Yesterday evening we held a short (30 minute!) reflective act of worship for the Monday of Holy Week as part of our involvement as 'observers' in the local Church of Scotland Parish Grouping Council (don't ask, it's way too complicated!).

We used three stories from the synoptic Holy Week narratives (Matthew and a bit of Luke) and explored some ideas around money.

Someone was overheard to comment, positively, before they left "that was worth coming out for."  I think that's the best compliment a preacher or worship leader can get... especially when the source is someone for whom they have deep respect.

Anyway, I thought maybe it might be worth sharing it here (which makes this a ludicrously long post).  The wording won't be identical to what I said, since I ad libbed quite a lot (which led to at least one historically incomplete observation) and this is the original from which I worked.

Joint Holy Week Service

Monday

Welcome

Opening Sentences

Among the poor,

among the proud,

among the persecuted,

among the privileged,

Christ is coming to make all things new.

In the private house,

in the public place,

in the wedding feast,

in the judgement hall,

Christ is coming to make all things new.

With a gentle touch,

with an angry word,

with a clear conscience,

with burning love,

Christ is coming to make all things new.                                                                                                       

That the kingdom might come,

that the world might believe,

that the powerful might stumble,

that the hidden might be seen,

Christ is coming to make all things new.

Within us, without us,

behind us, before us,

in this place, in every place,

for this time, for all time,

Christ is coming to make all things new.

From Gathering for Worship

Hymn

Ride on, ride on, the time is right: the roadside crowds scream with delight;
Palm branches mark the pilgrim way
Where beggars squat and children play.

Ride on, ride on, your critics wait, intrigue and rumour circulate;
New lies abound in word and jest,
And trust becomes a suspect guest.

Ride on, ride on, while well aware that those who shout and wave and stare,
Are mortals who, with common breath,
Can crave for life and lust for death

Ride on, ride on, though blind with tears, though dumb to speak and deaf to jeers.
Your path is clear, though few can tell
Their garments pave the road to hell.

Ride on, ride on, the room is let, the wine matured, the saw is whet;
And dice your death-throes shall attend
Though faith, not fate, dictates your end.

Ride on, ride on, God’s love demands. Justice and peace lie in your hands.
Evil and angels’ voices rhyme:
This is the man and this the time.                                                     

John L Bell and Graham Maule © 1988, 1996 WGRG

Prayer

A prayer from India:

Servant Christ,

Help us to follow you on the road to Jerusalem,

To set our faces firmly against friendly suggestions

For a safe, expedient life;

To embrace boldy the way of self-offering,

The way of life given for others’ gain

Servant Christ, help us to follow you

Amen

Entering the Story

Come with me on a journey through time and space… back to the first century and to Jerusalem

Come as a visitor to this great city at the far reach of the Empire and drink in the sights and sounds, the smells and tastes of a place you have only heard about

Make your way along the bustling street towards the mound on which stands the goal of your pi9lrimage – the Temple, high and exalted

As you ascend the steps towards the huge gates, drink in the atmosphere…

How many different languages can you detect being spoken?

What is the weather like?

How are you feeling now that you have finally arrived at this place, the very centre of Jewish culture and worship..?

As you near the entrance you reach into your purse or pocket and withdraw a coin, currency from home, knowing that this must be exchanged for the sacred coinage of the Temple.  Hear the words of those sat behind the tables:

Come now, you who would enter the Temple of Yahweh, women and men, pilgrims from the entire known world, purchase lambs, goats or birds for sacrifice to make atonement for your sins, to redeem your first born, to worship….  But first you must exchange the sullied coins inscribed with the heads of earthly rulers for the clean ritually pure currency we employ here…  

['Plants' begin the process of handing over their coins and are given a 'temple' coin (1p piece) instead; encourage others to do likewise.  Jesus comes last, holding his coin, shakes his head, overturns the table and drives out the moneychanger]

Hymn

Jesus Christ is waiting,

waiting in the streets;

no one is his neighbour,

all alone he eats.

Listen, Lord Jesus,

I am lonely too.

Make me, friend or stranger,

fit to wait on you.

Jesus Christ is raging,

raging in the streets, 

where injustice spirals

and real hope retreats.

Listen, Lord Jesus

I am angry too.

In the Kingdom's causes 

let me rage with you.

Jesus Christ is healing,

healing in the streets;

curing those who suffer,

touching those he greets.

