A Moment Aside for 28 October 2020

 

A Moment Aside ---- 28 October 2020

 

and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.  (John 8: 32)

     Truth is something we want to hear and yet we don’t want to hear at the same time. There are times when the truth is frightening or disgusting or upsetting. In many cases, the truth is hard. However that may be, the truth is liberating. It frees us from preconcieved notions and from delusions, often notions and delusions we’ve grown comfortable with or even lean on. In that way, “the truth set you free, but first it will make you miserable.”

     We don’t like to hear things that make us uncomfortable, especially when we can do nothing to change those things. To hear that a beloved hero had “feet of clay” can leave us devastated. (cf. Daniel 2: 31-33, 41-43) To find out that a place is less than we expected to be can disappoint us so much we might not want to go back. To have medicine prescribed for us that we were surprised we needed can upset our thinking. Yet the truth all of these things, devastating, disappointing, or surprising as they might be, frees us from illusions and even some sort of debilitating pride.

     Truth in the area of faith is often hard to take. To say that all of us are sinners without comparison to others who might be “a greater sinner than I” carries with it the understanding that we cannot save ourselves and that sin can destroy us, even the little ones. (A pastor colleague told me once that when you’re drowning, it doesn’t matter if you’re 20 metres from the surface or one inch from the surface.) Our self-understanding and our desire to be independent really takes a hit from that. To realize that God loves others as much as God loves us and that they’re as special as we are can really cause a sort of misery… and yet it is the truth! And that truth frees us. Salvation is free and has no prerequisites for us… or anyone else. Salvation also leads us to act saved and live saved, that is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Do they deserve it? Well, ask yourself: “Do I deserve it?” Whatever your answer, you might feel some sort of misery and you’ll still be free.

     Maybe we can all deal with a little misery in our lives if it leads to the freedom of the truth.

{My apologies for my tardiness in getting this out to all of you. Some family health issues required my attention. All is well now or on its way to being well.}

Reformation Sunday Word & Worship

 

Oration for Reformation Sunday

Almighty God, gracious Lord, we thank you that your Holy Spirit renews the church in every age. Pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your word, protect and comfort them in times of trial, defend them against all enemies of the gospel, and bestow on the church your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Additions to the Prayers of the people:

·         For our bishops, Susan and Michael, and all who are given authority in the Church, let us pray…

·         For Bishop Michael Pryse, the Synod and for all their ministries, let us pray…

·         For all the needs and prayers we hold in our hearts…

(a time of silent prayer)… let us pray…

            Amen.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the Lord," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
³ though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult.        Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
    God will help it when the morning dawns.
⁶ The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.            Selah

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord;
    see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I am exalted among the nations,
    I am exalted in the earth.”
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Second Reading: Romans 3:19-28

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For "no human being will be justified in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

Gospel Reading: John 8:31-36

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." 33 They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, "You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

§  Today we celebrate Reformation Sunday. Yes, Reformation Day is this coming Saturday, but we might be too busy avoiding or giving candy to people of all ages dressed as ghosts and goblins. Yes, next Sunday is November 1^st and that is All Saints Sunday. That day has its own special purpose. So today we speak of Reformation.

§  Lutherans make a bigger thing out of Reformation Day than many other Christians. We talk about the 95 Theses and the Wittenburg door and the Diet of Worms (it isn’t what it sounds like) and the Wartburg. It’s important to us. The singing of “A Mighty Fortress” is important to us.

§  But why?

§  The reason, I think, is a change of focus. Quite often, humans like to do things for themselves. From our youngest days, we want to do it ourselves. We all know toddlers who rejoice in doing something for themselves without the help of a parent or an older sibling or a teacher. It’s a sign of maturity and independence. “I can do it myself” is the cry and being unable to do it for yourself is a sign of being less than we want to be or conceive ourselves to be.

§  The Reformation changed the focus from what we must or can do for God in order to deserve to be loved to what God is doing for us in order to show that we are loved without a question of deserving.

