Elly Boersma Sarkany

The following originally appeared as part of "Grief over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness—Good Friday: The Greatest Injustice."Prayer of LamentChrist identified completely with us in suffering, even unto death. He is our Savior-Intercessor who sympathizes with our weakness. What better time than Good Friday to practice the spiritual discipline of lament, to express solidarity with those who are suffering, including Jesus himself? On Good Friday, we lament with Jesus.Song “How Long, O Lord, How Long” Steumpfle[Congregation sings st. 1, 2]We pray for the hungry around the world,for all those who don’t know where their next meal will come from,for those who long to nourish their children with good things,and for those whose crops have failed yet again.We pray for those in our own community struggling with food insecurity.Grant wisdom and guidance to those who minister among the hungry.[Congregation sings st. 3]We pray for those experiencing homelessness in our community,and for those facing the devastating effect of rising housing costs.We pray for organizations and individuals who minister among them.[Congregation sings st. 5]We pray for victims of prejudice,for those facing oppression because of gender, race, or class.Help us to see you, Lord, in the people we encounterand to love others as you love us.

The following originally appeared as part of "Grief over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness—Palm/Passion Sunday: Poverty."Call to ConfessionWe shout “Hosanna! Jesus is King!”—but we don’t always treat him as king over our lives or treat others as if they are sons and daughters of the king. We all have sinned, and we all need to ask God for forgiveness.Prayer of ConfessionHoly and loving God,You love us so much that you sent your Son to save us.We love you, and we wave our palm branches in praise of you as king over all.Sometimes we are selfish, or we say mean things about others.That hurts other people, and it hurts you.We are sorry, Lord—sorry for all the times we don’t treat others as loved children of God.We want to serve you and to love others as you have loved us. Help us, God, to love as you love,and to serve as you serve.Amen.Song “His Mercy Is More” Boswell and PapaAssurance of PardonFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 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.—John 3:16–17 NRSVUEWe can trust that these words are true: God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die for our sins. Revised Common LectionaryYear A, B, C: Lent—Liturgy of the Palms

The following originally appeared as part of "Grief over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness—Lent 5: Racism."Call to ConfessionIn this service we acknowledge before God the sin of racism. Admitting to acts of racism and repenting of them do not define our identity. Jesus determines who we are—each and every one of us. The act of worship is itself an act of protest against the social caste system. It tells people from all nations and all walks of life who they really are in Christ and who our neighbors are in Christ.Jesus prayed that we would have unity, and we pray that for ourselves today too. We pray that we would not look for what divides us, but seek what unites us.Prayer of ConfessionGod of every nation, tribe, and tongue,We lament the ways we have used dehumanizing language and made disparaging jokes at the expense of other cultures.We lament the history of residential schools across our nation, the cultural genocide that took place there, and the ways this has impacted our indigenous brothers and sisters for generations.We lament senseless attacks on racial and religious groups—the places of worship attacked, the families and individuals run down on sidewalks, the targeted vandalism, police brutality, gang violence, and profiling.We lament the ways we have made God into an image of whiteness by failing to acknowledge God’s image in the theology, worship, and cultures of the global church.We lament our lack of imagination and courage in directly confronting and dismantling systemic racism with the excuse that the church should focus on piety and evangelism.Let us be humble and listen to the pain, rage, and grief pouring from the lips of our neighbors and friends.May God give us grace and strength to resist lies, arrogance, injustice, racism, and oppression in all forms. God, in your mercy,Show me my own complicity in injustice.Convict me for my indifference.Forgive me when I have remained silent.Equip me with a zeal for righteousness.Never let me grow accustomed to unrighteousness.Amen.Song “Man of Sorrows—What a Name” BlissAssurance of Pardon Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;   remove your evil deeds   from before my eyes;cease to do evil;     learn to do good;seek justice;   rescue the oppressed;defend the orphan;   plead for the widow.Come now, let us argue it out,   says the Lord:If your sins are like scarlet,   will they become like snow?If they are red like crimson,   will they become like wool?—Isaiah 1:16–18 NRSVUERevised Common LectionaryYear C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 14 (19)Year C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 26 (31)

