The Weekend that Changed the World
April 1, 2010
This Good Friday I will be taking a service of reflection at St John’s Launceston, entitled, The Weekend that Changed the World. Following is the outline of my notes,
1. ATONEMENT – WHY WE NEED IT (Romans 1:16-32)
- Consider God. God is good.
- Consider evil. Evil is more complex than “the goodies versus the baddies”
- Consider us. Evil finds an echo in the heart of every person.
- Consider Frodo.
2. REDEMPTION – WHY DID GOD BECOME HUMAN? (Isaiah 43:1-4, Romans 5:1, 6-8, Genesis 22:13, 14)
- The cross in Islam and Christianity
- “City of Wrong: A Friday in Jerusalem”
- Who is God?
- What is God like?
- How does God act?
3. ABSOLUTION - WHO WOULD BOTHER? (Luke 15:11-32, 1 John 4:10)
- It’s in the prayer Book!
- The hardest words in the world
- The hardest act in the world
- The hardest act to follow
- Who will follow?
- Absolution without penance is . . . ?
4. RECONCILIATION – THE JOY OF ‘ABBA’ Father (Colossians 1:13-22, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Luke 24:30, 31)
- Relationship – separated and restored
- Making peace through his blood, shed on the cross
- The person we were meant to be! – The joy of reconciliation
- The place we were meant to be – The joy of being in God’s family
5. RESCUE – GOD ACTS TO SET US FREE (Matthew 20:1-15, John 8:3-11, Galatians 5:22-26)
- Rescue is grace
- Rescue is a Rescuer
- Rescue is life in the Spirit
- Rescue from and rescued for -
- From Futility for purpose
- Form Ignorance for truth
- From Loneliness for community
- From Selfishness for servanthood
- From Death for life
[The actual reflections can be heard at St John's Launceston 'Download Sermons', 2 April, available here. ] – later edit
I would like to thank Revd Roger Hesketh and his team at St John’s who have organised a special (three hour) reflection service centered on, The Weekend that Changed the World.
The service which will capture the themes, Atonement, Redemption, Absolution, Reconciliation and Rescue will include; hymns, times of reflection, prayerful reflection, Bible readings, media clips, music, renewal of Baptism vows, my talks on the 5 themes, an invitation to lay a nail at the foot of the cross, and an invitation to light a candle to symbolise the breaking of the power of darkness that Jesus’ sacrifice achieved.
I am sure if you would be interested in conducting a reflection service next Good Friday, Roger would be more than willing to share his ideas.
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