Sunday Gathering - March 14

Trinity United Church
March 14, 2021
Lent 4

“Connection not Perfection”

WE GATHER

Greeting/Welcome 

Acknowledgement of Territory:
The United Churches of Canada
repudiates the doctrine of discovery
that assumed these lands were unoccupied
when European explorers and settlers first came here.
In humble appreciation,
we acknowledge that Trinity United Church rests
on the unceded territory
of the Coast Salish peoples,
the Kwikwetlem First Nations.

Prelude : “Welcome Home – Lent” with prerecorded prelude  CLICK HERE for video.

Call to Worship: “Tree of Life” and Tenebrae Candles Lent 4      CLICK HERE for video.

Prayer of Approach:
Sometimes we feel like wanderers in the wilderness, O God, not sure which way to turn and feeling lost and alone.
Help us to remember even the wilderness, even the desert, can be a place of life and of healing, and that with you we can face our fears.
Help us to remember that you are always with us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hymn: “Guide Me, O Thou, Great Jehovah” VU 651
CLICK HERE for video.

Prayer of Reconciliation and Words of Assurance: 
Merciful God,
we confess the folly of our sin and the hypocrisy
of our complaints.
We grumble about the evils in our world,
even as we commit injustices and profit through deceit.
We fret about the scarcity of resources
while hoarding earth’s goods and cheating the poor.
We protest the problems of our world,
but we do not actively work to address them.
Merciful God, expose our sins before the light of your grace.
Heal our sin and free us from our foolish ways
that we may know the joy of eternal life in Jesus Christ,
in whose name we pray. Amen.*

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world
to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.*

*Feasting on the Word liturgies for Year B vol 1, p118 ff

WE HEAR THE WORD

Telling our Ancient Story: “Slither, Slither, Slither”      CLICK HERE for video.
The story today is based on Numbers 21:4-9. It takes place as Moses is leading the Israelites through the wilderness.

When I hold up the picture of the snake, you say, “Slither! Slither! Slither!” When I hold up the picture of grumpy cat, you say, “Grumble! Grumble! Grumble!”

The people were unhappy. They had been walking on dry land for a long, long time. Grumble, grumble, grumble! They used to live in a big city in Egypt. Now there were walking to a new place. They weren’t used to the weather, the plants, and the animals that they saw on this long journey. Grumble, grumble, grumble! Moses was leading them. Every day the people walked. Every day the people hoped they would be there. Every day they complained:
“I don’t like this food,” said one person. Grumble, grumble, grumble!
“this land is too hot and dry,” said another. Grumble, grumble, grumble!
“Why did Moses bring us out here? Why doesn’t God help us?” asked another. Grumble, grumble, grumble!
“We don’t know how to live on this land,” said another. Grumble, grumble, grumble!
All day and all night, the people complained. Grumble, grumble, grumble!
After a while they stopped acting in loving ways. Grumble, grumble, grumble!
They stopped listening to their leader, Moses. Grumble, grumble, grumble!
They began to forget God [pause].

And then, one day they noticed slithering creatures moving through their tents. Slither, slither, slither!
These creatures were everywhere. Slither, slither, slither!
These creatures started biting their toes, their ankles, and their arms. Slither, slither, slither! These creatures were long, awesome snakes. Slither, slither, slither!
“Help,” the people called out. “The snakes are hurting us.” Slither, slither, slither!
“We don’t know how to live with the snakes,” cried another. Slither, slither, slither!
“We are afraid,” said another. “We don’t know what to do in this land. Who will help us?” [pause]

Finally a little child spoke up, “We have not been listening to God.”
The people looked for Moses. “Please Moses, we are sorry! Please pray to God to take away these snakes. Please ask God to help us live on this land. We will trust again.”
Moses looked at the people with love. He knew that God was waiting. And so Moses prayed. And as Moses prayed, he heard God say, “Make the shape of a snake and place it on a pole for everyone to see. And whenever my people look at the snake, they will remember to trust me. They will remember that I am with them, in new times, in lonely times and in scary times. I will always be there helping them.”
“Praise, God!” the people called out. “Praise, God!”

