Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the
land which many call Canada. In our worship together this day, in this area, we
gather on the traditional land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands
of the Mi'kmaq, Wolastoquey, and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to
rebuild right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on
this land, their land with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator.
Let the light of Christ pierce
the deep shadows of Good Friday.
May its light shine on us this
most holy of days.
May its light be a beacon for
us, renewing all that is good within us, all the good within our community.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Call to Worship: (written
by
Laura Viau)
It was dawn. The sun was
warming the earth. The birds were singing.
The beauty of the day was lost on the grieving women.
It may as well have been midnight as they approached the tomb.
It was dawn. The earth was rejoicing. The breeze whispered alleluias across
the land.
It made no sense. The stone had moved. The body was gone.
Confusion and fear shoved grief to the side.
It was dawn. The trees swayed in the rhythm of songs from the heavens.
Dazzling clothes, strange voices, familiar words:
On the third day the Son of Man will rise again.
It was dawn. The women were running. The words were forming.
Christ is risen! Come and see!
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Hymn: 155 VU
Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Opening Prayer: (Dr.
Sharon R. Fennema on Worship Ways, United Church of Christ)
Resurrecting God, we meet you
in the empty tomb where our griefs and joys, despairs and hopes intermingle.
Through our prayers and praise
this Easter day, open our hearts to remember that the power of love and life
will overcome every death-dealing force, no matter how pervasive or persuasive.
In this troubling and
joyful time, dazzle us with good news, Holy Rising Up One, in whose path we
follow and name we pray. Amen
Hymn: 166 VU Joy Comes with the Dawn
Readings and Reflection:
Remember How He Told You
Our first reading this morning
from Isaiah paints a picture of a radically new vision, a new thing that God will
to do encourage the people after exile. In a similar way, Jesus through his
ministry, describes and lives out a new thing he is doing. In the resurrection,
as we will see, God continues to do a new thing, throwing everything off
balance, reversing expectations and opening up an unimaginable future for us
all. Practicing resurrection calls us to be part of the new thing God is doing.
Isaiah 65:17-25
For I
am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
and its people as a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it
or the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime,
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered
accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat,
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain
or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
and their descendants as well.
24 Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says
the Lord.
If you have ever experienced
the death of a loved one, you probably can relate to the feeling of time
standing still for a bit. When the person takes their last breath, sometimes it
feels like everything in our world is on pause. All that remains is the present
moment. Whatever you were doing at the time of the death is set aside and no
longer has priority for you. At such
times it is difficult to look either forward or backward. At least that is how
it felt for me when I experienced the death of both of my parents. But then, as
the reality of the moment sinks in a little, you realize that there are things
that need to be done- like notifying extended family members and friends, making
arrangements with the funeral home and so on. Then, as time passes, and as
others share condolences and memories of your loved one with you in
conversations over the phone, in emails or at times of visitation, you are
transported away from the present to former times. Sometimes these stories shared begin with I
remember a time when…
In the days after my father’s
death, one of his early classmates shared a story with me that happened when
they were in Grade 1 together. Apparently, someone in the class had done
something mischievous, so the whole class was kept in after school. That’s when
my father started to cry as he, like the others no doubt, must have wanted to
go home. It was enough to persuade the teacher to let them all go. For some
reason, the sight of my then 6-year-old father crying in the classroom left a
lasting impression and memory on this classmate!
Those humorous and memorable
little anecdotes shared in our early days of grief serve to take us away from
the present to a time that is past. They help us to remember things that were
said and done by our loved one. They are important things to share with someone
who is grieving and they are important things for us to hear when we are
grieving. Such memories spark those
necessary tears of laughter or of sorrow that help launch us forward in our
grief and into our next steps.
I can’t help but wonder if
this might have been what it was like for those women who approached the tomb
on that first Easter. As Luke tells the story, these were the same women who
had watched Jesus on the cross to the bitter end, even staying long enough to
follow Joseph of Arimathea as he took Jesus’ body and laid it in the tomb. Now,
having rested on the Sabbath, they come prepared to do the final anointing.
Luke 24: 1-12
24 But on
the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the
spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the
stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they
went in they did not find the body. 4 While they
were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside
them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed
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 but has risen. 6 Remember
how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that
the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and
on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they
remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb
they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now
it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women
with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But
these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But
Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen
cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
We might wonder what would
have been going through their minds as they journeyed to that tomb. We might
well imagine that after only one day of coming to grips with the horrors of
that terrible Friday, they were having trouble getting the image of their loved
one hanging on that cross out of their memories. They were headed to the tomb
expecting to find death. Perhaps they shared a few memories with each other as
they walked along- maybe a story about one of the healings he had done or a
teaching that he had shared or the ugliness of the scene just two days ago. Or
maybe it was all one great big blur. One thing, though, we can be sure of- not
one of them was saying- hopefully he is not here anymore because he is risen
just as he said but let’s take these spices for burial just in case. No. Their
expectation in going to that tomb was that his body would be there so that they
could anoint him. Their faith in death was absolute. The last thing on their
minds was life.
Yet, when they arrived, they
were greeted by the unexpected. The stone had been rolled away and there was no
body. Scripture tells us they were perplexed- not angry, not dismayed, but
perplexed. No one said- quick get some Easter lilies and some trumpets! He has
risen! It is just like he said. No, not at this point. For what they saw or
failed to see was unimaginable, unthinkable, impossible and incomprehensible.
Not at all what they expected.
That’s when the two men speak
to them. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here. He
has been raised. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that
the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and
on the third day rise again.”
That’s when we are told that
these women remembered which means that they must have been present among the
other disciples back when Jesus had earlier predicted his suffering, death and
resurrection. In remembering, they rush back to tell the others.
Yet, still there are no
hallelujahs yet. No trumpets. No lilies. No, I told you so’s. It’s just like he said would happen. The
disciples dismiss the women’s news as an idle tale, pure nonsense, too
ludicrous and preposterous to believe. In Greek, the word for idle tale is
equivalent to the ranting of a person suffering from delirium. Today it would
likely be called “fake news!” As commentator Anna Carter Florence says, “If the
dead don’t stay dead, what can you count on?” News of resurrection breaks all
the rules. It simply doesn’t fit. So, if you are here on this Easter Sunday
feeling skeptical- congratulations! You are in good company. As writer David
Lose says, “If you don’t find resurrection a little hard to believe, you
probably aren’t taking it very seriously.” Even those who had the most up-close
perspectives were struggling to receive this unexpected news.
Yet, of all the disciples who
hear the news from these women, it is Peter, the one who had denied Jesus 3
times in the courtyard, who is curious enough to check it out. What if it is
true? What if the women are right? What if what happened two days ago is not
the end? He goes to see the tomb for himself but sees only the linen cloths. An
empty tomb, however, does not convince him. It only leaves him wondering and
shaking his head.
The news of resurrection comes
only very slowly to the disciples. The women, we are told, had a bit of a head
start in that they were challenged to remember the words Jesus had spoken in
Galilee about his pending death and resurrection. It is in their remembering
that it becomes clearer and clearer to them what has taken place. And when they
get it, it changes everything for them- the new heaven and the new earth spoken
about by Isaiah is opened before them. Yet, the disciples who had been with
Jesus for 3 years, watching him as he fed the 5000, as he cast out demons, as
he raised Lazarus and heard him predict his death and resurrection, are much
slower in getting it. While they had optimal conditions to believe it, they
don’t believe or at least not right away. It was a slow, gradual process of
remembering, of thinking back to Jesus’ words and teachings, recalling all the
pieces and how they fit together.
But isn’t that how it is for
us too? It is only as we meet together as Christians and jog one another’s
memories through scripture stories and through our personal stories of times
when we have felt life coming forth from death that we get it too. And really,
isn’t that exactly what faith is all about- remembering the stories of what
Jesus said and did, remembering them in community and seeing how they all fit
together in our world and our lives today? As for the women and all the
disciples, it is a gradual unfolding and merging of these stories over a life
time that helps us piece it all together. News of the resurrection is always in
the hearing and the remembering for ourselves. Faith can’t come as second-hand
information. We each need to do our own wrestling with the stories that are
told to us, that are shared with us and that are experienced by us.
Belief
in the power of God to overcome death is not instantaneous. It wasn’t for those
closest to Jesus in his ministry and it isn’t for us. As Fred Craddock once
said, “remembering is often the activating power of recognition.” Resurrection
is not something we can prove- it is something we are called to celebrate and
live, to embody as we speak up for justice, as we live with hope and as we seek
to remember the words and the actions Jesus shared, the stories he told and the
invitation he offered to us to live and think in a new way. It is about learning
to believe in life more than we believe in death, and believing in hope more
than we believe in despair.
Perhaps that is what
resurrection is all about- remembering. Remembering whose we are as God’s
beloved sons and daughters. Remembering that we are more than what we do, more
than what we have, more than our failures or successes and more than what
others say about us. Remembering all of this is only the beginning of God’s
call to us to partner in God’s restoration of the world. We do this as we
proclaim that Jesus is alive even now bringing wholeness out of brokenness,
love out of hatred, hope out of despair, freedom out of oppression and life out
of death. This is good news. God has done God’s part in raising Jesus to new
life. The rest is up to us. The resurrection story is ours to share and to
live. It is more than an idle tale and yet, there is nothing sensible about it.
It changes our whole perspective on the world. Death is no longer the final
word. Pain, suffering and grief of this world is not all there is. We live from
this moment onward as a changed people, an Easter people. We are called to be
bold proclaimers, to live life with new purpose and courage, to move beyond the
empty tomb to new life and to live as changed people- people of hope and new
possibilities rising up in even the most shadowed places. Remember how he told
you- on the third day, he will rise again. Friends, it is true. He is risen
just as he said. Risen indeed, Alleluia! Amen.
It started thousands of years
ago, when women shared their experience of the risen Christ with others in
their circle. They in turn shared their experiences, and so on and so on, until
here we are today. Now it is our turn. Let us share what Jesus’ resurrection
means to us and give out of gratitude to enable the sharing to continue through
this church.
Your Generosity Matters/ Our
Gifts are Presented
For 100 years, the faithful generosity
of compassionate people like you has helped The United Church of Canada answer
Jesus’ call to love and serve.
Credit: Lindsay Victoria
Easter is a time of renewal
and reflection—a reminder of the boundless grace and love that flow through the
world. It is also a time to celebrate the ways that you put love into action
through Mission and Service.
For 100 years, the faithful
generosity of compassionate people like you has helped The United Church of
Canada answer Jesus’ call to love and serve. Across Canada and around the
world, this support has empowered, and continues to empower, life-changing work.
In El Salvador, rural farmers are getting the resources to grow enough food for
their families. In Zimbabwe, women are learning skills to build sustainable
livelihoods. And these are just two of the countless stories of transformation
made possible by Mission and Service partners.
As the church looks toward the
next century, this legacy of compassion and justice continues. The impact of
every gift, every prayer, and every act of service will echo far into the
future, ensuring the church remains a source of love and hope for generations
to come.
Thank you for the love you
show through Mission and Service.
With your help, we will move together with compassion into the next 100 years.
(IN person service
continues with Sacrament of Communion)
Hymn: 173 VU
Thine is the Glory
Blessing
Because the tomb is empty, our
lives can be full.
Let us go to seek Christ among
those with whom we live, work and play;
those with whom we seek
justice, peace and truth.
Go now into the world to bring
hope where there is despair,
healing where there is
brokenness and comfort where there is sorrow.
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Amen!
Since time immemorial,
Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which many call Canada.
In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on the traditional
land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild
right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on this land,
their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator.
Our Lenten
journey is drawing to a close as we begin Holy Week. Our worship today begins
on the outskirts of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives.
Today we
begin with five purple candles extinguished. In Jesus’ time, purple signified
royalty. So, today especially, it is fitting to use purple candles to signify
that Jesus has royal status in our hearts and our minds as we join the crowds
in welcoming Jesus as if he were royalty riding into the holy city.
Yet, even in
the midst of the celebration, we know what lies ahead. So today, again, we mark
the journey by extinguishing our sixth candle, even as we remember God’s
covenant of presence.
(The sixth
purple candle is extinguished.)
Call to Worship:
( from Psalm 118)
Give thanks
to God, for God is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
This is the day that God has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
God has given us light.
Give thanks to God, for God is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Opening
Prayer: (by Rev. Richard Bott)
Will you let
us walk with you, Jesus,
on the road
to Jerusalem;
to hear the
cheers of the crowd,
with
“hosannah” and more?
Will you let
us walk with you, Jesus,
to the
temple, to the challenge,
to the room
where you’ll teach,
share
communion, and more?
Will you let
us walk with you, Jesus,
to the
garden, to prayer;
though our
eyes may be heavy,
our hearts burdened,
and more?
Will you let
us walk with you, Jesus,
in this week
we call “Holy,”
that, through
trial and temptation,
we might
understand love, grace,
and much
more?
Will you let
us walk with you, Jesus…
As far as we
can go?
Amen.
Introduction
to Holy Week:
Holy Week can
best be described as an emotional roller coaster. It is filled with contrasts
and tensions. The sections we read from scripture in this week are challenging
chapters. We may be tempted to skip parts of the story. While the story of
Jesus’ final week begins with celebration as he enters Jerusalem,it ends with
abandonment and agony.
We may want to turn away from the betrayals and hardships and
suffering in the Passion Story, just as we too often turn away from the
hardships and suffering of people in our own time.
The enthusiastic welcome of Jesus by his
supporters quickly turns into a prelude to a week of conflict with religious
and political authorities. The hope of a cheering crowd gives way to betrayal, rejection
and horror. Cheers are replaced by jeers. As we hear the story, it feels like nobody
is acting in their right mind. It is like they know what is the right thing to
do but they don’t do it. It is for this very reason that the story is a very
human one. How often we notice this very thing happening even in our world
today.
As Biblical
scholars John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg describe it in their book The
Last Week, the contrasts of this week can be attributed to two very different
views of power and success. What is at stake here is a battle between the power
of empire and domination exhibited by Caesar and Rome vs the rule of love,
peace and justice that Jesus proclaims.
Crossan and
Borg speak of two entrances into Jerusalem. From the West gate comes Pilate,
Caesar’s representative from Rome, called to keep peace during the Passover.
With him comes hundreds of foot soldiers carrying flags, banners and weapons,
beating drums and witnessing to the empirical power of Rome. From the East gate
comes Jesus. He has no crown, no brute force, no war horses- only a humble colt
and a small group of people walking before him, laying down their cloaks as they
cry out in protest- Hosanna, save us from the power of Caesar and Herod and
Pilate. Jesus’ parade is but a blip on the screen compared to that of Pilate’s
entry at the West gate. The question that will dominate this week for us is
what kind of reign do we want? Will it be one who comes on a mighty horse or
will it be the lowly servant on a colt? Will it be the one that represents
force and might or will it be the one whose final love note to the world will topple
the power of the old order of empire and demonstrate to us who really is in
control?
The question
for us today and throughout this Holy Week is to ask yourself which of these
two contrasting ways will you join? Where will you place your loyalty? I invite
you, as you hear the story to practice wide eyes or wide sight like we were
talking about last week. Imagine yourself standing back at a distance, taking
it all in, thinking about all that is taking place in the heart of Jesus, in
the heart of the disciples, in the heart of bystanders and the powers that be. May
you hear this story as if for the first time, knowing that even in the end the
story is still unfolding in our lives today and God is still in charge.
Luke 19:28-40
28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place
called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying,
“Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there
a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If
anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’
” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it
as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the
colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They
said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it
to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on
it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading
their cloaks on the road. 37 Now as he was
approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the
disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of
power that they had seen, 38 saying,
“Blessed is
the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher,
order your disciples to stop.” 40 He answered, “I
tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
Hymn: 122 VU All Glory, Laud and Honour
The Passion
Story according to Luke
Luke
22:14-23:56 (watch for the crowd parts on projection)
Hymn: 144 VU Were You There
Your
Generosity Matters/ Our Gifts are Offered
Prayer for
Holy Week
God, the
story we remember in Holy Week is not an easy one.
The
excitement of the crowds and the welcome Jesus received was short-lived.
The mood of
the story seems to have shifted so fast.
It is hard
for us to make sense of it all.
How is it
that one so loved became so rejected? How is it that the one who came to bring
peace and healing to this world brought out just the opposite in us?
Yet, in our
world today, we see all this over and over again, so much tension, prophets of
peace being silenced by greed, power and domination; personal agendas winning
out over compassion, the weak and marginalized being trampled upon, many
hanging around the edges, keeping their distance, not wanting to get involved,
working hard to maintain the status quo even at the expense of the cries of
pain and suffering of many.
And yet,
somehow O God, we manage to continue to hold on to hope, confident of your
steadfast love which endures even the harshness of this week’s events.
As we linger
in the shadows of this week, may we not lose track of your light within us, the
promise of something beyond this, beyond the uncertainty, beyond the pain-
something that cannot be silent. It is to this hope we cling as we live these
days and as we wait as your people… Amen
We leave
worship today without a formal blessing or benediction.
This comes
from an ancient tradition that believed to was inappropriate to conclude
worship with the story of Jesus’ death.
So, as we
continue through our Maundy Thursday worship and Good Friday worship service
later in the week, let us think of the story as “suspended” until we we hear
the conclusion next week.
Please feel
free to linger and depart in silence as you feel ready.
Since time immemorial,
Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which many call Canada.
In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on the traditional
land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild
right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on this land,
their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator.
Today is the fifth Sunday in
Lent. During our Lenten time, we are called to reflect on our faith as we
proceed with Jesus, our friend and teacher, toward Jerusalem. Once more, we are
on a collective journey of faith as we travel toward Holy Week and its
culmination at Easter and explore the many covenants God has with God’s people.
Today we begin with four
purple candles extinguished. In Jesus’ time, purple signified royalty. So, it
is fitting that we use purple candles to signify that Jesus has royal status in
our hearts and our minds. The Christ candle represents the light of Christ
in our world. It will be the last candle we extinguish on Good Friday.
Today we mark the journey by
extinguishing our fifth candle, even as we remember God’s covenant of life.
(The fifth purple candle is
extinguished.) adapted from Jim McKeon, in the Gathering, Lent, Easter
2025
Call to Worship: (based
on Isaiah 43:16-21 and Psalm 126)
Come and worship God, who does
wonderful things.
Our God has done great things
for us and we are filled with joy!
God led our ancestors from
slavery in Egypt into freedom and new life.
Our
God has done great things for us and we are filled with joy!
God has poured out gifts of
love on all people.
Our God has done great things
for us and we are filled with joy!
God is always doing new things
to show God’s love for us.
Our God has done great things
for us and we are filled with joy!
Let us worship our wonderful
God!
Opening Prayer:
God, you are the restorer of
our fortunes,
the promise of new life –
We pour out our praise to you.
Fill this room with your Spirit:
the sound of wind, the warmth of flame, the scent of perfume,
and fill our hearts with your compassion,
not just in this time and place,
but in all times and in all places.
Refresh us here that we may
see the way in the wilderness.
May we be adventurous in our
risking, generous in our sharing,
extravagant in our loving.
May we celebrate the great things you have done for us,
and may we also embody the love you give to all. Amen.
Hymn: 806 VU O God our Help in Ages Past
Prayer of Confession: (written
by Rev. Beth Johnston)
God calls us to love without
counting the cost. We confess that we place limits on our love. We say that it
will take too much money, or too much time, or too much of ourselves.
Extravagant God, remind us
that you do not hold anything back.
We confess that the devotion
of others sometimes makes us defensive, because we feel uncomfortable with
their extravagance.
Extravagant God, remind us
that your call is not to copy the devotion of others, but to give all that we
have and are.
We confess that we often make
excuses for not following the way in which we feel called to live.
Extravagant God, remind us of
Mary’s extravagance, and show us how Jesus’ response challenged Judas’ excuses
and can challenge ours.
(silence)
Assurance of Grace: (adapted
from Thom Shuman, Lectionary Liturgies)
Making a way through all the
foolishness and mistakes of our lives, God leads us into new life, where we are
restored to grace, to hope, and to peace.
Do we notice what God has done for us, what God is doing in us? This is good
news for everyone. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen
Readings and Reflection: Click here for audio version:
The
Practice of “Wide-Sight”
This year, as a Lenten
practice, I have been following writer Diana Butler Bass’s twice weekly
podcasts. Each of them has been centred on a “w” word just to help us remember
them. So, the themes she has covered so far are walk, write, wake up, welcome
the day, work, watch the news and most recently, on Tues “wide sight or wide
eyes”. It is this last one that has especially intrigued me. Apparently, the
idea of wide sight is one that has its roots in the martial arts. As Diana
writes, it is a defensive practice used when one is attacked. While our natural
response to a verbal or physical surprise attack is to narrow our perspective
and develop a kind of fight or flight response, practicing “wide sight”
involves widening our periphery, to take in more of the world. It allows us to
respond less with resistance and anger, and more with wonder.
In her podcast, Diana shares a
recent example where she used this practice. She was giving a lecture where most
of the people in the room had generally the same opinion as she had on the
issue she was addressing- which centred on offering assistance to the poor and
hungry. At the end of a question-and-answer
period, a woman got up and Diana could tell she was not of the same opinion. This
woman did not like what Diana had been saying. And as Diana had noted from
previous such experiences, these kinds of dissenters often wait until the end
to come to the mike because they want to correct you in public. The woman
presented her story and her opinion that was a minority opinion relative to the
people in attendance. She started to attack both Diana and about 200 people in
the room. Diana listened trying to give her a chance to talk and a sense of
being heard. When the woman took a breath, Diana asked if she had a question.
She launched back into making her points. She didn’t have a question; she was
making a speech. Again, Diana explained this was a question-and-answer session
and asked her if she had a question. She said, no but... As soon as she said
that, Diana replied well, I have a question for you then. The woman stopped and
said, well, what is it? Diana said, my question is what is the responsibility
of a Christian citizen toward feeding the hungry and healing the sick, and
caring for the poor? The woman wouldn’t answer her question. She just kept
giving her opinion. Diana repeated the question but the woman just got angrier.
This gave Diana an opportunity to close the question-and-answer session and to make
the point that the woman was operating out of a bias and an angry place. Diana
wanted to protect the people in the room and restore the trust that she had
built as the speaker. As a leader, Diana couldn’t let this situation continue
on.
Later, in reflecting on that situation,
Diana realized that at the time, she was practicing wide sight or wide eyes. By
using this practice that she had learned, without really thinking about it, it
helped diffuse the situation and so commends it to us as a non-violent form of responding
when under attack.
By widening one’s perspective,
as Diana did in that situation by asking a question, she was able to try to
take in more information from her attacker. Even though Diana or the others in
the lecture hall didn’t get an answer, the woman doing the attack was forced to
step back.
As I learned about this
practice, it seemed to resonate with some of my reflections on our scriptures
for this week. In our first reading from Isaiah, we find the people of Judah
languishing in exile in Babylon. We might say that in some ways they are stuck;
paralyzed and unable to move forward into the future. Sounds much like where we
are as churches these days, doesn’t it? Sometimes, we even wonder if we have a
future, don’t we? How often we get caught in thinking God has abandoned us all
together. I think that is the mood that the people in exile had. The late Rev. Herb
O’Driscoll an Anglican priest once told a story about William Temple who in
1943 was teaching in Oxford University. While leading a Bible study, he gave
the group a quick test and asked them to tell him their first response that
came to their minds when he asked, “Does God know about atomic fission?” The
class thought for a moment and then they laughed because they realized that
their initial, instinctive response to the question was No. But then they
realized that they were thinking that because atomic fission was something
after God’s time! They were thinking of God as a past tense God!
As we listen to our reading
today, I think you will see that Isaiah is cautioning the exiles against this
very same kind of thinking- that God could and only did act in the past. Let’s
listen as Isaiah encourages them to practice wide sight:
Isaiah 43:16-21
Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down; they cannot rise;
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 Do not remember the former things
or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for
myself
so that they might declare my praise.
Practice wide sight, implies
Isaiah. Yes, God was present in helping our ancestors to cross the Red Sea in
order to escape slavery in Egypt and the evil regime of the Pharoah. Yet, that
memory cannot be an end in itself. Don’t get locked into nostalgia. Open your
eyes and scan beyond the horizon. Widen your eyes because all that has come
before will pale in comparison to the new things that God is yet to do for you.
God will make a way for you through the wilderness- a way where there is no
way. God will deliver you from exile and give you a new beginning. Look ahead.
Yes, all your memories of the past are foundational but there is still
something new that awaits you; something that will surpass all that has gone
before. So, don’t permit yourselves to be blinded by what has gone before.
Don’t cling to what is past to the point that you can’t see the possibilities
that God has in mind for you for the future. Again, wise advice to us in
churches as we often find ourselves stuck in those past memories and unable to
envision a clear path ahead. This is God saying to the people through Isaiah-
“You ain’t seen nothing yet!”
Of all the people gathered at
the supper table in Bethany six days before the Passover, it is Mary who gets
this “new thing” that God is doing through Jesus. Despite the tense atmosphere
stirring outside the doors of that home, Mary’s eyes are wide open to the gift
of Jesus who sits among them at the table. Through a spontaneous and
extravagant gesture of love and gratitude, she makes a bold statement about what
is about to unfold:
John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover
Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the
dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha
served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him. 3 Mary
took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and
wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the
perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples
(the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why
was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the
poor?” 6 (He said this not because he cared about
the poor but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal
what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, “Leave her
alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my
burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but
you do not always have me.”
Unlike Judas, Mary didn’t let
herself get caught in all the rules and traditions. While it was usually men
who anointed men in Biblical times- think Samuel anointing Saul, Mary does an
unexpected thing. She lets down her hair in the company of men, which was
deemed to be a scandalous thing to do in her day, and cracks open an expensive
bottle of perfume pouring it profusely on Jesus’ feet. The price of the perfume
was equal to a year’s wages for a labourer. But price meant nothing to Mary at
that moment. She is practicing wide sight. She is taking it all in. She can
read Jesus’ face. She gets the significance of this meal. She gets the bigger
picture of what Jesus is all about and she doesn’t want to miss this
opportunity to express her gratitude to him for bringing her brother Lazarus
back to life. She recognizes that there is something else at play here. This is
her chance to give Jesus what he needed- an expression of love that will carry
him over the coming days as he makes his way into all that awaits him in
Jerusalem.
As she pours the perfume and
wipes it with her hair, we can only imagine the stares and comments of those
who watch on as the aroma fills the room. It is Judas who pipes up in protest
calling her gesture not only excessive, but wasteful and poor stewardship of a
perfume that could have been sold and the money given to the poor. What is she
thinking? What she is doing will blow our budget for outreach! Yet, Jesus
defends her and commends her for her ability to practice wide sight. Of all the
disciples, she gets it. She realizes that what she has done is small in
comparison for the life Jesus is about to pour out on behalf of the poor, the
vulnerable, the suffering and the outcast of the world. For everyone. So, in that opportune moment that Mary
recognizes, Jesus graciously receives her prophetic gift. The poor, he says,
you will always have with you. There is no limit to the number of opportunities
you will have to show them your care and compassion. But you will not always
have me.
Her
gift is offered every bit as lavishly and extravagantly as the father in our
parable last week acted in hiking up his robe above his knees, running to meet
his son and throwing a feast for all. Like that father, Mary threw caution to
the wind in this one final and meaningful act of devotion for Jesus. In a few
days, in a similar kind of act at a shared meal, Jesus will offer that same
love and service to his disciples as he stoops to wash their feet. Yet, Mary,
even before Jesus leaves them with that new commandment to love, already gets
it. She loves him into the future. And most of all, she doesn’t waste one
minute in doing so.
Somehow,
as she practices wide sight, she knows- that the stench of Jesus’ death will
not have the last word. The last word will be the sweet fragrance of love. Like
Mary, like the disciples, we watch and wait as Jesus, in the words of Barbara
Brown Taylor, will not be held back to be kept and admired like perfume on a
shelf. He will be opened and used, poured out for the life of the world and
emptied to the last drop. Amen.
Mary's
gift to Jesus of costly perfume was a gift of her love for him. In these
moments, we too offer our sacrificial gifts, those that are on this offering
plate and those given through PAR, for ministries of this church and for
Mission and Service. May they be reminders to us of the abundance God has
poured into our lives.
Your
Generosity Matters/Our Gifts are Received
Talented
and diverse youth are committed to developing leadership among their peers.
Credit: The United Church of
Canada
“100 years from now, I
definitely see the church being a diverse and open space for all because of the
program boards that are being put in place.”
These are thoughts from
Mariana Muhumuza, one of The United Church of Canada’s Youth Forum Leadership
Animators, on her vision for the next 100 years of the United Church of Canada.
More of Mariana's thoughts on the United Church’s Centennial can be found
on YouTube.
In July 2024, Mariana was
among eight passionate youth from across Canada who gathered in Calgary.
Together, they worked to lay the foundation for 100 young people under the age
of 30 to attend The United Church of Canada's General Council 45 in 2025, coinciding
with the church's Centennial commemorations.
This group of talented and
diverse youth is committed to developing leadership among their peers. After
their time in Calgary, they returned to their local communities and regions to
work on learning goals and projects for four weeks, and to remain engaged
throughout the year.
The group focused on building
leadership and guiding their peers as they explore their roles in the church.
Their placements in local and regional communities are designed to help them
grow and prepare for the future.
Your gifts to Mission and Service support youth
as they inspire communities and engage in leadership. Thank you.
Hymn: 65
MV (vs 4) When We are Tempted (tune; Be Thou My Vision)
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
God, how extravagant is your
love for us. From you, we receive blessings upon blessings- the love of family
and friends, the beauty and gifts of creation, and the many skills and
abilities to share your love with others. We experience signs of your presence
with us in every unexpected kindness, in every word of encouragement and
support, in every act of courage we witness in the face of this world’s many
injustices, in every hopeful step toward reconciliation in the midst of
conflict. Like perfume in a bottomless jar, your grace continues to be poured
out, flowing freely, permeating our lives.
Nudge us with your Spirit that
we might respond to this grace with the everyday words and actions of our
lives. Teach us to seize those opportunities where you are calling us to
respond to the world’s pain and suffering by offering our care and our
compassion. Like Mary, may we live abundantly and extravagantly in response to
the many needs and sufferings that we see all around us. May we not worry so
much about what others think or say when we speak truth to power or when we
risk being vulnerable for the sake of another. Open us, we pray, to the new
things you are doing and the new way you are making for us in the many
wilderness places of our lives and our world.
As we face so much
unpredictability these days, we pray especially for those whose lives are
caught up in terror and war, the many who are living in places where they are
afraid to walk about freely, the many who are overwhelmed by so much
uncertainty. We pray for the young
people of our country as they navigate these times and speak up for their
vision of a new kind of world, where barriers between races, languages and
genders are broken down and all learn to live with respect for one another. We
remember this day all who are plunged into sorrow or despair through the death
of a loved one, all who are living with chronic pain or critical illness. We
lift before you the many who are exhausted by juggling too many demands at home
or too few resources in the workplace. We cry out with the many who have been
left behind in our changing economy, struggling with homelessness and rising
prices that make feeding themselves and their families an ongoing challenge.
As you have done before, O
God, pay attention to the cries of your people in this hurting world and send
us forth as a community of faith to do all that we can to respond to the needs
that present. We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus, who continues to
model for us a life of extravagant love and grace, as we say together the
prayer he taught us… Our Father…
Hymn: 129 VU Said Judas to Mary
Blessing:
In the gift of Mary,
we see God’s love poured out
for us.
In the life of Jesus,
we see God’s love poured out
for us.
In every act of kindness, care
and generosity,
we see God’s love poured out
for us.
Let us go from our time
together ready to do those “new things” to which God is calling us.
