2016/03/20 Christ Church,
Mountain Top, Palm Sunday
Mountain Top, Palm Sunday
Call to Worship, Psalm 118.1-2,
19-29
19-29
Children, palm
crosses, “Hosanna” “Blessed is the one …”
crosses, “Hosanna” “Blessed is the one …”
Message, Luke 19.28-40
A Knight’s Tale, a 2001
film, stars Heath Ledger as peasant squire William Thatcher, who ends up
impersonating a knight and winning tournaments, and Paul Bettany as Geoffrey
Chaucer, an alcoholic and compulsive gambler who becomes part of Thatcher’s
team (and eventually writes his Canterbury
Tales). It’s a fun tale of the unlikely victor. And in this medieval
comedy-adventure-romance, one of the recurring musical themes is a song that
emanates from the stands at the tournaments, as the fans get excited for the
next event.
film, stars Heath Ledger as peasant squire William Thatcher, who ends up
impersonating a knight and winning tournaments, and Paul Bettany as Geoffrey
Chaucer, an alcoholic and compulsive gambler who becomes part of Thatcher’s
team (and eventually writes his Canterbury
Tales). It’s a fun tale of the unlikely victor. And in this medieval
comedy-adventure-romance, one of the recurring musical themes is a song that
emanates from the stands at the tournaments, as the fans get excited for the
next event.
Stomp,
stomp, clap …
stomp, clap …
We will, we will, rock you!
Anti-establishment politics (Power)
Showing
up the politicians, the powerful
up the politicians, the powerful
Ollie
North and the Iran-Contra hearings
North and the Iran-Contra hearings
Fueled
by anger (disenfranchisement), sometimes fear (other)
by anger (disenfranchisement), sometimes fear (other)
Trump, TrusTed Cruz, Feel the Bern
Jesus rocks our world: Power
Comes
as a king, comes as the kingdom – a political term
as a king, comes as the kingdom – a political term
Riding
on a donkey, fulfillment of prophetic, Messianic hope
on a donkey, fulfillment of prophetic, Messianic hope
(Zechariah
9.9)
9.9)
“Blessed
is the king”
is the king”
Powers
request the Teacher to “order your disciples to stop”
request the Teacher to “order your disciples to stop”
Yet
not exercised in typical ways, no hint or threat of violence
not exercised in typical ways, no hint or threat of violence
When one of the disciples cut off
the ear of a man coming to arrest Jesus, Jesus commanded him to stop the
violence and healed the man who was arresting him (Luke 22.50-51)
the ear of a man coming to arrest Jesus, Jesus commanded him to stop the
violence and healed the man who was arresting him (Luke 22.50-51)
We will, we will, rock you!
In the movie: (Privilege)
A peasant, when only nobles are
legally permitted to be knights
legally permitted to be knights
An alcoholic and gambler
A woman blacksmith, rejected by
her professional peers
her professional peers
At the elementary school playground:
Who
gets to pick teams? The best athletes.
gets to pick teams? The best athletes.
Who
do they pick first? Their friends and other good athletes.
do they pick first? Their friends and other good athletes.
Who
do they pick last? The clumsy kids, the new kids.
do they pick last? The clumsy kids, the new kids.
Jesus rocks our world: Privilege
Privilege
is typically given to a defined “in group”
is typically given to a defined “in group”
“If
these were silent, the stones would shout out”
these were silent, the stones would shout out”
“God
is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham”
is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham”
(Luke
3.8)
3.8)
If that is so, then kingdom
membership doesn’t “have its privileges” and certainly isn’t based on
privileges we already have. It’s a gift, and an invitation. And, it’s quite
likely that when Jesus picks teams he does so backwards: “Indeed, some are last
who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13.30).
membership doesn’t “have its privileges” and certainly isn’t based on
privileges we already have. It’s a gift, and an invitation. And, it’s quite
likely that when Jesus picks teams he does so backwards: “Indeed, some are last
who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13.30).
We will, we will, rock you!
Child in Lesotho clinic (Possessions)
Sharing
his “daily bread” with the nurse from America
his “daily bread” with the nurse from America
Jesus rocks our world: Possessions
First
four letter word, “mine”
four letter word, “mine”
“The
Lord needs it”
Lord needs it”
Tithe,
time, car, food, cloaks …
time, car, food, cloaks …
We will, we will, rock you!
March Madness (Praise)
Cal loses to Hawaii
Arizona loses to Wichita State
Baylor loses to Yale
Texas loses to Northern Iowa
Oregon State loses to Virginia
Commonwealth University
Commonwealth University
West Virginia loses to Stephen F.
Austin
Austin
Purdue loses to Arizona-Little
Rock
Rock
Seton Hall loses to Gonzaga
Dayton loses to Syracuse
Michigan State loses to Middle
Tennessee State
Tennessee State
A partial list of the upsets in
the first round of the NCAA tournament, in a year that tied for the most
upsets. Anyone still have a perfect bracket? (I’ve never put one together.) Unless
one of my short list of schools is in the running, like VCU, I just root for
the underdog … and you know all their fans were giving joyful praise when their
teams won!
the first round of the NCAA tournament, in a year that tied for the most
upsets. Anyone still have a perfect bracket? (I’ve never put one together.) Unless
one of my short list of schools is in the running, like VCU, I just root for
the underdog … and you know all their fans were giving joyful praise when their
teams won!
Jesus rocks our world: Praise
“Praise
God joyfully with a loud voice”
God joyfully with a loud voice”
Allows
us to enter the kingdom
us to enter the kingdom
Allows
us to join Jesus in his disruptive work
us to join Jesus in his disruptive work
Disrupts powers and privileged, even when
that’s us
that’s us
Disrupts
our possessions, even when we hold on … “mine”
our possessions, even when we hold on … “mine”
“Yet
you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel”
you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel”
(Psalm
22:3)
22:3)
We will, we will, rock you!
