Holy week begins… with a liturgy from Fringe Dweller

As you move into this week, we wanted to share with you something from Fringe Dweller, a new book by Jonny Baker and David Cotterill.

Here is what Jonny has to say.

This blog post is an extract from Fringe Dweller, a book by me (Jonny Baker) and David Cotterill. It is a series of forty reflections, practices and liturgies on Jesus’ encounters with those at the edges or through that lens. Fringe Dwelling King is a reflection based on Matthew 21:1-11 when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt. In a world in which Jesus is being co-opted to nationalist and imperial agendas by those with power this book feels pretty timely. We hope you find it inspiring. The book is available from www.getsidetracked.co

Fringe Dwelling King

At the Passover the Roman Governor, comes to Jerusalem every year traveling up from the coast. There is often trouble at Passover as it’s a festival about liberation and lot of people are in the city. He enters the city from the West in a military parade with a large group of soldiers and chariots, astride a strong stallion demonstrating the imperial power of Rome which keeps the Pax Romana through fear and control. The message is clear.

Jesus enters from the opposite side of the city in an amazing piece of guerrilla street theatre, making fun of the Romans as a parody of the parade on the other side of town but also drawing on the best of the tradition. It is a mix of playfulness and improvisation but with a real significance and depth to it at the same time. It’s a piece of performance art that will be remembered for millennia to come. His disciples turn out en masse through some good community organising ready with palm branches and Jesus rides on a colt with the crowd cheering ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’. A colt has never been ridden so would be hopeless as a war horse for a king – it’s almost a piece of clowning or would fit in a comedy routine. The Son of David is the line of kingship. It’s ironic in a way because Jesus’ is so different to David who shed so much blood in his rule. By way of contrast, Jesus is a peaceful, peacemaking King who will absorb in his own body the violence of the empire and the world, the crown he wears will be a crown of thorns, and he will have a sign over his execution site saying ‘king of the Jews’. This is the Fringedwelling King whose way is not to overcome violence with violence, but it is the way of the cross and the journey to it is on a donkey. This is the Son of God in whom there is no violence.

I have always enjoyed Tom Sine’s writing. He has had a life’s love of the parable of the mustard seed, which describes what God’s kingdom is like. In one of his books he has an amazing description of the kingdom, or what he sometimes refers to as the empire of the mustard seed.

“When Jesus began teaching he made it clear that his new empire would be unlike any empire the world had ever seen. It came on a donkey’s back. Its imperial council was comprised of a handful of unemployed fishermen, a couple of IRS agents, a prostitute and some hangers on. Jesus demonstrated how to wield his imperial power by washing feet, telling stories and playing with kids. Jesus’ empire is based on the absurd values that the last should be first, losers are winners, and the most influential in the empire should clean the toilets. Members of the empire are instructed to love their enemies, forgive their friends, always give twice as much as people ask of them and never pursue power or position. Jesus insisted that those who are part of his empire shouldn’t worry about finances, but simply trust God. The resources to run this empire were basins, towels, and leftover lunches. This empire also developed a reputation for constant partying – almost always with the wrong kind of people. Seriously is this any way to run an empire? Imagine what would happen if you ran a political, economic or religious institution with these bizarre values. Clearly it wouldn’t have much of a future. These values might even get the leader assassinated.”

Liturgy: Empire of the mustard seed

Your new empire rides in on a donkey’s back

In contrast to the imperial parade on the other side of town