May our hearts be opened so
that we too may be poured out in love for the sake of this world. We go in
Christ’s peace. Amen.
Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which many call Canada. In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on the traditional land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on this land, their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator.
Today is the fourth Sunday in Lent, a time for reflection as we proceed with Jesus, our friend and teacher, toward Jerusalem. Once more, we are on a collective journey of faith as we travel toward Holy Week and Easter and continue to explore the many covenants God has with God’s people.
Today we begin with three purple candles extinguished. In Jesus’ time, purple signified royalty so it is fitting that we use purple candles to signify that Jesus has royal status in our hearts and our minds. The Christ candle represents the light of Christ in our world. It will be the last candle we extinguish on Good Friday.
Today we mark the journey by extinguishing our fourth candle, even as we remember God’s covenant of grace.
(The fourth purple candle is extinguished.)
Call to Worship: (based on 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, written by Bill Steadman, in The Gathering, Lent-Easter 2025)
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation.
The old has passed away; the new emerges.
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation.
We celebrate the promises of God that shower our lives.
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation.
We shall not fear, for Christ is by our side.
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation.
Each of us here, and each person through the world,
is invited to reflect God’s glory.
We worship God.
Opening Prayer:
God of outstretched arms
even before we turn to meet your welcome;
you invite us to forgiveness.
Even before our hearts are softened, you call us come in, to join the celebration.
Thank you for the gift of new beginnings with you.
As we worship together in community,
hold before us the image of our humanity made new,
thanks to your grace that is freely available to each and every one of us,
simply for the accepting.
In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Hymn: 574 VU Come, Let us Sing of a Wonderful Love
Prayer of Confession:
Loving God, even as we wander far from you,
you plant in our hearts the reminder that we can always return.
Help us to bring you all our faults and failings,
and open our eyes to the ways we have failed to work with you,
and turned our back on your desires and designs for our happiness and flourishing.
For the times we have walked or run away,
for the times we have refused to come home,
for the times we have resented others' homecomings,
and stayed outside, raging at the unfairness of life,
while the music and dancing continued on,
forgive us.
Grant to us a new awareness of your presence, your grace and your compassion.
Remind us that the feast that you offer is never complete until all people know your welcome and feel a sense of being at home in your love. Amen.
Words of Assurance:
God never abandons us no matter how lost we are in our wrongdoing or in our own self righteousness.
We leave, and God waits patiently for our return.
Even when we are impatient or jealous when others also receive God’s grace,
God continues to hold open the door inviting us to come inside.
Broken, we are made whole;
lost, we are brought home;
empty, we are filled with joy.
Thanks be to God!
Introduction to our Gospel Lesson:
Our gospel lesson for this week is probably one of the most familiar parables in all of scripture. We know it most commonly as the story of the prodigal son. It is an emotionally charged story that has captivated people forever. Even people who have never heard many stories from the Bible often have some sense of how the story goes. I would venture to guess as well it is probably one of the most misunderstood parables as well. As commentary on the Salt Project says,
A typical interpretation emphasizes the father’s embrace of the newly repentant, “prodigal” son, as if to say, No matter how far you’ve fallen, it’s never too late to get up and repent and return to God — God will welcome you home! Just follow the rules (repent and return), and all will be well. But there is more to this story than just a morality tale.
It is a story about God’s grace and love and welcome for everyone- unmerited and freely offered.
This being said, because of its familiarity and its relatability to any of us who have experiences with the messiness of dysfunctional family relationships, it is a challenging task to do it justice. We hear the first few lines, “There was a father who had two sons” and we have a tendency to tune out the rest. We say to ourselves “oh, I know how this one goes.” As Barbara Brown Taylor once said, “It is a story that has become limp from too much handling.”
Probably quite true. Even as I have used this text in preaching over the years, I have found myself trying to tell it from many different angles. I have viewed it from the perspective of each of the main characters- the father, the younger son and the elder son. I have even explored it from the perspective of a nosy neighbour looking on the whole scene and adding his comments. Come to think of it, as I approached it this time, I thought to myself that the only perspective I might have missed was that of the fatted calf that was killed for the celebration party when the younger son returned!
Then, low and behold, one of my colleagues, Rev. Catherine MacDonald, shared a reflection in our United Church of Canada’s worship resource called Gathering that I am going to share with you today. It introduces us to a person in this story who is not mentioned but surely must have been present through it all. I will let that perspective be a surprise to you just now.
But before we get to that, and before we read the passage-
a few things for us to consider. First of all, the word “prodigal” does not mean a runaway person who returns home. It means lavish, or extravagant. So then, if you consider the story, it is really the father who is prodigal- first in giving both of his sons their inheritance before he dies and secondly, by showing grace to both the one who left and the one who stayed at home. For this reason, the parable might be more rightly titled “The Prodigal Father” or “The Loving Father” or even “The Generous Father”. And, because both sons were lost in different ways- the younger son in his waywardness and the elder son in his self- righteousness, others have offered the title “The Two Lost Sons”. As you hear the story from scripture, I invite you to note that it leaves us with an open ending. I see this as a way of saying to us the listeners- it is up to you to draw your own conclusions. Did the elder son go into the party or did he continue to stay outside and remain lost in being right? Did the boys reconcile? The perspective we will hear from Rev. Catherine MacDonald after we read this scripture, however, draws us into to imagining one possible conclusion to the story.
So, with these introductory words, let us open our hearts as we consider this story with fresh insights, and in the words of Biblical scholar, Fred Craddock, “may it do its work on us as the hearers this day.”
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
15 All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. 2 The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Jesus told them this parable:
11 Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.’ Then the father divided his estate between them. 13 Soon afterward, the younger son gathered everything together and took a trip to a land far away. There, he wasted his wealth through extravagant living.
14 “When he had used up his resources, a severe food shortage arose in that country and he began to be in need. 15 He hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from what the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, but I’m starving to death! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I no longer deserve to be called your son. Take me on as one of your hired hands.”’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. His father ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him. 21 Then his son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! 23 Fetch the fattened calf and slaughter it. We must celebrate with feasting 24 because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. Coming in from the field, he approached the house and heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. 27 The servant replied, ‘Your brother has arrived, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he received his son back safe and sound.’ 28 Then the older son was furious and didn’t want to enter in, but his father came out and begged him. 29 He answered his father, ‘Look, I’ve served you all these years, and I never disobeyed your instruction. Yet you’ve never given me as much as a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours returned, after gobbling up your estate on prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ 31 Then his father said, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found.’”
This document was downloaded from
The Prodigal Son’s Mother Speaks: A Monologue
Written by Catherine MacDonald, used with permission, the United Church of Canada
Welcome home!
You noticed that I am not mentioned in that story that was just read, didn’t you?
I am Lydia, the mother of those two boys, those two very different boys: Nathaniel the eldest and Zachariah, the child of our old age…. And, of course, I am a wife, Simon’s wife.
I want to tell you a little bit more of the story. Do you have children or grandchildren, or know your neighbour’s children? Then you know how different they can be. One who never gives a moment of trouble…and another who constantly asks questions about everything.
I think my second child was born with the word why on his lips. In the early years, it was easy to answer his questions. When I look back, they were pretty simple questions:
Why does the sun rise every day? Where does it go at night?
Why does the moon disappear sometimes and shines so brightly other times?
Why do we not eat the meat of pigs?
As he got older, the questions became impossible to answer:
Why do I have to work in the fields when I want to write a story?
Why can’t I go to the next town to find some more musicians?
Why do you want me to take a wife?
Ach…. Questions, questions, and more questions…. I tell you, it wore me out some days.
Of course, it was worse because my eldest son loved to work in the fields. He gladly and willingly went out with my husband in the morning and came back singing at the end of the day. He loved this land and all that it took to work it. He was eager to take a wife and begin a family of his own. He never dreamed of far-off places…or things that couldn’t be.
But our youngest son did…and eventually, we couldn’t keep him home anymore. He told me that he was going to ask his father for his inheritance and start travelling. I told him that Simon would never allow that. After all, he was the youngest son, not really entitled to much of anything except a place in the family home.
But he persisted. My goodness, once he got an idea in his head there was no shaking it. And he eventually wore my husband down Simon sold some of our cattle and gave him the money and declared, “You are no longer my son.”
When I heard those words, my heart broke. How could he no longer be our son?! I had carried him under my heart, nursed him from my breast. I could not deny his existence. I argued with Simon. My heart was breaking, but as the days and weeks and months and years passed, I understood how Simon’s heart was breaking, too. He never said anything to me, but he had a look in his eyes that told me how much he missed hearing the music and laughter that Zachariah had brought into our home.
Simon still worked in the fields and planned crops with Nathaniel. He looked after our tenants as he always did, but it was as if he was forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other, to keep going day after day.
He was sad.
I knew Simon often waited by the gate of our property, looking down the road as if he expected our son to appear one day. He never told me that he did, but you know, a partner always knows. He would come in and I could tell how troubled he was. Simon missed Zachariah.
Even though his daydreaming ways used to annoy Simon, and Zachariah’s music and laughter when he was supposed to be working used to anger him, Simon missed him.
I watched my husband grow older and thinner; it was as if he was diminishing right before me. It was hard, even though we still had so much to be thankful for. Bountiful crops, family and neighbours who were there in times of joy and celebration and also when the barn burned down, God and going to synagogue and the rituals of the temple when we could get there.
But there was something missing in our world.
Our son, our youngest son!
I knew that my husband asked all the travellers if they had encountered him. But it seemed as if nobody had.
And as the days turned to months and years, we thought he was lost to us forever. We didn’t speak his name. It was too painful, and still, we each whispered his name in the quiet. We each offered a prayer: Be safe, my child, be safe.
One day, I watched in secret as Simon stood by the gate, and I saw something that I never expected to see! My husband, a dignified elder of the village, no longer a young man, running down the road like a gazelle!
He had picked up his robes, and I could even see his sandalled feet as he raced down the road, feet flying faster than since he was a boy!
I didn’t know what was going on. And then…and then, I saw a small figure off in the distance, dressed in rags…and dirty and skinny…and I realized it was Zachariah! And Simon was running down the road to meet him, his arms held wide open. And then he embraced Zachariah and wept, this time with tears of joy.
Zachariah knelt down in the dust and told his father how sinful he had been. And he tried to tell him that all he wanted was a place as one of the hired hands. But Simon would have none of that. He called for a servant to bring a robe and sandals, and a ring that named him once again as one of our sons.
And called me to tell the servants to start preparing for a feast.
And we did!
But it seems that nothing is perfect.
Our eldest son heard music and laughter and asked one of the servants what was going on. When he found out that there was a celebration in honour of Zachariah’s return, he became angry and jealous, I’m sure.
He went to his father and told him that it wasn’t fair, that he, Nathaniel, had been loyal and hard-working all these years and he didn’t even get even a young goat for a celebration with his friends. But Zachariah…for him, a prized fat calf had been killed!
I think Nathaniel knew he was being unreasonable. After all, he had had his father’s trust and goodwill all his life, but still, he didn’t want to join the celebration. Simon tried to explain this to him. He said, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”
Lost and been found! Dead and come back to life! That is how I felt, a part of my heart had come back to life with the appearance of Zachariah.
I asked Nathaniel if he recalled how our scriptures told us to welcome the stranger, how that God often came in the guise of a stranger. If we could welcome a stranger, we could welcome a lost son back to our home.
I don’t think Nathaniel was convinced right away, but as the weeks and months passed, he understood that Zachariah wasn’t trying to take his place. In fact, Nathaniel began to realize that he had missed Zachariah, too, that part of his heart had been missing.
I know people refer to this story as the story of the prodigal son, but really, it is more about my husband. He was the prodigal, the prodigal father, the extravagant and lavishly, recklessly, generous one with the welcome he gave, the love he poured out…on both sons. His love was a well that never would run dry.
I am an old woman now, and Simon is long since dead, but not before he saw both of our boys get married and begin to raise their own families.
We still talk sometimes about the day Zachariah came home.
We talk about the joy and celebration of all the family together. We all learned something that day.
Now that Nathaniel has children of his own, he understands that a son or a daughter is always a part of you, no matter what they have done or where they have been.
Zachariah learned that he got another chance. My husband learned that his love was stronger than his dignity. And me, I learned that sorrow doesn’t last forever…that which is lost can be found again.
And I praise God for those lessons!
Written by Catherine MacDonald, used with permission, The United Church of Canada
And now we offer ourselves and our gifts, trusting in God’s mercy and love to do a new thing in the world. Let us be generous.
*************************************
Your Generosity Matters/Our Gifts are Received
Working to empower women and change the world.
Credit: The Rev. B. Silpa Rani
In India, social and cultural factors limit access to theological education for women in comparison to men. The Rev. B. Silpa Rani is actively encouraging women to pursue theological education and engage in leadership roles.
When Silpa started her first degree in Theology, she spent two years as the only woman in a class of 16. Now, years later, as she works on her doctoral dissertation, she has seen a gradual increase in the enrolment of women in theological programs. While this is encouraging, Silpa recognizes that there is still a long journey forward. While she seeks to empower modern women, she is also working to shed light on the experiences of women and minorities of the past.
Silpa was the recipient of a theological education scholarship, which paved her way to join the faculty at Bishop's College, Kolkata. She has been exploring the unique identity of the Qumran community within the context of the Dead Sea Scrolls. She is actively researching to identify the women, children, and minority groups of the society, drawing parallels between the Qumran context and contemporary Indian context.
Your Mission and Service gifts provide support to leaders like Silpa, who are actively working to empower women and change the world.
Hymn: 65 MV vs 4 When we are Tested (tune: Be Thou My Vision)
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession:
God of extravagant grace, who time and time again, comes running to meet us wherever we are on this journey we call life, we thank you that you delight each time we return to your embrace. Hear our prayers for those times when we sit alone like the younger son in our story today, hungry for things that will not feed us. Hear us when we come to our senses and reach for you. Hear our prayers when we are like the elder son and don’t know how to join in the party, like those times when we are fond of your grace when it is for us but resentful of that same grace when it is offered to others whom we feel are less deserving. Hear our prayers for those times when we are like the watching parent, keeping a porch light on, waiting and longing for restored community with one another and a restored relationship with you.
Thank you for reminding us over and over again that the feast is not complete until all are welcomed and included and celebrated for who they are- your beloved children.
Show us ways that we too might model your lavish and reckless extravagance as we reach out to others who are in need of your love. In this time when so many neighbours and nations sit in judgement of one another, provoking conflict and resentment, may your reconciling grace speak to the heart of your people everywhere. Teach us how to seek peace together. Turn us from anger, fear, violence and vanity which can turn neighbour against neighbour and nation against nation. Give rest and renewal to all who are broken in mind, body or spirit this day. Bring comfort and hope to all who are facing loss or loneliness. Give courage and strength to all who are working to make a difference in the lives of others, by listening, by feeding the hungry, by clothing the naked, by offering healing and support or simply by being present in places and situations where help is needed.
Embrace us all with the gift of hope that we may live faithfully and lovingly, encouraging each other by the commitment we see in Jesus, who continues to invite us to a whole new way of seeing and responding to the needs that are all around us. It is in his name that we offer these our prayers saying together… Our Father…
Hymn: 112 VU O God How We Have Wandered
Blessing:
Our lavish, generous and unrelenting God
sends us out into the world for another week,
calling us to live with peace and joy,
loving others as we are loved.
Through our words and actions, may others discover-
just how awesome, how excessive and how prodigal is our God! Amen.
Since time immemorial,
Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which many call Canada.
In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on the traditional
land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild
right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on this land,
their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator.
Today is the third Sunday in
Lent, a time of reflection as we proceed with Jesus toward Jerusalem. Once
more, we are on a collective journey of faith as we travel toward Holy Week and
its culmination at Easter. As we proceed through Lent, we continue our theme of
the many covenants God has with God’s people.
Today we begin with two of the
purple candles in our Lenten wreath extinguished. The purple candles signify
the royal status that Jesus has within our hearts and our minds. The Christ
candle signifies the light of Christ in our world, and it will be the last
candle we extinguish on Good Friday.
Today we mark the journey by
extinguishing the third candle, even as we remember God’s covenant of love.
(adapted from Jim McKeon in the Gathering, Lent/Easter 2025)
(The third purple candle is
extinguished.)
Call to Worship: (written by
Rev. Ruth Garwood on worship ways, United Church of Christ)
You who are thirsty:
Come to receive living water.
You who are hungry:
Taste the bread that
satisfies.
You who long for connection:
Receive the fellowship of this
community, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Experience the love of Jesus
expressed in music, prayer, community, word and action.
May this time of worship fill
and refresh us.
Let us worship God together!
Opening Prayer:
We gather here, O God,
seeking what money cannot buy.
You offer us the free gift of
unending grace
that brings us new life.
Fill us with your love as we
worship
that our hearts might overflow
with justice and compassion.
Challenge us to align our will
with yours.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
Hymn: 661 VU Come to My Heart Lord Jesus
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from Rev. Ruth Garwood in Worship Ways, United Church of Christ)
God of light and love, we
confess that our priorities are often all mixed up.
We spend too much time and
money on things of little worth and have nothing left over for what really
matters.
Sometimes we are disappointed
by other people, too ready to dismiss or discard them.
Help us to see in others what
you see in them: their growth, the fruits that they offer.
Forgive us when we too quickly
judge others.
Forgive us also, when we doubt
that we can be worthy followers of you.
May we be inspired to nurture
your people and ourselves. Amen.
Words of Grace
God’s ways are not our ways.
Where we would condemn ourselves or others, God forgives. In the name of Jesus
Christ, you are forgiven.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Readings and Reflection: Audio Version, click here:
Don’t Waste Another Minute!
Earlier this year I mentioned
to you a book called The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer. In one of the chapters, she shares a little
reflection on the little free farm stands that decorate the lanes and driveways
around her area. Often these stands have baskets of gladiolas, red potatoes and
zucchini and a sign that simply says “free”. Yet, she says, finding homes for
the surplus zucchinis is no joke. They grow from cucumber size to baseball bats
in just a few days. As she writes, “people have been known to put them in each
other’s mailboxes or place them on the front seat of a parked car.” The free
farm stand idea, she says, has caught on throughout her area with people
setting up other tables with unwanted household or garage items marked “free”.
It speaks to an alternative
kind of economy than the one we are used to. We expect to pay for items and
services. Someone produces something we would like and we reach for our wallets
to purchase that item. It is an exchange that lasts but a few minutes. Kimmerer
suggests that this other form of “economy” however is more relational. It is a
system of redistribution of wealth based on abundance and the pleasure of
sharing. Someone says: I have more than I need and I offer it to you. Free. A
gift. No strings attached.
Yet, from a young age I
suspect, most of us are taught that there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Perhaps much like a little story I came across this week about a minister who
was serving communion in a nursing home. As she stopped at the wheelchair of
one woman, Hannah, whose head was drooped, she placed a communion wafer in
Hannah’s palm, saying to her The Body of Christ given for you. Hannah’s head
jerked up enough for all in the room to hear, “How much does it cost?” The
minister didn’t answer at first. But Hannah asked again, “How much does it
cost? This time, as the minister described it, my words came tumbling out,
“But, Hannah, it doesn’t cost anything. It’s free!”
In looking back on that experience the
minister reflected, “I do not know that she heard or understood me then. I know
now that perhaps her question was not intended for me at all. For she had lived
her whole life in a world where everything ‘cost.’ Oh yes, maybe, in fact, she
was not the least bit curious about the cost of that wafer of bread, that sip
of wine. It could be she was living in another part of her history altogether
and something in that moment triggered another response. Even so, the moment and her question has
stayed with me.”
As we turn to our first
reading this morning, what we find there is also a free offer. As the people of
Israel languish in exile in the foreign country of Babylon, Isaiah offers them
an urgent invitation to return to the ways of God and to partake of the free
gift of God’s grace. Act now, Isaiah says. Don’t delay! Come and embrace the
abundant feast God offers. And the good news- it costs nothing!
Isaiah 55:1-9
Hear, everyone who thirsts;
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money
for that which is not bread
and your earnings for that which does not
satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and
eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come
to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an
everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 See, I made him a witness to
the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Now you shall call nations
that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run
to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 Seek the Lord while he may
be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake their
way
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord,
that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly
pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your
thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are
higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We can feel the urgency of
this invitation to return to God’s covenant. Despite Israel’s wandering and their attempts to satisfy their hungers
and thirsts in so many other ways, God has not given up on them. God beckons
them not to waste another minute on such things. Come, let me offer you the
things that money can’t buy- things like love, acceptance, forgiveness and
grace. And don’t even bother getting your wallet out- it’s all free! As that
old Master Card commercial used to say Priceless! So, act now!
That’s the invitation Jesus
also offers us. In our passage this morning, Jesus hears how the people are
obsessing about 2 senseless tragedies that have occurred. As we often do when
we hear of suffering or accidents in our world today, the people in Jesus’ time
ask questions. Why did this happen? Who is to blame? What was the cause? Where
can we point a finger? Who is guilty of sin? We want answers. We want
explanations. We want to be able to explain cause and effects. We live in times
today when so many want to assign blame to others for the ills of the world.
Our daily news is full of this kind of rhetoric. It’s because such tragedies and evil deeds
leave us shaken.
If you remember the story of
Job, that’s exactly what he wrestled with, isn’t it? As much as he examined his
life, he could not put his head around why such misfortune had happened to him-
the loss of his family, his live stock and his health. He could not see that he
had done anything wrong. He had lived a good life. Then, as you remember the
story, one by one, his friends, ‘Job’s comforters’ as we call them, try to find
something to which they can assign blame.
This is the kind of
conversation the crowds try to draw Jesus into in our gospel. Yet, Jesus
refuses to accept the bait. Let’s listen to see how he diverts their attempts
at finding simple explanations and theories for life’s many evils and
tragedies:
Luke13:1-9
Some who were present on that
occasion told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were
offering sacrifices. 2 He replied, “Do you think the suffering of these
Galileans proves that they were more sinful than all the other Galileans? 3 No,
I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as
they did. 4 What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower of
Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were more guilty of wrongdoing than
everyone else who lives in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you, but unless you change
your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did.”
6 Jesus told this parable: “A
man owned a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it
and found none. 7 He said to his gardener, ‘Look, I’ve come looking for fruit
on this fig tree for the past three years, and I’ve never found any. Cut it
down! Why should it continue depleting the soil’s nutrients?’ 8 The gardener
responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it
fertilizer. 9 Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut
it down.’”
Through his response to the
speculation that was circulating about these two horrible things that had
happened, Jesus basically says, look, acts of aggression are acts of aggression
and accidents are accidents. Living as people in this world there will always
be such things. Both evil and random accidents are part of life. Life by times
can feel very precarious. There are no promises of freedom from calamity or
tragedy. Still, we cannot equate tragedy or brutality with God’s punishment. I
think, as I see this, Jesus is saying that God wants the best for all of us.
Sometimes, however, bad things happen.
So, rather than spending all
our time and efforts trying to explain such things that so often have no
explanation, Jesus redirects us to consider better questions, more relevant
questions about our own lives. Go deeper. Head in a different direction. Such
sufferings and sad events, he implies, ought to impress on us how uncertain and
brief life can be. Kind of like we heard in Isaiah, Jesus is saying-so don’t
waste another minute folks- turn your thoughts to bearing fruit in this world
and to returning to God’s ways. In light of all of life’s many uncertainties,
make use of every opportunity to do what you can to make this world a better
place. Move from complacency to action.
Jesus illustrates this with
the parable of the fig tree. When it doesn’t bear fruit immediately, the
gardener shows the upmost patience in refusing to cut it down despite the
owner’s protests. The door of opportunity remains open for that tree as it does
for all of us. There is still time to make different choices and to return to
God’s ways. There is still time to dig around and see what we can do. So, spend
a little time digging around the roots. Don’t waste another minute. Fight for
justice. Confront evil. Tend to some hope in this world.
I was thinking about this in
light of the war declared on Ukraine by Russia. We lament the tragedy of it
all, the forced evacuations, the senseless killings and the continued fighting.
Many times, we find ourselves wondering what we can do. That’s why when I learn
of stories like we read in one of our Mission and Service moments a few weeks
back, about a school in Ukraine that is offering both social support and
English language training to so many who are displaced by war, my heart is
warmed. Through the partnership of Actions of Churches together, we are making
a difference. Collectively, we are making the choice to be fruitful in the
midst of so much senselessness. We are doing something active and productive.
That to me is what returning to God is all about. It is not just regret or
remorse for our sins, or feeling sorry or guilty about the state of the world;
it is doing something concrete to offer in this situation that is so lifeless
and downright evil, to bring about renewal and hope. It is about stirring the
roots as the gardener did with the fig tree.
Such windows of opportunity
are presented to us all the time. Yet, to really notice them, we need to keep
centred on those hungers and thirsts that only God can satisfy, the things that
really matter in the grand scheme of God’s priorities for this world- things
like compassion and care for one another, for the earth and its resources and
justice for all people. A focus on soul food rather than junk food we might
say. The kind of things that endure rather than fleeting things like
possessions, wealth, power and prestige.
Our role as a church is to do
that kind of rooting around, to move from being bystanders watching on to being
participants actively trusting that God meets us in our barrenness and our
brokenness longing to bring forth new life for us with our assistance. How can
we partner with one another and with the community at large to be more useful
and to help meet the needs of others who are hungering and thirsting for the
soul food that we might be able to provide? I think that our efforts at making
our church kitchen a more vital presence and outreach to our community are a
wonderful start at digging around at the roots to see what might be needed.
While it is easy to bemoan that the way our church was in the past with its
larger weekly attendance and its more intergenerational composition, what if
rather than saying let’s chop it down, we were like the gardener and rooted
around it a bit, put some manure on it and gave it a little more collective
effort in this direction to connect with our community at large? Could we let
go of the idea that longs to restore everything to the way it once was? What if
God is calling us to grow in a new whole direction that is not related to all
that has happened in the past?
I can’t help but wonder if
that is exactly the message we need to take from these two passages this
morning- to consider God’s free and urgent offer to us and to seize the day, to
not waste another minute focusing on things we can’t control. Instead, do what
you can. Do it now. Start where you are. Look at your assets, your gifts as a
community of faith. Offer them. Team with one another and with other
like-minded people in the broader community to dig around those roots. Then be
as patient as that gardener was with the fig tree. For even now, God is at work
whether we can see it or not. Sooner or later, transformation will happen.
God’s new era will open up through the tangible actions we take today.
The season of Lent comes with that reminder to
return. Accept the invitation of God’s free grace now! Do the things that
matter, that contribute to the good of the world. Change the way you think.
Take a good look at yourself. Take a good look at this community of faith and
the assets it has. There’s still time. But for God’s sake and the sake of those
who are in need of what we can offer, don’t waste another minute! Amen.
Wouldn’t it be great? Imagine
everyone having enough—enough to eat, clean water, housing, purpose. What we
are about to do, our giving to this community of faith and to Mission and
Service, can help make that happen. These gifts help us to tend the soil of our
hearts that we may grow in faith and bear witness to God’s grace in our lives.
Please give generously.
Your Generosity Matters/ Our
Gifts are Received
Spring reminds us of renewal,
of hope, of life returning.
Credit: Jelena Safronova
First come the tiny snowdrops,
bravely peeking out over the melting snow. Then, the crocuses with their
delicate purple petals, followed by the buttery-yellow daffodils. By the time
I’m bundling up for Easter service, tulips in every colour of Joseph’s splendid
coat are blooming.
Spring reminds us of renewal,
of hope, of life returning. And in this Easter season, I see that same renewal
in the Mission and Service work that your generosity makes possible.
Because of you, Mission and
Service partners are like the first flowers of spring—blooming where they are
needed most. Your compassion takes root and becomes warmth and care for those
in crisis, hope for those facing hardship, and new possibilities for communities
near and far.
Like the crocuses and tulips,
our shared ministry blossoms in many forms, responding to the needs of
different communities in the ways that will help most. Your support makes this
possible, and for that, we are deeply grateful.
This Easter, may you be like
the first flowers of spring—vibrant, alive, and bringing joy to those around
you. In this time of renewal, know that your generosity through Mission and
Service will help even more seeds of hope take root and grow. Thank you.
Hymn: 65 MV vs 4 When We are
Tempted
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
God, you quench our thirsts
and nourish our deepest hungers so that we might love and care for others. In
your presence we find renewal and restoration for our souls. Each and every day
you invite us to return to your rich feast of abundant grace. You long for us
to flourish and blossom with the new life you offer us.
We thank you for the gift of
this day, the opportunities it brings us to look around at our world, to think
about our priorities and to choose your ways. When we turn to those outside our
walls, we see much that is broken and in need of repair. Innocent people are
left to go hungry while the rich wallow in greed. There are many places where
people are dying of curable diseases that could be aided by proper medicines
and treatment. Still others are forced to fight in wars that show little hope
of ending soon. We know, O God, that as we shake our fists in anger and in
grief, that your heart is breaking too. It is your mercy and your compassion
that calls us and drives us to partner with others like us to work for healing
and justice even in the midst of all this pain and hurt. We pray for the many
people, organizations and programs working to make a difference through our
gifts to Mission and Service. Sustain them in their efforts to bring about
change and hope in the face of the many evils that exist in today’s world.
Help us as a congregation to
do everything we can to partner with others in our community to reach out to
those who are in need of companionship and the basics of life. We pray for all
who are grieving, all who are ill and all who are persecuted or bullied for who
they are. Open us to see our role in being bread and water for this hungry and
thirsty world. Give us the courage to act, to dig around the roots and to grow
in your ways. In the silence of our hearts, we lift our prayers to you for
those we know who are worried about some issue in their lives, those who are
concerned about their health, those who are grieving a loss, and all who, for
whatever reason, need the strength of your presence and our compassion on this
day…
We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus who offers us again and again an invitation to renewal and hope as we pray together saying…Lord's Prayer.
Hymn: 635 VU All the Way My
Saviour Leads Me
Blessing:
Don’t waste another minute. It
is never too late to begin anew.
God’s free offer remains there
on the table for us.
As a gardener waits patiently
for new growth, so God waits for us.
May we return to God’s ways
and live with God’s guidance, ready to produce the fruits of God’s vision of a
new kind of world, here and now. Amen
Welcome
to worship for the 2nd Sunday in Lent.
Reminder:
Congregational Supper at Florenceville Motor Inn Tues @5:30 pm. Contact Charlie if planning to attend.
100th
Anniversary of UCC Keepsake edition of Broadview magazine $5. See Dorothy
Bishop to place your order.
Thanks
to all who spent 48 hours cleaning and organizing the Church Kitchen!!!
Don’t forget to look for the daily updates on our Facebook site as we countdown the 100 days to our 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada! Share with your friends!
Since
time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which
many call Canada. In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on
the traditional land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the
Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we
seek to rebuild right relations with these people, to learn from them and to
live on this land, their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and
Creator
Today is the second Sunday in
Lent, a time of reflection as we proceed with Jesus toward Jerusalem. Once
more, we are on a collective journey of faith as we travel toward Holy Week and
its culmination at Easter. We continue our theme of the many covenants God has
with God’s people.
Today we begin with one of the
purple candles already extinguished. The five purple candles signify the royal
status that Jesus has within our hearts and our minds. The Christ candle
signifies the light of Christ in our world, and it will be the last candle we
extinguish on Good Friday.
Today we mark the journey by
extinguishing the second candle, even as we remember God’s covenant of trust,
made with Abram and Sarai.
(The second purple candle
is extinguished.)
Call to Worship ( by
Rev. Ruth Garwood, United Church of Christ, on Worship Ways)_
When the world around me is disturbing,
where do I turn?
A psalmist says, “The Lord is my
light and my salvation.”
When I am afraid, what can I count on?
“The Lord is a fortress protecting my life.”
