A Place at the Table

Opening Lament

I do not want to be a downer on this beautiful morning when we are gathered together in person. I also do not think it is faithful for people of faith to ignore what is going on in the world.

Here is how it went in my head when I thought about what to say during worship about world events:

Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo–killed by police officers. What does this do to law enforcement in my own family? To law enforcement officers I have gotten to know in Nampa? Mass shootings in Boulder, Atlanta, Indianapolis. The eight-year-old girl killed in Emmett, Idaho. The West Middle School student who committed suicide. Our lack of mental health resources in Idaho. Our lack of work force housing in the Treasure Valley. All of that is domestic. I have not gotten to the global stuff. We are called to action–to help bring in the reign of God however we can. Prayer is not enough. Prayers are also not nothing. So this morning, join me in this prayer of for our our community, nation, and world.

Gracious God, keep us working and praying for the day when your justice will roll down like waters, and your righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Replenish our strength and stir up our hope as we look for signs of your coming reign. And fill us with the peace that passes understanding—the deep peace of Jesus Christ our Savior, in whose holy name we pray. Amen. (All Creation Sings, Prayer of Lament)

Prayer of the Day

Holy and righteous God, you are the author of life, and you adopt us to be your children. Fill us with your words of life, that we may live as witnesses to the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.

Acts 3:12-19

¹²[Peter] addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
  ¹⁷“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

Psalm 4

¹Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause;
  you set me free when was in distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
 ²“You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory;
  how long will you love illusions and seek after lies?”
 ³Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful;
  the Lord will hear me when I call.
 ⁴Tremble, then, and do not sin;
  speak to your heart in silence upon your bed. 
 ⁵Offer the appointed sacrifices,
  and put your trust in the Lord.
 ⁶Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?”
  Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
 ⁷You have put gladness in my heart,
  more than when grain and wine abound.
 ⁸In peace, I will lie down and sleep;
  for you alone, O Lord, make me rest secure. 

1 John 3:1-7

¹See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. ³And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
  ⁴Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. ⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Luke 24:36b-48

^36bJesus himself stood among [the disciples] and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence.
  ⁴⁴Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.”

Sermon – Pastor Meggan Manlove

There is much to relate to in today’s story from Luke’s gospel. The vaccine may be giving some of us mental peace of mind, but there are still the variants. There is still so much we do not know about how this pandemic will end. We got through a turbulent election cycle, but some doubt the results. I look at our own state legislative session and though I know some important bills passed, it seems that a lot of their collective actions were motivated by fear. Fear of what? I am not entirely sure I can name it, but I think it’s a collective sense that the world is just going to keep on changing—quickly. This change is liberating for some. For others, the change feels frightening. On top of this, most of us are just plain tired. In a committee meeting earlier this week, one of our members named that all of this has led to a general hesitancy in people. I think she is right.

I enjoyed almost all of last week away in the mountains. It was just enough rest that some of my self-awareness returned. Reading my emails, I came across one from Luther Heights Camp Director Kelly Preboski about the rostered leaders retreat in the fall. She has changed the dates for this retreat to before the Confirmation Retreat. Only for the purposes of this sermon will I tell you that my reaction to this email was so disproportionate to its contents. The rostered leaders retreat is always after the Confirmation retreat! It’s been that way forever (like six years), but it feels like forever. How could Kelly do this? How can we relax if we are anticipating the weekend with junior high kids? How will I ever get parents to drive the kids up on Friday? On and on it went in my head. My fear was real, even if unfounded. 

I know myself well enough to never respond to emails that push my buttons right away. A few hours later I was laughing at myself and fine with the change. This is a vignette about a small matter with unjustified fears. But I assume most of you can relate. Further, most of you have current fears or doubts, or know people who do, which are much bigger than my story. Fears might be related to a diagnosis, a job search, the death of a loved one, too many news cycles, conspiracy theories. Whether or not we judge the thing causing someone’s fear and doubt, the emotions are real. Not all fear is unfounded or bad. More on that later.

So, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine the emotions of those disciples behind locked doors. They are afraid that the authorities will come after them. They struggle to take in strange reports of Jesus’ resurrection sightings. Even if they had hoped he would be raised from the dead, dead people are supposed to stay dead. If he has been raised, what does that mean? Then, Jesus is there in their midst, “opening their minds,” and setting them free from their fears.

The disciples gathered in the room are already on edge. When Jesus appears in their midst, they are “startled and terrified.” They think they are seeing a ghost. Earlier, the women talked about the empty tomb, sharing the news that Jesus had been raised. The two from Emmaus have told their own story of Jesus being revealed to them in the breaking of the bread. Still, no one was ready for Jesus to materialize behind those locked doors.

It is telling how Jesus responds. His first words are, “Peace be with you.” Jesus both understands and challenges their fears. “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” Jesus meets the disciples where they are, fears and doubts included. Then he invites them to touch and see. He even eats some fish with them. In all of this, he encourages them to move beyond where they are. 

What does this lead to? We read, “While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering.” Joy, disbelief, and wonder. If we have ever asked, how can I feel multiple emotions at the same time, this line of scripture puts us in good company. In response, Jesus uses familiar words of Scripture to remind them of the prophecy. Jesus opens their minds to begin to see that death is not the final word. Set free from those bonds, they are commissioned to become witnesses. The seeds are planted that will bear fruit on Pentecost.

It is hard to escape our fears. I don’t think we can. I cannot say precisely which metaphorical locked doors each of us is hiding behind. As I mentioned earlier, some of those fears and doubts might be incredibly personal. Some of our fears are more communal. You may not have them now, but I am quite sure that you have had fears and you will again. Some fears help us to be mindful. It is not necessarily getting rid of them that’s the goal. The goal is to not be held captive by them. When we are captive, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to witness to the great joy that is ours in Jesus’ resurrection.

Witnessing to the joy of the resurrection, to the deep hope that is ours, is motivated by courage and whole heartedness, but not fear. Yesterday I participated online in a teach-in session. One of our teachers, Rozella H White, said, “Fear and anger cannot be the foundation of a movement that is sustainable, liberating and life-giving.” Let me repeat that, “Fear and anger cannot be the foundation of a movement that is sustainable, liberating and life-giving.” We, here at Trinity Lutheran, might feel small and insignificant. But we are in fact invited into a movement as followers of Jesus. The foundations of this movement are love and courage.

Freedom from being captive to our fears is possible. Transformation can happen. Closed minds can be opened. The potential is for a release—a powerful release. God call us to deep peace rather than security. One pastor said that this passage asks us, “How are we to be released from those fears in order to be a proper witness?”

Dorothee Soelle was born in Germany in 1929 and grew up during the years of Hitler and the Nazi regime. Her writings are theological reflections on coming to grips with the horrors of the concentration camps and life after World War II. She realized that her heritage of Protestantism had failed to stop both the Holocaust and the war. She challenges the human tendency for wanting to feel safe, to feel secure from any threat, by seeking that from God. 

Now you could make a quick jump and say, we are captive to the fear of the virus. We should take off our masks, crowd up and trust God. But remember that fear can help us be mindful—and we are mindful that even with the vaccine, the pandemic is still happening even here in Idaho. And we have used the tools of communal discernment to move forward slowly. We bring mindful people together and make plans with new information and old guideposts. We still do not want to overwhelm our healthcare system. We still want to care for the most vulnerable among us. But we are not captive, we are moving forward, even if it is slowly. 

God provides the inner strength and security when we do things that look crazy to the world around us. Dorothee Soelle wrote, “because you are strong [in Christ], you can put the neurotic need for security behind you. You do not need to defend your life like a lunatic. For the love the poor, Jesus says, you can give your life away and spread it around.” (Jesus’ Death).