God is with us all the time and helps us to face out fears.

Hymn: “Amazing Grace” VU 266
CLICK HERE for video.

Reading:

John 3:14-21
14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

This is the witness of the early church. Thanks be to God!

Message:      CLICK HERE for video.

Almighty God,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
open your Word and illumine our darkened world,
that we may see clearly and live faithfully
by the light of your truth in Jesus Christ. Amen.*

*Feasting on the Word liturgies for Year B vol 1, p118 ff

Just a reminder that according to the Hebrew Scriptures, of the hundreds of thousands of Hebrew slaves who left Egypt, none of them actually enter the promised land 40 years later. Not even Moses is permitted to enter the promised land. It is the next generation, the children of the slaves who actually enter the new land and call it home.

Specifically, the people pressure Moses to strike a rock and bring forth water on a second occasion, and Moses gives into the people's demands, even though God doesn’t give him the go-ahead. So for disobedience, God condemns the people to wander for 40 years so that this generation will die in the wilderness while the next generation is able to receive the promise.

God finds a way that the promise can still be fulfilled. We might not be very happy with how that comes about.

The people constantly look back to slavery in Egypt and contemplate how much better things were in captivity. Slavery was better than wandering endlessly in the wilderness. At least they had pots of flesh in Egypt, they didn't go hungry and didn't have to eat manna and quail all the time.

In Egypt, they got to experience God in some pretty wild and emphatic ways. They got to watch God rain down plagues on the Egyptians; pillars of fire held back the Egyptian army and another pillar of fire lit their way forward night and day; the sea parted before them and they crossed over on dry ground; then the sea closed up over the Egyptian army; then there is the epiphany on Mount Sinai when Moses received the 10 Commandments.

So their experience of God in the beginning of the expedition with Moses are pretty out there and in your face. They cannot doubt that God is with them and making things happen.

Then the wilderness which becomes 40 years of manna, quail, and a bit of water from rocks. The end of Exodus and the entirety of Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy are kind of dry reading. There are a LOT of laws; a lot of counting. A lot of counting (the book is called Numbers for a reason).

In the Wilderness, the people of God need to learn to experience God differently, before the get to the Promised Land.

So in today's story, the people have forgotten God, snakes plague the camp, and eventually, they remember, "O right, we're supposed to go to Moses; and Moses will pray." And God has Moses raise a bronze snake on a staff so that when the people see the snake, they will remember that God is with them, even if their experience of God isn't what it used to be.

Thousand or so years later, John, the Gospel writer tells us that Jesus will be raised up on a cross the way that Moses raised a bronze snake up on a staff. And when we look to Jesus, raised up on the cross, we will remember that God is with us. God loves us. That even though we aren't experiencing God right now, God experiences us.

This last year, we have not experienced God the way that we used to.

We have not been able to gather, to sing, to shake hands and hug, to work side by side in the Thrift shop, or kitchen, or to even share a simple meal together.

Now, we can complain, and we will complain. But we know that complaining didn't work out well for the Israelites.

So, a snake on a staff was a sign of God's presence to the Israelites. Jesus raised up on the cross was a sign for John and his community that God was among them. Given that we aren't experiencing God the way we were a year ago, what are the signs now for us, that God is with us?

Wearing a mask is a sign of people caring for other people. God is with us.

Our own governance team didn't just close the church building. Members of our governance team have met constantly all year to discern how our building can still be used safely. And so the food bank, Kiddies Korner, and 12-step groups have been able to remain active. God is with us.

I'm loving ZOOM worship. And I love it, not because of the quality of the music, but because I know that the people who are here are here because they really want to see each other. We want to see each other so much that we've learned some really new tricks. That is a significant sign that God is with us.

There are of course, signs of God’s presence that haven’t changed: a walk with a friend; a walk alone by the river; receiving written letters; studying scripture; listening to music; reading spiritual materials; creative activities like art, knitting, exercise, and gardening. All these activities can be signs that God is with us when we receive them with humility and gratitude.