§  We all know that the Reformation in Luther’s time changed a lot of other things in the Church. The translation of the Scriptures into the language of the people, the idea of the priesthood of the faithful, the reform of the structures of the church were all done and were needed. There were times when those reforms went further than Martin Luther wished and he argued about them… and boy, could he argue!

§  All those things being what they are, the focus of the church returned to the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. The focus returned to the grace of God, God’s saving action in Christ, the centrality of faith for the Christian, and the embodiment of the love of God in the lives of those Christians. All those practical reforms were done to refocus the church on the Gospel.

§  Paul’s words tell us much: For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… All have sinned; all are now justified by grace as a gift. We have not earned it or plucked it out of the air or built it for ourselves; we’ve received it as a gift.

§  Can you believe it? It is hard to grasp, especially since we’ve spent our lives working to deserve, to be worthy of, to hold, or to earn so much. How could something so great as reconciliation with God fall into our laps without us presenting the ledger? How could something so wondrous as redemption come to us as a gift?

§  Yet there it is. The questions I mentioned a moment ago were asked in Luther’s time and are being asked in our time. The surge of the Reformation and its message are as much needed in our day as they were in Luther’s! It’s a constant failing of humans to desire to save themselves and place themselves on the throne of God. The story of Adam and Eve shows that, while the end of the Christian Scripture – the book of Revelation – ends with God’s heaven coming to earth… without our help.

§  So rejoice, even in our separations, for Good News comes to us every day and even every minute and So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) If the message and power of the Reformation is as needed in our time as it was in Luther’s, then its message and power is as present as it was then. The message is and remains one of freedom… as a gift and as a goal.

 there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

 

A Moment Aside for 23 October 2020

 

A Moment Aside ---- 23 October 2020

     What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.  So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. 

(Matthew 18:12-14)

     The parable of the lost sheep may seem ridiculous to us. In any business, a 1% loss would be considered “overhead” and an acceptable “cost of doing business.” Then to abandon 99 sheep to search for one would be a dangerous path to follow and the height of folly. While the shepherd was out looking, the 99 could wander off, or they might be attacked by wolves, or they might be stolen by some other unscrupulous shepherds working in the same area. If there were hired shepherds left in charge, they might wander off themselves or desert the flock ‘way out there somewhere.

     Of course, Jesus is not discussing business or shepherding as a career. He is speaking again about the Kingdom of God and what that would be like.

     One of the other things about this parable is the reality of how we look at it. We could look at it from the vantage point of an observer. Then we might wonder about the wisdom of not accepting a 1% loss in product. We couldn’t imagine some coffee shop being upset if one coffee a day were dropped or spoiled. That sort of loss might be acceptable and even expected. But the parable is not set up to be told to neutral observers.

     If we take the view point of one of the 99 sheep left behind to fend for themselves or left behind in the care of some hired hand who has no investment in the herd as a whole. We might be scared, like the sheep who are herded by Border Collies in some display at at fair. (Well, they seem to me to be scared.) We might be angry and annoyed or ever jealous that the shepherd would spend so much time and energy on one lost critter. Oddly enough, these feelings are human feelings applied to sheep; who knows how sheep might feel about such things! We’re applying human emotions and motivations to parable animals. But that’s what we should do.

     Lastly, if we take the role of the lone lost sheep… that makes all the difference, doesn’t it? Were we lost, lonely, hungry, scared, wouldn’t we want the trusted shepherd to find us? If we apply human emotions again, wouldn’t we find ourselves amazed and comforted by the concern of that shepherd? This is the view point that tells us the REAL story of the parable. Will the Good Shepherd take the time and trouble to find us? Are we considered worth the time and effort? Will he continue to find us when we’re lost?

      Well, yes. That’s the point of the parable. The answer is “Yes!”

A Moment Aside for 20 October 2020

 

A Moment Aside ---- 20 October 2020

     We tend to think of faith as a static thing. Maybe we see it as a virtue that permits us to hold to things that we cannot see. Maybe we see it as a banner we hold up to follow or even as “a pillar of fire/cloud” as we read of in the book of Exodus. Faith could also be a sense of well-being, of being chosen by God.

