As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the traditional 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:  

 You, my child,
shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his way.

Luke 1. 76

O Come, Let Us Worship

Collect: 
Almighty God,
you called John the Baptist
to give witness to the coming of your Son
and to prepare his way.
Give your people the wisdom to see your purpose,
and the openness to hear your will,
that we too may witness to Christ’s coming
and so prepare his way;
through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Collect for National Indigenous Day of Prayer

Creator God,
from you every family in heaven and earth takes its name.
You have rooted and grounded us in your covenant love,
and empowered us by your Spirit
to speak the truth in love,
and to walk in your way towards justice and wholeness.
Mercifully grant that your people,
journeying together in partnership,
may be strengthened and guided
to help one another to grow into
the full stature of Christ,
who is our light and our life.  Amen.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

 Luke 1. 57–80

Sermon:  The Venerable Brian Evans  

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

Prepare To Hear

Of interest on this Sunday: the Preface in the Eucharistic Prayer is that of Advent.

We may question this.

So, preparing to hear the challenge of John the Baptist and his call to ministry, we need to begin with John’s parents Zechariah and Elizabeth.

I am sure that when they knew they were about to be expecting a child, it was unlikely they had any idea this child would play such an important role in history.

I can only imagine the shock. In fact, the message was so shocking that we hear Zacheriah was struck speechless.

Not only were they going to have a child at such an elderly age, but he would not carry a family name.

Then to add to the shock, this child would be the forerunner to the one who would be born to their relative Mary—the one who would prepare the way.

It was like the plot was thickening.

Just when all things looked promising for their son (who we now know would be named John) he announced that he was leaving home—not such an unheard-of idea, as you become mature.

But he was simply not leaving home to go and work for a job and gain inherit money.

He announced that he was going to go off in the world and preach — but not just anywhere.

He was going to preach in the wilderness. And, he had chosen that  he would only be dressed in garments made of camel-skin and his diet would be locusts and wild honey!

I am sure they had not planned that for their son!

It does not look very promising, in one sense.

But at the same time, his ministry was not all that different from the work of the modern-day preacher. He would disturb 'the comfortable' and 'comfort the disturbed'.

I can say I have never really thought of my work as a preacher in such words.

At the same time, I am certain there were times when I have disturbed the comfortable and hopefully comforted the disturbed.

“Oh, if a book was to be written!

I can only imagine, when addressing the Sadducees and the Pharisees, the scene when John spoke to them and said:

“You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’

Luke 3:7,8

As the people were responding, in particular to the tax collectors and the soldiers, John says to them: “Extract no more than the appointed rate.”

John’s message spread far and wide and people made pilgrimages to be baptized in the Jordan and their sins were forgiven.

But for John, his character would be revealed in an even greater way.

His ministry would eventually point the people towards the one who was to come—Jesus the Christ.

And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” -Mark 1:7

At each celebration of the Mass, we hear these, or similar words:

“This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

In the BAS, we say “the gifts of God for the People of God.”

Those gifts are the embodiment of Jesus Christ, who takes away the sins of the world.

It is the moment when the priest proclaims the meaning in the words: The body of Christ. The blood of Christ.

Very simple words with great meaning.

Or 'Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world'– as we hear in the BCP.

And then, we distribute the Sacrament, and those wonderful words of comfort:

'The Body of Christ. The Blood of Christ.'

We might attempt to discount some of this as language and situations from a time long past. You might say, “It was different then.”

Was It?

We continue to live in a world in which we experience it is not popular to speak the truth or live by the truth.

All the saints and martyrs we recognize in the liturgies of the Church were servants of the Church who gave witness to Christ and the law of the two great commandments: to love God and love neighbour, at all costs.

These are women and men who sacrificed, who have been victims of oppression, who have stood in the witness box and proclaimed to the world “what (at the moment) was wrong."

These are the believers who have suffered for a cause.

These are some of the people who we witness daily in our new parts of life, and we witness in the news reels.

These are people, who like John have lived a life knowing the mantra “He must increase, and I must decrease.”John 3.30

Today is the day we have the opportunity to hear, once again, Zachariah’s proclamation of just how significant the Birth of John the Baptist is to the world: Luke 3:76-79

 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
 to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
    the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Those are words that each of us and every one of us need to be Prepared to Hear.

Because those are the words that we need to hear also.

Not just leaving it up to John the Baptist from 2000 years ago.

For we have had unto us passed an historical commandment—a historical commandment to prepare the way—to prepare the way for new people to hear the salvation of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let us not forget that the saints of the world are still striving for all people—still striving to proclaim the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour: the one who rose and became victorious over sin and gave us that salvation for our lives.

Let Us Pray

Drawn into the embrace of the holy Trinity, we lift our prayers for the wholeness of the church, the world, and all creation.

We pray for the church.
Clothe us in Christ. Shower us in mercy. Send us in love.
Strengthen the faith and witness of Christians across the planet and Christians in community.

God of grace,
hear our prayer.

We pray for creation.
Deliver the earth from disaster. Bring forth life amid uncertaintyInspire wonder at all you have made. 

Sustain all people who delight in the well-being of your creation: farmers, agricultural workers, gardeners, birdwatchers, conservationists, scientists, advocates, and policy makers.

And so, God of grace,
hear our prayer.

We pray for the nations.
Pave a way to justice. Drown the forces of oppression. Bring peace on earth. Give leaders the will to turn from war and violence.

We pray for peace for: Russia-Ukraine; Israel-Hamas; Syria; the Sudan; Lebanon; Iran.

Guide those who are fleeing from their homes to a place of safety.

God of grace,
hear our prayer.

We pray for people in need.
Satisfy all who are poor. Soothe those in pain. Accompany all who are sick. Give perseverance to each of us living with mental illness, and shield us from discrimination due to race, class, gender, or any other human distinction.  
We continue to pray for Sheila; John; Geoff; and those on our hearts.

God of grace,
hear our prayer.

We pray for this assembly.
Listen to our cries. Come to our aid. Make us one. Weave among us the fabric of belonging so that we rejoice in each person gathered here, and enliven our proclamation of how much you have done for us.

God of grace,
hear our prayer.

We offer thanksgiving for all people who have died in faith. 
Keep them in your peace. Comfort us in sorrow. Raise us to new life.
As we remember their faith and witness, may we trust your promise that we are yours forever.

God of grace,
hear our prayer.

Gather all our prayers in your mercy, O God, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Amen. 

As our Saviour taught us,

Our Father 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 we forgive those who tresspass against us.
And lead us  not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. 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.

Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Hallelujah!