I am not saying that what Soelle suggests is easy. To take risks like implementing COVID precautions a little longer or going into affordable housing or standing up for the neighbor everyone derides or questioning family norms after generations. And where exactly does the strength of Christ come from this many years after his Ascension? It comes from the strength of Christian community, the nourishment of the sacraments, the solace of prayer, the words of scripture, and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not easy, but it is faithful.

Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of his early followers. He brought change to their lives as they moved from fright and alarm to joy mixed with disbelief to open and understanding minds and hearts. The shift in the core of their beings led them forth to take great risks, witnessing to the risen Christ. Jesus did not bring them security. Instead, they risked all in following this call. For they had come to understand that Jesus had conquered the ultimate threat, death itself. Their fears were groundless. Jesus’ own words, “Peace be with you!” came true in their own hearts.

I’m going to end a little differently today, with a prayer for Courage by Meta Herrick Carlson. Let us pray:

The world is filled with good reasons to hide, to turn away or inward to preserve some distance and dignity.

But the struggle remains, and justice beckons your attention to come alive and together for the here and now. The Spirit of God stirs, even in fear, so you might keep moving through thresholds with hearts wide open to heaven revealed in good courage. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession (Sundays and Seasons)

Alive in the risen Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, we bring our prayers before God who promises to hear us and answer in steadfast love.

A brief silence.Living God, in the midst of Easter joy we are still filled with questions and wondering. Open our hearts and minds as we encounter the scriptures, so that the church embodies repentance and forgiveness in the name of Jesus to all nations. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Creating God, like a master artist you have fashioned the universe out of your love and delight. Heal your creation where it is in need of restoration (local concerns for creation may be named). Provide all the inhabitants of earth a peaceful and sustainable home. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

God of all, the nations hunger and thirst for your righteousness. Many call on you for guidance and strength. Answer their hopes with the peace of Christ and give your lovingkindness to national, state, and local leaders of people. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Healing God, you hear the cries of those in need and answer them in their distress. Grant to those who are sick and suffering your compassion and nurse them back to health and wholeness (especially). Be close to the hearts of the lonely. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Loving Parent, you have given us such love that we should be called the children of God. Reveal yourself to us so that we in this community of faith will become more and more like you in our mutual love and bold witness. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

 Lord Jesus Christ, your own mother looked on when your life ended in violence. Our hearts are pierced with grief and anger at the deaths of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo. We commend the slain to your wounded hands, and their loved ones to your merciful heart, trusting only in the promise that your love is stronger than death, and that even now, you live and reign forever and ever. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

God of all times and ages, those who have died in you now see you as you are. We thank you for their lives among us (especially). Assure us of the peace you have promised, that we may join them in everlasting life. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

In the hope of new life in Christ, we raise our prayers to you, trusting in your never-ending goodness and mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Prayer of the Day

Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus gave us a new commandment, to love one another as he loves us. Write this commandment in our hearts, and give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.

Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14

¹The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: ²This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. ³Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. ⁴If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. [⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. ⁷They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ⁸They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ⁹Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. ¹⁰You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. ] ¹¹This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. ¹²For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. ¹³The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
¹⁴This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

¹I love the Lord, who has | heard my voice,
  and listened to my | supplication,
²for the Lord has given | ear to me
whenev- | er I called.
¹²How shall I re- | pay the Lord
  for all the good things God has | done for me?
¹³I will lift the cup | of salvation
and call on the name | of the Lord. 
¹⁴I will fulfill my vows | to the Lord
  in the presence of | all God’s people.
¹⁵Precious in your | sight, O Lord,
is the death | of your servants.
¹⁶O Lord, truly I | am your servant;
  I am your servant, the child of your handmaid; you have freed me | from my bonds.
¹⁷I will offer you the sacrifice | of thanksgiving
and call upon the name | of the Lord.
¹⁸I will fulfill my vows | to the Lord
  in the presence of | all God’s people,
¹⁹in the courts of | the Lord‘s house,
in the midst of you, | O Jerusalem. 