     This photo illustrates the idea of faith as a bridge and implies that our lives are a journey. Whether we go from “here” to “there” or from cradle to grave, we are on a journey our whole lives long. That journey may have led us to some very strange places, some interesting place, and one or two boring places. Still a journey is movement and our lives – even if we feel they are static and unmoving – remain a journey… a pilgrimage… or maybe a wandering.

     Faith, however we concieve it, is our way of life and our “bridge” from here-and-now to what-is-to-come. If we are aware of our movement toward God, we can realize that this bridge leads to where God is taking us.

     We might not all believe that God has a plan for each and every moment of our lives. Some of us may have surprised ourselves with what we’ve done, where we’ve been, and how we’ve fared along the way. Our lives may have been on a direct trajectory like that of a rocket ship, while some of us have taken sharp turns, side trips, rough roads, or even break-downs along the way. Despite all of these, faith reminds us that God has been with us in all that. Maybe God was not always happiest with our decisions, side trips, or sight-seeing, but all of those things did not change God’s companionship with us. (It might have been a bit harder to see at times, but still there and it has been our vision that was obscured.)

     Maybe God does not have each and every step of our journey plotted out. Maybe God accepts our limping and our variable pace. What God does have planned out is the goal of the journey, the destination. That is where the bridge leads and where the other end of the bridge is anchored.

     No matter where we are on our journey, no matter how far we might feel we have to go, where God is taking us is in our best interest. Yes, some of us might have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to the destination. But once there, the view back will be so interesting and so enlightening. We’ll see how God has been with us every step of the way.

     If we are looking for light on our journey, we’ll find two lighted area. First, light shines on the next step of the journey, but often no further. Second, light shines on the destination and in that we have hope. Faith is the journey; hope is the road map; love is what sustains us on the way.

A Service of Word and Prayer for 18 October 2020

 

Oration the 20^th Sunday after Pentecost

Sovereign God, raise your throne in our hearts. Created by you, let us live in your image; created for you, let us act for your glory; redeemed by you, let us give you what is yours, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

 

Oration for Thanksgiving

Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

First Reading: Isaiah 45:1-7

1 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him-- and the gates shall not be closed: 2 I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. 4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides me there is no god. I arm you, though you do not know me, 6 so that they may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is no one besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. 7 I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe; I the Lord do all these things.

Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13]

1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

    tell of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations,

      his marvelous works among all the peoples.

4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

      he is to be revered above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

       but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honor and majesty are before him;

       strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,  

       ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

       bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor;

       tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, "The Lord is king!

       The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.

       He will judge the peoples with equity."

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

       let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

12 let the field exult, and everything in it.

       Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

13 before the Lord; for he is coming,

       for he is coming to judge the earth.

       He will judge the world with righteousness,

       and the peoples with his truth.

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:15-22

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" 21 They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

…Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's.

·         Should we warn Jesus that the question put to him is a trap? No, he already knows it. Doesn’t he say Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? He knows that the question is primed and set for trapping him.

·         A simple thing like taxes is what is involved. We pay income taxes and sales taxes and property taxes. All of those are far more than the denarius coin used by the Romans for tax collection. We say that taxes are the price of civilization, paying for roads, schools, health care, and so many other things. What did Roman taxes pay for? Mostly for the pay of the army, the imperial government, and the emperor’s household.

·         Now Jesus is faced with a decision. He knows the trap is before him. The coin is Roman with the emperor’s image and title on it, which would be blasphemous to the Jewish people of the time. The title proclaims the emperor to be divine, no less than a god, and the image could be called a “graven image” and a violation of the Mosaic Law.

·         If Jesus agrees that the tax is lawful, he’s siding with the Roman Empire which occupies the land with repressive force; he’d be a traitor to his own people. If he declares the tax is unlawful, he’s committing treason against the Empire and is liable for punishment and maybe even death as a rebel.

