Friday, June 26, 2020

How Long? Pleading with God



The Fourth Sunday of Pentecost

**Please note this service is based on the format of the Anglican Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) and the hymns from the Book of Common Praise (BCP). Other hymns and prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.

**Music selected by the team effort of Jeanne Kaye and Reverend Theo.

**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.

**This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.

Opening Prayer

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Through dreams and visions, O God, you broaden the horizon and hope of your people, that they may discover the meaning of your covenant, even in the midst of trail and exile. Increase the number of those who believe in your word so that all people may joyfully respond to your call and share in your promises. Amen. (Revised Common Lectionary Prayers)

Opening Hymn – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (BCP #354)

            Listen Here

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.

Collect for Purity

            Listen Here

The Gloria

            Listen Here

Collect of the Day

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you have taught us through your Son that love fulfills the law. May we love you with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, and may we love our neighbour as ourselves; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Readings

A reading from the Book of Genesis                                                        22:1-14

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be the God.

Psalm 13

            Listen Here

A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans                                   6:12-23

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.

When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn – Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow

            Listen Here

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.                  10:40-42

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon

The Book of Psalms is full of lament and complaint and Psalm 13 is no exception. Its plea of “how long” is full of a deep pain to which many of us, I’m sure, can relate.

Steve Bell’s song, as you heard during the Psalm reading, reflects the questions directed at God that are found in Psalm 13:

“Have you forgotten me?”

“How long will you hide from me?”

“Answer me, before I fall!”

“How long will I wrestle with my thoughts?”

“How long will I have sorrow in my heart?”

“Where are you, you don’t seem to be answering?”

I am sure that we have all asked one or more of these questions throughout our lives. And in today’s world, these questions are getting louder.

Looking at the world around us, it is easy to complain about the lack of God’s presence. So much hurt, so much death, so much anger and resentment.

I can assure you that God is present, God is watching, and God is hurting as much as we are.

When I read Psalm 13 this week in preparation for writing my sermon, my heart did not call out “how long until you are here, God?” My heart called out “how long until there is equality in the world?”

How much longer do we have to live in a world where people die meaningless deaths?

How much longer do we have to live in a world where people are discriminated against because of gender, race, culture, and beliefs?

How much longer do we have to live in a world where “white” people claim to be better than everyone else and continue to defend the image of a “white” Jesus?

How much longer do we have to live in world where we decide that one missing child or person is more important to find than another?

As I contemplated this Psalm over the last few days, a couple of items crossed my desk that I both wished I had in time for last Sunday’s National Indigenous Day of Prayer and am glad I saw them this week as they go well with Psalm 13.

One is an article that spoke about how some people are calling the residential schools a bogus genocide story and the other is a book called “If I Go Missing” by Brianna Jonnie.

The glossing over of history is not a new concept and it is important that we become part of the solution. We need to insist that history is learned, and learned properly from the right people, so that we can be a force of change. Especially when considering Canada’s relationship with Indigenous people.

The book “If I Go Missing” is an illustrated telling of a letter written from Brianna Jonnie to then-Chief of Police Devon Clunis. Brianna noticed that it took up to two weeks longer for the police to begin investigating cases of missing Indigenous peoples so she wrote the letter asking the police to “do better”.

All over the world, there are groups of people who are at risk. Because of their race, background, age, or orientation, their lives are seen by some as being worth less than those of others.

Women make up one of these groups. They have been oppressed through history and continue to lack a voice or fair treatment in many cultures. When women go missing, searches for them are often delayed or not as wide. Crimes against them often go unsolved and unpunished. And Indigenous people across the world face assumptions and stereotypes that put their lives at risk.

Violence against Indigenous women is compounded even more.

There have been more than 100 reports and inquiries related to violence against Indigenous women and girls, but no one knows for sure how many have actually been murdered or gone missing.

Many factors are in play such as issues of poverty, home violence and abuse, sexual violence and abuse, and addictions. These issues affect more Indigenous families than Canadian families as a whole and are a direct result of the Residential Schools, the 60s Scoop, and the relocation projects.