We gather in the light of God’s
protection.
We come to pray, praise and sing.
Let us worship God together!
Opening Prayer:
Loving God, you gather us as a hen gathers her young
under her wings.
You watch over us in all the changes and unknowns of
our lives.
In times when certainties are few and trust is
difficult,
keep us mindful of your faithfulness that we may sense
your care.
In times when hope feels futile, teach us to hope
against hope.
Open us to your bigger picture of our lives and this
world,
that we might be reassured and strengthened for our
journeys.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: 374
VU Come and Find the Quiet Centre
Prayer of Confession: (adapted from Rev. Gord Waldie, worship offerings.blogspot.com)
God, you invite us to follow
your Way, you offer us a whole new future.
But sometimes the promise takes so long to come true that we start to doubt
Sometimes we make back-up plans in case the promise somehow fails.
And again you come to us, calling us to be people of hope, to trust in the
promise.
Help us to trust, help us to be people of hope.
God of the promise, there are days when we feel alone, surrounded by people
who are out to get us,
There are days when we feel like lone voices sharing a different vision in a
wilderness of opposing voices
There are days when it is easy to lose heart.
God of grace, when we lose heart, when we doubt the promise, when we fall
back to our own plans,
Forgive our weakness, remove our anxiety and despair, and give us the
courage to be vulnerable, knowing that you have a much bigger picture in mind.
Amen.
Words
of Assurance (from Psalm 27)
The Lord is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?...
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of
the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take
courage; wait for the Lord!
In that confidence we will be
people of trust and hope. Thanks be to God. Amen.
The Courage to be Vulnerable
If
you have ever been to Niagara Falls, you will probably be familiar with the
name of Charles Blondin. In the
summer of 1859, he was the fellow who walked 160 feet above the falls several
times back and forth between Canada and the United States as huge crowds on
both sides looked on with shock and awe. Once he crossed in a sack, once
on stilts, another time on a bicycle, and once, he even carried a stove
and cooked an omelet!
On July 15, Blondin walked
backward across the tightrope to Canada and returned pushing a wheelbarrow. It
was after pushing that wheelbarrow across while blindfolded that Blondin asked
for some audience participation. The crowds had watched and
"Ooooohed" and "Aaaaahed!" He had proven that he
could do it; of that, there was no doubt. But now he was asking for a
volunteer to get into the wheelbarrow and take a ride across the Falls with
him!
It is said that he asked his
audience, "Do you believe I can carry a person across in this
wheelbarrow?" Of course, the crowd shouted that yes, they believed!
It was then that Blondin posed
the question - "Who will get in the wheelbarrow?'
Of course...none did.
And it is little wonder that
no one was willing to risk their lives by doing such a foolhardy thing. None of
us, I am sure, would desire to be so vulnerable. Vulnerability is generally
something we avoid at all costs. Yet, as
we live our lives in these challenging times, there are many personal and
global issues that are making us feel very vulnerable. Constant talk of tariffs
and trade wars on the news cause us to worry about our finances and the job
security of many. Declining health and changes in our mobility can cause us to feel
vulnerable about whether or not we will be able to stay in our homes and look
after ourselves. Sometimes we face vulnerability in our relationships with
partners and spouses or our children. I can tell you that the sudden death this
week of our Regional Minister, Rev. Kendall Harrison, has left us as
congregations throughout NB and PEI and as colleagues feeling intensely
vulnerable. In such times of vulnerability, it is natural to feel overwhelmed
and uncertain, wondering where to turn, wondering what is next.
In our reading from Genesis
this morning, this is exactly how I imagine Abram to be feeling. Much earlier,
God had spoken to Abram and Sarai promising them land and offspring. When
called by God to leave their homeland and set out toward the land that God
would show them, they followed without question. Now, many years had passed and
they were starting to doubt that these promises were going to be fulfilled. How
could they possibly believe and trust in the promises in the face of so much
uncertainty? How could they be sure when there was still no pitter patter of
little feet around the tent? Who among us could blame him for feeling
vulnerable when there was so little evidence that God would keep those earlier
promises? Now, Abram is no longer silent. In this passage I like it that Abram,
in his vulnerability, is not afraid to engage God in a back-and-forth
conversation. Let’s listen to how it goes:
Genesis 15:1-12,17-18
After these things the word of
the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am
your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram
said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and
the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram
said, “You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house is to be my
heir.” 4 But the word of the Lord came to him,
“This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your
heir.” 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward
heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to
him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed
the Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7 Then
he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the
Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he
said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He
said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old,
a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 He
brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the
other, but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when
birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 As the
sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying
darkness descended upon him.
17 When
the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch
passed between these pieces. 18 On that day
the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I
give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.
Abram’s questions of God echo
our own questions in the midst of the vulnerabilities that we face in life:
God, how can I be sure? God, how can I believe when there is no visible or
tangible evidence that these obstacles will be overcome? How will we find our
way? I like it that God hears Abram out. Abram is not condemned for his
questions and doubt. A reminder to us that we can still be people of faith and
have questions! God is not put off by Abram’s protests. After listening to
Abram’s worries and lament, God takes Abram for a walk outside to see the stars
and to consider the larger picture. “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if
you are able to count them.” Then God said to him, “So shall your descendants
be.” For the moment, this was the reassurance Abram needed to set things in
perspective. The same with the covenant God cut between the pieces of the
animals. This was God’s way of saying to him- I would rather die like these
animals than let you down, Abram. It is as Abram sees and experiences his life
through this big picture lens that new possibilities and renewed energy are
given to him. Yet, this never would have been possible for Abram had he not had
the courage to show forth his vulnerability to God by sharing his questions and
his doubts in the first place.
The ironic thing, though, as
theologian David Lose writes, is that when we think of courage, we think of
tough, strong, powerful, we don’t think of vulnerability. He writes:
[Because,] as a culture, we don’t often equate vulnerability with courage
and strength. With care, love, and concern, perhaps, but not often with courage
and strength. At our worst, we see vulnerability as a sign of weakness,
something to be avoided at all costs. At our best, we recognize the need to be
vulnerable to those we care about most deeply. But we don’t often see
vulnerability as essential to living a courageous life.
Yet, it is that courage to be
vulnerable before God that gave Abram the reassurance to move forward in his
journey and to trust the promise despite a lack of evidence. That’s also what
we see in Jesus as he moves ever closer to Jerusalem facing threats and
obstacles that seek to deter him from his mission. Jesus keeps that larger
perspective in view. Despite the encroaching dangers, Jesus refuses to be
gripped by fear.
Luke 13:31-35
31 At
that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for
Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He said to them, “Go
and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing
cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet
today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible
for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to
it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers
her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See,
your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the
time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the
Lord.’ ”
Given Jesus’ rather tumultuous
relationship with the Pharisees, it hard to know for certain if this warning
about Herod that comes to Jesus is sincere. Nonetheless, while over the course
of his ministry Jesus had called the Pharisees out on a number of points, he
never condemned them outright. He always kept in conversation with them. They
were, after all, among the first believers. No doubt, some of them were good
folk and some were probably in cahoots with Herod. Still, Jesus knew that Herod
saw him as a threat; not because he sought to control Herod and the political
powers of his day, but because, as church historian Garry Wills writes, “Jesus
undercut their pretensions of political power and their claims to supremacy.” He
told stories that painted the powers that be in a bad light. He ate with
sinners and tax collectors. He spoke truth to power. He challenged the status quo. That’s why Jesus
was dragged before the political authorities as an enemy of the state.
Jesus knew that Herod
represented total power. Yet, in responding to the warning from the Pharisees,
Jesus had no time for the likes of Herod and he doesn’t mind telling them so. While he sees resistance to Herod’s ruthless
power as futile, Jesus models a different kind of power- a power that not even
death will stop. As one commentator describes Jesus” response: “Tell death
(that fox!) that my mission — to heal and liberate, to restore and deliver, to
care for humanity like a mother hen gathers her brood under her wings — cannot
and will not be denied. The powers will try to intimidate me, but I must be on
my way. They will arrest and abuse me, and in the end, they will kill and bury
me (Oh Jerusalem, who kills prophets!), but I must be on my way. For on the
third day, I will rise. Death and hate and violence will be vanquished, and
that Great Jubilee, that New Exodus, that new day of redemption will dawn. I
must be on my way!
Like a hen with a brood of
chicks, Jesus will not back down from his desire to embrace and shelter his
people. While he knows his own vulnerability in the face of the bullying
tactics of this tyrant, Jesus has confidence to keep on keeping on until the purposes
of God are achieved. That fox of a tyrant Herod is not as in control and invulnerable
as he may think he is. Herod will not have the last word. Jesus will not cower in the corner waiting to
die. The last word, Jesus says, will be the accomplishment of my mission. I
will be out there gathering and sheltering, loving and serving, even if my
actions are spurned.
I think it is so interesting
in this passage that Jesus uses the image of a hen. While certainly a ferocious
force with respect to the protection of her young against a fox, a hen is
hardly the most intimidating animal we might imagine. Anyone who has ever been
to a barnyard would know that a hen is no match to a fox. But why not liken himself to a coyote or a
bear, or a roaring lion, or maybe even an eagle with its huge talons? I can
only assume Jesus sees himself as a hen because he knows that he is completely
vulnerable in staring down Herod the fox. He knows the writing is on the wall
for him. Yet, it is in that very vulnerability that he shows his strength. Jesus
understands that bigger picture idea of what his mission is all about. It is
not about domination but sacrificing love; the kind that a hen with her
outstretched wings offers her vulnerable chicks. His life models for us an
image of a vulnerable God who is courageous enough to come to be with us in all
our human vulnerabilities, willing to gather us all with outstretched arms.
It takes courage for us to
admit our vulnerabilities, our doubts, our fears, our lack of control over
situations that come our way in life.
Still, as David Lose
concludes, it is precisely this characteristic that Jesus embodies and by
extension invites us to attribute to God – that God becomes vulnerable to all
the vicissitudes of human life by becoming one of – and one with – God’s
children through the incarnation. In addition, Jesus’ choice of this image [of
the mother hen with her chicks] has helped me realize that it is our
vulnerability that spurs our courage and nourishes our strength simply because
you can and will do things for those you love that you simply would not or
could not do for yourself. And so Jesus continues on to Jerusalem not to prove
himself fearless or a hero, not to make a sacrifice for sin to a judgmental
God, not even to combat death and the devil. Rather, Jesus marches to Jerusalem
and embraces the cross that awaits him there out of profound love for the
people around him, a mother’s fierce love that will stop at nothing to protect
her children.
Knowing that kind of love is
what gives us our courage in our vulnerabilities. It is the only thing that can
sustain us when our lives are filled with threats, questions and so many doubts
these days. To be willing and courageous enough to admit our vulnerabilities, as
Brene Brown states, also “spurs us to be more authentically human and more
caring, compassionate, and courageous than we could otherwise be”. Abram
certainly showed us that. So too did Jesus. It is what enabled them to stay the
course and to face the challenges ahead. May we learn from them. And may it be
so for us too as we make our way forward with God and with the encouragement of
one another. Amen.
And now we pause in our
worship to commit an act of rebellion. When so much around us tells us to hold
tightly to our money and resources or spend and consume beyond our means and
rack up large debt, we choose the Way of Jesus and give some of it away. Please
join me in rebelling by giving generously to bring strength to our community
and our world in times of need and vulnerability.
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Women for Change works to
improve conditions in rural communities by empowering women and girls.
Credit: Women for Change,
Zambia
In areas where historically
there has been little rain, now there are floods, and where there were floods,
now there are droughts. That’s how Shadrick Chembe, the Monitoring and
Evaluation Manager at Women for Change—an organization in Zambia that strives
to improve conditions in rural communities by empowering women and
girls—describes the changing climate in Zambia. Women bear the brunt.
“In Zambia, women are still
responsible for collecting firewood and charcoal and making food. Now, because
of climate change, they have to walk a longer distance to gather firewood.
Charcoal is harder to get. That means it’s harder to make food. At the same
time, women aren’t involved in the decision-making processes that impact this
work,” explains Chembe.
Women for Change was
established in 1992, and its long-standing partnership with the United Church
stretches back to1995. From the beginning, mobilizing communities to share
ideas and best practices has been key to the work. Since its inception, 1,500
community groups have been established, with 25‒40 people in each group and
representatives from each forming associations. The groups discuss a variety of
justice-related topics. Building climate resiliency by preparing for,
recovering from, and adapting to drastically changing weather patterns is a
priority.
Weather extremes due to
climate change coupled with companies promoting seeds that only produce a
single crop increasingly put people at risk.
“The majority of farmers are
poor. They can’t buy seeds, but companies have created seeds that force farmers
to have to purchase them each year,” says Chembe. “Groups discuss how they can
save and share seeds, what they can plant with longer or shorter rains, and if
there are traditional methods that can increase food production,” he says,
adding, “We are grateful for the United Church’s support. The church has really
been there for many years, helping us build awareness and resiliency. It’s been
a real partnership.”
Your gifts through Mission and Service support
long-term, life-changing work through committed partners like Women for Change.
Thank you.
Hymn: 65
MV vs 4 When We Are Tested (tune: Be Thou My Vision)
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
Gracious God, you shelter and
protect us with a ferocious love like a hen gathering her brood of chicks. Vulnerable
as we are in the midst of all the challenges and turmoil of our living, our
confidence in your presence and guidance reassures us. Thank you that you hear
all our questions, our fears and our doubts. We need only to look at the stars
in the sky and try to count them to realize the abundance of your care and
concern for each and every one of us.
May we stand firm in your
promises to us. We remember Abram and Sarai and the many throughout all the
ages who walked this journey of faith before us and those who sit beside us
here at Faith Memorial who walk with us now. Teach us to listen for your word
in our lives, calling us to reach out to the needs of one another and to the
needs of this troubled world. Give us the determination we need to seek justice
and to speak truth to power in the midst of so much oppression. We pray for all
who live in the face of constant threats, for places like Israel and Palestine,
Ukraine and Russia, many who can’t remember what safety and peace feels like
after years of violence and unrest. We lift before you all who are surrounded
and bullied by those who abuse power and who show little regard for the poor,
the weak and the vulnerable of this world. We pray for open hearts and open
minds that the leaders of our world might learn to work together for the good
of all people. Lead us, O God, in your ways of compassion toward all who live
on the margins of our communities, the many who are ill, hungry, alone, grieving,
and the many who have been left behind in our changing economy. As you have done
before, pay attention to the cries of your people, O God. We offer these and
the prayers of our individual hearts, in the name of Jesus, who sends us into
the world as witnesses of your care for the earth, its people and all that you
have made as we pray together saying… Our Father…
Hymn: 634
VU To Abraham and Sarah
Blessing:
Let us go forward into the
uncertainties of life knowing that we are not alone.
Like a hen brooding over her
chicks, God in Christ gathers us and shelters us.
Through the guidance of the
Spirit, we are promised new strength for the journey.
With courage and faith for the
path ahead, let us go in Christ’s peace. Amen.
*********
Welcome to worship at Faith
Memorial United Church on this first Sunday of Lent.
Today is the first Sunday in
Lent. Ash Wednesday has passed. We have entered into a time of reflection as we
proceed with Jesus toward Jerusalem. Once more, we are on a collective journey
of faith as we travel toward Holy Week and its culmination at Easter. As we
proceed through Lent, each Sunday’s theme will be about the many covenants God
has with God’s people.
Today we begin with all the
candles in our Lenten wreath lit. The six purple candles signify the royal
status that Jesus has within our hearts and our minds. Also, there is the
Christ candle, signifying the light of Christ in our world.
Today we mark the journey by
extinguishing our first candle, even as we remember God’s covenant of promise,
made through a wandering Aramean.
(The first purple candle is extinguished.)
Call to Worship:
Who are we? To whom do we
belong? How did we arrive here?
These are questions that we
ask ourselves as we begin our Lenten journey.
They are the same questions
the people of Israel asked as they entered the Promised Land.
They are the same questions
Jesus wrestled with as he began his ministry to the world, led by the Spirit
into the wilderness.
Even when the world confuses
and confounds us, we come to worship this day with hope and in anticipation as
we ask questions together.
In this place and in company
with one another, we come rejoicing in our God in whom we trust.
Opening Prayer:
God of the wilderness, we come
in struggle and temptation,
longing for clarity, guidance
and the gift of your grace.
In this season of Lent,
draw us into deeper reflection on our lives and our world.
Link us with the story of Jesus and our ancestors in the faith,
that we may be shaped by your
justice,
inspired by your love,
and empowered with courage to
find our way.
May our lives demonstrate to
others that you are present even here, even now. Amen.
Hymn: 108 VU Throughout These Lenten Days and Nights
Prayer of Confession: (written
by Rev. Ruth Garwood, United Church of Christ on Worship Ways)
Gracious God, you hold us, but
in times of stress, we fear that we are all alone. We hunger for easy comfort,
even knowing that our appetite will return.
We aim for power over
uncertainty, forgetting that control is an illusion.
Forgive us for choosing
distraction to escape from chaos.
Bring our focus back to you,
to your word, your presence, and your child Jesus. Amen.
Words of Grace
God
reaches out to us, eagerly drawing us close, forgiving our sins through God’s
unending grace. In the name of Christ, you are forgiven.
Even in the wilderness and
chaos of our lives, we are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
Readings and Reflection:
A
Question of Identity and Trust
Like many of you, I am sure, I
find myself entering this Lenten Season this year feeling very much bewildered
and ill at ease. I think that the image of the wilderness and its barrenness
has never felt more appropriate to us. So much of what we are hearing in the
news and sensing all around us feels broken and barren. We are confused and
outraged in the face of what feels like a constant assault of threats,
power-mongering and division. In the midst of all this insecurity and disorientation,
we feel very much like we are being plunged into a wilderness, unsure of our
path and confused and longing for, more than ever, some sense of strength and
reassurance that will help us live in the face of the pressure.
At the same time, I welcome
the Season of Lent as a time of returning to our centre and as an opportunity to
recall who we are and to whom we belong. I revel in the Lenten discipline of clearing
away the clutter, silencing all those other voices and making space for all the
things that really matter.
Each of our readings this
Sunday, in their own unique way, offer us help in doing just that. Both of them
remind us to remember that whether we find ourselves in times of jubilation or
times of stress, we are radically dependent on God. While that might seem
rather obvious, sometimes it is very easy to forget.
Our first reading takes place
as the people of Israel find themselves on the cusp of their entry into the
Promised Land after 40 years of feeling lost and insecure. As they gaze out over the lush vista before
them, Moses cautions them against one big temptation- that of forgetting their
difficult journey and their dependence on God for each step of the way. Lest
they think it was all their own doing, they are given a ritual to remember and
a creed to recite so that the generations that follow will continue to remember
to whom they belong and whom to trust. As
you listen to this story, notice the number of times that the words “the Lord
your God” appear. Remembering to offer gratitude for God’s saving grace through
the journey and as they settle in this new land will be key to finding their
strength in the future challenges ahead.
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
“When you have come into the
land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to
possess and you possess it and settle in it, 2 you shall
take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from
the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it
in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as
a dwelling for his name. 3 You shall go to the priest who
is in office at that time and say to him, ‘Today I declare to
the Lord your God that I have come into the land that
the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ 4 When
the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of
the Lord your God, 5 you shall make this
response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my
ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number,
and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When
the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on
us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors;
the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our
oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt
with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power,
and with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this
place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So
now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have
given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow
down before the Lord your God. 11 Then you,
together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate
with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to
your house.
In other words, this is Moses cautioning
the people against the temptation of becoming smug by thinking that it was
their own efforts that brought them such abundance. You are not self-sufficient.
You are who you are through God’s grace. So, forget entitlement my friends. And,
don’t hoard what you have been given. Remember your story as immigrants to this
land and care for the poor and vulnerable of the land who contributed to your
flourishing. Invite them to your celebrations as well. Don’t let your security lull
you into forgetting who you are as God’s people and the gratitude and
generosity to which you are called to offer to God and one another.
This is, in many ways, the
same caution given to Jesus in the story of his temptations in the wilderness. It
is here where, much like the people of Israel on the cusp of the Promised Land,
Jesus is called to remember his story. Fresh from the waters of his baptism and
God’s ultimate claim on him as ‘My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”,
Jesus now wrestles with what that identity means and how it will be lived out.
Who will he be in times of struggle? Where will he put his trust? Where will he
find his security? What values will he stand for? Let’s listen to how Jesus
handles his time in the wilderness:
Luke 4: 1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy
Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the
wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tested by
the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he
was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are
the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus
answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”
5 Then
the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the
world. 6 And the devil said to him, “To you I
will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me,
and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then,
will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus
answered him, “It is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”
9 Then
the devil led him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the
temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from
here, 10 for it is written,
‘He will command his angels
concerning you,
to protect you,’
11 and
‘On their hands they will bear
you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 Jesus
answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ 13 When
the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune
time.
I think that while it is easy
to look at this story and conclude that yes, Jesus was tempted and resisted so
we too are tempted and should resist, I think there is more to this story. I
think this story has more to do with a testing of his identity as the Son of
God. The devil knows he is the Son of God. So too does Jesus. What the devil is
anxious to find out is, what kind of Son of God will he be? How will he act as
the Son of God? Will he be the kind that grasps after earthly power and
greatness? Will he put self at the centre? Will he be invincible? Will he
gravitate toward sensationalism and spectacle? Will he seek comfort and success
in the eyes of the world? What will be the sole focus of his life?
In other words, since you are
the Son of God, how will you prove it, Jesus? Will you turn these stones to bread?
Will you worship me, the devil? Will you jump off this high pinnacle knowing
that God will not allow you to be harmed? At the heart of each of these tests,
the devil is tempting to undercut Jesus’ confidence in his relationship with
God and to undermine his identity as the Son of God. David Lose names this very
aptly as “identity theft”. He says it is the devil playing on fear, trying to
get Jesus to doubt the words spoken at his baptism. Trying to get him to shift
his allegiance away from God to something else. Trying to get him to take the
easy way by cutting corners and taking short cuts to fulfill his mission in
other ways than the crucifixion and resurrection. This is why this wilderness
testing time happens just after his baptism. And is it any wonder that just
after this testing time, the very next thing that Jesus does is gather his
disciples. He knows that he can’t do this alone. He will need others for
support for the journey that is ahead of him.
As I think about both of these
stories in light of the heaviness of our world in this Lenten Season this year,
they reminded me of the importance of remembering our story and our identity as
sons and daughters of God. And maybe the takeaway for us on this first Sunday
of Lent is not about all the little temptations that we face in life but perhaps
the greatest temptation of all- forgetting our story as the people of God and
forgetting the words of our baptism – “you are my beloved”. Despite the
rhetoric that spills out all around us, it is that story of God’s guidance and
provision with us in times past that brings us strength in our own times. While
the way ahead feels tenuous and uncertain as good and evil seem to be so easily
confused in our world, I wonder if the best gift of this Lenten Season is the
reminder to turn back to our trust in God and God alone. When our confidence
feels eroded and when those other voices call out to us in our vulnerable
moments, it is the message of our baptism that reminds us that no matter what,
we are enough. God’s love is more powerful than all the hate and
unpredictability in this world right now. Knowing that story, calling it to
mind again and again when the earth beneath us feels unsteady is what will
ground us. It doesn’t mean the struggle will go away. As we heard in our
scripture, the devil departed from Jesus until an opportune moment. Yet, for
the people of Israel, for Jesus and hopefully even for us, this wilderness time,
these 40 days of Lent can serve as a time where we come to renew our identity
and recommit to God, our refuge, the rock in whom we trust. Amen.
It is so tempting to believe
that what we have is the result of our own work. But that kind of thinking is
spiritually dangerous; it denies the role that others have played and that God
has played. Let us practise generosity and give, to remember our
interdependence and make it possible for others to live well.
Mission and Service
PIE day reminds us to embody
love and celebrate gender and sexual diversity in all its forms.
Credit: Affirm
United/S’affirmer Ensemble
March 14 is PIE Day, and in
church circles it has nothing to do with math. “PIE” is short for “public,
intentional, and explicit”—the standards we hold ourselves to when we seek to
live into being affirming, welcoming, and inclusive people and communities.
PIE Day was co-founded by
Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble and Affirming Connections. Every year, Affirm
United invites the church to celebrate the full inclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+ people
in faith communities and beyond. The day also reminds and challenges us to
continue widening our welcome to embody love and celebrate gender and sexual
diversity in all its forms. It’s critical that we do.
Gender
identity and sexual orientation continue to be used to justify serious human
rights violations around the world. Same-sex sexual activity is
a crime in 71 countries; in 11 of these the death penalty is at least a
possibility. Statistics Canada’s recently released data on police-reported hate
crimes(opens in a new tab) reveals a significant increase in hate
crimes targeting individuals based on their sexual orientation. These crimes
increased by 69% in 2023, up from 3% in 2020, 70% in 2021 and 16% in 2022.
Based on this data, this is an increase of 225% in the past five years
(2019–2023).
Your gifts through Mission and
Service sustain life-transforming advocacy and education work, including
supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ refugees fleeing for their lives and providing community
awareness education, human rights programs, and safe spaces.
This work is vitally
important. For some, it means the difference between life and death.
Thank you for giving
through Mission
and Service. God’s compassionate love knows no boundaries. Your generosity
shows ours doesn’t either.
Hymn: 65 MV
(vs 4) When We Are Tested ( tune: Be Thou My Vision)
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession:
One: Stories from the
wilderness remind us:
All: You,
God, are our companion in times of need.
Cries of injustice were heard
and you God, brought the oppressed out of Egypt with a mighty and outstretched
arm, showing everyone your power.
Stories from the wilderness
remind us:
You, God, are our companion in times of
need.
In another wilderness, with
your own Son, fasting, praying, led by the spirit, facing tests and
temptations, Jesus speaks your words and the tempter departs.
Stories from the wilderness
remind us:
You, God, are our companion in times of
need.
Migrants travelling through
wilderness, girls wanting to go to school, families displaced from their homes
and workplaces, voices struggling to speak truth to power, farmers trying to
support their families, labourers working multiple part time jobs, working
families trying to make ends meet, victims of abuse seeking shelter, people placed
on lists waiting to be seen by doctors and to receive needed surgeries, immigrants
being treated with hatred, gender identity and sexual orientation being used to
justify serious human rights violations around the world, stressful times
causing many to despair about the future, the earth crying out for healing and
care, leaders of nations needing wisdom and compassion to foster peace with
justice,
Stories from the wilderness
remind us:
You, God, are our companion in times of
need.
Remind us again and again, O
God, that though life is uncertain, your love is not. Show us how to share that
love with others, to be a companion when our neighbours need us, to be a
companion when our families need us, to be a companion when the stranger needs
us, to be a companion when the abused need us, to be a companion when the poor
need us.
Give us the strength that we
might stand with all who need you, with all those who are silenced, with all
who need us. May we respond to the world’s needs with our first fruits, with
generous hearts, with energy and with a passion for justice. In the name of
Jesus through whom we receive our story and our identity as your beloved sons
and daughters and followers of his way, we pray together saying… Our Father…
Hymn: 651
VU Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
Blessing: (Copyright
© 2001 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net)
Go now, confessing Christ as
Lord, in word and deed.
Worship and serve the Lord your God and no other.
Stand firm in the time of trial;
tell the story of God’s goodness,
and trust in the Lord whose saving word is always with you.
And may God instruct angels to guard you wherever you go;
May Christ Jesus be your refuge and stronghold;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you
and put God’s Word on your lips and in your hearts.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen
On a mountaintop long ago, the
glory of Christ’s presence shone forth. Here, as we worship, that same
brightness of Christ’s light shines among us, reminding us to listen for the
transformation he brings to our lives and our world.
Call to Worship:(by
the Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins, Conference Minister of the Heartland
Conference of the United Church of Christ on Worship Ways)
The call of the Holy One has brought us
together.
We have been called to pray and to
praise.
We are called to worship and to holy
wonder.
May the light of Love burn brightly
in us.
May it transfigure and transform our
hearts and minds.
May it become a beacon of hope for
others.
Opening Prayer:
God of
light, love and glory,
reveal
your presence to us this day.
May we
take these moments to listen, to worship, to be present,
to be transformed by your grace and the power of your spirit.
Enlighten our minds, radiate our hearts, and ready
us for your word of love.
Let it shine in and through us, lighting a path of
hope, and joy.
May the same transfiguring power, shown forth in
Jesus Christ, also shine in us for the good of the world. Amen
Hymn: 585 VU Jesus Bids Us Shine
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from ideas of John Moses, in Gathering Advent/Christmas and Epiphany, 2024/5)
Holy God, it has been easy to
live with our eyes veiled.
We hear your promise and
vision of a world united in peace,
justice flowing like a mighty
river, creation healed and renewed.
We know the way things are
right now.
We know the hard realities of
this world.
For every silver cloud, there
is a scarred lining.
For every glorious summer day,
there is a bitter winter day.
For every tender seedling of
compassion, there is a stubborn weed of hate.
Too often we find ourselves in
despair.
But there is a deeper longing
within us.
Open our spirits to glimpse
your glory, even in unexpected places and people,
even in ourselves.
Forgive our hard-headedness
and our hard-heartedness.
Unveil our eyes and hearts to
see your shining love and forgiveness
that we might share it with
others.
Renew us with a view from the
mountaintop.
By this, we may know the freedom
of new life you revealed in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Words of Assurance (from
John Moses, in Gathering Advent/Christmas/Epiphany 2024/5)
When we try to be like Jesus,
however imperfectly, God’s image shines through the muck and grime that clings
to us and we begin to discover who we really are.
Thanks be to God.
Readings and Reflection: AUDIO
version click here:
When
Peter Breaks the Silence
Today we find ourselves at
this strange Sunday that we call Transfiguration. I am pretty sure that is a
word that only those of us in church land have heard. Each year as this day
rolls around in our church calendar, I struggle with what new angle I can bring
to a mysterious experience that defies explanation. How might we put into words
the ultimate Epiphany experience, the ultimate unveiling of Christ’s identity,
and the ultimate God moment for the disciples who experienced it? When read
together today with the story of Moses’ face shining as he descends the
mountain after communicating with God and receiving the commandments, it is
easy to find ourselves at a loss for words. It turns out we are not alone as we
sit with the mystery of this day. Well known theologian Frederick Buechner once
wrote: “It is as strange a scene as there is in the Gospels... “Even with us
something like that happens once in awhile...Every once and so often, something
so touching, so incandescent, so alive transfigures the human face that it's
almost beyond bearing.” The Celtic people have described such moments as “thin
places” where, for a moment, at least, cracked doors give us glimpses of God’s
presence, where it feels like the veil between this world and the next is so
thin, one could pass through it very easily. Others describe them as ‘heaven
touching earth moments.’ We use words like glory and awe but even those seem
somehow inadequate. Commentator Eduard Schweitzer speaks of transfiguration as
an experience where “for a brief moment, the curtain is drawn aside and the
disciples are allowed to see in Jesus something of the glory of God and God’s
Kingdom, of that other life to which human eyes are otherwise blind.”
After all these years of preaching
about the transfiguration, I don’t stand before you pretending I understand the
story. Part of me would like to just let you hear today’s readings and say to
you, okay, folks you figure it out for yourselves.
In some ways it reminded me of
a recent experience of learning about the death of the mother of an old friend
of mine. Her mother had dementia and, much like my mother, had been in a
nursing home for a few years prior to her death. A couple of weeks after
watching the funeral online and thinking that perhaps my personal experience
might possibly lend some insight for this friend, I reached out to her. I
described my experience in the months after my mom’s death as being something
like a scattered jigsaw puzzle. There were pieces of my mother’s memory
everywhere as I sorted through the photos and memorabilia. Over time, all that
was scattered gradually got pieced together and formed the more complete memory
for me of who my mother was prior to this devastating disease. My friend agreed
that was exactly how it was beginning to feel for her.
