Weekly Lectionary Webinar

1. WeeklyLectionaryWebinar Readings for Sunday, March 18, 2012 Presented by staff and friends of Sunshine Cathedral Metropolitan Community Church affiliated with the Center for Progressive Christianity Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA

2. Contributors Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin Sunshine Cathedral Chief Programming Minister Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins Senior Pastor Sunshine Cathedral Rev. Dr. Mona West Director, Office of Formation and Leadership Development Metropolitan Community Churches Rev. BK Hipsher Virtual Chaplain Sunshine Cathedral Director of Sunshine Cathedral in Second Life Rev. Tania Guzman Minister of Congregational Life

3. 4th Sunday in Lent

4. Spiritual Heroes March 19: St. Joseph Little is known about Joseph, apart from the Nativity stories in Matthew and Luke. He is pictured as a person of deep faith, open to mystical experiences, who had great compassion. As a carpenter he is known as the patron saint of working folk. His family home was said to be in Nazareth.

5. Spiritual Heroes March 21: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Writer of Sacred Music. He was a devout Lutheran and had a deep devotion to the Bible. In each manuscript he began by writing the initials “J.J.” (Jesu Juva, “Help me, Jesus”) or “I.N.J.” (In Nomine Jesu, “In the name of Jesus”), and ended with “S.D.G.” (Solo Deo Gloria, “To God alone the glory.”). His chorales have been compared to the stained glass windows of a cathedral.

6. Spiritual Heroes March 24: Archbishop Oscar Romero (1917-1980) Martyr of El Salvador. As the violence of the death squads escalated Romero experienced a personal transformation as the voice of the poor and a fearless champion of justice. He was unafraid to confront the political, military, and even religious forces of oppression. The masses of poor found in him a shepherd who loved them. He was assassinated at the altar while saying Mass in a hospital.

7. First Reading The Wisdom of A Course in Miracles: Trials are but lessons that you failed to learn presented once again, so where you made a faulty choice before you can now make a better one, and thus escape all pain that what you chose before has brought to you.

8. Second Reading Psalm 107.1, 8 (NRSV) 1O give thanks to the Lord [who]…is good; for [God’s] steadfast love endures forever. 8Let them thank the Lord for…steadfast [divine] love, for [God’s] wonderful works to humankind.

9. Gospel Reading John 3.17 (NRSV) 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

10. Reflections Rev. BK Hipsher ~ Ponderings Try, try again ... It's never too late to start over God's steadfast love

11. Reflections Rev. BK Hipsher ~ Ponderings Love that heals Love that saves "Knowing" that we know

12. Reflections Rev. BK Hipsher ~ Ponderings Bright Star by John Keats.

13. Reflections Rev. Tania Guzman ~ Liberation Perspective This gospel focuses primarily on Jesus’ role as the son of God. Its purpose is to bring the readers to believe that Jesus is the Christ , the Son of God and the only way to God and eternal life. This is clearly stated in chapter 20 saying, “ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”

14. Reflections Rev. Tania Guzman ~ Liberation Perspective To be able to truly understand today’s text (3:17), we actually have to look at the whole passage of John 3:1-21, the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. And even then we need to be very careful in how we interpret this. I agree with many scholars who believe that none of John 3:1-21 comes from the historical Jesus, but rather this is an interpretation of Jesus’ life by a particular group of Christian known as the Johanine community.

15. Reflections Rev. Tania Guzman ~ Liberation Perspective So more than a gospel about the historical Jesus, this is a community’s interpretation of who Jesus was and their focus on his divinity. This was a community that was thrown out of the synagogue probably for these particular believes which were not shared by other followers of Jesus. If there was any way that Jesus could read this gospel, he would be shock to learn its interpretation to his life and teachings and that people would see him and worship him as a deity.

16. Reflections Rev. Tania Guzman ~ Liberation Perspective This particular community somehow got way too far from the historical Jesus and his ministry: Jesus was given equal place with God. Jesus’ inclusive message was made exclusive by proclaiming only one way to God. The historical Jesus emphasized a life of community, this gospel brought individualism by emphasizing personal salvation.

17. Reflections Rev. Tania Guzman ~ Liberation Perspective The interpretation of Jesus in John 3:17 supports the theology of atonement. A theology that presents God as an oppressor and violent God that required someone to die in order for us to be ok that God. I personally would want nothing to do with that God. Jesus death was not required in order that we be ok with God. But his life did give us a great example to live by: love, compassion, justice, equality and inclusiveness.

18. Lectionary Discussion~Open Discussion Note: All images used in this presentation are from google on the internet.