Good day!
Here is your invitation to a Service of Word & Prayer on YouTube for this Sunday, 3 April 2022 at 11:00am.
the Link: the Fifth Sunday in Lent
As a reminder:
Services for the next few months will be on YouTube and accessible from
an email link or our church Facebook page, except for the following:
April 10 Saxonia Hall (Palm
Sunday), 11:00am
April 15 Church (Good
Friday), 11:00am
April 17 Church (Easter
Sunday), 11:00am
Good Morning!
Services for the next few months will be on YouTube and accessible from an email link or our church Facebook page, except for the following:
April 10 Saxonia Hall (Palm Sunday), 11:00am
April 15 Church (Good Friday), 11:00am
April 17 Church (Easter Sunday), 11:00am
First Reading: Joshua 5:9-12 A reading from the Book of Joshua The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year. The Word of the Lord. |
Psalm: Psalm 32 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you. Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. |
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 A Reading from Paul’s Second letter to the Corinthians From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The Word of the Lord |
Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: This is the Gospel of the Lord. |
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But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
· Have any of you heard of a “flash mob”?
· It’s a surprise concert or performance. A few days ago, I watched one where a single musician in white tie and tail coat stood still with a bass violin in a city square. A young girl came up and put a coin in the hat on the ground. The man began to play his bass and was soon joined by a cellist and the theme was the finale of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the “Ode to Joy.” Over the next few minutes, the rest of the orchestra came out of shops and alleyways and they all – including a choral group – finished the piece to great applause. Quite a surprise for the little girl and her coin. Surely not what anyone expected.
· This parable, one of the most beloved in the Gospels, is somewhat like this. A surprise that goes against all the wisdom and usual behavior we’ve ever known. After all, the younger son’s plan was a good one: work hard as a farm hand until he earned his way into Dad’s good graces again. At least he’d have enough to eat!
· But that wasn’t to be. At his first sight of the boy ‘way up the road, Dad came a-running. That is not how an older man, the head of the family, or a respected landowner should behave. Before the boy could speak his rehearsed request, the father hugs and kisses him, dresses him in the finest clothes, puts the signet ring on his finger, and called the caterer for a huge feast.
· We know of course that Jesus is talking about God and forgiveness rather than family dynamics. So then is God a “push-over”? Shouldn’t there be some serious negotiation over the particulars of being reconciled to the family? Isn’t that what we’d do?
· Let’s face it; we might be more comfortable with God as a brutal task-master, a punisher of sin and infidelity. If we put ourselves in the role of the returning son, then we might spend our days wondering when the other shoe would drop, when the father would lower the boom. That could be a sort of living hell.
· In normal human terms, what the father in the story has done is ridiculous. If we heard of this on the evening news, we’d be shocked and might shake our heads in disbelief at the shear irresponsibility of it all.
· Maybe, just maybe, we’d rejoice at the reconciliation and generosity found here. Maybe, we’d rejoice at the ridiculousness when we see the outcome.
· No “maybe” involved; this is how God treats people who are turning from sin to God. I think we can see why the tax collectors and so-called sinners took such joy in having a meal with Jesus. It shocked and angered the “right” and “proper” people, so that’s why Jesus told this parable.
· God asks for change, so the prodigal father watched for his lost son. The boy didn’t earn his forgiveness or his reconciliation to the family. (The elder son certainly wasn’t interested.) Yet that forgiveness and reconciliation was given.
· In the video I watched, the little girl was given an unexpected gift and excellent concert when she dropped a coin in what she saw as a busker’s hat on the ground. The silly younger son, who at first acted as if his father was dead, receives far more than he expected.
· If sinners like us turn to find forgiveness, what we find is our God waiting with open arms, eager to welcome us home. Not waiting for us to change, but welcoming us so we might change. Always the surprise is waiting.
But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
This Sunday - 27 March 2022 - we will celebrate Holy Communion for the Fourth Sunday in Lent in the Sanctuary of St. John's at 11:00am.
Services for the next few months will be on YouTube and accessible from an email link or our church Facebook page, except for the following: April 10 Saxonia Hall (Palm Sunday), 11:00am April 15 Church (Good Friday), 11:00am |
The Third Sunday in Lent
|
Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn
#647 Glorious
Things of You Are Spoken |
|
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 63 1O God, you are my God, I seek
you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where
there is no water. So I have
looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will
bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. My soul is satisfied as with a
rich feast, and my mouth praises you with
joyful lips when I think
of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings
I sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. |
|
The Lord be with you. And
also with you. Let us pray. Eternal God, your kingdom has
broken into our troubled world through the life, death, and resurrection of
your Son. Help us to hear your word and obey it, and bring your saving love
to fruition in our lives, 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 55:1-9
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without
price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your
labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is
good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 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. See, I made him a witness to the
peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, 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.
Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is
near; 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. For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my
thoughts than your thoughts.
The Word of the Lord
Reading:
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
A reading from the first letter to the Corinthians
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors
were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were
baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same
spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank
from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was
Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were
struck down in the wilderness.