I can’t help but wonder if that
is sort of how it was for those who caught glimpses of God’s presence and glory
on those mountaintops we hear about in today’s scriptures. At first, the
experience must have left them kind of clueless and speechless, and yet, over
time, they gradually pieced things together as they looked back and relived
those moments. Perhaps, in retrospect, their experiences made more sense.
Exodus 34:29-35
29 Moses
came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two
covenant tablets in his hand, Moses didn’t realize that the skin of his face
shone brightly because he had been talking with God. 30 When
Aaron and all the Israelites saw the skin of Moses’ face shining brightly, they
were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called
them closer. So Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him,
and Moses spoke with them. 32 After that, all the
Israelites came near as well, and Moses commanded them everything that
the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 When
Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. 34 Whenever
Moses went into the Lord’s presence to speak with him, Moses would take
the veil off until he came out again. When Moses came out and told the
Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 the
Israelites would see that the skin of Moses’ face was shining brightly. So,
Moses would put the veil on his face again until the next time he went in to
speak with the Lord.
Luke 9: 28-36
28 About
eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him
and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying,
the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash
of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in
glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about
his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at
Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very
sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two
men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus,
Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up
three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know
what he was saying.)
34 While
he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as
they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud,
saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When
the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this
to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
What might it have been like
if Peter had kept a journal of that day and years later spoke about it. What
might he tell the other disciples? What might he say to us today? Let’s listen
for a few minutes as he shares his story:
I really meant well. I really
did. After all, I had grown to respect Jesus ever since that time he called to
us while we were out fishing. There was something about what he was saying that
day that drew us to him, almost like a magnet. We were intrigued by the stories
he told and the healing he brought to many. He spoke about a new kind of world
and a new way of living in that world. He turned all the accepted ways of the
world upside down. It was shocking to many, especially the powerful elite. He
taught us to pray. He spoke of love, not only for our friends, but for our
enemies too. After that time when he turned water into wine, we knew that
everything about him meant transformation and abundance. The religious
authorities, however, were starting to get upset with him we could tell. But
those of us who were closest to him, James and John and the others, we felt he
was heading for big things. We were sure he was the Messiah that our people had
been expecting. I even told him so. He didn’t like when I said that though. He
said I had the wrong impression of what a Messiah was and that following him would
mean taking up the cross. That’s when he told us he would soon go to Jerusalem
and undergo suffering at the hands of the chief priests and scribes and be put
to death and then rise again. We were in shock. We couldn’t believe this would
happen- not after all the interest and following he had garnered so far. Looking
back now, we really didn’t get it. It was like all the pieces we had been putting
together about him were shattered.
That’s when he took James and
John and I up that mountain. It was a long climb. We were tired when we got
there. I’ll never forget that time. We figured he was inviting us there to
pray. It wasn’t really all that unusual. From time to time, Jesus often needed
some time out. I think the mountaintop gave him a feeling of peace and
solitude, a chance to recharge his batteries and to be at one with God. I guess
too maybe we were thinking he wanted to have a more intimate conversation with
us about what he had said earlier about his suffering and death. When we caught
our breath, I was amazed by the view. It was like we could see forever.
But that is when it happened.
All of a sudden, Jesus changed. His face shone. It was like looking at the sun,
kind of like how it was when I was out in the boat and looked directly at the
sun on a cloudless day. And his clothes, that dusty old tunic he always wore,
became completely bright. I blinked. I rubbed my eyes. I wondered if I had been
dreaming. But no, there before us were two people, Moses and Elijah and Jesus
was talking to them about his departure. I know you are probably wondering how
did I know it was Moses and Elijah? No, they didn’t have any name tags. It is
kind of hard to describe it, even now, but we just knew it was them. We were
mesmerized, I guess you could say. Totally dumbfounded. I had heard stories
about them all my life and there they stood, so close that I could reach out
and touch them.
I really didn’t know what to
do. It was the most awesome thing I had ever seen. We so wanted that moment to
last forever. I still am not able to get my head around it even all these years
later. It was scary and overwhelming for sure. But at the same time, so full of
joy and wonder. It was like time was standing still. So what did we do, you
ask. Well, you know what it is like when you can’t think of words to say, but
you say them anyway? That’s what happened to me. I just kind of babbled. Oh, I
know people have laughed at me for doing that, like I didn’t have a clue. But
they are right. It doesn’t mean my motives were bad. All I wanted to do was
acknowledge the goodness of the moment, to hold on to it a while longer and I
guess I figured I could make sense of it all later. So, I suggested that we
build shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Why rush into anything, I thought.
But that is when things got
really bizarre. I was still talking- seems I never know when to stop and a bright
cloud covered all of them up. Then there was a voice. We knew it was not
Jesus’s voice. I guess it must have been God who said, “This is my son, the one
I dearly love. I am very pleased with him. And then, almost like it was
directed at me, it said, Listen to him.
We were scared. I remember my
knees buckling. And then, just as quickly
as the whole vision came upon us, it disappeared. Now Jesus was all by
himself.
Together, we went back down
the mountain. We didn’t say a word about it for a very long time. I don’t know
why that was. I guess because it was an experience that was hard to put into
words. Besides, who would have believed us anyway? I had a feeling even then
that it would take a life time for us to process what we heard and saw that
day. I do know that it prepared us for
what came next for Jesus as he made his way into Jerusalem. We knew he was on
the way to something really big. We had caught a glimpse up there of the price
Jesus would pay for speaking truth to power, for bringing the word of God into
the world and for announcing an upside-down kingdom. Still, though, we hadn’t
fully grasped the incredible price we would pay for being his followers and
proclaiming his message of love and justice in this world. Even now, long after
the resurrection, the whole experience is still working on us. Every time I
think I understand, I hear something new and I have to think about it all over
again.
All I can say for sure, I
guess, is that even though I still can’t connect all those dots and put the
pieces together, I do know that what happened on that mountain changed me. We
spent the rest of Jesus’ earthly life doing just as we were told that day-
listening to him. But believe you me, I am talking about all of it now. The
light we saw in him that day is still shining in us and through us. It is what
continues to sustain us even in the hard times. It feels so good now to share
that experience with you. In talking about it, I feel like I am being given the
strength I need to go forward as one of his followers, something that will
inspire me and maybe you, too, as you go out into the world and face all the
slings and arrows that come your way. I am pretty certain you have also had
moments too when in the ordinariness of your life, some glimpse of God has been
revealed to you. It doesn’t have to happen high up on a mountain either. It can
be in the midst of a conversation with an old friend or who knows, maybe while
doing the laundry or shovelling the driveway or standing at the cash register
at the grocery store or while waiting in the emergency room or at the bedside of
a loved one. Maybe for just a minute, you feel that awesome presence of God
surrounding you, guiding you and pushing you forward. Such moments are all
around us if we only open our eyes, our ears and our hearts to receive them. I am
thankful for this time I have shared with you to speak about mine. It has and
continues to have a lasting effect on me. No, I still can’t say I fully
understand it. Memorable, for sure. But I still have a lot to think about!
What if, as the Lenten Season
comes round again this year, all of us simply recommitted ourselves to make it
our practice to truly pay attention and sharpen our awareness of God’s presence
and voice speaking through our experiences. It is my hope that as you listen
and share them with one another in community, you too, will have that sense of some
of the pieces of the puzzle coming together as they did for me. I hope it will help
you to discover that bigger picture of where God is calling you next. In the
meantime, here’s my note to myself- next time, Peter, don’t make ridiculous
suggestions in the middle of a miracle. It’s Jesus, Peter. Just follow him.
Amen
Offering
It is through sharing
generously that we are releasing our gifts into the world to transform others.
We give with the prayer that our generosity will not only help us feel
connected to God but also that our gifts will transform and transfigure—flowing
through our faith community and into the world to prepare the way for God’s
kin-dom. Let us offer them that they might radiate God’s love to many.
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Credit: ACT Alliance and
Hungarian Interchurch Aid
In the Eastern Carpathian
Mountains, far from the chaos of war, a retreat in Tukhlya, Ukraine offers rest
and renewal to mothers who have given everything for their families. Supported
by Mission and Service partner ACT Alliance, ACT member Hungarian Interchurch
Aid has welcomed 135 mothers and their children in the “Happy Family”
initiative, providing space for healing and resilience.
In early January 2025, 18
mothers and their little ones arrived. All had either been displaced by war or
lived near the frontlines. Many are exhausted, burdened by grief and
overwhelming responsibilities. “I always thought only about my children—their
clothes, food, education,” shares Yulia, a mother of five who lost her husband
a year ago. “Here, I was able to stop and think about myself.”
With psychological support,
hiking, art therapy, and group sessions, the retreat helps women regain their
inner strength. While the women focus on healing, their children participate in
creative activities, allowing everyone time for self-care. Many women hesitated
before they left home, worried about stepping away from their duties and
earnings. “How could I leave everything?” Yulia recalled. “But now I see how
much I needed this time to regain my strength and return home with love and
energy.”
For many, this is their first
experience receiving psychological support. “These exercises helped me
understand myself better,” says Nataliya, who fled to Lviv after losing her
home. “I learned techniques I can use every day to cope.”
This retreat is made possible
with help from your gifts to Mission
and Service. While it cannot erase hardship, it offers strength for the
journey ahead. Your support provides a space for healing, restoring hope, and
empowering those in need. Thank you for making a difference.
In person worship continues
with Sacrament of Communion
Hymn: 131
MV You, Creator God, Have Searched Me
Hymn: 299 VU Teach Me, God, to Wonder
Blessing:
Listen to Christ and follow him
from the places of revelation
to the shadowed places where fears and doubts still threaten.
Even when you can’t put all the pieces together, don’t be afraid to share
your stories anyway.
Carry them with you and let them work within you.
In listening and wrestling with them, may we be
transformed and agents of transformation in the world. We go in Christ’s peace.
Amen.
Christ’s light shines before
us inviting us to a new way of understanding ourselves and the world around us.
Call to Worship: (Written
by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, August 2024.
Jesus teaches us, “Do to others as you would
have them do to you.” But who are the others?
Our enemies and friends,
family and strangers.
Jesus teaches us, “Be merciful
as your Father is merciful.” But what is mercy?
To act with compassion, to
help without expecting anything in return.
Jesus teaches us, “Forgive,
and you will be forgiven.” But how do we forgive?
By recognizing enemies,
friends, family, strangers, and ourselves as people in need of compassion.
Let us worship God, who loves
us and empowers us to love one another with mercy and compassion.
Come, let us worship!
Opening Prayer: (Written
by Rev. Mindi and posted on Rev-o-lution)
Loving God, you call us into a
life that others have told us is easy, but it is not.
You challenge us to forgive, to love our enemies,
to bless those who curse us.
We want the easy way,
but you have given us the hard path.
Grant us the patience and endurance to journey with you,
to allow ourselves at times to stumble,
to live into the hard way
so that we might fully experience
your love, grace, and peace in this world,
by becoming a people full of love and grace
and forgiving others.
In your name, we pray. Amen.
Hymn: 372 VU Though I May Speak
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from words by Rev.
Dr. David Long-Higgins, Conference Minister of the Heartland Conference of the
United Church of Christ.)
God, we confess that we call
ourselves your disciples but when you call us to love our enemies and do good
to those who hate us, we recognize how far we have yet to go.
We confess our easy attachment
to revenge in its many forms.
We are humbled by how much we
still have to learn.
It has been easy to worship
the lie of scarcity instead of trusting your promise of abundance.
The way of the world has
worked into our hearts and minds.
Forgive us and free us from
ourselves.
Equip us anew with an
outpouring of your love.
Form us into channels of
grace.
Deepen our love, expand our
generosity, and mold us and the world with your abundant mercy.
Let the heart and mind of
Christ take up residence in us anew. Amen.
Words of Grace and Affirmation:
The
Holy One interrupts our missteps and misdeeds, our distractions and our
detours.
In Christ Jesus, God has shown
us what forgiving love has already done and continues to do. It heals, it
mends, and makes a new chapter possible. This is the forgiving power of God
that embraces you and me, here and now.
This is the good news! We can
trust it with our life. Thanks be to God!
Readings and Reflection:
Keeping Score No More
Last week in our gospel
reading we focused on Jesus’ beatitudes that described how living in God’s
reign is different. In fact, as we discovered, so much of what Jesus was
talking about requires us to see the values of the world in an upside- down way.
Blessings are for the poor, the hungry, the weeping and the excluded while woes
are for the rich, the well-fed, the laughing and the folks who are well-spoken
of in their communities. This week we get a couple of concrete examples of what
it looks like when we live out these values in our everyday relationships. Both
of our scriptures today centre on themes of love for our enemies and
forgiveness. Of course, we say. That’s Christianity in a nutshell, isn’t it? I
agree but still the same, I find these concepts not as easy as we often make
them out to be. How can we refrain from hurting people who have hurt us? Or how
can we say to someone who has been abused that they need to forgive and move on?
Or someone who is the target of hatred that they are supposed to love the
person who hates them? There is no way I am going to do that by trying to
dictate terms of forgiving a perpetrator. How do we refuse to fight fire with
fire? It is just so counter intuitive, isn’t it? Someone injures us and what do
we want to do? We want to retaliate and injure them with our words or our
actions. It is a natural instinct to match blow for blow and word for word. Our
whole system runs on keeping score. However, in loving our enemies and offering
forgiveness, does this mean that we should just sit back passively and let
violence and evil continue to perpetuate? Does it mean that we should simply
dismiss injustices that have been done to others? Or that anything goes, even
things that dehumanize another? No way. It is pointless. Impossible we say. Or
at best, while we might (with lots of work) find ourselves able to forgive
another or work towards loving an enemy, and thus release ourselves from a tyranny of
bitterness, we can never presume to do it for another. For instance, we have
all heard stories of Auschwitz survivors who reached a point of forgiving those
who sent their families to gas chambers but there are also just as many who are
outraged by such words of forgiveness.
You see what I mean? Loving
one’s enemies and offering forgiveness is no easy thing. Yet, over and over
again, in the teachings of Jesus it is placed before us not as an option but as
a requirement. There is not much wiggle room. So, what are we to do with these
tough teachings that run against our natural inclinations to retaliate and to
get even by seeking revenge? While nice in theory, these teachings don’t seem
very popular in practice. Are there ways that we can work in cooperation with
others to practice this kind of love and forgiveness?
Let’s look at the story of
Joseph. His family, as you might recall, is the epitome of dysfunction. Their
journey reads like a soap opera. Let me recap for a minute. Joseph as a boy was
his father’s favourite and as such was given that beautiful cloak with long
sleeves that signified that he didn’t have to work as his other brothers did. To
add insult to injury, Joseph told his brothers about dreams that he had whereby
one day they would bow to him. Filled with jealousy and resentment, the
brothers throw Joseph in a pit and sell him off to passing slave traders from
Egypt. In the meantime, these same brothers concoct a story to tell their father
about how Joseph had been killed. Then, through a chain of events, Joseph ends
up in the important position of being in charge of food distribution in the Egyptian
government during a time of famine. Lo and behold, his brothers come in search
of food. While Joseph recognizes them, they do not recognize him. He uses this
to his advantage for a bit, toying with them and accusing them of theft.
Finally, however, Joseph reaches a turning point as he hears them speak of his
father. He can hide his identity no more. This is where we picks up the story
today:
Genesis 45: 3-11, 15
3 Joseph
said to his brothers, “I’m Joseph! Is my father really still alive?” His
brothers couldn’t respond because they were terrified before him.
4 Joseph
said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” and they moved closer. He said, “I’m
your brother Joseph! The one you sold to Egypt. 5 Now,
don’t be upset and don’t be angry with yourselves that you sold me here.
Actually, God sent me before you to save lives. 6 We’ve
already had two years of famine in the land, and there are five years left
without planting or harvesting. 7 God sent me
before you to make sure you’d survive and to rescue your lives in this
amazing way. 8 You didn’t send me here; it was God
who made me a father to Pharaoh, master of his entire household, and ruler of
the whole land of Egypt.
9 “Hurry!
Go back to your father. Tell him this is what your son Joseph says: ‘God has
made me master of all of Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t delay. 10 You
may live in the land of Goshen, so you will be near me, your children, your
grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everyone with you. 11 I
will support you there, so you, your household, and everyone with you won’t
starve, since the famine will still last five years.’
15 He
kissed all of his brothers and wept, embracing them. After that, his brothers
were finally able to talk to him.
Think for a moment what must
have been going through Joseph’s mind at this crisis point. As a human being
like us, it would seem he had a couple of options- to get even with them for
throwing him in that pit long ago or to choose to remember that past in a
different way, opening the door for a new future relationship with his family.
Imagine too, how dumbfounded and fearful his brothers would have been at this
moment when Joseph reveals his identity to them. Will he repay them for the
evil they had done to him? As we heard, he does not. The reunion becomes a
moment of forgiveness before the brothers even ask for forgiveness. Yet, it was
at the same time hard work. As we are told, there was much hugging and tears
and then, (this part is so important) there was much talking. I expect the
talking went long into the night and into the next days and weeks and months. All
that had taken place in the past could not be erased by a simple phrase “I
forgive you.” Each brother along with Joseph, while remembering all the
brokenness that had taken place in their family, would, over time, need to find
their own way of letting go of being controlled by those events. As Richard
Rohr, a Catholic theologian writes, “forgiveness means to let go of our hope
for a different or better past.” So, as with Joseph and his brothers, this
could only come with some expression of grief and lament and a resolve that
they would no longer keep score. Each of them had to come to this discovery for
themselves by interpreting their lives and actions. No doubt, that movement
toward forgiveness and reconciliation came in fits and starts as over time
their perspectives changed. It was only in facing and being humbled by their
life’s trials that they were able to come to their truer, more whole selves.
Reconciliation for them would be an ongoing process. And isn’t that exactly
what we are learning as a church in our relationship with the aboriginal peoples
of our nation? If you recall, it was back in 1986 that the United Church of
Canada presented an apology to the native people. While it was acknowledged at
that time, it was not accepted. The working out of a new future continues to be,
as it was for Joseph and his brothers, an ongoing process that calls for hard
work and lots of talking even to this day. Like these words that we turn to in
our gospel, the actions required are far from glib or easy:
Luke 6:27-38
27 “But I
say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate
you; 28 bless those who curse you; pray for those who
mistreat you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer
the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even
your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and if
anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. 31 Do
to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If
you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love
those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do
good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If
you lend to those from whom you expect to receive payment, what credit is that
to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 Instead,
love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your
reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself
is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful,
just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do
not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be
given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will
be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get
back.”
What Jesus is presenting here
is a new ethic that holds the key to a new kind of future. It calls us to work
to break the cycle of retaliation and retribution not by being a sitting duck in
the face of evil and violence but by finding ways of resisting injustice with
acts of mercy, love, generosity, and forgiveness. This is Jesus saying to us,
here are some examples. Don’t just love your friends – the people who will be
able to pay you back with love or gifts. Anyone can do that. But love someone
who is hard to love. Someone who like Joseph’s brothers has hurt you. Someone
who stands on the opposite side of an issue that is important to you. Someone
who irritates you or is hard to get along with. No, you don’t have to like them
and yes, it is far easier to write them off. No, this doesn’t mean you need to
refrain from standing up for yourself when they hurt you. Here is something
interesting I learned this week- That phrase “turning the other cheek” is an
intriguing one. In Jesus’ day, it was the back side of the right hand that was
used to slap a slave on the right cheek. This blow was used to assert power
over the slave. Any variation of this would indicate that you as the master
were not in control. So, if the slave offered their left cheek, there would be
no way that the master could hit it with the back side of his right hand. He
would need to use his palm. For a slave to offer that left cheek then would
render the master powerless which would expose the master to shame and ridicule.
So offering the “other” cheek was not a passive act of resistance as we
traditionally have interpreted it, but a very assertive thing for the slave to
do. It was like saying to the master, “I am a child of God, I am your equal and
you can’t backhand me anymore. I will not be inferior to you.” It was a way of
breaking the cycle of violence by saying loud and clearly this is not about
keeping score here.
Resisting evil without using
evil and offering forgiveness even before forgiveness is asked for are not easy
things to do. It is an invitation to a whole new kind of world that is not
about measuring and counting, competing and paying back and keeping score. And
we all know stories of people who have modelled this. In a piece by Rev.
Barbara Lundblad, I was reminded of the story of Matthew Shepherd
who was brutally beaten for being gay, beaten
because one man felt that he had made a pass at him. The man felt foolish and
unmanly and so he got a friend to help him put the young college student in his
place. The two of them beat Matthew over and over again. Then they tied him to
a fence on a country road and left him alone in the freezing night. By the time
someone found him the next morning and got him to the hospital, there was no
way to save him. Matthew Shepherd died as hundreds stood in candlelight vigil
outside the hospital. The two men who killed Matthew were arrested, tried, and
convicted of the brutal hate crime. Proved guilty of first-degree murder, they
deserved the death penalty in the state of Wyoming. But Matthew's mother came
before the judge. She asked the judge to spare the lives of these guilty men.
Who can understand what she had gone through in all the agonizing months
leading up to the trial? What mother could sleep with images of her beloved son
tied to a fence, beaten and alone through the cold night? What sort of people
could do this to another human being?
"Love
your enemies," Jesus said, "do good to those who hate you."
Barbara continues, when I hear Jesus' words now, I often think of Matthew's
mother, her own life shaped by a gospel deeper than hatred, stronger than
revenge. I don't know that I could do what she did.”
Making
that choice to not keep score is probably the most challenging teaching that
Jesus gives us. It calls us, as it did Joseph, as it did Matthew’s mother to
respond in a different way with the hope that somehow kindness will shame the
opponent into becoming more compassionate themselves. Yet, what matters is not
whether it works or not but maybe more so, if we work with others to give that
kind of mercy a try. The only way we can do this is by looking at the one who
has hurt us in the eye, by getting to know them and like Joseph and his
brothers spending lots of time talking so that a new way forward might be
found. There are no short cuts. It is not cheap forgiveness or denial of the
hurt or pain. It is bound to be messy. The world as a whole, I suspect, will
doubt and dispute that such a thing could ever be possible. Some would even say
it is not even sane to attempt it. Yet, as Jesus implies, if everyone returns
evil for evil, what room does good have to grow, flourish and spread in this
world? Hard? Contrary to our human nature and natural inclinations? For sure. Yet,
possible, as we live and work together toward the vision of God’s reign present
and here among us. Amen.
Offering
Jesus reminds us that God
works by a different economy. At this time in our worship service, we
share our gifts of money for the work of this community of faith so that
together we can love our enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in
return, in order to be a blessing in this world. Our giving is a beacon of love
so that as followers of the Way of Jesus we do unto others as we would have
them do unto us. Let us offer these gifts that they may flow into the world
through the work of our church.
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
After the initial response, and after
headlines fade away, the emergency and urgency remain.
Credit: Middle East Council of
Churches
When we hear of a global
emergency, our minds often jump to “How can we help?” Your gifts to Mission
and Service enable partners to immediately get to work providing
crucial basic needs: food, water, shelter, and medication. But after the
initial response, and after headlines fade away, the emergency and urgency
remain.
After the immediate shock
fades, people living in the wake of a disaster can have difficulty imagining
what life will look like down the road. In these times, hope is an essential,
powerful force that gives us the motivation to move forward and inspires us to
keep going.
Two years after the February
2023 earthquakes, people in Syria are still experiencing the devastating
aftermath, exacerbated by civil war and other natural disasters. And Mission
and Service partner the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues to be
hard at work providing hope. From retrofitting buildings and providing medical
equipment to education and trauma healing, MECC is dedicated to sustainable
relief. In Aleppo, MECC rehabilitated four schools before the academic year
began in September 2023, providing children with a safe place to learn.
Thank you for supporting the
work of our Mission
and Service partners. Your generosity is a beacon of hope during
challenging times.
Hymn: 131
MV You, Creator God Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
God of unfailing love and
forgiveness, we offer you our thanks this day for the many relationships that
enrich our lives, those within our families, between partners and spouses,
between parents and children, between siblings. We think of relationships at
work with colleagues and relationships with friends and neighbours. We lift
before you our relationships within this community of faith, for the laughter
and companionship shared, for the support offered and for conversations that
matter. As we move into our annual meeting today, we pray for your Holy Spirit
to continue to strengthen those relationships as we reflect on the year that
has passed and seek your direction for the way ahead. Deepen our commitment to
you and to your vision for us as your beloved community in these challenging
times. Soften our hearts and still our minds that we might be open to the cries
that call out to us. Give us the hope we need to live and serve as your
faithful disciples.
We hold in your care the many
relationships we know of where there is tension and abuse, unresolved anger and
ongoing hurt, where cruel words and threatening hands dominate. We lift before
you the mounting tensions between countries that result in war, in unrest and
unease. Inspire our leaders to work for the well-being of all peoples, to
uphold your values of love and justice and to move beyond selfishness and
greed. May we remember that each and every one of us is called by you to be
channels of your peace in a world filled with so much hatred. Show us ways in
our every day lives that we might model your upside-down values to all who
suffer hurt or pain, to all who are in need of our compassion and support. Turn
us from seeking revenge to working for the creative good. Turn us from clenched
fists to open hands. Turn us from retribution to mercy. Turn us from scarcity
to generosity. Turn us from judgement to forgiveness. And most of all, O God,
multiply in us the joy you have made known to us in Jesus Christ, who taught us
to pray as one, Our Father…
Hymn: 644VU Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
Blessing
May you be blessed with the
courage to interrupt revenge with love.
May you be strengthened with a gratitude that freely shares with others.
May you discover again and again the merciful embrace of the Holy One.
And may the love of God empower you to help change the world with forgiveness.
May God’s blessings be upon us all this day and forever.
Amen and Amen!
Each week, as we gather in
Christ’s name, we light this candle. As it centres us, we are reminded that we
are blessed by God and called to be a blessing in the lives of others.
Call to Worship:
(based on Psalm 1, adapted from Worship Ways, United Church of
Christ)
Blessed are those who delight
in the law of the Holy One. Meditate on God’s word day and night.
Our Sovereign God watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the
wicked will perish.
Blessed are those who delight in the law of the Holy One. Plant yourself like a
tree and yield good fruit in due season.
Our Sovereign God watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the
wicked will perish.
Blessed are those who delight in the law of the Holy One. Prosper in all that
you do according to kingdom measures.
Our Sovereign God watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the
wicked will perish.
Opening Prayer
Source of Life, like trees
planted by water,
we come stretching out our
roots in search of you.
Be to us a stream of living
water
nurturing our souls
so that we can be equipped to
do the work you call us to do.
Help us to lean in and to
trust in you, and you alone.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: 154 MV Deep in our Hearts
Prayer of Confession: (by John
Moses, in the Gathering, Advent/Christmas/Epiphany 2024/5 p.48)
God, the scriptures often warn
us against putting our trust in human strength and wisdom, but we have not
heeded its warning.
We have mostly forgotten you
and tried to live by ourselves and for ourselves.
If we remember you at all, you
are an afterthought whom we summon to bless our dreams and our schemes.
Now we find ourselves in a
world where all our striving seems like helpless flailing against an incoming
ocean tide.
God, in your mercy, do not
forsake us now.
Help us to find in you that
strength that does not fail and the wisdom that gleams eternal through the
ages.
Have compassion for our
brokenness and put us together again.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Words of Affirmation:
The strength of God’s healing
power is there for all who seek it.
The blessing of God’s
forgiveness is freely given to all who ask.
God longs for us to be healed
and blessed.
Thanks be to God.
Readings and Reflection: Audio
link can be found by clicking here:
Coming
Down to the Level
This week I have been thinking
about what constitutes a good life. What is it that gives life purpose and
meaning beyond the present moment? What does it mean to be blessed? Is blessing
associated with health? With our relationships? With material comforts like a warm home, food
in our cupboards and freezers? With savings in the bank for a rainy day? With a
good reputation in the community? What messages do we receive from our culture
about living a good life? What do our advertisements tell us? Is it about
owning a certain kind of car or house? Is it about going out to a certain
restaurant? Taking a vacation at a favorite resort? It seems the goal of most
of these advertisements is to remind us that the good life is just a purchase
away.
As we turn to the prophet
Jeremiah’s consideration of this very question, his answer has more to do with
where we are grounded and anchored. It comes down to where we sink our roots
and where we place our trust.
Jeremiah 17: 5-10
Thus
says the Lord:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the Lord.
6 They shall be like a shrub in the desert
and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
7 Blessed
are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
9 The
heart is devious above all else;
it is perverse—
who can understand it?
10 I the Lord test the mind
and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their doings.
What we hear in this passage
is a caution against trusting in “mere mortals” and “following the advice of
the wicked”. Jeremiah in his day is trying to wake up the people to the reality
of God by encouraging them to turn from their trust in kings and idols. He is
pointing out how easy it is to get lured by other voices that promise them the
good life. If you noticed both the shrub in the desert and the tree by the
water experienced those hard times of drought, yet it was the tree that was
able to draw from its roots that extended into the stream that was able to
flourish in spite of the difficulty. So it is, that in rooting our lives in
God, the source of grace, we will have the resources we need in times of
struggle and drought. It comes down to where we place our trust and where we
are anchored. In other words, don’t be tricked into thinking that everything is
earned by our own strength. You are blessed when you know that your roots are
in God, not in yourself or in any other human being.
To the people of Jeremiah’s
day this was indeed, a wake-up call that would require them to turn around from
the direction in which they were heading.
Equally jarring to the people
of Jesus’ day are those words we know as the beatitudes. In hearing them, the
people would have been knocked back on their heals. While the more familiar
version of them comes from Matthew’s gospel, today we hear them in Luke’s
version in a section called the Sermon on the Plain when Jesus comes down from
the mountain and speaks to the people on the level. They describe a “world
turned upside down” or perhaps even better “a world put right”, reflecting
God’s intention. If you remember this has been a theme we have heard before-
think of Isaiah 40 when the prophet speaks of a divine leveling: “Every
valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the
uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.” Think too
of the words of Mary in the Magnificat: He has brought down the
powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry
with good things
and sent the rich away empty. Or more recently Jesus’ stated mission in
Luke 4: The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the
poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
I wonder if because we have
heard the words of the beatitudes so often that their shock value has worn off.
That’s why I think Luke’s version can help us in that they also include not
just words of blessing but also words of woe. I think it is those “woes” that
make them more jarring. As Barbara Brown Taylor describes them more like a
shock to our system, “sort of like drinking from what you thought was a glass
of lemonade only to find out that it turns out to be bug spray!” In this spirit
let us listen to how Luke shares them with us:
Luke 6:17-26
17 He
came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his
disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the
coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear
him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with
unclean spirits were cured. 19 And everyone in the
crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of
them.
20 Then
he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed
are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame
you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice
on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for
that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
24 “But
woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe
to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the
false prophets.
Somehow, given the way things
were in Jesus’ time and the way things are in our time, these words really are
shocking. Jesus is making the bad things sound good and the good things sound
bad. He is throwing on its head the very things we were thinking about that
constitute the good life- a little extra money for a rainy day, food in our
stomachs and in our cupboards, laughter and that feeling that others are
speaking well of us in our families and communities. But what if, while you are
sitting there listening to him, you are poor, hungry, weeping or excluded? Then
it is just the reverse. These will sound like good news, won’t they? In other
words, it depends where we stand how we will hear them, doesn’t it?
Jesus does not point out who
was who among the listeners. He lets them sort out for themselves where they
find themselves in his words. They are not meant as advice. He is not saying
you need to be poor, or hungry and so on. As Barbara Brown Taylor describes it,
the way things are now will not be the way things will always be- sort of like
a ferris wheel- those on the top will have their turn on the bottom and those
on the bottom will have their turn on the top.