To claim that these events did not happen, that they belong to a bogus genocide, is ludicrous. These were government-led actions that removed children from their families and forcing them to learn a new culture, and that their own history, language, and lives were worthless.

While the facts are staggering, the conversation is shifting. Rather than victim shaming, the people of Canada are beginning to understand the tragedies of the past and the desire for reconciliation is gaining strength.

There is hope.

The plea of Psalm 13, in my heart, is a plea for equality. How long until we can all live in a world where all people are treated equally?

God has heard our plea, as the Psalmist’s plea was heard.

With trust and hope, we will rejoice again.

Affirmation of Faith

Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:

The Prayers of the People

(Here is a scriptural litany that contrasts the hope and confidence of the psalmist in Psalm 23 (in bold print) with the anguish and despair of the writer of Psalm 13 (light print). Be sure to take your time.  Read slowly, without rushing.  Allow space between the two voices. Following that is a prayer written by John Birch, and posted on his Faith and Worship website. Visit that site for many other excellent worship resources. http://www.faithandworship.com/)

O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
    The LORD is my shepherd;
    I have everything I need.
    He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
    He restores my soul.
    He guides me along paths of righteousness
    for the sake of his good name.

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!
Restore the sight to my eyes, or I will die.
    Even when I walk through the dark valley of death,
    I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
    Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
    You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies.
    You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.

But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
I will sing to the LORD
because he has been so good to me.
    Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
    and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

God, in whose love we live and move, we pray for a world crying out to feel loved, wanted, cherished and unique.

Heavenly God, source of all love

We pray for a world torn apart by conflict and war. A world that lives uneasily in a climate of fear with no clear vision for future days.

Heavenly God, source of all hope

We pray for a world that thinks less of others than of self. A world where division between nations, race, religion neighbour and family leads to distrust.

Heavenly God, source of all peace

We pray for a world that is short on happiness, too busy to enjoy this world you have created, too preoccupied with living to appreciate life.

Heavenly God, source of all joy

We pray for a world where spiritual longing is satisfied by fashionable notions and temporary solutions with no thought for tomorrow.

Heavenly God, source of our Salvation

We pray for a world that needs to know your love, your hope, your peace, your joy and Salvation. A world that needs to know it is special, unique and is uniquely loved by a Heavenly God. Amen.

Please take time to offer your own intercessions or to pray in silence.

Gathering our prayers together, let us pray as Christ has taught us,

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
And deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.

Confession and Absolution

Dear friends in Christ,

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy; God welcomes sinners and invites them to the table. Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.

            (Silence)

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we might delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Almighty God, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Prayer over the Gifts

**Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.

Let us pray.

God of wisdom, receive all we offer you this day. Enrich our lives with the gifts of your spirit, that we may follow the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, and serve one another in freedom. We ask this in his name. Amen.

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 in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing

The blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you now and always. Amen.

Closing Hymn – On Eagle’s Wings

            Listen Here

Dismissal

Go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

Thanks be to God.


Thursday, June 25, 2020

A Review of the Book "The Day the World Came to Town" by Jim Defede



Title: The Day the World Came to Town
Author: Jim Defede
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2002
244 pages

On September 11, 2001, the world came to a halt as two planes crashed into the World Trade Centre, one plane into the Pentagon, and one into a field in Pennsylvania. Everything changed that day as we came to realize that no where on the planet can be deemed completely safe and that something as mundane as an airplane can be used as a weapon. Almost 20 years later , security measures at airports and airplanes are still high and tensions with Middle Eastern countries continue to exist.

One positive thing that came from that horrific event is the revelation of how people come together during times of tragedy. This was especially true for the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland. As 38 jetliners were forced to land in Gander, increasing the population by almost 6,600 people, the townsfolk from all over the province jumped into action to provide shelter, food, showers, and anything else that might come up for the passengers and crew of the airplanes.

"The Day the World Came to Town" contains wonderful stories about how the people of Newfoundland dealt with the events that occurred on September 11th and the week following; true accounts of a community that exemplifies love, kindness, and, especially, generosity. I sincerely recommend this book to everyone, but especially those who love to read true and heartfelt stories. Be sure to have tissues on hand!

