 There was a widow in that city and she came to him continually and saying, “Grant me justice against my accuser.” ~Luke 18:3 Rise up Judge of all the Earth! Let not mortal-kind prevail; let the nations be judged before you. ~Psalm 91:19 It seems that questions about the fairness of our judicial systems is not new. The Luke text for this 6th Sunday of Easter is about a widow and a judge who disregards her. Why? She has no husband, no inheritance, no social standing. She has nothing. And the judge? He doesn’t care. He seems only to be out for himself, and she has nothing to offer. But she succeeds. Why? She simply will not give up. The judge says it this way in Luke 18:5: “I will grant her justice, so that she may not ultimately come to violence against me.” He is concerned that she may come up and slap him in the face. He is, quite literally, trying to save face! This story may not strike us as especially inspiring, but it offers an important lesson about the power of perseverance, and about the practice of it as a central behavior of Christian discipleship and of the realm of God’s Spirit. It may be one of particular use for us in this time. Enter into worship. Readings: Acts 17:1–4, 10–12 † Psalm 9:1-14, 18-20 † Titus 3:1-8 † Luke 18:1-8 About the Art: Dou, Gerard, 1613-1675. Old Woman Reading, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57167 [retrieved May 12, 2025]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gerard_Dou_005.jpg.
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 “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” ~Luke 15:6 Let this be engraved for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Wisdom of the Ages: 19 that she looked down from her holy height, from heaven the Creator of All beheld the earth, 20 to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to set free those who were condemned to die; ~Psalm 102:18-20 Rejoice with me! Do you imagine these to the be the easiest and quickest words to come out of the mouth of the Holy? Rejoice! What is lost is found— a sheep, a coin, a child, a prisoner, a slave, a worshipper. Rejoice in the good creation! Rejoice in restoration! Rejoice in new life! Let’s repeat what we noted last week: If the Christian story is anything, it is a story of liberation. Lost sheep are found. Prisoners are liberated. Asylees find safety and belonging. New friendships are formed. Our homes become places of joy. And when we take a look back, we might be astonished and what has transpired. This Sunday we will do a little of this—in worship, and in our congregational meeting afterward. “Rejoice with me,” God the Shepherd says, “I have found my lost sheep.” “Rejoice with me,” she says, “I have found my lost coin.” There is no more joy in heaven, or perhaps on earth, than when what was lost is found. Let us rejoice together for this too is the good work of Easter! Enter into worship. Readings: Acts 16:13-22, 40 † Psalm 102:17-21, 25-28 † Colossians 4:10-17 † Luke 15:1-10 About the Art: Swanson, John August. Celebration, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56538 [retrieved May 12, 2025]. Original source: Estate of John August Swanson, https://www.johnaugustswanson.com/. About the Artist: John Swanson studied with Corita Kent at Immaculate Heart College. His unique style is influenced by the imagery of Islamic and medieval miniatures, Russian iconography, the color of Latin American folk art, and the tradition of Mexican muralists. His art is in no way "naïve." It is detailed, complex, and elaborate. Unlike many contemporary artists, John Swanson works directly on all phases in producing his original prints. His serigraphs (limited-edition screen prints) have from 40 to 89 colors printed, using transparent and opaque inks creating rich and detailed imagery. For each color printed the artist must draw a stencil on Mylar film. This stencil is transferred to the silk screen for printing the color ink on the serigraph edition. The resulting serigraph is a matrix of richly overlaid colors visually striking and technically masterful. Mr. Swanson’s art is represented in the permanent collections of many museums, including three museums of the Smithsonian Institution: The National Museum of American History, The National Museum of American Art and The National Air and Space Museum. He is also included in the print collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Harvard University’s Fogg Museum, the Tate Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. His painting THE PROCESSION is one of relatively few works by contemporary artists to be selected for the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Modern Religious Art. [from the artist's website]
 “Ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham and Sarah … be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” ~Luke 13:16 Then the chains fell from his hands. ~Acts 12:7 If the Christian story is anything, it is a story of liberation. Women and men, bent over, beaten down, battered by demons of all sorts, are freed and restored to new life, returned to their communities, or new ones. Chains are miraculously removed, prisoners are released. Powers and principalities are confronted and overcome from below for the emancipation of those pressed down beneath them. There are tensions, of course. Onesimus’ story (Book of Philemon) finds the whole community valuing him, advocating for him. But he remains an object “useful” to others; no one advocates for his liberation. Paul is freed from prison and shows up at Mary’s door. But Rhoda, who is a reliable observer, is mocked as the butt of a joke. She remains enslaved in a Christian household. Societal attitudes should never be out from under the scrutiny of this gospel that always moves us toward freedom and toward the freeing of those who live under oppression in our midst because of gender identity or appearance or any other factor that diminishes them in our eyes. The stone has been rolled away, but all are not yet free. The good work of Easter continues. Enter into worship. Readings: Acts 12:6-17 † Psalm 69:1-3, 13-17, 30-34 † Philemon 1:1-2, 7-16 † Luke 13:10-17 About the Art: Gogh, Vincent van, 1853-1890. Road Menders, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55606 [retrieved April 28, 2025]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_van_Gogh_-_The_Road_Menders_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg.