The following originally appeared as part of "Grief over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness—Lent 4: Domestic Violence and Misogyny."Call to ConfessionPaul writes, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26, NRSV). When abuse occurs, it is a community issue. When someone views another as lesser, it is a community issue. When prejudice exists, it is a community issue. It can feel easier for us to hold these issues of justice at arm’s length and say, “Well, that doesn’t happen here.” When it comes to domestic violence, statistics show no difference between church members and secular society. Though we are the body of Christ, we are not immune to committing injustices. We confess our complicity before God and each other in the promise of Christ’s forgiveness and grace.Prayer of ConfessionHoly and merciful God,you made us all in your imageand called us your beloved children.You call us to care for one another,to submit to one another,to look out for and love one another.We confess that we are not always faithful in fulfilling our calling.We remain silent when we hear offensive or belittling comments.We make sweeping judgments about people of different genders or sexualities,and we let our own biases blind us from seeing others as they truly are:beloved children and image bearers of God.Forgive us, Lord, and help us to speak up when we witness injustice.Amen.Revised Common LectionaryYear C: Epiphany—Third Sunday after the Epiphany

The following originally appeared as part of "Grief over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness—Lent 2: Misuse of the Environment."Call to WorshipThe heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands.All creation joins in praising:great sea creatures and all ocean depths,lightning and hail, snow and clouds,stormy winds that do his bidding,mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,kings of the earth and all nations, princes and all rulers on earth,young men and women, old men and children.Let them praise the name of the Lord,for his name alone is exalted;his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.—adapted from Psalm 19:1 and Psalm 148:7–12 NIVRevised Common LectionaryYear A, B, C: Christmas—First Sunday after Christmas DayYear C: Easter—Fifth Sunday of Easter

The following originally appeared as part of "Grief over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness—Lent 1: War."Children’s Message Note: During the weeks leading up to Lent, the children used charcoal to create cross art that we then framed and displayed in the sanctuary during the season as a constant reminder of our frailty and brokenness and of God’s great love for us.[Invite kids forward to discuss their charcoal cross art now on display, then talk to the kids about ashes.]Ash Wednesday was this past week, marking the start of the season of Lent, which is what we call the season in the church leading up to Good Friday and Easter. This can be a hard season. We talk a lot about the suffering and death of Jesus and about suffering and death in the world. God calls us in the season of Lent to turn from the things that keep us apart from God and to turn toward the things that bring us closer to God. Thank you for helping us worship by sharing the crosses you made. [Ask one or two children to talk about their pictures.] The ashes remind us that eventually we will all die because we disobeyed God. The cross reminds us of our hope in Christ: that Jesus has already defeated death. The beauty of the flowers, trees, and sunshine in your pictures reminds us that God will make everything new and beautiful in its time. Prayer of ConfessionDear Jesus,We are sorry for not always doing what is right and good.We turn away from you and go our own way.Forgive us, Lord, when we do bad things or think unkind thoughts.Forgive us when we don’t help someone in need.Help us to live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you, our God.Amen.Assurance of PardonGod promises us that God will make everything beautiful in its time.The book of Isaiah describes a beautiful picture of the joy creation will have when God makes all things new:The desert and the dry ground will be glad.The dry places will be full of joy.Flowers will grow there.Like the first crocus in the spring,the desert will bloom with flowers.It will be very glad and shout for joy. . . .Everyone will see the glory of the Lord.They will see the beauty of our God.—Isaiah 35:1–3 NIRV

