The idea is that each Sunday, we take one of the four parts of worship, 

and reflect on each individual element in that section.

Today is the first service of a 4-part series entitled “Learning about Liturgy”.

The idea is that each Sunday, we take one of the four parts of worship, and take time to reflect on each element, before and after; 

what it means, the history and traditions, 

kind of like taking apart a car and putting it back together again. 

The nature of the gift gives us much information about the giver.

What’s in the present tells us about who gave the present.

God’s gift of Jesus tells us about who God is.

It became clear to me last Wednesday: 

here were people who are lying in a symbolic manger.

The story is normally titled the Resurrection of Lazarus,

but really it should be called the Resuscitation of Lazarus,

because that is what happens to Lazarus: 

he is physically resuscitated by Jesus.

According to Sam Weicker, he performed 10,725 ministerial acts at St. Mathews, including 3,745 baptisms, 3,374 confirmations, 1,681 funerals.

But rejoice: there are still faithful youth, and they are here and ready to worship, learn and meet, especially in a format that is geared to them.

Have you ever listened, really listened? 

To the sounds of the busy world; 

people walking, people talking, horns blowing,

 factories going, rushing, rushing, faster, faster.

 

Have you ever listened, really listened?

To leaves talking, as the wind whispers through the trees, 

to rain falling against a tin roof, or...

Two parts in today’s Gospel cause me to pause and reflect when I read this text about Jesus commissioning the twelve to go out into the world like missionaries to share God’s good news of healing and wholeness. 

The first point is, the twelve are not sent out alone to bare seeds of the kingdom. Jesus sends out the twelve in...

So today, in a lazy mid-Summer hot Sunday service,

we have the best, or perhaps worst, 

story of sex and violence in the New Testament,

a story which has inspired artwork and artistic interpretations throughout the ages, from painters like Lucas Cranach to composers like Richard Strauss:

“The Dance that caused the prophet’s death”