 “I have come to cast fire upon the earth and I would that it were already blazing!”... ~Luke 12:49 Yet God my Sovereign is from before time, working salvation in the midst of the earth. ~Psalm 74:12 Perhaps it is a surprise this early in Eastertide, in this season in which we celebrate the triumph of life over death, to encounter texts seemingly aflame with uncertainty, resistance, and conflict. Yet in our Jesus stories, and in all of our sacred texts, the world remained crucified and crucifying even as it was being redeemed. Perhaps to our disappointment, this is no less true now than it was then. And yet, how could it be otherwise? Indeed, this is a challenge, a conundrum of faith. As much as we might prefer to perceive ourselves and our salvation history moving linearly from despair to hope at least, and at best, from strength to strength, such does not seem to be our lot. The choices we and everyone makes have consequences. Resistance rises. Cycles of violence continue—especially against those who do not enjoy the privilege that others do. To pronounce resurrection, to proclaim Easter is not to welcome an unabashed kindom of peace. This gospel story was fired in the crucible of the real world and will not deny real experience. We know all to well that theologies of violence will always compete with theologies of peace—as if reality is even that binary. Indeed, this faith shines a spotlight on and gives voice to all of it as it does a window into our most closely held, and fragile hopes—and the Saving One who is fully present amidst it all. Enter into worship. Readings: Acts 8:1-12 † Psalm 74:1-12 † Ephesians 6:10-18 † Luke 12:49-53 About the Art: Koenig, Peter. Flame Resurrection, 1963. https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/Portfolio/flame-resurrection [retrieved April 28, 2025]. Original source: Peter Winfried (Canisius) Koenig, https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/.
 Just so, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you all may belong to another... ~Romans 7:4 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ~Acts 1:8 Keep your proclamations of grandeur. Give me an easter as small as a seed. One that can be planted while it’s still cold outside. One that can be watered with tears, and demands time and patience to grow. I don’t need to know how large it will become, how long until it blossoms, or even if it will be pretty. I only want it to grow roots that dig deep down, striving for life in the underbelly of the world. Spare me the cosmic promises of other-worldly escape and point me to the Sacred possibilities within reach. Tell me again about how the nutrients born from decay keep even the saddest places brimming with potential for life. – Rev. M Barclay, enfleshed Easter never seems to hit with a bang, just a growing sense of wonder and possibility, and, dare we say it, faith for us “of little faith” that grows like a weed. Join in the growing chorus. Come and remember. Come and find your strength. Enter into worship. Readings: Acts 1:3–8, 12–14 † Psalm 6:1-10 † Romans 8:31-39 † Luke 18:18-30 About the Art: Wesley, Frank, 1923-2002. Meeting with the Rich Young Ruler, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=59188 [retrieved April 14, 2025]. Original source: Estate of Frank Wesley, http://www.frankwesleyart.com/main_page.htm. About the Artist: Wesley was born in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh into a fifth generation Christian family of Hindu and Muslim descent. He belongs to the Lucknow school of painting. His paintings reflect this influence and that of the Chughtai school of painting that flourished in India at the turn of the century. Wesley made art based on both biblical and secular themes. He used water colours, oil paintings, miniatures and wooden carvings.
 Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. ~Luke 24:8-9 Now faith is the essence of things hoped for, the conviction of that which is not seen. By faith, indeed, were our ancestors approved. ~Hebrews 11:1-2 We celebrate, we lean on and lean in to what we do not see. Faith is often set in opposition to science, but they are by no means enemies; they are different “animals”, gathered, as it were, in a sustainable, verdant, and peaceable kin-dom that at its best allows for the flourishing of truth and life. We do not believe in science as much as we observe it (or do our best to do so), and test it. Faith is something different. Faith is about belief, about trust and commitment. Faith too we test, but perhaps in a more functional way, like art. Memory and storytelling, the wonder-filled search through the ages for truth, meaning, and significance, for what is reliable and what endures and makes for flourishing, the essence of a thing—these are the practices, the disciplines, and the outcomes of faith which traffics in the ineffable and unknowable. Mary and the other disciples with her seek faith at the tomb. There is no certainty—little can be authenticated here from a scientific perspective. But there is much to be done with the work of faith, and, with fear and trembling, these women set themselves about it. And they look across the ages to invite us into it too. The writer to the Hebrews expands the notion that our story is seeded by the inspired and faithful actions of others who gave of themselves to what is not seen with outcomes that demonstrably and confessionally renewed life for many. Life begetting life. New life from death. Resurrection, as it were—even in this time. Especially in this time. Thanks be to God! Enter into worship. This Sunday at 10:00am in-person or online. Readings: Isaiah 49:1–13 † Psalm 18:2–11, 16–19 † Hebrews 11:1–2, 23–24, 28–39 † Luke 24:1-10. About the Art: Wesley, Frank, 1923-2002. Easter Morning, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=59213 [retrieved April 7, 2025]. Original source: Estate of Frank Wesley, http://www.frankwesleyart.com/main_page.htm. About the Artist: Frank Wesley was born in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh into a fifth generation Christian family of Hindu and Muslim descent. He belongs to the Lucknow school of painting. His paintings reflect this influence and that of the Chughtai school of painting that flourished in India at the turn of the century. Wesley made art based on both biblical and secular themes. He used water colours, oil paintings, miniatures and wooden carvings. About the Art: “Outlining the head of the risen Lord is a nimbus halo of golden white. His right hand, bearing a blood-red stigmata, rests gently on the soft white drape of a robe which leaves his left shoulder almost bare. Encircling his neck is a slender black cord which follows the contours of his collarbone and chest in an Indian artistic convention, defining the body with its lines. The forehead of Jesus is gold with the knowledge of God. Although refined in Indian style, his features are strong and confident. His neck is a sturdy column and the shoulders are firmly erect. His expression is peaceful with new strength. The women are not peaceful. Pressing forward in her anxiety to reach the grave, Mary Magdalene has an eyebrow curled in pain and a line of stress from nose to mouth. In the lobe of her ear, a tiny red jewel duplicates in miniature the mark of the nail in the hands of her Lord. The other Mary is more self-possessed and one arm encircles her friend in a comforting manner. The rocky cliff at the right speaks of the pain and suffering of death. Touching the top edge of the painting and gracefully framing the rock, is the flowering branch of a tree symbolizing new life. The is the moment before the revelation of new life. This is the dawn of a new era.” From Frank Wesley: Exploring Faith with a Brush by Naomi Wray.