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

²³For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

¹Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ²The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper ³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” ¹¹For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
¹²After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

^31b“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ³²If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Sermon – Pastor Meggan Manlove

The name of our worship service, Maundy, comes from the commandment or mandate Jesus’ gives his disciples, “to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” The world needs that love so much, always but maybe especially right now. Jesus has just demonstrated the love through the act of foot washing, something we witness tonight. 

Foot washing has often been the focus of our Maundy Thursday worship services here at Trinity, and for good reason. But in my first call in Iowa, Holy Communion was central because this was the night the fifth graders celebrated their first Communion. My theology around the Lord’s Supper became robust on the prairie of Western Iowa as my congregation and I moved to weekly Communion and as I began to talk with them about lowering the age of first Communion. 

Those theological discussions and changes in practice had occurred in this congregation by the time I became your pastor. We had classes on Communion for our upper elementary, Confirmation, and adult students. But it was not until this past year with the pandemic that we really had to consider our theology around the Lord’s Supper.

It was Thursday evening. The next day Jesus would die. He knew it and he told his disciples. They were at supper together, a farewell meal. As they were seated around the table, he took bread and wine and told them that this was his body and blood and that they should eat and drink.  He told them that after he was gone, they should continue to observe this supper, for forgiveness of sins and in remembrance of him. 

Last Sunday I helped lead a group of 7^th and 8^th grade confirmation students through a discussion of the Last Supper as recorded in Mark’s gospel. The conversation lagged until I called on one student who usually contributes. “What strikes you in this story?” I asked. The student replied, “The story begins with Jesus saying someone will betray him and it ends with him saying Peter will deny him. Right in the middle of those two things, Jesus breaks the bread and shares the cup.” I was speechless. If not on Zoom, I would have caught the eyes of the other adult leaders and we would have shared a gaze of admiration. Yes, in the middle of betrayal and denial, Jesus shares this love feast with its gifts of forgiveness and mercy.

Ever since that night, the followers of Jesus the world over have observed or celebrated the Lord’s Supper as their most solemn act of worship. The Holy Spirit has used this simple meal to give the church some of the most profound and rich truths and gifts of God.

When we come to the Lord’s Supper, we come to remember him. We recall who Jesus is and what he has done, what he continues to do and what he yet will do.  He is not visibly with us as he was with the disciples that evening. As we remember him, we dwell on his life, from his birth in Bethlehem to his ascension. We remember especially the cross, where his body was broken and his blood was shed for us.

Whether we see him or not, our risen and ascended Lord is here in a living presence. He is with us, singularly in bread and wine, his body and blood. We not only have a memorial; we have a presence. And in the bread and wine he gives himself. This is the good news of the gospel in visible form.

And so, it is called a communion. Receiving life with him and in him, we are in fellowship with him, and through him in fellowship with each other. We are reconciled to God and to each other. We are the restored family of God.

Whenever and however we receive him, we come in repentance and faith. We come to receive the forgiveness of sins. We come in penitence, in sorrow for the sins that grieve him. And we come in glad confidence that he forgives us, as he has promised to do.

It is a sacrament of thanksgiving, called the Eucharist.  When a Christian stands before the throne of God, when all sins are forgiven, all joy restored, then there is nothing left to do but to give thanks. Thanksgiving is our only full and real response to God’s creation, redemption, and the gift of heaven. All the motifs of the faith, like melodies in a great symphony, are brought together in the sacrament—repentance, faith, forgiveness, joy, love, hope, and thanksgiving.  

A year ago, I said that theology about Holy Communion during a Pandemic, with new technology available had not yet been written. It would be written in the next months. And that’s what happened, on social media, in journals, in emails. I was grateful our synodical bishop found a way to give us permission to share the meal through new mediums. It fed and nourished our members in ways my words may never have. People told me it took some practice, but it gave them comfort and sustenance, both of which were needed. 

