MORRIS-ROSENFELD ECUMENICAL SHARED MINISTRY
ORDER OF SERVICE FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2024
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY
Due to copyright limitations, we are unable to print the words to many of the songs. However, our musicians have chosen music to fit the scriptures. We invite you to look up the words in your worship book and ponder them. If you do not have a worship book, ponder the words of one of your favourite hymns and listen for God’s voice. Those who have the internet may find the songs on YouTube.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“A life built upon Sabbath is contented because in rhythms of rest we discover our time is full of the holiness of God.”
– Shelly Miller.
Before we worship, we reflect…
The sabbath is not made for humankind alone. The ox, donkey, and livestock get to rest on the sabbath (Deut. 5:14). The sabbath principle even applies to the land: every seventh year the fields are not to be sown or the vineyards pruned; “there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land” (Lev. 25:4). What kinds of rest from use—oppressive or otherwise—might the land or creatures in your community benefit from? The sabbath is not only about rest from routine labor but also about pausing to find perspective—to notice and meet the needs of mortal flesh and the earth.
The choice of Psalm 81 for today is an interesting one. Amidst texts about sabbath from Deuteronomy and Mark is a psalm that cautions against idol worship. In his explanation of the first commandment in The Large Catechism, Martin Luther suggests that a god is where we put our ultimate trust. He sees humans often putting this trust in wealth and in the ways we fall back on our own works as sources of comfort and salvation. Trusting in our own efforts and busyness may inevitably lead to the neglect of sabbath, making Psalm 81 an excellent conversation partner for texts on keeping sabbath.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge we gather and worship on Treaty 1 Territory, the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.
Dear Loving Lord, Creator of all, you created us all in your own image, one image – many colours, one image – many cultures. You made us come together like a rainbow, separate parts but coming together in one creation. Help us to see the beauty you have created in each and every one of us.
Dear Loving Lord, we are your creation, hear the cries of your people. You gave us ears to hear and eyes to see, open our eyes to what you want us to see, help us always to look to you to see the wisdom of your ways. In the name of your dear son, Jesus Christ. Amen.[1]
CALL TO WORSHIP
Rejoice, people of God: this is our Sabbath day.
Rejoice, friends in Christ: this is our time for worship.
God ordained the Sabbath, rest and restoration.
God is worthy of worship, our Creator, Healer, and Inspiration. So then, let us worship God.[2]
GATHERING SONG: More Voices #109 My Soul Is Thirsting For You
CENTERING PRAYER
Almighty and ever-living God, throughout time you free the oppressed, heal the sick, and make whole all that you have made. Look with compassion on the world wounded by sin, and by your power restore us to wholeness of life, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
CANADIAN LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF: Spring Appeal – Tigray
Help provide families in Tigray, Ethiopia, the protection of safe houses, psychosocial support, and livelihood training.
The Tigray War 2020-2022 decimated the region. Brutal attacks on civilians and their homes created mass internal displacement that is still affecting millions of people today.
Unaccompanied women and children. Protection issues and gender-based violence. No housing. No clean water. No food. Mass trauma.
With your help, we can respond to the immediate effects of that devastating and traumatic conflict, in which families lost not only their livelihoods but their feelings of safety and security, too.
A gift of just $40 will support a family that has suffered from the trauma of conflict and hunger. How many families will you help today?
Would you like to provide families with longer-term support by delivering seeds, materials for building shelters, and cash relief to help avoid negative coping mechanisms, as well as repairing water pumps and offering training on income generating activities? If yes, then join our community of Monthly Donors today!
Once we have met our objectives for supporting families in Tigray, your monthly gifts and other gifts we receive for this appeal will be used to help respond to new emerging humanitarian issues, helping families all over the world.
CHILDREN’S CHAT
When our oldest child, Dara, was a little girl, I would try to put her to bed to have a nap in the afternoon. Dara didn’t want to have a nap, and she let me know, very loudly, that she wasn’t going to have a nap! The funny part about this situation was that Dara was so tired, it was the reason she was cranky and didn’t want to lie down for a nap! Her body needed sleep so she would feel better and be happy, but I could not get her to understand that at the age of three. Now that Dara is an adult, she loves it when she has time for a nap!