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire
evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is
written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to
play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and
twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the
test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not
complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These
things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to
instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you
are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you
that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be
tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way
out so that you may be able to endure it.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel
Verse:
Jesus began to proclaim,
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. (Matt. 4: 17)
Gospel Reading: Luke 13:1-9
A reading from the Gospel of Luke
At that very time there were some present who told him about the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked
them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were
worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you
repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed
when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse
offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but
unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard;
and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the
gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig
tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the
soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig
around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and
good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise
to you, O Christ.
Sermon
(added at the end of the document)
Hymn
#618 Guide Me
Ever, Great Redeemer
Thanks and Offertory
Prayers of the Church:
God’s ways are mysterious and beyond our
understanding. Yet we know of God’s love and mercy for God’s people, so we offer
our prayers for the world, the church, and for all people according to their
needs.
[Short
pause]
Saving God,
grant us the grace of repentance as well as the gift of trust in your mercy. Lord,
in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving
God, grant us both the desire and time to come closer to you and hear your
voice. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, keep
safe our families, loved ones and friends in all situations. Help us all to
follow your will and way. Lord, in your mercy, Hear
our prayer.
Saving God,
let peace grow in our homes and our town. Help us to show your own mercy and remember
those in need around us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God,
grant peace to the people of Ukraine and Russia and to the people of Iraq. Grant
their leaders wisdom and a desire for peace. Lord, in your mercy, Hear
our prayer.
Saving God, grant
us all the gift of good health. Bless doctors, nurses, medical technicians,
ambulance crews, fire fighters, peace officers, and all who work for the good
of the community. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God,
look with favor on all who minister in the name of your Son. Bless the congregation
of St. Peter’s,
Brodhagen, and their pastor, Pastor Laura Sauder.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God,
we trust in your grace and mercy all around us. Hear the prayers we keep in our
hearts… * … Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
{*Rose Gotzmeister, Gail Mauer, Bill Ungar,
Deb Kirschner, Pr. Bob Zimmerman}
Into your
hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy and grace, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn #623 Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
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 & Benediction
O God, you
have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by
paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with
good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us
and your love supporting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn
#543 Go, My
Children, with My Blessing
Sending
May the Lord
bless us and keep us.
May the
Lord’s face shine upon us with grace and mercy.
May the Lord
look upon us with favor and X give us peace.
Amen.
Go in peace.
Walk humbly with God. Thanks be to
God.
Services for the next few months will be on YouTube and accessible from
an email link or our church Facebook page, except for the following:
April 10 Saxonia Hall (Palm
Sunday), 11:00am
April 15 Church (Good
Friday), 11:00am
April 17 Church (Easter Sunday), 11:00am
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For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
·
There can be
no stranger thought than this, that we will never understand God and possibly
will only know what God has planned until it comes to pass. It can be
frustrating, because we want to know and we also want things our
way.
·
It’s always
that, isn’t it? The desire to have our own way was the primary temptation in
the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. It’s also part of the temptation of Jesus
while he was in the wilderness. It might just be the basic temptation of all human
beings. After all, we very often what to be God.
·
Since that is
the eternal temptation of humanity, it’s best to remember that my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor
are your ways my ways… We can’t always see where things are going
and we can’t see where things will end up. As Jesus said to Jairus when they
were told of Jairus’ daughter’s death (Luke 8:50) “Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.”
Another translation puts it this way: “Fear is useless. What is needed is
trust.”
·
God’s ways are
not our ways and we’d do well not to confuse the two, as hard as it is. This is
why the parable of the fig tree in today’s Gospel seems incomplete and oddly
unsatisfying. The tree has born not fruit and the landowner wants to cut it
down. (“Why should it be wasting
the soil?”) The gardener convinces him to let it grow another
season. This has always sounded ominous to me, but as I thought about it, it is
gracious and merciful. We don’t know what happened at the end of the growing
season that saw the gardener take special care of the tree. For us the lesson
has to do with the grace, mercy, and patience of God. We don’t know the outcome
and we’ll have to trust that such special care is being taken for the tree that
we are. After all, Jesus was not talking about agriculture and vine-dressing.
If we are still troubled by this parable and the possibility of the tree being
removed, we could think of how long a growing season is; 6 months? A year? 70
years? We don’t know because My
thoughts are not your thoughts…
·
If we hear
what Isaiah proclaims, we know that God is up to something. (everyone who thirsts, come to the water.)If
we hear the words of the Gospel, we know that God is up to something. (Sir, let it alone for one more year…)
The invitation to eat and drink and the thought of letting the tree grow all
include the presence, coaxing, prodding, and action of grace all around us. The
prophet says let them return to
the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon. We are invited and promised and we are never
left to our own devices as it were. That would truly mean failure.
·
No, God is up
to something and it includes us, deserving or not. God’s promises will be
fulfilled even in the face of sin, failure, war, and pandemic. There is too
much going on for God not to be at work, even if we can’t see it… or
refuse to see it. Sins are forgiven and salvation is offered. The feast will be
set, For… nor are your ways my
ways.