Now we have reached a chapter where we can again celebrate the meal in person—what a gift—but we will retain the home altars and home communion during this bridge time. And later, we will take all we have learned and do more Holy Communion theology together for a brand-new time. Lest we think this is the first time Christians have had to work out our Holy Communion theology, just read all of First Corinthians Chapter 11, not just the four verses read tonight.

Pastor and theologian Al Rogness wrote, “The Lord’s Supper is God’s gift to us to strengthen our faith. The Christian who realizes this will want to receive this gift often, probably as often as it is offered…. No matter how often, communicants should prepare their hearts by careful self-examination and by prayer.  The Scriptures warn against coming casually as a matter of form without repentance and without faith in the Lord’s promise of forgiveness.”  Rogness lays out the balance that must be struck—receiving the gift of Communion as often as it is offered and receiving it with a prepared heart.  

During our Holy Communion classes at Trinity for the 4^th-6^th graders, I say that the Lord’s Supper is a gift they will continue to learn about throughout their life. This was not his final lesson. We are never finished being reminded of the gift of the Lord’s Supper. 

After this past year, I come to this meal tonight we a renewed appreciation for the gifts of forgiveness and abundant life. I come exceedingly grateful to share it in-person with other embodied human beings. I come with a bit more awe and wonder. Even though I believe Jesus’ promises are sure, I trust that the gifts are guaranteed, and I believe Jesus’ presence is real, I can never explain exactly how it all happens. In the end, I am comfortable not needing to explain or fully understand. There is just enough mystery in the Lord’s Supper to leave me bewildered by the mystery of it all. It is a mystery I love sharing with others. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

The prayers are prepared locally for each occasion. The following examples may be adapted or used as appropriate.

United by the servant love of God in Christ, we pray this holy night for the needs of the world.

A brief silence.You call your people to hand on what we receive from you. Form all the baptized into teachers of faith. From one generation to the next, give your church hunger for your promises in the sacraments and joy in receiving and sharing your word. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Your creation provides all that we need. Cleanse and protect the water you have given for washing and drinking, water on which all life depends. Sustain crops and herds that provide food; teach us how to live so that there is enough for all. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

You redeemed your people from slavery. Preserve people throughout the world who flee violence and oppression (especially). Establish just leadership in place of tyranny and peace in place of war. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.Jesus loved his followers to the end. Grant assurance of that love to all who need it: those living with guilt, those struggling to forgive, those who are lonely or overlooked. Heal the sick and embrace the dying. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Jesus washed the feet of the one who betrayed him. Inspire this congregation’s ministries of service (especially), that we love as Jesus loved us. Give us renewed courage to serve. Bless the ministry of deacons throughout the church. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Here other intercessions may be offered.Your glory shone in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We thank you for generations of the faithful who have proclaimed our Lord’s death. Unite us with them in hope until he comes again. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Hear these and all our prayers, O God, in the name of the one who loves us to the end, Jesus Christ our Redeemer.Amen.

Mark 11:1-11

¹When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, [Jesus] sent two of his disciples ²and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. ³If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” ⁴They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, ⁵some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. ⁷Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. ⁹Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, 
 “Hosanna!
  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
¹⁰Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
 Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
¹¹Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Prayer of the Day

Sovereign God, you have established your rule in the human heart through the servanthood of Jesus Christ. By your Spirit, keep us in the joyful procession of those who with their tongues confess Jesus as Lord and with their lives praise him as Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.

Isaiah 50:4-9a

⁴The Lord God has given me
  the tongue of a teacher,
 that I may know how to sustain
  the weary with a word.
 Morning by morning he wakens—
  wakens my ear
  to listen as those who are taught.
⁵The Lord God has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious,
  I did not turn backward.
⁶I gave my back to those who struck me,
  and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
 I did not hide my face
  from insult and spitting.

