Pure Worship, Fifth Sunday in Lent, April 7, 2019

Fifth Sunday in Lent, Sunday, April 7, 2019

For some words of introduction/explanation about this worship, CLICK HERE.

WINDHAVEN WORSHIP

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Sunday, April 7, 2019

Opening Song    "Come, Now is the Time to Worship" 

Words and Music by Brian Doerksen, performed by Phillips, Craig and Dean

"Come, now is the time to worship. Come, now is the time to give your heart..."

Welcome

Invocation
L:  We begin our worship in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C:  Amen

Opening Litany (based on Isaiah 43:18-21)   

L:  Do not dwell in the past – you’re going forward.

C:  We take the lessons we’ve learned and move on.

L:  The Holy One is here, creating again; can you feel it?

C:  God is doing something new, in the world and with us!

L:  Showing us a new direction and giving us all we need;

C:  Because we are God’s children, part of a beloved creation.

L:  God shaped us and still is perfecting us,

C:  And we are right to give God our thanks and praise.

Confession & Absolution                                                           

L:  Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

C:  Amen.

L:  Let us confess before God and one another:

C:  Merciful God, I confess that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done and by what I have left undone.

(silent reflection)

L:  Hear this Good News:  What you have, what you are, and what you offer is enough for God. God loves and accepts you, not because of what you possess or what you’ve accomplished. You are loved because God loves fully, completely and unconditionally. You are forgiven and released from anything that separates you from God, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

C: Amen.

Greeting & Prayer of the Day

L:  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

C:  And also with you.

L:  We pray together,

C:  Almighty God, every kind of worship offered purely and sincerely is holy to you. You don’t require the biggest offering, the most beautiful song, the perfectly worded prayer. You ask for our worship from the heart, not just in one hour of praise, but in lives lived well, with kindness and compassion for all.  Amen.

Gospel:   Mary Anoints Jesus   John 12:1-8 (NRSV)  

Reflection:  Pure and Simple Worship

None of us grew up with the same worship experiences. Yet all of us have a picture of what worship is.

My worship usually is a full house of Lutherans singing hymns, sometimes in two-, three-, or four-part harmony, a pastor and liturgist and cantor, prayers, scripture readings and a message. And the Meal. A faith family that joins together to praise God as we know God.

Your worship may be prayer intervals five times a day. Or a walk in the woods in contemplation and gratitude. Your worship may be meditation, or people with arms uplifted, moving freely, speaking in tongues. There may be a rock band, a country band, gospel piano, voices unaccompanied by any instruments, or a house church devoid of music altogether. Music, style, place, religion or people don't define worship.

Mary's worship in this scripture was a simple act of love. And for me, it defines worship. 

·         She brought the best she had. A jar of costly nard -- spikenard perfume that was worth a laborer's yearly wages. In one place I read 300 denarii was a laborer's yearly salary – five to six days a week for a year. So, in today's terms, perhaps a construction equipment operator's annual salary of $59,000. We aren't sure how she obtained it. Perhaps she spent all her savings weeks before to purchase it to anoint her brother, Lazarus, when he died. But Jesus raised Lazarus before she used it.

·         She was present in the moment. She wasn't paying attention to the grumbling people who questioned what she was doing, and why she was pouring this expensive gift on Jesus. She wasn't torn by someone else's opinion of her gift. She poured out the perfume, wiping it with her hair.

·         She recognized her Lord and opened her heart. Just like John, just like Peter, just like the Samaritan woman, Mary recognized Jesus as Messiah and testified to her belief. She poured out the perfume to anoint. She was focused on Jesus, and Jesus alone.

Pureness of heart and purpose is worship. I remember one of the most worshipful moments I ever experienced at my church. It was a get-together we have each November, after Thanksgiving, preparing our worship space for Advent, the season before Christmas. As we put up banners, trees, lights, and wreaths, a four-year-old girl, paused before the nativity scene that was already placed in the sanctuary. She was silent and motionless. Time stopped. I may have been the only one to notice her, and I didn't want to breathe, let alone speak, lest I disturb her presence, her open heart, and whatever thoughts and wonder she was experiencing in that moment.

I love photography, and sometimes the way the light filters through the trees, reflects off the rocks or water, or lights my husband's or son's hair or face stops me in my tracks. I pause and think about that light, that moment, God present through beauty and family. As my good friend put it: Worship. Always Worship.

