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:

I am the vine,
you are the branches,
says the Lord.
Those who abide in me,
and I in them,
bear much fruit.

John 15. 15

O, Come.   Let Us Worship.

Gathering:

Alleluia! Christ is risen. 
The Lord is risen indeed.

Collect for Today:

Almighty God,
Your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another and walk in the way of his commandments, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

John 15. 1-8 

Sermon:  The Ven.  Brian Evans

“The Obligation of Being a Branch"

Interesting: Last week I titled my remarks about being a servant in the Church or being part of Christ’s mission in the church. Part of that is servanthood, and along with servanthood is obligation.

And so, I ask three questions today:

1. Who brought you to the water?

2. Who told you the stories of God’s love?

3. When has ‘life in the vine’ shown you unexpected fruit in what seemed like “wilderness”?

One of the more popular trends now is the study of family heritage. Along with this is the question, “where did I come from?” or “what are my roots?” “What is my background? Where did my family originate?”

When I turned to the assigned scriptures for today my initial response was sort of ‘Dejà-vu.’, because just last Saturday I preached on this gospel for the funeral of Roy Elvins.

Roy’s family had a variety of references, metaphorically speaking, of Roy being the vinedresser and his family the vines or branches. 

As a pastoral leader in the community, to have four generations represented in the church was such a special moment. Even the youngest 2-month-old, whose mother remarked afterwards was the best behaved of them all! 

Discerning family we have these references:

• The vinedresser (the main supporting branch).

• The Church/Parish family, and how we have many branches, and how Jesus, our Lord, is our vine-dresser.

• Our personal family.
  All the vines branching out from the main trunk. The very root of our being.

Today, we have the gift of 4 great readings, as we do each week. Each one this week is richly familiar to us. They are like sitting at the feet of our elders, listening to their story of life, discovering how their story has infected our lives.

The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is one of those we have heard so often and is one of the great moments in the Church, particularly as it pertains to baptism. It prompts the question, “what do I have to do to be baptized?” 

For myself, this incident where Philip and the Ethiopian are travelling down the road, come to some water. The driver stops the chariot, the Ethiopian, and says to Philip: “here is water, why can’t I be baptized right now?”

There are moments I think, “what might happen if a person was to stand up in the middle of a regular worshio service on a Sunday morning, and say, “I want to be baptized right now!”  

What would our response be? How shocked would we be? Would we be apt to say, “well, I’ll talk to you after Church!” Or would it be, “Let’s get some water, put it in the font, and have a baptism!”

Because what is there to stop us from doing this wonderful sacrament, and giving this gift of life: the life-giving waters of baptism?

It is an interesting phenomenon to think about.

There is further meaning to this scripture, though.

We might want to consider the situation of this person in the community. It asks us to consider the situation of how we deal with “others” in our communities, or our newcomers, or our faith family. 

This reading gives us an opportunity to observe some of the dynamics of community. 

We would do an injustice if we didn’t acknowledge it is the outsider who does the inviting. The eunuch is the one who says, ‘Jump in, Philip, come along and I will give you a ride!’

Scripture does not say it in those words, but for me, it is one of those great moment of the Holy Spirit, and how the Holy Spirit enters into the scene. It’s not visible, but is there, in the background. It is obvious.

Did Philip plan to teach a lesson on theology of baptism at that moment? Not likely. Yet it happened.

We are told the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53.7, where we hear:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb silent before the shearer, so he doesn’t open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation. For his life is taken away from the earth.”

I find it interesting, that among the many “branches on the vine”, these two are given to us today, and they represent so much about of what we are.

First of all, we have one who is searching, or a seeker.

If we study the dynamics of the place of the Ethiopian in this particular time in history, we have a person who obviously is seeking community, looking for acceptance, looking for reception: one who would like to be welcomed. 

The other branch is Philip, who is eager to tell the story.

Philip is looking to share a gift—the gift of faith, the gift of life, the gift of baptism, as it so happens.

It is sort of like--if you spend time in the forest, you’ll find often, where two branches have been grafted together, from two different trees. In this instance, Philip and the Eunuch are grafted together, in one common faith.