·
Finally, if
we believe that we have messed everything up and that we have somehow botched
God’s entire thing, think on this:
If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for
your life, rest in this. You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Here is an invitation to join in St. John's Service of Word and Prayer on YouTube for the Third Sunday in Lent on Sunday, 20 March 2022 at 11:00am.
Here is the link to that service: Word & Prayer for the Third Sunday in Lent
I hope you'll join us then!
Here is the link to today's service.
March 27 Church, 11:00am
April 10 Saxonia Hall (Palm Sunday), 11:00am
April 15 Church (Good Friday), 11:00am
April 17 Church (Easter Sunday), 11:00am
|
First Reading: 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.” 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?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a
slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 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.” 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.” And he
believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who
brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to
possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall
possess it?” 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.” 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. And when
birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon
Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a
smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 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, The Word of the Lord |
Second Reading: Philippians
3:17—4:1
Brothers
and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the
example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I
have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end
is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame;
their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven,
and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be
conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make
all things subject to himself.
Therefore,
my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm
in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
The
Word of the Lord
Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
The
Lord be with you. And also with
you.
A
reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke in the thirteenth Chapter. Glory to you, O Lord!
At that
very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod
wants to kill you.” 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. 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.’ 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! 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.’”
This is
the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to
you, O Christ!
Prayers
of the Church:
Jesus
work is salvation, in faith we offer our prayers for the world, the
church, and for all people
according to their needs.
[Short pause]
Saving God, continue to raise up
prophets in your church to tell the truth and point to your will in all things.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, Bless our
families, loved ones and friends. Keep them close to you in every way.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, As our province
and town begin to re-open, help us to remember what this “new normal” is and
help us to be respectful of so many ideas and opinions. Watch over all those
who work daily for the health of others. Lord, in your mercy, Hear
our prayer.
Saving God, let us use our
talents and skill to further your Kingdom here and give us real hope in you and
where you’re leading us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, remember your people
suffering the scourge of war and grant peace to Ukraine and to Russia as well any
troubled spots in our world. Let justice and true peace be found. Lord, in your
mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, remember all who
continue to suffer in our midst and in our area. Keep safe all who must travel
or work in the elements. Comfort those who have suffered loss this winter.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, look with favor on
all who minister in the name of your Son. Bless our sisters and brothers of St. Paul, Leamington and their pastor, Pastor Sylvia Swiatoschik. Lord,
in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Saving God, we trust in your power
and in your mercy. Hear the prayers we keep in our hearts… * … Lord, in your
mercy, Hear our prayer.
{*Rose Gotzmeister, Gail Mauer, Bill Ungar, Deb Kirschner, Pr. Bob
Zimmerman}
Into your hands we commend all
for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy and grace; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
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Listen, I am casting out demons and
performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.
·
What is Jesus’ work? From what is said here, we
might take it to mean cures and exorcisms. “Today, tomorrow, and the third day”
might be a way of saying “I’ll work until the job is done.” Some scripture
scholars say that this is a possibility.
·
There is another way of looking at it, however.
The reference to “the third day” might make us think of Jesus’ prediction of
his death remembering his three days in the tomb. This would shed an entirely
different light on what Jesus’ “work” would be.
·
The cures, the exorcisms, the preaching are all
signs of the Kingdom coming and actually the Kingdom present now. Each incident
of Jesus opposing evil in the world, which is what the cures and exorcisms are,
show Jesus’ power and dedication to the Kingdom of God. They are certainly
important to the Gospel story and they are not the end of it.
·
Jesus’ reference to “the third day” assures his
listeners (which include us) that there is a goal and a direction to his
ministry among the people of God. His criticism of Jerusalem is akin to
people’s dissatisfaction with “Ottawa.” People usually don’t have a grudge
against those who live in Ottawa and as a city, it has its own charm. It is,
however, the place that people see as the seat of government and that is where
the blame goes. Jesus’ talk about Jerusalem points out the powerful ones who
blame, criticize, criminalize, and often kill the truth-tellers. This is made
more complex by the role Jerusalem has as the holy city and the center of the
Jewish world.
·
The goal of Jesus’ ministry is to usher in the
Kingdom of God by healing, casting out demons, and preaching. It is finally
done by his death and resurrection. We see this in the rear-view mirror of the
Gospels; we have an advantage on the original disciples because of this. They
didn’t know where all this was going while we know the ending of the story.
·
What we don’t know is the ending of the Gospel
story that includes us! It is true; the Good News is present now and includes
all of us. This gives us hope and more; it gives us assurance of our place in
the Kingdom of God, both now and to come. It give us courage to share our faith
with others in word and in action so that our faith and our hope can be shared.
If it’s made a difference for us, it can make a difference for others, possibly
in ways we’ll never know.
·
So is Jesus’ work done? It is and it still goes
on. What is needed is done and given and we have the mission to continue to
share what we’ve been given, to pass on what we’ve received, alluding to Paul’s
words. The Gospel lives in us and because of that we have hope and can share
hope in a world that sorely needs it.
Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.
