This prayer thanks God for God's life-giving presence and promises of redemption. It asks that God will uphold believers as they face trials in life, and that at the end they will share in Christ's resurrection, restored and freed to be God's people forever.

1. A Prayer For The People of God
Mighty God,
in whom we know the power of redemption,
we thank you for your life-giving presence.
As we move through every sorrow and trial of this life,
uphold us with knowledge of the final morning when,
in the glorious presence of your risen Son,
we will share in his resurrection,
redeemed and restored to the fullness of life
and forever freed to be your people.
Amen.

3. FROM
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION
TO
Delusional
political posturing
Prophetic
political theater
Victory as
national restoration
Victory as
cosmic renewal
A shadow-king who
rules on a war horse
The True King who
leads on a donkey

4. FROM
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION
TO
Human suffering as
divine judgment
Divine suffering as
solidarity with humanity
Liberation by
violent revolution
Liberation by
absorbing violence
The cross as the ultimate
expression of divine anger
The cross as the ultimate
expression of divine love

5. Luke 24:1-12
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION

6. RICKANDMORTY
Season1(Episode8)
- On a chalk board at the
Alamo Drafthouse in Dallas
- Originally meant as a
word of perspective to a
young woman struggling
with her place in life,
this has been taken out
of context and used as a
mantra (by some) re: the
supposed meaninglessness
of human existence…

7. SPIRITUALWARFARE
WisdomTree(1992)
- Christian Legend of Zelda
- Princess / Powers
- Gain converts, Bible trivia,
fight Satan at the end
- Boss levels for armor of God
- Music = 8bit versions of
Christian hymns
- Weapons / Fruit of Spirit
- Bombs / God’s Wrath
- Monsters / The “Unsaved”
- Defeats = unsaved repent,

8. Luke 24:1-12
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION

9. On the first day of the week,
very early in the morning,
the women took the spices
they had prepared and went
to the tomb. They found the stone
rolled away from the tomb,
but when they entered,
they did not find the body
of the Lord Jesus. While they
were wondering about this,
suddenly two men in clothes that
gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
LUKE
22:1-4
(NIV)

10. In their fright the women bowed
down with their faces to the ground,
but the men said to them,
“Why do you look for the living
among the dead? He is not here;
he has risen! Remember how he told you,
while he was still with you in Galilee:
‘The Son of Man must be delivered over
to the hands of sinners, be crucified
and on the third day be raised again.’ ”
Then they remembered his words.
LUKE
22:5-8
(NIV)

11. When they came back from the tomb,
they told all these things to the Eleven and
to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene,
Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and
the others with them who told this to
the apostles. But they did not believe
the women, because their words seemed
to them like nonsense. Peter, however,
got up and ran to the tomb. Bending
over, he saw the strips of linen lying
by themselves, and he went away,
wondering to himself what had happened.
LUKE
22:9-12
(NIV)

12. Luke 24:1-12
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION

13. FROM
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION
TO
God as a cosmic,
patriarchal killjoy
God as a loving,
life-giving gardener

14. THERESURRECTION
DennisHayward

15. NIGHTPRAYER
MichaelCook

16. FROM
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION
TO
God as a cosmic,
patriarchal killjoy
God as a loving,
life-giving gardener
God who stands apart
from suffering/death
God who embraces both
in solidarity with humanity

17. “The cross of Jesus (and his tomb)
reveal the extent of God’s
involvement in the suffering of
the weak. God is not merely
sympathetic with the social pain
of the poor but becomes totally
identified with them in their agony
and pain…The resurrection ignites
joy because it is the sign
of God’s victory over
suffering on the cross.”
James Cone

18. “Jesus Christ is God’s decisive word
of liberation in our experience
(of suffering) that makes it possible
to struggle for freedom because
we know that God is struggling too…
There is joy not only because we
know that God has defeated evil,
but also because God is present
with us in our fight against suffering
and will come again to consummate
the freedom already given in Jesus.”
James Cone

19. COLOMBO,SRILANKA
4.21.19(AssociatedPress)

20. FROM
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION
TO
God as the source of
black-and-white answers
God as the Source of
mind-blowing mystery
God as a cosmic,
patriarchal killjoy
God as a loving,
life-giving gardener
God who stands apart
from suffering/death
God who embraces both
in solidarity with humanity

21. THEDISCIPLES
EugeneBernard(1898)
God as the Source of mind-blowing mystery

22. God as the Source of mind-blowing mystery

23. 1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see
through a glass,
dimly; but then
face to face:
now I know
in part; but then
shall I know
even as also
I am known.

24. FROM
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION
TO
God as the source of
black-and-white answers
God as the Source of
mind-blowing mystery
God as a cosmic,
patriarchal killjoy
God as a loving,
life-giving gardener
God who stands apart
from suffering/death
God who embraces both
in solidarity with humanity

25. Luke 24:1-12
a TRANSFORMATION of IMAGINATION

26. Benediction
We exult in your love, O God of the living,
for you made the tomb of death
the womb from which you bring forth your Son,
the first-born of a new creation, and you anointed
the universe with the fragrant Spirit of his resurrection.
Make us joyful witnesses to this good news,
that all humanity may one day gather
at the feast of new life in the kingdom
where you reign for ever and ever.
Amen.