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2nd Sunday after Pentecost

Guest Speaker

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Scripture

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Pentecost 2, June 6/21 – Service of Morning Prayer

Today's Scriptures:

1 Samuel 8.14-11, 16-20

Psalm 138

2 Corinthians 4.13-5:1

The ruler of this world shall now be cast out; and when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself. John 12.31,32

O come let us worship.

Gathering: T

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

And also with you.

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 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As we gather, we recognize that we live, work 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.

Hymn: Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father Copyright Protected. Unable to post lyrics.

1st Reading: 1 Samuel 8:1-4, 16-20

Samuel has ruled Israel, under God, for many years. Now an old man, he has handed power on to his sons, but they are corrupt and pervert justice.

2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Paul has written that he proclaims Christ rather than himself, despite what some opponents claim. He realizes that in his human weakness, he needs the salvation made available through the death of Jesus, so that he can be alive in Christ.

PSALM 138

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,

for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.

When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.

May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD, when they hear what you have decreed.

May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.

Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;

though lofty, he sees them from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.

The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever—

do not abandon the works of your hands.

God of creation and fulfilment,

help us to seek and discover your purposes,

that we may become willing instruments of your grace,

and that all the world may come to love and praise your name,

in the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Gospel:

The Lord be with you.

And, also with you.

The Holy Gospel according to Mark 3:20-35

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

--and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.

When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind."

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons."

And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come.

But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

"Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter;

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"--

for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him.

A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you."

And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"

And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon:

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

Welcome Back and Stick Around

Today we say, "welcome back St. Mark."

We have been away for some time now from reading from the Gospel According to Mark in the Sunday liturgy.

At the same time, we all wait for the moment we can stand, or I can stand here at St. John the Baptist Duncan and say, “Welcome Back.” I am sure there are others who may be not as anxious to return as others. At the same time, I hope we will all be like the “WEEBLE.” Some will remember from their childhood or from the toys their children had the famous Weeble. I am not sure if it was Fisher Price or not. At the same time, as I remember it, it was nearly indestructible. It did not matter how many times you tipped it over, it always sprang right back to its upright position. Kind of like watching a cat jump from heights. They always land on all fours. I also recall one other toy our daughter had as an infant—the “red apple”, which with the slightest touch would make a sound, peculiar to the toy itself. We ended up with 2 in our house. It so happened it was one toy which always ended up in our RV on vacation. It did not matter how we stored it, the ringing sound was always evident. ….. Possibly the one other long-lasting toy for many families was the infamous "Red Flyer" wagon. I remember ours had “stock racks!” Who knew these toys, among others, would have such a lasting effect?

As we begin to think about re-opening our worship spaces, I wonder will we be as faithful as the “weeble”, will we “bounce back”?

Someone observed lately, will we also not fall down on the commitment to our baptismal vows. Paul writes to us today in 2nd Corinthians :

“16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Paul shares some life lessons with s today:

1st: Don’t lose heart.

When the going gets tough, stick with the ship. Throughout this Pandemic, I have been consistent in encouraging each one of us not to lose heart—not to let the Pandemic rule our heart and soul.

At the same time, we must acknowledge life is at times hard. At the same time, we are called to stand alongside of each other.

A number of years ago, The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer introduced a program of having “Along-siders” in prayer.

It is easy to become discouraged and, certainly, Paul would have had good cause, yet at the same time he says: “Do not lose heart.”

2nd: Focus on the task at hand.

“Fix our eyes on what is seen, not on what is unseen.”

When, when we do return to that ‘normal’, whatever that normal will be or look like, we need to look to the task at hand.

We will need to look to rebuilding a community.

Parts of our community will be different. Now, I know some may say, “you mean there is a difference if I should reference my hair cut pre-covid and what has happened during covid”? Thanks to Flo, I have never looked so good!!!!!!

In the Book Study we are engaged in at the moment, I believe, it is in many ways, about being available in the moment--being Christ in the moment. As we have lived over the past many months, I am sure we have all asked ourselves, “How can the Lord use me today?” As we begin to prepare for the summer, it is a question which will have even further significance.