⁷The Lord God helps me;
  therefore I have not been disgraced;
 therefore I have set my face like flint,
  and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
⁸he who vindicates me is near.
 Who will contend with me?
  Let us stand up together.
 Who are my adversaries?
  Let them confront me.
^9aIt is the Lord God who helps me;
  who will declare me guilty?

Psalm 31:9-16

⁹Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I | am in trouble;
  my eye is consumed with sorrow, and also my throat | and my belly.
¹⁰For my life is wasted with grief, and my | years with sighing;
my strength fails me because of affliction, and my bones | are consumed.
¹¹I am the scorn of all my enemies, a disgrace to my neighbors, a dismay to | my acquaintances;
  when they see me in the street | they avoid me.
¹²Like the dead I am forgotten, | out of mind;
I am as useless as a | broken pot. 
¹³For I have heard the whispering of the crowd; fear is | all around;
  they put their heads together against me; they plot to | take my life.
¹⁴But as for me, I have trusted in | you, O Lord.
I have said, “You | are my God.
¹⁵My times are | in your hand;
  rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who | persecute me.
¹⁶Let your face shine up- | on your servant;
save me in your | steadfast love.” 

Philippians 2:5-11

⁵Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
⁶who, though he was in the form of God,
  did not regard equality with God
  as something to be exploited,
⁷but emptied himself,
  taking the form of a slave,
  being born in human likeness.
 And being found in human form,
⁸he humbled himself
  and became obedient to the point of death—
  even death on a cross.

⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him
  and gave him the name
  that is above every name,
¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus
  every knee should bend,
  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue should confess
  that Jesus Christ is Lord,
  to the glory of God the Father.

Sermon – Pastor Meggan Manlove

Today we celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. What are we to make of this event?  Let’s start with the way the story is told.  Notice how only a few verses actually recount Jesus’ entry into the city. Most of the story relates the care with which Jesus has made the arrangements for this event. This could be evidence that Jesus has planned the entire occasion in advance. He has arranged for the colt. He’s even provided signals for the disciples to use with the people watching the colt.

Jesus knows exactly what he is doing. He is carefully orchestrating a piece of what one scholar describes as “street theater.” Jesus enacts a carnivalesque parody of kingship. He is ridiculing kingship as the world has always known it. He begins at the Mount of Olives. This is no accident.  This mountain was the traditional location from which people expected the final battle for Jerusalem’s liberation would begin.  

According to Zechariah 14, it is from this place that God will fight the nations and restore Jerusalem. Simon Maccabaeus entered Jerusalem this way in the second century BC. So did the leader Menahem. Jesus has what neither those men had: divine character, unanimity with God. But he does not use those traits as the crowd might have expected. 

From the Mount of Olives Jesus begins his “final campaign.”  When he sends out for provisions, however, the situation becomes rather strange.  The provisions he seeks are not the weapons of war, but simply a colt.  

The crowd spreads branches and cloaks before Jesus as a symbol of honor. They praise him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”  “God saves.”  “Long live the King!” And Jesus rides through the midst of the adoring crowds.

But Jesus comes not as one who lords his authority over others. He humbly rejects domination. He comes not with pomp and wealth. Instead, he is identified with the poor. He does not come as a mighty warrior. He is vulnerable and refuses to rely on violence.

Jesus portrays a totally different understanding of “rule.” He invites people to see and live in the world in a new way. Jesus confronted the powers with disarming love. He rode to certain death with no attempt to intimidate, destroy or surprise his enemies. In this moment Jesus does many things. He fulfills one prophecy while subverting others. He changes the notion of kingship, as he has from the beginning of his ministry. 

What are we to make of these events and this Jesus? What is our response to look like? We might start by exploring Jesus’ words and actions before he entered Jerusalem. What has his life’s work been? To announce again and again with words and actions that the reign of God has come near.