God gave the Hebrew people the 10 commandments to help them strengthen their relationship with God and each other. God created the Sabbath – for Christians, the sabbath day is Sunday – so that the people of God would be able to rest, regain their strength, be able to worship and renew their connection with God. It wasn’t a law that said they were bad people if they didn’t rest. It was God saying, “I see you working so hard for six days. Rest on the seventh day so that you remain well, and your relationship with me remains strong.” It was God looking after God’s people out of love.
When we do not rest, when we do not spend time with our loved ones, we hurt ourselves. Our bodies get more worn out, our relationships with our loved ones get strained and we, like Dara, become grumpy because we are not having a sabbath – a time of rest, being together and connecting with God.
Everything God does for us; God does out of love. Especially the sabbath!
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Almighty God, in you are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Open our eyes that we may see the wonders of your Word; and give us grace that we may clearly understand and freely choose the way of your wisdom; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
READINGS AND PSALM
First Reading: Deuteronomy 5:12-15
This portion of the Ten Commandments instructs the Israelites to keep the sabbath. The Israelites are to rest, and they are to allow their slaves, their livestock, and the foreigners living among them to do the same. They were once slaves, and so they are to treat their own slaves justly.
12Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 14But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. 15Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.
Psalm 81:1-10
Raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob. (Ps. 81:1)
1Sing with joy to God our strength and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
2Raise a song and sound the timbrel, the merry harp, and the lyre. R
3Blow the ram’s horn at the new moon, and at the full moon, the day of our feast;
4for this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob.
5God laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph, going out over the land of Egypt, where I heard a voice I did not know:
6“I eased your shoulder from the burden; your hands were set free from the grave-digger’s basket. R
7You called on me in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you from the secret place of thunder and tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not worship a foreign god.
10I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. R
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12
When we carry out God’s ministry we do so not for our glory but for the sake of Jesus Christ whom we proclaim as Lord. The power for ministry comes from God, not us, so that we persevere no matter what, trusting in God’s power and promises at work through us.
5We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 11For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Gospel: Mark 2:23—3:6
Jesus challenges the prevailing interpretation of what is lawful on the sabbath and tells his critics that the sabbath was made for humankind, not the other way around. Healing the man with the withered hand is work that cannot wait until the next day.
23One sabbath was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? 26He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” 27Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
3:1Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” 4Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
HYMN: Voices United #508 Just As I Am
SERMON – Bishop Sid Haugen, Saskatchewan Synod
From our second lesson today: Paul writes: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed … We do not lose heart.
I’m going to leave that text as a base for two things today. First, for a beautiful story from the book of Ezekiel. And I will close with one word. First, join with me in a word of prayer. May these words of my mouth, and the meditations of all our hearts and minds, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our Strength, our Rock, and our Redeemer. Amen.
Come with me to a story from long ago…no… not to a story…but into a story. A place to see not just a world of the past, but the worlds we inhabit today.
The story is from the book of the prophet Ezekiel, chapter 37. Ezekiel was a prophet whose words spoke to two different contexts. The first section of Ezekiel speaks to his own people during a time when the people were wealthy and secure. In that time of wealth Ezekiel confronted the people for having little interest in their God, and little interest in taking care of the poor. The second section of Ezekiel speaks to his people in a very different time. The faith community, once strong and powerful, was dispersed to the ends of the Babylonian empire. The people of faith had been taken from their land. The places of faith that once seemed to hold them together it seemed, were but a memory. Even more painfully, the children of these exiles, it seemed to their parents and grandparents, were more attracted to the power and wealth of the Babylonian Empire than they were to being people of faith. The mission of being the people of faith looked, for all the world, to be a thing of the past.
Into this time the prophet Ezekiel has a vision…
Ezekiel is carried to the top of a hill with a view of the valley floor below. The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel on that hilltop: “MORTAL, WHAT DO YOU SEE?” Mortal, human being, what do you see?
Ezekiel looks out on the valley below and replies, “I see bones. Bones. And more bones. A valley of bones. Dry bones.”
“MORTAL, CAN THESE BONES LIVE?” Ezekiel, knowing that he is Mortal, a Human being, who knows what he knows—and gets it wrong often enough—says before God, “I don’t know.” Then adds, “You know.”
The God speaks again: “PREACH TO THE BONES, MORTAL. PREACH TO THE BONES.” What was the human being Ezekiel to do? A valley of dry bones in front of him, but the God speaking to him. So… he preaches to the bones.