Here's how a commentary called
the Salt Project explains it;
Jesus is drawing a map of
blessing and woe, an orientation to how the world — both the world today and
the world to come — actually work, despite appearances. It’s as if he’s
saying, Let me give you a lay of the land: as you look around, it looks
like the rich, well fed, happy, and admired have it made, that God’s blessings
belong to them, and that the rest of us — the poor, hungry, sad, and excluded —
are left out in the cold, as if God’s forgotten us. But I’ve come to tell you
that the opposite is true: the dawning kingdom of God belongs to you, the poor,
the hungry, the sad, the excluded! When heaven comes to earth, as it has now
begun to come, you will have the places of highest honor! And the rich? Woe to
you who are rich, well fed, happy, or admired — for the comforts you enjoy
today will be, for you, as good as it gets...
Jesus is speaking of a whole
new kind of internal universe where values are reversed. In God’s reign things
will be different. A whole, new social order, if you like. This is not about
glorifying the poor or those who are in misery. Nor is it saying that the
affluence, comfort and success that we have amidst any comparison with the rest
of the world necessarily makes us evil. What I hear in these words is that the
good life comes in recognizing our need for God to help us take greater
responsibility and accountability in how such assets are distributed to ensure
that all have a level view of the playing field. The beatitudes in Luke,
according to commentator Eduard Schweizer, are a call to action… a call to
discipleship, a reminder that the kingdom embraces different values from the
world’s values and that it is possible to live those values now.” To do so,
will mean upending the status quo just like Mary spoke about in the Magnificat.
Much like Jeremiah’s call to put their roots and trust in God, Jesus is proclaiming
a wake up call to his people, a call to see the world from a whole, new
perspective- one that will often mean going against the life we know and have
grown accustomed to. And we are blessed when we are open to the possibility of this
other reality.
Consider this little story
that took place during the time of apartheid in South Africa- A middle-aged, well-off
white South African woman found herself sitting next to a black man on a
flight. She called the flight attendant to complain about her seating. What
seems to be the problem? the attendant asked.
Can’t you see? You’ve sat me
next to a black man. I can’t possibly sit here. Find me another seat!
Please calm down, the
attendant replied. The flight is very full today. I will check to see if we
have any seats available in first class.
The woman cast a snooty look
at the man beside her and at the other passengers. A few minutes later the
attendant returned with the good news which she delivered to the smug looking
woman.
“As I expected, economy is
full. However, we do have one seat in first class.”
Before the woman had a chance
to answer, the attendant continued, “It is most extraordinary to make this kind
of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain.
But, given the circumstances, the captain felt that it was outrageous that
someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious person.”
With that, she turned to the
black man and said, “So, if you’d like to get your things, sir, I have your
seat ready for you…”
At which point, the
surrounding passengers stood and gave a standing ovation while the man walked
to the front of the plane.
I
can’t help but think that this is exactly the kind of shock that came upon the
people when Jesus came down the mountain and spoke to them on the level. In
doing so, he flipped the world upside down promising justice, a level playing
field for all and not just a select few. An invitation to us, as his disciples,
to come down with him and follow another way. A way that challenges the world
as it is by pulling down the mighty and the powerful and lifting up the lowly
that all people might end up on a level place. I can’t help but think that this
helps capture God’s image and vision of what living the good life is really all
about. Amen.
Jeremiah and Jesus both
promise blessings for those who recognize their need to trust in God; those who
are hungry, weeping, hated, excluded. God has given enough gifts for all to be
well. By sharing our blessings, we demonstrate faith, trust and love. We offer
them now for the goal of the common good, that the playing field might be
levelled, that justice might be pursued, that differences might be honoured and
that communities near and far might receive the nurture they need.
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Grandmothers help pastors
learn to do better by connecting their love for their grandchildren to God’s
love for all.
Credit: World Council of
Churches Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy
In the Rift Valley of Kenya,
over 200,000 people are HIV positive, and many will not survive. Grandmothers
whose children have died of AIDS are often left alone to care for their
grandchildren, and to add insult to injury, their church community condemns
them, leaving them without support as they raise their grandchildren.
Some pastors in the Rift
Valley, as in many other places, believe and teach that faithful Christians
cannot contract the disease and that it is a judgment from God—a disease for
sexual sinners.
“The pastors had little
information about HIV and AIDS; to them, and others in the community, it was a strange
disease…. [They believed] HIV was a result of sexual sin and was a judgement
from God for the sexually immoral,” writes Esther Mombo of the World Council of
Churches.
In partnership with the United
Church of Canada, Mombo and Pauline Wanjuru of St. Paul’s University in Limuru,
Kenya, led a series of workshops in one Rift Valley community that has been hit
especially hard by HIV/AIDS. They invited grandmothers and pastors to connect
and learn from each other.
One grandmother who attended
the workshops was 70 years old. She was raising three grandchildren on her own
after losing both her daughter and her son. Instead of stepping up to help, her
neighbours refused to visit her because they said her daughter and son had been
sexually immoral. Her pastor wouldn’t even attend her children’s funerals
because he didn’t want to be seen associating with her family. When she went to
church, the pastor preached about the punishment for sexual immorality.
At the workshops, this woman
bravely told her story to the pastors who attended. She also shared with them
how it felt to be shamed for loving her children and caring for her
grandchildren. Another grandmother explained that her grandchildren were born with
the virus and couldn’t have been involved in any sexual immorality. Yet another
spoke of God’s love for everyone. Pastors listened and learned, and moved
forward by making a commitment to extend compassion and offer pastoral care to
the grandmothers.
All of us know from our own
life experience that when we know better, we do better. Your Mission
and Service gifts gave these grandmothers the opportunity to help
their pastors learn to do better by connecting their love for their
grandchildren to God’s love for all. Thank you.
Hymn: 131 MV
You, Creator God Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
In the depths of these winter
months, O God, we turn to you. You are our source of wisdom and understanding.
From you we learn about what it means to love kindness, to seek justice and to
walk humbly in your ways. To you we turn in these challenging days filled with
so much instability in our country and in the world. Give us ears to hear
beyond the noise, to discern your voice, to speak when the world tells us to be
silent, to call out injustice and to stand with those cast aside. Remind us
that we are never alone in this work- that we belong to you and are supported
by each other in this community of faith and in the larger church of which we
are a part. Give us the grace we need to sink our roots into the life-giving
stream of your word and love. When we are feeling weary and overwhelmed by the
world’s brokenness, teach us to pause and look deeper at the beauty of what is
being repaired- where people are helping others, where voices are speaking
truth to power and where those who are feeling abandoned or excluded are
offered care. Thank you for the stories like those we hear from our Mission and
Service partners that give us hope that your love and our generosity are making
a difference.
We bring before you the
concerns that weigh heavily on our hearts this day- for friends and loved ones who
are ill or experiencing loss, for the many who are anxious in the face of
rising household expenses, for the many who are feeling isolated and alone
during these winter months, for the many who are experiencing racism or discrimination
because of who they are, for the many who are victims of violence and war, for
refugees and immigrants whose lives are at risk, for those who are concerned
about job loss in the face of political and economic uncertainties. Show us
ways that we might reach out to help level the playing field for all peoples. In
the name of Jesus, who sets before us that vision of a world put right, we
offer these prayers uniting them as one voice as we say together… Our Father..
Hymn: 691 VU Though Ancient Walls
Blessing:
Grounded in God’s love, we are
sent out
to share abundance with those who have so little.
Blessed with Jesus’ hope, we go forth
to fill the emptiness of those longing for justice.
Blessed with the Spirit’s discernment, we come down to the level
to work for a world made new. Amen.
The light of Christ shines
forth here as we worship and in all the ordinary, everyday moments of our
living.
Call to Worship: (from
On Earth Peace)
The invitation is given to
every person by Jesus Christ:
"Come to me! Follow me!
Be my disciples!"
We come to this place, to this time,
at the invitation of Jesus Christ.
In the name of Christ,
we accept the invitation to discipleship.
In the name of Christ,
as his disciples, we worship and praise God.
In the midst of a world
where cruelty abounds,
we proclaim the God of Compassion.
In the midst of despair
that threatens to swallow up
whole lives, whole peoples,
we proclaim the God of Hope.
In the midst of
indifference and apathy,
we proclaim the God of Love.
Come, let us worship
together
and share our witness of God's living presence
in the world.
Opening Prayer:
Holy God, we come before you
in this time of worship with awe.
Touch us, healing God, with
your healing fire.
Speak to us through your word.
Inspire us in these moments
with some thing, whether it be big or small,
something that will send us
back into our everyday lives renewed,
with our nets bursting and ready
to do your will.
Speak your call to us, and
give us courage to say: “Here we are. Send us.”
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: 315 VU Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from Prayers and Readings for Worship, Volume 2, Peter Judd, ed. (Herald
Publishing House, 1996, ISBN 9780830907199),
Here we are God. In humility
we gather before you.
We have heard your call-
to be liberators of the lowly
advocates to those whose voices have
been silenced
proclaimers of your new social
order.
But we have turned from that
call, unsure of our own worthiness, lacking confidence in our own ability and
not trusting even ourselves.
It is far easier to play it
safe in the shallow waters, going about our familiar routines.
Forgive us when we are
shackled by our narrow understandings of discipleship
and our clouded sense of
purpose.
Forgive us when we fail to
sense your presence in our past,
to acknowledge your grace in
the present moment,
and to trust you for our
future.
Through your Spirit, we offer
ourselves in discipleship.
We stand together as your
disciples.
We seek renewed and renewing
faith.
Touch us now with your Spirit,
we pray…
Silent Confession
Words of Affirmation
Though
we fall short, God’s love draws near to us again and again,
calling us out of fears and hesitancy.
Christ said to his disciples,
“Do not be afraid”
We too want to be followers on
the Way.
His invitation to us is the
same as it was for them- come, let me show you a new way.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Readings and Reflection: Audio Link, click here:
When God Calls
As I considered our readings
for this Sunday, I immediately thought of that old quote and I am not really
sure who said it first but it goes like this: “God doesn’t call the qualified,
God qualifies the called.” It reminded me of how so often feelings of
unworthiness can take over our lives. How easy it is to look at another’s gifts
or skills with admiration and wish we could do what they are doing. We so often
forget that time and time again, throughout scripture, throughout history, God presents
us with countless examples of ordinary, everyday, run of the mill people like
you and me being called and nudged by the Spirit to do some pretty
extraordinary things. We just never know how or when God might call us. And,
more often than not, despite our love for that hymn Here I am Lord, there is
usually some hesitancy or reluctance to say I will go, Lord.
We see that pattern in both of
our readings this morning. Both Isaiah and Simon Peter have what we might call
Epiphany moments or God moments when God shows up in their lives in very
intense ways.
For Isaiah, the moment happens
through a vision he has in the temple. King Uzziah, a king who had ruled over
Israel for over 50 years, had just died. As a result, there was a great deal of
political uncertainty and transition in Israel. Enemy armies were encroaching
on the people. Isaiah goes to the temple to perhaps gain some perspective, some
peace of mind. As he enters, we might imagine that he was hoping for a time of
quiet prayer, an opportunity to participate in the liturgy and to be comforted
by its familiarity. Yet, what confronts him on this particular day is something
quite out of the ordinary. Let’s listen to what he sees, hears and smells as he
stands at the threshold that day:
Isaiah 6: 1-8
In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his
robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above
him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they
covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one
called to another and said,
“Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 The
pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the
house filled with smoke. 5 And I said, “Woe is me! I am
lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean
lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then
one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the
altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my
mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has
departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the
voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I
said, “Here am I; send me!”
That scene seems like
something out of science fiction movie, doesn’t it? There is so much going on.
Seraphs floating around. God on a throne and the presence of God filling the
whole space. The foundations shaking. Hot coal anointing Isaiah’s mouth. Something
so spectacular, almost too awesome for words. No wonder poor Isaiah is
overwhelmed as he utters those words, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of
unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen
the King, the Lord of hosts!” I find it actually quite amazing that
he was able to speak at all! Yet, in the face of God’s grandeur, this response
of hesitancy and unworthiness feels rather justified to me. Not only does he
feel unworthy as an individual but he also acknowledges that he is living in a
society that is unworthy. It is like he is saying, I am done. Yet, at the same
time, God persists with Isaiah. Isaiah’s sinfulness will not disqualify him.
God doesn’t let him off the hook. Instead, God offers him words of assurance in
the midst of a difficult task that God has in store for him of speaking words
of warning to a people who will prove unwilling to listen.
Like Isaiah, Simon Peter in
our gospel reading, also receives a call in the midst of the ordinariness of
his daily routine. As I read the passage, listen for the similarities in Simon
Peter’s response- the sense of being overwhelmed, the hesitancy and the feeling
of inadequacy.
Luke 5: 1-11
Once while Jesus was
standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to
hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at
the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing
their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one
belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then
he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When
he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and
let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered,
“Master, we have worked all night long but have caught
nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When
they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to
burst. 7 So they signaled their partners in the
other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that
they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a
sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him
were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and
so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching
people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to
shore, they left everything and followed him.
That story is a fun one for us
to imagine. We can picture the blue sky. The waves lapping on the shoreline.
The smell of salt water and fish. The breeze blowing around. The fishers
washing their nets in the shallow water after an unsuccessful night on the
water. Nothing to take to market and still plenty of bills to pay. Their muscles
are sore. They are frustrated and ready to go home for some breakfast and then
crawl in bed. Yet, nothing could prepare them for what happened next. Along
comes Jesus asking if he might get in their boat in order to speak to the crowds.
Tired as they are, they agree, all be it rather reluctantly. Then Jesus says
why don’t you go out a little deeper and drop your nets. I imagine them giving
him “the look”. What possibly could this preacher know about fishing? Doesn’t
he know that no one goes deep sea fishing in the day time around here? They, on
the other hand, had been doing this work all their lives. It is Simon Peter who
speaks up, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet
if you say so, I will let down the nets.” Kind of like okay, but we have done
this all night, we have tried this before and it won’t work. But we will go along with your idea. For
some reason, it seems like something in Simon Peter is compelling him to take
advice from Jesus. What follows is that amazing catch, so abundant that they
needed to work together with the wider community of fishers by calling in other
boats to help land it. We might imagine Jesus grinning at their astonishment.
Yet, the first words out of their mouths are not Wow, look at the fish! Instead,
what we hear is fear. It is Simon Peter, again, who speaks up, totally
overwhelmed with a sense of recognition of Jesus’ glory “Go away from me, Lord,
for I am a sinful man!” There it is again, just like it was with Isaiah- that
sense of unworthiness and inadequacy. But Jesus doesn’t go away. In much the
same way that God didn’t stop with Isaiah when he cried out Woe is me, Jesus
responds in a similar way to Simon Peter. Even when Simon admits his frailty
and inadequacy, Jesus stays present with him. He reassures him with those words
Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people. Soon after, we are
told, that they left everything, even those couple of boats filled with an
abundance of fish, and followed.
As we think about both of
these call stories, the one thing that stands out for me is that despite the
initial reluctance and hesitancy, neither God or Jesus says to Isaiah or Peter,
okay, very well, I will back off. You convinced me. Never mind, I’ll go find
someone else. Maybe someone more powerful or wealthy or more credentialed. No,
that is not what happens. Despite initial feelings of inadequacy or
unworthiness, the call remains and reassurance is given. In particular, with
the calling of Peter, I don’t think his initial response has so much to do with
his lack of faith or trust in Jesus. After all, he was sitting in a boat full
of fish! And, if you were to look back a bit in Luke, Jesus had already healed
his mother-in-law. So, we might speculate that what held him back at first, was
his lack of faith in himself, in his sense of unworthiness that God would call
an ordinary person like himself, a mere fisher, to be about God’s purposes in
the world. He had himself convinced that he was inadequate or at best, too
ordinary. Yet, that day on the water was a new day. Jesus said to him “I have a
place for you. I am going to equip you and help you use what you have- those
well-honed fishing skills of patience, resiliency and persistence and use them
in a different way to partner with me in proclaiming my message. This is Jesus
saying to Peter, I trust you. Come, let’s work together. Don’t be afraid.
Isn’t that the same message
that we receive too as people of faith in our day and age? As questionable as
we may feel as candidates to do God’s work, we are invited to join the team, to
not hold back, to go out beyond the safety of shallow waters and to follow Jesus
into the depths. To put our whole selves in.
That is what it is to be a
disciple, a follower of Christ’s way. We don’t use that term disciple
probably near as much as we could and should. Somewhere this week, I was
reading a little reflection that said, given the hurt and injustice in this
world that is being carried out by so many who are using the label Christian,
perhaps disciple or follower of Jesus is a preferable identity for us.
Susan Lukey, the editor of our
United Church of Canada worship resource, The Gathering had a helpful
reflection related to this in our current edition. Here are a few snippets of
what she says:
We don’t volunteer at church
in the way we might volunteer for another organization. Our contributions to
our community of faith-of time, energy, skills and resources are about living
out a call to discipleship. It is about vocation, not volunteering. Jesus
didn’t call volunteers. Jesus called disciples. He didn’t call volunteers to
give a bit of time for a cause. He didn’t say, “Simon Peter and Andrew, do you
have a few hours to spare?” Rather he called them to “Come and follow me and I
will make you fishers of people.” It was a matter of devoting themselves fully,
body, mind and spirit to living the Way he taught. This was no partial or occasional
responsibility. Being disciples of Jesus was about a total commitment. It was
giving one’s whole self over to learning from Jesus and later preaching the
Good News he shared. We aren’t just disciples for a couple of hours on Sunday
morning or when we drop by the church to participate in some ministry or church
activity during the week. When we choose to follow the Way of Jesus, we shape
all of our lives around that choice and commitment. Every aspect of our lives
is carried out from the perspective of being a disciple of Jesus. Then, when we
volunteer for other organizations, we do so out of our belief that Jesus calls
us to love and serve others. In our paid labour and professions, we work with
the excellence, care and compassion called out of us as disciples of Jesus.
When we have a difficult interaction with another person, we seek to respond
with clarity and respect, doing as much as we can to bridge and build
relationships, just as Jesus did. When we spend time with someone who is
grieving or celebrate with a family who has welcomed a new child, we live out
the call to share one another’s joys and sorrows. Our whole lives are
reflections of our commitment to following the Way of Jesus. That is what makes
us disciples, not volunteers.
I found that to be a helpful
reminder as we live in these challenging times and seek to answer boldly when
God calls and nudges in our lives. While
we may feel the same sense of inadequacy, hesitancy and reluctance felt by both
Isaiah and Peter, our feelings of unworthiness do not let us off the hook. God
says to us I value you because you are you. Trust in your own worthiness. Trust
me. Trust that I will be with you and will give you what you need for each step
along the way. A life of discipleship awaits you. Do not be afraid. And may our
collective response be Here we are! Send us! Amen.
Just when he was at his wit’s
end, Peter received the command of Christ, to let down his nets into the deep
and trust what God can and will do. The result was a net-bursting catch. Jesus
revealed the secret of a generous life. It requires trust that God can and will
multiply our best efforts for a good that is deeper and wider than we can
imagine. As we bring our gifts to God, may the same spirit that enlivened Jesus
and surprised Peter be at work in us. And may it grow in us a deep joy!
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Training helps farmers find
stability and hope for the future.
Credit: Tearfund Canada
In the rugged hills of India’s
Badabasko village, Jaiprakash Paharia, a determined 60-year-old farmer, and his
wife, Rami Paharin, have battled against nature's odds. Their land, stony and
dependent on increasingly unpredictable rains, yielded meagre crops of maize,
cowpea, pigeon pea, and sorghum each year. Their family had literally hit rock
bottom.
Faced with declining harvests,
they turned to goat rearing in search of a more sustainable livelihood. Left
with no other choice, Jaiprakash invested all he had in what seemed to be a
promising venture. However, these efforts were marred by heartbreaking losses.
Year after year, diseases claimed up to 20 of their precious goats, threatening
their hope for a steady future once again. It was as if they were back at the
foot of the hill; they were desperate.
As they were counting their
losses, through Mission and Service partner Canadian Foodgrains Bank, member
Tearfund Canada brought life-changing support to their village through The
Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief (EFICOR). The project
team provided thorough training on livestock management practices and taught
about essential deworming and vaccinations to best sustain livestock.
Jaiprakash was skeptical at
first about giving these treatments to his goats. However, as he learned how
they could safeguard his livestock's health, he took on these practices
graciously and achieved transformative results. For the first time since they
had started keeping livestock, their goats remained healthy throughout the
season, with zero losses! This newfound stability secured their livelihood and
revitalized their hope for the future.
Jaiprakash and his family are
endlessly thankful to Tearfund Canada and EFICOR for their radical support.
Their training not only improved the health and well-being of their livestock
but also equipped them with the tools and understanding to sustain themselves
through future adversity.
Thank you for supporting
our Mission
and Service partners and people around the world, as they walk toward
a more sustainable future.
Hymn: 131 MV
You, Creator God Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
Holy and awesome God, you are
beyond our ability to understand, beyond our ability to describe, yet you are a
God who is near at hand, providing for our every need, looking beyond our
inadequacies and fears and calling even ordinary people like ourselves to be
prophets of your love, your peace and your justice in this world. You call us
to cast a wide net, to go deeper even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. We
ask for your grace and mercy that we may believe your promises enough to
respond to your call in our lives. Grant us courage to leave the comfort of our
familiar shorelines and step forth with you.
We give thanks for each person
throughout history and even now, who by their words and actions dare to follow
where you are leading, dare to speak truth to power and who continue to act
selflessly in the interest of others. Help us as a community of faith to
support one another in these confusing and challenging times. Empty our despair
and fear and fill us with love and strength when we are feeling overwhelmed. Inspire
the work of our profile committee as they explore together to present future
visions for our congregation in this time of upcoming transition. When we find
ourselves growing weary by so much unrest in our world, renew our strength.
We pray this day for all who
are overwhelmed and living in unspeakable living conditions of war, violence
and oppression. We pray for leaders of our communities and the nations of this
world as they work for understanding, peace and justice for all peoples. Thank
you for our country in which we live, where we can worship you where and when
we choose and for our community of faith where we can live and grow and be
challenged to be your followers. Show us ways that we might live as stewards of
creation and all the abundance that you offer us. We lift before you in the
silence of our hearts the many who do not know these freedoms, the many who are
overwhelmed by uncertainty, the many who are struggling to make ends meet, the
many who are isolated, addicted or suffering this day in mind, body or spirit… We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus
who continues to call and equip us for the tasks that are before us as we say
together the prayer he taught us… Our Father…
Hymn: 567VU Will you Come and Follow Me?
Blessing
God asks: Whom shall I send
into this world?
Send me!
Whom shall I send with words
of justice, mercy and truth?
Send me!
Whom shall I send with love
for the world?
Send me!
Go then and may God touch your
lips giving you the words you need.
God has filled our nets to
bursting.
Revel in the surprises that
await you.
We go in God. Amen.
****************
The light of Christ shines
forth here as we worship and in all the ordinary, everyday moments of our
living.
Call to Worship: (from
On Earth Peace)
The invitation is given to
every person by Jesus Christ:
"Come to me! Follow me!
Be my disciples!"
We come to this place, to this time,
at the invitation of Jesus Christ.
In the name of Christ,
we accept the invitation to discipleship.
In the name of Christ,
as his disciples, we worship and praise God.
In the midst of a world
where cruelty abounds,
we proclaim the God of Compassion.
In the midst of despair
that threatens to swallow up
whole lives, whole peoples,
we proclaim the God of Hope.
In the midst of
indifference and apathy,
we proclaim the God of Love.
Come, let us worship
together
and share our witness of God's living presence
in the world.
Opening Prayer:
Holy God, we come before you
in this time of worship with awe.
Touch us, healing God, with
your healing fire.
Speak to us through your word.
Inspire us in these moments
with some thing, whether it be big or small,
something that will send us
back into our everyday lives renewed,
with our nets bursting and ready
to do your will.
Speak your call to us, and
give us courage to say: “Here we are. Send us.”
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: 315 VU Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty
https://youtu.be/Aue7Y-mPq48?si=XODJT5NuKWNj7GTY
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from Prayers and Readings for Worship, Volume 2, Peter Judd, ed. (Herald
Publishing House, 1996, ISBN 9780830907199),
Here we are God. In humility
we gather before you.
We have heard your call-
to be liberators of the lowly
advocates to those whose voices have
been silenced
proclaimers of your new social
order.
But we have turned from that
call, unsure of our own worthiness, lacking confidence in our own ability and
not trusting even ourselves.
It is far easier to play it
safe in the shallow waters, going about our familiar routines.
Forgive us when we are
shackled by our narrow understandings of discipleship
and our clouded sense of
purpose.
Forgive us when we fail to
sense your presence in our past,
to acknowledge your grace in
the present moment,
and to trust you for our
future.
Through your Spirit, we offer
ourselves in discipleship.
We stand together as your
disciples.
We seek renewed and renewing
faith.
Touch us now with your Spirit,
we pray…
Silent Confession
Words of Affirmation
Though
we fall short, God’s love draws near to us again and again,
calling us out of fears and hesitancy.
Christ said to his disciples,
“Do not be afraid”
We too want to be followers on
the Way.
His invitation to us is the
same as it was for them- come, let me show you a new way.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Readings and Reflection: Audio
Link, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BXqeOcQyLLoUrauJZSua1hXsWO5QHQrd
When God Calls
As I considered our readings
for this Sunday, I immediately thought of that old quote and I am not really
sure who said it first but it goes like this: “God doesn’t call the qualified,
God qualifies the called.” It reminded me of how so often feelings of
unworthiness can take over our lives. How easy it is to look at another’s gifts
or skills with admiration and wish we could do what they are doing. We so often
forget that time and time again, throughout scripture, throughout history, God presents
us with countless examples of ordinary, everyday, run of the mill people like
you and me being called and nudged by the Spirit to do some pretty
extraordinary things. We just never know how or when God might call us. And,
more often than not, despite our love for that hymn Here I am Lord, there is
usually some hesitancy or reluctance to say I will go, Lord.
We see that pattern in both of
our readings this morning. Both Isaiah and Simon Peter have what we might call
Epiphany moments or God moments when God shows up in their lives in very
intense ways.
For Isaiah, the moment happens
through a vision he has in the temple. King Uzziah, a king who had ruled over
Israel for over 50 years, had just died. As a result, there was a great deal of
political uncertainty and transition in Israel. Enemy armies were encroaching
on the people. Isaiah goes to the temple to perhaps gain some perspective, some
peace of mind. As he enters, we might imagine that he was hoping for a time of
quiet prayer, an opportunity to participate in the liturgy and to be comforted
by its familiarity. Yet, what confronts him on this particular day is something
quite out of the ordinary. Let’s listen to what he sees, hears and smells as he
stands at the threshold that day:
Isaiah 6: 1-8
In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his
robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above
him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they
covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one
called to another and said,
“Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 The
pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the
house filled with smoke. 5 And I said, “Woe is me! I am
lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean
lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then
one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the
altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my
mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has
departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the
voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I
said, “Here am I; send me!”
That scene seems like
something out of science fiction movie, doesn’t it? There is so much going on.
Seraphs floating around. God on a throne and the presence of God filling the
whole space. The foundations shaking. Hot coal anointing Isaiah’s mouth. Something
so spectacular, almost too awesome for words. No wonder poor Isaiah is
overwhelmed as he utters those words, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of
unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen
the King, the Lord of hosts!” I find it actually quite amazing that
he was able to speak at all! Yet, in the face of God’s grandeur, this response
of hesitancy and unworthiness feels rather justified to me. Not only does he
feel unworthy as an individual but he also acknowledges that he is living in a
society that is unworthy. It is like he is saying, I am done. Yet, at the same
time, God persists with Isaiah. Isaiah’s sinfulness will not disqualify him.
God doesn’t let him off the hook. Instead, God offers him words of assurance in
the midst of a difficult task that God has in store for him of speaking words
of warning to a people who will prove unwilling to listen.
Like Isaiah, Simon Peter in
our gospel reading, also receives a call in the midst of the ordinariness of
his daily routine. As I read the passage, listen for the similarities in Simon
Peter’s response- the sense of being overwhelmed, the hesitancy and the feeling
of inadequacy.
Luke 5: 1-11
Once while Jesus was
standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to
hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at
the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing
their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one
belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then
he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When
he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and
let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered,
“Master, we have worked all night long but have caught
nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When
they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to
burst. 7 So they signaled their partners in the
other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that
they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a
sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him
were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and
so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching
people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to
shore, they left everything and followed him.
That story is a fun one for us
to imagine. We can picture the blue sky. The waves lapping on the shoreline.
The smell of salt water and fish. The breeze blowing around. The fishers
washing their nets in the shallow water after an unsuccessful night on the
water. Nothing to take to market and still plenty of bills to pay. Their muscles
are sore. They are frustrated and ready to go home for some breakfast and then
crawl in bed. Yet, nothing could prepare them for what happened next. Along
comes Jesus asking if he might get in their boat in order to speak to the crowds.
Tired as they are, they agree, all be it rather reluctantly. Then Jesus says
why don’t you go out a little deeper and drop your nets. I imagine them giving
him “the look”. What possibly could this preacher know about fishing? Doesn’t
he know that no one goes deep sea fishing in the day time around here? They, on
the other hand, had been doing this work all their lives. It is Simon Peter who
speaks up, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet
if you say so, I will let down the nets.” Kind of like okay, but we have done
this all night, we have tried this before and it won’t work. But we will go along with your idea. For
some reason, it seems like something in Simon Peter is compelling him to take
advice from Jesus. What follows is that amazing catch, so abundant that they
needed to work together with the wider community of fishers by calling in other
boats to help land it. We might imagine Jesus grinning at their astonishment.
Yet, the first words out of their mouths are not Wow, look at the fish! Instead,
what we hear is fear. It is Simon Peter, again, who speaks up, totally
overwhelmed with a sense of recognition of Jesus’ glory “Go away from me, Lord,
for I am a sinful man!” There it is again, just like it was with Isaiah- that
sense of unworthiness and inadequacy. But Jesus doesn’t go away. In much the
same way that God didn’t stop with Isaiah when he cried out Woe is me, Jesus
responds in a similar way to Simon Peter. Even when Simon admits his frailty
and inadequacy, Jesus stays present with him. He reassures him with those words
Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people. Soon after, we are
told, that they left everything, even those couple of boats filled with an
abundance of fish, and followed.
As we think about both of
these call stories, the one thing that stands out for me is that despite the
initial reluctance and hesitancy, neither God or Jesus says to Isaiah or Peter,
okay, very well, I will back off. You convinced me. Never mind, I’ll go find
someone else. Maybe someone more powerful or wealthy or more credentialed. No,
that is not what happens. Despite initial feelings of inadequacy or
unworthiness, the call remains and reassurance is given. In particular, with
the calling of Peter, I don’t think his initial response has so much to do with
his lack of faith or trust in Jesus. After all, he was sitting in a boat full
of fish! And, if you were to look back a bit in Luke, Jesus had already healed
his mother-in-law. So, we might speculate that what held him back at first, was
his lack of faith in himself, in his sense of unworthiness that God would call
an ordinary person like himself, a mere fisher, to be about God’s purposes in
the world. He had himself convinced that he was inadequate or at best, too
ordinary. Yet, that day on the water was a new day. Jesus said to him “I have a
place for you. I am going to equip you and help you use what you have- those
well-honed fishing skills of patience, resiliency and persistence and use them
in a different way to partner with me in proclaiming my message. This is Jesus
saying to Peter, I trust you. Come, let’s work together. Don’t be afraid.