Recently, my husband had a cardiac procedure. I sat in the waiting room alone, thanking God for the specialist and his team, the possibilities this procedure would give my husband, family and friends who were holding him close in thoughts and prayers. I felt the warmth of their concern and caring, an invisible brightness around us. I cleared my mind of fear and let their warmth sustain me. Worship.

I've also been in places where worship felt hollow. People more focused on themselves and their social circle than opening their hearts to God. Another Sunday, going through the motions, going to church, but losing sight of the reason for being there.

Maybe you've had life's worship moments too: when you saw your child for the first time, when you were present with a dying friend or family member, grateful to God for some unexpected grace, or sitting on a rock near a lake and watching the sunset turn from orange to amber to twilight blue. Your heart was pure, your mind open, and you recognized God's presence, and it was worship.

The next song's words are about coming full circle, stripping away all the outside noise and distractions, simply being present to God's central place in our lives, and giving ourselves over to that time of worship.

Song   "The Heart of Worship," written and performed by Matt Redman

"When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come …"

Read the Story Behind "The Heart of Worship." Click Here.

Closing Prayer

L:  We pray together,

C:  We give you thanks, gracious God, that you are with us as we try to clear our minds to worship you. Not with a worship band, organ or piano, but with simple voices and hearts open to you. Help us to worship you with all that we have, all that we are – your presence in this world that you love so much.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (feel free to use whatever language or words you regularly use for this prayer. This is one version.)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Blessing

Sharing of the Peace

Individual Prayer (as desired)

Blessings on your time at Windhaven

May it be a time of rest, of renewal, of healing.

Praying for you, for the staff at Windhaven,

and for the God of many chances

to be real and present to you, today and always.

Magi from the East, Epiphany, Jan. 6, 2019

Epiphany, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019

Some words of introduction/explanation: There’s been quite a gap since I’ve blogged Worship Words and Reflections. For the past 30 months, I’ve had the blessing of leading worship at Windhaven Psychiatric Hospital in Prescott Valley, Arizona. The hospital is operated by my employer, but the worship leading is a volunteer position – a labor of love. The community has ranged from one person to as many as 11 on any given Sunday – it is a 16-bed unit and the Sunday morning worship/inspirational group is optional. Typically, the patients stay three to seven days – occasionally a patient will be there multiple Sundays.

The participants identify almost any spiritual background imaginable: Christian of various denominations or non-denominational, Mormon, Jewish, Pagan, Wiccan, Native American, Ba’hai, Buddhist, mixed spirituality, agnostic, atheist. Weekly worship participants, those who haven’t attended a worship service in years, and those who have never had exposure to a faith group. Yet, something drew them to the worship that morning – perhaps a desire for community, or curiosity, or a desire for some sense of hope or peace. The service leans on the Revised Common Lectionary cycle, but I reserve the license to choose from any of the lessons or go off-cycle if the message of the lessons strays far from the Christian central thread of love, hope, peace, justice, compassion, healing and hospitality. I may use all, some or none of my reflection in the actual message that day, depending on the needs of the community.

I thank God who uses me to try to provide whatever these hurting souls need on any given Sunday, and the patients (and staff!) who often give me more in return than my words give them.

WINDHAVEN WORSHIP

The Day of Epiphany, Jan. 6, 2019

Opening Song    “The First Noel”   Traditional

The first Noel the angels did say,

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay:

In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,

On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

[Chorus]

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel.

They looked up and saw a star

Shining in the east beyond them far:

And to the earth it gave great light

And so it continued both day and night. [Chorus]

And by the light of that same star

Three wise men came from the country far;

To seek for a King was their intent,

And to follow the star wherever it went. [Chorus]

Welcome

Invocation

Opening Litany (based on Isaiah 60:1-6)  

L:  Arise, shine, for your light has come!

C:  Look up and get ready – things are about to change.

L:  Maybe we don’t see it through the world’s bleakness,

C:  Especially those of us who are alone, feeling empty and cold.

L:  But the Lord’s goodness will shine brightly in our lives,

C:  Warming the frozen places, filling us with joy.

Confession & Absolution                                                           

L:  Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

C:  Amen.

L:  Let us confess before God and one another:

C:  Merciful God, I confess that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done and by what I have left undone.

(silent reflection)

L:  Here is Good News: On that first Christmas, the Almighty became one with us, removing all distance between God and God’s people. Love itself became human to show us nothing – absolutely NOTHING you can do will keep you from the One who calls you Beloved Child. All your sin is forgiven. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

C: Amen.