He preaches to the bones of a God who moved over the face of the chaos at the beginning of time, and from that seemingly future-less chaos creates a beautiful world. He preaches to the bones of a God who delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt when it was clear that there was no future for their faith community. When the powers of the empire that faced them, made whatever they had to bring to the table seem like dust and ashes.
He preaches to the bones of a God who walked with Abraham and Sarah. Abraham and Sarah who were given a promise by God to be the mother and father of a great nation—with descendants as countless as the stars in the sky. How many children did they have when they started their journey? None. After ten years on the road. None. How could this be? What was God doing? Here they were in old age. How many children. Still none. Then—one blessed day—one. Isaac. The Hebrew name that means Laughter. And that was only the beginning of their story.
How long did Ezekiel preach on that hill? I wonder. Not just one night. All week. Did months and years pass with Ezekiel preaching to the bones? Probably. Things that matter take time, don’t they?
Then, one day… Ezekiel heard something… or did he just think he did? Was that a sound in the valley? A quiet soft sound. Something clicked softly. Or was that the wind? It was like a tug you feel on fishing line… was that something… or am I imagining it? Then there was another. And another. Click. Click. Click. Then you know the story—you know the song—The foot bone connected to the anklebone. Click. The anklebone connected to the shinbone. Click. The shinbone connected to the knee bone. Click. All around the valley there was a sound of clattering as the dry bones came together. Then as he looked over the valley with his eyes so wide open, flesh began to wind itself around the bones, then skin covered the flesh. But the bodies stood stalk still in the valley. Without life. Without joy. Without a song. Because there was no Ruach in the bodies.
Now, Ruach is one of those Hebrew words that means more than one thing. Ruach is the Hebrew word for breath; it is also the Hebrew word for wind and the Hebrew word for spirit. There was no Ruach in the community. No breath. No wind. No spirit.
Then, the God spoke again to Ezekiel. “PREACH TO THE RUACH, MORTAL. CALL FOR THE RUACH TO COME ON THESE LIFELESS ONES.”
So, Ezekiel preached to the Ruach, called on the wind, prayed for the spirit, and prayed some more. How long did he pray? How long do you think? All day. All night. All year. How long? And then, unexpectedly, there it was. A gentle breeze began blowing through the valley. The Ruach of God blew like a fresh breath through the valley. And as Ezekiel looked on, the Ruach entered the bodies of the lifeless ones that had shape now, but no joy, and they began to stir. Called together by the Word, in-spired by the Spirit, the once dry bones began to move again. Ezekiel gazed at the scene from the hilltop. And he could hear his own heart pounding. He could hardly breathe.
His faith community was moving forward, singing, praying, dancing, laughing, loving. What a sight for a person of faith!
What does this mean? Well, in our heads, we have a pretty good idea what the prophecy could have meant to the exiled people. In the experience of the loss of so much that mattered to them; in the experience of being “dry bones,” Ezekiel’s vision from a hilltop rang out. God, in God’s own good time, in God’s own mysterious ways, would bring new shape to the people. God, in God’s own good time, would bring new life to a people, to a faith community. In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, there was hope in God’s word bringing people together, in God’s spirit blowing through the valleys of their lives. But entering the story today, what does this mean to you? To me? What do the valleys in your life look like? What do the valleys in your faith communities look like? How does the hilltop vision of Ezekiel speak into that valley? Not in your head now, but in your heart, in your heart of hearts. What does this mean? I’ll leave the story with you to speak to you in your own time and place.
But let me tell you, for a moment, how I hear the story speaking as a bishop of the ELCIC, a bishop, as it happens, retiring this summer.
I see a lot of bones in our valley. Some quite dry bones. For three years or so we shut down our buildings for the pandemic. We masked. We fought over masking. Some got sick. Some died. Some were isolated for years in care homes. Yes, everyone was afraid. I can hardly believe we lived through such a strange time. But now, four years later the return to vitality in most of our churches has been slower than most of us imagined. During the pandemic, I imagined the end of the pandemic to be like the end of World War II that I see in the movies. Parades in the street, a burst of excitement and energy. How great would that be.
But that’s not at all how it happened is it? Our faith communities trickled back into community, as the many waves of the pandemic came and went. In many congregations we are nowhere near our pre-pandemic strength. There is no foreseeable time when we return to a past size and strength. Maybe there never will be exactly a return to former days?
So, the God’s question to Ezekiel is still a burning one, isn’t it? MORTAL, HUMAN BEING, CAN THESE BONES LIVE? If they do, what will these faith communities look like? And how long will it take?