Isn’t that the same message
that we receive too as people of faith in our day and age? As questionable as
we may feel as candidates to do God’s work, we are invited to join the team, to
not hold back, to go out beyond the safety of shallow waters and to follow Jesus
into the depths. To put our whole selves in.
That is what it is to be a
disciple, a follower of Christ’s way. We don’t use that term disciple
probably near as much as we could and should. Somewhere this week, I was
reading a little reflection that said, given the hurt and injustice in this
world that is being carried out by so many who are using the label Christian,
perhaps disciple or follower of Jesus is a preferable identity for us.
Susan Lukey, the editor of our
United Church of Canada worship resource, The Gathering had a helpful
reflection related to this in our current edition. Here are a few snippets of
what she says:
We don’t volunteer at church
in the way we might volunteer for another organization. Our contributions to
our community of faith-of time, energy, skills and resources are about living
out a call to discipleship. It is about vocation, not volunteering. Jesus
didn’t call volunteers. Jesus called disciples. He didn’t call volunteers to
give a bit of time for a cause. He didn’t say, “Simon Peter and Andrew, do you
have a few hours to spare?” Rather he called them to “Come and follow me and I
will make you fishers of people.” It was a matter of devoting themselves fully,
body, mind and spirit to living the Way he taught. This was no partial or occasional
responsibility. Being disciples of Jesus was about a total commitment. It was
giving one’s whole self over to learning from Jesus and later preaching the
Good News he shared. We aren’t just disciples for a couple of hours on Sunday
morning or when we drop by the church to participate in some ministry or church
activity during the week. When we choose to follow the Way of Jesus, we shape
all of our lives around that choice and commitment. Every aspect of our lives
is carried out from the perspective of being a disciple of Jesus. Then, when we
volunteer for other organizations, we do so out of our belief that Jesus calls
us to love and serve others. In our paid labour and professions, we work with
the excellence, care and compassion called out of us as disciples of Jesus.
When we have a difficult interaction with another person, we seek to respond
with clarity and respect, doing as much as we can to bridge and build
relationships, just as Jesus did. When we spend time with someone who is
grieving or celebrate with a family who has welcomed a new child, we live out
the call to share one another’s joys and sorrows. Our whole lives are
reflections of our commitment to following the Way of Jesus. That is what makes
us disciples, not volunteers.
I found that to be a helpful
reminder as we live in these challenging times and seek to answer boldly when
God calls and nudges in our lives. While
we may feel the same sense of inadequacy, hesitancy and reluctance felt by both
Isaiah and Peter, our feelings of unworthiness do not let us off the hook. God
says to us I value you because you are you. Trust in your own worthiness. Trust
me. Trust that I will be with you and will give you what you need for each step
along the way. A life of discipleship awaits you. Do not be afraid. And may our
collective response be Here we are! Send us! Amen.
Just when he was at his wit’s
end, Peter received the command of Christ, to let down his nets into the deep
and trust what God can and will do. The result was a net-bursting catch. Jesus
revealed the secret of a generous life. It requires trust that God can and will
multiply our best efforts for a good that is deeper and wider than we can
imagine. As we bring our gifts to God, may the same spirit that enlivened Jesus
and surprised Peter be at work in us. And may it grow in us a deep joy!
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Training helps farmers find
stability and hope for the future.
Credit: Tearfund Canada
In the rugged hills of India’s
Badabasko village, Jaiprakash Paharia, a determined 60-year-old farmer, and his
wife, Rami Paharin, have battled against nature's odds. Their land, stony and
dependent on increasingly unpredictable rains, yielded meagre crops of maize,
cowpea, pigeon pea, and sorghum each year. Their family had literally hit rock
bottom.
Faced with declining harvests,
they turned to goat rearing in search of a more sustainable livelihood. Left
with no other choice, Jaiprakash invested all he had in what seemed to be a
promising venture. However, these efforts were marred by heartbreaking losses.
Year after year, diseases claimed up to 20 of their precious goats, threatening
their hope for a steady future once again. It was as if they were back at the
foot of the hill; they were desperate.
As they were counting their
losses, through Mission and Service partner Canadian Foodgrains Bank, member
Tearfund Canada brought life-changing support to their village through The
Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief (EFICOR). The project
team provided thorough training on livestock management practices and taught
about essential deworming and vaccinations to best sustain livestock.
Jaiprakash was skeptical at
first about giving these treatments to his goats. However, as he learned how
they could safeguard his livestock's health, he took on these practices
graciously and achieved transformative results. For the first time since they
had started keeping livestock, their goats remained healthy throughout the
season, with zero losses! This newfound stability secured their livelihood and
revitalized their hope for the future.
Jaiprakash and his family are
endlessly thankful to Tearfund Canada and EFICOR for their radical support.
Their training not only improved the health and well-being of their livestock
but also equipped them with the tools and understanding to sustain themselves
through future adversity.
Thank you for supporting
our Mission
and Service partners and people around the world, as they walk toward
a more sustainable future.
Hymn: 131 MV
You, Creator God Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
Holy and awesome God, you are
beyond our ability to understand, beyond our ability to describe, yet you are a
God who is near at hand, providing for our every need, looking beyond our
inadequacies and fears and calling even ordinary people like ourselves to be
prophets of your love, your peace and your justice in this world. You call us
to cast a wide net, to go deeper even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. We
ask for your grace and mercy that we may believe your promises enough to
respond to your call in our lives. Grant us courage to leave the comfort of our
familiar shorelines and step forth with you.
We give thanks for each person
throughout history and even now, who by their words and actions dare to follow
where you are leading, dare to speak truth to power and who continue to act
selflessly in the interest of others. Help us as a community of faith to
support one another in these confusing and challenging times. Empty our despair
and fear and fill us with love and strength when we are feeling overwhelmed. Inspire
the work of our profile committee as they explore together to present future
visions for our congregation in this time of upcoming transition. When we find
ourselves growing weary by so much unrest in our world, renew our strength.
We pray this day for all who
are overwhelmed and living in unspeakable living conditions of war, violence
and oppression. We pray for leaders of our communities and the nations of this
world as they work for understanding, peace and justice for all peoples. Thank
you for our country in which we live, where we can worship you where and when
we choose and for our community of faith where we can live and grow and be
challenged to be your followers. Show us ways that we might live as stewards of
creation and all the abundance that you offer us. We lift before you in the
silence of our hearts the many who do not know these freedoms, the many who are
overwhelmed by uncertainty, the many who are struggling to make ends meet, the
many who are isolated, addicted or suffering this day in mind, body or spirit… We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus
who continues to call and equip us for the tasks that are before us as we say
together the prayer he taught us… Our Father…
Hymn: 567VU
Will you Come and Follow Me? https://youtu.be/B1wFxp0NZGw?si=s3eD1q8mJXLmtfeN
Blessing
God asks: Whom shall I send
into this world?
Send me!
Whom shall I send with words
of justice, mercy and truth?
Send me!
Whom shall I send with love
for the world?
Send me!
Go then and may God touch your
lips giving you the words you need.
God has filled our nets to
bursting.
Revel in the surprises that
await you.
We go in God. Amen.
****************
The light of Christ shines
forth here as we worship and in all the ordinary, everyday moments of our
living.
Call to Worship: (from
On Earth Peace)
The invitation is given to
every person by Jesus Christ:
"Come to me! Follow me!
Be my disciples!"
We come to this place, to this time,
at the invitation of Jesus Christ.
In the name of Christ,
we accept the invitation to discipleship.
In the name of Christ,
as his disciples, we worship and praise God.
In the midst of a world
where cruelty abounds,
we proclaim the God of Compassion.
In the midst of despair
that threatens to swallow up
whole lives, whole peoples,
we proclaim the God of Hope.
In the midst of
indifference and apathy,
we proclaim the God of Love.
Come, let us worship
together
and share our witness of God's living presence
in the world.
Opening Prayer:
Holy God, we come before you
in this time of worship with awe.
Touch us, healing God, with
your healing fire.
Speak to us through your word.
Inspire us in these moments
with some thing, whether it be big or small,
something that will send us
back into our everyday lives renewed,
with our nets bursting and ready
to do your will.
Speak your call to us, and
give us courage to say: “Here we are. Send us.”
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: 315 VU Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty
https://youtu.be/Aue7Y-mPq48?si=XODJT5NuKWNj7GTY
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from Prayers and Readings for Worship, Volume 2, Peter Judd, ed. (Herald
Publishing House, 1996, ISBN 9780830907199),
Here we are God. In humility
we gather before you.
We have heard your call-
to be liberators of the lowly
advocates to those whose voices have
been silenced
proclaimers of your new social
order.
But we have turned from that
call, unsure of our own worthiness, lacking confidence in our own ability and
not trusting even ourselves.
It is far easier to play it
safe in the shallow waters, going about our familiar routines.
Forgive us when we are
shackled by our narrow understandings of discipleship
and our clouded sense of
purpose.
Forgive us when we fail to
sense your presence in our past,
to acknowledge your grace in
the present moment,
and to trust you for our
future.
Through your Spirit, we offer
ourselves in discipleship.
We stand together as your
disciples.
We seek renewed and renewing
faith.
Touch us now with your Spirit,
we pray…
Silent Confession
Words of Affirmation
Though
we fall short, God’s love draws near to us again and again,
calling us out of fears and hesitancy.
Christ said to his disciples,
“Do not be afraid”
We too want to be followers on
the Way.
His invitation to us is the
same as it was for them- come, let me show you a new way.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Readings and Reflection: Audio
Link, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BXqeOcQyLLoUrauJZSua1hXsWO5QHQrd
When God Calls
As I considered our readings
for this Sunday, I immediately thought of that old quote and I am not really
sure who said it first but it goes like this: “God doesn’t call the qualified,
God qualifies the called.” It reminded me of how so often feelings of
unworthiness can take over our lives. How easy it is to look at another’s gifts
or skills with admiration and wish we could do what they are doing. We so often
forget that time and time again, throughout scripture, throughout history, God presents
us with countless examples of ordinary, everyday, run of the mill people like
you and me being called and nudged by the Spirit to do some pretty
extraordinary things. We just never know how or when God might call us. And,
more often than not, despite our love for that hymn Here I am Lord, there is
usually some hesitancy or reluctance to say I will go, Lord.
We see that pattern in both of
our readings this morning. Both Isaiah and Simon Peter have what we might call
Epiphany moments or God moments when God shows up in their lives in very
intense ways.
For Isaiah, the moment happens
through a vision he has in the temple. King Uzziah, a king who had ruled over
Israel for over 50 years, had just died. As a result, there was a great deal of
political uncertainty and transition in Israel. Enemy armies were encroaching
on the people. Isaiah goes to the temple to perhaps gain some perspective, some
peace of mind. As he enters, we might imagine that he was hoping for a time of
quiet prayer, an opportunity to participate in the liturgy and to be comforted
by its familiarity. Yet, what confronts him on this particular day is something
quite out of the ordinary. Let’s listen to what he sees, hears and smells as he
stands at the threshold that day:
Isaiah 6: 1-8
In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his
robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above
him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they
covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one
called to another and said,
“Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 The
pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the
house filled with smoke. 5 And I said, “Woe is me! I am
lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean
lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then
one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the
altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my
mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has
departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the
voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I
said, “Here am I; send me!”
That scene seems like
something out of science fiction movie, doesn’t it? There is so much going on.
Seraphs floating around. God on a throne and the presence of God filling the
whole space. The foundations shaking. Hot coal anointing Isaiah’s mouth. Something
so spectacular, almost too awesome for words. No wonder poor Isaiah is
overwhelmed as he utters those words, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of
unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen
the King, the Lord of hosts!” I find it actually quite amazing that
he was able to speak at all! Yet, in the face of God’s grandeur, this response
of hesitancy and unworthiness feels rather justified to me. Not only does he
feel unworthy as an individual but he also acknowledges that he is living in a
society that is unworthy. It is like he is saying, I am done. Yet, at the same
time, God persists with Isaiah. Isaiah’s sinfulness will not disqualify him.
God doesn’t let him off the hook. Instead, God offers him words of assurance in
the midst of a difficult task that God has in store for him of speaking words
of warning to a people who will prove unwilling to listen.
Like Isaiah, Simon Peter in
our gospel reading, also receives a call in the midst of the ordinariness of
his daily routine. As I read the passage, listen for the similarities in Simon
Peter’s response- the sense of being overwhelmed, the hesitancy and the feeling
of inadequacy.
Luke 5: 1-11
Once while Jesus was
standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to
hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at
the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing
their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one
belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then
he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When
he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and
let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered,
“Master, we have worked all night long but have caught
nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When
they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to
burst. 7 So they signaled their partners in the
other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that
they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a
sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him
were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and
so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching
people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to
shore, they left everything and followed him.
That story is a fun one for us
to imagine. We can picture the blue sky. The waves lapping on the shoreline.
The smell of salt water and fish. The breeze blowing around. The fishers
washing their nets in the shallow water after an unsuccessful night on the
water. Nothing to take to market and still plenty of bills to pay. Their muscles
are sore. They are frustrated and ready to go home for some breakfast and then
crawl in bed. Yet, nothing could prepare them for what happened next. Along
comes Jesus asking if he might get in their boat in order to speak to the crowds.
Tired as they are, they agree, all be it rather reluctantly. Then Jesus says
why don’t you go out a little deeper and drop your nets. I imagine them giving
him “the look”. What possibly could this preacher know about fishing? Doesn’t
he know that no one goes deep sea fishing in the day time around here? They, on
the other hand, had been doing this work all their lives. It is Simon Peter who
speaks up, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet
if you say so, I will let down the nets.” Kind of like okay, but we have done
this all night, we have tried this before and it won’t work. But we will go along with your idea. For
some reason, it seems like something in Simon Peter is compelling him to take
advice from Jesus. What follows is that amazing catch, so abundant that they
needed to work together with the wider community of fishers by calling in other
boats to help land it. We might imagine Jesus grinning at their astonishment.
Yet, the first words out of their mouths are not Wow, look at the fish! Instead,
what we hear is fear. It is Simon Peter, again, who speaks up, totally
overwhelmed with a sense of recognition of Jesus’ glory “Go away from me, Lord,
for I am a sinful man!” There it is again, just like it was with Isaiah- that
sense of unworthiness and inadequacy. But Jesus doesn’t go away. In much the
same way that God didn’t stop with Isaiah when he cried out Woe is me, Jesus
responds in a similar way to Simon Peter. Even when Simon admits his frailty
and inadequacy, Jesus stays present with him. He reassures him with those words
Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people. Soon after, we are
told, that they left everything, even those couple of boats filled with an
abundance of fish, and followed.
As we think about both of
these call stories, the one thing that stands out for me is that despite the
initial reluctance and hesitancy, neither God or Jesus says to Isaiah or Peter,
okay, very well, I will back off. You convinced me. Never mind, I’ll go find
someone else. Maybe someone more powerful or wealthy or more credentialed. No,
that is not what happens. Despite initial feelings of inadequacy or
unworthiness, the call remains and reassurance is given. In particular, with
the calling of Peter, I don’t think his initial response has so much to do with
his lack of faith or trust in Jesus. After all, he was sitting in a boat full
of fish! And, if you were to look back a bit in Luke, Jesus had already healed
his mother-in-law. So, we might speculate that what held him back at first, was
his lack of faith in himself, in his sense of unworthiness that God would call
an ordinary person like himself, a mere fisher, to be about God’s purposes in
the world. He had himself convinced that he was inadequate or at best, too
ordinary. Yet, that day on the water was a new day. Jesus said to him “I have a
place for you. I am going to equip you and help you use what you have- those
well-honed fishing skills of patience, resiliency and persistence and use them
in a different way to partner with me in proclaiming my message. This is Jesus
saying to Peter, I trust you. Come, let’s work together. Don’t be afraid.
Isn’t that the same message
that we receive too as people of faith in our day and age? As questionable as
we may feel as candidates to do God’s work, we are invited to join the team, to
not hold back, to go out beyond the safety of shallow waters and to follow Jesus
into the depths. To put our whole selves in.
That is what it is to be a
disciple, a follower of Christ’s way. We don’t use that term disciple
probably near as much as we could and should. Somewhere this week, I was
reading a little reflection that said, given the hurt and injustice in this
world that is being carried out by so many who are using the label Christian,
perhaps disciple or follower of Jesus is a preferable identity for us.
Susan Lukey, the editor of our
United Church of Canada worship resource, The Gathering had a helpful
reflection related to this in our current edition. Here are a few snippets of
what she says:
We don’t volunteer at church
in the way we might volunteer for another organization. Our contributions to
our community of faith-of time, energy, skills and resources are about living
out a call to discipleship. It is about vocation, not volunteering. Jesus
didn’t call volunteers. Jesus called disciples. He didn’t call volunteers to
give a bit of time for a cause. He didn’t say, “Simon Peter and Andrew, do you
have a few hours to spare?” Rather he called them to “Come and follow me and I
will make you fishers of people.” It was a matter of devoting themselves fully,
body, mind and spirit to living the Way he taught. This was no partial or occasional
responsibility. Being disciples of Jesus was about a total commitment. It was
giving one’s whole self over to learning from Jesus and later preaching the
Good News he shared. We aren’t just disciples for a couple of hours on Sunday
morning or when we drop by the church to participate in some ministry or church
activity during the week. When we choose to follow the Way of Jesus, we shape
all of our lives around that choice and commitment. Every aspect of our lives
is carried out from the perspective of being a disciple of Jesus. Then, when we
volunteer for other organizations, we do so out of our belief that Jesus calls
us to love and serve others. In our paid labour and professions, we work with
the excellence, care and compassion called out of us as disciples of Jesus.
When we have a difficult interaction with another person, we seek to respond
with clarity and respect, doing as much as we can to bridge and build
relationships, just as Jesus did. When we spend time with someone who is
grieving or celebrate with a family who has welcomed a new child, we live out
the call to share one another’s joys and sorrows. Our whole lives are
reflections of our commitment to following the Way of Jesus. That is what makes
us disciples, not volunteers.
I found that to be a helpful
reminder as we live in these challenging times and seek to answer boldly when
God calls and nudges in our lives. While
we may feel the same sense of inadequacy, hesitancy and reluctance felt by both
Isaiah and Peter, our feelings of unworthiness do not let us off the hook. God
says to us I value you because you are you. Trust in your own worthiness. Trust
me. Trust that I will be with you and will give you what you need for each step
along the way. A life of discipleship awaits you. Do not be afraid. And may our
collective response be Here we are! Send us! Amen.
Just when he was at his wit’s
end, Peter received the command of Christ, to let down his nets into the deep
and trust what God can and will do. The result was a net-bursting catch. Jesus
revealed the secret of a generous life. It requires trust that God can and will
multiply our best efforts for a good that is deeper and wider than we can
imagine. As we bring our gifts to God, may the same spirit that enlivened Jesus
and surprised Peter be at work in us. And may it grow in us a deep joy!
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Training helps farmers find
stability and hope for the future.
Credit: Tearfund Canada
In the rugged hills of India’s
Badabasko village, Jaiprakash Paharia, a determined 60-year-old farmer, and his
wife, Rami Paharin, have battled against nature's odds. Their land, stony and
dependent on increasingly unpredictable rains, yielded meagre crops of maize,
cowpea, pigeon pea, and sorghum each year. Their family had literally hit rock
bottom.
Faced with declining harvests,
they turned to goat rearing in search of a more sustainable livelihood. Left
with no other choice, Jaiprakash invested all he had in what seemed to be a
promising venture. However, these efforts were marred by heartbreaking losses.
Year after year, diseases claimed up to 20 of their precious goats, threatening
their hope for a steady future once again. It was as if they were back at the
foot of the hill; they were desperate.
As they were counting their
losses, through Mission and Service partner Canadian Foodgrains Bank, member
Tearfund Canada brought life-changing support to their village through The
Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief (EFICOR). The project
team provided thorough training on livestock management practices and taught
about essential deworming and vaccinations to best sustain livestock.
Jaiprakash was skeptical at
first about giving these treatments to his goats. However, as he learned how
they could safeguard his livestock's health, he took on these practices
graciously and achieved transformative results. For the first time since they
had started keeping livestock, their goats remained healthy throughout the
season, with zero losses! This newfound stability secured their livelihood and
revitalized their hope for the future.
Jaiprakash and his family are
endlessly thankful to Tearfund Canada and EFICOR for their radical support.
Their training not only improved the health and well-being of their livestock
but also equipped them with the tools and understanding to sustain themselves
through future adversity.
Thank you for supporting
our Mission
and Service partners and people around the world, as they walk toward
a more sustainable future.
Hymn: 131 MV
You, Creator God Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
Holy and awesome God, you are
beyond our ability to understand, beyond our ability to describe, yet you are a
God who is near at hand, providing for our every need, looking beyond our
inadequacies and fears and calling even ordinary people like ourselves to be
prophets of your love, your peace and your justice in this world. You call us
to cast a wide net, to go deeper even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. We
ask for your grace and mercy that we may believe your promises enough to
respond to your call in our lives. Grant us courage to leave the comfort of our
familiar shorelines and step forth with you.
We give thanks for each person
throughout history and even now, who by their words and actions dare to follow
where you are leading, dare to speak truth to power and who continue to act
selflessly in the interest of others. Help us as a community of faith to
support one another in these confusing and challenging times. Empty our despair
and fear and fill us with love and strength when we are feeling overwhelmed. Inspire
the work of our profile committee as they explore together to present future
visions for our congregation in this time of upcoming transition. When we find
ourselves growing weary by so much unrest in our world, renew our strength.
We pray this day for all who
are overwhelmed and living in unspeakable living conditions of war, violence
and oppression. We pray for leaders of our communities and the nations of this
world as they work for understanding, peace and justice for all peoples. Thank
you for our country in which we live, where we can worship you where and when
we choose and for our community of faith where we can live and grow and be
challenged to be your followers. Show us ways that we might live as stewards of
creation and all the abundance that you offer us. We lift before you in the
silence of our hearts the many who do not know these freedoms, the many who are
overwhelmed by uncertainty, the many who are struggling to make ends meet, the
many who are isolated, addicted or suffering this day in mind, body or spirit… We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus
who continues to call and equip us for the tasks that are before us as we say
together the prayer he taught us… Our Father…
Hymn: 567VU
Will you Come and Follow Me? https://youtu.be/B1wFxp0NZGw?si=s3eD1q8mJXLmtfeN
Blessing
God asks: Whom shall I send
into this world?
Send me!
Whom shall I send with words
of justice, mercy and truth?
Send me!
Whom shall I send with love
for the world?
Send me!
Go then and may God touch your
lips giving you the words you need.
God has filled our nets to
bursting.
Revel in the surprises that
await you.
We go in God. Amen.
****************
The light of Christ shines
forth here as we worship and in all the ordinary, everyday moments of our
living.
Call to Worship: (from
On Earth Peace)
The invitation is given to
every person by Jesus Christ:
"Come to me! Follow me!
Be my disciples!"
We come to this place, to this time,
at the invitation of Jesus Christ.
In the name of Christ,
we accept the invitation to discipleship.
In the name of Christ,
as his disciples, we worship and praise God.
In the midst of a world
where cruelty abounds,
we proclaim the God of Compassion.
In the midst of despair
that threatens to swallow up
whole lives, whole peoples,
we proclaim the God of Hope.
In the midst of
indifference and apathy,
we proclaim the God of Love.
Come, let us worship
together
and share our witness of God's living presence
in the world.
Opening Prayer:
Holy God, we come before you
in this time of worship with awe.
Touch us, healing God, with
your healing fire.
Speak to us through your word.
Inspire us in these moments
with some thing, whether it be big or small,
something that will send us
back into our everyday lives renewed,
with our nets bursting and ready
to do your will.
Speak your call to us, and
give us courage to say: “Here we are. Send us.”
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: 315 VU Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty
https://youtu.be/Aue7Y-mPq48?si=XODJT5NuKWNj7GTY
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from Prayers and Readings for Worship, Volume 2, Peter Judd, ed. (Herald
Publishing House, 1996, ISBN 9780830907199),
Here we are God. In humility
we gather before you.
We have heard your call-
to be liberators of the lowly
advocates to those whose voices have
been silenced
proclaimers of your new social
order.
But we have turned from that
call, unsure of our own worthiness, lacking confidence in our own ability and
not trusting even ourselves.
It is far easier to play it
safe in the shallow waters, going about our familiar routines.
Forgive us when we are
shackled by our narrow understandings of discipleship
and our clouded sense of
purpose.
Forgive us when we fail to
sense your presence in our past,
to acknowledge your grace in
the present moment,
and to trust you for our
future.
Through your Spirit, we offer
ourselves in discipleship.
We stand together as your
disciples.
We seek renewed and renewing
faith.
Touch us now with your Spirit,
we pray…
Silent Confession
Words of Affirmation
Though
we fall short, God’s love draws near to us again and again,
calling us out of fears and hesitancy.
Christ said to his disciples,
“Do not be afraid”
We too want to be followers on
the Way.
His invitation to us is the
same as it was for them- come, let me show you a new way.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Readings and Reflection: Audio
Link, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BXqeOcQyLLoUrauJZSua1hXsWO5QHQrd
When God Calls
As I considered our readings
for this Sunday, I immediately thought of that old quote and I am not really
sure who said it first but it goes like this: “God doesn’t call the qualified,
God qualifies the called.” It reminded me of how so often feelings of
unworthiness can take over our lives. How easy it is to look at another’s gifts
or skills with admiration and wish we could do what they are doing. We so often
forget that time and time again, throughout scripture, throughout history, God presents
us with countless examples of ordinary, everyday, run of the mill people like
you and me being called and nudged by the Spirit to do some pretty
extraordinary things. We just never know how or when God might call us. And,
more often than not, despite our love for that hymn Here I am Lord, there is
usually some hesitancy or reluctance to say I will go, Lord.
We see that pattern in both of
our readings this morning. Both Isaiah and Simon Peter have what we might call
Epiphany moments or God moments when God shows up in their lives in very
intense ways.
For Isaiah, the moment happens
through a vision he has in the temple. King Uzziah, a king who had ruled over
Israel for over 50 years, had just died. As a result, there was a great deal of
political uncertainty and transition in Israel. Enemy armies were encroaching
on the people. Isaiah goes to the temple to perhaps gain some perspective, some
peace of mind. As he enters, we might imagine that he was hoping for a time of
quiet prayer, an opportunity to participate in the liturgy and to be comforted
by its familiarity. Yet, what confronts him on this particular day is something
quite out of the ordinary. Let’s listen to what he sees, hears and smells as he
stands at the threshold that day:
Isaiah 6: 1-8
In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his
robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above
him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they
covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one
called to another and said,
“Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 The
pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the
house filled with smoke. 5 And I said, “Woe is me! I am
lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean
lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then
one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the
altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my
mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has
departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the
voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I
said, “Here am I; send me!”
That scene seems like
something out of science fiction movie, doesn’t it? There is so much going on.
Seraphs floating around. God on a throne and the presence of God filling the
whole space. The foundations shaking. Hot coal anointing Isaiah’s mouth. Something
so spectacular, almost too awesome for words. No wonder poor Isaiah is
overwhelmed as he utters those words, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of
unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen
the King, the Lord of hosts!” I find it actually quite amazing that
he was able to speak at all! Yet, in the face of God’s grandeur, this response
of hesitancy and unworthiness feels rather justified to me. Not only does he
feel unworthy as an individual but he also acknowledges that he is living in a
society that is unworthy. It is like he is saying, I am done. Yet, at the same
time, God persists with Isaiah. Isaiah’s sinfulness will not disqualify him.
God doesn’t let him off the hook. Instead, God offers him words of assurance in
the midst of a difficult task that God has in store for him of speaking words
of warning to a people who will prove unwilling to listen.
Like Isaiah, Simon Peter in
our gospel reading, also receives a call in the midst of the ordinariness of
his daily routine. As I read the passage, listen for the similarities in Simon
Peter’s response- the sense of being overwhelmed, the hesitancy and the feeling
of inadequacy.
Luke 5: 1-11
Once while Jesus was
standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to
hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at
the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing
their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one
belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then
he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When
he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and
let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered,
“Master, we have worked all night long but have caught
nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When
they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to
burst. 7 So they signaled their partners in the
other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that
they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a
sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him
were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and
so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching
people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to
shore, they left everything and followed him.
That story is a fun one for us
to imagine. We can picture the blue sky. The waves lapping on the shoreline.
The smell of salt water and fish. The breeze blowing around. The fishers
washing their nets in the shallow water after an unsuccessful night on the
water. Nothing to take to market and still plenty of bills to pay. Their muscles
are sore. They are frustrated and ready to go home for some breakfast and then
crawl in bed. Yet, nothing could prepare them for what happened next. Along
comes Jesus asking if he might get in their boat in order to speak to the crowds.
Tired as they are, they agree, all be it rather reluctantly. Then Jesus says
why don’t you go out a little deeper and drop your nets. I imagine them giving
him “the look”. What possibly could this preacher know about fishing? Doesn’t
he know that no one goes deep sea fishing in the day time around here? They, on
the other hand, had been doing this work all their lives. It is Simon Peter who
speaks up, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet
if you say so, I will let down the nets.” Kind of like okay, but we have done
this all night, we have tried this before and it won’t work. But we will go along with your idea. For
some reason, it seems like something in Simon Peter is compelling him to take
advice from Jesus. What follows is that amazing catch, so abundant that they
needed to work together with the wider community of fishers by calling in other
boats to help land it. We might imagine Jesus grinning at their astonishment.
Yet, the first words out of their mouths are not Wow, look at the fish! Instead,
what we hear is fear. It is Simon Peter, again, who speaks up, totally
overwhelmed with a sense of recognition of Jesus’ glory “Go away from me, Lord,
for I am a sinful man!” There it is again, just like it was with Isaiah- that
sense of unworthiness and inadequacy. But Jesus doesn’t go away. In much the
same way that God didn’t stop with Isaiah when he cried out Woe is me, Jesus
responds in a similar way to Simon Peter. Even when Simon admits his frailty
and inadequacy, Jesus stays present with him. He reassures him with those words
Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people. Soon after, we are
told, that they left everything, even those couple of boats filled with an
abundance of fish, and followed.
As we think about both of
these call stories, the one thing that stands out for me is that despite the
initial reluctance and hesitancy, neither God or Jesus says to Isaiah or Peter,
okay, very well, I will back off. You convinced me. Never mind, I’ll go find
someone else. Maybe someone more powerful or wealthy or more credentialed. No,
that is not what happens. Despite initial feelings of inadequacy or
unworthiness, the call remains and reassurance is given. In particular, with
the calling of Peter, I don’t think his initial response has so much to do with
his lack of faith or trust in Jesus. After all, he was sitting in a boat full
of fish! And, if you were to look back a bit in Luke, Jesus had already healed
his mother-in-law. So, we might speculate that what held him back at first, was
his lack of faith in himself, in his sense of unworthiness that God would call
an ordinary person like himself, a mere fisher, to be about God’s purposes in
the world. He had himself convinced that he was inadequate or at best, too
ordinary. Yet, that day on the water was a new day. Jesus said to him “I have a
place for you. I am going to equip you and help you use what you have- those
well-honed fishing skills of patience, resiliency and persistence and use them
in a different way to partner with me in proclaiming my message. This is Jesus
saying to Peter, I trust you. Come, let’s work together. Don’t be afraid.
Isn’t that the same message
that we receive too as people of faith in our day and age? As questionable as
we may feel as candidates to do God’s work, we are invited to join the team, to
not hold back, to go out beyond the safety of shallow waters and to follow Jesus
into the depths. To put our whole selves in.
