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Ash Wednesday, 2009
Part of a multi-media presentation
What do we hide behind? (Masks and Marks)
(First slide – What masks do we wear?) (to Jennifer Knapp's Faithful to Me)
(On the slides -
This is my real hair color.
Nothing is wrong with . . . . family, child, marriage, job,
My job is my life
Don’t let them see you sweat
You can do it
(second slide – Many, many masks)
I don’t have a problem with . . . drugs, alcohol, pornography, shopping,
I ran into a door
I don’t care about what you think
(third slide – three masks)
(Now this is the sermon)
What masks do we wear?
What mask comes on when we see that person – what masks do we buy?
What face do we put on when we are hurting?
When we are lonely in the midst of the crowd?
What masks come with the job? (remove stole)
What masks help us think we’re better than, more powerful than? (remove robe)
When we think we are being judged? When we are ashamed?
What masks do we wear when life is painful?
What masks do we wear when all seems lost?
What masks do we wear for other people?
I was once part of a group that was asked to participate in a mediation that
Began with the question - what are you hiding from God?
My colleague snarked – come on, He’s God! He already knows!
Be honest.
He’s God. He’s already knows.
Our masks are not for God’s sake. He knows. He knows us through and through.
From the rising of the sun to its setting.
From the ends of the earth, there is no separation from Him.
He knew you in the womb before you were knit together.
He knows you in the depth of pain and shame and anxiety and grief.
He knows you when you are joyful and fearful that this good thing can’t last.
(Fourth slide – two masks)
Our masks are ours alone. We make, we own them, we keep them, we prize them.
They are that which separates us from God and each other.
They are our fears of being truly human and truly God’s
Matthew 5:17-20 – Jesus says: 17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come.
I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets.
No, I came to fulfill them.
18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear,
even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved.
19 So if you break the smallest commandment
and teach others to do the same,
you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20 “But I warn you—unless you obey God
better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do,
you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!
And with THAT message – we pretty quickly slam those masks on our faces!
With THAT message – we squirm and we ask – who then can be saved?
Who can be righteous?
Who can be good enough?
(5th Slide – Mask to Cross)
Can we find the right mask to make us look good enough?
The answer is not a mask – at all.
(Click –to change picture to cross)
It is a mark. It’s a fire branded on our foreheads. It’s an symbol, a sign, a letter, a tattoo.
We put it on babies – who don’t understand about faking it.
We put it on the dying – who couldn’t care less.
We put it on each other on this night.
(have ash cross put on my forehead)
The mark comes to us through his DEATH.
Through his Death.
The most honest act ever done.
The most loving answer possible to our dishonesty,
The masks we wear:
our addictions, our pride, our anger, our fears
our hoarding, our neglect – our sin.
This mark is our salvation from our own doing.
This mark is our hope, our only hope.
This mark is the door for our new life.
Life without masks. Life with the Lord. The Kingdom of Heaven.
So let’s be honest with ourselves.
God already knows. The confession isn’t for him.
It’s for us. Put down the masks, and prepare to receive the mark.
Let us kneel. (straight into confession)
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Showing posts with label Lent09. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lent09. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Ash Wednesday - what if?
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What if we re-thought what Lent worship might be like?
If we kept the focus on the cross, on what Jesus has done for us, but asked for creative ways to express this.
This is our creative Lent. It's been collaborative - Ash Wednesday has been primarily my work, but after that our Youth Director will be doing the messages, others have contributed ideas for music, for art projects, others will be doing technical stuff, skits, etc.
Here is the outline for Ash Wednesday
Prelude - (yes, it's organ music. Not to startle people too fast, it fits with the notion - you are in church)
Introduction (a small explanation of what may be happening)
Opening Prayer
Lord of mercy and hope, be with us in this time. Help us look inward, seeking to right those things that are wrong; desiring to be your disciples. Open our hearts to you and help us grow in your grace and peace. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
“Our Father We have Wandered” ELW 606 (if you don't know this it's the prodigal son's yearning set to the tune of 'O Sacred Head' - again fits the notion of church, but also the heart-feeling of the evening - repentance, return to the Lord.)
Skit - why Ash Wednesday follows Mardi Gras.
Joel 2:12-17 (The Message)
Change Your Life
Message What masks do we wear? - each week has a question. (I may use part of Zooropaby U2)
The Gospel lessons are part of the sermon - and these are not the usual Ash Wednesday lessons - I didn't want to go to that place of 'doing the right thing' this year.
Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. 18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20 “But I warn you—unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!
Matthew 7:24-29
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.”
28 After Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught as one who had real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. (The New Living Translation)
Confession - The traditional words
The assembly kneels or sits. Silence is kept for reflection and self-examination.
Most holy and merciful God,
we confess to you and to one another, and before the whole company of heaven,
that we have sinned by our fault,
by our own fault, by our own most grievous fault, in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven.
The response it the Greek Kyrie
We have shut our ears to your call to serve as Christ served us.
We have not been true to the mind of Christ.
We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
Our past unfaithfulness, the pride, envy, hypocrisy,
and apathy that have infected our lives,
we confess to you.