Greeting & Prayer of the Day

L:  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

C:  And also with you.

L:  We pray together,

C:  Ever-guiding God … You brought the Magi from distant lands to seek and worship the Savior. Fill us with that kind of desire, curiosity and faith to keep following you, wherever you may lead us.  Amen.

Gospel:   Wise Men Seek Jesus    Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)  

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Reflection:  Literary License

If ever there was a passage of scripture that has taken on a life of its own, it is today’s lesson about the caravan that arrived after Jesus’ birth. After a few years of Christmas plays, my younger brothers’ Christmas pageants, my son’s Christmas roles, a couple of years of guiding people on a “Walk Though Bethlehem” and assorted songs, messages and writings, I had to go back to Matthew’s text to see what the text actually said – and more importantly, didn’t say – about these visitors.

Kings, wise men, Magi

It’s unlikely these were kings. No doubt that Matthew, the only Gospel writer who provides this account, would have called these people kings if they were indeed kings. Matthew, who starts his Gospel with 17 verses of the genealogy of Jesus, was a stickler for details, especially names. Had these been kings, they would have been named, along with their kingdom locations, and perhaps details about people in their entourage. But the text calls them Magi, which points to early astrologers. Astrologers in the Messiah’s birth account? The early church wasn’t fond of astrology, fortune-tellers, sorcery or other practices of the occult, so the visitors became wise men. Three, a dozen or a whole caravan? Legend gives us three – Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, from Persia, India and Arabia, a convenient trio matched with the three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But the eastern Christians suggest more, often a dozen. Chinese Christians believe one Magi was from China. Did these wise ones start together, meet on the road, or arrive separately? Did they convince more people to join them to seek and worship the Savior? Your guess is as good as mine.

A star, a supernova, a celestial alignment or a comet?

All of these explanations for the star they followed have been proposed, with no definite answers. Since the Christ Child likely didn’t arrive on Dec. 25, 0000, timing the birth against heavenly events is nearly impossible. Various celestial events occurred within a half dozen years either way of this date. The alignment of prophecy as well as an unknown celestial event may have started their pilgrimages.

Arrived on camels on the 12^th day

Since we aren’t sure about the origin of the visitors, their method of travel is also unknown. Matthew doesn’t mention their animals.  Depending on their origin, camels are plausible, but so are horses, pack animals or a walking caravan. Since they came from “the east,” spotting the star and following it places them in Bethlehem sometime after the birth and before Herod’s death -- at least weeks, maybe months or years after Jesus arrived. They may have met the Holy Family as it fled to Egypt, or tracked the family down upon its return to Nazareth, or at several times and locations if the wise men did not travel as a single group.

And why?

As we wonder about the who, what, when, where and how of this piece of Matthew’s birth narrative, finally we pause to consider the why. What caused these learned folks to move beyond Messianic observations and predictions to go and search for themselves? Scientific curiosity among these wise observers of the celestial happenings? Were they perhaps advisers to rulers, who upon hearing the news, sent them to confirm their calculations and bring appropriate kingdom-to-kingdom gifts? Or, was the journey initiated by something that set their hearts ablaze, a Spirit-guiding that led them to the Holy Family, much like the dream that led them to go home without tipping off Herod? Again, no confirmations.

So, draw your own picture – three wise people together on camels, or groups of pilgrim bands from different areas of the East following a star and a soul-yearning to locate this Messiah and pay him homage.

Oh, yes, don’t overlook that word – “homage.” Its definitions range simply from respect to deep reverence, comparable to the absolute loyalty pledged by feudal tenants to their lords. These visitors did not just deliver gifts and have a quick chat with Mary and Joseph before they headed home. The narrative said upon finding Jesus, they fell to their knees in worship.  Finding this child changed everything – their plans, their priorities, their futures.

How has this annual pilgrimage to the manager to seek Emmanuel – God with Us – changed us?

Song   “What Child Is This?”  Traditional

What child is this, who laid to rest,

On Mary’s lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this, is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard, and angels sing.

Haste, haste, to bring him laud,

The babe, the son of Mary.

So bring him incense, gold and myrrh,

Come, peasant, king, to own him.

The King of kings salvation brings;

Let loving hearts enthrone him.

Raise, raise, the song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy, for Christ is born,

The babe, the son of Mary.