Years ago, The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer introduced a program called “Along-Siders.” The goal of the program was to bring people together to share life’s story and to be a friend; to be a listener, to be an acceptance. 

It is obvious this is what has happened in this scene today.

These readings today have so much to say about ministry and about community. They give us lessons on:

• Generosity – the invitation to come alongside, to climb up, and to generous sharing of the Gospel.

• Humility – of opening ourselves up to the “other” and sharing, as we would see it read from 1^st John, which is a reminder for us, as it comes in the Collect for today, of the gift of love and being generous in humility in loving others.

• Wisdom - Wisdom in this story is to humble yourself, to ask for guidance. (Sort of like “Leave It to Bryan” in the home improvement shows, where the people humble themselves to ask for help.)         

What unfolds is truly amazing to our experience in life.

First, there is new Christian—Philip, who can hardly wait to share about Jesus. Second, the person who has opened his heart to hearing, the Ethiopian.         

We could be amazed at Philip’s willingness to perform a baptism. On the one hand we may question, “is it that easy?” 

The truth is, yes. Philip rather than proposing a series of questions (which if the wrong answer is given should prevent the baptism) simply takes the man into the water and baptizes him.

Illustrating for us that the Holy Spirit is alive and well!         

I have a propensity to see these moments as a big picture form, like a movie unfolding and  transpiring and transforming the community watching, and what that meaning is for us, in the world!          

As we go through life, we have the opportunity to see the possible or the impossible.         

When we see the impossible, we are like being in the wilderness.

The great gift of the wilderness though is: the opportunity to see or experience the possible; the opportunity to be one of the branches created to bear fruit.

So, what at first appears impossible, foreign, or unexpected, need not daunt us. 

If we can catch the vision, then we can catch the vision of the Divine. 

Our Lord is always present to catch our sorrows and suffering, so we can catch the fullness of our baptismal vows.

For remember: God sends us teachers and baptizers. God sent those people who introduced each one of us to Faith.

Those three questions:

1. Who brought you to the water?

2. Who told you the stories of God’s love?

3. When has “life in the vine” shown you unexpected fruit in what seemed like wilderness?

Being faithful in opportunities today--as our elders have in the past--will give opportunities for future generations.

May we always reach out with a branch destined to become ‘more than we can ask or imagine’: those encouraging words we hear each week in our Sunday service.

Thanks be to God, 
Amen.        

Let Us Pray

Rejoicing that Jesus is risen, and love has triumphed over fear, let us pray for the Church, the world, and all those in need of good news. 

We pray for the Church around the world, for all ministers, and for the mission of the gospel. Keep all the newly baptized, and confirmed, in your care. Cleanse our hearts with your word and help us to abide in you always. 
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.

For the well-being of the earth and of all created things: for rivers and lakes, streams and estuaries, melting glaciers and polluted waters. Renew the face of the earth and shower us with your goodness. 
God of grace,
Hear our prayer. 

For the nations and all those in authority: for local, state, and national leaders, for elected representatives at every level, and for international organizations, that justice and peace may reign.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.  

For all those in need: for any experiencing homelessness or unemployment, for those fleeing from oppression or seeking asylum, and for all who are ill or suffering. 
In our parish this week, we especially pray for: Gail C.; Sue G.; John R.; Sheila S.;  and those on our hearts, naming them now aloud, or in the silence of our hearts.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer. 

With thanksgiving for the saints who rest from their labours. Help us, like them, to bear much fruit and to become your disciples, and at the last, bring us to that heavenly banquet where all will feast together at your table. 
God of grace,
Hear our prayer. 

Into your hands, most merciful God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your abiding love; through Jesus Christ, our resurrected and living Lord.   Amen.

As our saviour taught us to pray, we say:

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. 

In our closing hymn this week, we are going to sing that wonderful hymn:
Come and Journey with a Saviour.
It’s an opportunity for us to share in community, journeying together in the love of God.

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 may the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you, for ever.  Amen.