Tag Archives: call to worship

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April 7th, Easter 2C Playlist @ Newmarket Baptist

C2W (Call 2 Worship)  Nina Simone’s ‘Why? -The King of Love is Dead’

For Easter 2 we commenced our service, not with resurrection celebration, but by comparing the heartfelt cry of Nina Simone’s

“What will happen now that the King of Love is dead?”

on this day forty five years ago, three days after the assassination of Baptist preacher, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, with the cry of the women on the way to the’ tomb, three days after the death of Jesus,

“Who will roll away the Stone?”  (Mark 16:3  )

We watched the video of her performing this song for the first time during the Westbury Music Fair on April 7th, 1968.  The song was written by her bassist Gene Taylor upon learning of the death of Dr. King on April 4th.

You can listen to the full 12 minute version  including extended commentary from Nina Simone capturing the emotion and power of that moment.

PoC (Prayer of Confession)

The Disciples Flee:  A responsive reading based on Mark 14.51-52  

(used previously for our Maundy Thursday, Tenebrae Liturgy)

Leader: (picking up the white garment)

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus.

When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. (Disciple drops garment)

Disciple 1: (picking up the white garment)

The white linen, robe was the garment of an Israelite priest. Moses called for all Israelites to be priests to the Lord (Exod. 19:6), a calling reiterated by the apostle Paul for followers of Jesus (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 5:10).

We are called to put on Christ, to be priests, mediators between God and a broken world.

All: but we have left the garment and run off naked (Disciple drops garment)

Disciple 2: (picking up the white garment) In the Apocalypse of John, those who have died for the sake of the gospel of love are given a white robe, and are told to wait a little longer, until the number of the brothers and sisters who are to be killed as they have been is complete. (Revelation 6:11)

We are called to put on Christ, to join with this cloud of witnesses, to put our bodies on the line and follow the way of the cross in a violent world.

All :But we have left the garment and run off naked (Disciple drops garment)

Disciple 3: (picking up the white garment)  The Apostle Paul states “For as many of you as have been baptised in Christ, have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).

In the tradition of Christ’s followers the initiation of new believers happens at Easter. Having passed through the waters of baptism the priest places the white “baptisimal alb” upon the disciple as an outward sign of their dignity as a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We are called to put on Christ and live in the light out our baptism

All: but we have left the garment and run off naked. (Disciple drops garment)

MoW (Ministry of the Word)

The absolution came in the sermon from Barry Watson who preached on the three different ending’s of Mark’s story where the mourning women are met by a man clothed in a white garment (a re-clothing of the discipleship narrative from the arrest scene in Chapter 14).  The man graciously invites them to recommence to story where it began, with Jesus in Galilee, with special mention given to Peter, the denier.

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Last Sunday’s Playlist: Asylum Seeker Psalms & “If you Eat, You’re In”

Last Sunday’s Playlist @ Newmarket Baptist 

19th August 2012, Ordinary Time 20B: Colour: Green

Greetings,

At this stage Sunday’s 10am gathering is central to our Rhythm of Prayer at Newmarket Baptist.  As we can’t each be present every Sunday we like to share highlights from our ‘playlist’ in the hope that it may re-source you to better follow Jesus in your world…

C2W (Call to Worship):

Our Call to Worship was taken from this weeks Sunday Lectionary, Psalm 34, which for the purposes of reflection upon the week ‘s national and global events we dubbed “The Asylum Seeker Psalm” based on its traditional prefix,

 ‘Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.’

This is based on a story from 1 Sam. 21:10-15 where David sought refuge but instead found himself going from frying pan to fire.

We read the Psalm 34 singing the antiphon, ” I make my boast in the Lord, let the humble hear”, from Issac Everrets’ Emergent Psalter.

PoC (Prayer of Confession):

We considered theses two images above of aslyum seekers from the weekly news.

The first are “Boat People” travelling to Australia via Indonesia who’s plight has been influenced by the passing of legislation in the Australian Parliament reinstating the so called ‘Pacific Solution’.   The second image is from protests in London where the Ecuadorian Government granted asylum to “Wikileaks” founder Julian Assange.