To this day, many of the passengers and crew remain in contact with the people of Newfoundland. Over those few days, everyone became family. It was amazing to read about the emotional goodbyes as planes were finally allowed to depart from Gander International Airport.

The book is also the basis for the musical "Come From Away", which I have not yet seen. Although I have listened to the soundtrack many times! If anyone knows of a link from which I can watch the musical, please share!

Friday, June 19, 2020

Two Sparrows and Hairs on Your Head


Third Sunday of Pentecost

 **Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.

 **NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.

 **This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.

Introduction to the day

God does not promise that the path of the disciple will be easy. Jeremiah feels the pain of rejection from those who do not want to hear what he has to say. Jesus declares that his words may bring stark division. Even so, we need not be afraid for God accounts for each hair on our heads. Though we may experience rejection, frustration, division, and death, God’s grace and love make us a new creation each day. Marked with the cross and filled with holy food, we are sent from worship to witness to Christ in the world.

Confession and Forgiveness

You are the God who hears:
hear our prayer today for all who lament or repent.

For those among us who face discrimination every day
because of their skin colour, we lament.

For those among us with white skin who benefit
from racist systems sometimes even without realizing it, we repent.

For those among us who have struggled and waited so long
for the Promised Land of freedom and equality, we lament.

For those among us who have acted in racist ways
and have hurt people of colour, we repent.

For those protesting injustice who face police brutality
and a justice system rigged against them, we lament.

For those who think racism is someone else’s problem,
and not a problem for humanity, we repent.

God of hope, show us how to work for justice together,
standing up for what is right,
stepping in when something's wrong,
shouldering each other’s burdens,
holding each other accountable,
righting the wrongs we’ve done,
speaking truth to power.

We pray for change, lasting change,
for protection for protesters,
for a de-escalation of violence
and for government leaders who listen.

Deliver us from evil, within and without,
in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

(written by Carol Penner and posted on Leading in Worship. https://carolpenner.typepad.com/leadinginworship/)

Thanksgiving for Baptism

Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, the fountain of living water, the rock who gave us birth, our light and our salvation. Amen.

Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism,

we are clothed with God's mercy and forgiveness.

Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

We give you thanks, O God,

for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters

and by your Word you created the world,

calling forth life in which you took delight.

Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family.

Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom.

At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit.

By water and your Word you claim us as daughters and sons,

making us heirs of your promise and servants of all.

We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life,

and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ.

Shower us with your Spirit,

and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love.

To you be given honor and praise

through Jesus Christ our Lord

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Amen.

Gathering Song – Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life (ELW #719)

            Listen Here

Greeting

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

And also with you.

Kyrie

Kyrie eleison: Lord, have mercy.
Christe eleison: Christ, have mercy.
Kyrie eleison: Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy: Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy: Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy: Lord, have mercy.

Prayer of the Day

Let us pray.

Teach us, good Lord God, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we do your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

A reading from the Book of Jeremiah                                                      20:7-13

Jeremiah accuses God of forcing him into a ministry that brings him only contempt and persecution. Yet Jeremiah is confident that God will be a strong protector against his enemies and commits his life into God’s hands.

O Lord, you have enticed me,

    and I was enticed;

you have overpowered me,

    and you have prevailed.

I have become a laughingstock all day long;

    everyone mocks me.

For whenever I speak, I must cry out,

    I must shout, “Violence and destruction!”

For the word of the Lord has become for me

    a reproach and derision all day long.

If I say, “I will not mention him,

    or speak any more in his name,”

then within me there is something like a burning fire

    shut up in my bones;

I am weary with holding it in,

    and I cannot.

For I hear many whispering:

    “Terror is all around!

Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”

    All my close friends

    are watching for me to stumble.

“Perhaps he can be enticed,

    and we can prevail against him,

    and take our revenge on him.”

But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior;

    therefore my persecutors will stumble,

    and they will not prevail.

They will be greatly shamed,

    for they will not succeed.

Their eternal dishonor

    will never be forgotten.

O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous,

    you see the heart and the mind;

let me see your retribution upon them,

    for to you I have committed my cause.

