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:  

  My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
          I know them and they follow me.           

John 10. 27

O Come, Let Us Worship

Collect: 
O God, our defender,
Storms rage about us, and cause us to be afraid.
Rescue your people from despair; deliver your sons and daughters from fear; 
and preserve us all from unbelief;
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who live and reigns with you, and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Collect for the National Indigenous Day of Prayer, June 21, 2022
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 8. 26-39 

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.

 Here We Go Again 

Two weeks ago, we celebrated Pentecost – the receiving of the Holy Spirit, the birthday of the church, our birthday into ministry.  

Then last week, we celebrated Trinity Sunday. On that day, after having received Communion (gift of Holy food for the journey), we prayed:

“may we who have received this eucharist worship you in all you do…”  

In our prayer after communion today, we will pray these words:

'Guide and protect your people who share in this sacred mystery (ministry)
and keep us always in your love.'          

The Gospel ends today with this short dialogue with the man who has just been healed of demons:

8:35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man, from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
8:36 Those who had seen it, told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed.
8:37 Then, all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So, he got into the boat and returned.
8:38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying,
8:39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So, he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. 

We to need to consider these six words from Jesus: 'What God has done for you'.  

First, let us consider for a moment, the one word we all have difficulty with, in this scripture – ‘Legion’: A ‘Legion of Demons’  

In one of the most extraordinary demon-encounters in the Bible, Jesus doesn’t just face one demon, but thousands.

When Jesus, and the other disciples, got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. When Jesus asked the demon what its name was, the demon replied, ‘My name is Legion… for we are many’.  

In common usage, a legion was the largest unit in the Roman army. At that time, a legion averaged about 5,000 fighting men, though it could have thousands more or fewer.  

Legion is a demon, or group of demons, particularly those in 2 of 3 versions of the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac, an account in the New Testament of an incident in which Jesus performs an exorcism. And he answered, saying, ‘My name is Legion: for we are many.’ (To put  this verse in context) ‘And, they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.’   

Who Is Legion in The Bible?  

Legion, in the Bible, is a man possessed by demons. His encounter with Jesus changed his life.

Like so many others that Jesus seeks out to save, he was out of hope. He was beyond the help of human hands, no one could save him, no one could set him free- until Jesus stepped foot on that shore.  

We don’t know much of Legion in the Bible’s back story, or what happened to bring him to this place. We don’t know how many people had tried to help him, or where his family has ended up.   Instead, the Bible introduces us to a tortured man desperate for a savior.          

There is a part of me who wants to say, “What we do know is Jesus simply performed the ministry he was called to do.”          

Sounds quite simple, does it not?          

Back to my title for today: Here We Go Again.  

My reference is to one of my favourite hobby horses, when it comes to ‘ministry.’  

This is affirmed by Jesus, in the Gospel for today, when he says to the person healed: “Sorry buddy, you are not coming with me. You need to stay here, and share what this transformation in your life has meant to you.”          

Or, in the words of our Lord:
"Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you."
So, he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.          

The early parts of the Season after Pentecost have some of my favorite selections from the Common Lectionary. They truly are about ministry, evangelism, and stewardship of our lives, in the proclamation of not only what Jesus has done. It is also about what Jesus is doing for us, for myself, at this moment.          

Truly, it begins with Pentecost, or Pentecost is where it all begins: our birthday into ministry.   This was followed by “may we who have received this eucharist worship you in all you do…”          

Then, to be followed up with this direction given to this new disciple today – ‘stay here, this is where your ministry is.’          

All of this speaks volumes to us in our lives today.  

We might ask, ‘why did Jesus do this’?   For, in other parts of the ‘Jesus-ministry,’ often following a person’s having a spiritual experience with our Lord, he says, “Now go away, and don’t tell anyone.” 

In this case, Jesus says, ‘go home and tell your family, your neighbor, your community’ – reminder of the hymn: Go Tell It on The Mountain. 

Back to the why.

1)    Jesus knew the man would be an effective witness to those who knew his previous condition and would attest to the miraculous healing.

2)    Jesus wanted to expand his ministry by introducing his message into this Gentile area.

3)    Jesus knew that the Gentiles, since they were not expecting a Messiah, would not divert his ministry by trying to crown him king.  

When God touches our lives, let us not be afraid to share the wonderful events with our family and friends.          

In case you are wondering about the pigs: no, I am not going to go there.  

Blessings in this time of summer, this time of venturing forward in ministry.          

Our bishop talks about this being Liminal time.

Jesus, today, suggests it is not time to sit around.  It is time....Here we go again..forward into ministry.  

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let Us Pray

United in Christ and guided by the Spirit,
we pray for the church, the creation, and all in need.  
God of grace,
Hearour prayer.  

You hear the cries of the earth.
Restore places where land, air, and waterways have been harmed.
Guide us to develop, and implement, sources of energy and food production
that do not destroy the earth.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.  

You hear the cries of those who are marginalized, or cast out.
Guide us continually toward the end of oppression in all its forms.
Bring true freedom, and human flourishing, to all your beloved children.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer. 

You hear the cries of those who suffer.
Come to the aid of all who are homeless, naked, hungry and sick.
Especially in our parish:
the family of Elsie; Roy & Gail; Daryl & Sue; Jay; Maureen;
Steve; Geoff; Sheila; Jay; Joseph, and Steve.  
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.  

You hear the cries of those who celebrate, and those who grieve, on this Father’s Day.
Nurture mutual love and tender care in all relationships.
Comfort those for whom this day brings sadness, or longing.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.  

We give thanks for the faithful departed, whose lives
proclaimed all You had done for them.
At the last, unite us with them, as we make our home in you.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.  

God of every time and place; 
in Jesus’ name, and filled with your Holy Spirit,
we entrust these spoken prayers, and those in our hearts,
into your holy keeping.   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.

Almighty God,
guide and protect your people who share in this sacred mystery,
and keep us always in your love;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.    Amen. 

The Doxology:

Glory to God,
whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.  
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and Christ Jesus, for ever and ever.  Amen.   

The Blessing