Seven Last Words service
April 4, 2012
“What if we held up signs”
Good evening. I know our time is short, so I want to pass out these slips of paper, (like fortune cookies), and to share a word with you about the first word Christ spoke from the cross. Please don’t open papers yet. There will be time for that later.
This is kind of like something I did in 1972 when I gave the children’s Sunday message. That time we handed out warm fuzzies as I talked about the warm fuzzies and cold pricklies.
Normally when I am standing up before a group it is for court, as I have tomorrow.
In worship and in our devotions, we have been drawing out of the season of Lent, slowing our pace at least, to stop and smell the roses if you will, or breath in the dust of the road from Galilee to Jerusalem, to join with Christ and the Disciples on that journey at the end of his earthly ministry, moving to this week, this Holy Week, to Christ’s Passion.
And that was certainly the case tonight as we listened to the organ prelude, slowing us down.
And, as those of you in our church know, I have been writing a lot of poetry inspired by all the reading and worship. They have richly blessed me, and have, again, slowed my steps, to try to walk beside the disciples, to listen more keenly to what Christ is saying to me, to you, to all of us. All of these readings and worship have inspired me.
The first “word”, or statement of Christ, is found in the Luke 23 scripture, “Father Forgive Them, for they know not what they do”. Wow! Christ, while dying, stops first to pray for them. Christ doesn’t say who the them are. But we know; we are the them, as surely as those who were in the Sanhedrin, the crowd, in Pilate’s palace, the guards, and those at the foot of the cross.
This Word of scripture, led me to write this poem a week ago. Please listen to these words,
“What if we held up signs – v3”
What if when we gather in worship,
coming together, at the foot of His cross,
what if we each held up a sign
to speak of the cost, how we failed to love,
why Christ had to die, to save us,
to give us a chance at new life
Maybe one would say, like Peter,
“I denied the living Christ”,
another, “I sinned against God”,
or “I drove the nails”,
“it was my cup he drank”,
or “I was the thorns”, “the crown”,
“his blood shed for us”
What if we held other signs saying,
“Christ asked God to forgive me”,
“I didn’t understand”, “forgive me”,
“I thought it was a white lie”,
“I had bigger barns”,
or “Who is my neighbor”.
Would the moment be more clear
the words spoken through his pain
the prayer Christ lifted up
for God to forgive us
while he hung dying, covered in blood
washed with our stain,
bearing our shame
The stain of our sin upon him
God’s light being cast out
preparing to enter darkness
Sheol, to die for us
on the gate of the cross
crying out to God to forgive us
to give us a chance at new life
Now, comes the audience, the crowd, participation part. Please open the slips of paper. If you are , just call out the word, or phrase that is there. And for those who have blank cards, there are an endless number of other sins, other signs we could hold up, so you can shout them too, if you want. No one has to know what is written on your paper, on your heart as we gather here today, in this Holy Week, but I offer them as you ponder the words Christ spoke from the Cross, while he was dying for us.
Well, I guess God wasn’t finished with the lesson yet. I wasn’t going to read my slip, but I think God is calling me to do so. And no, I did not select this one, God did. This is for all of us, not just for me – “I am saved by Grace, not by Works.”
Amen.
edited April 6, 2012, to reflect the edits
and spontaneous God moments, like the last paragraph.
March 29, 2012
Luke 23:34
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them;
for they know not what they do.” (KJV)
7 Last Words service,
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
April 4, 2012
&
Luke 23:34a
“Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do.”
Luke 23:32-38
Sanctuary for Lent for 2012
http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?flid=5899
by Robert V. Dodd
scripture and meditation for April 4, 2012
read April 4, 2012
&
poem edited March 29, 2012
poem written March 15, 2012
after I was asked on March 14 to do the meditation on this scripture
at the 7 Last Words service,
Suncook United Methodist Church
&
video 3/4/2012
Introduction and Chapter 1,
“Father Forgive them”
Luke 23:34
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them;
for they know not what they do.” (KJV)
Final Words from the Cross
http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=9781426746802
by Reverend Adam Hamilton
http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/bookstore.aspx?contributorid=3827
http://www.facebook.com/RevAdamHamilton
https://twitter.com/#!/RevAdamHamilton
read February 25, 2012
and read February 26, 2012
All of my
poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights
reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage.
See all 39,650+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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