Good morning!
This Sunday - November 28 - is the first Sunday in Advent. We will be celebrating Holy Communion in the church's sanctuary at 11:00am.
A Moment Aside --- 25 November 2021
Since the beginning of the
COVID-19 pandemic, many congregations have had to suspend public worship in
their sanctuary buildings. This was done in order to promote public health and
to head off spreading the infection to people who may be more vulnerable to the
effects of this disease that has taken so many lives in our world… and
continues to take lives to this very day.
The lesson the times have
taught us is this: the church isn’t the place we go to worship; the church is
WHO WE ARE as a people of God.
The Temple in Jerusalem
was believed to be the place where the presence of God was most easily experienced and found. We know that God is present everywhere. Yet there is one place where
the presence of God is most surely found, and that is in the Church of Jesus
Christ. Not in the buildings of wood, stone, plaster, or concrete, but in the
faithful who have the presence of God in them through faith confirmed in
baptism. Who they are before God and what they do in the world can present God’s
presence to all who wish to see it.
Do we do it perfectly?
Surely not! Still, the grace of God may flow through us for the sake of all
creation.
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Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by
mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood,
to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)
A Moment Aside --- 23 November 2021
Letting go is not always the end of things.
Often we have to let go of
something in order to pick up and embrace something more worthwhile. Sometimes
we have to let go of old supports to take hold of new supports. There are times
when we have to let go of old pains and wounds in order to find healing.
It is hard, no question
about it. Some of the hardest things to let go of could be grudges, injuries,
and hard feelings. Even if we find such things comforting (What is more
comforting than to feel that we are right?), they often hold us back from
healing or even from growing.
In such cases, letting go
could mean letting go of a pain that is comfortable and well known. To hold on
may keep us from entering into any sort of new life.
There are things that we
will bring with us in any new life we enter. There are also things that we will
have to leave behind. A child in the womb might be comfortable, but that is not
the new life the child is meant to experience.
For God so
loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish
but may have eternal life.
(John 3:16)
The Sunday of Christ the King
Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn #408 Come, Thou Almighty King |
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. Psalm: Psalm 93 The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord! Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. |
The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. Almighty and ever-living God, you anointed our beloved Son to be priest and sovereign forever. Grant that all the people of the earth, now divided by the power of sin, may be united by the glorious and gentle rule of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. |
Reading: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
A reading from the book of Daniel
9As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. 10A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. 13As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. 14To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
The Word of the Lord
Reading: Revelation 1:4b-8
A reading from the book of Revelation
4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel Verse:
Alleluia. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David. Alleluia! (Mark 11:9)
Gospel Reading: John 18:33-37
A reading from the Gospel of John
33Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon (added at the end of the document)
Hymn #434 Jesus Shall Reign
Thanks and Offertory
Prayers of the Church:
Trusting Jesus’ promise that we will be heard, we offer our prayers for the world God loves, the church God calls, and for all people according to their needs.
[Short pause]
Loving God, Jesus is a challenge. We confess that we have too often turned our back on the way of Jesus, in order to follow the way of Pilate. Forgive our stubborn fear and self-serving habits. God who is with us, Hear our prayer.
Loving God, Jesus is a challenge. We confess that we have a hard time seeing the way of Jesus. Our world clamours for attention; our insecurity interferes with our listening; our lives reflect different priorities. Open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts, that we may learn the new way that Jesus brings. God who is with us, Hear our prayer.
Loving God, Jesus is a challenge. You call all of creation into a new relationship, one based on loving service and humble gratitude. Give us the willing faith to respond to this call, to value your creation, to live lightly on the earth, to assist those in need, to form new partnerships, and demonstrate compassion with all. God who is with us, Hear our prayer.
Loving God, Jesus is a challenge. Inspire your church to turn our back on Pilate’s power, to change direction, to embrace weakness, to admit our own neediness, and discover your presence in the middle of our fog. God who is with us,
Hear our prayer.
Loving God, Jesus is a challenge. We are called to go where there is sickness, loneliness, hunger and death. We ask for the faith to support those who are hurting, especially the victims of the flooding in BC, the Land Protectors in Huston, BC, those suffering from Covid, and all we name before you.
[Long pause] Bless Redeemer, London – Pastor Katherine Gohm
God who is with us, Hear our prayer.
Loving God, Jesus is a challenge. Open us to being confronted; move us to adapt to new situations; fill us with hope under the gentle rule of Jesus. God who is with us,
Hear our prayer.
