January 26, 2025
Body of Christ
Words of greeting and GATHERING
Chris Zepp
WELCOMING STATEMENT
RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, religion or creed, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.
*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.
Opening Songs
Brent Holl
“JUBILEE”
~ Michael Stern
Seven weeks of years, the trumpet sounds in our ears
We will not be silent till justice shines like the dawn
We will not grow weary till that last light is gone
Good news to the poor, the broken hearts heal
Captives will find liberty
Nation shall not make war upon nation
Out of darkness, the light of jubilee
None will be forsaken, comfort those who mourn
Restoration out of ruin, glorious flower from a thorn
Good news to the poor, the broken hearts heal
Captives will find liberty
Nation shall not make war upon nation
Out of darkness, the light of jubilee
The earth just like a garden makes a seed to grow
So shall justice & mercy bloom for all nations to know
Good news to the poor, the broken hearts heal
Captives will find liberty
Nation shall not make war upon nation
Out of darkness, the light of jubilee
We will not be silent till justice shines like the dawn
We will not grow weary till that last light is gone
_______________________________
The Story:
It is almost impossible to look at the chaos in the world and not conclude that things are seriously out of whack. Wars and rumors of wars. Famine and disease. Systemic racism and radical income disparity are testament to a severe lack of balance in the world. The ancient Hebrew concept of Jubilee is grounded in a recognition that as time passes humans will move away from the balance that the Creator intended. Thus, it is necessary to call a hard stop every 50 years and reset the balance: prisoners must be set free, captives and slaves released from bondage, land lost or stolen returned. The shock that Jesus brings to the world is that he opens his prophetic ministry with the audacious declaration that now is the time for Jubilee; the time to re-balance what we through our brokenness have thrown out of kilter. What might it mean for each of us to live in a constant state of Jubilee? To truly embrace the power and freedom of living in balance?
~Jonathan Hunter
“The Great Storm is Over”
~Bob Franke
The thunder and lightning gave voice to the night,
The little lame child cried aloud in her fright,
Hush little baby, a story I'll tell,
Of a love that has conquered the powers hell.
Alleluia, the great storm is over,
Lift up your wings and fly!
Alleluia, the great storm is over,
Lift up your wings and fly!
Sweetness in the air and justice on the wind
Laughter in the house where the mourners have been
The deaf shall have music, the blind have new eyes
The standards of death taken down by surprise.
Alleluia, the great storm is over,
Lift up your wings and fly!
Alleluia, the great storm is over,
Lift up your wings and fly!
Release for the captives, an end to the wars
New streams in the desert, new hope for the poor,
The little lame children will dance as they sing,
And play with the bears and the lions in spring.
Alleluia, the great storm is over,
Lift up your wings and fly!
Alleluia, the great storm is over,
Lift up your wings and fly!
Hush little baby, let go of your fear,
The lord loves his own and your mother is here,
The child fell asleep as the lantern did burn,
The mother sang on 'til her bridegroom's return.
Alleluia, the great storm is over,
Lift up your wings and fly!
Alleluia, the great storm is over,
Lift up your wings and fly!
Scripture ReadingS
Luke 4:14-21 (CEB)
14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. 17 The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to liberate the oppressed,
19 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. 21 He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.”
1st Corinthians 12:12-31 (CEB)
12 Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. 13 We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. 14 Certainly the body isn’t one part but many. 15 If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 16 If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. 19 If all were one and the same body part, what would happen to the body? 20 But as it is, there are many parts but one body.21 So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 Instead, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the most necessary. 23 The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we honor the most. The private parts of our body that aren’t presentable are the ones that are given the most dignity. 24 The parts of our body that are presentable don’t need this. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor 25 so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. 27 You are the body of Christ and parts of each other. 28 In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others, leadership skills, different kinds of tongues. 29 All aren’t apostles, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t teachers, are they? All don’t perform miracles, do they? 30 All don’t have gifts of healing, do they? All don’t speak in different tongues, do they? All don’t interpret, do they? 31 Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts. And I’m going to show you an even better way.
THEOLOGICAL Reflection
Alexis Ward Owens
“We Are the Embodiment”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
In the Luke scripture today Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” In your particular context and using your gifts and strengths, what does it look like for you to share the good news and to help liberate the oppressed? What are some practical ways you can use your gifts and strengths to be a hand of the body and reach out to those who are scared and afraid right now? In small or big ways!
What techniques do you use to stay centered when you feel anxiety, fear, anger and hatred creeping into your heart? Do you have any spiritual practices or grounding techniques you like to use to stay rooted in stressful times?
It was a really heavy week, how are you taking care of yourself and showing yourself grace? How is your soul?
PRAYER
Song
“I've Been a-List'ning All de Night Long”
~R. N. Dett, 1927 as performed by Jean Ritchie
(Throughout the song, leader sings once; congregation sings once in response.)
Chorus:
I've been listening all the night long,
Been listening all the day
I've been listening all the night long,
To hear some sinner pray.
Some say John was a Baptist,
Some say he was a Jew,
But the Bible does inform us
He was a preacher too.
Go read the fifth of Matthew,
Go read that chapter through,
It is a guide to Christians,
And tell us what to do.
Theere was a search in heaven,
And all the earth around,
John stood in sorrow hoping
A Saviour would be found.
Offering and NOMOFOMO
One of our core values is, "God gives to us, so we give back." We're called to give as a joy-filled response to what we've been given. Your financial gifts make a tremendous difference in the lives of God's beloved in Harrisonburg and beyond. Whether it's helping to make sure children in our community have enough to eat, helping to respond to the mental health crisis in our community, or providing much needed backing for the operating costs of our spaces and staff — your gift is a part of God's dream and we are grateful for everyone who partners with us on this journey!
Rescheduled!
Next Sunday - February 2
Big Game Watch Party!
CLOSING SONG
“Nothing Without Love”
~Michael Stern
If I have eloquence & power
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
If I have beauty like a flower
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
If I have faith that can move mountains
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
If I have knowledge flowing fountains
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
If I have courage facing fire
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Or sacrifice all I desire
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Love is patient, love is kind
Love remembers those left behind
Love is not jealous or conceited
There’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Even in death is not defeated
There’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Love is patient, love is kind
Love remembers those left behind
There’s nothing without love, nothing without love
There’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Parting Blessing
~Ken Untener
Archbishop Oscar Romero, who (like Jesus) was killed because he dared to challenge the domination system of El Salvador, understood Jesus' trust in small beginnings. The following prayer, "Prophets of a Future Not Our Own," was written by Ken Untener in 1979, but is commonly known as "Oscar Romero's Prayer" which feels somehow fitting today…
"Prophets of a Future Not Our Own"
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent
enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of
saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an
opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master
builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
REMEMBER - YOU ARE A GIFT!
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