Closing Prayer

L:  We pray together,

C:  We give you thanks, gracious God, for the leading of wise ones from distant lands, who felt the call to seek out the newborn King and worship him as their Savior. Guide us to keep following the true Light of the World, Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (feel free to use whatever language or words you regularly use for this prayer. This is one version.)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Blessing

Sharing of the Peace

Individual Prayer (as desired)

Blessings on your time at Windhaven

May it be a time of rest, of renewal, of healing.

Praying for you, for the staff at Windhaven,

and for the God of many chances

to be real and present to you, today and always.

Free Indeed, Reformation Sunday, October 29, 2017

Reformation Sunday (Year A)

Sunday, October 29, 2017

From Paul’s declaration that we have all been justified by grace to Luther’s hammering his theses against the Wittenburg Church door to remind us that grace reigns supreme, the whole darn Reformation-thing was intended to tell us that, in the end, we don’t need to do anything, earn anything, say anything, accomplish anything, or buy anything to earn God’s love. That we already have it, and that most of the Church’s problems – and, indeed, the world’s problems – start when we forget we already have love and worth and dignity as a gift from God and try to earn it or take it from someone else. It’s about freedom.

– David Lose, senior pastor

Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis

Theme:  Free Indeed

Reflection:  It was 1976, and all around me, the world suddenly had turned red, white and blue.

For this bicentennial year, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to celebrate our independence in a grand way, every town, every school, every organization was pulling out the stops to do something big. I remember a major patriotic program at the end of my school year, going to meet the Bicentennial wagon train that was traveling across the country, saving bicentennial quarters, a fabulous Fourth of July parade, people reenacting historical events, and fireworks everywhere.

I was 13. Celebrating a huge anniversary of our country’s freedom was cool – but I admit it wasn’t much more than a year-long event.

And this week, we come to the end of another year-long event. Tuesday, Oct. 31, we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation. It’s been a year-long commemoration of events that started the Protestant Reformation and the Lutheran denomination.

A year’s worth of looking back – to healing the divisions in Christ’s church that Reformation caused, to the truths that Martin Luther got right, and to the heart of the reform tradition that ensures we always have been, are, and will be a church of change.
 

The language of our Bibles: no longer Greek or Hebrew, but German, English and 630+ other languages, including Braille and audiobooks. People worship the living God in German, English, Spanish, Swahili, Navajo, American Sign Language, and thousands of other languages.

We praise the Lord in dance and music, skits and visual arts. We join in healing prayer, beer and hymns events, Taize services and drum circles. We gather in small chapels and huge auditoriums, school gymnasiums and cathedrals, and in homes, parks and stadiums. We open hymnals and worship folders, speak words from the heart and recite and sing words projected on huge screens. Our worship leader may be in the middle of a circle of chairs or shared via web conference.

Worshiping in a cathedral doesn’t make worship more correct than praising God among pine trees on a retreat. Praising God out of a hymnal is no more sacred than the somewhat memorized, often misquoted lines in a children’s Christmas program. Paul wrote to churches in Rome, God will justify no one by deeds, but through God’s grace by faith.

And the truth is that God wants nothing more for us than this country’s founders wanted for their people: freedom. Freedom from living enslaved in our sin, freedom from the impossible chore of measuring up, freedom from being excluded or excluding others. In short, as Jesus told his disciples, “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

So, we’ve commemorated a year of looking back with fondness to reformers like Martin Luther, who would not stand for less than this freedom. We’ve celebrated the joyous freedom we have in all the ways of word and worship. We’ve given a nod to people who have given everything for our freedom to worship as we choose.

Now, God’s people have done enough looking back. Time to look forward in hope, in anticipation, in wonder at the next new thing God is doing. What will the Church look like 500 years from now?  With our mighty God as our fortress, our ever-present help in times of trouble, where are we called to serve and what are we called to accomplish now that we are set free in Christ?

(You always are welcome to respond with your thoughts and reflections in the comments section at the bottom of this post.) 

Faith App:  Speak God’s truth this week. Speak words of love and acceptance to a child struggling with school, service to a co-worker with job or family stress, or compassion to a neighbor with health issues. Let the Spirit use you to set someone free.