This is part of the worship series, "Grief Over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness”IntroductionLent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3  | Lent 4 |  Lent 5Palm/Passion Sunday | Good Friday | Easter Sunday  POVERTY (Palm/Passion Sunday)The advice to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” is impossible to follow for many living in poverty. The vast majority of people living in poverty are unable to work for a variety of reasons, including mental or physical health. In this service we focused on the systems of oppression that drive poverty as well as on our call to be community to those around us. We considered how we could move beyond offering handouts and come to a holistic understanding of why people end up in poverty and how to help without harming.GATHERINGWelcome Call to WorshipBlessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.   We bless you from the house of the Lord.The Lord is God,   and he has given us light.Bind the festal procession with branches,   up to the horns of the altar.You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;   you are my God; I will extol you.O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,   for his steadfast love endures forever.—Psalm 118:26–29 NRSVUEGod Greets UsGod’s People Greet Each OtherSongs“Praise is Rising (Hosanna)” Brown and Baloche“Mighty to Save” Fielding and Morgan“Holy Lord” Steve BellRENEWALCall to ConfessionWe shout “Hosanna! Jesus is King!”—but we don’t always treat him as king over our lives or treat others as if they are sons and daughters of the king. We all have sinned, and we all need to ask God for forgiveness.Prayer of ConfessionHoly and loving God,You love us so much that you sent your Son to save us.We love you, and we wave our palm branches in praise of you as king over all.Sometimes we are selfish, or we say mean things about others.That hurts other people, and it hurts you.We are sorry, Lord—sorry for all the times we don’t treat others as loved children of God.We want to serve you and to love others as you have loved us. Help us, God, to love as you love,and to serve as you serve.Amen.Song “His Mercy Is More” Boswell and PapaAssurance of PardonFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 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.—John 3:16–17 NRSVUEWe can trust that these words are true: God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die for our sins. Song“At the Cross (Love Ran Red)” Tomlin et al. Children are dismissed for Children’s Worship.WORDPrayer for Illumination Scripture Deuteronomy 15:1–11; Matthew 26:6–13Message “True Community Eliminates Poverty”Song of Response“Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service” BaylyPrayers of the People We Give Our Offerings of Thanks SENDING Call to Discipleship We go from here into the week known as Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter.As we go:The cross, we will take it.The bread, we will break it.The pain, we will bear it.The joy, we will share it.The gospel, we will live it.The love, we will give it.The light, we will cherish it.The darkness, God shall perish it.—Stages on the Way, p. 72 © 2000, 1998, by WGRG The Iona Community (Scotland), GIA Publications, Inc., agent. Used by permission. Reprints permitted with a license from ONE LICENSE, onelicense.netGod’s Parting BlessingSong “Lift High the Cross” (st. 1, 3, 4, 7) KitchinPostludeRevised Common LectionaryYear A: Lent—Liturgy of the Passion

This is part of the worship series, "Grief Over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness”IntroductionLent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3  | Lent 4 |  Lent 5Palm/Passion Sunday | Good Friday | Easter Sunday  Week five: RacismBarely a year prior to this series on justice, an unmarked mass grave was uncovered at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. More such discoveries were made in the following months, and those events were very much in our mind as we planned this service. We felt it appropriate to open with a land acknowledgment as we reflected on injustices against Indigenous peoples. Revelation 7 speaks of all nations, tribes, and tongues around the throne of God, but we lament the lack of diversity within our own congregation and the expectation put on people to assimilate to one way of worshiping. We lamented in prayer the many ways insidious racism permeates our own lives. As a response to the sermon, we chose a Korean hymn as a prayer for unity and reconciliation among all people of all nations. GATHERINGWelcomeOpening Prayer: Land AcknowledgementCreator God,Today we gather as one people to worship your great and glorious name, and we do so recognizing that this city is situated upon the traditional territories of the ____________—lands they continue to steward.We seek a new relationship with the original peoples of this land—one based on honor and respect.May love guide us in right actions as we seek to transform our personal and institutional relationships with Indigenous friends and neighbors. Amen. —adapted from a prayer by Meadowlands CRC God Greets UsGod’s People Greet Each OtherCall to Worship“See How Good It Is (Psalm 133)” Kimbrough“King of Kings” Ligertwood et al.RENEWALCall to ConfessionIn this service we acknowledge before God the sin of racism. Admitting to acts of racism and repenting of them do not define our identity. Jesus determines who we are—each and every one of us. The act of worship is itself an act of protest against the social caste system. It tells people from all nations and all walks of life who they really are in Christ and who our neighbors are in Christ.Jesus prayed that we would have unity, and we pray that for ourselves today too. We pray that we would not look for what divides us, but seek what unites us.Prayer of ConfessionGod of every nation, tribe, and tongue,We lament the ways we have used dehumanizing language and made disparaging jokes at the expense of other cultures.We lament the history of residential schools across our nation, the cultural genocide that took place there, and the ways this has impacted our indigenous brothers and sisters for generations.We lament senseless attacks on racial and religious groups—the places of worship attacked, the families and individuals run down on sidewalks, the targeted vandalism, police brutality, gang violence, and profiling.We lament the ways we have made God into an image of whiteness by failing to acknowledge God’s image in the theology, worship, and cultures of the global church.We lament our lack of imagination and courage in directly confronting and dismantling systemic racism with the excuse that the church should focus on piety and evangelism.Let us be humble and listen to the pain, rage, and grief pouring from the lips of our neighbors and friends.May God give us grace and strength to resist lies, arrogance, injustice, racism, and oppression in all forms. God, in your mercy,Show me my own complicity in injustice.Convict me for my indifference.Forgive me when I have remained silent.Equip me with a zeal for righteousness.Never let me grow accustomed to unrighteousness.Amen.Song “Man of Sorrows—What a Name” BlissAssurance of Pardon Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;   remove your evil deeds   from before my eyes;cease to do evil;     learn to do good;seek justice;   rescue the oppressed;defend the orphan;   plead for the widow.Come now, let us argue it out,   says the Lord:If your sins are like scarlet,   will they become like snow?If they are red like crimson,   will they become like wool?—Isaiah 1:16–18 NRSVUESong “Kwake Yesu nasimama / Here on Jesus Christ I Will Stand” Kenyan Traditional adapt. Scheer Children are dismissed for Children’s Worship.WORDPrayer for IlluminationScripture Ephesians 2:11–22 Message “No Longer Foreigners or Strangers”Song of Response “오 소 서 / Come Now, O Prince of Peace” LeePrayers of the PeopleWe Give Our Offerings of ThanksSENDING Call to Discipleship Revelation 7:9–12God’s Parting BlessingSong “Hallelujah, Salvation and Glory” LaValleyPostlude