Our self-indulgent appetites and ways,
and our exploitation of other people,
we confess to you.
Our negligence in prayer and worship,
and our failure to share the faith that is in us,
we confess to you.
Our neglect of human need and suffering,
and our indifference to injustice and cruelty,
we confess to you.
Our false judgments,
our uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors,
and our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us,
we confess to you.
Our waste and pollution of your creation,
and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
we confess to you.
Restore us, O God, and let your anger depart from us.
Holy Communion
The Lord’s Prayer
Reception of Communion
Imposition of Ashes
Music – 801 Change my Heart O God
Reflection time (Video - Into the Mystery – Jason Gray?)
& Offering
Prayers
Forgive our Sins as we forgive to “Land of Rest” (Jerusalem, my happy home)
Conclusion
Benediction
As an outline this doesn't seem too strange. But my sermon will be odd. We aren't doing things in the usual way. We have intentionally jammed all the wordy stuff together, and plan to move it along fast. Holy Communion is the answer to the confession.
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In the weeks to come we'll be doing cooperative art projects, (each will result in a cross) along with non-traditional messages and more questions:
What do you have to give? (The anointing at Bethany - what great gift is worthy, yourself?)
What are you hungry for? (The Last Supper)
What distracts you? (The Garden - we want to create art work using old Cds)
Where do you flee? (The arrest)
What do you have to give (the Crucifixion - we will be using Walter Wagnerin's Ragman story and the rags - held by the people as signs of their grief and despair -will be woven into a cross)
Still haven't figured out Maundy Thursday.
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What if we re-thought what Lent worship might be like?
If we kept the focus on the cross, on what Jesus has done for us, but asked for creative ways to express this.
This is our creative Lent. It's been collaborative - Ash Wednesday has been primarily my work, but after that our Youth Director will be doing the messages, others have contributed ideas for music, for art projects, others will be doing technical stuff, skits, etc.
Here is the outline for Ash Wednesday
Prelude - (yes, it's organ music. Not to startle people too fast, it fits with the notion - you are in church)
Introduction (a small explanation of what may be happening)
Opening Prayer
Lord of mercy and hope, be with us in this time. Help us look inward, seeking to right those things that are wrong; desiring to be your disciples. Open our hearts to you and help us grow in your grace and peace. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
“Our Father We have Wandered” ELW 606 (if you don't know this it's the prodigal son's yearning set to the tune of 'O Sacred Head' - again fits the notion of church, but also the heart-feeling of the evening - repentance, return to the Lord.)
Skit - why Ash Wednesday follows Mardi Gras.
Joel 2:12-17 (The Message)
Change Your Life
Message What masks do we wear? - each week has a question. (I may use part of Zooropaby U2)
The Gospel lessons are part of the sermon - and these are not the usual Ash Wednesday lessons - I didn't want to go to that place of 'doing the right thing' this year.
Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. 18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20 “But I warn you—unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!
Matthew 7:24-29
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.”
28 After Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught as one who had real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. (The New Living Translation)
Confession - The traditional words
The assembly kneels or sits. Silence is kept for reflection and self-examination.
Most holy and merciful God,
we confess to you and to one another, and before the whole company of heaven,
that we have sinned by our fault,
by our own fault, by our own most grievous fault, in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven.
The response it the Greek Kyrie
We have shut our ears to your call to serve as Christ served us.
We have not been true to the mind of Christ.
We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
Our past unfaithfulness, the pride, envy, hypocrisy,
and apathy that have infected our lives,
we confess to you.
Our self-indulgent appetites and ways,
and our exploitation of other people,
we confess to you.
Our negligence in prayer and worship,
and our failure to share the faith that is in us,
we confess to you.
Our neglect of human need and suffering,
and our indifference to injustice and cruelty,
we confess to you.
Our false judgments,
our uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors,
and our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us,
we confess to you.
Our waste and pollution of your creation,
and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
we confess to you.
Restore us, O God, and let your anger depart from us.
Holy Communion
The Lord’s Prayer
Reception of Communion
Imposition of Ashes
Music – 801 Change my Heart O God
Reflection time (Video - Into the Mystery – Jason Gray?)
& Offering
Prayers
Forgive our Sins as we forgive to “Land of Rest” (Jerusalem, my happy home)
Conclusion
Benediction
As an outline this doesn't seem too strange. But my sermon will be odd. We aren't doing things in the usual way. We have intentionally jammed all the wordy stuff together, and plan to move it along fast. Holy Communion is the answer to the confession.
****
In the weeks to come we'll be doing cooperative art projects, (each will result in a cross) along with non-traditional messages and more questions:
What do you have to give? (The anointing at Bethany - what great gift is worthy, yourself?)
What are you hungry for? (The Last Supper)
What distracts you? (The Garden - we want to create art work using old Cds)
Where do you flee? (The arrest)
What do you have to give (the Crucifixion - we will be using Walter Wagnerin's Ragman story and the rags - held by the people as signs of their grief and despair -will be woven into a cross)
Still haven't figured out Maundy Thursday.
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