Sing to the Lord;

    praise the Lord!

For he has delivered the life of the needy

    from the hands of evildoers.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 69:7-18

It is for your sake that I have borne reproach,

    that shame has covered my face.

I have become a stranger to my kindred,

    an alien to my mother’s children.

It is zeal for your house that has consumed me;

    the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.

When I humbled my soul with fasting,

    they insulted me for doing so.

When I made sackcloth my clothing,

    I became a byword to them.

I am the subject of gossip for those who sit in the gate,

    and the drunkards make songs about me.

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.

    At an acceptable time, O God,

    in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.

With your faithful help rescue me

    from sinking in the mire;

let me be delivered from my enemies

    and from the deep waters.

Do not let the flood sweep over me,

    or the deep swallow me up,

    or the Pit close its mouth over me.

Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;

    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

Do not hide your face from your servant,

    for I am in distress—make haste to answer me.

Draw near to me, redeem me,

    set me free because of my enemies.

A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans                                   6:1-11

In baptism we were incorporated into the reality of Christ’s death and resurrection. We have been made new in Christ through his death and resurrection to live freed from sin.

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

            Listen Here

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The holy gospel according to Matthew                                                    10:24-39

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus warns his disciples that their ministry in his name will meet with opposition. However, he assures them that they need not fear for the truth will come to light. Life is found in Christ.

A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

            So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

            Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Guest preacher: Rev. Doug Reble

I suspect most of you who are listening to or reading this sermon have never heard the name Kenneth Feinberg. He is the lawyer who chaired the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which gave money to the family of each person who died in the 2001 terror attacks in the United States. Starting with a formula and then using his discretion, Feinberg considered the victims’ age, their dependents, whether they had life insurance and their income and earning potential. The value assigned to those lost lives varied dramatically. As little as $250,000 for blue collar workers and as much as $7.1 million for executives.

Feinberg, in an article I read in The New Yorker magazine, reflected on his experience. “As I met with the 9/11 families and wrestled with issues surrounding the valuation of lives lost I began to question this basic premise of our legal system. Trained in the law, I had always accepted that no two lives were worth the same in financial terms. But now I found the law in conflict with my growing belief in the equality of all life.”

In today’s gospel reading from Matthew, Chapter 10, we read of Jesus sending his disciples into a perilous world. There will be divisions in their families. There will be “those who kill the body.” The disciples must be prepared to take up the cross.

And yet in the middle of this recitation of conflict and danger, Jesus suddenly speaks of the smallest, most insignificant creatures. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet none one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.“ In the marketplace, sparrows were the meat of the poor, the ground chuck of the first century. Yet their lives –their deaths –are not beneath God’s attention and care.

“Do not be afraid,“ Jesus says, “you are of more value than many sparrows.“

When I told Bishop Michael Pryse, my colleague in our Eastern Synod office, that I was writing a sermon based on Jesus’ word about sparrows, he started to sing “God Sees The Little Sparrows Fall.” At first I started to laugh and then I realized how come I didn’t know it so I did what we often do and I Googled it. That got me on to another hymn about sparrows as these Google searches often do, entitled “His Eye On The Sparrow.” I listened to a clip of Mahalia Jackson singing it in 1958 and Whitney Houston 30 years later. Never heard of the hymn so I did some research.

I learned that Jesus’ words “Do not be afraid, you are of more value than many sparrows,“ inspired Canadian schoolteacher Civilla Martin, in 1905, to write the words to that hymn, “His Eye On The Sparrow”, a gospel hymn that declares with assurance, “I know God watches me.“

I also learned that this hymn became very popular in African–American churches. In a world that insists that black lives do not matter, Jesus declares that overlooked, exploited, brutalized lives are, in fact, of the greatest importance to God. In a world that says the life of a rich person is worth 28 times as much as the life of a working person, Jesus says that God pays special attention to those who are poor, struggling, and suffering. God cares. We are not alone. In these days of pandemic and COVID-19, how we all need to hear those words. God cares. We are not alone.