This is part of the worship series, "Grief Over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness”IntroductionLent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3  | Lent 4 |  Lent 5Palm/Passion Sunday | Good Friday | Easter Sunday  Week 4: Domestic Violence & MisogynyIn preparing to write this sermon addressing the injustices of misogyny and domestic abuse, I came across this pivotal quote from Beth Allison Barr “Isn’t it ironic (not to mention tiresome) that we spend so much time fighting to make Christianity look like the world around us instead of fighting to make it look like Jesus Christ? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?...Patriarchy may be a part of Christian history, but that doesn’t make it Christian.” (Barr, The Making of Biblical Womanhood, 2021, p. 37.) Our text, Mark 5:28–38 shows an interaction between Jesus and a woman who had been bleeding for years, and it reveals the woman’s determination to touch Jesus’ garment with the expectation of being healed. Jesus’ response to her is wholly unexpected, and his kindness is radically different from what might be expected in the culture of the time. Using material from the Christian Reformed Church of North America’s Safe Church Ministry (recently renamed “Thrive: Safer Churches”), we looked at the reality of sinfulness that continues to allow misogyny and domestic abuse to quietly flourish even in our own homes and in communities where we invite women, men, and children to find a safe space to dialogue about their own experiences.GATHERINGWelcomeCall to WorshipIn the midst of a world where people hunger and thirst . . .come worship a God who feeds the hungry.In the midst of a world where people are abused and oppressed . . .come worship a God who calls for compassion and justice.In the midst of a world filled with wars and rumors of war . . .come worship a God who desires nothing less than peace for the world.In the midst of a world of spiritual emptiness . . .come worship a God who gives life meaning.Come worship a God whose grace and love know no end.—Miriam Lawrence Leupold, from Sacraments and Seasons: Peacemaking Through Worship III, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program © 2001 The PC(USA) Store.God Greets UsGod’s People Greet Each OtherSongs“How Great Is Our God” Tomlin et al.“Way Maker” EgbuRENEWALCall to ConfessionPaul writes, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26, NRSV). When abuse occurs, it is a community issue. When someone views another as lesser, it is a community issue. When prejudice exists, it is a community issue. It can feel easier for us to hold these issues of justice at arm’s length and say, “Well, that doesn’t happen here.” When it comes to domestic violence, statistics show no difference between church members and secular society. Though we are the body of Christ, we are not immune to committing injustices. We confess our complicity before God and each other in the promise of Christ’s forgiveness and grace.Prayer of ConfessionHoly and merciful God,you made us all in your imageand called us your beloved children.You call us to care for one another,to submit to one another,to look out for and love one another.We confess that we are not always faithful in fulfilling our calling.We remain silent when we hear offensive or belittling comments.We make sweeping judgments about people of different genders or sexualities,and we let our own biases blind us from seeing others as they truly are:beloved children and image bearers of God.Forgive us, Lord, and help us to speak up when we witness injustice.Amen.Song “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” WattsAssurance of Pardon“(Jesus) said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12, NIV).Song “My Lighthouse” Llewellyn and GilkesonChildren are dismissed for Children’s Worship.WORDPrayer for Illumination Scripture Mark 5:25–34Message “He Said / She Said”Song of Response “How Long, O Lord, How Long” (st. 1, 5, 7, 8) SteumpflePrayers of the PeopleWe Give Our Offerings of ThanksSENDINGGod’s Parting BlessingSong“At the Cross (Love Ran Red)” Tomlin et al. Postlude