The reign of God looks like casting out demons, feeding people, healing people. Jesus has also been in conflict with the powers that be. The reign of God is in conflict with the status quo. Jesus has been in conflict with religious authorities who seem to favor rules over mercy and the abundant life. Jesus is also in conflict with the powers of empire, specifically Rome. It is these conflicts that lead to his death on the cross, which we as a congregation will mark with our self-guided Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.

For me, the passage from Philippians this morning gives us a preview of Good Friday, but also some clues about how we might follow Jesus. Paul writes, ⁵Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, ⁷but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, ⁸he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.”

I will confess that emptying oneself is not something I am particularly drawn to right now, especially because I feel somewhat drained. I know many of you feel the same way. All I want to do is fill us all up again. Further, this passage has been used by Christian communities to encourage a self-emptying that leads to complete depletion, no value of the self. Nothing could be further from the truth of the Jesus we encounter in the gospels, the Jesus who truly sees and values each person’s full humanity and belovedness. So, we do well to read the Christ Hymn in Philippians 2 with deep humility and a little trepidation.

Yet, as we look around the world, we know that servanthood and authentic humility are what are community and the world needs. It is precisely what the reign of God coming in would look like. At the center of the Philippians text is the image of self-emptying.

Perhaps the image of a pitcher of water being poured into a glass is instructive. Though we often focus on the pitcher and understand the act of emptying as a loss, we should concomitantly focus on the glass or the act of filling up. The water shifts and takes the shape of its object, ultimately changing it. When Jesus pours himself into the form of an enslaved person, he dignifies, indeed, deifies this likeness. Jesus lowers himself to uplift. Jesus emptied himself into humanity in order to change it. In the ultimate act of empathy, Jesus becomes who and what we are, so we, in turn, can become who and what he is. 

One commentator used the helpful metaphor gained from traveling on trains, when we are often reminded to mind the gap. It is a cautionary statement; to be careful of the distance between spaces, the holes and cracks where one might fall, trip, or be injured. I think this warning is implicit in Philippians. Growing to be more like Jesus can be filled with pitfalls. When we do not have the mind of Jesus, we are likely to behave in ways that do not glorify God. When we do not have the mind of Jesus, there is discord, confusion, and destruction. How, then, do we keep our minds stayed on Jesus?

Christians have many tools: prayer, worship, community, relationships and scripture. We must refresh ourselves by studying the life, words, and actions of Jesus. We must practice kindness, love, forgiveness, and humility. To avoid the gaps, we must be focused and intentional. We must exercise our empathy, not just in words, but by becoming what God needs for us to be. As one of our guiding principles at Trinity says: share the good news with our words and actions. 

It is quite natural to limit a reading of Philippians to our individual selves. But on a day when we final are able to be together in-person in real time, I invite us to consider what it looks like for us to be a self-emptying community of faith? Where are the empty glasses within our congregation and the larger community of Nampa? Where we might we be invited into deeper humility and servanthood together? What are the gaps in our life together that need minding? I do not have answers today, only what I hope are questions that are faithful to Jesus’ gospel message. 

I acknowledge, finally, that each of us comes to worship today having experienced the last year in our own way. You might have come so exhausted and weary and just needing to be filled up. Know that Jesus has done everything. You are more than enough child of God and you are loved so much. 

Maybe you came here well past your second vaccination. After a year of lots of isolation, you are rearing to go, looking to somehow heal the world’s brokenness, to be part of the reign of God breaking in. Jesus has set an example in his humility today and in his foot washing on Maundy Thursday. Turning the world upside down will end up costing him his life on Friday. Discipleship comes with costs. But death, as we Easter people know, will not have the final word. Jesus has called us to follow him, to be servants. Thanks be to God; Jesus was the ultimate servant himself. 

Prayers of Intercession

Relying on the promises of God, we pray boldly for the church, the world, and all in need.

