Sermon 2/1/09

"Love Changes People" by Rev. Erik Samuelson

Preached 2/1/09

Texts: Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28 (click to read)

Click to listen: BLC_2009_02_01.mp3

Two large old spruce trees that had been planted as memorials were removed from the front of our property this week and so our service today began with a "Litany of Lament--on the occasion of the loss of two trees." I had been at an "Emergent Church" conference in Berkeley, CA this week and had purchased a CD from one of the presenters. On the way back home, I was sitting in the airport writing the "Litany of Lament" and for some reason reached into my bag and pulled out this CD. The title of the CD, believe it or not, is "Hope for a tree cut down" a reference to Job 14:7-9. It was kind of a "woo-woo" moment, so I then decided that as a people of death and resurrection, we ought to end with hope and I wrote the "Litany of Hope--on the occasion of the loss of two trees" which we used at the end of the service. The CD is quite cool, incidentally, and you can listen and download it for free here.

Litany of Lament

on the occasion of the loss of two trees

Left Side: God who shares our pain, we mourn the loss of the mighty trees from our church property and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord hear our prayer

Right Side: We mourn for visions and dreams that never came to pass and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Left Side: We mourn the loss of children who never fully lived and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Right Side: We mourn with all who have only memories of people they love and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Left Side: We mourn for the way we have failed to remember those who have died and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer

Right Side: We mourn for all those times we have forgotten that every one of us carries pain, disappointment, and loss and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord hear our prayer.

All: Lord, hear the cries of lament and our holy mourning. Bring us together in our pain and loss and help us grow together into your dream for our lives. AMEN.

Litany of Hope

on the occasion of the loss of two trees

Left Side: God who shares our joy, we rejoice that you have given us the property of this place to make clear that everyone is welcome and to help everyone experience you and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Right Side: We rejoice that you transform loss into healing and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Left Side: We rejoice that you invite us into new ways of remembering our loved ones who have died and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Right Side: We rejoice that you lead your people through conflict and challenges into deep community and reconciliation and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer

Left Side: We rejoice that you call us to plant seeds of hope in the fertile ground you have prepared and so we cry out to you:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

All: Holy God, hear our cries of hope and our holy rejoicing. Bring us together into the new future you have in mind for us and help us grow together into your dream for our lives. AMEN.