·         What Jesus says is a variation on “Don’t waste my time with this trivia.” If it’s Caesar’s coin, let him have it back. Be sure then to give to God what is God’s… which is everything!

·         It’s interesting to note that the Pharisees who raised the question with Jesus simply walked away. Matthew wrote They left him and went away. They weren’t interested in what Jesus had to say and they were not drawn to him. Their retreat shows that their intent was to trip him up, not to hear his wisdom.

·         Here we see religion and politics mixed and that is a nasty cocktail any time. We’ve seen it in our own day and in the recent past. Wars, persecutions, and pogroms can all be tied to it. There’s no real need to name them. Our ancestors knew them well and many here have seen and known them first-hand. (My own ancestors faced it, although it was different than your ancestors’ problems. They spoke the language but were despised by so many.)

·         The trouble comes from the fact that our politics are the way our faith is lived out. As disciples of Jesus, our code is what we call the Beatitudes. (Blessed are the poor…) There is the call and the basis of the Kingdom of God. The coin serves that call and that Kingdom. The problem comes when we confuse the kingdom present and the Kingdom Coming. The Kingdom of God is seen in the politics that protects the most vulnerable, although that is not always the case in reality. The Kingdom of God is about love of God and love of neighbor; the kingdom present (often called “Empire” by some) is about itself.

·         All this can be tough to talk about. The affairs of church and state can be very complex. Our earthly lives as both disciples and citizens can be confusing at times as we appear to walk a tightrope. We have to learn to handle things in real world situations where things are not so cut-and-dried as we might like. There may be times when our discipleship conflicts with our citizenship, and none of us like that.

·         There is no simple solution to this issue, except to say that we remain disciple of Jesus Christ living in the present moment in this place. We may have to live with some tension.

·         One person wrote a note a number of years ago. He works as a comedian and is a devoted Christian. The insight of this man – Stephen Colbert – should make us think and wonder. It is worth hearing: “If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we’ve got to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that he commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.”

·         Through it all, never forget that God is with us every step with grace and mercy for all. And we follow Jesus’ advice.

 …Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's.

 

Service for 18 October 2020

 

Good morning!

Sunday's Service of Word and Prayer for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost (18 October 2020) will be held on YouTube at 11:00am this Sunday. Here is the link:

The 20th Sunday after Pentecost

I hope you'll join me then.

God be with you!

Pr. John

A Moment Aside for 15 October 2020

 (Due to the holiday and a few other factors, I'm running behind, so I've "borrowed" this from Pr. Doug Reble, the assistant to the bishop. I found it worthwhile and I hope you will too.)

What is there to be thankful for?

Posted: October 15, 2020 

It’s every year. Every year.  Every year the big family get togethers. Every year the kids come home from university or community college, and banks and stores and businesses for the most part take the day off. Every year there are favourite foods and second helpings and third helpings that you have to loosen your belt and lay down and take a nap. Every year.  Except this year.

   We celebrate Thanksgiving every year and in Canada we have been celebrating since 1921by an Act of Parliament. If you have a perpetual calendar and enough patience you could figure out the exact date when Thanksgiving would be celebrated for the next hundred years.

   So here we are,celebrating a national holiday,a day of overeating and television  watching and hikes and drives to take in the fall colours and catching up with the relatives. Here we are celebrating a national holiday, despite Covid-19, even in church. You have to wonder why.

   It’s not in the Bible. Jesus and his disciples didn’t sit around a long table and eat turkey and cranberry sauce every fall. It’s not part of the ancient tradition of the church, either.

   Thanksgiving is not a religious celebration. It’s a national holiday. You don’t see people going to church on July 1or Remembrance Day unless it falls on a Sunday. So why do we celebrate Thanksgiving in church?

