As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the traditional, unceded lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People. 
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.     

Call to Worship:

Blessed is our Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
who has revealed these things to the simple.    

O Come, Let Us Worship.

Gathering

Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Collect for Today

Almighty God,
Your Son, Jesus Christ, taught us that
what we do for the least of your children,
we do also for him.
Give us the will to serve others, as he was the servant of all,
who gave up his life and died for us,
but lives and reigns with you, and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.    Amen.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30  

Sermon:  The Ven.  Brian Evans

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of
our hearts be ever acceptable to you, O Lord.  Amen.

“Hearing the Message” 

Don’t you just love the real world as lived out in the Scriptures?

Today all four (Scriptures) are filled with real life.  

Genesis is about going off to find a wife.

Not, I am sure, all men found our spouse coming to the well to draw water, OR, that in my case, with all due respect of Flo, I am not sure if I asked her to water my camels, she would have readily agreed.

Also, not mentioning the other traditions of that day--of what would have happened following the watering of a camel.

The Psalm, written for the occasion of the wedding of Solomon, we suspect; it is also a prophesy of Christ and his bride, the Church.

It is at that time, that the Church will praise him through all generations, the Psalmist assures us.   In v. 16-17 we read:

In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons;
you will make them princes in all the earth.
I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations;
therefore, the peoples will praise you forever.  

How true these words continue to be.

In Romans, Paul deals with the whole idea of being born again, as Paul often does.

What Paul discovers (and I might suggest, we all discover) is: on this journey of being born again, it is a lifelong journey.

Paul often uses words like, "it is like running a race."

I would suggest, more like a marathon.

-OR-

As we read in 1 Timothy 6:12

"Fight the good fight of the faith.
Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 

Today, I am wearing my Cursillo stole.  

I wear it in reflection, particularly on this part of the Scriptures, where we talk about it being a way of life, we talk about it being an on-going journey, not simply  one moment.

If you are familiar with the Cursillo weekend, you will know that we talk about the 4th Day, which is the day after, the tomorrow, the next day, and the day after, and the day after that…that continuing journey of experiencing "life with Christ".

Paul is so interesting.

Literally he leaves no stone unturned. Repeatedly, Paul reminds us: no one in the world is innocent. We are all sinners.

I know. That sounds harsh.

At the same time, it is truth. 

The positive in all of this, is that we have Jesus Christ, who is doing, has done, the work of salvation for all of us.

Now, to hear the message of the Gospel, the Good News of our salvation. We could simply end with these words:

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. 
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”            

That is all very nice and very comforting, except!  

I know. I always have an “except”.            

This week, I had the pleasure of reading the story of a person who married a Canadian soldier, while he was on duty in England.   

Much to her surprise, arriving in Canada and brought to a very rural community, to discover: she was one a few who spoke English. Her new family basically only spoke Ukrainian.

At first, the task at hand was hard and difficult, very labour-intensive; while at the same time, struggling with a language barrier. In our 21st century context, we would see her burden as ‘heavy’.

At the same time, she quickly discovered: by participating in the many community services, she soon fit in and was a part of the community.

The last portion of our Gospel today speaks of two kinds of people: the so-called “wise” (we might say 'the know-it-alls'). Then, there are the little children: those who are open to hearing the truth of God’s Word.

The question for us, even long-time Christians, is: "Do we remain open in seeking the truth, as a child is open to listening to the stories you share?

I have always enjoyed “time with the children” in worship. Their attention and openness to hearing lessons from God’s Word is always encouraging.  What continues to amaze me is, some who are now mature, young adults, will say, "Fr. Brian, I remember you said…

And, I want to say, "I said what?"

Or, are we among those who are wise in our own eyes?

I know, I do not describe what a yoke is in the sense of a part of the harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen.

Nor, do I need to describe that.

When you see one, the first thought to comes to our mind is: heavy, hard work, or burden.

Jesus uses this simple wooden object as a metaphor for us, who may carry burdens of sin, excessive demands of our time. Demands which often we see as coming down from those who have dominion over us. 

Or, it could also represent people living in oppression and persecution; subjects we heard a variety of expressions in June. Our burdens could also be people simply looking for a relationship with God. While they are searching, some fear the burden.

Our gospel today concluded with these words: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”.

The NIV Life Application Bible shares these words of wisdom for us: Jesus frees people from all burdens. The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labour. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.

May we always hear that message.

The message we hear today is the same message from so many generations ago, and the most recent generation ago. Jesus lifts the burdensome yoke of life from our past, and the ones here today from our hearts and shoulders.   We are free to live this life with a sense of easiness. Each day of our lives, God gives us his grace and love over our shoulders. So, that we walk on in discipleship, commitment, and relationships, in love.   The message we hear, today, is about new life, new hope, and a new self. 

Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Let Us Pray

Confident that God receives our joys, and concerns,
let us offer our prayers for the church,
those in need, and all of creation. 

God of the covenant,
you call all ministers to proclaim
your gospel of grace throughout the world.
Inspire pastors, deacons, church musicians, and all ministers of your word,
especially, Rev. Brian, Rev. Trish, and Ginette, as they carry out our work.

Hear us, O God:
Your mercy is great. 

God of all creation,
you reveal your goodness through all you have made:
rivers and seas, plants and animals, and endangered species.
Prosper the work of conservation organizations,
botanical gardens, zoos, and wildlife sanctuaries.

Hear us, O God:
Your mercy is great. 

God of compassion,
you bring healing to those who are sick;
consolation to those who are grieving;
and well-being to those who are distraught.
Send skilled caregivers to all in need,
and make your presence known to
those in need of your healing touch.  

We continue to pray for:
Roy & Gail; Daryl & Sue; Roy; Jay;  Sheila; Sharlene;
Yasmine; Roberta; David; Tom & Gloria; and those on our hearts. 

Hear us, O God:
Your mercy is great. 

God of the nations,
you desire that all the peoples of the world live in peace.
Guide government leaders at all levels--
national, provincial, and local--
to work for justice, mercy, and reconciliation. 

Hear us, O God:
Your mercy is great. 

God of rejoicing,
you have brought us together this day,
to worship around Word and Sacrament.
Encourage children in their learning and growing,
and watch over those who are absent today.
Lead us all to places of renewal, and refreshment. 

Hear us, O God:
Your mercy is great. 

God of all faithfulness,
through the witness of the faithful departed,
you reveal love in action.
Embolden us, by their example,
to build up the beloved community,
in all the contexts we encounter. 

Hear us, O God:
Your mercy is great. 

Into your hands, O God,
we commend all for whom we pray,
in the name of the one who reconciled
all creation to himself: Jesus Christ, our Saviour.  Amen. 

As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us fom evil.  
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
forever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer after Communion
O God,
May we, who have shared in this time together,
accept the holy that you give to us,
through your Son, Jesus Christ, 
May we never fail to serve you in your world,
and may we so come to the fullness of joy;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen. 

The Blessing: 

The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and
love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you, and remain with you, always.  Amen. 

May we go in Peace,
to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Amen.