Jesus’ calculus for the value of a life has little to do with a person’s income or earning potential. To Jesus, our lives have innate value, in and of themselves. We have value because we are creatures, like sparrows, made in God’s image. As mystic Julian of Norwich wrote in the 15th century of her vision of the hazelnut: “I marveled how it might suddenly have sank into nothing because of its littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: “It lasts and ever shall, because God loves it."

Friends, to Jesus, our value does not lead to compensation or a guarantee of safety. It means that we receive attention. The God who cares for the welfare of sparrows also keeps track of every aspect of our lives, even tallying up the hairs of our heads. When St. Paul’s description of divine love comes to a crescendo in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, he promises that one day we will know fully, even as we have been fully known. I would say that we already are fully known, known more deeply than we even know ourselves.

Occasionally, well meaning Christians declare that “God doesn’t care if you get a tattoo “or “God doesn’t care if you have a glass of wine,” or as I used to say to my mother as a young teenager, “God doesn’t care if I wear jeans to church.” While it is true that none of these choices is, for most of us, a matter of eternal consequences, the idea that God doesn’t care is entirely untrue. There is nothing, not even the smallest thing, that is outside the circle of God’s care. And if God cares about these little details, the sparrows of our lives, then how much more God cares about the shape of each life and of all our lives. Just remember. God’s care is not for me alone, nor only for people like me, but for all of us.

After the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund completed its work, Kenneth Feinberg received a call from the president of Virginia Tech University, asking him to manage the fund that would distribute compensation to the families of the students and faculty killedin the 2007 mass shooting. “I realized that Feinberg the citizen trumped Feinberg the lawyer. My legal training would no longer stand in the way. This time all victims - students and faculty alike - would receive the same compensation.“

Dear friends in Christ. Sparrows and disciples alike, we know God watches us. To God, we matter. Hear that again. To God, we matter. In God’s sight, there are no unimportant lives.

In the name of the God who loves us all. Amen.

Hymn of the Day – Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said (ELW #667)

            Listen Here

Creed

 

Prayers of Intercession

Called into unity with one another and the whole creation, let us pray for our shared world.

Expansive God, you bring diverse voices together to form your church. Open our hearts and unstop our ears to learn from one another, that differences might not overshadow our baptismal unity. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Providing God, your creation shows us that life comes from death. Renew the places where our land, air, and waterways have been ill for too long. Direct the work of all who care for birds and their habitats. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Protecting God, sustain and keep safe all who work to defend others across the world. Revive and strengthen organizations dedicated to caring for refugees and migrants while their homelands struggle for peace. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Loving God, you promise to be with all who are persecuted for your sake. Guide all who speak your word of justice and console any who are tormented or targeted for being who they are. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Compassionate God, you are with us and we are never alone. Bless all fathers and father figures who strive to love and nurture as you do. Comfort all who long to be fathers and all for whom this day is difficult. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Reigning God, you bless us with guides and caretakers in the faith. As we give thanks for those who have died, especially Onesimos Nesib, translator and evangelist, and all murdered Indigenous women and girls, increase our care for one another until we walk with them in newness of life. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Receive these prayers, O God, and those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Peace

The peace of Christ be with you always.

And also with you.

Offering

**Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, who made us who we are, we offer all of ourselves to you.

Take our talents, our energy and our joy, and use us to share your love.

Take our mistakes, our regrets and our pain, and use us to bring your healing. Magnify the gifts we offer before you today, to spread Your peace in the world.

Amen.

(submitted by Gill Le Fevre)

Thanksgiving for the Word

Let us pray.

O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever.

Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

Blessing

O Lord Jesus,

gentle and humble of heart,

full of compassion and maker of peace,

you lived in poverty and suffered persecution for the cause of justice.

You chose the Cross as the path to glory to show us the way of salvation.

May we receive the word of the Gospel joyfully

and live by your example as heirs and citizens of your kingdom.

Amen.

(posted on the Catholic Forum website. http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pray0483.htm)

Sending Song – We Are Called (ELW #720)

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Dismissal

Go forth into the world to serve God with gladness; be of good courage; hold fast to that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honor all people; love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God.