Subversive Undercroft

Who is salvation for and how do we enter into relationship with Jesus?  The church is meant to embody Christ and to be a place where He is encountered, so how do we keep our communities aligned with Christ's perspective and mission?

 

Reading: Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

 

Prayers

God’s word tells us that those who love God and love their neighbors have fulfilled the law.  Out of love and compassion for a broken world, let us pray to the Lord

For your Church, the Body of Christ, that your will might be fulfilled by our hands.

For nations crippled by international debt, for nations who must beg and scramble for the necessities of life, for nations whose people live in poverty,

For all Christians who have more than they need, that taking the Lord’s word to heart, they may be content with what is necessary and generously share from their abundance

For the children of our own country caught in the cycle of poverty, ignorance, disease, and despair,

For those in our own cities, towns, and neighborhoods who are out of work and out of luck, for broken families, for those crippled by debt, for those at their wit’s end,

For those who suffer, and for those who care for them,

For those who have died and who rest in your care alone

Lord, you invited the beggars and the crippled, the lame and the blind, to eat and drink at your table and to feast in your kingdom; and lo, here we are.  Grant us the grace to extend to others the same generosity you have shown to us; for you are our Lord, forever and ever. 

Amen.

 

Music

Amazing Grace

Jimmy Cousins

 

Alleluias for Holy Week

Boston Byzantine Choir, directed by Charles R. Marge

 

The king of love my shepherd is

IKOS/Band includes: Dave Clifton (Vocals/Guitars), David Fitzgerald (Woodwinds & Reeds), Tim Oliver (Keyboards), Nick Beggs (Chapman Stick & Bass) & Terl Bryant (Drums/Percussion).

At its best, the church is where we encounter the living Christ and feel His touch and hear His voice in intimate encounter with God, just as Moses did in the burning bush on the mountain's side.

Reading: Exodus 3:1-15

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’“ God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:

This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

 

Prayers

We pray for  those who suffer, for those who live in poverty, who have no opportunity to better their lives, for those who are persecuted  -- that we  may hear their cries and respond.

For the leaders of the nations that they may lead their people with integrity into service and with great intention into peace.

For ourselves, that we be given the strength to leave behind the fruits of temptation, turning our gaze upon that which is nourishing and sound, living a life of love, honor, and respect for others, full of rejoicing and thanksgiving

For those who seek healing of body, mind or spirit that we may be vehicles of grace and that your will for health and restoration may be fulfilled.

For those who have died surrounded by family and friends, and for those who were unloved and unmourned, that all may have a place in God’s kingdom

For all peoples of the earth and powers of the world who do not yet recognize Jesus as the Christ, that they may know you as Lord.

Living God, you are among us in your Son and in his church.  Hear the prayers we place before you.  Increase our faith that we may see you at work in the world around us, increase our heart that we might serve others in your name.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

 

Music

Go Down, Moses

Louis Armstrong

 

Sanctus

Red Mountain Music

 

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent

Donald McCullough & Master Chorale of Washington

 

Pharoah, Pharoah

At its best, the church is where we encounter the living Christ and feel His touch and hear His voice in intimate encounter with God, just as Moses did in the burning bush on the mountain's side.

Reading: Exodus 3:1-15

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’“ God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:

This is my name forever,

and this my title for all generations.

 

Prayers

We pray for  those who suffer, for those who live in poverty, who have no opportunity to better their lives, for those who are persecuted  -- that we  may hear their cries and respond.

For the leaders of the nations that they may lead their people with integrity into service and with great intention into peace.

For ourselves, that we be given the strength to leave behind the fruits of temptation, turning our gaze upon that which is nourishing and sound, living a life of love, honor, and respect for others, full of rejoicing and thanksgiving

For those who seek healing of body, mind or spirit that we may be vehicles of grace and that your will for health and restoration may be fulfilled.

For those who have died surrounded by family and friends, and for those who were unloved and unmourned, that all may have a place in God’s kingdom

For all peoples of the earth and powers of the world who do not yet recognize Jesus as the Christ, that they may know you as Lord.

Living God, you are among us in your Son and in his church.  Hear the prayers we place before you.  Increase our faith that we may see you at work in the world around us, increase our heart that we might serve others in your name.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

 

Music

Go Down, Moses

Lou

Jesus asks, "who do you say that I am?" and Peter blurts out "the Messiah."  But who is Jesus to us, inthe here and now and how do we build a kingdom on the small loose stones of our faith? 