P – Into your hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hymn #490 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
The Lord’s Prayer
Finally let us pray for all things as our Lord would have us ask:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Closing prayer
Almighty God,
you have made us a royal priesthood
in the kingdom of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Make known his victory through us, we pray,
that all the world may see his light.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Hymn #439 Soon and Very Soon
Benediction and Sending
The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us.
The Lord look upon us with favor and + give us peace.
Amen.
Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
We invite you to the in-person services on the following dates:
· November 28
· December 12 & December 24 (7pm – Christmas Eve)
· January 9 & January 23, 2022
My kingdom is not from this world.
· When we think of kings, kingdoms, and royalty, we usually imagine scenes of marching soldiers, cheering crowds, fairy tale carriages, complete with crowns, royal robes, and fancy uniforms. There are places in the Scripture that put forward those images to depict the Kingdom of God. The parable called the “Little Apocalypse” in Matthew, which begins in chapter 25 at verse 31 uses some familiar images: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him… What happens after that is a complete surprise.
· Here today, John depicts Jesus as a different sort of king. Jesus stands before Pilate as a prisoner who had endured beatings and humiliation. Still he speaks to Pilate as at least an equal, affirming that he is a king, but not a pretender to some earthly throne. (There have been plenty of those throughout history.) He says his kingdom is not from this world.
· Over the years, some have taken this to mean that the Kingdom of God has little or nothing to do with the world we all live in. It is seen as some heavenly reality that is to come in some misty future. Some also see it as something that can be identified with a certain nation or ideology or political system. Some even wish to see it ushered in by force of arms.
· Yes, Jesus did say his kingdom was not from here. We can take from his words that his kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world, centered on time, place, and personality. He did not seek power or glory but offered himself in humble service for what the world really needed and still needs. Those who seek power or glory or their own version of the truth at the expense of others will reject the Kingdom that Jesus speaks of.
· His is not a kingdom of worldly power or earthly glory or victorious trophies. His kingdom is quite different; it is a kingdom of values, values that are often in total opposition to the values of the societies around his followers. Our values as Christians are formed by the teachings of Jesus Christ and so our own values are not from here.
· We follow a king whose throne is a cross, whose crown is a woven cap of thorns, and whose followers were forgiven although they deserted him. We follow a king who even forgave his executioners. Those values are not from here.
· To tell the truth, the values of Jesus’ kingdom are so different from the values that surround us that we cannot fully understand them. We don’t love as we should. We don’t always serve with humility. We sometimes make accommodations to survive. It is under these circumstances that we face the least understood value of Jesus’ kingdom: forgiveness and reconciliation. Truly not from this world.
· Holding to Jesus’ kingdom’s values may look like losing and failure at times. If it does, cling to that most topsy-turvy symbol of the kingdom of Jesus… the cross, where God showed just how far love, grace, and mercy would go.
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
A Moment Aside --- 19 November 2021
We’ll stick with wings and
feathers for a while.
The season that starts
soon – Advent – has a lot to do with angels, especially as messengers. Such
angels are depicted as winged beings, although the Hebrew Bible describes them
in a number of different ways, some of them quite weird. In any event, angels
do the bidding of God and serve as messengers, protectors, and even healers.
(The “Book of Tobit” in the Second Canon tells of Raphael, the healing angel.)
Angels are worth thinking
about, even as a way of remembering that God’s care is always with us.
Do I believe in angels? The
answer to that is one I learned in seminary:
“I do, because it’s more
fun that way.”
(Depicted in the icon
above is the archangel Michael, dressed for battle in Byzantine style armour.)
A Moment Aside --- 16 November 2021
My father always love cardinals. We had a pair who nested in the fire thorn bush in our back yard. They were always around all year long and Dad fed them and the other hardy birds who wintered in our neighborhood.
Some people say that to
see a cardinal is a sign that a loved one who has passed is looking in on us. I
have no idea whether or not that is true. If it provides some comfort for you,
by all means, go ahead and hang on to that.
The fidelity to place of
the cardinal is another factor. They stick around through the toughest winter
weather, although I’m sure they’re not silly and go to ground in nasty weather.
Still, they remain, none-the-less.
In that we could take them
as signs of God’s grace and presence. We have no reason not to. Again if it is
a comfort for you, hang on to that.
I know I will.
Good day!
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Aylmer, Ontario
The Service of Holy Communion
November 14, 2021
The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
448 Talbot Street West
Aylmer, Ontario N5H 1L1
Daniel 12:1-3
“At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18] 19-25
11And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” 13and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.[ 15And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,” 17he also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.]
19Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Mark 13:1-8
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
3When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birthpangs.
“Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
· The Scriptural passages of the Sundays just before the close of the Church year can be disturbing. Just so you know, next Sunday is the Sunday of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the church year. The Sunday after next is the first Sunday in Advent, which reminds us that the festival of the Nativity of Jesus/Christmas is thundering down the track at us just that soon.
· Today we see Jesus’ disciples all amazed at the beauty of the Temple and the Temple district. Jesus changes their focus by saying that all this would be rubble. To this day, all that remains of the Temple is what is called the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The Romans tore it down at the close of a war in Judah and the Temple has never been rebuilt.
· Is Jesus being a sort of party-pooper? Is he saying harsh things just to hurt the disciples’ feelings? No, he is telling the truth as he knows it.
· It’s as if he said “So you think this is all great? It will be a mess before too long.” Later he says to Peter, James, John, and Andrew “So you want to know the signs, the keywords, and the secret codes of the end of things? Better that you watch out for being led astray. Knowing those things might just do that. Better to keep the faith!”
· The Twelve had the same fears we often have: What’s going to happen? How will we know it’s happening? And first and foremost, how can we be ready?
· We all know of or have heard of people who have stockpiled canned goods, special foods, and even weapons and ammunition as a preparation for an uncertain future. We all know of cultic groups who have predicted the exact time of Jesus’ return, only to be disappointed and either fade away or change their focus to another time or another saviour. (Remember, last week in the US, John F. Kennedy Jr. and even JFK Sr. were supposed to appear in Dallas, TX and among other things, declare Donald Trump to be the “true” president of the US. When the Kennedys didn’t show at the time they were “billed” to appear, some said they’d show up at the Rolling Stones concert in Dallas later that evening.)
· With this in mind, what do we do? First of all, we need to remember that all through the Bible and the history of God’s people, God is always about the business of making new futures possible. Even Jesus’ warning of the destruction of the Temple looks forward to a new future. The Book of Revelation, which seems like a fever dream for most of its length, points to a new future. Really this is what grace and forgiveness are all about,
· Second, our preparation is not stockpiling Spam© or weaponry, but to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. There are many ways we might be led off in other directions away from Jesus, but it is he who promises a new future. It may be a troublesome future at times but the ultimate goal is salvation by grace and a celebration of the goodness of God.
· It’s a good thing to remember where we are really going and where history, as convoluted and strange as it might be, is leading us.
“Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
A Moment Aside --- 11 November 2021
On this day – Remembrance Day – we do more than honour those who died for their nation, their flag, their leader. We remember that they served and died for the betterment of their people.
We honour them best in
working for the peace they ultimately died for.
Peace
and Good to you all!
A Moment Aside --- 9 November 2021
Joy and happiness are not the same thing. An ice cream cone might make us happy. Finding a quarter on the sidewalk might make us happy. What brings us joy is something else. We might find our joy in family, in our children, in our work, in the world around us. Joy is more lasting and deeper than happiness and joy can shine through even on those days where happiness is lacking.
Often joy is a choice or
even a passion, while happiness is a condition that might be temporary. No one I
know is happy all the time. Illness, injury, loss, even weather have a hand in
“un-happiness.” Despite all of these things, joy can remain and can be sought
and chosen.
Say we lose a loved one in
death and are sad, that is to say “unhappy.” Joy can still be present even in
the background, in the memory of what that beloved person brought to our life.
We may be saddened by our loss, yet retain a sort of joy in the fact that that
person was part of our life.
We can choose to know joy
and uncover it wherever we might go. We can choose the opposite of joy –
something far more than sadness – and live a shaded, beclouded life.
Which do you think God
would have us choose? Remember, Christ rose from the dead. And in Revelation,
the He who sat on the throne said “See, I
make all things new!” (Rev. 21:5)
The Sunday of All Saints
|
Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn
#424 Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones |
|
The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you
all. And also with
you. Psalm 24 1The earth is the Lord’s and all
that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 2for he has founded it on the
seas, and established it on the rivers. 3Who shall ascend the hill of
the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4Those who have clean hands and
pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is
false, and do not swear deceitfully. 5They will receive blessing from
the Lord, and vindication from the God of their
salvation. 6Such is the company of those who
seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. 7Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 8Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle. 9Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 10Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the
King of glory. |
|
The Lord be with you. And
also with you. Let us pray. Almighty God, you have knit your
people together in one communion in the mystical body of your Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow your blessed saints in lives of
faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared for
those who love you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. |
Reading:
Isaiah 25:6-9
A reading from the prophet Isaiah
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a
feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with
marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. 7And he will destroy on this
mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread
over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. 8Then the
Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of
his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has
spoken.