That is what it is to be a
disciple, a follower of Christ’s way. We don’t use that term disciple
probably near as much as we could and should. Somewhere this week, I was
reading a little reflection that said, given the hurt and injustice in this
world that is being carried out by so many who are using the label Christian,
perhaps disciple or follower of Jesus is a preferable identity for us.
Susan Lukey, the editor of our
United Church of Canada worship resource, The Gathering had a helpful
reflection related to this in our current edition. Here are a few snippets of
what she says:
We don’t volunteer at church
in the way we might volunteer for another organization. Our contributions to
our community of faith-of time, energy, skills and resources are about living
out a call to discipleship. It is about vocation, not volunteering. Jesus
didn’t call volunteers. Jesus called disciples. He didn’t call volunteers to
give a bit of time for a cause. He didn’t say, “Simon Peter and Andrew, do you
have a few hours to spare?” Rather he called them to “Come and follow me and I
will make you fishers of people.” It was a matter of devoting themselves fully,
body, mind and spirit to living the Way he taught. This was no partial or occasional
responsibility. Being disciples of Jesus was about a total commitment. It was
giving one’s whole self over to learning from Jesus and later preaching the
Good News he shared. We aren’t just disciples for a couple of hours on Sunday
morning or when we drop by the church to participate in some ministry or church
activity during the week. When we choose to follow the Way of Jesus, we shape
all of our lives around that choice and commitment. Every aspect of our lives
is carried out from the perspective of being a disciple of Jesus. Then, when we
volunteer for other organizations, we do so out of our belief that Jesus calls
us to love and serve others. In our paid labour and professions, we work with
the excellence, care and compassion called out of us as disciples of Jesus.
When we have a difficult interaction with another person, we seek to respond
with clarity and respect, doing as much as we can to bridge and build
relationships, just as Jesus did. When we spend time with someone who is
grieving or celebrate with a family who has welcomed a new child, we live out
the call to share one another’s joys and sorrows. Our whole lives are
reflections of our commitment to following the Way of Jesus. That is what makes
us disciples, not volunteers.
I found that to be a helpful
reminder as we live in these challenging times and seek to answer boldly when
God calls and nudges in our lives. While
we may feel the same sense of inadequacy, hesitancy and reluctance felt by both
Isaiah and Peter, our feelings of unworthiness do not let us off the hook. God
says to us I value you because you are you. Trust in your own worthiness. Trust
me. Trust that I will be with you and will give you what you need for each step
along the way. A life of discipleship awaits you. Do not be afraid. And may our
collective response be Here we are! Send us! Amen.
Just when he was at his wit’s
end, Peter received the command of Christ, to let down his nets into the deep
and trust what God can and will do. The result was a net-bursting catch. Jesus
revealed the secret of a generous life. It requires trust that God can and will
multiply our best efforts for a good that is deeper and wider than we can
imagine. As we bring our gifts to God, may the same spirit that enlivened Jesus
and surprised Peter be at work in us. And may it grow in us a deep joy!
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Training helps farmers find
stability and hope for the future.
Credit: Tearfund Canada
In the rugged hills of India’s
Badabasko village, Jaiprakash Paharia, a determined 60-year-old farmer, and his
wife, Rami Paharin, have battled against nature's odds. Their land, stony and
dependent on increasingly unpredictable rains, yielded meagre crops of maize,
cowpea, pigeon pea, and sorghum each year. Their family had literally hit rock
bottom.
Faced with declining harvests,
they turned to goat rearing in search of a more sustainable livelihood. Left
with no other choice, Jaiprakash invested all he had in what seemed to be a
promising venture. However, these efforts were marred by heartbreaking losses.
Year after year, diseases claimed up to 20 of their precious goats, threatening
their hope for a steady future once again. It was as if they were back at the
foot of the hill; they were desperate.
As they were counting their
losses, through Mission and Service partner Canadian Foodgrains Bank, member
Tearfund Canada brought life-changing support to their village through The
Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief (EFICOR). The project
team provided thorough training on livestock management practices and taught
about essential deworming and vaccinations to best sustain livestock.
Jaiprakash was skeptical at
first about giving these treatments to his goats. However, as he learned how
they could safeguard his livestock's health, he took on these practices
graciously and achieved transformative results. For the first time since they
had started keeping livestock, their goats remained healthy throughout the
season, with zero losses! This newfound stability secured their livelihood and
revitalized their hope for the future.
Jaiprakash and his family are
endlessly thankful to Tearfund Canada and EFICOR for their radical support.
Their training not only improved the health and well-being of their livestock
but also equipped them with the tools and understanding to sustain themselves
through future adversity.
Thank you for supporting
our Mission
and Service partners and people around the world, as they walk toward
a more sustainable future.
Hymn: 131 MV
You, Creator God Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
Holy and awesome God, you are
beyond our ability to understand, beyond our ability to describe, yet you are a
God who is near at hand, providing for our every need, looking beyond our
inadequacies and fears and calling even ordinary people like ourselves to be
prophets of your love, your peace and your justice in this world. You call us
to cast a wide net, to go deeper even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. We
ask for your grace and mercy that we may believe your promises enough to
respond to your call in our lives. Grant us courage to leave the comfort of our
familiar shorelines and step forth with you.
We give thanks for each person
throughout history and even now, who by their words and actions dare to follow
where you are leading, dare to speak truth to power and who continue to act
selflessly in the interest of others. Help us as a community of faith to
support one another in these confusing and challenging times. Empty our despair
and fear and fill us with love and strength when we are feeling overwhelmed. Inspire
the work of our profile committee as they explore together to present future
visions for our congregation in this time of upcoming transition. When we find
ourselves growing weary by so much unrest in our world, renew our strength.
We pray this day for all who
are overwhelmed and living in unspeakable living conditions of war, violence
and oppression. We pray for leaders of our communities and the nations of this
world as they work for understanding, peace and justice for all peoples. Thank
you for our country in which we live, where we can worship you where and when
we choose and for our community of faith where we can live and grow and be
challenged to be your followers. Show us ways that we might live as stewards of
creation and all the abundance that you offer us. We lift before you in the
silence of our hearts the many who do not know these freedoms, the many who are
overwhelmed by uncertainty, the many who are struggling to make ends meet, the
many who are isolated, addicted or suffering this day in mind, body or spirit… We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus
who continues to call and equip us for the tasks that are before us as we say
together the prayer he taught us… Our Father…
Hymn: 567VU
Will you Come and Follow Me? https://youtu.be/B1wFxp0NZGw?si=s3eD1q8mJXLmtfeN
Blessing
God asks: Whom shall I send
into this world?
Send me!
Whom shall I send with words
of justice, mercy and truth?
Send me!
Whom shall I send with love
for the world?
Send me!
Go then and may God touch your
lips giving you the words you need.
God has filled our nets to
bursting.
Revel in the surprises that
await you.
We go in God. Amen.
****************
Welcome to worship at Faith
Memorial United on this beautiful, bright day.
Reminder: Next Sunday Feb.9
is Session meeting after worship as we plan for UCC 100th
Anniversary.
Men's Group will be serving a
roast beef Valentine's supper on Tuesday February 11. All are
welcome. Come at 5:30 for a 6:00 supper. Please sign up. There will be a
presentation after the meal.
Annual General Meeting --- Sunday,
February 23
The new Lenten devotional explores how the power of music is a powerful faith formation tool. Cost is $15.00. Please let Beverley know by February 12th if you would like a copy so they will arrive in time for the Lenten Book Study
Have a blessed week. Stay warm and
safe.
Since time immemorial,
Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which many call Canada.
In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on the traditional
land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild
right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on this land,
their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator
We gather in the name of the
One who speaks the truth to us in love, calling us to open our lives to the
light that he offers.
Call to Worship:(inspired
by Psalm 71, from United Church of Christ, Worship Ways)
In the Holy One, we take refuge; let us never
be put to shame. Our praise is continually of you.
In your righteousness deliver
us and hear our cries for justice and peace.
In the Holy One, we draw
strength; let us never be put to shame. Our praise is continually of you.
Be a rock of refuge for the
vulnerable, a strong fortress to save creation, for you are our rock and
fortress.
In the Holy One, we receive
courage; let us never be put to shame. Our praise is continually of you.
Rescue us, O my God, from the
hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel, for you, Holy One,
are our hope and trust.
Opening Prayer:
O God, as we gather in
community, may we be open and receptive to your voice and presence among us.
May your truth reveal to us
new insights about how we might speak and act in these challenging times in
which we live.
Let your words encourage us to
be prophetic, passionate, and public in our ministry as we praise and honor
your name. Amen.
Hymn: 509 VU I, the Lord of Sea and Sky
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from Rev Gord on his blog, Worship Offerings)
God, you share with us words
of hope, words of Good News.
But sometimes, we are unable to hear them
because the source is too familiar.
You call us to share the Good News with those around us.
But sometimes we are unable to share,
because the people know us too well.
It is not easy being your modern-day
truth tellers. We don’t like ruffling feathers.
We fear rejection so we just
go with the flow.
You encourage us to send messengers to other places
where they will be heard better.
But we can be jealous,
wanting the Good News to be for us, not them.
In a multitude of ways, we can
and have subverted
your message of freedom and healing.
Forgive us for being so reluctant to take the risks needed to speak the truth,
especially when it means risk to our own popularity and reputations.
Teach us to call upon your grace
to lead us back on track.
...time of silent prayer...
Words of Affirmation:
This is the time of God's
favor,
God's grace continues to proclaim
release to the captives,
Good News to the poor
and freedom to the oppressed.
We live as loved, forgiven,
and free people
through the grace of God!
Hallelujah! Amen.
Readings and Reflection: Click
here for audio link:
Speaking Those Hard Truths
Last week in worship, you
might recall that our scripture readings focussed on two occasions when the
public reading of the word resulted in what we might call a preacher’s dream.
We heard in Nehemiah how the people gathered in the public square and listened
attentively as scripture was read and interpreted to them from early morning
until noon. Our gospel lesson from Luke was what we might call part one of
Jesus’ return to his hometown of Nazareth. He read scripture in the synagogue and
the hometown crowd was amazed as he then sat down and interpreted those words
from Isaiah with that 9-word sermon-Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in
your hearing.
So, if last week our readings
might be described as experiences of a preacher’s dream, this week it is just
the opposite. For both the prophet Jeremiah and Jesus as they are called to
speak, things are about to turn more nightmarish. Both of them have words of
truth that their audiences are not all that keen on hearing.
Our first reading takes us to
the call of young Jeremiah to be a prophet not only to his own people in Judah,
but also to all nations. It was a restless and uncertain time for his people as
Egypt and Babylon were vying for control of Judah. It fell to Jeremiah to call
the people away from idolatry and injustice or else they would slide into
captivity and exile. It is little wonder then that right from God’s initial
call to him, Jeremiah feels inadequate for this difficult task. Despite Jeremiah’s
protests, however, God would not let him off the hook. Instead, Jeremiah is
reassured that God will be present with him and will equip him as he speaks
those hard truths to his people. Let’s listen as Jeremiah describes his call:
Jeremiah 1:4-10
4 Now
the word of the Lord came to me saying,
5 “Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born, I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I
said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a
boy.” 7 But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a
boy,’
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says
the Lord.”
9 Then
the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth, and
the Lord said to me,
“Now I have put my words in
your mouth.
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over
kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
It seems then that right from
the get go, Jeremiah understood that what he was being called to say to the
people would involve breaking new ground and would prove to be unwelcome news
to his own people who were comfortable with the way things were. It is little
wonder that Jeremiah has been dubbed the “weeping prophet”. His message made
him anything but popular amongst his own contemporaries.
Jesus faced much the same kind
of resistance in his hometown. While last week it was all accolades and
amazement, this week, as he shares with them a truth they don’t want to hear,
they turn on him. Let’s hear the story from where we left off last week:
Luke 4:21-30
21 Then
he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed
at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is this not
Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you
will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do
here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’
” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you; no prophet is
accepted in his hometown. 25 But the truth is, there
were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up
three years and six months and there was a severe famine over all the
land, 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except
to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were
also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and
none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When
they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They
got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which
their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his
way.
In hearing this, you are
probably asking yourself what set those people off like that? Why did they turn
so fast from favouring him to becoming that violent mob wanting to throw him
off a cliff? Well, it is because in telling those two stories about the widow
of Zarephath being fed during a famine and Naaman the Syrian being healed of
his skin disease, he had struck a nerve. Both of these were stories about
Gentiles, foreigners, being helped by two prophets of Israel. And both of them
challenged the idea that Israel was in any way favoured by God. This was Jesus
threatening the status quo by breaking down boundaries and walls that his own
Jewish people of his hometown had held onto forever. He was shattering their
notion of privilege by challenging them to see others as sisters and brothers
of the same God. They found this unacceptable. How dare our hometown boy pass over
us and go to those “others”. Doesn’t he know that charity begins at home? How
can he possibly be telling us that God doesn’t fence out the same people we
fence out? Commentator Peter Gomes quoting from his book The Scandalous
Gospel of Jesus: What’s so good about the Good News describes it like this;
“the people take offense not so much for what Jesus claims about himself, as
with the claims he makes about a God who is more than their own tribal deity.” Jesus
was saying to his own people in his own hometown that God’s love is not only
for them; it is for everyone. Charity doesn’t stop at home. You don’t have
exclusive hold on the good news. Others need it too. And both of these stories he shares with them
were from their own scriptures. The problem, however, was that they had never
used scripture that way before. They had always used it to close ranks on
outsiders and to elevate their own status- as a fence to keep people out,
rather than as a bridge to welcome people in. Jesus was only trying to
demonstrate to the hometown crowd that because God had compassion on others,
didn’t mean God loved them any less. Yes, they were important but they weren’t
the only important ones in the world. What he was revealing to them was that
God has a long history of prioritizing the outsider, the foreigner, the
stranger and the marginalized of this world. God loves them too- the widows of
Zarephath, the Syrian general with a skin disease, the immigrant, the refugee,
those who are different than you because of where they are from, the language
they speak or who they choose to love. It is not all about you. God has a much
bigger vision in mind and whether you like it or not, God blesses them all,
even the people you think are your enemies. There are others who are oppressed
and need to be set free. There are others who are hungry and need to be fed.
There are others who are faithful whom you don’t know about. As David Lose
writes, “Jesus tells them the truth about their pettiness and prejudice, their
fear and shame, their willingness and eagerness to get ahead at any cost, even
at the expense of another. So, they want him out of there. They silence the
messenger. Isn’t that always what has been done to people who tell the truth?”
Things in the news quite
recently remind us that even today we haven’t changed much. Consider these
words written a week or so ago on church historian Diana Butler Bass’s blog
called the Cottage:
“A preacher gets up, quotes
scripture, and reminds the gathered congregation that God loves the outcast —
those in fear for their lives — the poor, prisoners, the disabled, and the
oppressed.
In response, an outraged mob
tries to kill the preacher.
Is this from the New Testament
or The Washington Post?
Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing. Bass continues:
It is a rare thing when a bible
story is quite so vivid. As you most likely know, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, Bishop
Mariann Budde gave a sermon at the Washington National Cathedral prayer service
in which she addressed the new president directly. She reminded him that mercy
is a quality of leadership — and asked him to be merciful on the fearful, the
poor, and the marginalized.
What happened next was sad — and
dreadfully predictable in these days. She was attacked in the media (both cable
and social media), including by the new president himself. There have even been
calls for the government to seize the Cathedral in retribution.
Twenty-one members of Congress filed a bill to
condemn the bishop publicly and denounce her “distorted message.”
For the moment (at least), this
is the contemporary equivalent of throwing the preacher off a cliff.”
Yet, Bidde has affirmed that she
will not apologize for speaking the Gospel, for calling people to mercy, love
and care for all people. Isn’t that much like how it was for Jesus after speaking
the truth in the synagogue that day? He simply gets up and goes on his way,
passing through the mob in order to continue in his broader mission and
ministry of being a prophetic voice by doing what he was called to do- bringing
good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, letting the
oppressed go free, healing the sick, embracing the outcast and eating with the
sinner.
Jesus would not be tamed or
domesticated as their own prophet who would do as they wanted him to do. While
they might have seen themselves as entitled or favoured as the hometown crowd, Jesus
had called them to look beyond their own noses and self-interest, beyond their
fears of the “other” and to treat all with dignity and respect. This was Jesus
putting people loyalty above hometown loyalty, above nationalistic loyalty.
And, then, as now, the truth of
such a world view is more often than not rejected by so many. It is especially
disturbing news for the privileged among us, to the many of us who are
comfortable with the status quo. Yet, think about what good news this is for
the vulnerable of our world. Jesus is not saying that caring for the most
vulnerable will exclude the least vulnerable. There is no need to fear being
left outside of God’s grace. There is more than enough to go around for all
humanity and for all creation. I like how this little quote by John Stendahl
expresses it best- “We shall all perish if we cannot see a larger world.” For
many in our day, as it was in Jesus’ day, that is a hard truth to accept.
In her closing remarks about how
our gospel lesson this day relates to the sermon given by Budde in the
Washington Cathedral, I like how Diana Butler Bass ponders how Jesus was able
to escape that angry mob that was about to throw him off the cliff, how in the
words of Luke 4: 30 “he passed through the midst of them and went on his
way.” Could it be, she wonders, that in the midst of that mob that day,
there was a minority of listeners, of bystanders who heard that same sermon
Jesus gave in the synagogue and who thought a different way? Perhaps they were
the ones who found the courage to do something by making an opening for him to
protect him as he continued on his way.
Thinking about that, I can’t
help but wonder if that is also our calling as Christians living in our times
too- to make a way, to have the courage to speak those hard truths and to be
the squads of love that rise up from the mobs to make those openings for a
better way. May it be so among us.
Amen.
Our God sees beyond our
boundaries and loves without limit.
We partner with God to reach out
to a world in pain as we offer our gifts for ministries of our local church and
those of Mission and Service.
We bring them with the hope that they will proclaim the good news, heal the broken and extend God's love to all, especially those we struggle to accept. May they reflect the boundless love of Christ for all people everywhere.
Your Generosity Matters/ Our
Gifts are Received
English language classes are
part of a psychosocial support program in Ukraine
Credit: Simon Chambers/ACT
Alliance
Signing up for a course is
both exciting and nerve-wracking. We wonder what skills we’ll learn and how
quickly we’ll see improvement, and worry about how naturally “talented” we may
be.
In Sambir, Ukraine, English
teacher Ilona is encouraging her learners to challenge that way of thinking and
enjoy the aspect of social time with one another while learning English. This
class, supported by Mission and Service partner ACT Alliance, is part of a
psychosocial support program for Ukrainians displaced by war. Ilona and her
family were also displaced by the conflict in Ukraine, and she is now actively
contributing to the well-being of others in similar situations.
In-person learning expands
opportunities and access while also providing crucial social engagement and
human interaction. As Ilona says “When we come together and get to know each
other, we have a community. We can open up and share our thoughts, feelings,
and experiences.” In a low-pressure learning environment, students can feel
comfortable as they learn skills and learn about each other.
Thank you for the support you
show to through Mission
and Service as our neighbours endure the ongoing impacts of war and
conflict.
Hymn: 131 MV
You, Creator God Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession:
God, your love is vast and
measureless, wider than the universe, unlimited and without boundaries. And
yet, what a marvellous thing it is that it reaches even us, in our struggles
and joys and in our sorrows and disappointments. Thank you that you meet us
where we are and as we are. You know us through and through and embrace each
and every one of us as your own.
This same love calls us out beyond ourselves,
beyond our fears and reservations, beyond our prejudices and feelings of
inadequacy to offer care and compassion to others, and to be faithful and
prophetic witnesses of your hope in this cynical and despairing world. In
places of violence and anger, you call us to proclaim peace. Where people are
lonely, you call us to be companions. Where many are oppressed and
marginalized, you call us to work to relieve suffering. Where voices have been
suppressed, you ask us to risk speaking up on their behalf. Where hard truths
need to be spoken in the midst of hatred and discrimination, you call us to be
advocates for justice and equality. Where many are grieving and weeping, you
call us to provide comfort and support.
God, there is much this week
in the news that distresses us as your people- a plane crash in Washington and
the loss of so many lives, the killing of 2 young boys in Saint John, the mass
deportation of immigrants, worries about the economy- so much brokenness, so
much prejudice and greed, and so many reasons for us to grow discouraged. We
need your help in being captivated by your hope so that we may sing and enact
your vision of another way, the way of your coming reign of justice and freedom
for all people. As we share in conversations with family, friends and
neighbours this week, may we find ways of being channels of your restoring
grace and inclusive love. We name before you in the silence of our hearts the people
and situations we have heard about or perhaps know personally who are in need
of your comfort and guidance and our support this day… Hear these prayers, O
God, as we offer them in the name of Jesus, who continues to show us a better
way, the way of love. In that spirit of love, we pray as he taught us saying…
Our Father…
Hymn: 699 VU Live into Hope
Blessing:( Adapted
from the Pilgrim Uniting Church website.)
May
God our Creator renew in us the creative Spirit
that brings healing and life to our world.
May Jesus the Christ uphold us with grace helping us to rise from the angry
mobs to speak the hard truths where love and inclusion is so needed.
May the Holy Spirit fill us with courage
to be bearers of God’s song of hope in our hometown and beyond. Amen.
*********
Service prepared by Rev. Susan Estabrooks, Faith Memorial United Church
Since time immemorial,
Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which many call Canada.
In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on the traditional
land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild
right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on this land,
their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator
We gather in the light of Jesus
Christ, the word made flesh, who touches our hearts and calls us to ministry in
his name.
Call to Worship
(Psalm 19) Worldmaking translation/paraphrase by Richard Bruxvoort
ColliganRichard@Worldmaking.net
The heavens are telling the
glory of God;
The earth proclaims God’s
handiwork!
The sun rises at one end of
the sky, its circuit complete at the other;
Nothing can hide from its heat.
Our God’s Way is perfect,
reviving the soul;
Our God’s Way is sure, making
wise the simple;
Our God’s Way is good,
rejoicing the heart;
Our God’s Way is clear, giving
light to the eyes;
The awe of God is pure,
enduring forever;
Our God’s judgments are true
and altogether righteous.
They are more to be desired
than fine gold,
Sweeter than honey dripping
from the honeycomb.
Clear your servant from hidden
faults, O Holy One
As well as from willful sins.
Do not let sin rule me
So I can be innocent of
wrongdoing.
O my God, let the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart be a pleasure to you, O Holy One, my rock
and my redeemer.
Opening Prayer adapted
from Worship Ways, United Church of Christ)
Gracious God, we have gathered
because we have heard you calling us into your church to be your people.
Touch us and anoint us anew
with your Holy Spirit as we worship together this day.
Form our hearts, minds, and
lives into channels of your good news.
Grant us a renewed passion for
your vision of a world where none are poor and where every weight is lifted.
Cultivate your courageous
compassion in us to move toward any who have been marginalized or run over by
the world.
Yes, bless and strengthen us
to bless and strengthen others.
We pray this in the name of
the one whose life fulfilled Your Holy vision, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Hymn: 12MV Come Touch Our Hearts
Prayer of Confession: (by
Peter Chynoweth, in Gathering Advent/Christmas/Epiphany 2024/5)
Creating One, we know that we
are sometimes so involved in our own lives and our own worries that we fail to
notice when another is hurting.
Forgive us.
We know that we can minimize
the pain someone else is feeling, while emphasizing our own concerns and
problems.
Forgive us.
We know that we can sometimes
meet someone on the street and ask them how it’s going, secretly hoping that
it’s going well so that we can rush about our own day without extra worry of someone
else’s burden.
Forgive us.
Deepen our hearts, O God, that
there may be room for us to care for the hurts and joys of others. Increase our
compassion that we may open our circles to allow for new connections,
connections that will strengthen who we are as a community. We offer these
confessions now in silence…
Amen.
Words of Grace and Assurance
Beloved of God, hear the good news: In Christ, God has declared that we are no
longer captives to the past.
All that we have carried, the
Holy One has lifted.
The eternal love of God, made
known in Jesus Christ, has anointed us anew.
We are forgiven and invited to
join in the joy of God’s great vision for our life. Thanks be to God who has
fulfilled this in our hearing. Amen and Amen.
Readings and Reflection:
When
the Word Touches Home
This week I have been thinking
a bit about the word “home”. What does
it mean for you at the end of a work day, or a trip away or a day of running
errands or a stint in the hospital to say that you are going home? Familiarity?
Comfort? My own bed? Rest? Refuge from the world? Belonging? A place of
centering or grounding?
Our scriptures today both deal
with experiences of homecoming and all the emotions that accompany that
experience. Although they are from two very different eras, separated probably
by about 400 years, they are united by the gathering of a group of people to
watch and to hear as the ancient scrolls of scripture are unfolded, read and
interpreted.
Our first story is from the
book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was the governor in charge of rebuilding the city of
Jerusalem and the temple after the people had returned from exile in Babylon. It
was a very labour-intensive act after having been left in ruins by the invading
armies. Nonetheless, the work had been completed. Now it fell to Ezra, the
priest, to do the work of rebuilding the people, of reconnecting them with who
they were as the people of God. A spiritual homecoming was needed. So, Ezra
gathers the people, not in the temple where only men would be allowed, but in
the public square where everyone, men, women and children, could come and
listen. Let’s listen to how this event is described:
Nehemiah 8: 1-3,5-6,8-10
1 all
the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told
Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which
the Lord had given to Israel. 2 Accordingly,
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all
who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh
month. 3 He read from it facing the square before the
Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the
women and those who could understand, and the ears of all the people were
attentive to the book of the law.
5 And
Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above
all the people, and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then
Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen,
Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped
the Lord with their faces to the ground.
8 So
they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave
the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
9 And
Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites
who taught the people said to all the people, “This day
is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the
people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then
he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send
portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to
our Lord, and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your
strength.”
Imagine listening for half a
day to the scriptures, most likely Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy, being read in public all the way through from morning until noon! You
would think that some of the gathered would have got more than a little
restless or weary. Yet, our scripture tells us they were attentive and
responsive. Somehow the word they were hearing touched home to their hearts. As
it was interpreted to them, many even wept. It was like they were soaking it up
somewhere deep inside themselves, making connections with their own lives,
their experience of exile and embracing it as their own. We, here at Faith
Memorial, would call this a God moment. A moment of renewal and transformation.
Maybe it was because it had been so long, over 40 years, since they had heard
the public reading of these foundational stories of their people. Maybe it was
because in hearing them they were reminded once again of their identity as the
people of God. Perhaps their tears were tears of joy that marked the
significance of their homecoming or maybe they were tears of grief that marked
their sorrow after years of brokenness and rebellion. Whatever the reason for
those tears, the words touched them signifying a new day and a fresh start. As
Ezra said to them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not
mourn or weep.” From now on, the way forward would be different. The word had
touched home in their hearts calling them to joy and feasting and sharing with
others.
Jesus had a similar experience
as he returned to his hometown and read scripture in the synagogue. Imagine the
excitement and curiosity of the hometown crowd who remembered Jesus as a young
boy climbing trees with their own children or seeing him in the marketplace as
people sold their wares. Imagine what it would have been like for Jesus as he
passed by the homes of friends and neighbours with whom he had grown up. Perhaps
he would be wondering whatever happened to some of the familiar landmarks that
were no more. Then imagine as he dons his prayer shawl and straightens his yarmulke
to head into the synagogue. What would he have been thinking as he drew a deep
breath and sees his own people in this synagogue where he had first learned
about his faith? What would they be thinking as he stands up to read and then
sits down to interpret? Let’s hear how it goes:
Luke 4: 14-21
14 Jesus
returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread
through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching
in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He
went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he
went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the
place where it is written:
18 “The
Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the
Lord’s favor.”
20 Then
he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The
eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He
began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your
hearing.”
I know you have already heard
one inaugural address somewhere else this week but this is Jesus’ inaugural
address. This is where he announces who he is and what he is about. In the
gospel according to John which we read last week if you recall, Jesus’ first
action was the sign of the water into wine that announced to the people how he
would bring about transformation and renewal. Luke tells us that Jesus’ first
public action was the unrolling of the scroll of Isaiah, reading it and then
sitting down and interpreting it with a 9-word sermon: “Today, this scripture
is fulfilled in your hearing.” In other words, these ancient words about
liberation of the impoverished and the oppressed will be the plumb line that
will shape my ministry in this world. Today, in me, something new is starting. In other words, you no longer need to wait for
the promised Messiah. The Messiah is here. My life mission will be about healing the
broken hearted, announcing release for all who are held captive, recovery of
sight to the blind and bringing about the acceptable year of the Lord’s favour.
I have come to bring justice and healing and liberation. The ancient Word of
God spoken through the prophets of old will be fulfilled through me. Not
someday. But today. This day the word is touching home among you in your
hearing.
Much as it was for those
returning exiles in the public square in the book of Nehemiah, so it is for the
people gathered in Jesus’ hometown synagogue. It is the beginning of a new day,
a new era. It is little wonder that the eyes of everyone in that synagogue are
fixed on him. Once again, a God moment as the word touches home. They are in
awe, for the moment anyway. Stay tuned though for next week to see how quickly
this changes. But for now, the people hear anew this ancient word from Isaiah of
promise that they had heard many times in their lives. The word made flesh is
among them.
Hearing both of these
scriptures together in this way makes me wonder what might happen if on this
day, Jan. 26, that same word might be spoken in our midst. What if someone were
to come into our worship space and say to us, today, Jan.26,2025 marks the
beginning of the year of the Lord’s favour? How might we hear that? Would that
word touch the homes of our hearts and cause our jaws to drop or our legs to
weaken? Or would we say something like,
no way, not with the news headlines I have heard this week of hospital
overcrowding, racial injustice, household energy bills rising, growing numbers
of homeless people needing shelter from the cold and so much political
wrangling.
How would we receive a similar
kind of prophetic message if someone were to come in here and say today,
everyone in Canada will have access to a medical doctor, to affordable housing
and food, to meaningful work, to addiction recovery programs and to mental
health services. Today, this word is fulfilled in your hearing. How would we
receive such information?
And yet, as we look around,
there are places where the Jesus’ words of justice and liberation are touching
home. We see them embodied in us and others whenever and wherever
transformation is taking place in our social structures. We learned about how the
word is touching home through the work of that Foodbank in Vancouver that I
shared with you in that little clip from the National News last week. In case
you didn’t see it, this food bank is offering a large percentage of fresh food that
was deemed to be surplus by retailers and would have otherwise been placed in
the landfill. We see the word touching home in stories and accounts of people
finding a new way, a more compassionate way, a healing and restorative way.
We might ask what can we do,
how can we continue to embody in ourselves and in our community the mission of
Jesus? How can we help to fulfill the word in our own hearing today? Well,
maybe it is as simple as reaching out to someone who is standing by themselves
in a crowd. Maybe it is through being more deliberate and intentional with acts
of generosity, be they gifts of time, presence, skill or money. Maybe it is by
allowing the Spirit to open us and move us to some concrete action.
As I was reading this week, I
came across a couple of stories of people doing simply this. One was about a seminary
in Michigan that partnered with a Correctional Facility that is now graduating
inmates with degrees in Ministry Leadership. The warden at this prison will
tell anyone who asks, how this program is transforming the prison.
At one point these students
behind bars decided they wanted to plant a big vegetable garden in the prison
and they were given permission to do so. It’s a good garden. It
generates a lot of produce. So, the inmate students put their heads
together and tried to decide what to do with all the cucumbers and beans and
squash and such that were growing. As they talked, they hit on a common
theme: almost every one of them, before they heard Jesus calling their name to
follow him and become ministry leaders, almost every one of them had been
guilty of abusing the women in their lives. Girlfriends, sometimes
sisters, sometimes wives: they had verbally and very often physically abused
women in ways they are now heartfelt sorry about.
