Proper 17 Yr A
Take up your cross
Editor's note: During the season of Pentecost, churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary have two options. One, often called "semicontinuous" or "Track 1", provides more detail about the Old Testament stories. The other, called "complementary" or "Track 2", more closely marries the Old Testament lesson to the gospel reading.
Introduction
The lesson from the Book of Exodus is ripe with imagery—a bush that burns, holy ground, name of I AM, resistance to God’s call, God’s constant presence. The most powerful is God’s constant presence—that God would protect the bush from consumption even when it is burning; that God would direct the words to come from Moses’ mouth; that God believes in each of us; that God directs our path (if we listen). How do you see it? And God says he is called “I AM THAT I AM”. Seems a bit cryptic but think about it. God is—period, full stop. There are no qualifiers, adjectives, modifiers—I AM THAT I AM. All powerful—included. All knowing—included All encompassing—included.
Sometimes, we forget that the "planners", those who developed the Revised Common Lectionary, had a reason to pair this lesson from Exodus to the gospel in Matthew, in which Jesus is clear that the path forward for his disciples (and any others who follow Jesus) is not gonna be easy but it is necessary to "take up his cross". While Moses certainly did not have a physical cross to bear, he did have the burden of following God's directive.
Our "history" is rife with stories of folks who took on God's burden—Joseph, Moses, Elijah, the prophets, Mary & Joseph, the disciples. (How many can you name?) What we know is sometimes the way will not be easy. We will be carrying the cross of Jesus. What we also know is God has called each of us. No, God hasn't called me, you say? Look again at your life.
Your thoughts? Send 'em in.
Exodus 3:1-15
. . . There [on Horeb] the angel of the Lord appeared to him [Moses] in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. . . Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; . . . So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I . . . ” He [God] said, “I will be with you; . . . He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Matthew 16:21-28
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." . . ..”
From sermon4kids.com: “God called Moses from a burning bush to get his attention and talk to him. . . . he gave Moses important instructions. Just like God spoke to Moses, God speaks to us, too.”
Scripture: September 3, 2023, Proper 17 (Pentecost 14) Year A—Track 1: Exodus 3:1-15 (image); Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c (image); Track 2: Jeremiah 15:15-21 (image); Psalm 26:1-8 (image); Romans 12:9-21 (image); and Matthew 16:21-28 (image). Illuminating the scripture, an image and audio journey.
Collect: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Reflection:
Track 1: How can your life include a faithful response to Jesus’ charge that his followers must “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24)? [from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion]
Track 2: What does it mean for me to take up my cross and follow Jesus? How do I practice that in my daily life? How is the cross I am asked to bear related to the cross of Jesus?
Source: Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press.
Eye Candy:
one of the stations of the cross, in St Augustine Catholic Church, Ohio, photo by RussdaMan;
scenes of the creation of the world and the crucifixion (1270), Marquette Bible;
“Moses on Mount Sinai” (~1210), illumination from the Psalter of Ingeburg of Denmark;
“Moses and the burning bush” (~250), fresco in Syria;
“Burning bush” (2009), long exposure photograph by artist earsaregood
Ear Worm:
"Rejoice ye pure in heart", exciting arrangement for congregational singing;
“The burning bush“, instrumental interpretation by Stephen Schwartz for The Prince of Egypt;
“O splendor of God’s glory bright“, congregational singing;
“Guide me O thou great Jehovah“, as only Aretha Franklin (RIP) can sing it;
"Holy Ground", from Worship Together
Brain Food:
"Owning your cross" by Doug Ellingsworth;
"Hitchhiking the Bible", commentary by C Andrew Doyle;
"haiku for a calling" by Ken Rookes;
text of "Praise to the Living God", translated to Yiddish;
commentary by RevGalBlogPals website
Parables:
“The Giant of Thunder Mountain” (1990, PG), a little girl is touched by the giant’s love, on being an outcast, “children befriend a gentle giant”, Review 1, Review 2, Review 3;
“Rudy“ (1993, PG), “pint-sized football player”, Review;
“Phenomenon” (1996, PG), “bounties and mysteries of human spirit”, good description of value of eucharist, many parallels to the Easter story, Review 1, Review;
“Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace” (1999, PG), does Qui Gon Jinn recognize Anakin, “The struggles between good and evil run a zigzag course, and we never know where or when they will erupt”, Obi Wan leaves in body but remains in spirit, is Anakin the Moses figure?, “Shmi Skywalker is the strong supportive mother”, Review 1, Review 2, Review 3;
“Concussion” (2015, PG-13), a quest, Review;
“Hotel Rwanda” (2004, PG-13), sanctuary during genocide, Review
Hymn Notes: Here's some thoughts on "The burning bush" theme from Prince of Egypt (referenced above):
". . . Now comes the standout track on the album, ‘The Burning Bush’, which introduces us to the magnificent, beautiful ‘God’ theme. It is five notes, and the first is an octave leap, immediately pointing us up to heaven. We hear it with female voices gently cooing to start, with woodwind breaths and string accompaniment, and then we move into a sequence helmed by a minor melody ostinato that first descends in leaps, and then ascends back again, ever so gently. A clever chord progression brings us from minor to major, and then we hear the theme again on woodwind and voices, building a sense of wonder and beauty. The soft brass accompaniment helps us to appreciate that this is the presence of God himself that we are aurally witnessing, and all the way through the choir is present for that heavenly feel.