3rd: Trust in our Heavenly Father.

I shall always remember the advice of a very wise person when I was leaving home for my 1st job, (which would become a 16-year vocation in municipal administration.)

I was nearly ready to unpack the car. (In that day I could move all I owned in one small car with a mattress strapped the roof). Expressing my fear, this person said, “GO, go and do your best and never give up in believing in yourself.

Then he added: “You must do your best and work hard at it.” – Why did he have to say that? I guess he knew me better than I thought. To learn to trust in God and to obedient to his Spirit leading us. Once again those haunting words from the Epistle today: Believers in Jesus, do not lose heart.

At the same time, let us not forget we have those moments when we “wobble” like the “weeble”, that we DO bounce back.

In our Psalm Prayer today we prayed:

God of creation and fulfilment, help us to seek and discover your purposes,

that we may become willing instruments of your grace,

and that all the world may come to love and praise your name,

in the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Along with that, there are the affirming words of Psalm 23. I recommend it for your reading this week.

What about the “stick around?”

I am sure you may have thought I had forgotten this part of my title. As I say,"Welcome back," I am also saying, welcome back to the Season after Pentecost—the longest Season of the Liturgical Year—from now until Advent.

We begin today with the Gospel of Mark. One of the 1st quotes we have from Jesus is this: “A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you."

And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

Today we say ‘Welcome back’, ‘Stick Around’.

Welcome back to this season of Pentecost, and stick around, because I am sure the God of surprises has surprises in store for us.

As we would hear in the “Prayer Over The Gifts” today,

"We are to be, and will need to be, the new Adam, in the days forward."

Imagine what God may have in store for us!

Thanks be to God! AMEN.

Hymn: My faith looks up to thee, thou Lamb of Calvary Public Domain

My faith looks up to thee, thou Lamb of Calvary,

Savior divine: now hear me while I pray,

take all my guilt away,

O let me from this day

be wholly thine.

When ends life's transient dream,

when death's cold, sullen stream

shall o'er me roll,

blest Savior, then, in love,

fear and distrust remove;

O bear me safe above,

a ransomed soul.

Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say,

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers of the People

Let us offer our prayers to the source of all love and life, saying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

Merciful Lord, we pray for all who call themselves Christians: that we may be come a royal priesthood, a holy nation, to the praise of Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for Anna, our bishop, and for all bishops; we pray for Rev. Brian, Rev. Ted, and Rev. Heather. We also pray for Rev. Dawna Wall—St. Michael & All Angels—Royal Oak; and Bishop Lynne McNaughton, Diocese of Kootenay.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for Elizabeth our Queen, for the leaders of the nations, and all in authority: that your people may lead quiet and peaceable lives.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the City of Duncan, the Cowichan Valley and those who live here, the poor and the rich, the homeless, the mentally ill, the elderly and the young, men and women: that you will show your goodwill to all.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the victims of our society and those who minister to them: that you will be their help and defence.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those preparing for baptism, for those recently baptised, that they may be strengthened in the faith.

Lord, hear our prayer.

In our Parish, we pray for God’s healing touch for: Roy & Gail C., John R., Steve M., Geoff E., Daryl & Sue G.

We ask in faith: Lord, hear our prayer.

We give thanks for all the saints who have found favour in your sight from earliest times, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and those whose names are known to you alone: and we pray that we too may be counted among your faithful witnesses.

Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.

Today's Collect:

O God, you have assured the human family of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Deliver us from the death of sin, and raise us to new life in him,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for the Children who Never Returned Home from the Residential Schools:

Vibrant God,

Your creation explodes with the colours of the rainbow!

Your peoples reveal the beauty of diversity.

We remember today, when the joy and dignity of a precious child was destroyed.

We lament today for the childhoods lost through the residential school system.

We mourn for the spirits crushed, and the futures compromised.

Celebrate the hope and joy of every child.

Tell the stories of resistance that make us stronger.

Build the bonds of solidarity to ensure “never again!”

In the name of the one who was child among us Amen.