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:  

 Let your countenance shine upon your servant and
teach me your statutes.  

  Psalm 119. 135 

O Come, Let Us Worship

Collect: 
Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people,
that richly bearing the fruit of good works,
we may, by you, be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

 Luke 14. 25-33

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.

  “Counting the Cost” 

When I was being sent out to my first parish, Bishop Morgan reminded me of this quote from Scripture: Put Your Hand to the Plow and Don’t Look Back.

Jesus replied, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.

Luke 9.62 NIV          

In this instance Jesus is speaking to the community about discipleship.          

There is a great Gospel Hymn by Brandon Heath with the title: No Turning Back.

The first verse and the refrain go like this:  
'I have decided   ----   I called out his name ------ I’m following Jesus now and    ----   He knows the way I made up my mind   ----   I leave it behind ----   No turning back    ----   No turning back---- I’m moving on    ----   Not looking back ---- I’m giving him  -----    All that I have -----No turning back     --- No turning back.'

Recently in the news in relation to Employee – Employer relations, a new expression is emerging: 'Quiet Quitting.'

When I first heard the term, not being familiar with this new expression, I presumed they were speaking of people leaving their present employment.

Wrong!

This is about protecting the worker from burnout.  

During COVID, we have become more aware of the true cost of work.

‘Quiet Quitting’ means 'when you leave work for the day, you simply shut off your computer and you do not look at messages over the weekend, or after you get home on weekdays'.          

Today, Jesus’ message is about the “cost” of discipleship.          

The cost of discipleship is not unlike the cost of citizenship.   Some examples:

• Garibaldi offered his people only hunger and death to free Italy.
• Winston Churchill told the British people that he had nothing to offer them but “blood, sweat, toil, and tears.

Jesus spoke of the necessity of total commitment.
Reminds me of my visit to Bishop Short prior to seminary. His remark: 'Brian, are you prepared to do this 24/7 the rest of your life.'

You Must Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me. 

Did Jesus know what lay ahead?

• Andrew died on a cross.
• Simon was crucified.
• Bartholomew was flayed alive.
• James (son of Zebedee) was beheaded.
• The other James (son of Alphaeus) was beaten to death.
• Thomas was run through with a lance.
• Matthias was stoned and then beheaded.
• Matthew was slain by a sword.
• Peter was crucified upside down.
• Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows.
• Phillip was hanged.

I am sure you are thankful I have shared all those ‘positive’ details with you.  

What about John: he was exiled to a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.  

Hearing these statistics, we may be tempted to believe Jesus’ expectations, and the cost of following him, are extreme.

We could say, “But this does not happen today.”

Except it does.  

What it does remind us: Christianity is not just a Sunday morning religion.

Jesus’ words may appear harsh.

At the same time, his words are very true to the test of time.          

Imagine for a moment. Jesus addressing this large crowd who were following him.

Jesus stands up and proclaims: Luke 14:26-27

 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother,
wife and children, brother, and sister,
yes, even life itself, cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry my cross and follow me, cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus follows up this statement with a reference to cost: Luke 14. 28

“For which of you, intending to build a tower,
does not first sit down and estimate the cost,
to see whether he/she has enough to complete it.”          

With reference to the question Bishop Short inquired of myself, I am not sure how the discussion went between I and self on the hour-long drive home.

At this point, I can only imagine!  

I believe what Jesus is asking us to do is: to consider our priorities in life, and the priorities we have established.

I don’t know about you: each day I get up with the best of intentions. Then those ‘priorities’ we have established intervene.

This is not to suggest all my/our priorities are in error. For certainly we all have many great priorities. Or at the least, good intentions.          

Recently, when dining with a friend it was pointed out to me, a group in a booth across the diner had just bowed their heads in prayer.

The person remarked how they had never seen that before. 

Obviously, this was a priority in their lives.          

I recently came across a statistic calculating how a typical life span of 70 years is spent.

I will not drag you through the whole list, 9 in total.  

• Sleep = 23 yrs --32.9%
• Work = 16 yrs --22.8%
• TV = 8 yrs --11.4%
• Eating = 6 yrs --8.6%
• Travel = 6 yrs --8.6%
• Leisure = 4.5 yrs --6.5%
• Illness = 4 yrs --5.7%
• Dressing = 2 yrs --2.8%
• Religion = 0.5 yrs --0.7%           

Obviously, the list was pre-IT days, for the electronic screen time is not included.

At the same time, it does remind us of just what our priority is for our spiritual matters.          

In addition to priorities, Jesus reminds us of the cost.  

Jesus uses the illustration of building a tower.

Jesus says, 'if you do not then you may be seen as a fool when you run out of money with the tower only half completed.'   

The third item on Jesus’ list, in addition to setting our priorities, and the cost, is the big question:

• Are we willing to pay the price?  

When I started this sermon, I did not plan for it to be a stewardship sermon. Somehow it has grown into one.          

With the thoughts of stewardship in mind, three thoughts:

1. What would the church, we know today, have been if those first disciples had not made those ultimate sacrifices?
2. What would this parish be today, had our ancestors/elders not made the sacrifices they made over time?
3. What will the 'church of the future' be if we are faithful in carrying the cross of eternal life?  

We will recess today to the hymn, Lift High the Cross …

Lift high the Cross, the life of Christ proclaim,
till all the world adore his sacred name.

Worlds to be born and children yet to be,
come, take up this song in-to eternity.  

The good news is: among our priorities, cost, and paying the price, we never walk alone.

We always are walking with Jesus. There is no need to count the cost!  

Thanks be to God.  Amen.

 

Let Us Pray

As scattered grains of wheat are gathered together into one bread,
so let us gather our prayers for the church,
those in need, and all of God’s good creation.
Our response today:

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

We pray for the church around the world,
and for the mission of the gospel.
Refresh the hearts of your people,
deepen our understanding of every good thing we share,
and strengthen our partnership in the faith. 

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

For the well-being of the earth and all its creatures;
for trees and forests; for all that will yield fruit this season;
and for streams and other bodies of water. 

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

For the nations and those in authority;
for the elected leaders of our Cities, Provinces and Country;
and for international organizations.
Grant wisdom to those who govern, and raise up citizens who make decisions
in the best interest of their neighbours. 

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

For all in need:
for those who suffer from disease;
who struggle with homelessness or food insecurity;
for those whose family life is difficult, and for all, in this community, who need your care.
In our Parish:
Roy & Gail; Daryl & Sue; Maureen; Geoff; Jay;
John; Carolyn; Joseph; and those on our hearts. 

God of grace:
Hear our prayer.

For this community of faith:
for all our labours-begun, continued, and ended in you -
that they glorify your holy name.
Bless your people with the strength to live into their many vocations, for the sake of the world. 

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

We give thanks for the saints, who now rest from their labours.
Give us faith, like them, to love you with all our hearts, and by
your mercy, bring us to everlasting life. 

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

Gathered together in the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit,
gracious God, we offer these and all our prayers to you;
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.

Father,
your word and sacrament give us food and life.
May we who have shared in holy things
bear fruit to your honour and glory;
in the name of 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