At ~2:43 a percussion roll and gong give way to an awe-inspiring, powerful rendition of the theme for brass, strings and choir that deafens the ears, and then the brass takes over almost completely as the choir sing a counterpart melody. The theme is given another glorious statement with string accompaniment, and then a final diminuendo finish brings us back down to earth. At ~4:09 we hear a performance of Moses’ theme on woodwind, and the God theme plays in counterpart on female solo voice. We then are treated to an energized, triumphant performance of the God theme for full orchestra that sends shivers down my spine every time. For the last minute and a half the cue plays Moses’ theme alongside the musical sensibilities of the Egypt theme and the deliverance theme, and finishes with a final dramatic performance of the Egypt theme. This is one of the best examples of a dramatic narrative arc in a musical track and it is masterfully done—the presence of God leads us in with curiosity, overwhelms us with raw power and then sends us out rejoicing and full of praise. Congratulations Hans Zimmer, for this work of genius. I like to think he received his nomination for an Oscar based on this track."
from Scores of Scores website.
For families: Study guide and activities, (former guide), group activity, snacks, kid video
For children: See family guide/activities (other activity); bulletin, craft
For middlers: See family guide/activities (other activity); bulletin, craft
Coloring: Exodus 14, Moses and burning bush
For youth: In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he is, in essence, providing operating instructions for those who will bear the cross. That’s a good thing. Some of us require specifics about how to live as a follower day in and day out. It is easier if we are in a community, so looking at Paul’s writing provides a helpful framework for what this might look like. But that was then, and this is now! What “operating instructions” would you suggest for being a cross bearer? If you write some of these down, then review them in 2 weeks, what will you have learned? Anything? How will you change your instructions?
(excerpted from “Getting crossways with Jesus” at the Stewardship of Life website.Comments welcome.
Beginning with today’s Gospel reading, the ministry of Jesus is directed toward his approaching death and resurrection and his preparing the disciples for that event. Peter, who moments before expressed his faith in Jesus as the Messiah, now recoils at the thought of Jesus’ death. Jesus begins to explain that the way into the Kingdom of God is sacrifice. His death and resurrection will be the model for that way.
Track 1. Last Sunday, we heard of the birth of Moses into slavery, and his adoption by the daughter of the Egyptian king. Now as a young man, he has fled Egypt to escape punishment for killing an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew slave. At Horeb, also called Mount Sinai, God revealed himself and sent Moses to set the people of Israel free from their slavery.
Track 2. Jeremiah’s reflection upon his experience of rejection and persecution, his hope of redemption through God’s love, is read today as foreshadowing Jesus’ greater work.
Today’s passage from the Epistle to the Romans deals with the characteristics of Christian living. Note that we are called to love each other and to recognize that our lives are completely bound up in the lives of our brothers and sisters.
In the Eucharist, we find both of the scriptural themes for today. We are given many and varied ways of ministering and the Eucharist is a model of our ministry in caring for others and the world. In the Eucharist, by remembering Christ’s dying and rising, we become participants in God’s redemptive action. Our own lives are filled with meaning because we share in his life, death, and resurrection.
From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2007 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.