The God’s other words to Ezekiel I find even more profound today. What are we called to do in the text?
PREACH TO THE BONES, MORTAL. Preach the Word, Human being.
If you are a preacher, yes, preach to the bones—take up your calling with passion. But for the whole faith community the word speaks.
Gather together, study the scriptures together. And study the scriptures on your own. So that you both are sustained in your faith and so that you can become articulate about your faith with others. Preach to the bones people of God. And go on learning and preaching.
PREACH TO THE WIND, MORTAL. Pray for the Spirit, Human being.
Gather together as community. Gather where someone will say, “Let us pray”—and you do. And in the world we live in, it is so easy to forget to pray. Pray when you are on your own. In the morning when you rise. At the table giving thanks. When you lay down to sleep. Pray. Sometimes use words. But always pray.
Preach to the bones, people of God. Pray for the wind.
Preach to the bones, people of God. Pray for the wind.
For how long? Will we see in our lifetime a renewal of faith in ourselves or in our faith communities? I don’t know. God knows.
Preach to the bones, people of God. Pray for the wind.
Preach to the bones, people of God. Pray for the wind.
That’s the story for you to enter into.
Now, let me close with one Word
I love Jurgen Moltmann’s work. He is known as the Theologian of hope. Moltmann says this about the journey of people of faith. To put it too briefly perhaps, he says this. People of Hope, he says, are not “optimists.” Optimists are people who are sure “I am going to get what I want.” This is nothing more than selfishness. People of hope are not pessimists either. Pessimists are just people who are sure that they are never going to get what they want. That is nothing more than despair. People of hope, says Moltmann, base their lives on the resurrection of Christ as God’s decisive word to us. Hope, he says, stands against
Death, not just against death as the end of life, but hope stands against all the destructive ways of death: starvation, violence, greed, hatred, apathy. Hope stands against all the ways of death. Moltmann puts it even more clearly. He says, that in our lives we know we do suffer the “No” of God. You and I know what that looks like. That phone call late at night. The report from the medical examination. As a church, we have seen a lot of “No” from God these last three years. But Moltmann says this is what Easter means: Though we may suffer the No of God in many ways, God’s last word in this time, in this era, in this lifetime, in this body—here is the One Word—God’s last word is YES.
Preach to the bones, Mortals.
Pray for the Spirit, Mortals.
But always remember the one word, that though we may suffer the “NO” of God in many ways as people, as a church–remember that God’s last word. . .is YES.
And that makes all the difference. Amen.
HYMN: Voices United #672 Take Time To Be Holy
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
We come before the triune God to pray for our communities, ourselves, and our world.
Guide your church to expressions of faith that bring rest and release. Teach your faithful people to be attentive to the spiritual, physical, and societal weariness of our neighbors, that we proclaim your grace through tangible acts of mercy and justice. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Keep us mindful of the rhythms of nature as the days lengthen and the seasons shift toward summer. Grant relief to areas facing flooding or drought and bring favorable weather for the flourishing of crops, gardens, and orchards. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Where there is affliction in our world, bring healing. Where world leaders are perplexed, bring clarity of vision. Give a spirit of discernment to political advisors, institutional researchers, economic analysts, and all vocations that inform the work of governments and policymakers. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Provide wholeness and respite to all who are weary: those who struggle in any way and those who care for them. Strengthen first responders and health care workers in their times of exhaustion or frustration. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Stir our hearts toward abundant generosity among neighbors who experience hunger and food insecurity. Bless feeding ministries and community food efforts, especially community gardens, farmers markets and food pantries. Open both our hearts and our tables. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We remember the communion of saints whose lives made visible the saving life of Jesus Christ. Guide us by their example to embody the treasure of your love for the sake of our world, until we come to our final rest in you. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Receive our prayers, O God, and come quickly to our aid, through the power of the Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
SENDING SONG: Voices United #339 When Morning Gilds The Skies
BENEDICTION
The blessing of God, who provides for us, feeds us, and journeys with us, ☩ be upon you now and forever. Amen.
Copyright © 2016 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS011617.
© 2011 The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncsa/2.5/ca.
[1] Rev’d Robyn Davis, NATSIAC Life Member, Diocese of Bendigo, https://www.abmission.org/resources/prayers-for-reconciliation/
[2] Written by Beth Merrill Neel on her blog, ‘Hold Fast to What Is Good’. Used with permission.