be chuckling because they con- fessed Jesus as the Son of God. Forgiveness is at the heart of our encounter with Jesus—first in baptism and then weekly. Each week we remem- ber our baptism by confessing our sins (we are put under the water) and receiving for- giveness (we are drawn out again as new people). That we hear
of God’s forgive- ness from a human being shouldn’t surprise us: she or he speaks forgive- ness by Christ’s authority alone.
The invocation At the end of 2 Corinthians, Paul writes a special Trinitarian bless- ing to his former congregation: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the commu-
Confession and forgiveness So Jesus is teaching in a house, and some desperate friends of a paralyzed man dig a hole in the roof and lower him down to Jesus’ feet (Mark 2:1- 12). Jesus, instead of simply healing him, says, “Your sins are forgiven.” When some complain that only God can forgive sins, Jesus answers: “Which is easier, to forgive or to heal?” And he heals the man at once. Of course, Mark’s readers would
nion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (13:13). Some scholars believe this blessing was Paul’s signal to begin worship since from the begin- ning his letters were read prior to or during worship. Today the pastor, as a represen-
tative of the apostles, gives us, the congregation, the same apostolic greeting. We offer the same blessing back to the pastor. It’s like a mini- installation service, where pastor
and people promise to be with one another in the Lord through our reading, preaching, prayers and celebration.
The kyrie
In Mark 10 we hear of Jesus’ journey through Jericho to Jerusalem on his way to crucifixion. Jesus encounters Bartimaeus, a blind man who hears this is Jesus and shouts, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me” (47). From that time to the present, Jesus’ followers have prayed that same prayer to God: “Kyrie eleison” (“Lord, have mercy”). We are totally dependent upon God, so we pray for mercy in every aspect of life.
The form of the kyrie we use today comes from ancient prayers by Greek-speaking congregations in the early centuries of the church’s exis- tence. Sometimes our congregations may even use the original Greek to echo the words of Bartimaeus.
Gloria in excelsis The scene is Luke 2. We are out in the fields, shivering with the shepherds. Suddenly, to announce Jesus’ birth, we hear, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth” (14). We have visions of angels prais- ing God’s presence on earth in Jesus Christ.
Because early Christians centered worship around Christ’s presence in the bread and wine of communion, they chose hymns that reflected the angels’ songs celebrating God’s pres- ence—adding to the angels’ praise their own jubilation over God’s Trini- tarian presence with us.
Just as the Son of God was born in lowly Bethlehem, so he comes to us in everyday elements—bread and wine. What better way to celebrate than with the angels?
22 For a study guide, see page 26. March 2012 21
MICHAEL D. WATSON
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