POINT GREY INTER-MENNONITE FELLOWSHIP Web site: www.pgimf.org April 13 th, 2014 Palm Sunday John Klassen - Because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God Worship leader: Veronica Dyck Song Leader: Erna Friesen Accompanist: Ruth Enns Usher: Erika Hannan Last Sunday Brent Siemens spoke on Psalm 130. He introduced us to the hymn book of Psalms as one that tells a story. It starts with chapters that prepare us to pray by centering us on the Word of God, while pointing out that our foes in the world aren't ultimate. The middle set of many laments carries us through the ups-and-downs of life. The final set at the end lead us to say "Halleluja" (Praise the Lord). The Psalmist of 130 is in deep water, in the depths of chaos and disorder. Brent drew a parallel to the pre-creation state of threatening darkness in Genesis 1:2. Eugene Peterson suggests that this Psalms teaches us how to talk to God (not just talk about God). On our own we can't stand before God because of sin. But the good news is that with God there is the forgiveness because of his steadfast love (the Hebrew word "chesed" meaning loving-kindness). What does it mean to wait for the Lord? 1. Wait for God to act. With sovereignty over all, the Lord promises deliverance. 2.Wait for God's presence. David seeks the Lord's face as should we all. Abendmusik Lenten Vespers You and your friends are invited to attend the Abendmusik Lenten Vespers. Tonigh at Knox United Church (600 Balaclava at 41 st Ave. Vancouver) at :00 pm. 3. Wait for God to demonstrate your trust and faith. In a posture of quiet obedience, wait for Lord more patiently than a watchman for the morning. [KJH] PGIMF News April 20 Easter Readings & Hymns Easter Sunday April 2 Grant Hill Finding Rest for your Soul (PGIMF AGM) May 4 Dr. Colin Godwin Baptizing, Gathering, Sending - Pt. 1 May 11 Dr. Colin Godwin Baptizing, Gathering, Sending - Pt. 2 PGIMF AGM PGIMF will hold its Annual General Meeting after the service on April 2 th, following the pizza lunch. Last call for reports from Church offices. Wider Church BCMB conference Calling anyone interested to attend the BCMB Convention 2014 this year at Cariboo Bethel Church in Williams Lake on May 2-3, where the business and changes to Church2Church programmes will be discussed. Bus transportation from Vancouver available. To register ($30 - includes all meals and conference materials) please go to www.bcmb.org and click on the link to Conference 2014 or see Andre. (Nominations list also available from Andre) RECORDING THE SERVICE Please note that we now record the response time after the sermon. You are encouraged to share your thoughts as fully as you feel led with the proviso that no privacy can be guaranteed. The response time will not be posted to the website. You are encouraged to bring forth private issues during the time of sharing and prayer, which will continue to be not recorded. Moderator Henry Neufeld (604-946-3961); Worship J. Evan Kreider (604-22-121); Pastoral Care Laura & Sven Eriksson (604-946-234); Recording Secretary--- Diane Ehling (604-904-130); Music Ruth Enns (604-9-430); At Large Veronica Dyck (604-290-162); Travis Martin (604-603-43); Congregational Co-ordinator (bulletins) Andre Pekovich (604-9-000)
Dietrich Bonhöffer Conference Regent College, VST and TWUs Research Chair offer you a chance to attend the Dietrich Bonhöffer Society conference on Christian Humanism and the Challenges of Moral Formation with Iwan Russell-Jones, Marilynne Robinson, Wendy Fletcher and Jens Zimmerman. This graduate conference presents papers and discussions over three days from Thurs.-Sat. May 1-3 at Regent College. To view the program or register, go to http://www.bonhoefferlectures2014.com/, or visit or call the Regent College Bookstore at 604-22-120 A Reading of Auden's Horae Canonicae You are invited to participate in a meditative reading of W.H. Auden s masterpiece, Horae Canonicae ( The Canonical Hours ) with intervals of silence & instrumental music. In this work, Auden uses the framework of the seven traditional hours of prayer in Christian monastic life to engage poetic reflection upon the death of Christ, set in the world of the 190 s. After a brief introduction, the poems will be read, with short musical interludes between each of the readings provided by UBC musicians. Sponsors for this evening include: Carey Hall, Corpus Christi & St. Mark s Colleges, Regent College, St. Andrew s Hall, University Hill United congregation, and Vancouver School of Theology. Friday, Apr 1 at :30pm - 9:00 pm at Chapel of the Epiphany, 2030 Chancellor Boulevard, UBC You are invited to celebrate the th Inspirational Day of Mennonite Church BC Women's Ministry on Saturday, May 3rd at Emmanuel Mennonite Church. Guest Speaker is Karen Martens-Zimmerly (I Samuel :12). Doors open 9:30am; program starts 10am. Registration is $20/pp (includes lunch). Childcare is $20/child + $10 for addt'l children from same family. Please register & pay through your church office or online at www.mcbc.ca by April 2th. Offering will be taken. Peaceable Witness Among Muslims On April 2, :00 pm, at a dessert evening in Emmanuel Mennonite Church, 341 Clearbrook