9It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him,
so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
The Word of the Lord
Reading:
Revelation 21:1-6a
A reading from the book of Revelation
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the
first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy
city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne
saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as
their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with
them; 4he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning
and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed
away.” 5And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making
all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and
true.” 6Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the
spring of the water of life.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel
Verse:
Alleluia. They are before
the throne of God, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
Alleluia! (Rev. 7:15)
Gospel Reading: John 11:32-44
A reading from the Gospel of John
When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and
said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also
weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said,
“Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus
began to weep. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some
of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this
man from dying?” 38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away
the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already
there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to
her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of
God?” 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said,
“Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear
me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they
may believe that you sent me.” 43When he had said this, he cried with a
loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The dead man came out, his hands and
feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to
them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sermon
(added at the end of the document)
Hymn
#422 For All
the Saints (4 verses)
Thanks and Offertory
Prayers of the Church:
Bless our neighbours of the Anglican Church of Canada - Trinity Church, Aylmer, their pastor, Bishop Barry Clarke, and the Bishop of Huron, the Rev. Todd Townshend.
All Saints list:
Barbara Brisson
Mary Kovacs
Mary Handel
Edward Stanat
Brent Strickland
-
Doris Bechtloff (my Cousin)
-
Sr. Celeste Ciesielka, CCW
(* Tune: #836)
The
Lord’s Prayer
Finally let us pray for all things as
our Lord would have us ask:
Our
Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven.
Give
us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against
us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For
thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus
Christ, shepherd of your Church, you give us new birth in the waters of baptism
and call us to salvation at your table. Dispel the terrors of death and the
darkness of error. Lead your people along safe paths that they may rest
securely in you and live for ever in your Father’s house, where you reign for
ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn #414 Holy God, We Praise Your Name
Benediction and
Sending
The Lord bless you and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine on us and
be gracious to us.
The Lord look upon us with favor and +
give us peace.
Amen.
Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks
be to God!
We invite you to the in-person services on the following dates:
·
November 14 & November 28
·
December 12 & December 24 (7pm – Christmas
Eve)
·
January 9 & January 23, 2022
“See,
I am making all things new.”
·
The three readings we
hear today all tell us of the love and mercy of God to all of God’s people.
Isaiah speaks of a feast for all people and the destruction of “the shroud that is cast over all peoples”,
which is death. The reading from the book of Revelation assures the readers of
“a new heaven and a new earth”
and a “new Jerusalem.”
John’s Gospel narrates the raising of Lazarus and tells of Jesus’ own emotional
response to the death of his friend and the sorrow of his sisters – “Jesus began to weep.” and he
was “greatly disturbed.”
·
All three readings deal
with death and how God ultimately responds to death. It is a reality that we
all deal with, often daily and not one any of us would be happy with. The
common thread is this: it is all in God’s hands. Isaiah tells us that God “will swallow up death forever.”
The writer of Revelation tells the Church that “Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.” Through John, Jesus
says of Lazarus “Unbind him, and
let him go.” Although the story directly speaks of the
grace-cloths, but the larger issue is the freedom from death, the “unbinding”
of people from the larger enemy.
·
This talk of death,
freedom from death, and even resurrection is the center point of the festival
of All Saints. On this day, we remember all who have followed Jesus Christ in
their lives on earth. It isn’t simply those who we call “saints”, those
Christians we often hold up as examples of how to live according to grace. Honestly,
there are legitimate examples of grace-filled living who can often be examples
for us. There are also many, many more Christians who will not have their own
festival day, will not have congregations named for them, and will be
remembered by the Church, although not by the entire, world-wide Church.
·
When we remember those
people – as we will shortly in today’s service – we might feel sad for our own
loss. We can expect that, for the loss is real for each of us. Just as real,
though, is the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. It is on that mercy that we all
rely. It is not our works and achievements – as great as they might be – that
brings the saving grace of God. That is a gift and remains a gift for all time
and eternity.
·
I suppose that the bottom
line here is that All Saints Day is a celebration of God’s mercy, grace, and
love rather than some grand festival of human achievement. I think the saints –
big and small – would point that out. Maybe we can hear them asking “Why are
you looking at me? It’s the light through the window that makes the beauty.
Look there.”
And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among
mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and
God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the
first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne
said, “See, I am making all things new.”
