Redemption Songs Bob Marley Easter Sunrise Service by Pastor Ken Miller Rieman First used: 20 April 2014 8:00 AM Olympic View Community Church of the Brethren Note: Scripture and ‘MC’ parts are spoken aloud, often over top of bass and rhythm grooves. No bulletin! Lyrics could be projected to help folks sing along (and catch all the words). 35 - 40 minutes in duration. Welcome [Bass and Drums] Lay down Babylon System groove [MC] To listen to some people, one might think that Bob Marley was just a happy Jamaican who gave the world some super-chill music to help us all feel alright. I bet most of you know that Bob Marley brought us quite a bit more. Those who know Hebrew and Christian scripture will recognize its influence in most of his music. Those who know much about poverty and what it means to live in a system that is designed to keep some people down will recognize that influence in most of his music. I believe Bob Marley was a prophet. He was on a sacred mission to help the people make the connection. We’ve been here before. We’ve seen empire before. We’ve been enslaved before. We’ve been in exile before. And we’ve been freed before! So he used his music to speak the truth. He comforted the afflicted. He afflicted the comfortable. More than 30 years after his death, Bob Marley’s music still rings true and still calls us to take our own place on redemption’s stage. People have been asking me ‘Why Bob Marley Easter?’ Sure enough, Easter isn’t about Bob Marley. It’s about redemption. It’s about that mysterious thing that happens when we we’ve been trying so hard just to live another day, another week, and we lose our hope and SOMETHING in us dies or lets go and EVERYTHING changes. Christians celebrate the power of redemption revealed in the life of Jesus. But the Jesus story itself is a story of a man who connects the ancient story of redemption to the lives of his people in his own day. Redemption is getting another chance. It’s turning from the way we’ve been headed to a new way. It’s lifting our vision beyond ourselves. It’s about being set free, and made whole. It’s about death not having the last word. Friends, Redemption is the Easter story, but it starts in Egypt. It starts in Babylon. It starts right here. 1 of 18 Babylon System [Bass, Drums, Guitar] transition Babylon System groove into Exodus groove Exodus 3.7-8a,10 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey...So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. [MC] Do you know how to recognize God’s people? They’re on the move! Exodus [MC] As Joseph, thrown in a pit, sold into slavery by his brothers, became a counselor to the king of the slaves; As Moses, exiled from his people is called back to free them; God finds ways to pick people up so that they can help to lift up others. But the work once done must be re-done. People do not stay free. Israel, freed from Egypt, delivered to the promised land, only to become again oppressed, the struggle against the system starts with the personal choice to emancipate one’s mind Romans 12.1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Redemption Song Matthew 6.25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? ’ or ‘What will we drink? ’ or ‘What will we wear? ’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your 2 of 18 heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today Three little birds [Band starts One Love groove] Acts 4.32-35 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need 1 Peter 3.8-9 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing One love/People Get Ready [MC] Jesus wants to lead his people into the promised land, but, like Moses, he’s not going to get there with them. So he tries to prepare his disciples to continue his work after he’s gone. They’ll have a choice to make: Fight like their enemies, or find a new way. Jesus says, ‘Don’t let the man tell you what strong is!’ Mt. 26.47-52 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword Comin’ in from the cold 3 of 18 John 19.16b-18a,25-27 So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him... ...Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. John 20.11-16 [The next day] Mary [Magdalene] stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher) No woman, no cry [MC] So we see: Death does not have the final word! The Easter story is the story of redemption, the healing and renewing of all creation.