Then they heard of this
ministry in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Safe Haven. It’s a shelter for
battered and abused women and their children. It’s a safe house, a place
to be protected, a place to heal, and place to begin to put shattered lives
back together. So, since these inmate students had once been guilty of
abusing women, they decided to donate all their vegetables to Safe Haven
Ministries as a concrete way to express their repentance and to quite literally
show off the fruits of their newfound faith in Jesus. A great example of what
can happen when the word touches home and is fulfilled. It helps to model how
the kingdom of God is at hand. It brings about transformation.
There are times in all of our
lives when the word does just that. It moves us to a point of truth and
revelation. Sometimes, as it did for the people of Ezra’s community, it moves
us to tears, it shifts our way of thinking. It becomes alive and helps us to
reshape our actions. As it was for Jesus, the word becomes embodied and
fulfilled in us. Although we may not find ourselves in a position to completely
transform a system or to completely eradicate evil in this world, sometimes, as
we put our heads together in community, we can still witness to a better way.
We can speak truth to power as the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde did this week
at the inaugural prayer service this week in Washington. We can make different
choices in the face of hatred by showing kindness and compassion.
Let me close with an example of this. It’s a
story that apparently happened in a church in St. Stephen, NB during the War of
1812. This church was the most prominent church on either side of the river and
had both English Canadian and American members. When the war broke out between
England and America, the minister asked his parishioners to sit separately one
Sunday morning, Canadians on one side and the Americans on the other. That in
and of itself was unusual because they normally mixed freely. Then in worship
he asked a lay leader from Calais to stand up. He asked the man if there was
any reason he would want to shoot anyone on the opposite side of the aisle. The
lay leader shook his head, of course not! The minister then did the same by
asking a man from St. Stephen the same question. Again, the answer was Of
course not! Well, then said the minister, there is no need for us to be at war
with one another, is there? So, throughout the war of 1812 that congregation
remained a congregation at peace, a community of the reconciled. The word had
touched home and was fulfilled in their hearing.
Today, this day, the word we
need is here among us. Jesus continues to be revealed to us- the word made
flesh. We need only to open our ears and our hearts to those places in our
lives where the Spirit is calling us to be touched by that word and called
forth to the new life and new possibilities for transformation, liberation and
justice that it brings. Today, may it be fulfilled in our hearing. Amen
In response to the blessings
God has given us, we bring our offerings that they may be used to proclaim good
news, set the oppressed free and bring sight to the blind.
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
London Community Chaplaincy
provides a welcoming and safe social setting for adults to connect and grow as
parents
Credit: London Community
Chaplaincy
Becoming a parent or guardian
is a life-changing, complex experience that doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all
answer. As kids, we looked to adults for guidance as we navigated the world
with fresh eyes. Now, as adults, we recognize that we’re still figuring things
out as we go, and there’s always an opportunity to grow our skills and minds.
In London, Ontario, Mission
and Service partners with the London Community Chaplaincy as they respond to
parents and guardians who want to build a network of support, share the
parenting journey, and develop new skills as they navigate raising children in
a low-income setting. Together, these parents are working hard to build a
positive future for their children and families.
Each week, London Community
Chaplaincy provides a welcoming and safe social setting for adults to connect
and grow as parents. Not only do they learn how to guide a child through
critical stages of development, but also how to navigate being a parent or guardian
while also managing financial stress, food insecurity, housing complications,
and more. Gathering with other adults in a similar situation allows
participants to share their struggles and triumphs, further building a sense of
community.
Your gifts to Mission
and Service support partnerships like the London Community Chaplaincy
as they help empower parents along the parenting journey. Thank you.
Hymn: 131 MV You, Creator God Have Made Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
God, on this day, much like
Jesus in his day, we have come to this place that is familiar to us. Here, we
have gathered to worship, to sing, to pray, to hear your word touching our
lives and to celebrate your presence with us in community. We have learned how
Jesus shared a vision of his mission with his own people as he read from the
ancient prophecy of Isaiah. As we live our lives in this faith community and
beyond, you continue to call us to embody that same word in our lives as we
seek to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives and the
oppressed and to show signs to others that your Kingdom is among us in the here
and now.
We ask, O God, that you would
anoint us as you anointed Jesus at the beginning of his ministry for we need
your blessing in the midst of so many issues in this world that challenge and
overwhelm us. Help us to support efforts that bring your peace, your justice
and your compassion to reality. In the brokenness of relationships, show us how
to work for reconciliation and open communication. Where there is hunger and
homelessness, help us to support efforts that bring about long-term solutions.
Where there is hatred and indifference between peoples, help us to model
through our words and actions your way of peace and compassion.
Cleanse the lenses of our
hearts that we might see more clearly your vision for a world made new.
We bring before you in prayer
this morning those moments that have both touched us and burdened us this week-
maybe it was something that we saw in the community or in our families or
friends or at work, perhaps it was something that someone said, or something we
heard about in the news, maybe it is something in our own lives that is bearing
down on us- a change, a loss, an illness, a sense of weariness or anxiety, a
concern for a loved one. May your Holy Spirit touch us and inspire us. May your
word living in us teach us to work together as members of your one body, so
that our lives might become the fulfillment of all that is possible with you.
We gather these prayers in the strong name of Jesus, who taught us to pray
saying… Our Father…
Hymn: 427 VU To Show by Touch and Word
Blessing:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon
us!
We have been called,
we have been anointed,
we have been given a task.
So go out from this place into the mission field that is the world.
We go carrying Good News to the world:
news about freedom from
oppression
and healing for the afflicted.
The time of the Lord's favour is now!
Today, Jan. 26, the word touches
home in our hearts and is fulfilled in our hearing!
Hallelujah! Amen.
****************
Service
prepared by Rev. Susan Estabrooks of Faith Memorial United Church
Since time immemorial,
Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which many call Canada.
In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on the traditional
land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild
right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on this land,
their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator
The
light of Christ gifts each and every one of us with the spark we need to offer
our skills and talents to our community and world.
Call to Worship (Inspired
by Psalm 36) from Worship Ways, United Church of Christ)
Your
steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the
clouds.
For with you is the fountain of life. Fill us with life!
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; your judgments are like
the great deep.
For with you is the fountain of life. Fill us with life!
O continue your steadfast love to those who know you and your salvation to the
upright of heart!
For with you is the fountain of life. Fill us with life!
Opening Prayer: (adapted
from Rev Gord’s Worship Offerings blog, http://worshipofferings.blogspot.ca/)
Gift-giver, you call us
together,
with our different gifts,
our different ideas,
our different tastes.
You
call us together,
to share what makes us special,
to build each other up,
to serve each other in
love.
You
call us together,
knowing that we need all parts of the body
if we are to be whole.
You
call us together,
to sing, to pray, to listen, to speak, to be refreshed
so that we can go out and
serve.
You
call us together,
in the name of the One
who continues to transform our
“not enough” into gifts overflowing. Amen.
Hymn: 603 VU In Loving Partnership We Come
Prayer of Confession: (Janice
Maclean, prayerbench.ca)
Great are You, O
Love, You dwell in open hearts.
There were times this week when our hearts were clenched and we didn’t
share, when we turned away and didn’t show compassion,
when we spoke in haste and weren’t very kind.
Empty us that we may be filled. (Silence)
And filling us, may we pay attention
to opportunities to notice what life is serving up,
right here, right now.
Goodness enough. Blessings enough. Joy enough.
We open our heart. Amen.
Words of Affirmation:
God is the giver of many gifts
to be shared for the common good.
God is slow to anger and quick
to forgive.
God calls us to identify and honour
the gifts of all,
God helps us to heal the
wounds and reunite the body.
We are forgiven, loved, and
accepted.
Thanks be to God! Alleluia!
Amen
Readings and Reflection
Grace and Gifts Galore
Lately,
I have been working my way through a small but very thought-provoking book by
Robin Wall Kimmerer entitled The Serviceberry. It is a book featured in this
month’s Broadview magazine. Here is what one synopsis shares about this book:
As Indigenous scientist
and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests
serviceberries (often known by other names, like Saskatoon berries) alongside
the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the
gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant
world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity,
competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values
to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry's
relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity,
interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth--its
abundance of sweet, juicy berries--to meet the needs of its natural community.
And this distribution insures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains,
"Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where
wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of
self-sufficiency." As Elizabeth Gilbert writes, Robin Wall Kimmerer is
"a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the
world." The Serviceberry is an antidote to the broken
relationships and misguided goals of our times, and a reminder that
"hoarding won't save us, all flourishing is mutual."
I see this book as a pushback against
the individualism, competition and scarcity mentality that pervades our world.
In considering the humble serviceberry that shares its abundant gifts with
humans, birds and animals, Kimmerer says it provides us with a model of what
she calls our enoughness. Yet, so often our problem is that we take more
than our share and hunger for even more, instead of sharing our gifts. For
example, she mentions that we have enough food calories on our planet for all 8
billion people, yet many are starving. Part of the reason for this has to do
with seeing food as a commodity rather than as a gift from Mother Earth that
calls for our gratitude and reciprocity.
I see similar themes emerging
in both of our scriptures this morning- the idea that God graces us with gifts
galore, yet sadly, we often dwell on our scarcity and compete for resources,
often hoarding our gifts instead of using them for the common good. Too often, we
forget that we live in community with one another.
In our first reading, Paul
addresses a group of believers in the fairly cosmopolitan city of Corinth,
pleading for their unity in the face of many conflicts. In the 12th
chapter of his letter, the problem is spiritual elitism. Some members of the
community were thinking they had the better gifts and were more special than
others. As a result of their flashier or louder gifts that stood out over quieter,
less visible gifts, several members felt like they were more greatly favoured
by God. Some thought that certain gifts qualified them as kind of “superhero”
Christians. Paul, however, is quick to nip this in the bud. Such thoughts have
no place in Christian community. Spiritual gifts are not meant to be
commodities that boost our egos but gifts to be used for the common good in
building up the community as whole. Let’s hear how Paul explains it to them and
us:
1 Corinthians 12: 1-11
Now concerning spiritual
gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You
know that when you were gentiles you were enticed and led astray to idols that
could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to
understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be
cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now
there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, 5 and
there are varieties of services but the same Lord, 6 and
there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of
them in everyone. 7 To each is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To
one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the
utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to
another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one
Spirit, 10 to another the working of powerful
deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another
various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All
these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually
just as the Spirit chooses.
Much like the way Kimmerer in
her book challenges us to a new way of looking at the gifts of nature and how
they are meant to be shared, rather than hoarded as our own, I think Paul is
saying much the same thing to these early Christians with respect to their
spiritual gifts. He is trying to redirect them to a new course by reminding
them that it is not their church but God’s church. God is the source of all
their gifts and they are meant to be used in relationship and partnership with
every one else’s gifts. None of the gifts are earned or given to us because we
deserve them. They are gifts of grace and as such, they are not given to be hoarded
or bragged about as if we were individualist Lone Rangers. Instead, they are intended
to be shared and celebrated for the common good of the community and beyond to
the whole of creation. This is how the community and the world is strengthened-
by using these gifts and living out our identity as sons and daughters of God. It
is as we share and point out each other’s gifts that we find our sense of
belonging among God’s people.
One of the difficulties,
however, in our churches is that we sometimes fall back on that scarcity motif,
don’t we? We focus on what we don’t have, rather than on what do have. We
forget God’s abundant and surprising generosity and the lavish gifts that have
been entrusted to us. I think this happens to us a lot and it is easy for us to
become obsessed with our “not enoughness” instead of celebrating the abundance
that equips us to carry out our God-given purposes.
Let me share with you this little
story of a teacher who was sent to a children’s hospital to help one of the
children with his homework. However, no one had prepared her for the fact that
the boy she was to visit had been badly mutilated in an accident and was in the
burn unit. So completely unprepared, she went to his room, blurted out the
lesson and fled. She came back the next day and apologized to the duty nurse
for the way she had botched the lesson. She had felt so inadequate and
ill-equipped in entering that room and seeing the disfigurement of the boy’s
face. The nurse stopped her in mid sentence and shared with her how after the
lesson, the boy took a turn for the better. This morning, said the nurse, this
boy said to me “they wouldn’t send a real teacher to help a dying kid, would
they? They must think I am going to get better.” So, you see, said the nurse,
you have given him something more important than help with his homework. You
have given him the gift of hope.
With the help of that nurse
who pointed out the gift of that teacher’s very presence in the room, the
teacher realized the quality of her gift and offering that day was more than
enough to bring about a transformation in the young boy’s attitude toward his
recovery. Had it not been for that nurse’s gift of observation, the teacher
would never have realized the importance of her gift.
I can’t help but think that
this is the point that Paul is making to the people of Corinth and to us too-
that in community with one another, we have gifts and grace galore. By helping
one another identify our gifts and calling one another to use those gifts, we discover
the mutual flourishing that Kimmerer speaks about in her book about the
Serviceberry.
In our gospel lesson, the
familiar story of Jesus turning water into wine, I see Mary, the mother of
Jesus, playing a crucial role in calling forth Jesus to seize the moment to use
the gifts that she, as his mother, had recognized in him. As you listen to this
story, note Mary’s tenacity at not being put off by Jesus’ initial reluctance
to act in response to Mary’s observation that the wine had run out at the
wedding party. And remember too, that in Jesus’ time, when wedding celebrations
were 7-day affairs, to run out of wine on day three was more than a simple faux
pas. It was a social disaster that would bring enduring embarrassment and shame
on the host. Yet, through Mary’s gift of being attuned to the needs of the
moment and acting on them with the help of both Jesus and the servants, this
disaster is averted.
John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a
wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus
and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When
the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And
Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to me and to you? My hour
has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do
whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six
stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or
thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with
water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to
them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the person in charge of the banquet.”
So, they took it. 9 When the person in charge tasted the
water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (though the
servants who had drawn the water knew), that person called the bridegroom 10 and
said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine
after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until
now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana
of Galilee and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
As I
paid closer attention to Mary’s role in this story, I like that she is the one
who sees and trusts Jesus enough to give him that needed push to act now. It
was her discernment of his gifts that helped reveal to his disciples what he
came to do- to gift the world with God’s abundant and extravagant grace and
love.
And
perhaps that is also what Kimmerer is getting at in her book too- that when we
stop with all the scarcity thinking that results in hoarding and competition,
the spiritual gifts God shares with each and every one of us and the gifts of Mother
Earth can more easily be seen, not as protected commodities, but as gifts that
can work together for the common good of this world. As we identify them in
each other and celebrate them in community, offering our unique gifts in timely
ways to meet the needs that present, we, like Jesus at that wedding feast,
contribute to the mutual flourishing of this world. Now, in the face of so much
chaos and upheaval in world, perhaps more than ever before, we see evidence of
our world’s need for the abundant and overflowing grace which Jesus comes to reveal
to us. Free flowing wine, 180 gallons of it, the equivalent of 1000 bottles,
offered at a wedding feast is only the beginning of what is yet to come in
Jesus. The party will continue. Blessings galore to be celebrated by all! Grace upon grace upon grace, offered
unconditionally, for the good of all, to be freely shared. Thanks be to God who
starts the blessing and doesn’t know when to stop! Amen
As
Paul told the people of Corinth, we are all given gifts. We all have skills to
offer our families, our communities, and God. We are blessed, and as Christians
we are called to share our blessings with others. We trust God with what we
have to offer and we bring our monetary gifts, together with our talents and
skills, with the hope that they will be transformed like water into the very
best wine for the common good of neighbours near and far.
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Support youth as they inspire
communities and engage in leadership
Credit: The United Church of
Canada
“I want The United Church of
Canada to continue the policies, as well as the vision and the actions that
make our slogan ‘Bold Discipleship, Daring Justice, and Deep Spirituality’
truly mean something.”
These are words from Matthew
Tyhurst, one of The United Church of Canada’s Youth Forum Leadership Animators.
More of Matthew's thoughts on the United Church's Centennial can be found
on YouTube which was sent out to you this
week.
In July 2024, Matthew was one
of eight passionate youth from across Canada who gathered in Calgary. Together,
they worked to lay the foundation for 100 young people under the age of 30 to
attend The United Church of Canada's General Council 45 in 2025, coinciding
with the church's Centennial commemorations.
The group of talented and
diverse youth are committed to developing leadership among their peers. After
their time in Calgary, they returned to their local communities and regions to
work on learning goals and projects for four weeks, but remain engaged throughout
the year.
The group focused on building
leadership and guiding their peers as they explore their roles in the church.
Their placements in local and regional communities are designed to help them
grow and prepare for the future.
Your gifts to Mission
and Service support youth as they inspire communities and engage in
leadership. Thank you.
Hymn: 131 MV You, Creator God Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
God of wedding parties and new
wine, God of joy and laughter, thank you for blessing us with gifts overflowing-
for the warmth of our homes on these cold winter days, for food in our
cupboards, for the many ways your love surrounds us and surprises us through
friends and neighbours and loved ones. Thank you for the many ways your Holy
Spirit has gifted us as a community of faith with skills and talents to share
in the building up of not only this church but the community at large. Thank
you for the fresh inspiration of the young people we have heard about today who
are preparing to go to General Council and the commitment and enthusiasm they
bring for our church’s renewal. Help us to listen and act on their vision.
Where we see only what we and
others lack, surprise us with your generous and abundant grace. Like Mary, help
us to be attentive to the needs that surround us, to name them and to encourage
one another to offer our gifts as we work together for the good of all. We pray
this day for all who are feeling like they are running on empty, like the wine
of their living has run out. We think of church communities who struggle in the
face of scarcity of funds, volunteers and vision and ask that they might lift
their heads to see the abundance of possibilities that you offer. We pray for
people who must toil for long hours in toxic work environments for little pay
or satisfaction. We remember all who are living in the midst of domestic
violence and in need of a safe and secure way out. We pray for all who listen
to their stories and work to offer them support and shelter. We lift before you
the many who find these winter months difficult- the many who are homeless, the
many who have been displaced and lost love ones in fires in our own region and
beyond, the many who have homes but struggle with the costs of heating them,
the many who because of mental or physical illness or disability are confined
to home and are feeling isolated from our communities. We pray for all who are
feeling anxious and tense in the midst of personal changes and political
transitions in our world. Transform our hearts by your Spirit, O God, that we
might find ways of offering one another the support and encouragement needed
for your light and your love to shine forth in this world.
We offer these prayers, together with the prayers of our hearts, for people and situations we know, in the name of Jesus Christ, who together with the Holy Spirit, calls us to share our gifts, that the wine of new life might continue to flow freely and that your joy might be made known through us… Our Father...
Hymn: 101 VU Songs of Thankfulness and Praise
Blessing
God has blessed us with an
abundance of life.
God's promise for the world is
filled to the brim and overflowing.
God has blessed us with an
abundance of hope.
God's hope for the world is
filled to the brim and overflowing.
God has blessed us with an
abundance of truth.
God's truth for the world is
filled to the brim and overflowing.
Go and live with an attitude
of abundance. Drink deeply of God's love. Offer God's abundant gifts to the
world. Do not fear. There will be more than enough.
Amen
Welcome to worship on this Baptism of Christ
Sunday.
222 lbs of food was sent from our congregation last Sunday for the food bank. Thanks to Dave Good for transporting!
This week:
Tues. 6pm Men’s Group meets at church for
chowder.
Wed. 6:30pm Stewards meeting to firm up budget
for 2025.
Sat. 10:30am- Discussion of this month’s Broadview magazine to be held at Exit 153 Restaurant.
Annual Reports due in to Bev West by Jan. 22.
Service
prepared by Rev. Susan Estabrooks of Faith Memorial United Church
Since time immemorial,
Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for the land which many call Canada.
In our worship together this day, in this area, we gather on the traditional
land of the Wabanaki peoples, predominantly the lands of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet,
Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild
right relations with these people, to learn from them and to live on this land,
their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator
With the light of Christ to
enlighten us, we come to recognize who we are and whose we are- sons and
daughters of God, chosen and beloved, called and empowered.
Call to Worship:
Come, beloved of God, to
remember who you are and whose you are.
God in Christ, has named us
all “Beloved”
Come, you who are God’s people
and precious in God’s sight.
We come longing to be known
and to seek relationship with God.
Come, you who are daughters
and sons of God.
We come ready to listen for
God’s voice.
Come, you who have been
created, formed, redeemed and called by God who says, “You are mine”
We gather in worship to be
refreshed, soothed and renewed by cleansing waters and to be challenged by what
it means to belong to God and to one another in community.
Opening Prayer: (from
Worship Ways, United Church of Christ)
Holy One, awaken us again to your
outpouring Spirit of Love.
Through this generous gift,
stretch our souls wide and form us into channels of your healing grace.
Gift us with an ability to
recognize you in each other, all imprinted with your beloved blessing.
Clarify our intentions, purify
our actions, fill our words with grace and our hearts with hope.
Yes, soak our thinking, our
praying, our hoping, our everything in you. Amen.
Hymn: 161 MV I have Called You by Your Name
Prayer of Confession: (adapted
from Fern Gibbard, Penticton, BC, The Gathering Advent/Christmas/Epiphany
2024-5 p 44)
(water poured into font)
Creator God, when we think of
water, we remember that when you were first creating, the depths of the water
were covered in shadowy chaos.
Yet, at the same time, your
Spirit swept over these waters, bringing light.
We remember that your voice
thundered over waters, breaking trees, flashing flames and shaking the
wilderness.
Yet, we also remember how at
Jesus’ baptism, your voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the
Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
We remember how the waters of
Jesus’ baptism marked the start of his ministry.
We confess the faith that
connects us to you, O God, and we confess the times when we forget about our
relationship with you…
(Time of silence)
Words of Assurance
God’s water brings us life.
God’s water brings renewal.
God’s water names us as
beloved.
The voice of God is connecting
with us, today and every day. Thanks be to God. Amen
Readings and Reflection: AUDIO
version is found by clicking this link:
A
Sense of Belonging
The story is told of a 4-year-old
boy who was looking forward to his 5th birthday. His mom asked him
what kind of party he would like to have. He replied, “I want everyone to be a
king or a queen.” So, he and his mom set to work making cardboard and tinfoil
crowns for all his guests and scouted though all the second-hand shops to find
material to make purple robes. On the day of his party, all the guests donned
their robes and crowns and paraded up and down the block pretending to be kings
and queens. That night as his mom was tucking him into bed, she asked what the
little boy had wished for as he blew out the candles on his cake. He replied,
“I wished that everyone in the whole world could be king or queen, not just on
my birthday, but everyday.”
I think that what he was
really saying here was that he wished everyone could be treated with respect
and loved for who they were. I couldn’t help but think that this is what God
says to Jesus and to us at our baptisms- You belong to me. You are mine. And I
love you. As I was thinking about this Baptism of Christ Sunday this year, the
word that stood out for me was “belonging”. In the waters of our baptism and
with the sign of the cross, we symbolize that no matter who we are, no matter
what we have done, no matter what we may be going through, we belong to God
forever.
While our first reading this
morning is not centred on baptism, it does carry with it that baptismal message
of God’s love and care for us. At the lowest point of their existence as a
people, deep in the throes of exile, the people of Israel hear through Isaiah
God’s reassuring words to remind them that even though they may feel abandoned
and overwhelmed by their trauma, no matter what, they are still God’s own.
Isaiah 43: 1-7
But now thus says
the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight
and honored and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
No matter what they face,
fire, water, or distress, God says to them, you are mine. You belong to me. You
are precious in my sight and I love you.
This is, in essence, the same
message of affirmation Jesus
hears as he emerges from the baptismal waters:
Luke 3:15-17,21-22
15 As the
people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts
concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John
answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more
powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His
winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the
wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
21 Now
when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was
praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy
Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from
heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
A sense of belonging and being
part of something bigger and more important than ourselves. As I think about baptism,
that is exactly what it represents for us. Commentator Vicki Flippen states it
like this: “I tell folks that baptism is the church declaring what has always
been true, that each of us belongs to God and only to God. The child or adult
is claimed by God, above all other claims and voices and forces that try to
claim and name us. We don’t belong to the bank or to the boss. We don’t belong
to an abusive spouse or to our addictive impulses. We don’t belong to political
propagandists or to the advertising industry. Even though it might feel like, look
like, smell like we belong to all these other things, we belong to God. Our
baptism reminds us that no one determines our worth in this world or the next
other than God.”
In other words, we belong.
Right from the start. The sacrament of our baptism is the visible sign that recognizes
God’s claim on us. We don’t have to do anything to earn that claim or that
love. It is pure gift. Pure grace. Think of Jesus standing in line waiting his
turn to be baptized. At this point, he hadn’t yet spoken a public word. He
hadn’t performed any miracles or told any parables. He was simply standing in
line with a whole pile of other broken people who were waiting for a new
beginning. He had no special privileges or passes to get him to the front of
that line. He had no credits to his name. He simply joined them in community as
they waited and hungered for a sense of belonging to something bigger than
themselves.
As I was reflecting on this
whole idea of belonging this week, I happened to watch this week’s season
premiere of Son of a Critch on TV. If you haven’t seen it before, it is a coming-of-age
story of comedian Mark Critch in Newfoundland during the 1980’s. This week’s
episode revolved around Mark and his friends beginning high school and
struggling with which group to fit into and whether to join in with the jocks,
the pretty girls or the nerds. Together with his friends, Mark is feeling at
loose ends, not feeling like they belong anywhere. That is, until Mark goes to his
theatre class where he is encouraged by his teacher to use his imagination to
introduce himself to the class. Mark ends up strutting across the stage to the
applause of his classmates. Finally, Mark concludes, somebody who gets me for
who I am! It is then he realizes that he didn’t need to change in order to fit
in. He just needed to be himself and he knew this acting class was exactly
where he was supposed to be.
Mark’s experience reminds us
that it is not just as teenagers but many other times in life where we ask
those very same questions of ourselves- Who am I? Where do I belong? What makes
me worthy? Where do I fit? When a child leaves the house to set out on their
own, for instance, parents may ask, “Who are we now? Or a partner or spouse
dies or we face some other kind of life crisis. Who am I now? Where do I fit?
Or we move to assisted living, or we retire. The same thing -who am I now? Where
do I belong? In the midst of these and other life changes, Mark’s questions
continue to occupy our thoughts. We may find ourselves looking for answers in
our work, in our accomplishments, in our leisure time pursuits, or perhaps from
acceptance by our peers. So much of life, when you really think about it, centres
around craving those spaces where we feel we belong.
Belonging, however, as Mark
Critch discovered, is more than simply fitting in and changing yourself in
order to be accepted by a group. Belonging has to do with being found
acceptable by your group just as you are.
And that is the ultimate sense
of belonging that we are reminded of as we remember the gift of baptism. By
God’s grace, we all belong. As Philip Yancey once wrote in his book What’s
So Amazing about Grace: “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God
love us more... And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us
less... Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can
possibly love.” And it is because of this grace, that we recognize and
celebrate our baptisms. Through the cleansing and renewing waters that have
touched our foreheads, we are reminded of who we are and whose we are- God’s
own beloved sons and daughters, called and claimed, treasured forever. No
matter what struggles in life we may face, no matter how many obstacles may be
standing in our way, God says, you belong to me. God says you are mine. I will
not abandon you.
As David Lose says it best: “No matter how
often we fall short or fail, nothing that we do or fail to do, can remove that
identity that God conveys as a gift. Our relationship with God is the one
relationship in life that we can’t screw up precisely because we did not
establish it.” It is all God’s initiative. And knowing that we belong to God is
one of the most countercultural claims we can ever make. It is what empowers us
to take stands, to dare to risk and to take our role in being part of God’s
bigger story by being instruments of God’s presence in the world. It puts us in
relationship with all of creation and carries with it a sense of responsibility
for all of humanity, and for every other child of God.
No one
is forgotten. No one is left out. As Mark Critch found out, it is not about learning
to fit in by changing who we are. It is about recognizing that just as we are,
we are loved, accepted and claimed forever as God’s own. This is the Good News
we celebrate on Baptism of Christ Sunday. As a tangible sign of this love and
the empowerment it brings to each and every one of us, I invite you to reach
your hands into the baptismal font, feel the renewing water, mark yourself with
the sign of the cross if you like, take a pebble if you like, place it in your
pocket and let it be a reminder to you, today and always, that no matter what,
you belong to God. As you do so, think about how, in this new year that
stretches before you, you might use that identity as a launching point for God’s
work in this world through you.
Reaffirming our Belovedness
and Ultimate Belonging as God’s Own
The outpouring of God’s spirit
described in the baptism of Jesus reminds us that God’s very nature is
generous, self-giving love. It is the source of our deepest joy. As we open our
hearts in generous giving, we give space for God’s love and joy to grow in us
for the good of others. May our hearts be stretched wide by this motion of the
Holy One, as we joyfully bring our gifts.
Your Generosity Matters/Our
Gifts are Received
Keeping hope in impossible
situations
Credit: Project Ploughshares
Project Ploughshares is a
Canadian peace research institute with a focus on disarmament efforts and
international security. It is also one of our dedicated Mission and Service
partners. Project Ploughshares’ important efforts come with many barriers, including
discouragement, pushback, and regular exposure to mentally draining work.
Duncan Etches started his
journey with Project Ploughshares as a supporter. When he saw an opportunity to
be The United Church of Canada representative on the management committee, he
felt it was time to step into the key role. He comments on how wise and
inspirational the whole team is, sharing that “they keep hope in impossible
situations.”
Project Ploughshares includes
people from diverse backgrounds who are all deeply committed to making the
world a better place. Rooted in the ethics of Christianity—peace,
reconciliation, and justice—their work connects with people inside and outside
faith communities. Members are respected and invited to be part of important
conversations.
Your support through Mission
and Service provides encouragement and hope to leaders of Project
Ploughshares, a vital connection point for those passionate about global peace
and security. Thank you.
Hymn: 131 MV You, Creator God, Have Searched Me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
God of new life and fresh
possibilities, as we remember the gift of your grace in our lives and your
unconditional love for us, we thank you that each minute, each hour and each
new day offers us a new beginning. No matter what regrets we may carry about
our pasts, no matter what we have done or failed to do, you continue to name us
and claim us as your own. There is no where we can go where you are not present
to us, surrounding us and calling us onward. Through moments of struggle when
we feel overwhelmed with uncertainty or pain, you continue to accompany us.
Through the watermark on our foreheads, we are reminded that we belong to you.
Thank you for the privilege that is ours of being a part of a faith community where
we can experience your support and encouragement on our journeys.
We pray this day for all for
whom life is feeling especially difficult- for the many places where violence
and war are constant realities, we pray for peace. For the many who are feeling
forgotten or left out, we pray for companionship. For the many who are unsure
about what the future might hold, we pray for your guidance and direction. For
all who are facing surgery or treatments and find themselves navigating through
appointments and delays, we pray for endurance and healing. For young families
struggling to put food on their tables while paying all the other necessary
bills, we pray for relief through community support for food banks, and
breakfast and lunch programs in our schools. For all for whom grief or loss in
their lives is fresh and painful, we pray for comfort and consolation. For our
country and the nations of this world in the face of so much upheaval, we pray
for wisdom. For our planet suffering in the midst of an environmental crisis,
we pray for our good intentions to be lived out in concrete changes to our
lifestyles and our priorities.
Hear these and all our
prayers, O God, as we offer them in the name of your Chosen One, Jesus Christ,
sent among us to show us a better way. In his name, we pray as one, saying… Our
Father…
Hymn: 644 VU I was there to Hear your Borning Cry
Blessing:
May you go forth with the
assurance
that you are deeply loved and cherished by God.
May you find your true identity
in God's unending love,
just as Jesus was called the beloved Son at His baptism.
May the Holy Spirit rest upon
you,
filling you with peace, joy, and a sense of belonging.
Go now, with the blessing of our
Creator, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
guiding and strengthening you in all you do, as you live out your calling.
Amen.