1. Heavenly father, pour out your grace today on those who
gave birth this year to their first child
lost a child this year
are in the trenches with little ones every day
experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away
walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods and tears
are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms
have warm and close relationships with their children
have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with their children
lost their mothers this year
experienced abuse at the hands of their own mother
have aborted children
are single and long to be married and mothering their own children
walk the complex path of being step parents
envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren which are not to be
will have emptier nests in the upcoming year
are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising

2. Jesus said “The Time has come The Kingdom of God is near Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
God is present doing good
and confronting what is not good
(Mark 1:16 onwards!)
e.g…

3. Confronting what is not good
Casting out Evil spirits x4,
Heal: Fever, Leprosy, Paralytic, Storm, Jairus’ daughter, Bleeding woman, Syro Phoenician, Deaf Mute, Blind man, Bartimaeus
Confront: Levi, Sabbath, Beelzebub, Sower, Death of John, Unclean, Herod, Who is greatest, Divorce, Rich man, Little children, James and John, Tenants in vineyard, Tax, Resurrection
What is Jesus confronting no the cross?

4. Confronting the Powers
25 Mar 11:1-11 Palm Sunday
7 Jan 11:12-33 Fig tree & Temple
14 Jan 12:1-12 Tenants in vineyard
28 Jan 12:13-27 Questions: Tax & Resurrection
21 Jan 12:28-44 Greatest command & Widows mite
4 Feb 13:1-31 Apocalypse
11 Feb 14:1-11 Plot & Bethany
18 Feb 14:12-31 Passover
25 Feb 14:32-52 Gethsemane
4 Mar 14:53-72 High Priest & Peter
11 Mar 15:1-20 Pilate & Crowd
18 Mar 15:21-47 Crucifixion & Burial
1 Apr 16:1-8 Resurrection

5. Power Sources of power Position – Reward & Coerce Given - Relational
Resource – Knowledge, Time
Application of Power
Domination
Service (The Kingdom of God)
Violence
Myth of redemptive violence
Non violent confrontation

6. Power to dominate versus Power to nurture
Mark 15: Power from Above
1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”
5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
Power to dominate versus Power to nurture

7. The Myth of Redemptive Violence
Mark 15: Power from below
6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
9 “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. 13 “Crucify him!” they shouted.
14 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
The Myth of Redemptive Violence

8. Mark 15: The “foot soldiers”
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Thank God for his written Word to us
Victims of an oppressive system

9. Our Gathered worship has ended, our Worship & Service continue
From Amen to Action
May you know the blessing of living without domination & violence of using power to nurture life in all its fulness in the name of Jesus, by the power of His Spirit
Today and every day, for ever. Amen? Amen
Our Gathered worship has ended, our Worship & Service continue