While we continue to experience our exile from familiar spaces, familiar practices, and even familiar faces; may we learn to experience God in new ways, may we cease any complaining, and may we deepen our commitment to doing good works as we bear witness to God's sure presence in the world.

God is indeed with us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Special Music 

WE RESPOND

Hymn: “I Come with Joy” VU 477
CLICK HERE for video.

The Great Thanksgiving*:

*Feasting on the Word liturgies for Year B vol 1, p207 ff

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is truly right and our greatest joy
to give you thanks, Creator God,
for you made the world and all that is in it.
You called us into relationship with you,
providing all we need for abundant life.
Yet we turned away,
violating our relationship with you
and acting with violence toward one another
and all creation.
Yet you did not reject us
but continued to reach out and restore us.
Over and over again,
you have made covenant to be our God,
calling us to be your faithful people.
We give thanks for signs of your covenantal love:
you put your bow in the cloud,
a unilateral promise never to destroy the earth
in anger again.
You pointed to the night sky,
promising Abraham and Sarah a son
and descendants to outnumber the stars
in the heaven.
As your covenantal love continued,
you gave us commandments carved in stone
so that we might know how to live faithfully
with you and one another.
Through the prophet Jeremiah,
you promised to make still a new covenant with us,
one written on our very hearts.

Therefore we praise you
for your great mercy and steadfast love.
With the faithful of every time and place,

…we sing to the glory of you name;
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory!
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is the one who comes in your name!
Hosanna in the Highest!

You are holy, Lord of hosts,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour.
You sent him into the world,
calling us to repent
and to welcome the kingdom you bring.
Tempted in every way as we are,
he never sinned.
Instead, he turned away from violence,
teaching us the way of peace.
He rejected power that corrupts,
choosing instead to live as a servant among us.
He did not turn stones into easy bread
but instead offered us the bread of life –
justice, freedom,
health, unconditional love –
so that we might never be hungry again.
Showing the depth of your love,
he offered us the cup of the new covenant,
sealed in his blood.

We give thanks that the Lord Jesus,
on the night before he died,
took bread,
and, after giving thanks to you,
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
Take, eat.
This is my body, given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way he took the cup, saying,
This cup is the new covenant,
Shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this in remembrance of me.

In this Lenten season,
we rejoice that we share in his baptism,
in his dying and rising again,
and we look with hope for the kingdom of God in its fullness.*

Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again!

Gracious God,
as your Spirit hovered over creation,
as your Spirit descended like a dove on Jesus,
your beloved Son,
may your Spirit no hover over us,
and descend on us and these your gifts of bread and juice,
that the bread we break
and the cup we bless
may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ.
By your Spirit, make us one with Christ,
and one with all who share this feast.
Bind us in covenantal love to you
and to one another in the church,
that we may reach out to the world
with justice, freedom,
health and unconditional love
in Christ’s name,
until the promised day of your kingdom.

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
…all glory and honour are yours, almighty God,
now and forever.

And the people say:
Amen!

Disciples’ Prayer: VU 960     CLICK HERE for video.

Bread of new life.
Cup of promise.

Prayer after Communion:
Loving Creator,
we thank you that you have nourished us
with the bread of life
and the cup of salvation.
May we who have received your grace,
be strengthened to follow and serve;
we who know your mercy,
live in your glory;
we who know the greatness of your love,
see you face to face in your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

WE GO FORTH

Hymn : “Your Hand, O God, Has Guided” VU 274
CLICK HERE for video.

Commissioning and Benediction:
Seek to encounter Jesus in scripture, in the world and in your hearts
that our grumbling may become songs of praises.
The God beyond us, the Christ beside, us the spirit within us, the three all around us be with you this day and always. Amen.

Postlude

Announcements

Giving:

• if you are already on Pre-Authorized Remittance, thank you.
• we do ask that you continue to offer your financial support even though we are not meeting face to face, our ministry together continues.
• above you will see a "Donate Now" button. If you click on it, it will lead you to our donation page.