   We are in church on Thanksgiving, in person or online, because a day set aside for giving thanks raises an inescapable question. To who, exactly, are we giving thanks? You give thanks to someone. We teach our children to be polite and respectful. We teach them to say “Please”, when they ask for something, and to say “Thank you” when they get it. Yet you can get a gift and use that gift and love that gift without ever saying, “Thank you.” Giving thanks isn’t about the gift. Giving thanks is about the giver. You say “Thank you” to someone. Saying “Thank you” acknowledges that there is another person involved. Giving thanks establishes a relationship. If we as a nation are giving thanks over this weekend, Covid or not, then somewhere wrapped up in all of it is the question of whom we are thanking.

   Now we Canadians don’t always acknowledge this but the first well­ known Thanksgiving celebration took place in Massachusetts among the Pilgrims in 1621,and there was no question whatsoever as to whom they were thanking. They were thanking God. It was a day and a feast set aside for the express purpose of thanking God. The colony was new and survival was anything but certain. Colonial settlements had collapsed or given up or just plain vanished. The colonists had learned to adapt to the climate of their new home. They were in good shape, with enough shelter and enough food to survive the harsh New England winter. The colonists were Puritans, a conservative group of Christian believers. God had clearly blessed them and they knew it. They had been taken care of and given gifts, so they gave thanks.

   But that was 1621. What about 1622? What is somewhat less well known is that there was no Thanksgiving celebration in 1622. The harvest was not so good the next year and so the colonists were going into the winter with more fear and much less security. The Puritans had concluded that God had not chosen to bless them that year and so a feast of Thanksgiving would not have been in order. To the Puritans, Thanksgiving was not an automatic celebration that happened every year in and year out no matter what. They gave thanks in times of plenty. They repented in times of want.

   But we are not the Puritans! Unlike the Puritans, we celebrate Thanksgiving annually. That in itself, raises another question. If we are thankful every year, right on schedule, then what is it we are giving thanks for? Not every year is a good year. Given Covid how would you rate 2020? Sometimes things are going great for ourselves, our loved ones, our country. Sometimes there is health and happiness everywhere you look. Sometimes there is peace and plenty. Sometimes, but not always.

   There are other times when serious matters like climate change, and racial injustice, and political strife, and most especially a pandemic called Covid-19 dominates our thoughts and our days and our headlines. These days are filled with worry and sickness for some, dysfunction and anxiety for others. Yet here we are in October and Thanksgiving still comes.

   So what is it that we are giving thanks for this year? Do we give thanks for our material blessings? Absolutely we should and absolutely we do, although good fortune comes and goes. Do we give thanks for the people that we love and that love us? Of course, we do, knowing well that families and friendships have good times and bad, that people come into our lives and people move out of our lives. Tragedy and heartache can come upon us at any time. We don’t know what will happen. Whoever foresaw this pandemic last October?

   And what makes us so certain that there will be something to give thanks for next October? Why do calendars come already printed in the confidence that there will be reason for gratitude next year? There is, in fact, a rather simple answer to that question. We schedule Thanksgiving every year because there is no doubt that there will be something to be thankful for every year.

   Dear friends in Christ, even in the midst of catastrophe, even in the midst of a pandemic, there are blessings. Is this just optimism? Is this nothing more than a perky, Pollyanna attitude?  A happy can-do attitude? No! We can say with certainty that we will always have blessings to count because we know what those blessings are. God loves us no matter what and God loves us most perfectly in Jesus Christ and that God cares for each of us to the core of our being. That was true last year and it’ll be true next year. All of us are God’s children. All of us.  Always there is mercy. Always there is life. God gives us purpose. God gives us a future. We are never alone. God gives us each other. God opens our eyes and opens our hearts and gives us the strength and the will to care for each other.

   Whether we have much or whether we have little these things don’t change. When our hearts are joyful and when our hearts are breaking, God always loves us. God never forsakes or forgets us. We are never abandoned. We are never alone.

   So, my friends, let us give thanks. Let us give thanks with our words or in the silence of our hearts. Let us give thanks with our time. Let us give thanks with our thoughts and our emotions and our love for our neighbour. Always,every year and every day and every minute,we have reason to give thanks.

