Walking for Justice
CCW Weekly Brief for Sunday, April 10th, 2022
Dear friends,
Finding the historical Jesus of Nazareth within the layers of tradition and story can be a difficult task. Historians disagree about most aspects of his life, including where he was born and the purpose of his work. New Testament scholar Marcus Borg described Jesus of Nazareth as a “spirit-person” whose teachings and acts of healing were deeply inspired by his spiritual vision. Religious historian and commentator Reza Aslan argues that Jesus was a zealot whose goal was to lead the Jewish people in overthrowing the Roman occupation.
Most historians—but not all—agree that something happened in those final weeks of his life and that he was executed as a political enemy of the Roman Empire. In Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan’s The Last Week, the two historians describe Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as a political satire, mocking Pontious Pilate’s military parade that would have been occurring around the same time. They envision Jesus’ actions in the temple, his overturning of the moneylender’s tables, as a planned protest against the financial collaboration between the religious leaders and the Empire.
Holy Week—Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday—is then the story of a political movement against abuse and injustice that ultimately leads to Jesus’ torture and execution.
For the past few years, I have honored Good Friday by immersing myself in the continuing call to end abuse and injustice in our communities. The Good Friday Walk for Justice is an annual event based on the Stations of the Cross with each station offering information about the struggles of different communities and the actions you can take to support them. The Walk for Justice website states:
The Good Friday Walk for Justice honors the religious tradition of Good Friday by co-creating a public witness that names the injustices of the day and calls for transformation. The contemporary Stations, prepared by various justice-seeking coalitions/communities, call us to continue to be in solidarity with those who are suffering at the hands of the “powers and principalities” of our day.
If you are looking for a way to honor the spirit of the day and to honor the life of the historical, I encourage you to consider participating in this year’s online event. To learn more or to register, please click on the button below.
Grace and peace,
Rob
Join Us For Worship
Join us in person or online this Sunday morning as we begin Holy Week. This week’s service will include both a celebration of Palm Sunday and reflections on the meaning of the Passion narrative in our lives. Music will be led by CCW Music Director Winifred Brown, Sam Krausz, Saori Chiba, and guest musician Janis Sakai. This week’s worship leader is Peg Kritzler.
After worship, everyone is welcome to join us in the CCW Lounge for coffee hour. This week’s coffee hour is hosted by David Kwo.
For those joining us in person on Sunday morning, we continue to request that everyone keeps their mask on during worship to ensure that everyone who attends feels safe. If you are attending online, please feel free to turn your camera on during the service and to unmute as we share joys and concerns or share our reflections.
To participate in the worship online via Zoom, please click on the button below.
Living and Serving Together
Congregational Meeting After Worship
Everyone is invited to participate in a congregational meeting this Sunday after worship. This month’s meeting will include an update regarding the pastoral transition process as well as updates on from our ministry teams. To participate online, please use worship link above.
Pastor Rob’s Schedule
As Pastor Rob begins to conclude his ministry with the Community Church of Wilmette, please be aware of his schedule over the next few weeks. Rob will be with us in worship this Sunday and next Sunday for our Easter celebration. He will be on vacation the following week and then returning for his final Sunday on May 1st. If you need any information from Rob, please call or email him this week. After Easter, he will begin transferring his CCW online accounts, including his email address, to the main administrative account. Next week’s Weekly Brief will be Rob’s final newsletter.