This is part of the worship series, "Grief Over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness”IntroductionLent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3  | Lent 4 |  Lent 5Palm/Passion Sunday | Good Friday | Easter Sunday EASTER SUNDAY“I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.” —Lesslie NewbiginEaster Sunday serves as the antithesis to the whole series, turning us from looking at injustice to looking at what is true justice. Christ’s victory over sin and death is our eternal hope for justice. It is amazing, breathtaking, and life changing, but the efficacy of this sacrifice goes far beyond our personal salvation. It is world changing! Jesus himself tells us that he was sent to earth to “proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God,” and through his death and resurrection the kingdom is come. The work of restoring the goodness of God’s creation has begun, to be completed on the day Christ comes again. GATHERINGWelcomeCall to WorshipAlleluia! Christ is risen.He is risen indeed. Alleluia!Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.He has given us new life and hope.He has raised Jesus from the dead.God has claimed us as his own.He has brought us out of darkness,and has made us light to the world.—Adapted from 1 Peter 1:3–5God Greets UsGod’s People Greet Each Other Songs“Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” Wesley“Crown Him with Many Crowns” (st. 1, 2) Bridge and Thring“God So Loved” Bergthold and Cash TABLEInvitation to the TableIsaiah shares a beautiful prophecy of all peoples gathering together at God’s messianic feast, celebrating the overthrow of evil and the joy of eternity with God. Today as we celebrate communion we look back on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and anticipate this messianic feast in the joy of eternity with God.  Reading On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples   a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,   of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.And he will destroy on this mountain   the shroud that is cast over all peoples,   the covering that is spread over all nations;     he will swallow up death forever.Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,   and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,   for the Lord has spoken.It will be said on that day,   “See, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.   This is the Lord for whom we have waited;   let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”—Isaiah 25:6–9 NRSVUEWe come rejoicing in the risen Christ this Easter Sunday!Prayer of ThanksgivingNourished at this table, O God,may we know Christ’s redemptive loveand live a new life in him.Give us who are fed at his handgrace to share our bread with the hungryand with the hungry of heart.Keep us faithful in your serviceuntil Christ comes in final victory,and we shall feast with all your saintsin the joy of your eternal realm.Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,all glory and honor are yours, almighty God,with the Holy Spirit in the holy church,now and forever. Amen.—Reprinted by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved.The Words of InstitutionWe give thanks to God the Father that our Savior, Jesus Christ,before he suffered, gave us this memorial of his sacrifice, until he comes again. At his last supper, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it [the minister breaks the bread] and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup [the minister pours the wine] and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this in remembrance of me.” For whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.—adapted from 1 Corinthians 11:23–26Therefore we proclaim our faith as signed and sealed in this sacrament:Christ has died.Christ is risen.Christ will come again.The Prayer of ConsecrationLord, our God, send your Holy Spirit so that this bread and cup may be for us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we and all your saints be united with Christ and remain faithful in hope and love. Gather your whole church, O Lord, into the glory of your kingdom.—Agenda for Synod 1994 © 1994, Christian Reformed Church in North America, p. 181.Leader: We pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray,All: “Our Father in heaven . . .”The CommunionSongs“See How Good It Is (Psalm 133)” Kimbrough“What a Beautiful Name” Fielding and Ligertwood“Agnus Dei” Smith, SNC 39Prayer after CommunionEternal God, heavenly Father,you have graciously accepted us as living membersof your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ,and you have fed us with spiritual foodin the sacrament of his body and blood.Send us out into the world in peace,and grant us strength and courageto love and serve youwith gladness and singleness of heart.Through Christ, our Lord, amen.—Leo Malania in The Book of Common Prayer, p. 365, according to the use of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. © 1977, Charles Mortimer Guilbert as custodian; public domain.Children are dismissed for Children’s Worship. WORDPrayer for IlluminationScripture Matthew 28:1–8; Romans 8:1–6Message “Victory & Justice”Song of Response“Low in the Grave He Lay” LowryPrayer of the PeopleWe Give Our Offerings of Thanks SENDING Call to DiscipleshipAs Christ burst forth from the tomb,may new life burst forth from usand show itself in acts of love and healing to a hurting world.And may that same Christ, who lives foreverand is the source of our new life,keep your hearts rejoicing and grant you peacethis day and always. Amen.—Carol A. Wise in For All Who Minister: A Worship Manual for the Church of the Brethren, © 1993, Brethren Press.God’s Parting BlessingSong “Victor’s Crown” Zschech et al.PostludeRevised Common LectionaryYear A: Easter—Easter VigilYear A: Easter—Resurrection of the Lord