St. John the Baptist Anglican Church - Duncan St. John the Baptist Anglican Church - Duncan
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Pentecost 14 abrgd
Guest Speaker
Sunday, September 11, 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:  

 There is joy before the angels of God
over one sinner who repents. 

Luke 15.10 

O Come, Let Us Worship

Collect: 
Almighty God,
You call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.    Amen.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

 Luke 15:1-10

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.

  “Finding Peace in Adversity” 

 On Wednesday, this week we read from I Corinthians 7. 31 For this world in its present form is passing away.            

On Thursday, I reflected upon the mass killings a week ago today.
I ended that Reflection with this quote:

“Chief Joyce Naytowhow-McLeod and Chief Tammy Cook-Searson congratulated the group and commended them to rise above adversity and look after themselves, as well as serve with all their hearts.’
Please join me in prayer.”
The two chiefs were addressing 9 newly ordained deacons in the Diocese of Saskatchewan.         

Today, we have 3 significant Scripture passages about finding peace in adversity.  

The first is from the prophet Jeremiah.
It is obvious to the prophet: God is angry with the leaders and people of, in this case, Judah for their failure to follow the ways of God. Or what we may describe as God’s Holy Law.            

The scene described for us is very desolate: it speaks of total destruction. There are these words 4:26

“I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger.            

At the same time, there is still hope:

“The whole land be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. 

The Letter to Timothy continues in this idea of salvation in Jesus Christ; the ideal of hope for the world. The portion we read this morning is a prayer of thanksgiving.            

Some background to Timothy.
Timothy would have grown up in what we would call ‘a godly home.’ His mother, many of his relatives, were people of faith. He would have been influenced by their lives. This life would have shaped him.            

Therefore, Paul in writing to Timothy, shares of what Timothy knew. Paul shares with Timothy the values of what they would have both learned/experienced in their formative years.            

When Paul speaks words of thanksgiving for the grace of God in his life, and how this grace from our Lord, overflowed in him, which would assist him in recognizing the faith and love that is available for us in Christ Jesus.            

Our reading today ends with this great test of time saying: 17

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.”               

Words reflected in one of the great hymns:  

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.  

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.             

Paul affirms, for us, his experience of how God intervenes in our lives, giving us hope. How God’s mercy, grace gave him faith in the living God, Jesus Christ.            

What is unique about this living God is, this God is not just for those of us inside these walls this morning. God loves even those who may never grace these walls/pews inside this church building. God is the same God Jesus speaks to us about within three parables this morning.            

It is not unusual for Jesus to teach with a story or 2, but 3 is not Jesus’ normal practice.
This may indicate the significance Jesus’ vision is on this message of grace and love:
God’s unconditional love for each person.            

We enter the scene today, where once again the religious leaders are grumbling about Jesus. Jesus’ response:            

‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.
Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’  
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.’

‘Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’”            

The people who count words would tell us in these 8 verses of scripture there were 5 mentions of either “joy” or “rejoicing.”            

There is a story of a young woman, Katie, who at the age of 18, moved to Uganda to work with children in poverty.

Move ahead in time.
She has married, has 15 children, 14 of which are adopted.

One day one of her young girls asked, “Mommy, if I let Jesus come into my heart, will I explode?            

The response: ‘of course not.’            

Thinking about her response, Katie, possibly recalling some of the teachings of Paul, was reminded of how when we come to understand the love of Christ, everything in our life changes. We read in scripture how we become a new creation in Christ.            

Katie goes back to her daughter and explains: ‘when Jesus comes into our hearts … we will explode with more love for others, with more compassion, and with more joy.

(Jennifer Benson Schuldt, What Really Matters:  Faith, Hope, Love: 365 Daily Devotions from Our Daily Bread (p. 303). Discovery House. Kindle Edition.)            

Back to my title, “Finding Peace in Adversity.”            

I am sure there are many in the world today, not just in the James Smith, and Weldon, communities in Saskatchewan, living with a sense of adversity. Living, looking for peace in their lives.            

The Psalmist today writes: ‘Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”’ 

The commentator in my copy of the NIV Life Application Bible writes:

Sometimes all we need to do is talk over a problem with a friend to help put it into perspective.
In this Psalm, the phrase “how long” occurs 4 times in the first 2 verses, indicating the depth of David’s distress.
David expressed his feelings to God and found strength.
By the end of his prayer, he was able to express hope and trust in God.
He helps us regain the right perspective and gives us peace.            

On Thursday,I wrote: Please join me in prayer.            

May we be always diligent in prayer for all who find themselves ‘in the midst of adversity’.
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. 

Your people receive mercy and your grace overflows in our lives.
Fill your church with faith and love,
and give understanding hearts to those who
work to strengthen our ecumenical
and interreligious commitments.   

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

Your creation groans as it suffers the impacts of pollution and lack of care.
As the seasons change, renew in us the will to protect plants, animals, and habitats.
Bless us with bountiful harvests that all may share.  

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

Your world is shattered and the nations rage.
Remember us in your mercy.
Teach wisdom to our elected leaders so that we know peace in our world,
peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts. 

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

Your children wander homeless and the hungry cry for bread.
Seek out those who are lost or lonely, anxious or depressed,
or struggling with addiction or illness
In our Parish:
Roy & Gail; Daryl & Sue; Maureen; Geoff; Jay;
John; Carolyn; Joseph; and those on our hearts.  

God of grace:
Hear our prayer.

Your work is done in this congregation with
our hands, feet, voices, minds, and hearts.
Build up the ministries of this community that
we serve our neighbours and
welcome the stranger in your name. 

God of grace:
Hear our prayer. 

Your blessed saints who have died
now rest in your presence.
Give us thankful hearts for those who have been
examples of faith our lives, and receive us with joy
when we come to share eternal life with you. 

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.

For the King
Almighty God, fountain of all goodness, bless our Sovereign 
King, King Charles III, and all who are in authority under him;
that they may order all things in wisdom and equity, 
righteousness and peace, to the honour of your name, and the 
good of your Church and people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the Royal Family
Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness,
bless, we pray, our King,
King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, and all the Royal Family.
Endue them with your Holy Spirit; enrich them 
with your heavenly grace, prosper them with all happiness; 
and bring them to your everlasting kingdom;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God of peace,
in this eucharist we have been reconciled to you and to our neighbours.
May we who have been nourished by holy things
Always have the courage to forgive.
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