St. John the Baptist Anglican Church - Duncan St. John the Baptist Anglican Church - Duncan
St. John the Baptist Anglican Church - Duncan is live
Pentecost 8 Abrgd
Guest Speaker
Sunday, July 31, 2022
Scripture
Playlist

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:  

     Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.  

Matthew 5.3

O Come, Let Us Worship

Collect: 
Almighty God,
your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry with
the bread of his life and the word of his kingdom.
Renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.    Amen.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

 Luke 12.13-21 

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.

 “Building Barns”  

******************************

Travelling across the prairies.

Along with the abandoned grain elevators, which have now nearly disappeared off the landscape, a second prairie sentry is the farm silo.

If you look closely, you will discover that most of these silos have been abandoned.  Looking even closer, you will notice the farm has been abandoned.

I am not saying these silos were built to store up grain for years to come, or for the ‘lean’ years. At the same time, they were seen as an opportunity to prevent feed spoilage.

The flip side of this type of storage is the feed bunkers, the like of what you see here in the valley among our dairy farmers. When you pass by Porter’s Dairy on the highway, you see the evidence of these bunkers.

One of the great examples of “failed” fortified fortresses in the world is Masada; located in the Southern District of Israel. (When we travelled to Israel, this was ‘a must’ on Flo’s bucket list. Flo had read the historical background sometime prior.)

What is Masada?

Masada is an ancient fortification, situated on top of an isolated rock, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert. It overlooks the Dead Sea to the east. Herod built two palaces for himself on the mountain which he fortified between 37 and 31 BCE.

Herod was sure he could create an isolated, self-sufficient community. The geography of the mountain supported this, with steep cliffs 400 m on the eastern side, and 90 m on the west. Herod built a 4-meter-high wall (casement) around the plateau, totalling 1300 m, including many towers.

Included were storehouses, barracks, an armory, a palace, and cisterns refilled with rainwater. There were three narrow paths leading up to the plateau.

What Herod did not count on was just how accessible and ingenious the enemy may be. They were able to build a pathway up the west side and, with aid of a battering ram, invade.

On a side note: this is one of Israel’s most popular tourist attractions, with an average of over 750,000 visitors a year.

A perfect backdrop for our Gospel today.

Jesus tells this parable of the rich fool to teach us about greed, about storing up beyond our needs.

Jesus, with this parable, advises against storing up possessions, rather than “storing” up our spiritual knowledge in God.

Jesus uses the illustration of the wealthy farmer who has an abundance of produce. The problem is: the storage barns will not hold it all. What will he do?

The farmer gets this “AHA” moment: ‘I know what I will do. Rather than sell it at a reduced price, I will build bigger barns, store it up, and then when there is a famine in the land, I will sell it at top price to the less fortunate.'

OK! I know that is not what is written; yet it is what was likely on the mind of the landowner.

Not only is it about profit. It is also about status. After all: he is a shrewd businessman; and is it not true, we all admire the rich businessman?

Well, yes, with some hesitation. The decision made; the rich farmer sits back in his remote rocking chair, in self-admiration, saying to his soul: ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years. Relax, eat, drink and be merry'.

BUT.

Recently a language psychologist, speaking on the use of words, advised in using “but” with caution in a discussion, as it tends to shut the conversation down.

Possibly, Jesus uses it here for just that purpose. Let us listen.

'BUT God said to him, ‘You fool!
This very night your life is being demanded of you.
And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Jesus concludes this parable. The world has not changed. The wealthy farmer is a fool because he assumes his security is dependent on his wealth, and all the “stuff” he has surrounded himself with.

At the same time, God says he is summoning his soul. In a moment, all his hopes and dreams vanish. God asks the rhetorical question: “And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

Truth is: we cannot take it with us. Who knows who will be the benefactor? Jesus gives this advice: “So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God” (verse 21).

Jesus tells us, the wise person is the one who is “rich toward God.” Reading further in this chapter, we would encounter Jesus instructing the disciples, the community of faith (us today), ‘greed versus trusting God to provide for our needs and not to worry about life.’  

Luke 12: 22-26  
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Consider the ravens:
They do not sow, or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.
And how much more valuable you are than birds!
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?
Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?'

The question:

Is it about building barns, or is it about building our spiritual relationship with God?

The question goes deeper. It applies to all of society, not just the Christians, not just the church, not just the government, or the large or small businessperson.

As one scholar correctly points to Proverbs 11. 24-25.  

“Some give freely, yet grow all the richer;     
others withhold what is due, and only suffer want.
A generous person will be enriched,     
and one who gives water, will get water.”          

Chris Haslam, Anglican Theologian, makes this observation:
‘Now he instructs both them, and his disciples, on the importance of a proper relationship with God. No one should selfishly amass wealth to the exclusion of spirituality.’ 

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let Us Pray

Trusting in God’s extraordinary love,
let us come near to the Holy One in prayer.  

Our response today:
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

O God, you are wholeness.
Where there is division in your church, bring reconciliation and healing.
Guide the work of theologians, Sunday school leaders,
seminary professors, and all who provide
instruction for the building of your church. 
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

O God, you are the source of all life.
Where creation cries out in distress,
bring relief and renewal.
Bless farmers, ranchers, distributors,
and all who provide our food.
Nourish the land and all its inhabitants. 
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

O God, you are wisdom.
Where nations and communities yearn for peace, bring justice. z
Strengthen those who toil for the welfare of others,
especially police, first responders, military personnel,
activists, and for the healing of the nations. 
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

O God, source of all wisdom and understanding,
be present with those who take counsel in Lambeth
for the renewal and mission of your Church.
Teach us in all things to seek first your honour and glory.
Guide us to perceive what is right;
grant us both the courage to pursue it,
and the grace to accomplish it.
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

O God, you are life.
Where your people are overwhelmed with the busy-ness of life,
bring encouragement.
Accompany all who experience emotional,
mental, or physical distress.  
In our parish:
Roy & Gail; Daryl and Sue; Maureen; Geoff;
Jay; Joseph; John; Carolyn; Mark and Family;
and those on our hearts.
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.   

Abounding in thanksgiving, we pray for this congregation.
Bless the prayer and fellowship ministries in this place.
We pray in thanksgiving for the leadership of Rev. Brian.
Call us together in times of praise and blessings,
trouble and sorrow, in your holy name. 
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

O God, you are our treasure.
Where scarcity and anxiety pervade your church,
bring abundance and vitality.
Guide the work of church councils and committees,
and give them clarity for the work of ministry in this place. 
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

O God, you are resurrection.
We give you thanks for all your saints.
Inspire us by their example of faithful living t,o set our minds on things above,
and to be rich in love toward you. 
Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

Receive the prayers of your children, merciful God,
and hold us
forever in your steadfast love;
through Jesus Christ, our holy
Wisdom. 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.

Eternal God,
grant to your Church the unity and peace that we have tasted
in this eucharist: the fruit of your life-giving Spirit.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, the 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