Listen, Lord Jesus,

I have pity too.

Let my care be active,

healing, just like you.

Jesus Christ is dancing,

dancing in the streets,

where each sign of hatred

he, with love, defeats.

Listen, Lord Jesus  

I should triumph too.

On suspicion's graveyard

let me dance with you.

Jesus Christ is calling,

calling in the streets,

'Who will join my journey?

I will guide their feet.'

Listen, Lord Jesus,

let my fears be few.

Walk one step before me;

I will follow you.

Reading          Matthew 22: 15 – 22

The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

Reflection

Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor or not?

If, as we claim, our primary identity is neither racial nor national but mysteriously, ontologically, as children of God, as citizens of the Kingdom or Commonwealth or Republic of Heaven, are we duty bound to pay the taxes demanded of us by the UK Government, the Scottish Parliament, Glasgow City Council?

Take the coin you were given and look at is closely – whose image and inscription does it bear?

Elizabeth II DG REG FD

Elizabeth II Deo Gratia Regina Fide Defensor

Elizabeth II by the grace of God, queen; defender of the faith

By the grace of God queen…

The Hebrew Scriptures tell us that God was the reluctant instigator of a monarchy for Israel

The Apostle Paul tells us that all authorities are divinely instituted and to be obeyed

By the grace of God, defender of the faith

The Christian faith, albeit a specific, time bound, geographically mediated version of it

The national legal framework that, unrecognised, unacknowledged accords us huge financial benefits, through gift aid, exemption from rates

Is it lawful, is it consistent with our discipleship of Christ, to pay taxes to a ruling body whose values may not accord with our own and yet who grant us enormous concessions?

Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s… but what does that mean?  With church and state more intricately entwined than our radical reformation forebears would find comfortable, you do we decide?

Give to the state what the state requires of you.

Give to God what God requires of you.

Not ‘either-or’ but ‘both-and’

Take the coin you were given and look at is closely – whose image and inscription does it bear?  How do you respond to what Jesus has to say?

Reading          Luke 21: 1 – 4

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’

Response

The story is told that a five pound note and a five pence piece met in a pocket or a purse.  As they hadn’t seen each other for a while, the coin asked the note how life had been.

‘Busy,’ the note answered, ‘to the supermarket, then the coffee shop, next was the cinema and a restaurant, train tickets, new outfit, party… you know how it is.  Anyway, how about you?’

‘Ah, you know,’ the coin replied, ‘same old same old – it’s just church, church, church…’

The story of the widow’s mite is so well known we no longer hear how shocking it is.

This woman will go hungry in order to pay her dues at the Temple

This woman has no food bank, so social security, no Big Issue to sell, she faces destitution

The key is not the absolute value of her giving but its personal, sacrificial cost and the corruption of a faith that was meant, by means of its very constitution, to protect the most vulnerable in society

Everyone here is now financially better off than when we came in – if only in token amount.  The coin you have is yours – you can take it away with you and spend it as you wish.  Or you can quietly slip it onto the Christian Aid collection as you leave.

In a few moments we will leave here, following Jesus out in to the night and on into the journey of Holy Week – what will we carry with us as we go on?

Hymn

Heaven shall not wait for the poor to lose their patience,
the scorned to smile, the despised to find a friend:
Jesus is Lord; he has championed the unwanted;
in him injustice confronts its timely end.

Heaven shall not wait for the rich to share their fortunes,
the proud to fall, the elite to tend the least;
Jesus is Lord; he has shown the master's privilege -
to kneel and wash servants' feet before they feast.

Heaven shall not wait for the dawn of great ideas
thoughts of compassion divorced from cries of pain:
Jesus is Lord; he has married word and action;
his cross and company make his purpose plain.

Heaven shall not wait for triumphant Hallelujahs,
when earth has passed and we reach another shore
Jesus is Lord; in our present imperfection;
his power and love are for now and then for evermore

John L Bell and Graham Maule © 1987 WGRG

Sending

From where we are

to where you need us,

Jesus, now lead on.

From the security of what we know

to the adventure of what you will reveal,

Jesus, now lead on.

To refashion the fabric of this world

until it resembles the shape of your kingdom,

Jesus, now lead on.

Because good things have been prepared

for those who love God,

Jesus, now lead on.

From The Wee Worship Book © WGRG