   In the name of the God who loves us all. Amen.

Rev. Douglas Reble
Assistant to the Bishop

Service of Word& Prayer for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost/Thanksgiving

 

Oration the 19^th Sunday after Pentecost

Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out your life with abundance. Call us again to your banquet. Strengthen us by what is honourable, just, and pure, and transform us into a people of righteousness and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

 

Oration for Thanksgiving

Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

 

Additions to the Prayers of the people:

·         For our bishops, Susan and Michael, and all who are given authority in the Church, let us pray…

·         For Trinity, Windsor – Pastor Mike Lees

, and for the ministries of Trinity, let us pray…

·         For all the needs and prayers we hold in our hearts…

(a time of silent prayer)… let us pray…

            Amen.

 First Reading: Isaiah 25:1-9

1 O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. 2 For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you. 4 For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm, 5 the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place, you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds; the song of the ruthless was stilled.

6 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. 7 And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. Then 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.

9 It 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.

 

 

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;

            he leads me beside still waters;

3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

 

Second Reading: Philippians 4:1-9

1 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. 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

 

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:1-14

1 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.

·         This parable of the wedding banquet a king holds for his son’s wedding seems odd at times. There’s disappointment, rejection, violence, and one guest who is removed by ‘security.’ Yet even this strange story reflects the grace of God… somehow.

·         The one thing I want to avoid here is to equate the original guests and their refusal to attend with the Jewish people. This has often been done and it’s led to discrimination and even atrocity. That is not the way I want this to go, just so you know up front.

·         This parable remains a parable of grace. Despite initial rejection, the party will go on. Others will be invited and will join in the celebration.

·         Look at it from their point of view. Matthew says Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. Imagine sitting on the curb or window shopping or taking a message from one field to the other and you’re stopped by an agent of the king who says “You there! The king is inviting you to his son’s wedding banquet! Let’s go!” You think to yourself “Me? Well, why not?” and off you go… and to the palace no less!

·         The invitation did not depend on your financial status, on your looks, on your race or colour, on your country of origin, or even on your morality. After all, the servants gathered all whom they found, both good and bad. That’s how grace is; it’s not really picky. As someone once told me “Grace takes you where it finds you, but it doesn’t leave you there.”

·         Once inside the banquet hall, some other trouble comes around. One of the guests is not properly dressed. I’ve wondered how you could be “properly dressed” in a wedding robe if you came in off the street or out of your farm field. Some commentators say that the robes for the wedding were provided by the one who threw the party. Others say this is not the case. In any event, the fellow was not ready for the banquet in spite of his being there. It is often implied that he refused the garment. So the attendants are told to Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness… and out he goes because many are called, but few are chosen.

·         So that is that to you and to me? Do we live our lives in fear and trembling lest we step out of line and risk getting chucked into the outer darkness? That sounds like more than the bun’s rush out the door to be dumped in an alley; it sounds like something theological and mystical and mythological! It’s meant to sound that way, since we’re talking about far more than court etiquette or polite company.

·         To you and to me, the word is “grace” and the prescription is “trust.” In the face of all the suffering we might have endured… of all the sin we’ve been involved in… of our own self-image, gentle or harsh, it is the grace of God – unmerited, unearned, and unchanging – that is our salvation and our hope. Our trust in that grace could be an explanation for the wedding robe; if the fellow refused it, we see where it left him. Of course, there are many other ideas as to what the robe might stand for. Gratitude? Joy? Who knows?

·         God’s merciful invitation of grace to the wedding banquet is offered every day. It has been given to us and we are responding to it despite sin, fear, pandemic, persecution, limitations, and troubles. Like those brought in from the highways and byways by the king’s servants, we have gathered, ready or unready. At the very least, we can be joyful that we are gathered at the banquet.

·         When the banquet is over (if it is really ever over), we continue our lives, but as changed people. After all the king invited us to his Son’s banquet! No so much because we were special, but because HE is.

·         Grace takes you where it finds you, but it doesn’t leave you there.

Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.