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:  

  Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom and healed
every infirmity among the people.   

Matthew 4. 23 

O Come, Let Us Worship 

Gathering
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 Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Collect for Today
Almighty God,
by grace alone you call us and accept us in your service.
Strengthen us by your Spirit, and make us worthy of your call;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.  Amen. 

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

Matthew 4.12-23

Sermon:  The Ven.  Brian Evans

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

       “Saying ‘Yes’ to Christ” 

If you were 29 ‘again’, what would your dream job be? You are allowed to dream big.

• A golf ball diver. (the job does exist!)

• A golf cart driver.

• Water slide tester.

• Online ghostwriter.

• Bed tester.

• Toy tester.

• One which has become more common in the past few years:

  A line stander (where you stand in line to hold the place for someone else and get paid).  

Did you find your dream job in that list?  

Or would it be—to share in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers?

That is the first job you committed to at your baptism.

We might say ‘I was only a baby.’

Undoubtedly you are correct. Except those who stood alongside of you with your parents, made a commitment to bring you up to know Christ; to know and to experience the message of the Gospel and know the ministry that you are committed to as a Christian…          

And, in case we may have missed it, the same question is asked of us at our Confirmation.

Enter the gospel for today:
Jesus has moved to Capernaum to begin his public ministry. Prior to this we are privy to some of Jesus’ history.

Of particular note, his time in the wilderness.
While in the wilderness Jesus is tempted by the devil. We know the three scenarios.

• Turning stones into bread.

• To throwing  himself down from the pinnacle of the temple.

• Third, the gift of all the kingdoms of the world if he will worship Satan.  

We know Jesus does not fall victim to any of those temptations.  

The question might be for each one of us.

When did we begin our public ministry?

I spent some time thinking about the question this week.  

When did I begin my public ministry, keeping in mind the background to Jesus’ public ministry.   As you are aware, I am fond of metaphors. In my reflection on Chapter 12 of Matthew’s Gospel, I could see Jesus’ experience in the wilderness as a metaphor for my own life. Where the challenges of ministry are, or where is our focus for our public ministry? 

I found myself asking: When did my public ministry begin?

• At my baptism, or my confirmation?

• Teaching Sunday School in my high school years?

• As a Lay Reader in the Church, which at that time was more like a Deacon today.

• Or my announcement that I would leave my first vocation to attend seminary?

To spare you an endless list, was it the day of my convocation, and being appointed to ministry at St. Alban’s Cathedral in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan?  

What is so fascinating, and fascinating in Jesus’ time in the wilderness and his encounter with Satan, is he refused to use his divine power to his own human needs.   He refused to use his divine power to his own human needs.           

This statement needs to be the focus of each Christian, and of every minister, deacon, priest and bishop.

Living into our baptismal ministry is not about our personal gain, or advantage.     

One time I heard a Bishop ask, "So...what is your calling?  What is your first duty?  What is your first responsibility? And where are your gifts to be shared?     

Jesus reminds us over and over again: it is not about him, not about me.          

I suspect our first reaction to Jesus calling of the first disciples is how quickly they said, YES.

They may have only been 29 and was this the dream job they were looking for? Were they looking for a career which would involve travel, being away from family, possibly to face persecution. At first sight there does not appear to be many fringe benefits.          

Here they are, ready to leave what at the time we understood was lucrative fishing jobs to follow a person first known to be a carpenter, with a new idea; a collector of words and now a rabbi.

(Personal note: from a tax collector to an ordained minister [rabbi].) A commitment which would be 24/7, 365 days of the year. I said yes.          

Talking about dream jobs, and what the result could have been, I share these with you:

• Actor, Tim Roth turned down the role of Snape in the Harry Potter movie series.

  He acknowledges how much money he could have made, how popular he could have been.

  At the same time, he knew the series would generate tons of merchandise.

  You know t-shirts, toys, action figures, an endless list and he said he didn’t want to be found in lunch boxes for the rest of his life.  

• Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings because he didn’t understand the story line. HIS WORDS: “I still don’t understand it.”            

Two possible reasons the first disciples, and disciples to this day,  continue to say yes:

• They understood the storyline.  
  They understood following Jesus means living an abundant life--maybe not on 21st century terms, but in a new way. 
  Think about it for a moment, it really is an abundant life in so many ways.

  In following Jesus, we gain a sense of belonging, of purpose.

  A life that makes sense of the world.

• Reason number two:

  They said 'yes' to Jesus is because they would have an opportunity to lead others to a new level of understanding and abundance like never before.          

Our response to these two reasons might be, "Really! Do you truly believe this? "

A true story.   A number of years, ago a young man came to our region fresh out of seminary with not just a bachelor’s degree, not just a master’s degree, but also a doctorate degree in theology.

The region was very rural and he  had come from a far more urban setting.

At first, he thought about his academic skills, and how they would be put to use in this rural setting.  

It was not long, though, when he shared how he discovered the real ministry of the gospel and how he was filled each and every day with an abundance of ministry experiences.   He had truly discovered the abundant life.          

Every day, we have the opportunity to build a life centered on our own agenda—or we can aim to create a life around the life of Christ. The real success, is when we can combine the two--making for a truly fulfilling abundant life. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, making us worthy of the call. 

Thanks be to God.  Amen. 

We respond in the words of the Apostles' Creed
Our statement of faith:
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. 

Let Us Pray

Called together to follow Jesus, we pray for the church,
the world, and all in need.  

Make your church one in purpose,
proclaiming the message of the cross.
Help us to work together across differences.
Energize ecumenical partnerships,
including the World Council of Churches,
and other Ministries in our community.

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

We rejoice at the bounty of your creation.
Fill the land and sea with your abundance.
Bless harvests in the southern hemisphere,
and fallow fields in the northern hemisphere.
Equip farmers to till, and keep the earth sustainable. 

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

In Christ, your reign comes near and calls us to repentance.
Break the rod of the oppressor in every nation.
Dispel the shadow of death in places of war and persecution.
Grant us leaders who lift the yokes that burden those in need. 

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

You incline your ear to all who cry to you.
Be a stronghold for those in trouble, and a rock for all who are afraid.
Rouse communities to care for neighbours who need shelter,
are facing maltreatment, or are isolated and lonely.  

We continue to pray for those in need, particularly in our parish:
Roy & Gail;  Les; Daryl & Sue; Roy; John; Daryl & Joyce; Sheila; Carolyn;
Flo; Catherine; David; and those on our hearts.  

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

Sustain the ministries of this congregation, and all churches in this community.
Nurture each congregation’s unique witness to your presence.
Foster mutual respect.
Inspire our cooperation in loving our neighbours. 

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

We praise you for the faithful who have gone ahead of us,
both famous and unknown.
Help us to leave our nets and follow, and bring us,
with them, to the fullness of your promise of eternal life. 

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

We bring to you our needs and hopes, O God,
trusting your wisdom and power,
revealed in Christ crucified.   Amen. 

As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art 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 as we forgive those who tresspass against us.
And lead us  not into temptation, but deliver us fom evil.  
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever.  Amen.

Gracious God,
our hands, at worship take holy things;
our lives have been nourished by the body of your Son.
May we continue to be strengthened for service in your world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord.    Amen.

The Blessing

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, 
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you, always.  Amen.