 

Reading:Matthew 16:13-20

When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

 

Prayers:

Through the power of God, Peter saw Jesus in spirit and truth.  For the power of God to be felt in our own times, let us offer pray…

For all peoples of the earth and powers of the world who do not yet recognize Jesus as the Christ,

For the unity of the churches, and for their common witness to the possibility of faith

For those who struggle to believe, for those who have been hurt by the church, and for those who are oppressed in the name of God,

For an end to armed conflict, for peace and reconciliation between peoples, and for Christians to claim their voices as peacemakers,

For ourselves, our families, and our communities, who are daily faced with questions of faith,

For all who suffer and who are in need of healing and wholeness,

For those we have loved and lost, and all your faithful saints in generations past who have been the lights of the world in their time

Living God, you are among us in your Son and in his church.  Hear the prayers we place before you.  Increase our faith that we may see your works more clearly and guide our actions that we may reveal your love more surely.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen

 

Music

Come, thou long expected Jesus

Nathan Drake

 

Be Thou My Vision

Norton Hall Band

 

Come my way

Blackfriar music

Video

Jesus asks, "who do you say that I am?" and Peter blurts out "the Messiah."  But who is Jesus to us, inthe here and now and how do we build a kingdom on the small loose stones of our faith? 

 

Reading:Matthew 16:13-20

When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

 

Prayers:

Through the power of God, Peter saw Jesus in spirit and truth.  For the power of God to be felt in our own times, let us offer pray…

For all peoples of the earth and powers of the world who do not yet recognize Jesus as the Christ,

For the unity of the churches, and for their common witness to the possibility of faith

For those who struggle to believe, for those who have been hurt by the church, and for those who are oppressed in the name of God,

For an end to armed conflict, for peace and reconciliation between peoples, and for Christians to claim their voices as peacemakers,

For ourselves, our families, and our communities, who are daily faced with questions of faith,

For all who suffer and who are in need of healing and wholeness,

For those we have loved and lost, and all your faithful saints in generations past who have been the lights of the world in their time

Living God, you are among us in your Son and in his church.  Hear the prayers we place before you.  Increase our faith that we may see your works more clearly and guide our actions that we may reveal your love more surely.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen

 

Music

Come, thou long expected Jesus

Nathan Drake

 

Be Thou My Vision

Norton Hall Band

 

Come my way

Blackfriar music

Video

Who's included in the "people of God?"  Is Jesus' encounter with the Canaanite woman an encounter meant to widen his understanding as the human Jesus or is it another missed opportunity for the disciples to put into action Jesus' teaching? 

 

This week's reading

Matthew 15: 10-28

[Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

 

Prayers for this week:

The Canaanite woman pressed upon Jesus her needs and was heard.  With expectant faith, let us place before God earnest petitions for ourselves and our world, saying:  Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For our world, in need of healing, in search of a savior, yet far from Jesus… Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For the churches and their leaders, at times narrowed by fear and blinded to grace, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For all of us here present, for those whose faith is known to God alone, and for those intentions we hold deep in our hearts, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For our local communities, that we might transcend our differences and work together to build a flourishing community, imbued with hope and grace. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For those who are troubled in mind, spirit or body, for those who must watch others suffer, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For all those who have died and joined with the whole cloud of witnesses, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Infinite God, we have no claim to your mercy; yet it is your mercy we so desperately need.  Turn your ear toward our supplications and grant us your healing touch.  We ask this with faith in the name of Jesus, who is savior of the world and one with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.  Amen.

 

Music: 

Jesus, Remember Me

St. Thomas Music Group, Woodford Green, under the direction of Margaret Rizza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXP3oUatFt0

 

Just As I Am

Mahalia Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw-g4-DTKfU

 

Seek-Seek

Swan Silvertones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1MtXU7jNH8

Who's included in the "people of God?"  Is Jesus' encounter with the Canaanite woman an encounter meant to widen his understanding as the human Jesus or is it another missed opportunity for the disciples to put into action Jesus' teaching? 

 

This week's reading

Matthew 15: 10-28

[Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

 

Prayers for this week:

The Canaanite woman pressed upon Jesus her needs and was heard.  With expectant faith, let us place before God earnest petitions for ourselves and our world, saying:  Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For our world, in need of healing, in search of a savior, yet far from Jesus… Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For the churches and their leaders, at times narrowed by fear and blinded to grace, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For all of us here present, for those whose faith is known to God alone, and for those intentions we hold deep in our hearts, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For our local communities, that we might transcend our differences and work together to build a flourishing community, imbued with hope and grace. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For those who are troubled in mind, spirit or body, for those who must watch others suffer, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For all those who have died and joined with the whole cloud of witnesses, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Infinite God, we have no claim to your mercy; yet it is your mercy we so desperately need.  Turn your ear toward our supplications and grant us your healing touch.  We ask this with faith in the name of Jesus, who is savior of the world and one with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.  Amen.

 

Music: 

Jesus, Remember Me

St. Thomas Music Group, Woodford Green, under the direction of Margaret Rizza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXP3oUatFt0

 

Just As I Am

Mahalia Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw-g4-DTKfU

 

Seek-Seek

Swan Silvertones

This week's reading is the story of Jesus walking across the water and Peter's desire and doubts about joining Him there

We're kicking off our first episode with the Feast of the Transfiguration; prayers, scripture and more