
So the rest of this service is an opportunity for you to respond with your trust and your affection. As Tom Wright reminds us, these are the stepping stones to true knowledge of the one who created and holds our universe.
In a moment we will pray ‘for the world and for the church’. This is the realm for which Christ suffered and died. We will respond in prayer for the universe God loves and longs for.
And then there will be a time for you to come (if you are able) to stand, sit, or kneel before the unadorned, unmediated cross of Christ. Perhaps you will pray, repent, worship, sing, sit in silent awe.
But whatever you do, please know that you are invited, as you are, to this demonstration of the ‘foolishness of God’ that is infinitely ‘wiser’, to this pointer to the ‘weakness of God’ that is infinitely ‘stronger’.
Amen.