We asked people to imagine the words of the Psalm in the mouths of those depicted in the images.  How would we hear the Psalm if we were in their shoes? The descriptions of David feigning madness and the warnings of predicted mental illness for boat people who face mandatory and possible indefinite detention was sobering and people were invited to respond by voicing or writing their own confession.

One offering reflected a protest banner outside the the Ecuadorian Embassy stating “In the Kingdom of Lies the Truth is Treason” and how it might lead us to confession of complicity in our own failings of honesty, courage and hospitality, both personal and collective.

We noted that for the Psalmist the terror and fear of foes was meaningfully surpassed by a greater fear (awe and reverence) for God.  We prayed this for ourselves and others.  The Assurance of Forgiveness was based upon verse 4, 5, 7 and 22 of the Psalm.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Look to him, and be radiant;

so your faces shall never be ashamed.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around

those who fear him, and delivers them.

22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants;

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

And so I declare to you, that in Jesus Christ,

your sins are forgiven.

            Thanks be to God.

MoW (Ministry of the Word) :

“The will to live life differently can start in some of the most unusual places” – Pam Warhurst

We compared the word of Jesus in this weeks Lectionary Gospel reading John 6:51-58 

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.

with the motto of the Incredible Edible “Propaganda” gardening project in Todmorden in Northern England.

IF YOU EAT, YOU’RE IN! 

The video above explains in part why we have re-worked the garden at the front of our church building and are investing our vision of  renewal in local connections through our People’s Pantry & Table Projects in Flemington.

Together we considered how the ‘feeding ministry’ of Jesus in passages such as John 6 might relate to this contemporary call to conversion by Pam Warhurst and become something more profoundly sacred for each of us in our lives and neighourhood relationships?

“Can you find a unifying language, that cuts across age and income and culture that will help people themselves find a new way of living? See spaces around them differently? Think about the resource they use differently? Interact differently? Can we find that language and then can we replicate those actions?  The answer would appear to be yes and the language would appear to be FOOD!” – Pam Warhurst

Much Grace & Peace,

Marcus

 

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Last Sunday’s Playlist: London Olympics

Last Sunday’s Playlist @ Newmarket Baptist 

29th July 2012, Ordinary Time 17B: Colour: Green

Greetings,

At this stage Sunday’s 10am gathering is central to our Rhythm of Prayer at Newmarket Baptist.  As we cant each be present every Sunday we like to share highlights from our ‘playlist’ in the hope that it may re-source you to better follow Jesus in your world…

C2W (Call to Worship):

With the Olympics Opening Ceremony having just completed we reflected upon the Olympics as a religious event.  The role of an Opening Ceremony is to express something of the best ideals and hopes of humanity.  In this instance I was impressed ( blown away!) with the contrast of a traditional Christan hymn and stunning modern choreography in the tribute to those who died in the London 7/7 terrorist bombings (video here).

Written by a man on his death bed, “Abide with Me” has a powerful cultural sporting relevance being sung regularly at FA Cup Final’s in England.

Together we thought about the hope of the gospel’s promise of life in the face of death and sung the old hymn together… not quite the production values of Danny Boyle but powerful nonetheless!

PoC (Prayer of Confession):

We reflected upon the other side of the Olympics… The difference between the narratives of the God’s of Olympus… “Higher, Faster, Stronger” and those of Jesus of Nazarteth in the Beatitudes “Lower, Slower, Meeker”!?  We had a moment to think about things we didn’t like about the Olympics which included advertising and the behaviour as well as treatment of athletes who hadn’t met ours or others expectations.

In what ways has striving for “Higher, Faster, Stronger” in our lives actually disfigured our humanity, hurting ourselves and others. What are the areas in our lives we may be avoid the call or the necessity to go “Lower, Slower, Meeker?”

Michael Leunig captured the same idea beautifully later in the week… “Slower, Deeper, Wiser” here

Much Grace
Marcus