A brief silence.In Jesus you came among us as a suffering servant. Give your church humility. Redeem your people from pride and the certainty that we always know your will. Heal us and empower us to confess Christ crucified. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

In creation, life springs from death. Redeem your creation awaiting resurrection: restore lost habitats and endangered species. Create new possibilities for areas affected by climate change (especially), grant relief from natural disasters (especially), and nurture new growth. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Jesus was handed over to the powers of this world. In all nations, instruct the powerful, that they would not exploit their power but maintain justice. Sustain soldiers, and guide those who command them, that they serve those in greatest need. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

On the cross Jesus joined all who feel forsaken. Abide with those who are condemned to death. Defend those who are falsely accused. Console and strengthen those who are mocked or bullied. Accompany all who suffer (especially); grant respite and renewal. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

You called followers to tend Jesus’ body in death. Sustain hospice workers and funeral directors. Bless this congregation’s ministries at times of death: those who plan and lead funerals, those who prepare meals, all who offer support in grief. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

God, our healer and our refuge, we pray for all who suffer from gun violence. This week we lift up all those impacted by the mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder. With your mercy, bind up wounds, restore bodies, and heal hearts. Comfort the mourners and embrace the lonely. With your might, empower us to change this broken world. Make us advocates for a stable society, alive with hope in you. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

You inspired the centurion to confess Jesus as your Son. We praise you for the faith you have given to people of all places and times. Give us also such faith to trust the promises of baptism and, with them, to look for the resurrection of the dead. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

We entrust ourselves and all our prayers to you, O faithful God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Prayer of the Day

O God, with steadfast love you draw us to yourself, and in mercy you receive our prayers. Strengthen us to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, that through life and death we may live in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

³¹The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ³²It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. ³³But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Psalm 51:1-12

¹Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
  in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
²Wash me through and through from my wickedness,
and cleanse me from my sin.
³For I know | my offenses,
  and my sin is ever before me.
⁴Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are justified when you speak and right in your judgment. 
⁵Indeed, I was born steeped in wickedness,
  a sinner from my mother’s womb.
⁶Indeed, you delight in truth deep within me,
and would have me know wisdom deep within.
⁷Remove my sins with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
  wash me, and I shall be purer than snow.
⁸Let me hear | joy and gladness;
that the body you have broken may rejoice. 
⁹Hide your face from my sins,
  and blot out all my wickedness.
¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹Cast me not away from your presence,
  and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. 

Hebrews 5:5-10

⁵Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, 
 “You are my Son,
  today I have begotten you”;
⁶as he says also in another place, 
 “You are a priest forever,
  according to the order of Melchizedek.”
⁷In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. ⁸Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; ⁹and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, ¹⁰having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

John 12:20-33

²⁰Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²²Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Prayers of Intercession

Relying on the promises of God, we pray boldly for the church, the world, and all in need.

You wash us through and through and remember our sin no more. Make your church a community of forgiveness throughout the world. Give your people courage to forgive; through them show the world new possibilities. Bless ministries of repentance and reconciliation. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

You fill the earth—from tiny grains of wheat to the mighty thunder—with your presence, and you call us to attend to your will for all creation. Grant weather that prepares the soil for seeds; protect all from violent storms, flooding, and wildfires (especially). Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

You promise to write your law on our hearts. Guide citizens throughout the world to shape communities that reflect your mercy, justice, and peace, and give them creativity to work for the welfare of all. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

You sustain us with your bountiful Spirit. Restore the joy of all who need to know your presence: those who are lonely or feel unforgivable, those who need healing of mind or body, those who are dying, and all who grieve. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Jesus calls us to follow him in life and death. Empower this congregation in discipleship. Equip children and teachers in Sunday school, confirmation, and learning ministries. Give us your truth and wisdom and teach us to follow Jesus. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

Here other intercessions may be offered.In the cross of Christ, your name is glorified. We praise you for those who have given us words to worship you (especially Thomas Cranmer). With all those who have died in Christ, bring us into life everlasting. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.

We entrust ourselves and all our prayers to you, O faithful God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.