Rd. in Abbotsford, Dr. Gordon Nickel will speak on "Peaceable Witness among Muslims." Dr. Nickel is one of the most distinguished Mennonite scholars in Islamic studies today. He has a unique insight into the world of Islam, having done his Ph.D. on the earliest commentaries on the Qu'ran and having taught in Christian institutions in Pakistan and India. Presented by the Mennonite Faith and Learning Society. To reserve seats at the tables, please email by April 21 to Ed Janzen at (e-mail available from webmaster). The BCMB Executive Board recently engaged Ron van Akker to serve alongside Rob Thiessen as Associate Conference Minister. Ron s service in the BCMB Conference over the past 2 years has included Bakerview MB, Murrayville, Willingdon and Central Community Church in Chilliwack as well as BCMB Moderator. He has studied at TWU and ACTS Seminary and enjoys engaging in a lifelong pursuit of learning. Ron has a passion to see individuals and churches discover and embrace their calling and will assist Rob with churches in conflict in a time of discernment. Jeremiah 2:- Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? 6 They did not say, Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives? I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after things that do not profit. [NRSV]
Luke 19:2-40 2 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, Why are you untying it? just say this: The Lord needs it. 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, Why are you untying the colt? 34 They said, The Lord needs it. 3 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 3 As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 3 saying, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven! 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, order your disciples to stop. 40 He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out. [NRSV] Psalm 11: 1-2, 19-29 1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever! 2 Let Israel say, His steadfast love endures for ever. [.. ] 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 2 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. 2 The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.* 2 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. 29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever. [NRSV] Isaiah 0:4-9a 4 The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backwards.
6 I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. 9 It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty? All of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. [NRSV] Philippians 2:-11 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [NRSV] Litany on the Stations of the Cross: Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." In the name of Jesus, we pray: Lord, help us to take up our cross and follow you. You stood before Pilate, your life condemned, your word rejected, your innocence ignored: Keep us from rejecting your word of truth and salvation. You carried your cross on the wounded stripes of your back, for love of us and for all the world. Help us to bear our cross, for love of you and for love of others. The weight of your cross was the weight of our sins which make us stumble and fall. In our weakness, we turn to you for strength.
Although you suffered, you still reached out to care for your mother. May our cross-bearing never keep us from caring for our families. As you struggled to bear your cross to Calvary, a passerby was drafted to help you. Make us as willing as Simon to bear the burdens of those in need. Others also took risks to comfort you. Strengthen our faith to take loving risks for our needy brothers and sisters. Sin weighed heavily upon you as you stumbled along the way. Forgive us, Lord, for the sins which make us fall. Your suffering under the cross caused the women of Jerusalem to weep. Make our suffering in life a share in your suffering. The full burden of our sin crushed you mightily to the earth. Do not forsake us in our falling, but bring us to repentance and faith. Stripped and jeered, you endured humiliation without complaint. Humble us in our work and daily lives. Nailed to the cross, you took your place among the condemned. Take your place beside us sinners, and bring us through faith to the Paradise of God. you. When your sacrifice was complete, you handed your life to the Father, and he did not forsake Keep us close to your cross and death, now and at the hour of our death. Faithful friends and loving women took loving care of your lifeless body. Turn the darkness of death into the brightness of day for those we love. In the tomb you were laid, but from the tomb you arose. Be the Lord of the resurrection for us and for all the baptized. Loving Jesus, for the sake of your cross and passion, we are justified in faith, washed cleaned of our sins by baptism and repentance, and made one with God. We thank you for your cross and for the depths of your love for us. Help us to bear our cross in the world and follow you until you bring us into your heavenly kingdom; where you reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen http://www.liturgybytlw.com/lent/palmsun.html