HYMN/SONG SUGGESTIONS

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, ELW 503/504/505

Salvation Unto Us Has Come, ELW 590

Baptized and Set Free, ELW 453

For by Grace You Have Been Saved, ELW 598

Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word, ELW 517

I Come With Joy, ELW 482

God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage, ELW 509

Built on a Rock, ELW 652

Christ Has Set Me Free, Rend Collective Experiment

Strong Tower, Kutless

No Longer Slaves, Bethel Music

I Am Free, Newsboys

Chainbreaker, Zach Williams

Redeemed, Big Daddy Weave

LESSONS

Jeremiah 31:31-34 I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

Psalm 46 God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.

Romans 3:19-28 For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

John 8:31-36 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

Summary:  Reformation Sunday is like the Fourth of July to Americans, a day to commemorate the freedom we cherish in Christ, by word alone, by grace alone, through faith alone.

OPENING LITANY based on Psalm 46

L:  God is our refuge, a strong tower to protect us,

C:  Sheltering us when our worlds come crashing in.

L:  The earth can shake, foundations become unsettled,

C:  Leaving us clutching the covenant words God keeps.

L:  “I am with you,” says our God, the Lord of hosts.

C:  The steadfast, timeless One to whom we can turn.

L:  Pleasant waters flow through God’s holy community,

C:  Where God lives we are safe, unscathed in the morning,

L:  Again and again, the news terrorizes us, says evil is rife,

C:  God-Is-With-Us is the mighty fortress in whom we trust.

L:  Come and see how God handles the mess we’ve made,

C:  Snapping our spears like matchsticks to bring peace.

L:  Be quiet and present, watching our Lord at work,

C:  Respected from the beginning to the end of time.

L:  “I am with you,” says our God, the Lord of hosts.

C:  The steadfast, timeless One to whom we can turn.

CONFESSION

L:  Lord, we confess it sounds too good to be true –

C:  Your generous grace, offered free of charge!

L:  We want to turn it into something we earned,

C:  Boast that we deserve it more than other folks.

L:  How we wield freedom’s shield like a spear,

C:  Convincing people forgiveness comes with an “if,”

L:  That God’s rescue won’t cover all their wrongs –

C:  Shaking our heads that they’ve fallen short again.

L:  Everyone who sins is a slave to sin, Jesus said.

C:  Not us – in our regular worship seats each Sunday,

L:  Not us – who work tirelessly in our ministries.

C:  Like your disciples, we’ve never been enslaved.

(Silent reflection)

L:  In our confession, we pray together,

C:  Most Merciful God … how we like to edit your promises, back in Luther’s day to today. We attach a cost to what you’ve provided out of love for us; we insert an “if-then” clause into your gift of grace. Forgive us, Lord, for enslaving ourselves and others with our misguided understanding that the works we do can earn your forgiveness.

P:  Hear this Good News: Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Stay in God’s word. Stay free from those who would tell you to change your ways, work harder, or give more generously to earn a place in the family of faith. Children of God, you are forgiven and set free by God’s grace alone through your faith in Christ Jesus.  

In the name of…

C:  Amen

PRAYER OF THE DAY

L:  We pray together, 

C:  God of Freedom … we pray that you would deliver us from ourselves – our fearful, legalistic minds that won’t accept we truly are your beloved children, and our enslaved, judgmental hearts that create barriers to keep others away from the gift of grace. Keep reminding us of this truth, that through the life, death and resurrection of your son, we are free indeed. Amen.

COMMUNION BLESSING

L:  We pray together,

C:  We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the grains of faith in this bread, the free gift of grace in this cup, the covenant we break, but you keep, again and again.  Send us into this world, sharing your compassion, living your love, until the whole world is set free.  Amen.

SENDING

L:  By word alone, we know God’s truth,

C:  By the Spirit we have come to faith,

L:  And by grace alone God rescues us.

C:  Our good works reflect God’s love for us.

L: Go now, free indeed, to love and to serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God!

First Reading Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: Jeremiah’s laments are well-known. But as the children of Israel prepare to be sent to Babylon in exile, Jeremiah receives and explains his vision of a future bright with hope, because of God’s promises..

³¹ The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ³² It 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. ³³ But 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. ³⁴ No 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.

Second Reading Romans 3:19-28 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: The letter to the Roman churches is most assuredly penned by Paul himself. It is thick with Paul’s theology, intended to bring the congregations Paul did not start up to speed on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

²¹ But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, ²³ since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴ they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

Gospel John 8:31-36 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: Jesus had been teaching in the temple, and his words stopped a crowd from stoning a woman accused of adultery. Many Jewish people had begun to listen to him. Now he addresses these new disciples.

³¹ Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” ³³ They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵ The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.