 All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the Creator of All. I bring low the high tree, I make high the low tree; I dry up the green tree and I make the dry tree sprout buds. I the Ageless God have spoken; I will make it so. – Ezekiel 17:24 Rejoice heavenly powers! —Exsultet For three days Esther fasted, and Judith kept vigil, the exiles came home from Jerusalem and the Hebrews marched to the bitter waters of Marah. For three days darkness afflicted the Egyptians, Hezekiah lay mortally ill, Jonah was entombed in the belly of a fish. And Saul who became Paul waited three days in blindness before he saw. To say it differently, in all these stories God makes God’s home with us, God settles into the neighborhood, as The Message so familiarly says it. It means that God wrestled with Jacob and talked with Adam and Eve and (arguably) disappointed Hagar at a rate she could manage. It means Jesus knew a guy who had a donkey, a woman who was a pillar of the community and of faith. He had a connection to someone with an upper room and walked alongside a Pharisee who was just waiting to brave. He knew sickness and he knew death. He nurtured relationships in the neighborhood and saw earth tangle with heaven as it does every day and in every moment, every bush ablaze—whether we notice or not. He feasted; he fasted; he marched. He built bridges and movements. He made friends and allies. He laughed and he wept. He lived like he died in order that something new (and older than the hills) might come of it. This night, of all nights, is a night to notice…and maybe to be a little braver and a little more hopeful for doing so. Enter into worship. We'll gather Saturday, April 19, 2025 around the fire at 7:45ish. In person only. Readings: Genesis 1:1–2, 26–27; 2:1–4 † Daniel (LXX) 3:52–60 † Genesis 21:2, 8–21 † Psalm 27:5–7, 10–14 † Genesis 21:2, 8–21 † Psalm 27:5–7, 10–14 † Exodus 14:26–29; 15:20–21 † Exodus 15:1–3, 11, 13, 17–18 † Joshua 2:1–14; 6:15–17, 22–23 † Wisdom 5:1–5; 6:6–7 † Judges 4:1–10, 23 † Judges 5:1, 4–7, 12, 24, 31 † 2 Kings 11:1–4, 10–12 † Psalm 9:1–2, 7–11, 13–14 † Judith 8:9–10, 32–34; 13:3–14, 17–18 † Judith 16:1–6, 13 † Acts 16:13–15 † John 20:1-18 About the Image: These towering tendrils of cosmic dust and gas sit at the heart of M16, or the Eagle Nebula. The aptly named Pillars of Creation, featured in this stunning Hubble image, are part of an active star-forming region within the nebula and hide newborn stars in their wispy columns.  In the Gospel of Luke, the Passion reading also begins with a meal at Passover and ends with the placing of Jesus’ body in the tomb, while observed by the women. And resting on the sabbath according to the commandment. Living as we do in a world that is filled with uncertainty, war, racism, white supremacy, homophobia, xenophobia, among countless others, all of these things can be counted as sins. Although we may consider ourselves not guilty of them, we live in a society that seems to be “normalizing” them. As followers of the Way, how do we counter this, especially as we consider Jesus’ death on the cross? And, in the midst of all this, can we have the commanded rest?
We shall pray for this world, offering light in the darkness, preparing for a day of rest. Enter into worship. Friday evening, April 18, 2025 at 7:00pm, in-person only. Readings: Judges 11:29–40 † Psalm 22 † Hebrews 12:1–4 † Luke 22:14–23:56 About the Art: Petts, John, 1914-1991. Christ Crucified, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57342 [retrieved April 15, 2025]. Original source: http://christianchurchestogether.org/letter-from-birmingham-jail/.  Maundy Thursday. Our Matthew reading includes: no foot washing, no anointing, no new commandment to love. Just a meal of a faithful Judean community as they celebrate Passover. It is what they do. Even in the midst of rising terror of what the day or night might bring.
Come for the meal. Stay for moments of reflection and silence. Enter into worship. This evening, April 17, 2025 at 7:00pm, in-person only. Readings: Exodus 15:11–21 † Psalm 136:1–16 † Hebrews 11:23–28 † Matthew 26:17–56 About the Art: Gertrud Nelson, with permission.  “Hosanna!” What a word to remind us that the stories of Holy Week all occur during a time and in a place of occupation by the powerful Roman empire. “Hosanna” is not a cheerful shout. “Hosanna” means “deliver us” or “save us!” Yet our Palm Sunday hymns encourage us to domesticate the word, having little children singing hosanna. Truth be told, little children have sung Hosanna throughout the centuries, begging to be saved and delivered from the terror of empire. In our Holy Week stories, this was a particular cry during a particular time, echoing the cry in Isaiah. Heeding this reminder, we have changed the words to our Palm Sunday hymn to more honestly reflect the story as presented in scripture. So buckle up, O Church. The palms will be waving and the songs will be sung, but with anxious hearts and minds behind the actions and words, not unlike many in our world today. “God save us, God deliver us!” the little children sang! Enter into worship. Readings: Liturgy of the Palms: Matthew 21:1–11 † Psalm 118:19–29 ; Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 49:5–16 † Psalm 22:1–11 † Galatians 3:23–4:7 † Mark 14:32–15:47 About the Art: Gertrud Nelson, with permission.
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