The lessons for Sundays March 16 and 23 are related. On March 16 worship will center around Jesus’ agonized cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus experiences God’s absence in a way we don’t see before or after the cross. His separation from God causes him pain beyond the physical torture of crucifixion. March 23 worship will be focused on Jesus’ pairing of his “beloved” disciple, John, and Jesus’ mother, Mary. Jesus re-introduces John and Mary: “Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then Jesus said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’”
One way that we can perceive God’s presence is through the presence and actions of God’s people. We are often the only way that others suffering the pervasive pain of separation from God will experience divine presence. And we are often family for each other in ways that those who are our family only by biological accident cannot or will not be.
Worship Activity
March 16 and 23
On each of the next two Sundays, the congregation will be invited to respond in writing to prepared questions or to write unprompted responses.
On March 16, the exercise will be around how we are God’s presence for each other and on March 23 how, by belonging to the congregation, we have chosen each other as family.
The questions for each week are below so that you can prepare as you choose to participate. On those Sundays, you will have the opportunity to write any response on paper provided before, during, or after worship and place the rolled papers on the cross. We are hoping that your participation in this activity will guide you through personal exploration of each week’s topics.
Questions:
March 16 – Faithfulness of God
- How do you know God’s presence through your encounters of other people?
- When you speak with others, how is God speaking through you to them?
- What can you do so that other people experience God through you?
- In what ways are your actions toward others your prayers for them?
March 23 – The Church as a New Shape of Family (Heritage & Hope Sunday)
- What are some key values and expectations that bind the church family together?
- What hopes and dreams do we have for our chosen church family?
- How do you foster open and honest communication among the church family?
- How do you ensure inclusiveness and respect for diverse perspectives within the church family?